Not for the faint of heart: Studying for my Apple certification

This exam is definitely not for the faint of heart and as a person with a vision impairment, it is even more of a challenge.

For me, I had to not just read and study the 1,000 page guide, I also had to learn voiceover as well as learn the Mac.

It was a huge job for me but one that I accepted and wanted to do. I was committed because I hope that I can use my hoped for success to start down a new type of career.

My coach, John Panarese, has been so supportive and patient, giving up 2 evenings per week to work with me. We are almost there and hopefully I'll have good news soon.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day!

 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Give the gift of accessibility to disabled children and their families today.

A soulful moment. Forehead to forehead, a mother and her beloved son with a disability at a rehabilitation center.

The world today is not what it was yesterday and it will not be the same tomorrow. We are presently living in very challenging and troubled times but rest assured, with our high propensity to create, innovate, and overcome, we will get through this together!

Author Donna Jodhan is committed to doing her part to ensure that persons with disabilities, especially our kids with disabilities, are not left out and that they are given every opportunity to be a part of our growing virtual world.

Author Donna invites you to support one of her many ongoing initiatives by making a small donation today. To say thank you, all supporters are granted unlimited access to all 3 of Author Donna’s Subscription Libraries. These include her Audio Mystery Library, her Recipe Library and her Home & Garden Library. Review them today at:

http://www.donnajodhan.com/subscription-libraries.html

All donations, including anonymous donations, are also acknowledged on both the Author Donna Jodhan Supporters Page and the Author Donna Jodhan Donor Wall for the duration of their support.

Please consider giving the gift of accessibility to disabled children and their families today. Your support makes the difference in keeping our children connected, healthy and part of our community.  Visit https://www.donnajodhan.com/donate.html

Precious moments that protect my sanity: Chatting across the miles

This is one very precious activity for me as we continue to deal with the Covid lockdown. I not only do it by phone, I do it via FaceTime as well.

I have had a few cherished FaceTime chats with Mom and some with other friends across Canada and even in England. I have also used Skype to communicate with my chess friend Mark, and I can admit this has all helped to save my sanity.

I still use my land line quite a bit and I have made a commitment to reach out to at least one person every week to chat and make sure that they are okay.

Every Monday my friend Gabriella and I have gab time but there is always a special feeling when reaching out across the miles. Just to hear their voices even though they are so far away. FaceTime with Angie in England is such a treat.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A great and delightful experience: Enjoying my plants in a different way

I am just so pleased that despite no longer being able to see my flowers, I can still find enormous joy and pleasure spending time on my balcony with my plants.

After Nick planted flowers for me and took the time to arrange them in such a pretty way, I go out every day to visit them.  I go early in the morning. I take time to touch each of them and get so excited when I am able to feel their leaves and flowers.

I water them tenderly and spray them so as to ensure that they do not get too dry in the humidity. I also make sure not to over water them or even to under water them. I even take the time to say a few kind words to them.

Then, at late evening, I again visit them. I sit on my balcony and pretend that I can see them. What a joy for me!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Such a relief: When Nick cleaned my balconies

I was just so enormously happy when Nick and his wife cleaned my 2 balconies because, truth be told, I don't think that I could have had the strength or will to do it on my own.

There used to be a time, and especially so when I had functional vision, this would have been such an easy chore for me and boy how I enjoyed it so very much.  Things have changed now and with precious little vision it has become a real challenge.

I was just so happy when Nick and his wife came and did it all for me. They cleaned up both balconies and cleaned all of the windows along with the patio doors in my condo. They cleaned my balcony chairs, table, and even the plant pots promising to have Nick come again and plant flowers for me.

After they had left me on a bright May morning in 2020, I thanked God that such wonderful folks were around to help me.

Now my balconies are nice and clean and I no longer have any excuse for not going out there to enjoy them. I'll sweep them every week and wipe off my chairs and table.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day!

 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

An important message from Donna Jodhan

A beautiful little girl with Down Symdrome smiles while looking up at the camera with painted hands. Each finger a different color. A small splotch of paint on her nose. A desk full of different colored paints beneath her.

I am just happy that I can share my positive power with you today and I hope that, in some minute way, some of it rubs off on someone out there!

Yes, fall is here and yes! It's time for the trees to start turning colours and for the squirrels to start gathering their nuts!

Now it's time for us to double down and increase our efforts to stand together! It's what we know how to do best!

My quote for today is this one:

"Survival can be summed up in three words - never give up. That's the heart of it really. Just keep trying."-Bear Grylls

As part of my contribution to promote positive power, I will be posting positive messages to my personal Facebook page at www.facebook.com/donnajodhan

and invite visitors to check out my online store at www.donnajodhan.com

along with my subscription libraries.

My subscription libraries contain very valuable tips on home and garden along with yummy recipes for the culinary enthusiast! I want to help make your at-home isolation experience as pleasant as possible.

Thank you and stay safe.

Not for me: Ordering online

The Covid lockdown has certainly increased the popularity of online ordering, be it for merchandise or food. For me, as a vision-impaired person, it all depends on how accessible and navigable the different websites are.

Obviously, some websites are friendlier than others. Then one can use those growing number of mobile apps to do the same.

Call me a chicken at heart but I prefer to avoid ordering online if I can, choosing instead to use either the phone or the assistance of my sighted friends. Sometimes I do indeed get adventurous and give it a whirl.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

It was not my day! When the pot spoon fell

And my oh my, what a hassle it was for me that day. The pot spoon did not just fall, it splattered its contents far and wide.

It fell out of the pot as I was taking my pot from the stove to my sink. The pot spoon spilled and splashed its contents onto the stove, onto the floor, and onto some of the doors of my kitchen cupboards. What a mess to clean it all up.

I am afraid that it took me quite some time to locate the spills and splashes and then to clean it all up. So, what did I learn out of all this?

I need to hang onto the pot spoon when transporting my pot from stove to sink or counter.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Just another painful exercise: Finding the chips

This is yet another very interesting challenge for me as chips normally do not make any sound when they hit the floor. Or, I should say that they do if I hear them fall and that would be if the noise level around me is low.

So, if I don't hear them fall and pick them up at once, I normally find them either when I step on them as they lie on the floor or when I wipe off my kitchen counters or kitchen table. Truth be told, it is much easier when I find them on my kitchen counters but if I am not careful I can also create a challenge for myself if I bat them off of my counter or kitchen table onto the floor.

It is such a hassle for anyone, sighted or vision-impaired, whenever you step on fallen chips, crush them with your foot, and then you need to pick up the crumbs with a dust pan. For me, as a vision-impaired person, I need to make sure that I get all of the crumbs.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day!

 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

An important message from Donna Jodhan

Ten different hands come together to form the shape of a heart. Representing unity, diversity, partnership, connection, support, teamwork, and togetherness.

My goodness! It is the second weekend of September and I am pleased to continue my words of positive power. I thank the many ones who have taken the time to encourage me to keep on

going.

Today, I am all for doing some good and well-needed housekeeping. Not the one that many of you may be thinking of, but the one of putting my mental house in order.

I can share with you that it sure helps to lighten the load, take a huge burden off of my shoulders, and reestablish long lost friendships and just start all over again.

So, here is my quote for today:

"Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change." Author Unknown

As part of my contribution to promote positive power, I will be posting positive messages to my personal Facebook page at www.facebook.com/donnajodhan

and invite visitors to check out my online store at www.donnajodhan.com

along with my subscription libraries.

My subscription libraries contain very valuable tips on home and garden along with yummy recipes for the culinary enthusiast! I want to help make your at-home isolation experience as pleasant as possible.

Thank you and stay safe.

It only gets easier: Running errands down to a routine

Thanks to Covid-19, I have been forced to be more disciplined when running my errands. I have a shot at this activity once weekly, and with Stephanie's wonderful help it is much easier than expected.

I make out my list beforehand, as I have been doing for years now, but the big difference here is that I am only going to buy what I need. In addition, I make sure to not spend too much time lingering in the supermarket.

We have split the running of weekly errands into two separate types of activities. One week we go grocery shopping and the next we do the pharmacy and visit the bank.

Stephanie and I walk quickly up and down the aisles. She is extremely attentive to detail and she is very used to my price range, my preferences, and so much more. We social distance and use our hand sanitizers as often as is necessary.

Her guiding techniques are second to none and her descriptions of packages, cans, tins, and boxes are superb!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Revival of a long lost hobby: Playing the piano for Mom

This has always been a wee bit of a challenge for me and maybe it is because she is probably my most outspoken critic, for a better description.

For some uncanny reason Mom can always spot my errors as I play and always has suggestions for improvement. In the normal scheme of things, not too many of us like to be criticized so maybe it is why I feel this way.

Some time ago as we continued to labour under the lockdown of the Covid virus, I managed to play a bit for Mom during one of our FaceTime sessions and for the first time she did not comment on my playing although I am very sure that there were some glaring errors in my mini recital.

Nevertheless, for my part I enjoyed my time playing for her.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Thank you so much Karen Maurer: Happy music with Karen

These were such happy days for me! Times spent during afternoons or in the evening after supper making happy music with Karen.  We would often get together in the living room of Penfield House at the Montreal Association for the Blind.

I found it to be so much fun! It was relaxing and Karen was always so very willing and ready to accompany my piano playing on her recorder. Karen was tremendously talented and could play any melody to accompany me. She even composed a nifty little tune for us to play.

When Noreen passed on we gave a concert in her honour for the staff of Penfield and it was packed. We managed to play 20 songs and oh how we both enjoyed it! Yes, happy memories of playing music with Karen!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day!

 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

An important message from Donna Jodhan

As part of my contribution to promote positive power, I will be posting positive messages to my personal Facebook page at www.facebook.com/donnajodhan

and invite visitors to check out my online store at www.donnajodhan.com

along with my subscription libraries.

Hi there and welcome to September. I am going to start my power of positive thinking for this month by taking the lead like this.

I'd like to start thinking of a way to leave a gift for the next generation! What could it be?

Financial security?

A world with less hate and more peace and love?

A world with more forgiveness?

Well, all of this but here is my surprise gift as seen in this quote!

"If I were given the opportunity to present a gift to the next generation, it would be the ability for each individual to learn to laugh at himself." Charles Schulz

My subscription libraries contain very valuable tips on home and garden along with yummy recipes for the culinary enthusiast! I want to help make your at-home isolation experience as pleasant as possible.

Thank you and stay safe.

The best way to stay sane: Only listening twice daily

I know that Covid-19 is hard on us all but as a person with a vision impairment, there are those additional challenges.

Social distancing is extremely difficult, especially so because I need to ensure that I follow the rules. Self isolation is next but I use Facetime to help me bridge the communication gaps.

So what do I do in order to stay sane? I just listen to the news only twice daily and I find that this helps me to stay sane, stay on track, and find time to think, breathe, and more.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

She is such a wonderful neighbour and friend: Communicating with my neighbour Sandra

She is such a lovely person and has so much to share, communicate, and more. She is my neighbour across the hall and always has time for me.

Sandra listens, gives her opinion, but most of all she does not treat me as if I am just another vision-impaired person. She knows when to offer help and she knows when to stand and wait for me to ask for her assistance.

She sets my clocks when the time changes. She is my eyes, reading the odd piece of mail or writing out a cheque for me. She reads labels on jars and bottles to me and she has now become my photographer whenever I ask her to take pictures with her iPhone so that I can send them to Mom across the miles.

That's my neighbour, Sandra!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Discovering new friendships: Enjoying my chess games with friends across the miles

This is probably one of the best ways that I have found to help me cope with Covid-19 and I can tell you that it is a fantastic way.

Ever since I attended my first chess break tournament at Windermere England in 2014, I have had the good fortune to stay in touch with and play against some super players and friends.

I'd like to thank Mark Kirkham for having stuck with me ever since we met last year, 2019. Mark has helped me to develop my game and to gain more confidence. He has helped me to toughen up my approach and find ways to stay longer in the game.

His puzzles have also helped me and I have also managed to stay in touch with Denis Warner. We are all vision-impaired chess players, simply having lots of fun and learning a lot.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day!

 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan