My memory lapse: Looking for the chocolate bar

 

On a pretty warm day, bathed in humidity, my beloved chocolate bar went missing on me.  I looked everywhere and sure enough!  I could not find it.

I had bought it a few hours earlier when I went shopping with Stephanie on my biweekly shopping trip.  I searched each and every shopping bag brought home from the supermarket.  I had searched my kitchen counter, the kitchen floor and then, finally!

I phoned Stephanie and she gently reminded me that I had stuck my chocolate bar in my purse on the way home.  What a relief and very funny!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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
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It must be perfectly hung: Hanging the cross correctly

 This is something that I have always taken extra special care to do, to ensure that the cross in my dining room is correctly hung.  I have found it to be a challenge because it is not always very easy for me to tell which side should face outwards and which side should be on the inside.

On the whole, visitors would either not notice or would be a bit uneasy to tell me if they noticed that I had not hung my cross correctly.

This is exactly what happened when my neighbour Sandra came over for a visit a few months ago. I did not hesitate to ask her if my cross had been hung correctly and lo and behold!  It had not been hung correctly.

Sandra was simply great as with a chuckle and not missing a beat she fixed my cross for me.  Ah, yes!  All in a day's adventure for a vision-impaired person. I just need to put a tiny piece of tape on the back to help me identify which side faces forward.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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
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All my pleasure: Setting table for two

 

I think that I have come to be a bit of a pro when it comes to setting table for two.  For this is what I have been doing ever since the pandemic descended upon us all.

Each month I set table for two and then my good neighbour, Sandra, comes over to have either dinner or evening tea with me.  I take my time doing this; first getting out the table mats and placing them in front of the chairs on my dining table.

Next I place the glasses, cutlery, and plates on the table mats.  Finally, I arrange the tea cups and their saucers on the counter in my kitchen if they are needed.

As a short cut I use mugs so no saucers are needed.  I also place napkins carefully beside the plates on the table.

I have everything down to a science, as they say.  Careful as I go and methodical to go along.  My mission is to ensure that I do things just right and not break anything.

The final thing is to arrange cookies and cake on the plates and put nuts into a tiny dish beside the plates.

All in a day's preparation.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight loss coach and 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 Covid related task: Printing pictures

Now that I have a need to send pictures to my mom every month, I have had to find ways to do this.

During the lock down it was Shane who came to my rescue by my sending the digital images to him and then he would print them and bring them to me. Then the restrictions precluded us from doing it this way and I had to ask Jane to help.  I would send the pictures to her, she would print them, and then mail them to me. Sometimes with the help of a pair of eyes I would print some of them myself.

Now that the pandemic appears to be coming to an end, I look forward to finding easier ways to print my pictures. I keep all of them in a special folder on my computer and back them up to dropbox.  So, not much chance of losing these blessed treasures.

I may not be able to see them but they are still very special to me.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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

Oh, my beloved plaza! The plaza never to forget

When I moved to Toronto over 30 years ago I was so very happy to discover that the little plaza on my street corner provided so much of every last minute commodity and service that I needed.

There was everything, from the corner grocery to the pharmacy.  The bakery and deli to the specialty food supermarket.  The laundry and dry cleaner to the doctor and dentist, the hairdressing salon and there was more.

Owners and employees were always so friendly, welcoming and always ready to help those of us who required assistance.  I loved them all and they welcomed me!  They were within walking distance of my condo and this was the absolute paradise for me; but now no more for me and so many others!

Thanks to greedy developers who do not care about the welfare of others, only their own bulging pockets, this little plaza is all but closed now.  Most of the businesses are all but gone!  It does not matter that one of our important neighbourhood centerpieces has been destroyed!  The hell with the welfare of seniors and those with disabilities.

I, along with others, have nowhere to go now.  No plaza close by for us to shop at.  Now we have to depend on our sighted friends and family to drive us elsewhere. I'll never forget you my beloved little plaza!  3079 Pharmacy Avenue!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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

Here we go again! Searching for the missing chess pawn

 This is probably one of the more tedious tasks or hunts for me. Whenever a chess piece falls, I need to use my native logic to help me locate it. This is so because whenever one of these falls, it falls on my carpet and rolls away.

And this is what happened some weeks ago when a chess pawn went missing.  I had to rack my brain to develop a road map.  I searched my desk but then quickly realized that the chess pawn had fallen onto my carpet.  So, off I went to find it.

I would say that thanks to previous experience it did not take me as long to find my chess pawn and this time I did not have to ask my neighbour Sandra to help me hunt for it.  Indeed, the chess pawn had fallen and had rolled a little way ahead.   It was nicely nestled among the computer chords under my desk.

As a person with a vision impairment I must be more careful to ensure that I do not lose my chess pieces or any other tiny object.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight loss coach and 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

No big surprise for me! The other person in the hall

I have been using this strategy for several years now ever since I lost my vision.  It all has to do with combining my senses of smell and hearing to help me decipher or determine if there is anyone else around me.

This is what I do whenever I go out early in the morning to take my garbage to the chute. At that time the hallway in my condo building is dead quiet and I can even hear my footsteps echoing along the carpet as I walk.

I quietly open my door, slip out of my doorway, and gently close and lock my door.  Then I proceed to walk as silently as I can down the hallway, carefully carrying my garbage bag.

My antennas are on full alert.  I have deployed my senses of smell and hearing as I walk and I am ready to discover whether or not there is anyone else in the hallway.  On most mornings there is no one but a few months ago there was someone standing in front of the elevator as I approached.

I said good morning and he responded but I could tell that he was shocked that I knew that he was there.  He asked me how I knew that he was there and I smiled and said that I had smelled his sweet-scented after shave!  He laughed and wished me a pleasant day.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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 bit of a surprise! Discovering the wet onion ring

Good thing that I found this in my kitchen sink instead of on my kitchen counter or on my kitchen floor.  Just imagine if I had stepped on it?

The poor onion ring would probably have been squashed and would have run all over my floor thus causing a huge mess for me to clean up.  Or, if I had found it on my kitchen counter I would have had to make sure that I had wiped the counter clean.

I was surprised to have found the wet onion ring in my sink anyway, but good thing that I stopped myself from screaming!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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

What a horrible spill! Cleaning up my microwave

 I am fairly lucky in that it has not been too often when I have had to clean up a mess in my microwave.  But, that was not the case a few weeks ago.

I placed my egg pot in my microwave with 4 eggs in it with the intention of hard boiling them. However, the egg pot had other intentions on that day.

About a minute after starting my microwave, I heard a loud bang and then the rest was history.  The lid on the egg pot had come off and my eggs spilled over into the microwave.  What a huge mess for me to clean up.

I had to be very careful in cleaning up.  And, naturally, as someone with precious little sight I had to make sure that I got all of the tiny pieces of egg shells and remnants of egg.  It is already difficult for a person with sight so just imagine the additional challenges for someone with a vision impairment.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight loss coach and 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 for ever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

One of the gentlest and most pleasant persons: Remembering Marie

 Oh, my beloved Marie!  Gentle, generous, always so positive, and a wonderful family friend.  Someone that we all considered to be part of the family!

Marie never got vexed or angry.  She always had a story or two to tell us and she was always there to pick up the pieces.

Marie never seemed to be uncomfortable around me as a vision-impaired kid. She was protective, careful, and she always made me laugh!  She even adjusted to our dogs!

Marie was an all rounder; she did a bit of everything in the home for the family.  She loved all of us and we loved her, too! Thank you, Marie, for having come into my life!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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

Precious childhood memories: Playing hide and seek at Auntie Julie's house

Auntie Julie was one of my favourite family members and I always looked forward to when we would visit her home or she would visit us.  These visits were all so very special to me and enriched my childhood.

Auntie Julie had a huge house so there were many places for us to play hide and seek.  While the adults chatted in the huge gallery, us kids would go off and play.  I had so many helping hands to assist me to find and hide. Jeffrey, my brother, Bryan, my cousin and Leon, my cousin.

It was so much fun whenever they were able to find a new hiding place to hide with me.  Most of the time the seekers would not be able to find me and my partner.  Whoever my partner was for the moment; they always took great care to ensure that I did not bump into anything along the way.

It is as if they all knew that they needed to be my eyes!  Careful, protective, and my eyes! I thank them all!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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 was very special to me! Remembering Olive

I shall always remember Olive, a wonderful lady who used to come every Thursday to iron clothes for the family.  Olive was always so pleasant and always had time to talk with me.

I would rush home from school to see her.  I would sit on the couch while she ironed and she always had so many stories to tell me.  We talked about any and everything that we could think of and at 6:30 pm we listened to stories on the radio.

There was Auntie Wendy Price and her fairy tales followed by story time sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.  Each episode lasted for 15 minutes and when they were over it was time for Olive to leave and travel home.

I was always so very sad to see her go.  Olive never made me feel uncomfortable.  She never asked me about my blindness and seemed to accept me for the child that I was: inquisitive, and always looking for ways to make Olive laugh!

Thank you, Olive!  For having made my childhood so rich!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and 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