Just a breeze! Sweeping the carpet

 

In contrast to Mom’s wayward mop, Mom’s manual carpet sweeper is so very easy to use.  Mom’s carpet is very thick but it does not matter; her manual sweeper is up to the job and helps me to do a very good job of sweeping.

For a manual device, she is light to use and pick up.  She rolls very easily and she is easy to maneuver, to push and pull.  I have a method when I start off with Mom’s sweeper, and I follow it from start to finish.

I start at one end and move cautiously across a straight line to the other end. I use my feet as a guide to help me stay on course and to make sure that I am not sweeping the same spot.  The carpet is huge and thick but I am usually done within 15 minutes.

Just a joy to work with Mom’s sweeper.

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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She works well but she is very heavy! Mom's wayward mop

 

This is probably one of the funniest things for me each time I visit Mom.  It is all about her mop and its ability to give me a hard time each time I pick her up to mop Mom’s house.  

I just do not know how many times Mom has trimmed her strands but trust me when I tell you that she is still very heavy whenever I pick her up.  With water dripping from her and me struggling to keep control of her, I am just too tired to argue with her whenever it is mopping day.

True it is that she mops nice and clean and I am able to get the job done quickly, but alas!  I have to exert a lot of energy to push and pull her and then finally to pick her up and put her into the mop bucket.  Thank God that she is not a real person, eh?

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

Homey never the less: A dusty kitchen

 

That’s the beloved and welcoming kitchen of my mom!  Dusty but very warm and welcoming.

Almost twice daily I need to wipe down her island and then make sure that the drainboard of her kitchen sink feels clean.  Next, I tackle the handles to her fridge and finally I wipe down her counters.  

For me, I love doing it but for Mom, she has grown so used to it that it just does not bother her!  Whenever I touch anything, I really like to ensure that everything feels smooth, clean, and without dust.  It is the same for me in my home.  

Am I a nitpicker?  I hope not!  Just someone who really does not like to feel dust under my fingers.

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

When I got to play nurse: Helping Mom with her ankle band

My poor Mom!  On my recent visit I had to help her put on her ankle band as she dealt with a bad right ankle.  

Needless to say, my main focus was to ensure that I caused her the least amount of pain as possible.  I am very sure that I often hurt her when helping to put it on and take it off.  I tried to be as gentle as possible, slipping it on from the bottom up when putting it on and then reversing the process when taking it off.

The ankle band was very tight on several occasions and required Mom and me to work together to adjust and readjust our positions during both processes.  

My biggest fear was that I was hurting her. But as a true trooper, she never complained, instead choosing to egg me on and to give me feedback on how I was doing.  A great team of the blind and the hard of hearing working together!

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

Not very fond of them: Lizards in my way

 

I can honestly say that I do not like them and they probably do not like me.  Each time I visit Mom in the Caribbean, I have to put up with them.

They simply love to disturb me whenever I am lying on the couch in Mom’s living room or they come early in the morning to disturb my sleep.  No, I cannot see them but they make me aware of their presence when they make loud clapping sounds and they do this by coming very close to my head.  

If I am quick enough I either shout at them or clap my hands and they just run away.  They crawl along walls and jump from wall to wall.  They are very fast and although Mom keeps telling me that they are harmless, I still do not appreciate their presence.

Ah, yes!  Just another irritant for me to overcome.

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

Unhappy moments:Not looking forward to the return

 No!  No, and this has not changed for me for as long as I have been traveling back and forth to and from Canada to the Caribbean.  One minute I am the captain of my own ship when I return home to Canada, and the next I am the second in command when I visit Mom in the Caribbean.  

This is why I was not looking forward to my return on this occasion.  Being the captain of my own ship comes with a lot of responsibilities such as:  making sure that things are where I put them.  Remembering where I put them.  Checking and rechecking everything that I do.  Being able to do things without the support of sighted assistance.

You get the picture!

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

Forever, Mom! Visit ending soon

This has probably always been one of the most challenging circumstances for me and it was no different as the time approached for me to leave my precious mom in early March 2022.

Things just seem so much easier when I visit.  For example, I have a pair of eyes to look out for me, to check on things for me, and to let me know whenever I spill things, miss things when cleaning up, and then helping me to match up my clothes.  

There is such a difference for me as a blind/vision-impaired person between living on my own versus visiting with someone who is sighted.  Two very different worlds but each with its own contentment, a few bumps in the road, and onward we go.

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


 

Not an easy task: Advocating for chess

 I guess that I have always had a soft spot for the game of chess and several years ago I finally decided to do something about it.  

First, I engaged a wonderful Russian coach named Nadia Shishkina to help me and since then she has become my friend and has even gotten her daughter Olya to engage with me.  

Then, in 2014 and again in 2019 I traveled to Windermere England to play in live tournaments with players from the Blind Chess Association of Britain.  Wonderful experiences with warm and wonderful folks and players.

Now I am playing in an email tournament against players from the same association and I can tell you most fervently that I have enjoyed getting to know these great folks.  And a huge thank you to my on-again off-again coach, Mark Kirkham.

Chess is a way to do so many things: to socialize, to learn the game, and most importantly to be able to develop more patience. A better way to think and strategize and, above all, to have lots of fun!

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