Being careful with the doors

This is one thing that I must be careful with at all times. For if I am not then guess what? I'll simply bang into them and then I would often run the risk of hurting myself. Taking enough care and I am home free!

So how do I do this? By making sure that I close all cupboard doors and closets after leaving said cupboard or closet. By making sure that if I am in an unfamiliar place that I determine where doors are and asking if there are any opened doors. Then if I am unable to ask someone that I make sure to use my cane and instinct to help me stay away from opened doors.

Now, these strategies almost often work but there are times where they do not. Call it Murphy's law and this is what I put it down to. At the end of the day, I just need to be paying enough attention.

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

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
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This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

At the plant shop with Mom

A few months ago I had the very unique experience of going to a plant shop with my mom. It was great and oh so refreshing. I thoroughly enjoyed this particular experience, and on a very hot and sticky day. We accomplished what we had set out to do.

Mom and I walked lazily among the plants and as we did so, she gave me a running commentary of descriptions of the various plants and flowers. I know that many folks paid close attention to us as we walked. The service reps for sure were very curious and impressed with how we interacted with each other and they even joined in to give me descriptions.

I touched and felt many of the plants running my hands over their leaves and petals. I used my imagination to help me visualize as I am no longer able to see what they look like. I gently touched the petals of the flowers and was as equally gentle with the leaves. There were leaves and flowers of all shapes, sizes, thickness, and fragility. The plant shop was fragrant and fragrances from various flowers intermingled with each other. Many of the aisles were a wee bit narrow but that was okay for me as I was able to hold on comfortably to Mom's arm as we walked. A wonderful experience for me.

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

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

Reaching out for objects

Careful now! This is one of the most challenging things for me these days, reaching out for objects. First off, I need to be careful when I reach out for objects. Don't reach out far enough and I run the great risk of missing it altogether and my hands may just crash into it sending it flying somewhere beyond my reach. Reach out too far and then I could possibly either grab something else or nothing at all.

I need to ensure that I am pin point when reaching out for an object. That I can judge precisely where it is and if I happen to miss it then I am close enough to it to be able to grab it without too much difficulty. It often requires a very focused and concentrated effort to be bang on the money but sometimes this does not really help. I need to be able to judge where the object is before reaching out. Reaching for objects from others may be a bit easier as in general you have the person who is handing you the object to guide you. However, if the person is blind then there is another hurdle to overcome.

Another challenge may be banging into the object sending it flying and spilling its contents if, for example, it is a glass, cup, plate, saucer, bowl, or jug or mug. It sure makes life very interesting when you have to reach out for an object.

Grabbing for something is probably not the answer for me. Mounting a gentle search is what works.

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

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan "If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

On the lake in Montreal

This is yet another very precious memory that I have carefully preserved in my memory bank. It was great and it was lasting and it was one where I was able to sit in a small boat and look up at the mid-blue skies with puffy white clouds sailing gracefully by.

The picture was a perfect one for me. Sun, skies, and clouds above me. The surface of a peaceful, rippling lake around me and boats loaded with others all around me. This was it and this is what I was able to see in those days.

As I write this blog, I can still remember this particular day with all of its fun and glory and those handsome guide dogs belonging to my friends Chris and Ron taking part in all of the activities. Everyone was so happy and helpful and I was in my very own little world enjoying all of my surroundings. Little did I know then that so many years later I would be retrieving this memory from my memory bank to help keep me going. You would be amazed to know how memories such as these can help me to keep focused now that my vision is almost zero.

I simply love to remember and recall and I love to use these memories to help keep on imagining and creating.

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

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

The Toronto Harbour boat cruise

Yet another memory for me to cherish! Memories of a Toronto Harbour boat cruise of so many years ago. This, too, was a gorgeous summer's day as I ventured out with my co-workers to enjoy a great outing. I can still picture this in my mind: the boat and everyone wearing colourful necklaces and all kinds of various shirts.

The breeze was a fresh and cool one and as I stood with my group on the deck, I looked out towards the harbour and one of my friends gave me a running commentary of the various buildings within visual range. I loved it all! The gorgeous sun, the breeze, the water lapping gently against our boat, and good company.

The shirts of those around me flapping in the cool breeze. Hats and caps bobbing in the wind, and glasses filled with liquid of various colours in the hands of those around me.

I don't think that anyone would or could fully appreciate how I felt that day. Being able to see what was around me was really a gift for me and one that I have managed to carry with me for so many years. You see, these are the memories that keep me going now that my vision is almost zero.

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

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

At Wild Water Kingdom

Ah yes! This was so many years ago, when I first went to Wild Water Kingdom with my friend Gabriella and her nephew, Rick. What a day for me and one that I shall never forget.

The day was one of the warmest of that summer and as the sun blazed down on us, I took in all of my surroundings. In those days I had enough vision to appreciate my surroundings, all of the colors and shapes and sights and sounds to go along. I was literally blown away! The various colors of people's clothes. The various shapes of their bodies. The stalls loaded with food and the kids literally bowling over each other to get to the various water rides and pools.

Gabriella took Rick and me to the lazy river, the wading pool, and some of the various other rides. Rick wore a bright yellow hat and this made it easy for me to find him. We had so much fun, and at the end of it all I returned home having enjoyed another side of life! One where I got to be a kid once more for a few hours and one where I could see enough to enjoy the big world with all of its shapes and colors.

These memories shall be forever tucked away in my memory bank and at any given time, I can recall them and cherish them.

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

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

When the crabs came out

I'll never forget that fateful night when the crabs came out! It was a moonlit night of so many years ago and the family was indeed expecting them to run as it is a common belief still held today that crabs almost always run on moonlit nights.

I, for one, was bound and determined that I would not let them pinch my toes because I was told that if you were to somehow get in their way as they ran then they would pinch your feet with their sharp pincers.

These were the blue back crabs as they were called. Large, fast-moving creations of nature that came out of their holes in the sand on moonlit nights to run around in their own domain. They would run on the beach. They would run along on dirt paths, and they would even run on grassy slopes and banks. I was never really able to see what they looked like but based on descriptions from Granny and Dad, they were quite cute in their own way. They were of all sizes, from quite small to being quite large. Large being the size of the palm of an adult. They had large pinchers, large claws, and their backs were blue. Blue ranging from light blue to very dark blue.

Such memories for me are so precious and I am really glad that I have them forever.

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

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"