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Wednesday, 17 June 2015

ITV THANK YOU


Good day Bloggets, Hub just left for a meeting in Leeds. So here we are, I’m in the conservatory its gloomy today and rain is forecast. This road behind us is really getting to Hub. He says it’s like living on a motorway. It’s a real shame as the house is lovely and the neighbours are fantastic. I would hate to live anywhere else. We would never get such friendly people near us and it makes such a difference. Even in our local park or on our way to the local shops, people never pass without saying hello. In a blind world, this is so lovely; it’s kind of a friendly smile.  You know when you are walking and someone smiles at you? You may not realise, but that little acknowledgment makes a difference I’m sure. Well, we can’t see a smile, so to us a smile is a hello.

 

So much to talk about today. Well, yesterday I wrote a very controversial blog. I wasn’t on line, and I had a kind of awareness that the blog may be a little on the risky side, so I read it to Hub. It was not the normal Fifi blog, but I went into English days of study and wrote as though I was entering into an exam. Haha. Well, half way into it, Hub stopped me and told me I couldn’t publish this, well, normally, that would make me want to publish more. I’m kind of glad I wasn’t on line, as I don’t normally read my blogs over,  or a lot of the time, I wouldn’t publish what I have written, so it would have been out there in the big bad world.

 

Well, I read on, and heard the grumbles. Then teen joined in.

“No Mum. Please don’t publish that?” Yes, as I read on it became more obvious to me that I wouldn’t be able to show this work to you all. Hub said as far as a written word was concerned, it was pure brilliance. He said university level, and coming from an old English master that was a compliment. As specially, how he speaks of my poetry, as that is not so positive. Hehehe. Well, I kind of wondered to myself, what on earth was I thinking of? It even shocked me. See I write my mind, I speak my mind too and that is not a good thing all of the time.

 

I wish I could show you, as I was really pleased with it, but, in fear of my life and my families, I couldn’t do it. So into in the archive of my work.

 

It did react a deep conversation between Hub and me though, with fantastic debates opinions and a discussion for the evening. It was fascinating to hear Hubs version of events. He spoke as though back at university, you know when you have to take a side in a debate you don’t believe in, an yet for your lesson, that has to be your subject. It was just interesting to hear another side.

 

Anyway, that was how you only got one blog yesterday. As far as my computer, I fixed it myself. And that is the only way to go. Really, my Husband would come in, tell me shush as he tries to hear what this lap top is saying and push buttons then it was fixed. Then he couldn’t remember how to teach me how to do it. This infuriated me. So yesterday I said stuff the upstairs work and stay with. I did and I now know for future what to do. 

 

Computers are really like brilliant mathematicians, I said this to my maths tutor one day. She wasn’t impressed. I told her that maths was invented by a man. The rules facts and solutions. They were meant to look really difficult and challenging, but in fact, if you simplify the questions and and narrow down the whole part you will find it’s not quite so difficult after all. I tell my Son this too and he began to understand what I meant, then he passed his maths exam, third time lucky. I’m not saying that high end maths is not a challenge, as beginner’s level killed me, but only because of two reasons. One I couldn’t see the graphs that were before me, and two, I couldn’t read Braille. So I had to remember up to twenty numbers at a time to get the answer. Once I sussed out the cunning plan, I was OK. My maths tutor said I sent her grey. Hahheheheh. Let me just say maths was the last thing I studied after six years of higher education. It killed me off, but having said that, I still believe that it can be so basic, if only you removed the difficult language surrounding the numbers.

 

Anyway, I ended up getting the same result in my finishing exam as my tutor. I don’t think she liked me. Hehehe. It wasn’t brilliant, by far, but it did me. I always aimed for A’s and distinctions and thankfully received them, but maths, a C. Would I take it again to get a better result? Not on your Nellie. I felt for my Son taking it three times. I know he would have not done a forth, so we paid for a tutor to teach him and he did great, he too got a C. Now then, for his end of course results, what will he get? He is due to Leave College this week. He has so much work to do still. I think it’s impossible. So far he has two distinctions. But he has another four teachers to do work for.  In two days? Naha. Impossible. But if you older Bloggets will recall, last year we were sweating in the Fifi household, as he crammed in his work last minute as always. So perhaps again?

 

So, my computer is fixed. Hub I think was shocked how I did it, haha. I love getting one up on brainy pants. It rarely happens. He sits at my lap top for fifteen minutes fixing it; I did it in four minutes. Now then, in the meanwhile, what viruses have I picked up? Hehehe. And I don’t know how to deal with those so best stay friends with Hub for that one.

 

Gosh, the sun is now trying to get out. The blooming birds are dropping my new gravel from my garden on the roof of here. Thanks for that dickie birds!

 

Yesterday we watched My Guide dog and me. The second and final part of ITV’s program all about the life of guide dog puppies to working qualified dogs. It was brilliantly produced. I preferred yesterday’s show to last weeks. Last week was just too sad. This week more positive. Oh the only sad part was when the puppy walkers/parents who have the dogs from six weeks, had to come and say bye bye to the dogs for the second time. First time the most difficult, when they get taken from them to go off to big school. Then they watch them working for the first time. They had to hide or the dog will become distracted. Oh gosh, really, puppy walkers how do you do it? I couldn’t I broke my heart. I had a lump for the poor people but if we didn’t have them, we couldn’t have guide dogs and its better for the dogs to live with families rather than stay in kennels. I mean, it gets them used to being in a home environment for one thing. But to have a dog for a year or more then have to give it up? Oh too painful. I also wonder about the dogs as do they hurt? Do they miss their puppy parents? The dogs all recognised their puppy walkers too. Which brings me back to do they miss them? I love to hear that when the dog retires, they stay with the owner, or they go to family members but even better, they go back to their original puppy walker. But of course puppy walkers can’t take more than a couple at once, as especially if they are still training pups.

 

To see the difference these magnificent animals and their walkers do and mean in our lives, is simply a miracle. This program showed the UK just what a difference they make. And they didn’t touch on how much work is unseen. I know that the office staff work so hard and my Hub has great respect for his team he is so proud of them all. Last week one of his colleagues won trip to London and it was as though he had won it himself. It was to watch the premier of the guide dog show. He was quite emotional as he was delighted for her as he says, she is committed and if there can be one little special treat for her, bring in on. I love the fact that my Husband has such dedicated staff working with him. It’s lovely to see people who don’t get recognised and yet still have passion to make a difference in blind and partially sighted people’s lives.

 

My Hubs team are like a little family and together they will create a super team of dreams for others I’m sure. And once again to all you puppy walkers, you are amazing. Last night’s show only touched on what you give us. And a few people have contacted me with regards to guide dogs that have had £40,000

 Spent on their training only for them to be rejected? Well, let me try to assure you, most dogs who do fail the final stages, go onto other jobs. Rarely are they just retired for pets at a year or two.

 

Sadly I know nothing about my Waggatail brothers and sisters, nothing at all. The puppy walker didn’t want the close contact that we saw last night on TV. But the same lady and gent had my first dog, oddly enough, and she was their first pup too.  My Black Beauty was one of five. Two other siblings became guide dogs, and one became a police drugs dog. The fifth? Not sure. But four out of five is good. I would love to know more about Waggs brothers and sisters. I still can’t believe my Wagga is four. Oh my, how time flies.

 

Well done to ITV I’m really pleased to say the show had almost four million viewers each week so even if it changes one person’s life or outlook great. What I liked about the program too was the fact that it showed sighted people who lost their vision in later life whether it is late teens, or twenties. A lot of people think they are invincible. Awareness is a positive word. Also showed what else our wonder dogs do, like a lad eighteen, who was playing football. He ran for the ball that went on the road. The car hit him and he ended up in a wheelchair. He now has a dog that picks things up for him like keys and mobile phone, letters from the floor when they get put through our doors. Little things we all as more abled people take for granted. They become buddy dogs to I have written before how they can change a life of a child. When I first heard of buddy dogs, I wasn’t impressed. But when I hear of children who have never laughed in their little lives until they get a dog, who have never shown love as they are unable because of their disability, until they get a cuddly dog. When children don’t know how to do anything but scream, and it’s not just the kids you know, as a parent, your heart must ache to see your child in such distress. Well, these dogs change their lives too. But there is a huge shortage of dogs for the blind and because it’s a charity, and receives no money from our caring Government, we rely on the good people. You can sponsor a dog for a pound per week. You, can turn a frown upside down, come on Bloggets, it’s been a while since I used that. Haha.

 

My ear is still blocked. The way I’m going, I will need a dog for the deaf. Almost four weeks now I have had this and I’m sick of it. I have this high pitch whistling too going on.

 

Believe it or not, I’m melting now here. I was told on great authority, my Hub forecast that it was going to rain. Hmm. Not now it’s not, but in an hour it could change. In fact could be snowing tonight. The way our weather goes on.

 

OK must dash for now, I still have loads to chat about so will be back. Wasn’t intending going off on a wiz about guide dogs again, but they are so lovely. So helpful and they ask of nothing in return but love. My canary is singing his little heart out. He has some pea pods in his tray. He loves them.

 

Oh, the wind has now come, see what I mean about change? My chimes are sounding like three church bells

 

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