DIARY OF THE ITALIAN MOUSE TRAP

Good evening Bloggets, whilst the rain has never stopped here in England, my lucky Brother and Sister are off to Italy. Wow, only my most fave country in the world. I hope they enjoy it.

 

I have not been well for the past two days. Tried to book an appointment for the Doctors yesterday, blooming useless. They didn’t even answer. I hate our situation with the doctors. There is a lovely couple of lady doctors one in particular but I really bet a don’t get to see her and the receptionists, they always ask why do we want to see the Doctor? Really what has it got to do with them? Pacientconfedentuality and all that.  I won’t be able to try to get an appointment on Monday as it’s bank holiday here so Tuesday will be the earliest. Then they will say come and sit in the germ fest room with sick patients for a few hours and wait to see a doctor, who turns out to be the nurse. If you want to see a particular Doctor, you really have no chance.

 

 Grump over. It’s really late now in the evening. Teen just left at half nine after we watched a great drama about police corruption. Really scary considering it was a true story.

 

Oh, as for our unwanted guest? Those of you Bloggets who are from way back, will remembering our kitchen. Well, it came through the back door. Hub and Teen are dreadful for leaving the back door open especially at nights when letting the dog out or going to the bins. Some amazing person gave us a fantastic tip how to catch the mouse without blood getting everywhere or having to touch a trap. Put the trap in a shoe box, cut out a small hole at the side of the box ground level. Put the trap set with chocolate rather than cheese and put the lid on, 

 

We caught the mouse first night. Poor little thing. Thing is, Teen and Hub are not fond of touching anything like that so picking up the box, lifting lid and emptying into the outside bin is perfect for that then using the box again, only thing is, you have to use a new trap. Each time costing almost £4 but the mice catchers were if you remember going to cost over £500. Our friends were charged only £20 for the same job.  Different areas. We get ripped off for everything from taxis to take away meals.

 

Where I used to live, my friend went to a lovely restaurant with her church. Sorry, she wasn’t carrying her church…. She went with the people from her church. hahahha. she had three courses a glass of wine and a small tip per person and the total was £10. For that here would start from £25 unless you find somewhere like our lovely local Lewis’s place of course. But typical English is really expensive. Taxi’s here are also expensive in comparison to other places. London prices.

 

So, we heard a mouse in our loft. Between Hub and teen, a trap was placed in the box of doom and up Hub went into the darkness of the loft… haha. We have a light up there, but what good is that to him? Teen stayed safe at the bottom of the ladders whereas me, I stayed at the bottom of the stairs, in the living room.

 

Guess what? We only caught another one… I hate it, mice have as much right to live as we do, just not in my house. I dread to think what damage has been done up there?

 

Another trap tonight went in. Oh I hope to goodness that we don’t catch any more. Only because there are not any more. I’m not liking the fact that one may get into the house. Cleaning everything like a mad woman again in my kitchen. But there are no signs of one in the house. Yet…

 

My friend Arty is on a wonderful holiday in the Caribbean. She got some really sad news that her cat aged only eight, had died in the cattery where she left him. Where she always leaves her cats. The others are well, but this was her eldest. He died in his sleep. I feel so very sorry for her as she is on holiday and that is the last thing you want for your pets.

 

I was so sad and wanted to just hug her I know too well what it’s like to lose pets. I miss our two Suki and Hannah AKA Long Chops and Black Beauty more and more each day. I miss BB because she was my first guide dog and because she was so gentle and calm. So well behaved too and I miss LC because she gave us as a couple so much independence. She walked slower with Hub so I could keep up with my white cane, she guided us on holidays and to town. We don’t really go out now to town together and I so miss that. Hub goes on his own. Next week I will have to go to get my hair cut. I will take Wagga rather than my cane. That will be so difficult as Waggs is so uncomfortable with loud traffic. It’s not far from the bus to the hair dressers so then straight back. Whereas with LC, we used to go to our banks coffee shop and bakery as well as my lovely soap shop. No more…

 

Though I miss our girls, and have that deep sad feeling when I think about them. It is easier and that kick to the heart and stomach, the grief has lifted. I’m still waiting for Hub to announce the closure of his just giving page as thanks to you all he now has made enough money to name his Puppy after his girl Suki. So a little guide dog will be called Suki at some point I hope soon. The paper work has begun. Thanks to a kind colleague who raised a huge amount of money too on her various bike rides and other work, we have raised just over the target. You are all so very kind and in our darkest deepest shock of losing her, you were all there. Such kindness I will never forget. I have also made some lovely friends since then that I will have for life now. So our Suki died we were left in shock as she was not only our pet, but Hubs guide dog and our freedom. She died too young. We had no clue she was ill. It was a dreadfully sad time that still lives in our hearts and minds and I’m sure will do forever but the name will live on and thanks to sponsors, someone like me or Hub, will get a guide dog.

 

I’m looking at cottages to go away in the summer for a few nights. It will be when Teen is abroad. I hope we will go with our closest friends, that will be so nice. Just to breathe fresh air rather than what we breathe here.

 

Will go for now, and have an early night, early for me is before midnight. Feeling rather under the weather so I hope I will sleep. Take care with love. X

DIARY OF CONVERSATION

It’s so cold outside, like winter. Waggatail and myself got soaking wet today whilst we had to go out. Slipping almost twice as we walked through a clump of mud and though there are no flowers or should I say blooms on the trees, the leaves are out in force. So a couple of wet slaps to the face as we passed by some overhanging trees. Soon will be the time of year when the sharp spikes are out to get us, from the thorny branches along the way.

 

Waggs stopped suddenly. I wondered why? I stopped to. I put my hand out there was nothing there. I put out my foot, again, no hole thankfully, this is where a white cane comes in handy as you can reach out far and find what the object is. Well, I normally can sense a car or something but there was nothing, just air. I had to trust my girl, and signal and ask her to find the off kerb. I don’t like doing that but the road was clear so we walked a strange kind of distance. Not long enough for a car and too far for a bin. So a skip? No, as when Wagga took me off the step, she walked me along the kerb on the road, so if it was a skip, it would be slightly on the road. I will never know what it was, but Wagga was really odd around the area. Gosh, I hope there was something there or we would have got even more funny looks than we normally do. Haha.

 

The rain came down more and the wind started. Gosh it was so cold too. The air was full of chilling dampness which danced around me, making me grateful that I had a big warm coat on.

 

We found where we needed to be though poor Waggs almost bellied the ground at one point as a huge truck came whizzing by, making the most awful noise. I didn’t jump, but poor Waggs did. She hates road sounds.

 

I feel sorry for the birds as I would guess that there are no berry’s on the trees with the poor weather? They will be babies too. I bought a couple of weeks ago half a coconut stuffed with seeds etc. it’s hanging in my back garden from a bird stand. The sparrows have been loving it according to Teen.

 

My gardener didn’t come but at least he texts me to let me know. There is no way he could have worked in that. It would be a mud bath.

 

Our house is warm so a cosy night in front of the telly. Teen coming in soon. He’s been out for tea.

 

On the BBC news tonight on the radio, was a report which headlines read “New treatment to give the blind sight.” Well, my heart was in my mouth. We often read articles on line or newspapers, but rarely it’s on the radio and even more rare, TV.

 

Professor Pete Coffey from the University of London, is the pioneer behind the project to cure blindness. All sounding good so far? Well this man studies for treatments to be used for those with sight to prevent blindness, so for a start that is me out… Slowly the elevation of hope began to head towards the basement.          Also it’s a start for those who are already blind. The Professor has been working on such treatment which deals with stem cells for eight years. Nine more patients are going to be treated by the study but the person who went through the treatment last year has had success. The eye condition known as macular degeneration which mostly effects the elderly, is the impairment that will be treat, not RP, but as I said I guess it’s a start, just journalists out there, please think about your head lines? I had to wait till the end of the news building up hope all the way, just to be thrown down the lift shaft. OK, perhaps that is the point, to get more people listening, but, surely you need people coming away from your broadcasts articles, feeling upbeat? Wanting more? Not reaching for the switch off button?

 

I still say that we are close though please? Meanwhile, keep us all fit and healthy so we are still hear for this big day, and what a day it will be.

 

My poor Husband talks about if I got my sight back, I would leave him. Gosh, I got so cross with him for saying this. Not a chance. I love that man. He is my soul mate. We have gone through too much to be together, to ever part. He has shown me the blind world; a place I couldn’t face before. I hope one day to welcome him into the sighted world but a sighted world with compassion, I would never forget those without sight, in fact it would be my life’s ambition for filled to help those who are blind and just can’t cope. And then one day all those who are blind and want treatment, I hope it will be there for them too.

 

Conversation between hub and myself late into the evening, gosh, where to begin? Religion was up there along with if there is a God why is he letting badness continue in the world? Why is he right now calling for a lady in her thirties with three children and a loving Husband? Why does he/she/it give children to those who will be bad parents and forbids those from having children who will be wonderful parents?

 

We talked about other existence in the vast universe and beneath the sea bed. What if there is life under the sea and they look up to see a sky but the sky is like ours, only their sky is our ocean? Funny how we send Astronauts up and can’t get deep enough to investigate beneath the sea? We touched on dying, how come people who die are calm? I would be so afraid. I’m terrified of dying. Hub is so the opposite in fact it scares me how calm he is about it. Mind you that is a gift in my opinion. And we ended on the dark subject of Pol Pot, born Saloth Sar in 1925 he was educated in a Buddhist monastery, such a peaceful start for such a cruel ending? Then he was educated in a Catholic school, ending his studies I believe in France, studding Radio electronics.

 

 He moved onto Yugoslavia working on roads. Then back to his country of Vietnam where he was told to rebell against the Government and the rest is history sadly that wasn’t pleasant so that was the topic just before bed. No wonder I don’t sleep. But I find myself enjoying discussions/debates immensely with my Husband, sadly his brain is tired after such a lot of writing during the day, where as I’m coming to life around about ten in the evening. I’ve heard of night classes, but that is ridiculous. Smile.

 

Wherever you are in the world, or Universe, I wish you well. Going now to catch up with your messages and mail. Thank you for them all. I love them and especially a dear Blogget of mine who has just had a holiday by the sea. You know who you are. Keep your mail coming I love to know more about your lives. X

  

PICTURE LIGHTING UP THE DARK

A quick blog today well for now, I’m sure I will write more later as this is my addiction and pill for life. To write is like breathing to me. I’m writing fast now as have to go out soon and somehow Waggatail knows this and is sitting at the front door crying. Oh it’s like a squeaky tire on a wheelbarrow. What with that and our canary, Irish of course, my head is kind of done in.

 

I’m really excited as our new gardener is coming today to start our work. He is so lovely polite and most of all trustworthy. I have an apple tree, it needs moving. Hmm. Now, where? Our back garden is more like a yard. For friends who are not British, a yard in the UK is normally a garden without grass. A garden is grassy with shrubs and so on. So our back is all slabbed with tiny boarders and we or teen planted an apple tree when we first moved here and I love it, as it’s his achievement bless him he was only fifteen and we didn’t have much soil, he planted the tree only a foot down it’s meant to go three times that I think…. Now it grew and even got apples. But it’s right next to the wall. So the roots are starting I’m sure to go under there and will pull up the wall. We don’t want that as it’s about seven-foot-tall so that will be a huge job. So our front open plan garden has grass that our kind neighbour cuts for us. So I don’t want to make his life tough, and we had a cute little tree teen planted last year and he, our neighbour ran over it, it’s kind of flat now so I don’t want to put things in his way that will annoy him. I don’t want to put the tree near our other neighbours drive or it will lift so going to have to think where to put it.

 

Teen had a great night out last night, got in at three this morning and no drinking involved, well, may be a coffee. I was quite excited for his outing.

 

Teen and Hub are really going to have to see if the mouse has been caught yet. Two days now the trap has been there. Now a funny blindie story, I was to take a bath last night, I always turn on the lights. Why? Because perhaps I’m odd. It makes no difference other than out of the inner corner of one eye, I can see a light smaller than a candle flame. Sometimes my eyes trick me and my mind works over time as I’m sure I can see alight on and it’s not. But I went to bath and put on the light and I was sure it wasn’t working. I shouted for Hub asking him if the mouse could have eaten the wires? He came in and asked me to pull the cord again and he touched the light to see if it was on. If it was, it would be hot. Stone cold so then I said I was not getting a bath in the dark. Hub said I was being daft. But I just get scared of being in a room in the dark on my own, odd I know this is one reason I used to be terrified of being blind as so scared of the dark.

 

Well this morning I told teen and said that I wondered if it could be the mice? He answered. No Mum it’s the bulbs, I said they can’t have all gone together? He replied, no Mum one went ages ago and the other two a couple of weeks ago.

 

So I have been bathing in the dark after all. Hahahaha. Why didn’t teen tell me? Gosh, really. And of course, I bet I can’t buy those bulbs again. Bring back old fashioned bulbs?

 

Did I tell you teen made me lunch yesterday? Gosh, it was absolutely delicious. He is fantastic cook. It’s the Little Fella’s birthday today. He is two. Our gorgeous long legged lovely will get his gift when he returns from the big office. We bought a Kong Bouncer. Wagga has the medium one and it’s by far her favourite toy. She loves it. It’s so squishy and bouncy and it has had such treatment by our dogs for over a year and still remains in one big oval kind of shape. Just don’t get your kids to bounce it, it will go wild, the toy, not the child… Well LF has the big boy version. It’s huge much bigger than little Waggaa’s head. She won’t be able to lift it.

 

Hub wrote to LF’s puppy walker last night via email. She wrote straight back a lovely email, well this is so funny again another story where our sight was needed.

 

So, Hub wanted to send a photo that teen took whilst we were enjoying dinner one night. We never have our dogs in the kitchen or dining room, but for some reason Hub had LF under the table. Our table is glass and teen said that he looked through the table and he saw LF looking up through the glass and he looked so cute. Teen sent the picture to us via email but forgot as usual to say what the pic was of? So last night hunting for a jpeg we found one. We sent it to the puppy walker only then to remember teen has sent us a few pictures. Hahaheheh. Heck, what have we sent?

 

OK must dash get ready to leave but will be back, where ever you are, know I care and will talk to you later, hang in there. X

GUIDE DOG AND ME BY FIONA CUMMINGS

GUIDE DOG AND ME BY FIONA CUMMINGS

She see’s everything for me

They say she is the sight I see

I blow a whistle on walks

 She comes running back to me

She is the attraction as I give talks

She sits by my side

She has seen tears I have cried

Always there with her wagging tail

Works each day without fail

She stops at steps

So I don’t trip

She walks slow in winter

So I don’t slip

She tries to avoid branches

So I don’t splinter

Sometimes she takes chances

But I say no

Once again she obeys

She is the sunshine in my days

She makes me smile when she plays

She patiently sits for her dinner

When I say yes it’s like she is the winner

The sounds she makes whilst eating is gross

The way she licks her little nose

Hoping by chance there is some food on there

She is so loving, full of care

She was born to be

To come to me

I say she’s a key

To my front door

My darling little Labrador

© Fiona Cummings

DIARY OF RP HOPE AND A SMILE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good day to you all. Hub working from home today, teen has a day off work. So music coming from the conservatory and the odd naughty word from Hub who is in the living room, typing furiously battling with our network. Me? Thanks for asking smile. I have just emptied the dishwasher after cooking Hub brunch filled it again wiped down the kitchen and cleaned our coffee percolator. Going to groom the dogs and then do the dog run then some calls to make in the office and then I guess I must iron. Can’t do the floors whilst Hub is working.

 

After last night, it was after quarter to five this morning before I fell asleep. Just couldn’t. Oh but I was awake for the most beautiful sounds of the morning call from our black birds, a sound that you never hear during the day as they are drowned out by the traffic. So it was the normal song, but with a twist. One bird sang the most beautiful chorus ever to be known to man. It was too beautiful to be like a human whistling, a yet it had a defnet tune.

 Gosh, my brain told me to record the sound but my talent lacked in the ability to be able to play back the tune on the piano. Haha. A joke from last blog.

 

Seriously though, if I were to be able to record that tune, it would be amazing. I have been on this earth quite a while now, not long enough if my maker is listening, but long enough to know what is beautiful and what I have heard and I have never heard such a songbird.

 

The odd thing is, when I have in the past heard a beautiful bird, always by the way a robin, someone or something close to me has died. My Mum, my mother in law and my first guide dog darling BB, AKA Hannah. But they had died, and the sound wasn’t half as unique as this little beauty. Thing is, what was he singing? Who was he singing to?

 

A subject over our brunch table this morning. Kids at school who lose their stuff? My Son never ever lost anything. Hub said that his girls didn’t either. We came to the conclusion that may be it’s because they have blind parents? If you think about it, Hub and I grew up in a Victorian boarding school and if you didn’t look after your things, personal items, you never saw them again. Also when we used to go swimming as kids, we would put our socks inside our shoes. This is what I used to tell my Son to do the same. Then you don’t lose them. Kids that can see parents that can see, won’t even think of things like that. I guess they won’t even take notice where they are putting their items. Now I may get notes from my V.I.P friends telling me that their kids loss things all the time, smile, so it may just be quinky   dinky. Sorry to my Bloggets abroad, I mean coincidence.

 

Well that’s teen off to the gym. Gosh I wish I had in me what he has in himself. Oh you may laugh at this. My Son is getting rather concerned that I need to get fit. So, I proudly told him today that I had used the bar stools to do some leg lifts today, well, he was delighted, I thought, hang on a cotton picking minute, don’t get too happy, so on enquiry I asked him why was that such a good thing or achievement? Hahaha. Oh, hang on, hahahahah. He only thought I had lifted the bar stools up, one in each hand, where as a matter of fact, I used one at each side of myself to balance as I manoeuvred my hips. Hahaheheh. Oh, really shame on me.

There is a link at the bottom of this page to a touching story with hope but a little sadness for those with RP and a word for my Bloggets who are studying English. The word is really awful to remember how to spell, and I hope I have got it right, my spell check is for some reason giving me American spelling opposed to English. Now if only we all spelled like our American cousins, I would never have a problem with spelling, as their way makes more sense, having said that, I’m very English and I’m proud of our language, but this word is awful. So, what is the word? Please tell me UK’s that I have it correctly spelled on here?  You know when you start something and you wish you hadn’t bothered? Haha. But I have been asked to include one word for students to learn. So, word of the day here it is.

manoeuvred

 

and the RP link

I really feel for this lady, normally when I read of people who get help with a new treatment, and they see, even if it is just light and dark, or shadows, they always seem to be so ungrateful. This lady was so happy, only for it to be taken away from her, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for those with RP, and hopefully, all those who are blind?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wellbeing/health-advice/i-was-thrilled-with-my-electronic-retina/

 

DIARY OF DEBATE

Hey Bloggets, how are you? I’m sitting in my conservatory after been on the phone and studying hard in the office this morning. It’s so peaceful in there. I was on the phone when my front door bell rang, I’m not expecting anyone or anything, so I left it, it would be unprofessional anyway to ask the person on the other end to wait. Well on further inspection, there seems to be nothing on my door mat, but I heard one of our neighbours so maybe he took something in for us? It could be Braille, it’s huge when that comes. But again, no post card so most probably sales person. The circus is in town and I have heard that gypsies are the entertainers there. I know this sounds bad, but my doors have all been locked. Already I have heard so many bad things that have occurred and I just can’t believe how some people can be so cruel.

 

Today we woke up to snow. Yes, snow it’s almost May! Then the sun came out, and I’m without heating here it’s boiling, but this morning, gosh, so cold the heating was on high. Now, as I write, raindrops fall against my windows. The sun is teasing the clouds as it keeps coming out then flying away.

 

A new man came around yesterday to look at my garden. As I waited half expecting him not to come, but kind of thinking he will as I know his lady, she is a lovely girl, but at the back of my mind, I know what all the other gardeners have been like around here. Anyway, bless him, he came. What a lovely man. What a breath of fresh air. I’m not being funny, but I wonder if it’s because he doesn’t originate from here? This area? Seriously, gardeners around this area, are like no others I have ever met. They are very greedy. And, not at all honest. May be people around here who have them won’t agree, but that may be because you also live here so you don’t know how other gardeners are in the country

 

teen working then going out to town with a friend for a meal. Gosh, his car, it’s getting worse, today took two goes to start it. You should hear the noise of it? I really wish he would find a job to be able to afford to buy another car. I said I would lend him some money and give him some towards a new car, but it’s no way close to enough. As for his birth Father, he wouldn’t give him the skin off a rice pudding. No change there sadly.

 

A school from Germany contacted me today, well, not the school, but the head of language. Apparently they are reading and studying my blogs. Smile. Part of me hopes that they are studying English, the other part of me worries about that? Haha.  Let’s hope that they are not studying psychology?

 

Well if they are, what a case study? I hope if they find answers, they tell me.

 

I love that subject, anything to do with the mind. I studied about ten years ago and found it so interesting. I just couldn’t stand my tutor. And the feeling was mutual. She was very anti blind people. So patronising. She did everything she could to point out that I in her mind, was different. When I got the best results, she told me that I should re consider going to university to continue. She was from the old school.

When my Husband was applying to universities almost thirty years ago he was told without shame, he would not be allowed to enter their universities one of them was Cambridge because he was blind. No way they would be allowed to get away with it now. Well he went onto a very good university he has three degrees and a masters in business, but he could have lay down and quit with all of the rubbish he got presented with as a young man.

 

OK, the above was written earlier in the day, the gap in between? Don’t ask, really, some days I do wonder about the world I live in with you all and life in general. Let’s just say it’s been an eye opener.

 

Teen had a great night, Hub gone for an early night, dogs in bed, canary under his wing and then that left me.

 

So from the above when I was sitting in a sunny conservatory just been hit by snow, then rain to now in the dark no lights on just me and my soul, along with words I’m going to write about next. Gosh, where to begin. Just to let you into the world of words between my love and myself. Hub and I do talk about some very deep subjects, and tonight was no exception!

 

So, Obsessive compulsive disorder and Autism.

Is there a difference between them both? Hub says no. I say definitely yes. Well, let’s say the heat was turned on tonight in the Fifi Blogget household with this conversation. Hub did get a little hot under his collar. Hahah. As for me? Well, I just know I’m right.

 

What is OCD?

It’s an anxiety disorder and compulsive disorder characterised by persistent and distressing thoughts and behaviours used to cope with those thoughts. A person with OCD often feels compelled to perform compulsive behaviours and believes that performing those behaviours will keep bad things from happening. OCD is more common in boys than in girls.

 

Typical obsessive themes in childhood include worries about germs, harm coming to themselves or others, distinguishing right from wrong guilt about morals or religiosity.

 

So typical compulsions might include ritualized washing, checking, ordering or rearranging, apologizing or mental rituals counting or praying.

 

Children with Autism may not think about their rituals but will more likely act upon their urges. Children with Autism, get some kind of peace pleasure out of their rituals where as those with OCD have to perform to get some kind of relief but it isn’t a pleasure.

 

Children with Autism may have impairment in language, communication or social skills. It is likely that a person with autism will become incredibly upset if their routines are interrupted or not followed strictly. In social situations, those with OCD may feel embarrassed by their rituals where as those who are Autistic, don’t mind what anyone else thinks.               

 

Normally a diagnoses is based on the presence of multiple autistic symptoms such as communication, forming a positive relationship exploring speech, forming independence and and the ability to learn.

 

My Husband believes that both Autism and OCD are the same. I don’t. They are running along the same track, but in a lot of respects they are so different. Now I don’t have a PHD, I just regurgitate what I try to learn                 and my knowledge is based on that and what or who I know. It’s just my opinion that there is a difference between a child or adult with OCD and ASD.

 

Our conversation got so much deeper and rather intense than what I will write here, but it led to a disagreement. Which led further into the tunnel of no return with another debate around the subject of intelligence or talent?

Few, really, gosh, what to make of this one?

 

I said that you don’t have to be clever to be a musician. Oh boy, that did it? Hahaha. I said that you had to be talented. Hub said rubbish. You have to be brainy to be a musician. I totally disagree, again, I have known a lot of musicians in my time and not all were intelligent. Very talented but I would never say clever.

 

So before you all jump on your high horses, there are a lot of people who are amazing musicians who also are very brainy. My Husband for one. But I believe you are born with a talent. Either art, music or the ability to dance in a beautiful way. But that doesn’t make you intelligent. It makes you talented.

 

To have a talent I believe you are born with it. To have some intelligence about yourself, you can learn to play an instrument, but you may not sound as good as someone who is naturally talented. I know musicians who are not academically gifted but can still learn to play piano for example.

 

So what do you think? The arts, talent or brain? Of course you can be both, but always with a talent, I believe you are born with it. As you are with intelligence. But being able to play a tune doesn’t make you the brain of Britain or whatever country. Gosh, I guess my lacking in intelligence is forbidden me from writing this in a more understandable way, but it’s been a tough day and a very late night I have found myself here. So please forgive me.

 

We both know someone who has a music degree who in my opinion isn’t brainy. My husband says she isn’t talented as she has had to work really hard to be able to play to obtain her qualification. So he said she must be intelligent. Really? Why? He said because she can learn something and play it. So she can take in the information. I said, yes, she has a photographic memory, that doesn’t make her clever. He said so talent? I said no, as she plays her musical instrument but it sounds awful. Yes, she has a degree, because she didn’t make a faulty note, she was in perfect timing but to me, her playing is uncomfortable. My husband when he plays, sounds amazing, he could play piano since the age of four. The lady we know had to study for years before she could hit a note that was identifiable. She worked so hard so she is not a quitter. She is a strong lady who I admire for obtaining her qualification, but to be able to play an instrument isn’t the same for example as having a degree in English. Oh when I said that Hub was off again. Haha.

 

He asked me what was the difference between a degree in music and one in English? Now it was this point when I thought he was being pedantic. I soon learned that he wasn’t and this touched a raw nerve. I’m not sure why, as he has a degree in music and English. I told him that he was born with a talent and brains, he combines the two and that is why he is a great musician, because he plays so well with his fingers to piano keys and using his brain to know what sounds good and how to change things to sound better. See, those who may have music degree but are not intelligent, can’t do that. They play exactly what is on the sheet in front of them. Example the lady we are talking about; she only can play what is written in front of her. She can’t improvise. But if she was intelligent, she could do this. And if she was talented, she wouldn’t have to study for years to get to her level.

 

So I don’t think this lady has a talent, or is intelligent. I believe she has the ability to copy, take things in enough to copy, like a parrot. Oh again, I said that, a parrot can repeat words but does that mean they will scrub up their feathers and sport a white coat and become a Doctor? It was then when Hub left the room. Haha. Oops, I thought my comment about a parrot becoming a Doctor was rather humorous?

 

Hub said to me for an intelligent person, I was saying some ridiculous things. He told me the reason I am able to write poetry was because I’m talented and I’m talented because I am intelligent.

 

I said to Hub. “is that why you never read my poetry and are always telling me you hate my poems?”

 

See, I don’t say I’m talented because I write poetry. Anyone can write poems. I truly believe that, same as anyone can learn to play an instrument. But people have to read your poems to prove that you are talented, same as people have to listen an enjoy your music to prove you are talented at music. To be intelligent in my opinion isn’t to be talented. You can be both, but I don’t believe they come hand in hand. Do you?

 

I guess this blog is rather controversial. But it’s a chat, a debate, something just to think about. I was being jovial before when I said I know I’m right, of course I’m not always, just most of the time. Smile. OK, on that note, I shall go and write a poem…. See how many of you read it? Haha. Sweet dreams. X

NEWS AND VIEWS

Good day, I’m very late today with my blog, sorry for those who read this either over breakfast or in their lunch hour. Lunch hour, what’s that? Do we get an hour now days? Anyway, perhaps a supper time blog, smile, of course you read my blogs all over the world, so it just may be breakfast time or lunch where you are, silly Fifi.

 

So you all know how badly I sleep, right? Hmm. Dozing off last night and I hear. Mum Mum. It’s my darling Son, informing me that we have a quotes rat, in the loft.

 

So, what was he doing in the loft during the night? Smile, no, he was in bed but heard it above as he tried to sleep. Well, OK Son, Mum won’t deal with it just now… In fact, what am I talking about? Mum won’t be dealing with it at all!!! That’s a manly Daddy thing to do, right Hub? His answer, nope. Not on your Nellie.

 

We listened, as of course I had woken Hub up with my shouting what do you want Son? Hhahaha.

 

Hub said he heard something, me, nothing. Hub said it sounded too gentle to be a rat so a mouse? Oh no, not another one? And, we have so much stuff in our loft, I have said before, I don’t know how our house is still standing.

 

Well, now what to do? Hub said he can’t carry the box up there as he will snap his fingers off. If you remember the last one that was spotted in our kitchen, we were given fab advice and told to use a shoe box with hole cut out of the side put the trap in and when the poor little blighter is caught, splat, won’t go all over the place and teen won’t have to see the poor creature. Great, and teen set it off but that was on the floor in our kitchen, this is a dark spooky loft.

 

I hate lofts, also I should get rid of what is up there but its stuff we do use all being if it’s only once a year.

 

Today it’s been so cold, sunny but cold and quite windy. Also it rained, followed by sleet!

 

 My shopping came this morning, only one thing came today that I can’t identify. So put to one side for the teenage dream to take a look.

 

I did an interview and caught up with my work. Emails and writing and so on.

Then I waited in anticipation for my new gardener to come. Excited. At last, and someone we can trust.

 

 

Taking a look at our news today. BHS a wonderful shop, been around for eighty years in the UK. I was in it at Christmas and I love it. It has everything under one roof and things you just don’t see anywhere else. Sadly, it’s looking like it’s going into administration. So sad if we lose this shop.

 

Junior Doctors are on strike in the UK this week for two days from early morning till 5pm. This is the first strike since the NHS began, shows what a world we are coming to. Shocking, no one strikes in other proffessions for a quarter of the money doing the same hours? Greed absolute greed. They want the money but not the work.

 

A father from the UK driving in France, with his wife and three children has crashed his car. Killing himself two children leaving one child critical in hospital. I feel for his wife who has to now grieve the worst pain that I cannot imagine. It’s hell grieving over one person, but three of the most loved people in your life all in one accident? Poor lady.

 

Mobile phone company EE are bringing their call centres back to the UK, well done EE. There has been so many complaints about the standards of call centres so EE have listened to their customers and are bringing them back home.

 

In Manchester, an Asda shop is introducing a quiet hour for those who are autistic and get stressed by noise.

 

This will make you smile, apparently, if you are called Laura, you are more fit than anyone else as the name Laura has shown to visit the gym much more than anyone with other names. My word. Sorry, but that is ridiculous. I bet the study just happened to focus on one gym which had a few ladies with that name? It did make me smile though, now all you Laura’s out there, you have a lot to live up to?

 

DIARY OF BATHING IN THE DARK BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good afternoon from the UK. Here in my conservatory just about to start work for the day after being treat to a delicious breakfast from my Hub. It was tinned tomatoes and quorn sausages with seeded toast. So that will fill me for the day until dinner tonight, and then I’m having salad and again quorn, this time I’m having Bolognese. It is one of those mixed up dinners. Hub is having a beef casserole from yesterday and Teen something from the freezer, though he likes my Bolognese, so may start making a lot of that and you never know, may turn him back into a vegetarian? Smile, I don’t think I have a chance sadly on that, but he went thirteen years without eating meat. No, sorry, he did get it sometimes when at nursery, when his friends came for tea, I fed them the kiddy things like chicken nuggets, but never red meat. He was the healthiest child. Never was really ill. As soon as he started to eat meat, his health went downhill always getting head aches and colds. He went out last night, he went to a girl’s party then onto town, he said he was stopping drinking at midnight. But didn’t get in till after three, not sure as I actually went to sleep. Gosh, that is un heard of normally I stay awake with the help of match sticks to keep my eyes open. Last night before bed, I took a bath, where to? Haha. Well, at Christmas, I bought my sister in law some really nice sounding bath salts. They weren’t cheap, about £15 for a tub, I decided to buy myself some and put them away and forgot about them until finding them in the drawer under our bed last night. They were sealed and I opened them. Gosh, they are stunning. By far the nicest I have ever smelled.

 

I had a bath with the wonderful smell of lemons. Or was it limes? I think limes, so I am sure that helped me to sleep. Only thing is with my Sister in law, is she has no bath. Oops. Well I must say, I also use salts in the shower.

 

I threw away lots of tubes of things I got some Christmas’s ago and sadly because we can’t tell what they are, I just don’t think they will be very nice now, but it did hurt to throw away so much. Keeping it basic is the only way. So shampoo and try to buy totally different bottles so you know what is what. Shower gel, we buy Sanex because it has Braille on it, listening manufactures? We buy Sanex because it has Braille on it. So why can’t there be Braille on more?

 

In the UK at our Co-op shops, if you buy their own brands of frozen foods, they also have Braille on them. So it is possible. We don’t have one of those shops near us anymore, but for those who do, support that shop buying their brands as at least they are trying?

 

Cleaning products like my kitchen, again, I now keep it simple. I stick to three products and know what is what. I used to be sucked in to the purchasing army of buying a cleaner for this and that, now I buy what works, I really think that when you buy something that is meant for whatever, never does a good job anyway? So I learn what is a multi-cleaner that works and that will do for bathroom and kitchen.

 

I remember when I first went blind, what tooth brush to use? Well, I learned that you just buy one with a totally different handle or keep yours separate from others.

 

If you don’t have a wall mounted toilet roll holder, it’s a nightmare to know where the roll is, so we have a floor standing holder that fits four rolls on. Sometimes when you go into people’s houses, you go to the loo in dread. Is the roll on the back of the toilet? Feel for it, knock it in the toilet? Well, one tip, close the lid first before feeling or you will have that cold sweat come over you as someone’s brand new loo roll will take a dive a plunge into the forever river.

 

Is the roll on the sink? Floor? If someone is coming to your house who can’t see, tell them that the stand with rolls is on the floor right or left wherever it is, as you are facing the toilet.

 

I often get emails or messages by whatever format asking me how quotes, to deal with a blind person coming to stay? Smile. It’s very subtle things that are so normal and not obvious that you have made special arrangements that will make that person have a great time at yours.

 

I loved staying at my brother in laws and the first time we went to stay there, his partner took me to the bathroom to tell me which tap was the hot and cold, by describing that the hot tap was the red one, and the blue was the cold. Hahah. Bless.

 

I could go on and talk forever about toilet talk, but won’t. I   shall go and help Hub to fight through our mail. Gosh he dreads this, it takes so long to read one letter. Stress for him, and I hate seeing him like that. But  tech and Fi don’t go hand in hand. So I will be there to bring to the bin the rubbish junk mail smile. Later gators. X

PACKED BAGS BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good day, hope you are all well? Weeks, in fact months of me not eating after dusk, and really cutting down, not dieting, just cutting down, I have gained 5lbs. So I am now sure that the only way I can lose weight is to starve. And walk for miles and miles. Sadly, the latter isn’t possible, so, an empty stomach is the only way, as I swear I would rather eat lettuce leaves every day as buy the weight watchers foods. And if weight watchers were such a long term success, why do people have to keep going as when they leave the groups, they always gain weight. Then they have to go back. Weight watchers is a successful business. Not a cure. Some say a way of life, life changing, it is, but you have to go every week to the great weigh in.  admire those who can stick to any kind of diet, that includes WW, but as long as they know that has to be there if from then on. Most people I know who say WW has worked for them are not what I would call slim. Far from it. They may have lost two stone, but they probably have two to go. To eat a thousand calories per day and walk five miles I’m sure is the only way to go. So no more Indian take outs or Chinese, as that is a thousand in one meal. My Teen says that to eat only protein so no potatoes or bread and that is my main diet. But I don’t eat half as much as my Son or Hub. And the food he was suggesting, being a vegetarian, sounds nasty. So I need to get away for half a year and have fresh salads prepared for me every day and eat only salads. I need to have a personal trainer and cook. To feel the sun on my face and be pampered.

 

So my bags are packed with my passport as well as Waggatails passport, LF’s is ready to visit every weekend with Hub and Teen and during the week I shall sit near the beach and write novel after novel, feeling the sun on my face.

 

Each late afternoon I shall have a massage with coconut oil and lavender fragrances will make me sleepy for the night, to have early sleeps and early mornings. Ready for my brisk walk along the beach and horse back all the way back as Wagga runs behind with my personal trainer. I shall swim by palms and smell lemon trees in the distance. Olives shall grow in the garden where I will stay and in six months time, I shall return a new person.

 

If I were to be slim, would I be a different person? I wonder. I would be more confident and feel better about what I was wearing, but that is a joke, clothes shopping? Let’s not go there. I would be more fit and healthy I guess so live longer, if something didn’t come and bite me on the skinny butt like cancer. As you can be very healthy and still get that.

 

The down side of being slim, well, for sure I would get wrinkles as I know a lady who lost loads of weight. She looked according to friends, fifteen years older as her skin went awful. She was like a wrinkly old lady. But a bag over one’s head would sort that out, hey, my legs would be lovely back to long legs rather than tree trunks. Yes, the great oaks would be a part of my history.

 

Old Bloggets will know that weight and myself have gone hand in hand for a Blogtime. And what makes me smile is how my Son really truly thinks that I was born this way, rather than a baby bath, a ship was required at birth. No, I was slim.  I used to be very fit run and exercise each day and was a model for two years as well as in a size 12 jeans. I think that is a 10 in America. To be that size again, I think would make me look ill for sure, I’m too tall to be that slim, but a 14? That would be nice. And I have got so close to that before. On my wedding day to Hub I was so very near that golden size. Then all hell let loose and Fifi exploded.

 

From Tomorrow, I will so try to not eat chocolate, biscuits crisps or potatoes. My four toasts each morning will be replaced with cold sore dust. No, sorry, em. Healthy crunchy Cereal.

 

I have to try again as I have failed the no food after dark. I really was sure that would work. I have been told by medics that I don’t eat enough. God help me if I ate more?

 

OK, slim island tickets to locate and depart by taxi to the airport. See you on the white beaches? I will be the one getting chased by a person sporting a harpoon.

 

Off to put my lottery ticket on. Oh, and wake up from my daydream.

 

PRINCE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

PRINCE

BY FIONA CUMMINGS

She can’t believe what she has just heard

It’s not true, totally absurd

He won’t do that to her surely?

All those memories, he can’t treat her so cruelly?

She looks into his ice blue eyes

Into his soul she prise

Trying to find his new disguise

He can’t be so stupid, he’s always been wise

Who is this new person standing before her?

With her thin laboured fingers, she grips onto his collar

Begging him not to leave her

Raking into his skin so fair

Causing crimson blood from a tare

He is so cold, not even a tear

She is full of grief and fear

He has been her love since time began

Now he is leaving, that wasn’t their plan

He will go forever

How can he?

All their life they have been together

So he has a lover?

Where is she who is she

A perfect life will become a distant memory

She tries to kiss him to remind him what they had

But he pulls away telling her it’s bad

She screams at him her voice echo’s

Noticing on the wall is their shadows

Moving images without a face

Standing there in the same place

She wants to freeze that thought

Her breath has been caught

Lessons to be taught

Time doesn’t stand still

Once he has made such a decision it can’t be changed

If it could

They would end up deranged

For each time he left her

She would be left to wonder

Where is he going

And who with

The jealousy would keep growing

The wind would be blowing

A stormy marriage for sure

For this disease

There is no cure

His heart has lost her

And has found another

His arms can’t hold her

For they have been filled

Passion between them has been killed

He packs his bags and is on his way

To start his new life, far away

So what will become of her now?

Well lines upon her brow

Her smile becomes a frown

She is looking down

But one day

A Prince will come her way

He will pick her up high on his horse

And ride into the hills

Where the grass is green

And full of daffodils

A babbling stream

A kiss on her trembling lips

She will think she is in a dream

But no, this is reality

And then she will learn her final lesson

She now knows quality

And thanks her blessings

So a happy ending

But so much pain to get there

If only she believed her pain will end one day

Her agony will go away

She will marry her Prince one day

 

© Fiona Cummings

DIARY OF COOKING IN THE DARK BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good afternoon Bloggets. Well, Hub has given the Little Fella a day off work so he is at home with me. Oh my word? I can’t leave him, as he has this separation thing going on. I have to close doors after me. The porch door has to be closed because he eats the front door mat which is made from kind of what looks like coconut or straw. Smile. He can’t go into our conservatory as he eats the soil from the plants and today, he has discovered two things, my plant on the living room windowsill, which has been there all the time we have had the Little fella, so he enjoyed an earthy breakfast, but then just when I cleaned that mess up, he proudly came to me with a gift. Not the plectrum from Teens guitar that he brought us the other night, but a daffodil. Not from the garden, but a vase. It was in his mouth as if he were holding a rose to propose. Perfectly positioned and in tac. I removed it and popped it back in the vase.

 

So when ever LF is quiet, I run. He smiles I swear too as he is so full of pride of his achievements. So, I allow him to play with Waggatail, and seriously the noise? He has two bells on his collar, Waggs one. So it’s like a herd of Portuguese goats, what with our canary, Irish, and the jets flying over, as well as the traffic, how on earth do I hear my computer?

 

 Answer? I have it turned up so blooming loudly. It’s like a bingo hall in here with a man reading the numbers through the microphone.

 

Well, cooking in the dark. People ask me how do I cook if blind? Of course these are people mainly who can see, and sometimes I find myself thinking it’s a blooming good job I do cook, or if not we would starve? I know there will be people out there who are blind or even partially sighted who can’t cook, or they think they can’t or perhaps they don’t want to as they don’t feel confident? That’s absolutely fine, as I bet those people are the ones who are outside very independent? We are all different and all have our talent’s. Though cooking and talent in the same sentence? Not really for me. I cook to get by, or to feed my hungry family.

 

When I first went blind, it was so sudden. Overnight. I really didn’t know what I was going to do. I was grieving at the time but trying to be cheerful in front of my one year old. Couldn’t let him see Mummy cry. Though I just wanted to curl up in a cupboard and die. I was at total rock bottom. My insides were outside of my body. But I had my child and my ex Husband to cook for.

 

The local blind society came out and coldly gave me a cup attachment that beeped when the boiling water was reaching the top of the cup and a measuring jug with tactile measures on the inside.

 

So there I am with a glass jug and a beeping thing that lasted two weeks before it went in the bin. No one told me how to pour the boiling water from the kettle into my cup without scolding myself? I mean, kettle, cup, and now make the water come from the kettle and hit the cup? Smile, I did learn. I use my hearing a load more now than I did back then. I always face the spout to the left towards the wall, as if you put the kettle on, it’s obviously cold. You come back when it’s boiled. You go to reach for the handle and the steam burns you. So, if the spout is faceing away from you, then that won’t happen. Also you learn faster where the handle is, if you put it back in the same position each time.

 

Then I hold the cup in my left hand, well, the cup is on the work top, I hold the handle of the cup steady. I gently touch the cup with the spout of the kettle. Then kind of judge by experience where the edge of the cup is and I wrest the spout on the cup then, only then, pour. Listen for the liquid. It has a totally different sound as the cup fills.

 

Now frying an egg? That was a huge challenge. My ex loved once a week, good old chips, that is another story, with a fried egg. Gosh, the pan is big and the egg is tiny. Also you have to splash the egg? Where and how? When the egg is first in the pan, it’s almost un feelible. So how to go around the egg? I cracked the egg with my right hand holding it finger and thumb at each end of the egg, keeping the egg together as my left hand steadied the frying pan. Once cracked, I took both hands and parted the shell right in the centre of the pan. Then I splashed the oil around the outside of the pan, knowing it would hit the egg.

 

The chips? Now peeling them the potato that is, and any veg, you can feel where the peel is. It’s rougher than the bare potato. I used to use the dangerous old style of chip pan. With the hot bubbling oil and basket? Gosh I had a couple of small fires with that, so don’t go there, I have a air fryer now, it’s great. A tiny bit of oil in the pan and it’s so very safe.

 

Everything else, is using smell and poking with a sharp knife. Never let anything go dry so if boiling veg how do you know if they need more water? Take a spoon and gently place the spoon in the water to see if veg are covered.

 

Now, for those in the UK, Yorkshire puddings, it’s a batter mix you cook in the oven in proper tins. You have to have your fat very hot and get your mix as fast as possible whilst bubbling hot. How to get mix into the four or twelve indentations without feeling, as you can’t feel the trays as they are boiling after being in the hot oven to melt the fat. So, again, with an oven glove, feel for the edge and just try to pour in each centre, put a oven tray under the pudding tray, then if there is a spillage, it doesn’t go all over your cooker.

 

To manufactures’ out there, please think about us blind folk when you are designing your products? We can’t see a screen we need buttons. Flat isn’t good for us. And we need a toaster to cook toast, we don’t mind if it also can tell you what the weather is like outside or what the seagulls are doing at the coast, smile. Our kettles, we need to boil water, not have a gage to let us know how much water is in the kettle, just shake the dam thing listen and feel the weight of the kettle to learn. Also if you put on a virtually empty kettle, it boils loudly to early. Stop and fill.

 

I keep everything in the same place in my kitchen. So I’m not looking for things all the time. Same about kitchen cupboards, they have places for everything.

 

You can buy talking scales for baking. And you can get a talking microwave, but they cost ridiculous amounts of money, for a microwave, just your grocery shop and buy the least expensive as sadly they are the only ones now that are accessible. Some have a dial but they just keep turning we need one that does have a beginning and end. Again, I don’t like the touch screen ones.

 

I have pots with my tea bags, coffee and sugar in. I keep them right to left, only right to left because my kettle is on the right, so they are next to the kettle, and when I ask people do they want a drink, I always say, “Tea, coffee? And do you take sugar?” so it’s a way to remember but to be honest, you can tell by sound and smell what is in the pots.

 

Never leave a tea towel on your work top. Put it on a hook or on your oven our rail as if you leave it on your work top and it gets knocked whilst you have your hob top on, you could cause a fire.

 

I cooked as a partially sighted person for eleven years before I lost my sight, it was so easy in comparison to as a newly blind person, but now my Husband and I do cook and we make big meals for friends too. We can make a full Christmas dinner with about twelve things on our plate. All hot cooked perfectly in time and most of my blind friends, Trix, JB and Tracey can all cook. Bake too.

 

OK, all this talking of cooking is making me hungry. So, where’s me crisps? Smile. X