HAPPY BEING BLIND? BY FIONA CUMMINGS

I’m inspired to write a blog thanks to my very very close friend. Someone Hub and I have huge respect for. Someone I hope we will grow very old together with.

 

So, our discussion today was people who say

“I’m blind and I’m very happy.””

Or, “Blindness doesn’t affect me!””

Well I’m also blind and have some days when I totally laugh so much my stomach hurts. But those days are few and far between. There are also times when my Husband and I can pat ourselves on our back and say we did good there. My friends who can see say all the time they are shocked in how lovely our house is. Obviously blind people all live in filthy houses. Haha. We don’t you know, I mean, there are some blind people who’s houses look like total pig sties, but there are also sighted people who live in such conditions! A couple of my friends who are blind have immaculate houses. Miles cleaner than mine. If perfect in every way absolutely immaculate is 10 and so dirty it represents some kind of health hazard, in 1, then mine is probably a seven. One of my friends is 8 and the other parts are 8 the other are 9.  Now my friends will be wondering who’s house I’ talking about, and are they the ones who get an 8 only? Smile…. As for colour matching houses, I would give myself a 9 and some friends lower, but that is our houses. And how difficult it is to A, keep them so clean, B, get out to buy furniture, carpets, rugs and items to decorate. The stress of knowing who you can trust and who are con merchants is awful. I mean, someone can paint our walls and how do we know they have done a good job? Someone can do our garden, we can’t look out of the window to check out their progress. My friend has a sitting room kitchen and dining room and all her rooms run into each other, all her floors are the same wood. Her kitchen became damaged due to water, she can’t get the same flooring, so has had to trust the sales people who have promised her that the floor they can provide will be so similar to the old, no one will know the difference. Fact is, will they, know, but will never say anything to her or even worse, someone one day will tell her the floor doesn’t match, only a year after it’s been down. Trust. Hmm. Something that keeps getting broken. I specifically told my door providers that I wanted a bright coloured door. Red as red as you can get even tomato red. Two years later, I learned that it’s actually a brownie red. Like brick colour. I was so let down. The guy told us it was tomato red so we would buy it from him.

 

Waking up in the morning not knowing what colours you are putting on unless you use your iPhone which takes ages. Not knowing what you look like before a big interview. Not being able to read body language of others. Appearing unfriendly because you never return a friendly smile and people are unfortunately not educated enough to know we don’t smile back because we can’t see them smiling at us.

 

To not be able to take your child where they need to go because there is no public transport and by taxi will cost half a week’s wage. To not be able to teach your child to drive when they are older. Today we picked up tablets for my Husband and there was no Braille on which I was furious about we didn’t know until we were home. Not be able to just get in a car and drive. We are prisoners most of the time. And when we do get out, we are chained to something or someone whether it be a guide dog, white cane or person.

 

What is a blue sky? As for the blossom on a tree? Nature we miss. Who is the birthday card from? What does the letter say? Our child comes home from school and they have a letter you can’t read. You phone one of the other parents and you can only do that if you can read their number in Braille or use your iPhone to read a book with their number in. and that takes forever. Or you have their number stored and to do that in itself is difficult. You find out at half past five in the evening the next day at your child’s school, it’s yellow day. So, your child has to wear something yellow. They have no yellow clothes. Well if you can see you can jump in your car rush off to a shop but if you can’t see to drive? OK, a taxi, great if you have money but when you get to the shop, then you need to find yellow clothes in your child’s size.

 

Even opening a can of food. Or something from the freezer. Yes, again thank God for the iPhone with its software, but again that is so slow in comparison to just being able to open your eyes and see what is in your cupboards/shelves/hands.

 

What is in fashion? What hair styles are out there? What coloured make up as for putting make up on? You are lucky enough to find a job, you are giving a talk. You have a stain on your tie or shirt or blouse. Nobody told you this. But at your meeting, everyone is looking at it, not listening to the important information you are talking about.

 

You have to pay much more than sighted people do for everything, even my lap top I have a software called Jaws which reads out each word I type that costs over £700 or $908. Just for the software.

 

So, yes, we can do things like go to the theatre which I love, I didn’t when I first went blind because behind the fake smile I had tears because I no longer could see the expressions on the actors faces to give us the audience clues to see what their thoughts behind their words were. The colours of costumes were no longer, I may as well have just turned on the radio. But now I have adapted to know I can go to one performance per week which will be in audio which is fantastic a live person rather than a recording will let me know what is happening on stage.  But again, that is only available one day normally during the day sometimes at night, and I can go to the cinema and again we are fortunate to have audio which is recorded so, we wear earphones not to disturb others. So, it’s better now than what it was some years ago though there are many countries who don’t have audio on offer, we watch our TV with audio on all the time. Again, very lucky, as some years ago we wouldn’t have a clue what was happening on our shows. For those who don’t have audio, next time you are watching something, take note two things, firstly, how much of your program is silent and secondly how much information you would miss if you couldn’t see.  If you have audio, all that information is told to us. But again, not every country.

 

Life as a blind person is possible thanks to advances with technology and the help of our amazing guide dogs, but even tech and dogs can’t tell you who’s smiling at you, or see your child in the school play. Be proud as your child walks down the isle to get married. So, you can say you are either happier or very happy being blind, but is that really true? And if it is, just how much help do you get from others family members for example.

 

If you are scared stiff of going blind, as was I one day, but now I have got over that grieving and just have odd days of deep sadness and wishes. Dreams. That I hope will come true, but if they don’t, I’m not dying, I’m kind of fit. Ish. I can hear and walk. I have a mind to decide whether I want something or need it. I have brought up my child and things are very much so possible, but I personally would never ever say, I’m happier being blind or blindness doesn’t affect my life.

 

I say it every time, my Husband has been to University, he has three degrees and a masters in business. I have top marks from college in various subjects and speak Russian. We are capable, but both my Husband and I have had stress over qualifying because of sighted rules and ignorance in the education and workplace.

 

© Fiona Cummings

 

    

FRIDAY AGAIN BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Last night, the pub quiz was as always a challenge. But we did enjoy ourselves. Sitting near the huge coal fire, it’s difficult to imagine needing the heat from it in a few weeks. The nights are nipping now. there is nothing nicer than listening to the flames from a real fire. Especially when you have been for a long walk on a lovely dry crisp late autumn afternoon. But sadly, fires are difficult to deal with if you can’t see, though sure they are possible. But neither Hub or myself are willing to try one in our house. I know of loads of people who have log burners now days but I have heard so many bad reports on them. Going back to a real fire, I am sure they can’t be good for your health, though to stay in a cottage over a weekend with one, I know would do me well. I love that cosy feeling, I just get bored with cold weather after two months and I am ready for sun again.

 

We haven’t had a sunny holiday for two years in fact we haven’t been on any kind of holiday since 2016, but having said that, this year in England it’s been so lovely, in fact the hottest summer on record. 

 

If I didn’t have our dogs I would really need to go on a holiday, but I hate leaving them. I feel so sad for them. Though I am sure they are looked after really well, it’s silly things like when it comes to bed times. No one will get on the floor with them near their bed and tell them a bed time story like I do. OK, I don’t mean a fairy-tale, just They get their bed time talking to, and kiss. Hub tuts from our bedroom. I’m sure the dogs are tutting too, saying for goodness sake Mother, get ya self to bed?

 

Last night I said to Wagga. “Mummy’s good girl. Who found the step, found left, found right, found steady step and found the post? Who waited? Who got a biscuit for being a good girl? Who’s a very good girl?”” and then it was the Little Fella’s turn to tell him of his achievements. Do they understand me?

 

We were up very early today out and about. Hub got back about ten with me and he had to delve into work. I guess he will work until late tonight as he was away for an hour this morning. I can’t believe how busy life is so early. When do people chill, when are there quiet moments now days?

 

Boy Wonder got all dressed in such a lovely fashion today to go for an interview. It was for a very high-profile job. I really don’t understand how he qualified for this post as among all of them, there were managers who already work for that company but wanted a change in job. There were people who have done or are doing the job so would fit into such a role with ease. And then there was a Policeman and someone who was high up in the Navy. And then our beautiful Son. He answered every question filled in all the forms and did a group session. But half way through it, he decided that it wasn’t for him. Fantastic money and opportunities, but sadly for him, it would mean ten nights out of 25 where he wouldn’t see Shamrock…

 

He stayed for the two hours though, completed everything. He came home and said if he was choosing for the job, he wouldn’t give him the position. Why? Because there were managers their police and people who already worked for that company. I think he is far too young for such a job, but again, why was he even included? Well you never know, he may be offered it, but if he gets offered the role, he has already decided it’s not for him because of the above reason. Such a shame.

 

Tomorrow our friends are coming for the day and on Sunday we are going for a walk I hope… The weather is forecast to be lovely so I hope it will be a really nice day. We are going somewhere my Mum always wanted to go to and never could find. We used to get so close to the place but could never get right to the destination. My Mum was great at map reading too, gosh, remember maps? Huge bits of paper that you had to unfold to read.

 

How many times as a child were you in the car witnessing your parents arguing over a blooming road map? Now we argue with our Sat Nav.

 

So, it’s Friday, what have you planned for the weekend? May be your weekends are like most of mine and you don’t have a plan. Then as I always say, treat yourself to something you just don’t normally have time for during the week. You don’t have to be surrounded by people to do something for you.

 

So, what’s making news in the UK? Remember the couple from England, who went on a holiday in Egypt and died on the same day? Well apparently, they died of something called

shigella' it’s some kind of bacteria passed on by humans and other primates.  One million people die every year from the infection.  Always make sure you wash your hands after going to the toilet and men who have sex with other men have a higher chance in developing this infection.

 

    Coca Cola is buying Costa Coffee for £3.9bn.

Some men in Papua cut their skin to resemble crocodiles.

Oh gosh. Gross.

 

I really do try to find happy good news, it just doesn’t happen.

If you have any good happy news you would like to share please drop me a line. You can email me at

visionsforfuture@googlemail.com

 

 

 

DIARY OF WHAT IF BY FIONA CUMMMINGS

Good afternoon Bloggets. Firstly, a very happy birthday to a lovely lady. Torie.

 

 It’s actually a beautiful day. The sun is shining. I just asked Alexa what the weather was going to be like tomorrow. Her answer made me laugh. She said that there will be a few clouds in the sky…. My response was. Where the heckers would you expect clouds to be?

 

Yesterday I had a lovely afternoon. I intended going out for a couple of hours. But I met my friend and we spent three, yes, three hours sitting in a outside café at a garden centre, drinking coffee, and eating a sandwich and home-made cake. We spoke forever. She told me I should write my life story and that day I also was told I should write a play. Hahaha. Was it something I said?

 

 I went to the garden centre with a friend yesterday, she went over to look at the water feature as that was the section we were in, it was so funny she screamed. I asked what was wrong? All I heard was. “Their mouths are open. Urg, they are going to bite me!””

Em, who’s mouths? People at the café? People pushing their trolleys around? Or the staff!

“Noooooonoooooonoooo

The fish!””

They were apparently fish in one of the ponds but the pond had a tall fence around it. I guess so children couldn’t put their hands in the water… well then, she said.

“Oh my God. Their like dogs!””

Hahhahahaha. How can a fish look like a dog? Unless it’s a dogfish! Well they all came to her poor things.

 She said they had their mouths open for food and they were all in a big group next to her. Oh, I felt so sorry for them. Gosh, why do we do it? They were like prisoners. I guess they were safer than in the wild.

 

Talking of fishing, we were, honestly, have you heard about the French and English fishermen? Oh, my it’s a mess.

 

There is a scallop war going on. It happened in the English Channel between the French and British fishermen. 40 French boats tried to stop five British boats from fishing 22k off the Normandy. Boats smashed against each other but thankfully no one was hurt, stones were thrown too. Awful. UK boats are allowed to fish in the rich scallop area, but French fishermen are saying that the UK fishermen are depleting shellfish stocks.

 

The UK boats returned as two of the boats had smashed windows as they claimed that they had rocks and metal shackles thrown at them.

 

Britain have permission to fish all year round as long as there are fewer boats. French have to wait until the 1^st of October and can only fish for half a year. Well how about no one fishes and people start to eat more vegetables? Leave the poor creatures alone.

  

Hub got home after a successful business trip. Waggs was so happy to see LF. The odd thing is, they have to go in the garden and LF has to splatter my poor Waggatail. It’s a game they call Splatter the Wagga. Well, OK, they don’t actually say that… But I bet they would if they could!   It’s all about getting the poor wagging one as flat as, an unused ironing board. Thing is, she loves it, though she always comes running to me looking rather dishevelled. Kind of save me Mummy, I do. But then she goes back to him and askes for more, only after she has had a rest. They go crazy again and after they get it out of their system, they are all loved up in the same bed. Waggs doesn’t sleep much when LF is away and LF doesn’t seem to sleep much either when he is away, as on his return, he goes to bed after his dinner and gets up for the toilet at eleven then takes himself back to bed. So, they both are rested now today, and they have both took toys outside and had a good run around. We are working them tonight, we have to go and meet someone then back to get ready quickly to go to the pub quiz!

 

My Son has been offered two jobs this week but he isn’t interested in either of them. So, that will be four he has been offered out of 80 in the past three weeks. It’s so hard as he has now reached the next stage up in his career it’s much more difficult to get a job at that level. He has an interview coming up soon and he is so very much wanting that job, I will be in total shock if he gets it, as I am shocked he’s even been asked to go to the assessment centre for part one of the interviewing. He’s done well to get that far. My fingers are crossed for him, but mainly because I hope that if he doesn’t get the next phase of interviews, I don’t want him to be gutted. I am a realist and I know that annoys my Son at the same time, I always tell him he is the best and can do anything the only problem is trying to persuade others that.

 

OK, so onto one of your topics now.

There is direct evidence that ancient interspecies mated. We are talking 50,000 years ago.

A bone has been found in a cave in Russia. The DNA from the bone was taken and there is enough information to inform us that the ancestry was the direct offspring of two different species       of humans but neither of them ours.

 

Her mother was Neanderthal and Father was Denisovan and the same bones were discovered in the same cave in 2011, in Siberia.

 

Based on other ancient genomes, there is evidence that those two species and modern humans had all interbred. Well, my theory for years has been that we come from space we landed here on earth as whoever we stem from, what ever we come from, we probably damaged our planet just as we are doing earth. Now on earth we have spoiled it so looking back to space other planets, probably where we came from originally.

 

I do believe that one day we will end humans on this land and there will be a few humans who will survive and the earth as they knew it will be all rubble so will have to start all over again. History will repeat itself over and over. The question is, how far will we get before we do it all over again? The other question is, how far did we get last time before we ruined earth. I mean, did we find cures for cancer etc? did we all see perfectly well and no one needed a wheelchair or walking stick? Could everyone hear? And were all ailments wiped out?

 

What if our predecessors were so much more advanced than us? What if Jesus was from the star in the sky but the star has been lost in translation and in fact it was an alien rocket? The angel was from a planet in the sky. What if?

 

 

 

 

 

 

GREENLAND DIARY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Happy birthday to Jeanie has a great day and hello to Greenland. The population of Greenland is I think, about 57,000

And one of you is reading my blogs, fantastic. Please come back?

 

The name Greenland means land of people. And was discovered by Vikings in the tenth century. July is the only month there when tempritures reach above freezing. The northeast Greenland ice sheet, has lost more than 10 billion tons of ice a year since 2003, according to a climate study. That’s scary. The countries flag has a polar bear on it. So very cute. I must remember that for our next and future pub quiz. Mind you, that is too easy for our quiz. Seriously, you need an ology in everything to have a chance at the quiz we go to!

 

It’s almost 1 am. I have just finished dusting and cleaning the floors. My kitchen is like a launderette.

My beautiful Son left the house at 3 pm yesterday, put a load of washing in the machine and left a pile in a small basket, small as in not deep but very long and really rather easy to trip over, full of dirty washing. So, does the washing stay in the machine for 24 hours? How does the other washing get washed and dry before he starts work today? So, Mummy did it. Now he will come in and be cross. Mum. Why did you do that. I would have done it… yep, in the meanwhile I’m breaking my neck on your basket and I can’t use the machine if your stuff is in it my darling child…

 

From what I can gather via text, he had a nice time with his friend. I called Boy Wonder to ask if he wanted me to cook dinner… he replied no thanks and handed the phone to his friend who I spoke with. He’s a really lovely pal and has a great future. It’s a funny one as he has come from rather a privileged background. His Dad is a multi-millionaire and they live in an enormous house in the countryside. An yet, since BW’s pal has started University, they have been quite strict with him. For example, he doesn’t own a car. He borrows his Mums only when he is home from Uni. He has to work as he doesn’t get money from his parents. So, they I believe are bringing him up in a very good way. It would be easy for them to totally spoil him and give give give. So, this lad is really grounded.

 

I spoke to Hub on the phone, he went out and on his return to the hotel, his guide dog, our Little Fella, guided him right to the door. What a good boy. The dogs clever too. Haha.

 

My diet today has been disgusting. What have I had? Oh, I’m so ashamed.

A bag of crisps…. (Potato Chips) Large. Family size. I have never eaten a big bag of crisps in my life, not in one serving…  half a bar of chocolate. (Fruit and nut) I guess you could say I have had two of my five a day? Well, does fruit and nuts not count? So, what if they are covered in chocolate! And six. Not all at once, but still six, slices of bread. Oh, my I’m not getting on the scales this week as that voice inside of the scales will tell me to get off and never come back. I wonder what is the worst. Seeing the numbers or hearing them? I swear the voice in my scales get’s an attitude when I have put weight on. Hub told me I’m silly as how can the voice know how to change? Well, I tell you, mine does…

 

And that is all I have had. So, in the first four slices I had tomatoes and the second two, butter and jam. As the second two were toasted. Gross isn’t it? Bread is by far my downfall. I feel so bad afterwards too. But, jam had strawberries and I had tomatoes too…  My blog before about Calendar girls the musical, where the ladies strip off to make a calendar, well if I was to do such a thing, I think I would be January February March and three weeks into April… Oddly I haven’t been approached to do one… may be the makers are concerned about the environment and wasting so much paper? Hey though, I was approached by the Sun newspaper to do page three… OK, it was 33 years ago. In the olden days that newspaper used to publish a topless girl and she was always on page three…. I remember when it happened I was with a boyfriend in a pub… I shouldn’t have been as in those days kids weren’t allowed in. I was a teenager not 18 as the law required back then. Well, I was disgusted horrified that I would be asked such a question. The guy handed me his card I had to pick my jaw up from the ground whilst my boyfriend stuck out his chest and with pride beamed. Afterwards I told him I wasn’t impressed in the way he handled this pervert…. He replied. What do you mean? Well I answered, you should have knocked his block off. Haha hahaha. Block as in nose.

Needless to say, I binned the phone number and never went back to that pub again.

Oh, and I binned the bloke too. And never went back to him again either. Though unfortunately I have him as a memory as he proposed to me and I said no, but he still gave me the most beautiful ring. And I still wear it today obviously not on my wedding finger and not even on that hand.

 

Isn’t it cute that dogs go to bed? I guess you are thinking now, what the heckers is she on about now? but my dog when the odd occasion she lays down, if I’m in the sitting room, she lays on the rug, if in the conservatory she lays on the rug, and about half ten yesterday now, she just took herself off to her bed. I just find that so cute… and on that note, I guess I should try to sleep. My friend text me before and said not to worry about being on my own as her Son is on security in my area tonight. Haha. Very reassuring. Firstly, if I hear a sound, I won’t know who to call, apart from the police, I don’t know of a security number to call. I didn’t even know we had security on here. I guess he’s working near the shops. This lad is built like a brick wall in height and build. Bless him, he’s so soft in nature too, but don’t tell any burglars passing here, that. And again, after my blog on me catching the burglar, I can handle them….. smile.

Nighty nighty.

 

 

 

 

MAKES SENSE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Some countries joining us today are. Turkey, UK and US. Palestine, Norway, Indonesia, Spain, India, Canada and Australia.

So, for one of your subjects.

Scientists may have found the protein which helps the delicate hair cells of the cochlea, our spiral shaped inner ear, the part that sends signals to convert to our brain to make us hear. This is a 40-year study and there is huge hope that we will find an answer for hearing loss. Oh, I really hope so. Last night one of the ladies I was with has such poor hearing and bless her, she laughed in the right places but couldn’t properly join in with the conversation and I’m not too sure she heard much of the show we went to see either. Well, I could hear everything but saw nothing. It would have made a funny movie, but someone has already thought of that.

 

I hope one day there is a cure for those of your who can’t hear and as for those who can’t see or hear? Well I just pray for you all and hope that science can speed along at a safe pace.

 

As a person who can’t see I rely on my hearing so much and never take it for granted. And if they have found something so good for hearing loss, then hopefully there will be something for those who are blind too.

 

I know there are many gadgets that you can buy or obtain to make life easier for those who can’t hear, just as there is for those who can’t see, but, that is far from a replacement for real hearing or seeing.

 

I have said this before, the bottom of the traffic lights in the UK just under the button have a spinning tool that looks like a screw. When the lights beep, and flash, for those who are blind and deaf, the tool turns. So, if you can get to the post, and being blind I know that is hard, so if you can’t hear either, must be so very difficult. You will know when to cross the road. But that very thought makes me gasp almost as much as it does when people see us on as blind people walking around our area and town. I just admire those of you who are deaf and blind and still get out and about. Now I know people say to me. I just don’t know how you do it? I personally, wouldn’t say that to a person who is deaf and blind, but what I would ask is what do they experience when walking? When I am coming up to a tree or car or building, I hear it, I feel the breeze too and that is what those who can’t hear or see must do. Feel. But if I was to block my ears, I’m really not sure I would be brave enough to go further. Where as people say to me. How do you do that,

You are marvellous and so on. They also say. “I couldn’t do what you do.”” So, I perfectly understand those of you who are deaf and blind. Or at least hard of hearing and unable to see much. It’s a case we have to do it. Who else will?

Not everyone have families who can or do care. Those who do, are very lucky and I hope you all appreciate your loved ones.

 

I was talking with someone who lost for half a year their sense of smell. Again, I can only imagine that if I think about life without a nose. I think we must taste with our sense of smell too. How lucky you are if you have all of Yor senses.

 

 

CALENDAR GIRLS AND THE FLOPPY MAN BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good day Bloggets. I hope I find you all well? Thank you for your emails I have tried to answer some of you today and will do the rest tomorrow. There are some really interesting letters this week. Clair B from Canada, I have emailed you but if you can send me your phone number via email, I will call you tonight. Or, as soon as you read this. Just in case you read the blogs before your email.

 

Now then, a very happy birthday to Jean and Pat. I hope you ladies have a great day.

 

If it’s your birthday today, best wishes from me and I’m sure all our Bloggets, especially to you.

 

Now then, last night, my friend asked me if I fancied going to the theatre. Quite a drive from here, but she drives all over the place and has no objection to doing so. Bless her heart, she is so sweet. She is the kind of friend who I just feel so very comfortable with and she is the best guide ever. So natural and caring. Never makes it awkward just normal, I guess only those who are blind or who have little sight will know what I mean. It’s just as it should be, two friends out and about, no “Oh, I’m rubbish at this, oh, I don’t know how to do this…””

Do what? Chill…. Step up or down hand on back of chairs. End of. Or if there is a tight gap, let me know then I know to go sideways or breathe in until I’m blue. Hahaha. As one of my friends says, if there is a tight gap, she squeezes all her fat to her back!!

 

So, what did we go and see? Calendar girls. As we picked up two other people along our journey, who I must say provided so much entertainment, oh, my, they were simply hilarious sitting in the back of the car. Tears were coming down my face and my friend who was driving was laughing too, and her laugh is just infectious which made me laugh even more. I’m not sure I was laughing in appropriate places as I think some of the time they were not meant to be funny, oh, but they were bless them and so sweet too.

 

Parked the car and off we went through a rather rough area. But we lived to see another day. As we approached the theatre, one of my childhood idles was standing there. Sadly, having a smoke. But my friend asked her if we could have a photograph. She took the picture and the two other ladies stood at one side of the actress and I the other. Isn’t it funny how on TV you imagine someone to look or appear in a certain way but in real life turns out to be so different?

 

Oh, she was so nice it made my night. Who was she? Well she appeared in a UK comedy show on TV in the 1980s, called Hi De Hi, where she played an amazing character called Gladys Pugh. Oh, bring back that show please? In fact, bring back or renew anything she has done or will do. She is the best. But one other person who I was surprised in her acting skills though from her father I shouldn’t have been surprised, was Fern Britain. I only know Fern from presenting programs in the UK like This Morning which is a bit like the Today show in America. So, to see her act in such a brilliant way, was fantastic. In fact, all of the actresses and actors were first class.

 

Well you would laugh, anyone who knows the story behind Calendar girls, a group of ladies from the WI, women’s institute, who traditionally start their meetings with the song Jerusalem and who do good deeds for others, a little like the grown-up girl guides. One member in the production acts out her Husband who dies of cancer. It’s all about her being at the hospital waiting for him to receive his treatment and how bad the waiting room is for visitors. Well because this wife is a member of the W I, she decides to ask the other members if they will do a calendar to raise money to buy a sofa for the waiting room at the hospital… only this calendar is different. Each month depicts a nude picture of a member of the W I with in this shows case, cakes hiding their private parts… I guess if you have never seen the film, it sounds a little crazy. But it’s truly funny though obviously has some parts that are rather sad.

 

Well the entertainment continued after the ordeal of coming down the dreadful stairs in the theatre. Oh my, I was terrified. I hate coming down stairs, especially when 1, there is no handrail, for most of the journey. 2 the steps turn different ways and some are half steps you step onto and 3 when you are high up, I can’t see but I felt the vast open space in front of me. I was petrified but my friend bless her helped as best as she could and if I had fallen, well apart from I would have probably killed myself, I would have taken a few people out with me on my way. My poor friend included. Oh, the responsibility. Hahaha. In the lift coming down the three other floors after we climbed down about forty dangerous steps was so funny. Well going up there was a lady with dreadful respiratory problems, the sound was scary. And coming out of the theatre, again in the lift, one man among loads of ladies spoke of his toilet habits with someone else pushing every button though no one wanted those floors, we were given a view of each floor as the lift doors opened. The staff were lovely and it was a great night. And the car journey home didn’t stop the entertainment as it continued with the comments from the ladies in the back seat.

 

I love the theatre and as I told Hub all about it on my return, he actually was creased with laughter  too. Seriously, I guess you had to be there, but I was and I’m glad I was.

 

Hub is off for a couple of days on business. I miss him already but tonight he is going out for a meal with his colleagues and I am sure he will have a lovely time. The Little Fella will follow the guys leading Hub and I am sure he will do a great job. He is a great guide dog at following, where as my Waggatail, if she leads she’s great, but if LF goes ahead and her and I follow, well, forget it. It’s as if when she is leading, she thinks she’s driving us all. Me, Hub and the Little Fella. But when she is behind, she’s like. “Over to you LF. I shall just stand here sniffing come on LF, why are we not moving?”” Hub and I have tried many times where we follow especially if the odd occasion I have to take her to the town.. Oh, my never again. It wasn’t good.  She could have got a job as one of those living statues…

 

All we have done today is post a letter. How exciting? But tomorrow I hope to meet with a friend and go to a garden centre. If she’s a good girl we may pop by the pet shop and get her a special treat. Waggs that is, not my friend…. She’s never a good girl. May be even a new toy. Hub will not be impressed as they have a cupboard near where their beds are and it’s so full of toys, the door hardly stays closed. Today she’s playing with her road kill squirrel. It’s so soft and has a squeak at each end. BW rose from his pit, well his bed earlier and said Mum, I feel sad looking at that. Bless him. Apparently, it looks real. At least it doesn’t have the tire marks on it like some of the road kill have. That’s really going too far.  She has her teddy bear too and her octopus, so they can all go in the wash tomorrow. Two days of dog slobber will be enough…

 

BW is meeting with his old friend today thank goodness. It’s been too long since he got together with him, in fact any of his pals.  This pal is going to be a doctor. He’s still at University on his last year. He’s such a lovely lad.

 

Well I had the oddest dream last night. I caught a burglar. I was letting the dogs out in the garden and saw a ladder but no one was there. I first thought it was the window cleaner. Realising it wasn’t, I went in the house, locking the dogs in the conservatory so no one could get to them, whoever was in the house. Now why I didn’t call 999, is beyond me. And remember, in my dreams I can see as I did when I had sight. Anyway, I caught him. I grabbed him and did a move that tires me out thinking about now, let alone actually performing such a karate move… when I got this giant of a man to the floor, I picked him up, put him under my arm and held on whilst wondering what to do next. Bahahaha. Firstly, this guy was head and shoulders above me and I’m tall. Secondly, he was as light as a feather. He was flopping around under my arm like a rag doll. And thirdly, he had no trousers on… em. Yeah, he was, flopping around…

 

I mean, what to make of that?  Seriously whoever wants to Annalise my dreams is very welcome.

Oh, and he had a really thick knitted jumper on….

An on that note, I shall leave you with some words of wisdom…

Be wise today so you don’t cry tomorrow.

Unless you have two funny ladies in the back of your car… Then the tears will just keep coming, only tears of joy. The best kind.

 

 

 

 

 

IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good evening Bloggets. It’s cold and raining hard. Only ten days ago there was talk of a hose ban and people were boiling hot with the heat we have had for months. It’s difficult to believe today I have a jumper on. My heating is on too. It’s dark dull and typical weather for November, not August.

 

I guess nothing has been normal or typical this year when it comes to weather.

 

I hoped Sham would take BW to his place of work today but she is out at a party. It’s so wet and he has a very long walk after parking up. About fifteen minutes’ walk.

 

Hub and I had such a good sleep last night the best one in weeks. Not sure why as we didn’t do anything yesterday like walking, and it’s odd we both slept well.

 

Today we haven’t done much either but tomorrow we are hoping to get out somewhere.

 

Sad to read our news that in Florida US, another mass shooting. Guns kill.

 people say, no, people kill, not guns, really? Well remove the guns and let people kill with their hands, and then some lives will be saved. Fact is, without guns, so many people wouldn’t have been killed today.

 

My Son and I were talking about the army. He said it upset him to see on Facebook a soldier receiving a letter from home. The soldier broke down and began to cry. The caption was something like see what a difference your letters make?

 

Both my Son and myself said no person should have to go through that. And to put it out there as a so-called good feeling advert, is so wrong. A young person many miles away from home crying isn’t good. I really dislike armies/war. I would be so proud of our guys if we were invaded and they were here to protect us, or help to build bridges help animals and so on. Actually, saving lives rather than ending them. And we never ever learn. No matter how many people have died or been injured in the past, we still ask for more people to come for army jobs.

 

I also don’t like the idea that there are people away from the people who love them when our life on this earth as we know it is so short to start with. None of us know how long we have left with our loved ones whether it be our spouses or parents, siblings or friends, children or even our pets, so why waste time in being apart? If you love someone, then why leave them?

 

YORK MINSTER BY FIONA CUMMINGS

We in England, are proud of our history, but there comes a time when it really does in my opinion, become ridiculous. Let me tell you what I am talking about. The grand organ of York Minster has over 5,600 pipe parts. It’s enormous. Parts of it date back to the 1830s and had its last major overhaul in 1903 and had modifications in the 1960s which weren’t beneficial and is now going to be removed part by part by a company called Harrison & Harrison based in Durham, one of the few organ producers left and it will cost the most obscene amount of money at over, £2,000000, that’s over, $2,500,000

 

Now I understand the importance of having such a masterpiece in what is a magnificent Cathedral, but I also understand that there are people starving, people who can’t get treatment. People who are stuck in their houses unable to get out because the charity who used to pick them up once a week now have no funding. I also understand that we are making cuts in our Police force and fire fighters and that people who are blind have to rely on their guide dogs coming from a charity which get no Government money and hospital wards being closed all the time.

 

 For the next two years the Cathedral will make do with an electric organ. I really don’t know how that will look or sound in such an ancient building which is so very vast, out of place I would guess, I also understand that our religion has to remain important or we will lose it. But personally, I wish there was an alternative to such an amount of money.

 

 York Minster is the largest medieval Cathedral in all of Northern Europe! If you can see, here is a link to some pictures where you will learn just how beautiful this place is.

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/york-minster-cathedral?mediatype=photography&phrase=york%20minster%20cathedral

  

THE POTATO DIARY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Firstly, happy birthday to Steve, Paul, Richard and Simone!

Well I have tried again and put on the Lotto. Every week I put at least one ticket on today two.

Do I ever win? Nope! Will I ever win? I hope so. I know exactly what I would do with it. I have it all spent in my head.

 

Today has been a busy day just doing housework. For dinner I have made a lentil and veg stew with dumplings and for Hub I added tandoori chicken chunks to his plate.

 

Our Son isn’t due in until late tonight, sadly he is working again on a Saturday night. His boss hasn’t worked for six weeks at weekends leaving him to do all the shifts. And tonight, there is a huge gathering so full of awful drunks.

 

Hub is doing something with wires right now, scary considering he’s blind. This day and age, why do we have to have wires? You should plug something in the wall like those plug in air fresheners and everything should work on blue tooth.

 

It’s really cold today. Hence why I made stew. It’s still only August so it should not be as cold as it is now. we are down to 8 degrees at nights, that’s more like November weather.

 

Soon it will be mash potatoes and baked potatoes. Where as the summer brings us baby new. I halve, baking potatoes after washing them leaving their skins on. Put into a baking dish butter and parmesan cheese. Then put the potatoes with cut side facing down into the butter and cheese.  Add a little salt. Cover with foil. And cook for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes.

 

Good comfort food.

 

We were going out tomorrow, but it’s forecast to rain all day. So, I’m thinking a day in. I’m hoping we go out on Monday may be with our Son somewhere.

 

Did you hear the sad news about the poor couple in Egypt who have died and the holiday makers have all been removed from that hotel? Officials in Egypt are saying that they died of natural causes. How ridiculous. Both of them on the same day? And how can they tell all ready as there has been no autopsy. Also, people from that hotel have been complaining of stomach pains and a lady who visited the same hotel, but has been back in the UK for three weeks and has been put on antibiotics as she is in real pain too! It’s so very sad as the poor couple had their daughter with her children staying at the same hotel. Gosh, I feel so sorry for that lady. I know what it was like to lose my parents within five and a half months of each other, but to lose both on the same day? Wow, life can be so cruel.

So,  some headlines

New law to say abortion pill will be allowed to be taken at home now in England.

Well don’t get me started on that subject.

 

Awful news too from holiday makers in Bulgaria. A tourist buss plunged 60 feet killing 15 people.

 

Plastic bags we now pay 5 pence for at our grocery shops are going to rise to 10 p.

 

Ghost black hole from a previous universe, is found by astrophysics

Well remind me I want to talk with you about something I was reading the other night, or morning as it was about 3 am. I hope to write about that tomorrow.

 

A cure for PTSD? Well that was the headline. In short it can be controlled but never cured, not yet anyway.

 

And that was the headlines for today.

 

South Africa, I’m missing you from the stats list. France is just a few behind you now. there’s something very odd happening with the stats and SA. For some reason, the SA stats are going down, not staying the same or rising… Very odd.

 

Now, before I go to sleep, some words

Never be afraid to fall apart, because you will be given the chance to rebuild your life to how you have always wanted to be. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

 

Until the next time we get together Bloggets.

 

Firstly, happy birthday to Steve, Paul, Richard and Simone!

Well I have tried again and put on the Lotto. Every week I put at least one ticket on today two.

Do I ever win? Nope! Will I ever win? I hope so. I know exactly what I would do with it. I have it all spent in my head.

 

Today has been a busy day just doing housework. For dinner I have made a lentil and veg stew with dumplings and for Hub I added tandoori chicken chunks to his plate.

 

Our Son isn’t due in until late tonight, sadly he is working again on a Saturday night. His boss hasn’t worked for six weeks at weekends leaving him to do all the shifts. And tonight, there is a huge gathering so full of awful drunks.

 

Hub is doing something with wires right now, scary considering he’s blind. This day and age, why do we have to have wires? You should plug something in the wall like those plug in air fresheners and everything should work on blue tooth.

 

It’s really cold today. Hence why I made stew. It’s still only August so it should not be as cold as it is now. we are down to 8 degrees at nights, that’s more like November weather.

 

Soon it will be mash potatoes and baked potatoes. Where as the summer brings us baby new. I halve, baking potatoes after washing them leaving their skins on. Put into a baking dish butter and parmesan cheese. Then put the potatoes with cut side facing down into the butter and cheese.  Add a little salt. Cover with foil. And cook for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes.

 

Good comfort food.

 

We were going out tomorrow, but it’s forecast to rain all day. So, I’m thinking a day in. I’m hoping we go out on Monday may be with our Son somewhere.

 

Did you hear the sad news about the poor couple in Egypt who have died and the holiday makers have all been removed from that hotel? Officials in Egypt are saying that they died of natural causes. How ridiculous. Both of them on the same day? And how can they tell all ready as there has been no autopsy. Also, people from that hotel have been complaining of stomach pains and a lady who visited the same hotel, but has been back in the UK for three weeks and has been put on antibiotics as she is in real pain too! It’s so very sad as the poor couple had their daughter with her children staying at the same hotel. Gosh, I feel so sorry for that lady. I know what it was like to lose my parents within five and a half months of each other, but to lose both on the same day? Wow, life can be so cruel.

So,  some headlines

New law to say abortion pill will be allowed to be taken at home now in England.

Well don’t get me started on that subject.

 

Awful news too from holiday makers in Bulgaria. A tourist buss plunged 60 feet killing 15 people.

 

Plastic bags we now pay 5 pence for at our grocery shops are going to rise to 10 p.

 

Ghost black hole from a previous universe, is found by astrophysics

Well remind me I want to talk with you about something I was reading the other night, or morning as it was about 3 am. I hope to write about that tomorrow.

 

A cure for PTSD? Well that was the headline. In short it can be controlled but never cured, not yet anyway.

 

And that was the headlines for today.

 

South Africa, I’m missing you from the stats list. France is just a few behind you now. there’s something very odd happening with the stats and SA. For some reason, the SA stats are going down, not staying the same or rising… Very odd.

 

Now, before I go to sleep, some words

Never be afraid to fall apart, because you will be given the chance to rebuild your life to how you have always wanted to be. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

 

Until the next time we get together Bloggets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BLIND GADGETS BY FIONA CUMMINGS

I’m at last here, gosh I have had a busy day but firstly let me tell you about Hubs new toys. Firstly, he has been sent to trial something that looks really useful. Now, I always take a year and three quarters to catch up, in fact I think I took three years to get onto an iPhone. So, in very brief, I shall tell you about his first gadgets. They are from a company called Wayfinder. You receive loads of different tags. Some are magnetic, some you sew onto clothing and others are like clips you can put onto scarves or ties, even to pair socks up. Then there are circles like flat rings you could use to may be put on a coat hanger.

Way tags use

Nearfield communications.

 You subscribe to their service and then you can create a waytag on your iPhone, it may work on other phones too! you can give it categories like filing, clothes or groceries and you can add a long description and then add characteristics like best before dates or do not iron or tumble dry. Hold the top edge of your phone near the tag and it transfers the information from your tag to your phone, so if you have enabled speech, then your phone will read the information out to you.

 

Obviously, you will need someone who can see first to describe the item to you. For example, a white shirt with navy-blue stripes, and give a rough description of washing instructions if, you need that. Or if it’s a can of food, someone will read it or you could use Tap Tap See, another App, if you have an iPhone, or Seeing ai that you hold to your product and it takes a picture or reads a bar Coad, then tells you then you could transfer your information onto your tags. But if it’s a bag or box of food that has a sell by date, then someone can read out the item and date for you, then you have that information for as many times as you need it. The good thing about these tags is you can reuse most of them, the only ones you can’t are the sticky ones, but I guess if you put letters for example in an envelope, or receipts, then reuse the envelopes keeping the sticky sticker on the same envelope just transfer the contents when receipts for example run out, then give different information to your sticker for whatever you want to file next. So, they can be used over and over again.

 

Hub said they would be good for his office, as there are information boards with progress reports on, so, he can go to the board and hold his phone up to the tag and hear what the information/reports say, again it will require someone sighted to  feed the tag with the information that is on the board but that will only take as long as it would for them to read it.

 

I am delighted to receive them it will help me enormously with Hubs work clothes, like the other day I used Tap Tap see, my best friend, and I was told his work trousers were pinstripe. But didn’t say what colour they were. Then I checked out his shirt I ironed and that said multi coloured stripes. So, I knew not to put stripes with stripes, but if we had a sighted person telling me what colour shirt it was and even what colour the trousers were, it would make life easier for the future.

 

He also received his bone conducting earphones. I touched on those the other day. Again, it involves an App on your iPhone and it’s used in navigation. So, when he is walking down our city streets, through his earphones he will hear what he is passing. We know the way to certain shops, but what we pass by is a mystery that can be so frustrating as like you all, we as blind people want to be able to know what we are going past, and if it’s a fruit shop then we may remember we are out of bananas for example. If we pass a shoe shop, then we may want to pop in to get new shoes. But we could pass so many places and remain totally oblivious.

 

We can’t see the colours, displays and peoples features trees flowers and so on, I personally miss all of that, we live in a very lonely world at times, and Apps and gadgets like this will never replace sight, but will make a huge difference to our lives. It’s quite exciting. My Dear friend and our Blogget, JB, uses the bone conducting earphones to go places and they get her right to the door of where she wants to be. There’s nothing worse than knowing you are in the right vicinity, but can’t find the door, especially when you have two things going on, one those windows that go low so you think they are a glass door, but in fact they are not, or there are loads of people standing around that place where you need to be so you can’t feel for a door, but my friend said this took her exactly to the entrance.

 

You can also go to a field to walk your dog for example. Drop what is called a pin which you don’t really drop a pin, it’s just terminology you use. But you do something with the iPhone and you can walk anywhere in the field and when you are ready to find the gate as in a big field, it’s impossible to do this, as there are no ramps, no steps and sometimes not even any clues to where that gate may be, so this tech, will get you right to the gate. How brilliant is that?

 

The good thing about the earphones are because they don’t go over your ears or in them, you can still hear what is going on in the real world.  This is so important for those of us who are blind. We need to hear where we are. Hearing is the best we are going to get to seeing.

 

These earphones allow you to hear the real world and listen to tech to guide you too!

 

So, apart from Hub spending about eight hours on the phone with work, as he was working from home, that is Hubs day and for me, well I had to go to the council to get a blue badge. Remember for those of you who live in the UK, all you need is proof you have PIP payment. Then you go to your council and fill in section 3 only. There’s no need to fill in anything else, take proof of your address and a passport as well as a letter or something relating to P I P

I’m only telling you this as six weeks it’s taken me to start to get a blue badge. It should have taken a phone call to the place who deals with your payment a letter sent out from them and then off to the council so, about six days. But no, because I didn’t know this, it’s taken six weeks. So, when I learned of what I had to do as I kept getting told I needed a yellow card, by the person at the hospital (Eye Hospital) social services and council. Go on line on Google and type in blue badge, and Bingo, you will be sorted. It should be told to us, we shouldn’t have to educate the people who are getting paid to advise us, but sadly communication in our country is dying. So, here I am letting you know as I don’t want you to go through the hassle that I have been through, all the phone calls and letters emails and so on. It’s two easy steps. P I P letter and council.

 

Now I have my blue badge, I can get in a car with someone driving obviously, and park close to where I know the route, we don’t pay for most car parks and it even gets us through the Tyne tunnel free. It’s something we are blessed to have in England to help to make our really challenging life that little bit easier.

 

I went to our big shop today. Gosh it’s confusing in there and I bumped into, not literally, a very sweet friend. He and his wife were our first friends when we moved here. Hub and I love those two.

 

Next Saturday our besties are coming to see us. I am looking forward to that.

  

As for this weekend, not sure yet as the weather looks awful. Typical as it’s the last holiday for most people of the summer. Monday a lot of workers are off. We call it Bank Holiday.

 

I hope your weekend will be full of whatever you wish for it. Whether it be relaxing or something happening that is really exciting for you. In the meanwhile, I shall go for now but be back later with some chat and touch on a subject one of you have asked me to write about.

Later gators