WHERE HAS TIME GONE? BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good day Bloggets. Today Hub and I made cheese scones. Wow, they were delicious. Baking isn’t my thing, but they were light and scrumptious.

 

I’m waiting for my Son to come home from work. Poor lad is working 12 days in a row.

 

Our dogs have been on their weekly walk with our lovely Jean. She is a kind lady and they love her. Every week she comes and gives them a free run on the field for an hour. unfortunately, they have discovered crab apples from the tree next door so in our back garden, they fall and our dogs collect and in our front garden, our apple tree has dropped some and Waggatail has found those too, so, munched her way through those this morning. It was so funny the other night, the Little Fella came in from the back garden. He knows he is being naughty but still he comes to tell me he has something in his mouth. I felt his face. It was normal but for his mouth was tightly closed. As he is always laughing, mouth open, I was aware that he was hiding something. Like a prisoner trying to smuggle something into the jail. I told him to leave it drop it…. After a little protest, he dropped his goodies into my hand. It was three, perfectly formed tiny crab apples. Not even a tooth mark in any of them. Stalks included. He knows I will take them off him, an yet still he has to show me what he has managed to hunt.

 

I got some bad news yesterday. A really close friend who I regard as family has been taken to hospital. She couldn’t breathe. She has Pneumonia. That word I hate as that is what my Mum died of. But my Mum smoked so her lungs were damaged. Oh, I really hope she will be OK?

 

Have you heard of the saying caught between the devil and the deep blue sea? Have you ever wondered what it meant? Or it’s origin?

It means someone has had to find themselves stuck between two similar situations and they have to pick one of them. Most times both situations are equally as unpleasant.

 

In nautical circles, the devil is a seam in the planking on a ship or below the waterline.

 

When sailors fell from a footrope, they would either land on deck which was known as the devil’s plank or of course the deep blue sea. So, I guess if sailors fell, and they did so on the devil’s plank, they would have been seriously hurt if not dead but if they fell in the water, that would have been very deep and would they have survived?  Well, from limited research that is what I have learned today.  The phrase has been used since the early 16 hundreds.

 

In our home city a quadruple rainbow was briefly seen then became a triple then double bow. It’s a once in ten year phenomenon

 

It’s dark at 8 pm now. I hate that. Though I can’t see I feel the blackness and it’s too early to be without blue skies. Normally we get till the start of October before it’s dark by 8. And we are still in August. Just.

 

Can you believe it’s September tomorrow? Oh, wow where has this year gone? Is time speeding up or is it just me? Why is it when we get older, we slow down but time speeds up.

 

Wasn’t it Einstein who calculated that the faster we go, the slower time goes, and conversely the slower we go, the faster time goes?

 

When we are young, we do things for the first time and it seems like a big milestone like waiting for Christmas takes ages but now it comes around so fast. There must be a good reason for this? I also read today about a test that was done with a 20 year old and a 70-year-old. They both had no way to tell the time but were both asked to say when they thought a minute was up. The young person guessed almost correctly. The person who was 70 suggested a minute was up after just forty seconds.

I’m not really sure why both people just didn’t count to 60 in their head? Maybe they were asked not to, how difficult must that have been not to count in your head?

 

Well on that note, soon time to count sheep. Haha. We say that in England, to help to get to sleep, we are to count sheep. But before I go,

It’s my baby nieces 10^th birthday today. She is my great Niece. If it’s your birthday, I hope you have a good one. Or if you are celebrating anything, enjoy and congratulations.

 

 

RIDDLE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

After a difficult day yesterday, I felt exhausted. Drained but at the end of the day I was so happy to get a message from someone very special to me. Gosh it lifted me so high. It really was the best gift. It was a gift of hope.

 

We all need hope of some kind in life, don’t we? What is life without hope? I was reading that if you are positive in life, you live longer. I joked with friends saying heck, I’m dead already. Haha. My glass has been half empty most of my life, though friends say I am the most positive person they know. Really? Gosh, who do they know? Moreover, how many people do they know? Many years ago, I was very positive. But life taught me that positivity doesn’t always work in the long run. Though studies show differently!

 

Life can be like an arrow; an arrow has to be pulled backwards before it launches forward. Remember nothing is impossible, break that word up put it into two words. I’m possible.

 

Dreams do come true, something happened in my life this year I was so excited about. I felt alive. For so long it has been a dream and that dream came true but because I am not the most positive of people, I’m waiting to wake up and my dream will be over. I keep waking up and still my dream is before me. So, dreams really do come true many times in my life that has been proven. I have nightmares though, still, but thankfully I also have dreams that have and I hope will, come true.

 

Here are some great quotes.

Maya Angelou

Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.

 

Dr Seuss

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.

I love this from Ella Fitzgerald

It isn’t where you came from, it’s where you are going that’s what counts.

 

Today is a beautiful one. Full of sunshine a gentle blow of warm kind wind and lovely fragrances is in the air. An ice cream van has just rang its bells but not in our avenue of all sorts. But in the main section so no way I could find it also the vans don’t wait more than thirty seconds before moving on. I imagine people chasing the van down the street, but in reality, how many people actually get ice creams from vans now days?

 

Today I spoke with my good friend Sheila. She is the best company. We talk every day on messenger. She gets me and I get her. I love the internet. I can talk with Sheila in America, Carrie Ann in Canada and receive emails from my most loved Louise in South Africa as well as all of my friends on facebook.

 

I have been watching UTube too. Videos of people singing mainly brides walking down the isle to their future husbands singing either the bride or the groom. One video I watched was a beggar who walked into a church in Brazil. He asked to sing. To hear him talking you would never imagine he would be able to sing, but wow, when he did, he was wonderful.

 

Singing is funny isn’t it? How some people can, whereas others some can’t or at least they think they can’t. Singing can be such a joy. My Husband sang in a church in America and it was one of my proudest moments. Wow, I couldn’t stop beaming. He made me so very proud.

 

That was a happy memory. I have few of those but the ones I have are treasured. I have lots of memories, some so unique. But few that actually fill me with joy. That is why I really appreciate happy memories. They are a gift for sure.

 

What are you all up to this weekend? My poor Son is working all weekend. Even Sunday. I really worry about him. He doesn’t sleep well and he works all hours as well as goes to the gym for up to three hours every single day. But he never looks awake, he is always tired. I’m not surprised. It’s awful when our kids are grown up and we no longer can look after them. I really hate it. I just want to hug my boy feed him and know he is sound asleep in a nice bed. I then wish he could wake up and have some lovely people waiting for him to go and have some fun. He is so young but his youth is waisted sadly. What does a parent do when their children are grown up? Wait for Grand children? But the gap in between and what if their children never have kids of their own? Is a parent retired when their child reaches adulthood?

 

I would like to think we are going for a lovely walk this weekend but I think it’s going to be more like something indoors as it’s going to rain all weekend.

 

Now especially for Vicki here are some riddles for you

Jimmy’s Mother had three children. One was called April, the second was May, what was the name of the third?

Answer in a moment, see if you know the answer first.

 

You can hold this without using your hands or arms, what is it?

 

And my favourite so far. What starts with P, ends with on and is really popular in the movie industry?

 Okay, here are the answers.

 

1.     Jimmy

2.     Your breath

3.     Popcorn

 

And finally, happy birthday to Torie, Alex and Mike. And if it’s your special day sending lots of love your way, have a good one.

 

 

A SPARKLY DIARY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Buying more paint today. I got light beige with glitter. It’s for my Son’s bedroom.

I think our decorator will be finished part one of his work. When my Son sees what kind of job he has done if it’s good, then I will get him to do BW’s room. I’m sure it will be good as he seems a really nice man. But having said that, so did so many others smile. Seriously though, this guy puts the hours in, he doesn’t run from job to job I hate it when tradesmen do that. He seems really clean and thorough and he is old school, so here’s hoping, also I just asked him out of the blue as I do when Hub cringes, did he know a gardener? His answer was yes….  if my Husband could see, then he would have seen that smile on my face as if to say, see, told ya…. So, the new guy starts next week as after this weekend of me trying to do the garden, I have realised, I really don’t have a clue what I am doing. Now, my tomato plants? Oh my, they are enormous but have they given me any tomatoes? Answer, no. people are saying it’s because I was told to remove the flowers, to get bigger tomatoes…. And that is the worst thing apparently, I could have done…. Loads of money waisted there.

 

Hub and I watched the new drama by Jane Austen called Sanditon. Neither of us have heard of this title and we both love her work and we thought we have seen all of her dramas and my Husband studied this author in English, but still have never heard of Sanditon. Well we learned it was an unfinished book. so, a modern adaptation. I can tell you; it was, or is, absolutely dreadful. Bad acting and worse plot. They should have left that unfinished book, well, unfinished.

 

I love period drama’s especially because we are fortunate to have audio description in the UK which means everything you see, well the important things, a person’s voice discretely describes for us, for example, what the person is wearing and a smile or sinister expression the character may show that we wouldn’t know about if not for audio. Next time you are watching TV take note how many times there is an expression and wonder if you couldn’t see that, how it would change your watching experience? An expression can tell a story on its own.

 

It was funny as the girl in the drama got dressed for a ball, she wore long white gloves, a white dress but blue shoes, then it spoke about her hair, I was waiting to hear a blue flower was placed in her hair or blue earrings something to match the blue shoes, but no. I did smile to myself thinking how many other people watching who are blind would have thought of that? I’m shocking for matching.

 

The drama taught me how there were things in England called Bathing machines. Gosh, I had never heard of them being called that but they are like a changing room where ladies get into a bathing costume and then they are wheeled into the shoreline where they are helped out of the so called machine and escorted into the sea. Just so they don’t have to walk and show off their bodies on the sands. Funny isn’t it how times have changed?

 

We are going to watch it again next week just to give it another chance. Of course, it’s been so called sexed up for the new adaptation, why? I love the drama’s because they are innocent and you don’t need to see explicit sex scenes, they really are not needed I prefer romance and being left to my own imagination, but I guess we are allowing a world of robots where everyone has to be the same, feel the same and dress the same even down to the same sex in the future I’m sure. Children are encouraged to hold a flat screen and move a finger across and that is meant to be play? Well, for my future grandchildren, I hope to introduce them to real play with good old fashioned toys.

 

Well last day of my decorator and my friend Arty is coming we will have to sit in the garden to keep out of the way, then I am getting my hair cut and then we are out tonight with friends, I’m exhausted writing about my day. My life is like the busses nothing comes along for ages then loads turn up!

 

I was reading today about those nice smelling sheets you put in your drier? You know the ones that are meant to make the clothes smell nice? Oh my, they really are dangerous. Also they block up your filter even if your filter looks clean, try running it under a hot water tap and watch the water sit on the top. That means the filter is blocked and it is those sheets that cause this and cause drier fires. I won’t be buying them again.

 

Gosh my eyes are really hurting today. My right eye is burning. Talking of eyes, here are the latest links for news for research for RP.

 

https://dbgen.com/en/new-gene-therapy-for-autosomal-dominant-retinitis-pigmentosa/?fbclid=IwAR0wHgBbpHyBIvDNFRflu-yxVi1Jzl4Z4hA6XlNEwqNb8y_cr4GZn4_nL7s

 

Good news for AMD and Stargardt

http://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=48561&fbclid=IwAR2UnSdv2NMdeUlq4zPoBlMLL_w7s-7mquZm4nxeNDi0uhBiRJTCLgr-8aQ

 

  

Until later take care and be safe.

  

 

 

PAINTING A PICTURE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

 Sitting in our garden. It’s stunning out here. In fact, I am at my garden table in the shade as I was sitting in the sun and now, I’m boiling. Hub is in his basket swing as today he has the day off work. He is in charge of the dogs. Waggs is tied up near him and LF does as he is told for his Dad so is laying still next to him. They have a large dish of water near them. Just in case hubs thirsty. Haha. No way our LF will drink it as it has no milk in it.

 

I would love it if I could say I can hear the beautiful birds singing and my water feature flowing as well as the gentle tree branches fanning their blossoms, but no, I have a city house and I hear one crow crowing traffic beeping and groaning and the garden bin lorry screeching. But still the air smells lovely.

 

Seems like everyone is going on holidays this month. At least most of Hubs colleagues are. So many of his colleagues are into diving holidays or walking or some kind of activity.

 

Last night Hub went around to check if I had done the work right. He removed the curtains and it was up to me to do the rest.

Oops

OK, I forgot the awful plaque that has been on the door since the house was bought. From the previous owners. It’s like a brass flat sheet. Why? Not sure. Hub says it must have been for decoration. Right. It’s hideous. So, Hub got the screwdriver set out, with only two in now as too many people going through our garage over the years. Neither screwdriver we have left fit, so, down to the good old kitchen knife. Always works. If in doubt

Head to the kitchen drawer. That is my motto.

 

Then I heard him say, Fiona, what about this hanger over the door?

Oops, I forgot that too. Then he suggested we should move the little bits of furniture from the landing. Em, forgot about that love… as for the candle sticks that are large free standing shabby chic about hip level, em, well, didn’t see them. I’m blind you know? Hahaha, well, Okay, so is he. Thing is, if I had my thinking head on, I would have put everything in one room. Hub? Oh, no, every one of our rooms upstairs is a right mess now. My Sons room is next to be done it needs gutting. If this man does a good job, then I will ask if he can do this in a few weeks.  What a mess in there. And more so now Hub has been to work. I mean, why spread things about? Surely you pick the messy room, and put everything in there? Oh, no, Hub likes to share….

 

Our painter started his work today. Even though it’s a bank holiday weekend here, he is working, so I hope he will do a better job than our last disastrous decorator did.

 

Well going back to last night. I did move everything from our Sons bathroom. And it’s there where the guy is doing first. I’m getting it painted the same colour as the guest room. Duck egg. It’s not the same paint, as this is proper bathroom paint, so I hope it will look nice. There are only half walls to do the rest are large white tiles with a chrome strip at the top. We have a white bathroom suite with a jet bath we got for our son as it has all the lights in supposedly to calm well mood lights. We have dark grey laminate flooring with some shiny chrome stripes running through and I have white towels for in there. All of the accessories are chrome too. We have chrome spot lights in the ceiling. In my mind it is lovely, well will be when our guy is done painting. I hope anyway. He came recommended so fingers crossed. He is also doing all the work over again what we paid a fortune for last year but that painter was not a good person. We thought we could trust him, because he is a very close friends’ brother in law, but sadly he isn’t our, very close friend…

 

  Oh, it’s such a lovely day. I wish we could go to the beach. I definitely want one day to live near the sea. It’s my dream. Sadly, though it will take a lotto win. The only good thing about living here with the noisy traffic, is it’s blocking out Hubs cricket on the radio. Hahaha. Cricket isn’t as bad as his football, gosh I hate that, unless it’s the world cup.

 

Do I like any sports? Well I used to run many moons ago. I loved watching running and ice skating. I love tennis. If I could see I would play tennis for sure. Mind you, they would need a reinforced Fifi proof tennis court.

 

I had some water melon for breakfast with some delicious salt and pepper bread with my amazing cracked black pepper cheese. It was divine. Not having lunch and Hub just wants a light dinner tonight, so salad with mint beans and chili noodles and he can have crab with that.

 

I was talking on line last night when I should have been emptying upstairs to decorate, hahaha, about milk. As you do….

You don’t?

Oh!

Anyway, the lady on her own drinks 24 pints per week. Oh, my goodness…. well her bones will be good. She has a cat but I think she needs a cow!

 

Well I am off to make our decorator a cuppa. A brilliant poet I know called Matthew, asked me the other week what was a cuppa?

Anything in a cup normally tea. Let’s hope I don’t make contact with the white gloss. Goodness knows what we are going to do with the dogs tonight as he is doing all the way down the stairs too….

 Later gaters

 

THANKS BRO BY FIONA CUMMINGS

I’m waiting for our Sons girlfriend to pop home. Apparently, she has a small gift for me. Gosh, no need to give me gifts, but it’s kind of her. Getting grocery shopping later too. There is so much fruit in this week shopping. My love is living on that at the moment. Gosh he has lost so much weight. And really is committed to the treadmill. I envy him and his choices.

 

Working from home has its benefits for my Husband. He says he gets loads more done for one, two, he can get out of bed 45 minutes later on average. Still starting just before half 8 in the morning but no travel means longer dream time. But, as he was on the phone today all I heard was “Oh, gosh!”” then he told the listener to hang on a second as he had to remove a dog from his neck. Hahahaha. My poor Waggatail has been traumatised for three days by a huge fly. I can tell you; this fly is horrible it was really trying to get in my eye yesterday, only my left eye oddly enough and it really tried on four occasions it landed on my eye lash. But, only my left eye? How weird. Well my poor Waggs can’t deal with them. I turned to the Little Fella and whispered as I tried to get Waggs out of the room, if you were a real man, you would have got rid of that for your little sister by now!!!”

He didn’t reply.

By the way little sister in size not age as she is over three years older than him.

 

So, I took them outside with me in the garden. LF was as ever a really good boy and lay next to me. Waggatail? Nope, she has to help Mummy with the gardening and pull out the weeds. And it’s like some kind of obsession with her. She won’t leave them alone and it’s not good for her at all. Especially as two weeks ago, our so-called gardener, put weed killer on them. He said he would come back after a couple of days to remove them. Two weeks later, still waiting. Perhaps he meant like he meant the last time, a couple of months?

 

 Our gardener is great. But to get him out is so difficult. Our garden isn’t big enough, especially when they can get huge jobs. My guy said I am his favourite customer. Really? God help the ones he doesn’t like? Hahaha.

 

My healthy not, breakfast today consisted of delicious crusty bread that is made with salt and pepper. With cheese with cracked black pepper. Yummy it was so scrumptious. I also tried my biscuit mans tea bags he promised was so strong that they would knock my socks off.

 

Firstly, my biscuit man for new readers is a guy who comes to my door selling his goodies. Hahaha. And hey, I buy… well again our biscuits are may be your cookies. He also sells other things too well these teabags? Hmm. I can tell you; my socks are firmly on. Not that I wear them, but you know what I mean. If they are meant to be strong, then I am a weight lifter. They are as weak as water. That is a strange saying we have, water is so strong it can take lives and destroy properties, used in the right way it can create energy too, so, how is it we say that? It’s stupid really! Water is life. without it, we would die. So, I think standing by the side of the sun and moon, it’s the most important thing to life. far from weak.

 

I guess water always choses the path of least resistance, if someone is as weak as water, they won’t want to cause waves? It’s said that as weak as water is an English proverb used by the author John Ray but it is originally from the Christian bible I believe. In short, once again, water that can erode stone, concrete and other hard substances and sustain bacteria and other living organisms. is far from weak.     

So, from now on, I’m going to stop saying as weak as water. Maybe I shall talk about something or some one being as strong as water?

 

Wishing a very happy birthday to Carl. 38 today, still a young man. Two years before you are properly grown up…

 

Happy birthday to PJ too. Have a great one honey.

 

And finally trying to get a haircut? My lovely lady is on holiday and my gorgeous hairdresser James is too hard to get to. I miss him. He is the best. I was OK, though I know it needs cutting, OK until my darling brother told me on Sunday that I looked like Janis Joplin.

Janis blooming Joplin? Oh, thanks bro, if she were still alive, she would be 76 now. And she died of an overdose of heroin and apparently, she really did look like what we imagine a drug user would look like. Again, thanks bro. My Husband did OK, my brother announced him as Andrea Bocelli. He got away with it. Haha.

 

   All I can say is Janis was 27 when she died. So, I’m sticking with those numbers.

 

 

TRUST THE SIGHTED ONES BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Today I have been getting the house ready to decorate. My painter is due on Friday. This house is never ending. But for now, letting you into my life, my crazy mind.

A funny story. So, I’m waiting, I’m always waiting. For a delivery. For two deliveries. One of them is two very large boxes of dog food. So heavy I can’t really lift them without making very odd noises. In fact, such odd sounds that the neighbours wouldn’t be blamed if they thought the dinosaurs had made a comeback to the UK!

 

My door bell rang. I of course was in the kitchen. Not cooking for once, but eating. Eating what? don’t even go there. OK, they are called crisps in England and I guess potato chips in some other countries. Not healthy, but hey, they were Thai flavour, so, may be herbs somewhere in there?

No?

Oh!

I digress. As I jumped over the dog bed that found itself in the middle of the hall between the kitchen and sitting room, I landed on a dog toy,

It was solid

Not sure it is now.

Saying a few words that were not clever. Telling my dog to stay. She’s like, em, Mum, I’m not going anywhere. Still, I say stay. Why? So, the person at the door doesn’t run away hahaha if they hear a voice, they may realise I am in and not to do a runner. But thinking about it now, they may think I am telling, rather demanding them, to stay, rather than my dog, oh, well, never mind it worked as he was still there when I opened the front door.

 

As I took my garage key motioning to him as you do when you are blind, just like a sighted person, as if I know what I am pointing at? Oh, that reminds me of something else but later for that one.

 

I ask the person who I think is at the top of my drive as by this point, there are no voices, no van sounds, I tell the man to kindly put the delivery in my garage for me? That’s fine isn’t it? Well it would have been if it was the right man? Em no. it was the man delivering my second delivery. Well I can’t just be cool and say please put it in my garage? Oh no, I have to tell him he is so much stronger than what I am. Now still this person is mute. Could be a five feet four pencil thin lady?

 Few, thank goodness, it was a man. But not delivering my extremely heavy dog food.

Oh

Heck.

It was my two lace doyley’s that I sent for.

Bloggets they are tiny lace cloths I mean tiny. Like they can fit on your hand and are the weight of a feather.

 

So, the guy has this miniscule envelope in his hand. And there’s me saying.  “Oh, please put that in my garage? They are heavy, you are so much stronger than me?””

Heck, I am such a pleb!

 

So, a few weeks ago, a man stood in my upstairs bathroom. As it happens that doesn’t happen often Bloggets. He was a workman. I pointed to my bathroom cupboard under the sink to tell him that was where the item was, he needed to look at. He is like where? I’m saying pointing there. He’s where? Fussing about. I’m there. What is wrong with this man? Who is the blind one? I’m explaining just under the sink there. Well this went on for a while then he got a little close and personal. He started to come towards me. I didn’t move. I have to tell you, by this point he didn’t know I was blind hahaha he was probably thinking the lights are on but there’s no one at home.

 

Well it was a to me to you situation then as he headed towards our Sons bedroom, I realised I was in fact stood in the middle of the landing, not just outside of my bathroom, so when I was pointing to the right, thinking I was next to the bathroom where this cupboard was, in fact I was pointing towards my Sons bedroom door. But come on, if I was to say to you the cupboard under the sink, surely you would look under the sink? I guess rather than listen to my words, he was looking at my actions. They say actions speak louder than words…

 

It’s like when I insisted to my brother that he was going the wrong way the other day as we walked to our restaurant, my brother said no it’s this way I said no you need to turn left he replied no it’s to the right, I’m thinking, bro, I live here I know where I’m going?

Oops

Well, we hadn’t crossed the road yet so he was right I was so wrong. In future trust the sighted ones.

 

 

 

MY WINGS IN LIFE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good afternoon Bloggets. I hope I find you well? A couple of things I need to write about today, one of which I have touched on many times but all the time I’m getting new readers and some old Bloggets have asked to be reminded about certain subjects that I have covered before.

 

Well as the sun shines and the wind blows, I wait for the rain then I must dash as I have put some washing on the line outside.  My dog is trying to wrestle with one of her toys with a biscuit inside. Little Fella couldn’t get it out no matter how much he tried all yesterday evening. As I told Hub off as a flying rubber toy just missed decapitating one of my lady ornaments, my voice found itself. Hub said it wasn’t him. It was, LF. No way a dog can throw like that I replied. Yep,, it was LF. Without luck getting her treat. so today Waggatail is trying her best to get the prize, curtesy of my lovely rug. You can’t keep things new when you have a dog. And two dogs? Impossible, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love our house having two dogs.

 

Talking of animals/pets. I was reading about a two faced cat the other day. Not as in sly as in one saying one thing to one cat, and another thing to another cat, but it was born with two faces. Something like two noses two mouths and three, blue eyes. I wonder how many ears? I didn’t read that. It wasn’t meant to live but bless him, he did and he lived until dying of cancer recently but h was a whopping 15 years old!

 

Oh, that cat must have looked really spooky don’t you think? But it must have had really caring owners all these years.

 

So, my subject to start with is one of which I certainly did and most of my friends are doing. Burying their heads in the sand not wanting to face what could be reality! Going blind. No one wants to think about this. It’s terrifying. Painful and it won’t ever happen to you, right? That was me 21 years ago. Not prepared. I had great sight especially in comparison to being blind obviously.   My vision would go slowly. Not from reading one night to blind the next morning, right?

Wrong!

 

If I had have been strong and prepared, then I would have gone blind earlier, right?

Wrong!

 

If I have thought about being blind then I would have given up, right?

Wrong!

 

Think positive and life will be positive and I won’t be facing blindness, right?

Wrong!

 

If you have a condition that means you may go blind, it will happen if you are ready or not. You can slow it down possibly, by taking vitamins such as A. but you need to research into how much of that and ask your doctor as you will have to be monitored. Eat foods with Vitamin A in it. And where sunglasses when it’s bright. Problem I had; I couldn’t see out of sunglasses at all. But you can get tinted prescribed glasses. After I went blind, I had to have cataracts removed from both eyes when everyone around me in the hospital was talking about how much their eyesight would improve after the operation, I knew that wouldn’t be me. Nothing worse than going through that pain to know you will still be blind.

 

I had to have the operation because apart from I was afraid my eyes would turn white, the sun though I couldn’t see it, really hurt my eyes. Once I had the operation, sun shone, but it didn’t matter!

 

I have heard of late. “I don’t like thinking about going blind!””

Who does?

I didn’t for sure. As I said, it wasn’t ever going to happen to me. But if only I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have been suicidal!

 

 Depressed, distraught, angry and scared stiff, for sure, but not needing to die. And life would have been so much easier.

 

Now I’m blind and have the skills put in place, I still hate being blind. It’s still after twenty years depressing but not scary. Not terrifying at all. I’m just left with anxiety depression and deep thoughts of what if I could see, how much better would my life be, how easy it would be. But my life now in comparison to when I went blind, is so different.

 

If you prepare yourself when you have good vision meaning you can see your face in the mirror, you can still read though it may be a challenge and you can still see colours, it’s better than having to adapt your life when you have gone blind. That is too much to ask of yourself. Believe me, I know first hand.

 

So, what things can I do to prepare myself for something that may never happen, but if it does, I will be able to cope?””

 

1

Learn to touch type so you can still shop and contact people and research the internet. The last thing you need is to be cut off from the world in your new environment. You will need so much support and you may find you lose all your so called friends, so, you will need to keep the ones you have on line just for your own sanity. To be able to write emails and so on is so important. Of course, there is the iPhone which to people who are blind is so important. Gosh, I really don’t know what we would do without our iPhones. There are so many Apps that help us. Without them, reading letters and so on would be impossible. I mean, if you can learn Braille, as well, even better, I’m hopeless I just can’t get around to that. If I could, taking notes and reading pill boxes and even some products now, I also know the shop in the UK the Co-op, their frozen food is all written in Braille. How good is that because once your boxes are in that freezer, oh, heck, they almost all look the same. Personally, I use Seeing a.i., for that but boy does it test my patience! Though thank God for it. Well the manufactures anyway.

 

2

An iPhone is great as you can get lots of apps that will help also out of the box a bit of initial sighted help and you have speech on the phone and you can use dictation too. It takes some getting used to but if I can do it you can for sure. Let’s say tech isn’t my middle name.

 

3

Buy an accessible Dictaphone. This is a tiny recorder that fits into the palm of your hand. The size of a lighter. You will have to be there when you buy it though as some now are all touch screens and are impossible to use. But if you have one, you can have recorded emergency numbers on it. Remember if you lose your vision, how will you look numbers up? Now, if you can touch type, you can have a file on your computer with important numbers on. But if you need to take down a number, address or just a note, you can if you have a Dictaphone.

 

4

Every year try to check what needs updating in your house. Such as a microwave. It’s nice and modern if you again have a touch pad microwave or washing machine, but what happens if you can’t see to do that? You need things with dials and dials that don’t constantly turn. Dials that click are great as long as they stop rather than keep going around. Otherwise you will not only be unable to see, but you may go hungry and have dirty washing… we even had to hunt for a dish washer that we could use, well, in fact, a cooker too and dryer. Even your TV. There are accessible TV’s out there.

 

5

Learn to use the white cane. Now that has such a stigma and what a shame and no one knows more than me just how that feels your first walk with a cane even though you were with an instructor, oh gosh I still remember the first time I went public wit my white cane. And I had the best instructor. But I also can remember the first time I went solo with my cane. Wow, I was that Pegasus. That white horse with wings. I was so free. That feeling also hasn’t left me. And over the first feeling of pure humiliation where I wanted to crawl in a hole under the ground I was walking, my Pegasus moment, smashed to pieces the pain of having to except I needed a white cane.

 

Again, I had to be blind before I trained with a cane. Silly me. Risked my life and my babies because of all that sand in my life. of course, my sight was coming back, right?

Wrong!

 

And before I go.

Always remember what you have been through in life. how you survived. Remember when you fought against everything and everyone who was against you. You, on your own. How strong must you have been? Remember when you were let down by those who were there to protect you, love you and watch out for you. Remember when you barricaded yourself away from the world. Locked your doors and closed your blinds? Disconnected yourself from the world as it was much easier to do that? You may have been in that room when you couldn’t go on, but you did. You chose life. you could be hard now but you are not, you are good, kind, strong though there are so many times when you really feel anything but strong, you have to be after all you have been through. You forget you have survived what most people couldn’t. why is that do you think? I believe it’s because you are so strong. You are meant to live for better to come. You are so special. So amazing.

 

I know of a girl who has had a past that isn’t very nice. She went blind, she thought she would never find love. She did. He sadly died. She was heartbroken. She carried on. She had an accident that made it so she was paralysed from the waist down. She would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life as well as being blind and left to get on with it by all her family apart from one person who was also blind. Her Father. She spent three years in a hospital.  A couple of weeks ago, her father died. She got a place of her own. She is now using an adapted wheelchair and a white cane to get about. She is a survivor. How? I will never know but I read her words and my heart breaks for her, though she is in a much better place than those behind closed doors who never go out into our big bad wonderful world. She is so strong. I think the strongest person I have ever known. I can only hope now all what she has been through will stop testing her and fait will give her a break in life.

 

When I read, she went on three buses to get her bus pass the other day, I was shocked. Stunned. How can she be like that? I couldn’t be that adventurous. But I do what I can and that is all we can do, isn’t it, question is, what can you do for yourself now? doing for yourself will help those in your future.

Never underestimate yourself.

 

 “When you are facing a labyrinth in   life, look beyond the narrow pathways and get to the other side of the lane. Life can leave you alone for a while but love will find you and again you will, laugh!””

© Fiona Cummings

 

 

 

A LITTLE OF A LOT BY FIONA CUMMINGS

How are you all? It’s so windy here. I have just checked out my new bird bath and feeder. I don’t want them blowing away, well off the chains, where they are hanging, yep, it’s that windy. They are on hanging chains, to   match the bath and feeder. I was so proud of them they are beautiful then I spoke to my friend who is a bird expert and she said that they were for decoration and not to be used the birds won’t like them. Oh, no, really? I’m so hoping she will be wrong especially as the bird bath is rather large as if it will be used if it was for decoration, surely, they wouldn’t have made it so big? Well I have bird food ordered coming tomorrow night so I am forever hopeful! The feeder has a roof on it it’s pointy like a witch’s hat and there is a small plate to put the food on. It has a small bird sitting on each side of the plate the same colour and material, well it’s metal and cream. The bath is just a huge dish with two larger birds on each edge. They are so lovely and full of detail. Oh, please little birdies, come to my garden and enjoy?

 

I adore birds. I have a dear friend from America who lives behind a beautiful country park. She sends me recordings of her birds through messenger. Gosh it’s so peaceful.

 

I was talking with a great friend yesterday over coffee. We had two perfect hours together. She is my tonic for sure. Our Sons are of similar age and we just get each other as we also have similar personalities, though her lifestyle is so different to mine.

 

Hubs been away overnight with work this week. My little Waggatail and I had a girly couple of days without the boys. Hub works so hard and is really dedicated and passionate as he doesn’t do anything by half. His goals are to succeed and never to quit!

 

Wow, such a gift to have don’t you think? Whereas me, I’m a born quitter. I procrastinate in life too. I get so far then stop. If it’s personal goals that is, but if it is work related, then I have to prove my best. Where as Hub is work and personal. He has lost so much weight. 14 lbs in five weeks. He just says no to all food that is bad for him. Same as our Son, so strong. Now normally I would say but I don’t eat meat and never will, where as Hub won’t give up meat though I am getting there as he no longer eats red meat, so am I strong by not eating meat? Especially as I used to love it so much. But for 22 years now I have been a vegetarian, now, give up crisps/potato chips? Chocolate? Then I am so weak. Bread I have tried for two weeks I ate none. I actually put on weight so I’m back on the bread but only have a quarter of what I used to eat. I go three days now without any. And I cope. Mainly as I really don’t have any appetite at the moment. I’m snacking rather than eating proper food.

 

Oh, I have an important meeting tomorrow. I’m not looking forward to that. It’s with two people.  And though a good outcome may come of it, still, I’m rather anxious. And I don’t get anxious at meetings. Will I prepare for it? Nope, just take me as I am.

 

Who am I? well my birth chart the other day told me exactly who I was. If you read that blog, you too will now know. Funny thing it said I care for the planet but nothing about animals. And animals have been in my heart all of my life. ever since I can remember. I have told you this story before but just in case there are any Bloggets who didn’t read it back then, when I was about four, I was allowed to play outside. Can you imagine that now days? Well I saw a beautiful dog almost the height of me. Of course, it was lost as it wasn’t with anyone. But in those days, people used to just open their doors and allow their dogs to wonder and they would come home for their dinner. Imagine that too? Anyway, I decided to take that dog home to its own garden. Well I put my hand on the back of the dog’s neck as he had no collar on. And spoke to him in a calm way. Remember I was four…. I had the biggest lump in my throat feeling the pain of this dog lost…. I walked him down the road and like a good boy he went with my gentle grip. I opened the gate of a garden and put him in. few, I had done my job. Only problem was, later on that night whilst trying to sleep which in those days I also had difficulties in sleeping, I asked my clever mind which worked overtime in bet. How did I know that was the dogs house? Fact is, I didn’t. so, I probably trapped the poor thing in a strange garden where as if I left him wondering, then he would have gone home when he wanted. Oh, then I cried into my pillow. Worrying about the poor dog sitting in this garden all on his own. What if the people belonging to the house didn’t look out of their window? Now I’m older, I pray he jumped the fence and got himself home safely.

 

And I won’t talk about the time I thought I could go up to a cow and stroke it…

 

Once during a hunt, Napoleon was surrounded by so many rabbets, he had to retreat back to his carriage. Good on the bunnies.

 

Did you know that elephant tusks never stop growing? So enormous tusks are the sign of a very old elephant. I also read though that there are some kinds of elephants who are evolving without tusks because they are so clever, they know that is why they are getting hunted. So, if no tusks, hopefully they will live, only trouble is, they are getting hurt because there is nothing to protect them in the wild.

 

I also read and I don’t know if this is true as I have never owned cats, but they only meow at humans, never at each other. Cat lovers, is this true?

 

When hermit crabs grow so big, they come out of their shells and move into bigger ones, there are lines of smaller crabs queuing up to move into their old shells. Now, that’s called recycling.

 

I have a painter coming soon to fix the mess that the last guy left us in. and my goodness what a mess he left. So, next week, more mess to create a tidy up. I’m painting my bathroom duck egg which is the same as my guest room. It’s a very pail blue with a hint of green.

 

Then to paint our son’s bedroom, but that won’t be done for a while. We have all the gloss to do on our landing and all of the door’s upstairs. Such a big job and to think it wasn’t too long just months since it was last done, but we were really ripped off. I won’t ever again get that painter. We learn from our mistakes.

 

It’s funny I do my best to protect my Son from making mistakes and he hates it. He says he wants to make his own mistakes. Really, why? I wish I had someone to stop me from making such mistakes when I was younger. Mind you, would I have listened? Hmm. I guess not. But wouldn’t life be easier if we did and we wouldn’t be so hurt in life?

 

I love this quote from lessons learned in life website. The most painful tears are not the ones that fall from your eyes and cover your face, but the ones that fall from your heart and cover your soul.

 

My friend posted some funny things the other day about questions that people who ar blind get asked. Like. (Have you been blind all of your life?)

Answer. No, not yet.

All of our life? is our life over already?

 

And next time someone suggests that because you are blind your hearing must be brilliant, just reply.

“Pardon!””

Thanks to Dear Carrie Ann for sharing that.

 And finally, I read from a funny fellow called Ian.

 

I don’t know what I would do if a pen leaked in my mouth. I dread tooth ink.

 

If you are using a screen reader, you may need to read that again. Xx

 

 

 

 

 

BIRTH CHART BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Hello Bloggets. I hope you are all well?

Are you sitting comfortably? I have a load to chat about today. Feel free to join in shout at your screen, laugh or reach out and email me. I always love to hear from you. Email address at the bottom of here.

 

I have heard some lovely stories this week. A dolphin has taken care of a baby whale for three years and an owl has met up with the man who saved it and wouldn’t stop hugging him I also read about an elephant that was saved as a baby as her Mother was killed by evil hunters. The man who brought the elephant up was reunited after eight years as the elephant searched for the man who was where he was when he saved her all those years ago the elephant now older brought her baby to meet with the man. Both elephants shook their ears and tails around the man. He recognised the elephant immediately. It was as if the Mum was bringing her child to show off to the man. So cute. Elephants are so majestical. As are dolphins in I adore all animals but dogs, horses’ elephants and dolphins as well as whales are my favourite.

 

England had huge power outages on Friday. Airports, train stations traffic lights hospitals business’s and houses were all out of electric for some hours. Why or how? Well I know what the media are telling us, but not really sure what happened.

 

I read a great put down today. (It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just you’re not worth the fight.)

I am the kind of person who wishes I could think as fast as to say things like that to people who need those words given to them.

 

What ever is going on in your world right now, relax and let Karma do the dirty work. I totally believe in Karma, do you?

 

I received my birth chart from a lovely writer friend called Fiona, what a pretty name…. my girl Friday took almost two hours to read it to me as it was all in ink. Gosh it must have taken Fiona ages to write it all out. I have never had this done so; I was really interested. It was difficult to understand but from what I picked out of it this is how I have been analysed by the rough time and the exact day and date year too that I gave her.

What kind of person am I?

Stubborn. I have a fixed opinion and I’m stand offish. People either love me or dislike me. I’m clever, and mix with all walks of life. I don’t like snobs and I’m different. Hahah. I get hurt easily and I am very mothering. I need security, piece of mind, I like to be quiet, I don’t like change and I am a hoarder. I get taken for granted. I am funny, I have a very quirky sense of humour and I am unique and I love very much and I am dependable. I love debates and scoring points over people and I am self opinionated and believes that my opinion is law… Yep, and???

I’m good company always joking interested in science and psychology and I am psychic. A lot missing in childhood lacking a father figure? Sad past and big change in my life when I was thirty and the next big change will be when I am 57…

 

I don’t listen to other people’s advice… I am a natural writer and musician. I go for men who are good looking. I am attracted to serious lovers… my partner has to be clever. I am insecure. I pick lovers who want to show me off in a quiet way and I have lovers who save for a rainy day. Hmm. I have a deep fear of rejection. I have high quality of furnishing in my house and I am a classy person. Oh, yes, that’s me. Hahaha.

 

Joking aside, the chart went on and on. It must have taken poor Fiona forever to do. I so appreciate it. Now how did she do? Well I have had two opinions from people who know me well and they say it’s very true. Now, they read all of the notes I took so know more than you do as I have only written a section of it here. Some things that I didn’t think was my personality, I said no, that’s not me, they said it was… hmm. Re me not having a father figure in my life? well boarding school stole parents from me but when I had them the odd weekend and school holidays, they were the best but more like grandparents as a father plays games with their children, they give advice to their kids. But my Dad was too old to play and never gave advice he was never serious enough to do that. As I say, he was more like a Grandfather, but I adored him. So, I had to read that bit a few times, as not sure about it. Fear of rejection, definitely. Stubborn? Mwah? Nope, though Hub says yes….

 

I don’t listen to others? Em, well I listen, but don’t take much notice. Re writing and music? Well yep I love to write not sure that means I’m any good at it. There was a lot said about music that was really interesting. But that would take forever to write about and yes, she was spot on with that.

 

I’m very into scientific reading and good at knowing what is on people’s minds without them telling me, that is so true. I have huge values and morals. Yep that is also true.

Wise for my years? I was as a child for sure. My faith isn’t normal. You all know that is so true. I believe in angels and I need to drink more water. It did say I like to drink. So wrong is that I hate alcohol. Unless it’s something that tastes like juice.

 

I won’t ask for help; that is so right.

I am in touch with the earth. I’m into the organic movement. Not sure really what that means? How would you translate that?

I am good at research and investigating. Yep, so true.

I am caring towards others and I have a real personality.

I am psychic. Sorry if I have already said some of this but I took notes and they are all over the place right now. I need to sort them out. It said I was organised… em, no, not true. I need to save the world. Yep. It said loads about my past life too that was really weird. I am good at communicating and a good speaker. I have people in my life from all walks of life. so true. And the speaking I do lots of public speaking.

Connections with T S Elliot, Princess Di and Jimmy Carter.

I am suspicious of the government this comes from my past life and loads more.

 

It was so interesting. Now I need to know so badly about my future.

 

I had some lovely girly time yesterday with Girl Friday, she is great company. Hub bless him stayed home and did lots of housework even making my dinner, but sadly I couldn’t eat that. He has lost a full stone in weight, that is 14 lbs in five weeks. Me?, em, I haven’t lost a stone in five weeks. But at least I haven’t found Hubs. Well, not all of it. Perhaps some of it. I’m just housing it for the winter for him and he will put it all back on over the dark days. Oh, yes, I’m very good at caring for things especially weight.

 

Guess what Hub and I have gone through almost 2 kilos of garden peas. Hahaha. In their pods. Oh, we love them. But how can two people eat their way through 2 Kilos of peas in three days? For us it’s easy.

 

A shout for Magda and Lukis, congratulations for your engagement. A perfect couple.

 

A call to Bob, wishing you well and to Allen, hope you are enjoying Canada.

 

Before I go, just a thought.

If a picture paints a thousand words, according to the song, why a thousand? Why not a thousand and one?

 

visionsforfuture@googlemail.com