THIS PAST WEEK: This past week we spent some time in Grand Rapids Michigan. We did not really get to see the city, as we were staying at The Calvin Institute for a conference. The people in Grand Rapids, from the airport personnel to the staff at the conference center were wonderful and full of hospitality. Hubby and I both have sinus infections and the airplane did not help! ARGH!
POEM: Rain Dance
By Little Joyce
Pit, Pat, Pit, Pat
I hear it starting
All over again
Pit, Pit, PitPat, Pat, Pat
It's getting more impatient
It's moving way to fast
Pitter, Patter, Pitter, Patter
Down it all comes
It's raining, It's pouring
Let's go out and have some fun
Copyright ©2000
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Special Message from GOD!
My artwork on a little stool. This was when I was learning "Donna Dewbury" style painting. "One Stroke Painting"TODAY: I received this message from a friend in email today. I almost NEVER pass this stuff along, but here I am doing it!
This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day.
I love you.
P.S. And, remember...
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do Not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.
STORY: I had just turned 13 and Dad took me to the movies to see "Gone with the Wind" I think. What the movie was is not important, since the real lesson was at the box office outside.
Dad walked up to the window and asked for 2 adult tickets, as the cutoff was 12 & Under for kids prices. Keep in mind that I was really petite and looked about 7 or 8 at the time.
The woman in the box office said "You mean 1 adult and 1 child ticket?" and Dad said "No, 2 adult tickets". The woman kept arguing with Dad that even if I was 13 (And she did not believe it) that I could get in with a child's ticket.
So Dad persisted until the woman gave him the 2 adult tickets. Lesson learned about honesty that day. Even if you can get away with it...don't. BE HONEST to yourself and others.
QUOTE: "To thine own self be true"
Monday, June 16, 2008
Wii Fit and More on England
Happy Monday!
TODAY: Sinus problems are cursing me this week...argh! Cloudy with storms coming this afternoon...temperatures dropping after the rain. Good....cause this heat and humidity is aweful.
Wii Fit: Hubby and I have Wii gaming system. Bowling is awesome. It really is the only game that I can see good enough to play. I sure wish that Wii would have some low vision games for us baby boomers.
Anyway, we got the Wii fit package over a month ago and both hubby and I are enjoying it. Hubby plays tennis, baseball and recently he got the Wii Kart racing game. He can do all these games while still sitting, as he has bad hips and can't stand very long.
I LOVE the running courses on the Wii fit. Being a 5K race runner, these excercises are wonderful for training for my races. You walk,jog or run though parks, past waterfalls and around the islands, all running in place. The system tracks your progress and encourages you to do better. I understand that nursing homes and adult communities have these systems to help seniors stay fit within their limitations. If Wii would make the screen interface easier for us older folks to read, more people would use this. Now, I have to depend on hubby to navigate through the screens. Here is a photo of me running through the Lincoln Tunnel in my last 5K race in April:
STORY: Living in England for 2 years, I was in the 3rd and 4th grade. I was counting English money in math class in pounds, shillings and pence, while my classes back home in the USA were doing dollars and cents. I blame this situation for my bad math skills. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Hot water was a shortage when we were over there in England. They did not have hot water heaters at the time, the water was heated by the coal fire we would have going in the fireplace. The water would circulate (somehow) past the heat of the fireplace and presto, we had hot water. The problem was in summer, when you did not really need the fire to keep the whole house warm. I recall heating water in pots on the stove to get some hot water to fill the tub....upstairs. As you can imagine, with just one fireplace in the living room downstairs, the bedrooms upstairs got a little cold in winter. We had hot water bottles to keep us from freezing.
My baby sister got her baths in the kitchen sink, as the stove was right next to it and the water did not have to be hauled upstairs. She was only 2 years old at the time.
My favorite part about England? Buttons. I don't mean the ones on your cloths. Cadbury makes these awesome chocolate buttons that I LOVE! A client of mine (Pet sitting) just came back from England and he was kind enough to bring back some of those buttons...Mmmmm....Chocolate!
You can buy these and other Cadbury sweets on the internet (Of Course): http://www.englishteastore.com/cabumich.html
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Father's Day Message
Happy Father's Day!
STORY: My Dad passed away during the summer between my Junior and Senior years of High School. I was attending a Catholic HS and it cost money. Thank heaven for the financial department at the school, as I was able to work at the school and the middle schoold down the road to pay for my tuition. I did some filing at my HS and worked as a librarian at the middle school....that was interesting.
Back to Dad. He had his own business ever since I can remember. Dad owned a craft, hobby and coin store and worked a LOT of hours to make ends meet. There were 6 of us kids and a wife who had a major stroke and needed lots of help with daily tasks. What a stressful time that had to be for Dad. I think back now and want to give him a big HUG for all that he did for us.
Dad always made things FUN! Some of us kids would be sitting in the living room watching TV, when Dad came home from work. All of a sudden tons (so it seemed at the time) of coins went flying across the room. We all scrambled to gather as much as we could. What crazy fun. Dad must have taken all the change from the register to do this, what fun.. It is these memories that we hold onto as we look back over the years. Of courseI spent all that change on Penny Candy and a bottle of Coke!
I chat with my 2 sisters and we talk about the crazy things Dad did. In the summer, he would pile all the neighborhood kids in his station wagon and take us all for ice cream. Today you could not do that because of the seat belt laws....but oh what a good time we had. Forth of July, Dad always had a neighborhood cook out and a fireworks show for all of us at night.
I remember sitting out in the lawn chairs on a hot summer night, just Dad and me and the stars. It really was special. I cannot see the stars at all now, due to my vision loss, but the memory is so sweet.
We also sat on the front porch and I would make Dad and me tea and toast with peanut butter...Mmmmm. I still have tea nad peanut butter toast for breakfast now.
It was not all good memories, but I choose to focus on the good ones for Father's Day. As I was watching American Idol one night, Trace Atkins sang "You're Gonna Miss This" and I was touched by it. There are so many things we miss when we are always looking to the future, to better things, to WHEN this and WHEN that happens. Slow down, enjoy yourself and the people around you. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. Life is in the little meories we make today! Make some NOW!
FAITH: The wind causes damage beyond belief sometimes. It is a powerful force. You cannot see the wind, but you see it's effects on the world. God is like that. Even if you do not believe, He is still there, working through people and nature. The old Sunday School song comes to mind here. "You ask me how I know He lives...He lives within my heart".
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Photo is Dad in the far back and neighborhood kids helping him sand down an old boat out front of the house. Always a project going on!
Love you and miss you Dad! Passed August 21, 1971
STORY: My Dad passed away during the summer between my Junior and Senior years of High School. I was attending a Catholic HS and it cost money. Thank heaven for the financial department at the school, as I was able to work at the school and the middle schoold down the road to pay for my tuition. I did some filing at my HS and worked as a librarian at the middle school....that was interesting.
Back to Dad. He had his own business ever since I can remember. Dad owned a craft, hobby and coin store and worked a LOT of hours to make ends meet. There were 6 of us kids and a wife who had a major stroke and needed lots of help with daily tasks. What a stressful time that had to be for Dad. I think back now and want to give him a big HUG for all that he did for us.
Dad always made things FUN! Some of us kids would be sitting in the living room watching TV, when Dad came home from work. All of a sudden tons (so it seemed at the time) of coins went flying across the room. We all scrambled to gather as much as we could. What crazy fun. Dad must have taken all the change from the register to do this, what fun.. It is these memories that we hold onto as we look back over the years. Of courseI spent all that change on Penny Candy and a bottle of Coke!
I chat with my 2 sisters and we talk about the crazy things Dad did. In the summer, he would pile all the neighborhood kids in his station wagon and take us all for ice cream. Today you could not do that because of the seat belt laws....but oh what a good time we had. Forth of July, Dad always had a neighborhood cook out and a fireworks show for all of us at night.
I remember sitting out in the lawn chairs on a hot summer night, just Dad and me and the stars. It really was special. I cannot see the stars at all now, due to my vision loss, but the memory is so sweet.
We also sat on the front porch and I would make Dad and me tea and toast with peanut butter...Mmmmm. I still have tea nad peanut butter toast for breakfast now.
It was not all good memories, but I choose to focus on the good ones for Father's Day. As I was watching American Idol one night, Trace Atkins sang "You're Gonna Miss This" and I was touched by it. There are so many things we miss when we are always looking to the future, to better things, to WHEN this and WHEN that happens. Slow down, enjoy yourself and the people around you. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. Life is in the little meories we make today! Make some NOW!
FAITH: The wind causes damage beyond belief sometimes. It is a powerful force. You cannot see the wind, but you see it's effects on the world. God is like that. Even if you do not believe, He is still there, working through people and nature. The old Sunday School song comes to mind here. "You ask me how I know He lives...He lives within my heart".
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Photo is Dad in the far back and neighborhood kids helping him sand down an old boat out front of the house. Always a project going on!
Love you and miss you Dad! Passed August 21, 1971
Friday, June 13, 2008
Jolly Ole England
Hey,
Nanna & Grampy (Think that might be Uncle Joe on back left)
Thank You to Nanny and Grampy for taking 2 years out of their lives to rasie 3 young girls. That had to be very difficult. THANKS! We will always remember you!
Did ya miss me? Hubby and I have been on the road again to a conference center in Stony Point, New York and then to Syracuse, NY.
Now, the Syracuse trip is interesting. Next year, hubby and I turn 55 (Double Nickles) and eligible for one of those communites. We have been talking about this for awhile now. If any of you have any advise on this, please click on "Comment" and let us know.
The place was so much better than we expected. It was VERY active with lots of programs, fine dining and great transportation. It was much cheaper than a place we are researching in New York City. So the problem is moving away from family,friends, church, doctors, etc.
"The Nottingham" is close to the city of Syracuse, near bus, train and airport facilities. So it will make travel very easy. They have great excercise classes, a pool, card night, book club, discussion club, pool table, and every apartment has a balcony. Small dogs welcome on the first floor I think.
The best thing is that there is no HUGE buy-in fees. It is a 1 year lease with monthly rent. There are many types of plans to choose from....pick one to suit your lifestyle.
OK, enough of me...what do YOU think about a move to a 55+ complex?
STORY: My last story left you hanging with Mom going into the hospital for 2 years!!
My Grandmother came over from England after Mom went into the hospital. After about 2 weeks or so, the 3 youngest members of the family returned to England with Nanna. That was me and my 2 sisters (I am the middle one in age). The older 3 siblings, 3 boys, stayed home with Dad. So as you may guess, the boys and the girls are not so close. When us girls came back from England, they were teenagers and running wild.
Next: What was it like in England?
Nanna & Grampy (Think that might be Uncle Joe on back left)
Thank You to Nanny and Grampy for taking 2 years out of their lives to rasie 3 young girls. That had to be very difficult. THANKS! We will always remember you!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
My BLOG Title and Poker!
So you may be wondering how I came up with the title of my BLOG....or not. Please tune out if ya don't care haha!
As you already know, I am short and legally blind. I have no peripheral vision and the central vision is a little foggy. Bright light or dim areas are not good for me. I wear a hat almost always, as it blocks out the overrhead light so I may see just a little bit better. My computer is adjusted to mostly black background with white or yellow letters. I need a very HIGH contrast to see things and BIG fonts. The" too much light" thing goes for objects around the house, etc. My counter top is dark and I put a white paper towel on it if I am putting a dark object down..to give me contrast. If the counter top was a light color, I would have to put out a dark towel down in order to see a light object on the counter. When I travel, I bring 2 facecloths with me, a white one and a dark green one. This way, in the hotel bathroom, I can use the cloth that is opposite of the counter's color down and place my toiletry items on it for easy sight of them.
OK, I digressed there, but back to the title. Hubby and I were sitting at a poker table in Las Vegas at the Monte Carlo (Our favorite hotel) and in poker there are sort of 2 antes. One is called the BB-Big Blind and the other is called SB-The Small Blind. When it was my turn to be the small blind, it just hit me "I AM the Small Blind" haha. So I came up with the title of my book that I am writing called "The Small Blind Life". Seems to be a catchy title, so it stuck with me. Now I am sharing it with you and someday you can buy my book and remember how I got the title! 8)
The Monte Carlo poker room is awesome. It is small and intimate and is NOT overcrowded. The staff is very professional and friendly. As a matter of fact, they are VERY accomocating to me, as I need to sit directly across from the dealer to help me see the cards and they push the cards closer to the line towards me on every hand. What a pleasure playing there!
As you already know, I am short and legally blind. I have no peripheral vision and the central vision is a little foggy. Bright light or dim areas are not good for me. I wear a hat almost always, as it blocks out the overrhead light so I may see just a little bit better. My computer is adjusted to mostly black background with white or yellow letters. I need a very HIGH contrast to see things and BIG fonts. The" too much light" thing goes for objects around the house, etc. My counter top is dark and I put a white paper towel on it if I am putting a dark object down..to give me contrast. If the counter top was a light color, I would have to put out a dark towel down in order to see a light object on the counter. When I travel, I bring 2 facecloths with me, a white one and a dark green one. This way, in the hotel bathroom, I can use the cloth that is opposite of the counter's color down and place my toiletry items on it for easy sight of them.
OK, I digressed there, but back to the title. Hubby and I were sitting at a poker table in Las Vegas at the Monte Carlo (Our favorite hotel) and in poker there are sort of 2 antes. One is called the BB-Big Blind and the other is called SB-The Small Blind. When it was my turn to be the small blind, it just hit me "I AM the Small Blind" haha. So I came up with the title of my book that I am writing called "The Small Blind Life". Seems to be a catchy title, so it stuck with me. Now I am sharing it with you and someday you can buy my book and remember how I got the title! 8)
The Monte Carlo poker room is awesome. It is small and intimate and is NOT overcrowded. The staff is very professional and friendly. As a matter of fact, they are VERY accomocating to me, as I need to sit directly across from the dealer to help me see the cards and they push the cards closer to the line towards me on every hand. What a pleasure playing there!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Family Crisis at 8 yrs.
"SUNSET" by Little JoyceTODAY: Hey, been cleaning up my blog formats a lot today, fine tuning things. Thanks for coming back!
STORY: It was a warm summer day in the early 1960's and Mom sent me to the store for cigarettess and bread. I was about 8 years old and for some reason I was home alone with Mom and my baby sister who was barely staninding on her own two feet.
When I got back from the store, Mom was lying on the kitchen floor in some sort of fit or something. It was real scary. My baby sister was just crawling around the kitchen like babies do. I quickly picked her up and ran out the door. My best friend across the street was the first thing that came to mind. Her Mom would know what to do, I thought.
STORY: It was a warm summer day in the early 1960's and Mom sent me to the store for cigarettess and bread. I was about 8 years old and for some reason I was home alone with Mom and my baby sister who was barely staninding on her own two feet.
When I got back from the store, Mom was lying on the kitchen floor in some sort of fit or something. It was real scary. My baby sister was just crawling around the kitchen like babies do. I quickly picked her up and ran out the door. My best friend across the street was the first thing that came to mind. Her Mom would know what to do, I thought.
I ran as fast as I could across the street, crashed through the back door and told my friend's Mom what I saw. She immediately picked up the phone and made a call, put mys sister in the crib with her little one and pulled out 2 Popsicles out of the freezer. Back then, Popsicles solved a lot of problems didn't they?
As my friend and I sat in the yard with our Popsicles, wondering what was going on, her mom ran across the street before all the emergency vehicles came. As the Popsicles melted and time passed on, how was I to know that this morning would be the last time I would see my mom for 2 years! It certainly was the last time I saw her healthy.
SIX kids at home, mom in the hospital and Dad owning his own business and having to work many hours a day....now what? Find out more tomorrow...
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Running Machine!
On the left, Joyce is at the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, getting ready to start the 5K race to raise money for the Special Olympics of NJ. Gary is on the right, in his scooter, watching all the racers that finished AFTER Joyce. He is also known as "Waterboy"!
TODAY: Sorry, Sorry if you have had trouble with my fonts being too large yesterday and today...I tried to make them a little easier for you to read, but messed up! I am learning how to use the template here in blogger and it is a lot of work. STICK WITH ME! Please!
STORY: In October of 2006, I decided to help raise money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness by entering a 5K walk in Central Park, New York City. When i told my 2 sisters that live in Vegas about this...they were as excited as Gary and I were, Really, I think they just wanted me to get off the couch and excercise...so they flew out from Vegas and the FOUR of us did the walk! It was awesome.
I did really well. The main thing that happened is that I am now hooked on 5K races, bought a treadmill to train and have been in about 5 more races since that cool October day.
The last one that I was in happened to be the COOLEST thing. It was a 5K through the Lincoln Tunnel between New Jersey and New York. I made my best time ever for the 5K (3.1 miles) run. 56Minutes and 31 Seconds! And i was not even NEAR last place.
I use my white mobility cane in front of me to help "feel" ther terrain and hubby goes along side of me in his scooter to be sure I go around potholes, cracks and pitfalls along the way. I refer to him as my seeing eye dog. He likes to call himself "Waterboy", cause he carries everything in his scooter basket that I might need along the race. He is an awesome support for me.
Tomorrow I will upload a SUNSET that I painted a few years ago. It is on canvas and I use Acrylic paints. I will share some more of my artwork later...stay tuned.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Mid-Day Message
So I was sitting here thinking that I should ask you to send me (Via Comments) what types of things you would like to hear about. This BLOG is research and marketing material for a book I am writing....who knows if it will ever get done. So I need your help in finding out what people want to read about. So, what turns you on...keep it clean please.
Let me know your thoughts! 8)
Let me know your thoughts! 8)
New Driver
Our old car looked something like this and dark blue.TODAY: Good Morning. I am up at 4:45 a.m. to get hubby up and out the door, as he is working the polls today. I am exhausted, as I have been awake since 2 a.m. listening to the radio, trying to go back to sleep....ARGH! Home alone with the dogs and going back to bed after this entry. Zzzzzz.....
STORY: So let me tell you what happened the first day that I got my driver's license. . The day I got my license was very exciting and scary at the same time. Doubts surrounded me as the thought came to mind "What if they think I am too small to drive a car?" I had private driver's education and because of my size, I had some bicycle pedal extensions put onto the gas and break and had a few pillows to sit on and one behind me so I could be comfortable and safe driving.
I passed the driver's test with flying colors and parked outside my home and went in to let everyone know "I PASSED"! The local paper even did an article "Little Person, Big Plans" or something like that.
Dad came out to the kitchen to congratulate me and then said "Go and change the front right tire of the station wagon". "Why? It is not flat". He repeated "Go and change the front right tire". "OK Dad".
So, I was about 4 feet tall and weighed about 95 pounds soaking wet (Wish I weighed that little...haha). I took the tire iron and started to remove the lug nuts off of the tire. I put the tire iron on the first nut and stood on the it and jproceeded to jump up and down to loose it...phew that was hard work. I continued this process untill all the nuts were removed. What a sight that must have been. The process was the same when putting the nuts back onto the tire. I swear that Dad had the gas station put those suckers on with a machine...they were so tight.
STORY: So let me tell you what happened the first day that I got my driver's license. . The day I got my license was very exciting and scary at the same time. Doubts surrounded me as the thought came to mind "What if they think I am too small to drive a car?" I had private driver's education and because of my size, I had some bicycle pedal extensions put onto the gas and break and had a few pillows to sit on and one behind me so I could be comfortable and safe driving.
I passed the driver's test with flying colors and parked outside my home and went in to let everyone know "I PASSED"! The local paper even did an article "Little Person, Big Plans" or something like that.
Dad came out to the kitchen to congratulate me and then said "Go and change the front right tire of the station wagon". "Why? It is not flat". He repeated "Go and change the front right tire". "OK Dad".
So, I was about 4 feet tall and weighed about 95 pounds soaking wet (Wish I weighed that little...haha). I took the tire iron and started to remove the lug nuts off of the tire. I put the tire iron on the first nut and stood on the it and jproceeded to jump up and down to loose it...phew that was hard work. I continued this process untill all the nuts were removed. What a sight that must have been. The process was the same when putting the nuts back onto the tire. I swear that Dad had the gas station put those suckers on with a machine...they were so tight.
This was one of life's BIG lessons for me. I was never one of those women who stood by and waited for someone else to come by and help...I just would jump out of the car and change a flat....anytime.
Of course there were deeper lessons learned that day. Just because I am little does not mean I can't do things. I just did (and do) things a different way.
My favorite quote is from my Mom "Where there's a will, there's a way"!
Today, most folks have AAA roadside insurance to call. I would like to think that if i still drove , that i would change that tire all by myself! (Be thankful i am off the road with this lack of vision).
My favorite quote is from my Mom "Where there's a will, there's a way"!
Today, most folks have AAA roadside insurance to call. I would like to think that if i still drove , that i would change that tire all by myself! (Be thankful i am off the road with this lack of vision).
If I can do it...so can you. Be careful out there and keep the road-rage to a minimum! 8)
Hubby always says "Life is too short....And so am I"
Monday, June 2, 2008
Moody Monday
Good Morning all...Welcome back!
RUSTY & RUFUS
TODAY: It's Monday and time to go back to work for some of you. I am retired, so I just work at home doing daily things. When you can't see well OR if you are as short as I am, daily tasks just take a little bit longer. Then when sinus pain slows me down even more...ARGH!
I started to use a Nette Pot, which drains your nasal passages and supposed to help...we'll see.
I bought this pot over a year ago and stopped using it, when I was feeling better...they say you should use it as a preventative.
I do some pet-sitting and my 2 standard poodles came yesterday and will be here until Thursday. It is nice to have them around. It is like having Grandkids, spoiling them and then sending them home! The problems is....I have no kids, so Grandkids is out of the question. Gary & I love our nice quiet home! 8)
RUSTY & RUFUSTHIS WEEK: Gary will be leaving at 5 am tomorrow morning...did I tell you he is NOT a morning person? It is election day and he will be working the polls. That means I have an entire day to myself! Partytime!! Not really, but it sounded good!
STORY: Let's go into the past a little today. I was about 2 years old and a tiny little thing. I had 4 siblings at the time and I could not get up on the swing in the backyard by myself. My baby sister was not born yet. It was very frustrating. Dad finally came up with a solution and put a thick board under one of the swings. Ha...this was now MY private swing. It now was difficult for the taller siblings to ride on MY swing. So the moral of the story is....sometimes it pays to be short!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Happy Sunday!
Good morning readers,
TODAY: We had a terrible storm last night and I did not sleep very well. Hubby, who has a sleeping disorder, did not go to bed until 7:15 this moring. He will be in bed until 1 pm. this afternoon. It will be a quiet morning for me, which is good, as the allergies are getting me today. Hey, after my fruit, tea and muffin, maybe I'll go back to bed too! Have to call our transportation and cancel a ride to church this morning. Transportation being hubby's Mom & Dad...hehe.
UPCOMING WEEK: TPrimary elections on Tuesday and Gary is working the polls.
At the end of this week we are going to a retirement celebration which is going to be outside....so let's hope the weather is good next Saturday. I will have to drag out my clarinet and practice a bit, as I may have an opportunity to play a little at the celebration.
STORY: Because of my vision loss, I had to quit driving in 1993 and my job 1997. Later in the week I can give you my story of "My Last Day Driving"., but for now I will settle for a poem I wrote during a very sad time when I had to give up my job. I was thinking "Who Am I now"? and What do I do with my life now"? "How will losing my vision effect my life?" I was in a dark place, trying to get out of it and into a brighter place that I knew was still there.
Unsuspecting Victim
A fire is such a cruel cruel thing
As smoke seeps under the bedroom door
Oxygen is slowly sucked out of the room
And unwary victims slowly lose the gift
Of precious life forever more
Slowly, slowly, dying, dying
RP is just like the smoke of fire
It slowly steals away your world of vision
Often undetected by its victims
It creeps up on you slowly, slowly
Killing retina cells in its path
Each day, as I walk in creation and color
Oh how I wonder, how it may be
When the cruel cruel monster will come
And take it all away from me
Every single day I try to burn
Each blade of grass, each flower
And even the dark gray skies
Into the depths of my mind
For the day may come when it will be
The only place the picture, I may see
The monster is ever so slowly grasping
The life from my very eyes
At times I suddenly notice the difference
And hope that it's all a lie
I guess I have reached a new stage of loss
How long will it take them to die?
NOTHING ever can compare
To God's great awesome wonder
His hands paint such awesome beauty
That no man can ever ponder
Houses, cars, paintings or any man made thing
Are dull in contrast to nature's colorful sea
The fresh cut grass smells so sweet
What a deep shade of green, oh my
The sky is a massive span of blue
White puffy clouds go by
The Forsythias, oh what a brilliant yellow
Announcing the coming of spring
Nature in it's fullness, oh what a wonderful thing
The beauty is always reflected
On the water's open surface
The sun dances like brilliant diamonds
As the wind churns up the waves
Even though, I enjoy these scenes
Each day I am reminded
The color black may be the only one
That is seen with open eyelid
The monster is ever there, killing killing
Like suffocating smoke, dying, dying
Attitude can make or break you
That is something that I believe
You see, it is, better to have seen
Than not, to have seen at all
So each day I absorb my surroundings
And stop to smell, and see the roses
Oh how blessed I am to experience such beauty
For The Creator, made them all you see
A special gift, just for you and me!
Copyright ©1996
TODAY: We had a terrible storm last night and I did not sleep very well. Hubby, who has a sleeping disorder, did not go to bed until 7:15 this moring. He will be in bed until 1 pm. this afternoon. It will be a quiet morning for me, which is good, as the allergies are getting me today. Hey, after my fruit, tea and muffin, maybe I'll go back to bed too! Have to call our transportation and cancel a ride to church this morning. Transportation being hubby's Mom & Dad...hehe.
UPCOMING WEEK: TPrimary elections on Tuesday and Gary is working the polls.
At the end of this week we are going to a retirement celebration which is going to be outside....so let's hope the weather is good next Saturday. I will have to drag out my clarinet and practice a bit, as I may have an opportunity to play a little at the celebration.
STORY: Because of my vision loss, I had to quit driving in 1993 and my job 1997. Later in the week I can give you my story of "My Last Day Driving"., but for now I will settle for a poem I wrote during a very sad time when I had to give up my job. I was thinking "Who Am I now"? and What do I do with my life now"? "How will losing my vision effect my life?" I was in a dark place, trying to get out of it and into a brighter place that I knew was still there.
Unsuspecting Victim
A fire is such a cruel cruel thing
As smoke seeps under the bedroom door
Oxygen is slowly sucked out of the room
And unwary victims slowly lose the gift
Of precious life forever more
Slowly, slowly, dying, dying
RP is just like the smoke of fire
It slowly steals away your world of vision
Often undetected by its victims
It creeps up on you slowly, slowly
Killing retina cells in its path
Each day, as I walk in creation and color
Oh how I wonder, how it may be
When the cruel cruel monster will come
And take it all away from me
Every single day I try to burn
Each blade of grass, each flower
And even the dark gray skies
Into the depths of my mind
For the day may come when it will be
The only place the picture, I may see
The monster is ever so slowly grasping
The life from my very eyes
At times I suddenly notice the difference
And hope that it's all a lie
I guess I have reached a new stage of loss
How long will it take them to die?
NOTHING ever can compare
To God's great awesome wonder
His hands paint such awesome beauty
That no man can ever ponder
Houses, cars, paintings or any man made thing
Are dull in contrast to nature's colorful sea
The fresh cut grass smells so sweet
What a deep shade of green, oh my
The sky is a massive span of blue
White puffy clouds go by
The Forsythias, oh what a brilliant yellow
Announcing the coming of spring
Nature in it's fullness, oh what a wonderful thing
The beauty is always reflected
On the water's open surface
The sun dances like brilliant diamonds
As the wind churns up the waves
Even though, I enjoy these scenes
Each day I am reminded
The color black may be the only one
That is seen with open eyelid
The monster is ever there, killing killing
Like suffocating smoke, dying, dying
Attitude can make or break you
That is something that I believe
You see, it is, better to have seen
Than not, to have seen at all
So each day I absorb my surroundings
And stop to smell, and see the roses
Oh how blessed I am to experience such beauty
For The Creator, made them all you see
A special gift, just for you and me!
Copyright ©1996
Friday, May 30, 2008
Start HERE!
Welcome to my BLOG. "Little Joyce" is my name. I am short and visually impaired. This is my first try at blogging and it is going to be a wonderful adventure. YOU and me together, as we weave in and out of my daily life and into my interesting past. Never ask a woman how old she is....but I will answer before you ask, since I will try and be open and honest with you as I write my story.
Fifty Four years old, short according to the average world and legally blind. That's why the title " The Small Blind Life"
I was born a "Little Person", you know, like that TV show "Little People, BIG world". I am a pituitary dwarf, which is different from Matt and his family.
There are 6 kids in my family...I am the second to the youngest. NONE of them is small like me. Mom always said "BIG things come in small packages"
OK, more of life as a little person later.
Another issue I will be posting is that I am visually impaired. If a cure is not found for this eye disease (RP-Retinitis Pigmentosa) there is a possibility I could go totally blind at some point. Please hope along with me, so that my vision does not degenerate faster than a cure is found.
My husband of almost 35 years is also a "Little Person" and has some mobility issues. Together we are a team. We have named that team Another ____ Adventure. The blank is for our last name, and you and I don't know each other well enough to share that information yet.
My Daily (Hopefully) blog will be in two parts.
TODAY:
Every morning I eat my fruit and make tea. I sit with tea and 1/2 englsih muffin with melted peanut butter while playing my online games.
I'll let you know what might be going on today or what happens to be on my mind. I listen to a lot of talk radio and try and stay up on current issues. Politics is one area I would like us to stay away from.
You can sympathize when I scream at myself for leaving a chair pulled out...then falling over it later. Maybe I will just tell you that I am bored and need to find something to do.
STORIES:
I can take you on an adventure of growing up in Salem, Mass. (The Witch City), my childhood, teen years and getting married at 19. We actually got engaged by mistake....that story for later.
We are animal loveres, especially dogs. We no longer have our own but pet sit for others. It's like having Grandkids...send them home after spoiling them for a week! Hawaii, Alaska, England, and many states have been visited during my 54 years here. Bowling, ice skating, running 5K races, traveling and hot air ballooning are a few of the cool things that hubby and I have done together. We LOVE life and try to be content as much as possible.
Come, make tea, sit down and travel with me through this blog and let's see where the adventure takes us.......
Fifty Four years old, short according to the average world and legally blind. That's why the title " The Small Blind Life"
I was born a "Little Person", you know, like that TV show "Little People, BIG world". I am a pituitary dwarf, which is different from Matt and his family.
There are 6 kids in my family...I am the second to the youngest. NONE of them is small like me. Mom always said "BIG things come in small packages"
OK, more of life as a little person later.
Another issue I will be posting is that I am visually impaired. If a cure is not found for this eye disease (RP-Retinitis Pigmentosa) there is a possibility I could go totally blind at some point. Please hope along with me, so that my vision does not degenerate faster than a cure is found.
My husband of almost 35 years is also a "Little Person" and has some mobility issues. Together we are a team. We have named that team Another ____ Adventure. The blank is for our last name, and you and I don't know each other well enough to share that information yet.
My Daily (Hopefully) blog will be in two parts.
TODAY:
Every morning I eat my fruit and make tea. I sit with tea and 1/2 englsih muffin with melted peanut butter while playing my online games.
I'll let you know what might be going on today or what happens to be on my mind. I listen to a lot of talk radio and try and stay up on current issues. Politics is one area I would like us to stay away from.
You can sympathize when I scream at myself for leaving a chair pulled out...then falling over it later. Maybe I will just tell you that I am bored and need to find something to do.
STORIES:
I can take you on an adventure of growing up in Salem, Mass. (The Witch City), my childhood, teen years and getting married at 19. We actually got engaged by mistake....that story for later.
We are animal loveres, especially dogs. We no longer have our own but pet sit for others. It's like having Grandkids...send them home after spoiling them for a week! Hawaii, Alaska, England, and many states have been visited during my 54 years here. Bowling, ice skating, running 5K races, traveling and hot air ballooning are a few of the cool things that hubby and I have done together. We LOVE life and try to be content as much as possible.
Come, make tea, sit down and travel with me through this blog and let's see where the adventure takes us.......
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