Vita è bella, La (Life is Beautiful)

Vita è bella, La... Life is beautiful!!

Life is filled with challenges, do we let it weigh us down? Moan and groan about it or do we channel our energies into our challenges?

The past few weeks has been hard on me physically, emotionally and mentally. It's been because I was switched from Celebrex to prednisone for my Sjogren's. It took a while to get used to the prednisone because it's 20 mg.

Right now, I feel a lot better, I'll tell you that for sure. I am able to move around and my joints don't protest as much as the Tin Man does when he needs his oil can, ha ha!

Yesterday, it was just sooo nice and sunny. I had to go out and sweet Chris was waiting from his boss to send him his other unit to work on. He's now working on an independent contract work and thrives in it. Just makes me smile seeing him working because that's how he loves working. We went out & took the city buses. Sweet Chris has his gait, slow and steady. He's very polite and allows people in and I'll have to tell him to hurry up otherwise we'll miss our connecting bus.

Sometimes I can be impatient and like to walk fast but this is my downfall. Being too rough on myself and walking too fast, I usually end up tripping or crashing into things I don't see. It's either walking eyes down on the floor or walking eyes up monitoring the people. If it's eyes down, I will crash into objects I don't see. If it's eyes up, I will slip or trip over objects and sometimes strollers/pets.

This is where the white cane will come in handy. I have an appointment with the Independent Living Specialist on April 1st. Sabone is from CNIB and he's the ILS specialist and Beverly from CNIB will be my intervenor. I'm quite partial to Beverly because she has the beautiful aura about herself that can relate so well with the DB community.

There is a hard of hearing staff member in the Kitchener Public Library and she goes out of her way to accomodate the DB community in Kitchener. Janet, bless her heart, she makes sure my KPL database has DeafBlind books, DVDs and I receive interlibrary loans. The ILL books are wonderful. I just received an ILL book from Owen Sound, ON.

"Bravo! Miss Brown" from Joan MacTavish, the first DB Canadian to receive an university degree after 12 years of schooling. Just admirable and beautiful to read about Mae Sophia Brown.

After the KPL, we were waiting for our bus, I just saw the most sweetest black lab puppy. I waited, more like inched towards the young woman holding the lead because I wanted to hold the puppy. Sweet little thing was nervous. Just knew it was the traffic noises, asked if I could pick up the puppy. She could see right away I struggled with the squirming puppy and the puppy just loved kissing me. Aww, Cody is 3 months old and still has the sweet puppy smell. Big shiny eyes, so young and it's a different experience now to feel, touch and sniff.

Ahh, it's beautiful! This morning, I had a challenging moment. I used HOVRS to express my frustration about interpreting services and it was unique how both the DeafBlind and hearing people can work together to try to solve a sensitive issue. I expressed my concerns and really wanted to volunteer to help with DBS considering that DB peers really do feel overwhelmed at times.

I did this as well with Kitchener Public Library, I offered some of the large prints, offered to volunteer so they could have DB corner. They have the wonderful magnifier services and they could apply that towards the DeafBlind as well.

June is DeafBlindness month, why wait until June to advocate for accessibility? Usually it is nonstop volunteer work that starts the grassroots work to promote accessibility for all.

Now this is what I call ... Vita è bella, La (Life is Beautiful)

If you remember the movie.. it is just so beautiful!

Tactile smile to all,
Love,
Patty oxox