Trash to Treasure

I enjoy my hobbies with a new passion. Feeling things with my hands, working now at a slower pace as not to burn my fingers with the hot glue gun or snipping the tip of my finger with the scissors as well.

I enjoy scrapping, making customised cards, ATCs and there is a particular craft I love doing the most, prim.

I love finding trash and turning them into treasures. There's a fancy word for this, prim. Prim is my favourite hobby and it is something I just pour all my energies into this because I finally find something I can use my fingers into.

My sister Janet enjoys prim and I tell you this, she is an amazing artist. She does nametags and raggedies. She has her own business that's been thriving since 2004.

Click on the banner and it will take you to her website.


BearyPrimitivesAttic website

Janet has inspired me to do Prim and this is an example of how I turn Trash to Treasure.

With a few objects such as cloth, rusty hearts, a tag, a silicone bulb, cinammon buttons and raffia, I am able to turn a $3.99 find from Value Village into a beautiful lamp!

Before



After

Happy Easter!!

credit to Shweet Potato Designs

Happy Easter to you all!

Chris and I had a lovely Easter dinner with our family at my sister Jennifer's place. It was a feast fit for royalty I tell you! A lot of love and effort went into this feast as my sunshine worked her hiney off. I brought my scalloped potatoes and ham for this dinner. Chris made his Hello Dolly bars and they were delicious. We brought back home extras.

The table was set really lovely with personalised table cards, Joe decorated the Easter eggs with colouring and stickers. We have an artist here!!

We both arrived earlier and to help set up for the dinner. I also wanted to spend some time with my sister as well. Jennifer, bless her heart, she knows I love my chocolates. She shared something special and sweet with me. Jennifer told me a little bit about this chocolatier, Neuhaus, in Belgium. Her father in law travels to Europe for business and occasionally get her delicious treats. She's lucky!



I tried Caprice from Neuhaus and it was just so sensuous on my taste buds. To bite on the outer chocolate, it's a higher chocolate content. Higher than 70% carob, so rich to bite into and a surprise inside. Crackled toffee and a sweet butter cream inside, just a wonderful sensation that a small piece of chocolate can offer to my senses.

The fact my sister teased me "You had a 50 dollars piece of chocolate!!", I made sure I took my time and savoured this fantastic creation. Chocolatiers should be given their own version of the Oscars, I say! I just would be so happy to judge the chocolatiers' award, heh heh!

You all have a wonderful Happy Easter and enjoy the beautiful company with your families and friends. Enjoy the wonderful times! Be blessed.

Tactile smile with love,
Patty oxox

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

DeafBlind Images

DeafBlind images such as my blog header and other images found on this blog has been created by my husband, Christopher. He works as an independent CGI contractor. Right now he does independent Deaf & DeafBlind desktop publishing editing.

His main interest is really making the public aware of other services & features for both the Deaf and DeafBlind.

You can find his unique blog at this link.

I do feel blessed to have a wonderful husband that takes the time, effort and consideration to do personalised artwork for me knowing that I am quite particular about making my DB peers involved. I'm shining the spotlight on the love of my life.. my husband, Christopher and his blog.

Tactile smile,
Patty

DeafBlind's Photo Journal

Yesterday I spent a whole day in London, ON at the CNIB and the Ivey Eye Institute.

It was an interesting day, I learned a lot about my resilience although my pain tolerance was truly tested. I had a series of tests done on my eyes. First was the retinal ultrasound. I had the solution which dilates the eyes in order to have the really fine wire to be inserted in both eye sockets to test the muscles in order to determine whether there were retinal detachment or not. I had another dilating solution applied as well. This test had intense strobe lights in my eyes. Truly pushed my comfort levels as I couldn't see afterwards.

I rested for 20 minutes, had both eyes closed. I had another dilating solution and a numbing solution. This test had even further intense strobe lights pulsating into the eyes.

Afterwards, I had pictures taken of my retina to further explore and see the depth of the blindness.

I asked my tactile interpreter and the retinal specialist if I could have my DH take pictures to share my day with my friends. I also wanted to share my DB experiences with sighted Deaf people as well.

On the way to London, ON.. I saw such beautiful scenery. It was so unique to see such barren yet beautiful scenery during the winter. Just had to share them with you.

Returning home to Kitchener, the most beautiful pink/red sunset shone on us on the way home and again, I had to take that picture.

I've learned I "see" the best in each and every situations.


Tactile smile with love to all,

Patty ox

Inspired by DeafReaders

Hi DeafReaders,

I've been inspired by your comments and feedback. I truly wanted to thank you for the constructive criticism, feedback and your thoughts into this. It does help.

I wanted to post my vlog as well.



Tactile smile!
Patty

Subtitles in Vlogs

Dear fellow DeafReaders,

This is an open letter to my fellow friends, the Deaf community, within DeafRead.

I enjoy each one of your v/blogs. I start my day off with a good cup of strong coffee and I have the laptop opened first thing to DeafRead. I simply have to have my daily dose of laughter when I view vlogs and I admit I do miss out some of the signs because being legally blind truly restricts my viewing abilities.

Seek Geo was the very first vlogger that subtitled his vlogs. Being dedicated to him, naturally, because of the subtitles. Others followed his path such as Banjo and McConnell. (I'm sorry if I forgot to mention others' names that subtitled their vlogs) There are others that subtitled their vlogs as well.

There has been a personal choice about subtitling vlogs in DeafRead. One say it is a lot of work doing subtitles, another vehemently opposes subtitling with ASL to preserve ASL as a language on its own.

I'm reaching out to my peers here, as a Deaf-Blind person, to make an effort to subtitle their vlogs because I truly do miss out your beautiful and interesting vlogs.

We, the Deaf-Blind community, literally are at the bottom of the totem pole. We constantly struggle and if I may point out, not to make an effort to subtitle the vlogs is an act of oppression.

I honestly hope you will take those in consideration, you all do have this powerful choice to make your vlogs accessible for your Deaf-Blind peers.

Tactile smile with love,
Patty