tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39225998883923694642024-03-07T23:16:27.449-07:00Believe in Who You AreA blog about being an adoptee, the environment, blindness, dogs, teaching, the intersectionality of these, and whatever else I want to write.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-40245833760905278132012-10-09T10:45:00.000-06:002012-10-09T16:55:57.807-06:00call for submissions for the ninth assistance dog blog carnival <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> 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It’s my turn to host the ninth edition of <a href=<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://aftergadget.wordpress.com/about-the-assistance-dog-blog-carnival/">"http://aftergadget.wordpress.com/about-the-assistance-dog-blog-carnival/"></a>The Assistance Dog Blog Carnival</a> <cite></cite><span lang="EN" style="color: #666666; display: none; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hide: all;"><a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:8p_HfoW1USAJ:aftergadget.wordpress.com/about-the-assistance-dog-blog-carnival/+assistance+dog+blog+carnival&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us">Cached</a></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #222222; display: none; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hide: all;">You +1'd this publicly. </span> This is a quarterly event where people write about a theme related to guide, hearing, mobility, or other assistance dogs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This time the theme is moments. Some ideas to get you started are:<o:p></o:p></div>
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The moment when your puppy or dog learned a task<o:p></o:p></div>
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The moment you and your dog felt like a team for the first time<o:p></o:p></div>
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Last moments working with or being with your dog<o:p></o:p></div>
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Favorite moments, funny moments, embarrassing moments, ETC<o:p></o:p></div>
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You don’t have to have an assistance dog to participate. You can be a puppy raiser or have some other relationship to assistance dogs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To participate, you can leave a comment with the following information:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Name of your blog: E.G. Believe in Who You Are<o:p></o:p></div>
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The title of your post: E.G. My Favorite Moments<o:p></o:p></div>
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The link to your post: E.G. <a href="http://learninbabysteps.blogspot.com/my-favorite-moments.html">http://learninbabysteps.blogspot.com/my-favorite-moments.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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I know my comments aren’t accessible because of captcha, so you can also email me or tweet @latinanewschic if you want to post. If you could please link to this post when you are writing your entries, that would be helpful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Deadline for submissions is October 31.<o:p></o:p></div>
<link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMartha%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link> <link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMartha%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link> <link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CMartha%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; color:purple; mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> --> Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-87945006925739445952012-07-30T12:23:00.001-06:002012-07-30T12:33:22.487-06:00taking new stepsThis is my post for <a href="http://www.ruledbypaws.ca/2012/06/assistance-dog-blog-carnival-call-for-submissions/">The eighth assistance dog blog carnival</a> The topic is marching to your
<br>own drum.
<br>When I received my first dog Valerie in 2006, I knew nothing about dogs.
<br>We never had animals in my house growing up, so it was a completely new
<br>experience for me. I listened to all of the trainers recommendations
<br>about commands, corrections, equipment, medicine, and food. It wasn't
<br>until a couple months later that I started to change.
<br>Valerie wouldn't come on command when she was off-leash or heal on
<br>leash. Doing leash and collar corrections didn't do any good, so I
<br>started looking for help online. I joined some guide dog email lists,
<br>and in one of my google searches, I stumbled on to clicker training and
<br>clicker training podcasts. These helped immensely. She was enthusiastic
<br>about food rewards, no surprise since she's a walking stomach lab. I was
<br>so excited once she learned to put her nose on my hand and learned to
<br>sit between my knees without my need to physically move her into place.
<br>Before that, it never occured to me that my dog could learn commands
<br>other than the ones she learned in class. After I suspected food and
<br>environmental alergies, I found kibble that was human grade and natural
<br>supplements such as fish oil and flower essences that would help her not
<br>scratch so much.
<br>When I received my second dog Zorro, I brought the more human grade
<br>kibble to class and started him on it immediately. He learned hand
<br>targeting and targeting counters before we had been home for two weeks.
<br>I needed a turn around and back up command because I rode a bus every
<br>day, and it was easier if he were facing the isle when we needed to exit
<br>the bus. He had meat food toppers on his kibble after he had tapeworms
<br>because he was too skinny and needed to gain weight. Finally, , I found
<br>him a lighter nylon harness and the martingale collar instead of the
<br>chain or gentle leader. We were never in sync while walking in the
<br>harness from the school, and he refused to work in the gentle leader. I
<br>could more easily feel his subtle movements with the nylon handle, and I
<br>felt better using the martingale collar because it could only tighten so
<br>far.
<br>Last there was Dee. She received fewer corrections since the clicker
<br>foundation was in place from her previous training and I used it as my
<br>first sollution instead of a collar. She came with the martingale
<br>collar, and she did well wearing it. With her, I could do more off-leash
<br>work, teacher to lie down and sit in different positions, and added more
<br>objects for her to find: upstairs, downstairs, trashcan, buttons, and
<br>empty chairs. She also learned some counter balancing and to point her
<br>nose in the direction where there was a sound.
<br>Each time, the list of skills I want and need to teach grows. I prefer
<br>clicker training and operant conditioning over traditional
<br>correction-based training. I've learned to look for more hollistic
<br>solutions to health issues instead of going with the conventional wisdom
<br>of the vet. Other assistance dog handlers are excellent resources, and
<br>they are my first choice for help instead of only relying on the
<br>school's suggestions. I don't march to my own drum as much as assistance
<br>dog partners who owner train, but I add as much as I can to make my dog
<br>and I the best team we can be. Every dog is unique, and I can't wait to
<br>see the different steps my new partner adds to the march.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-14305177283792140802012-05-01T19:50:00.002-06:002012-05-01T19:50:19.122-06:00just get over itThis is my post for <a href=”http://blobolobolob.blogspot.com/2012/05/blogging-against-disablism-day-2012.html”>Blogging Against Disablism Day</a>
I live with depression characterized by apathy, lack of motivation, inability to concentrate, and insomnia. No matter what I did, people’s negative attitudes affected me.
Over the past five years, I’ve tried several ways of dealing with it. First was denial; I pretended as if nothing were wrong. I went to classes and participated in clubs and organizations, but my enthusiasm for all of that was gone. Any time someone would ask me if I were ok, I’d smile and change the subject. I knew the stigma that came with mental illness; I’d seen it in movies, heard it in the casual way people tossed out the words crazy and insane, and studied it in-depth in some of my journalism and sociology classes. I was already different enough with the blindness, the adoption, the left-leaning politics in a conservative town, and I *did* not need to add another difference to my list.
After the denial came the crash. I had a horrible year after the one where I noticed the depression. My first guide dog was sick, had many vet bills, and retired; my second guide dog got sick and went back to the school; most of my friends graduated; I had money problems paying for school; and I failed my internship. I stopped talking to most people because I didn’t want to share my problems and sound like a whiner. I didn’t want to go to counseling because only unstable people went there. I now know that isn’t true, but it’s what I thought at the time.
Eventually, I started doing the anti-depressant wheel. I take something the doctor prescribed; it didn’t work, and I tried another one. By this time, I was out about the depression to friends and family. My family said, “What do you have to be depressed about?” I was also taking a sociology class that did a major study of mental illness. I got to hear how big pharma was ruining everyone’s lives, and anyone who bought into the pills help was a mindless idiot, and he or she deserved whatever happened while on the meds. Thanks professor; I really enjoyed the disorientation, the irritation at everyone and everything, the constant hyper feeling as if I needed to run miles at 2 am, inability to fall asleep, and the nausea. I also heard from classmates in context with the discussion that if those people in the books we read just pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and had happier thoughts, the depression would magically go away.
Now, I am in a somewhat better place to deal with the depression. I personally don’t take the anti-depressants because I’ve tried too many, and the side effects are just not worth the improvements. I have some supplements that help, and I will try more later this year. I’ve been to counseling, and I see the benefit of sharing feelings with others because it’s not good to hold all the sadness inside. However, I will always be affected by ablest attitudes, my internalized ones as well as those from society in general. I have not told anyone who has any say in my academics or finances. I will not disclose whenever I apply for jobs. Maybe I will someday feel open enough to let those who have authority over me know that, yes, I am one of those crazy people that many talk about with discomfort, but for now, I work on improving my biochemical and emotional health as well as detoxing myself of the ablest attitudes and language I hear every day.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-53230399169545491022012-04-12T06:00:00.001-06:002012-04-12T06:41:13.563-06:00life updateI haven’t written much since I said goodbye to Dee a couple months ago. I still miss her very much. Intellectually I know she’s not here, but when I first wake up, I think I need to go outside or is the water bowl empty? I walk out the door and feel as if I’m lighter or forgetting something, and it’s because I have no dog in my left hand. I also miss her being a guide dog, right now more than ever. However, Shelly says she’s having so much fun playing with her other dog, running around the farm, and going for long walks. She’s friendly and happy to see everyone as usual. She’s gained weight, so she’s not too skinny anymore!! Dee’s happy, and that makes me happy, even though I’m sad at the same time.<br />I have almost finished my guide dog applications. Southeastern still needs to come do a juno walk with me, but all the paperwork is in for them. Guide dogs of the desert has all paperwork, and I submitted my video last week. Guide dog foundation also has all paperwork and the video, and guiding eyes needs me to get a tb test and some other shot before they can send my application to the admissions people. I’m going to do that today. I really want a golden retriever or german shepherd, but it is soooooo tempting just to go back to gdb and get another lab. The health issues are just annoying enough to make me not want to wait for a non-lab breed dog.<br />The anemia is still here because I couldn’t get prescriptions for months since I didn’t have a Medicaid card. Now I have insurance again, but I won supplements in an auction started by <a href=http://aftergadget.wordpress.com/>After Gadget</a>, so I have iron tablets which will hopefully help me not feel as tired and have random dizziness. I also have a b-complex, fish oil, and magnesium which should help with health in general and hypoglysemia. I’ve noticed that since I’ve been off supplements, I eat so much more junk food, and I can’t seem to stop. That is also not helped by the candida infection that I’m sure I have since I match 13 out of the 15 symptoms or something like that. Since I’m out of money, I’ve only been taking them on the days I have class in hopes that it will give me some mental clarity and concentration to make it through the four-hour lectures. I also notice that my balance is slightly off without a dog, and I walk slower on uneven surfaces. <br />A couple weeks ago, I went for a hearing test. I don’t remember if I’ve written about it here, but I noticed at the end of last year, maybe a little bit before, that I was having trouble crossing streets. I’d stand there at a lighted intersection that I cross frequently and think, “is that traffic on my right, or is it coming from my right side and going perpendicular to me?” And once I realize that it is indeed parallel, it’d be the middle of the cycle and too late to go. Consequently, I spend several cycles like this and take at least 10 minutes trying to cross. My travel confidence was going down, and I felt so incompetent. I lived in Minneapolis for 7 months, crossed eight-lane highways and the interstate, and lived on a lighted intersection that I crossed at least twice every day. I also noticed I was having more trouble than usual following people in noisy environments or having trouble hearing many people in a conversation. We’d be out at a restaurant, and I could hear the people sitting to my left, right, or directly across from me. However, if it was a larger table of more than four, I’d not realize someone was talking to me on the other side, or I’d hear them talking but not understand what they were saying. Sometimes, I can’t tell what direction people’s voices are coming from. I do better if people are sitting or walking behind me and talking than I do when they are sitting or walking in front of me and talking. The doctor says I have some hearing loss. He said that sometimes it only takes people to be aware of it and they will listen harder for sounds. I told him I’d been aware of it for a couple months, and that didn’t work for me. So, he’s ordered me something with amplification because he said he wasn’t concerned so much about communication as he was about safety. I said that was definitely my concern. Dee didn’t help with knowing when to cross because that was not her job; it’s my responsibility to decide when it’s time to go. However, I could tell her forward, and if It were the wrong time in the traffic cycle, she’d refuse the forward command. That would be so helpful right now. I’m hoping the amplification comes soon.<br />I still have not received funding from my state agency. I took out a student loan to not get purged from classes as well as to avoid being evicted. As I’ve written before, I’ve been paying my rent, and when I had Dee, dog food. That left little money for anything else; I could pay a reader/driver a couple times, and I could pay a couple times to go out to dinner for under $10. After that, I was broke, and thanks to my roommate, I can take a cab or pay for a reader or whatever after I run out. But, that didn’t leave me money for bills; my phone was shut off for months, and I didn’t pay my credit card bill. Since I didn’t pay my credit card bill, the bank suspended my checking account. I had my ssi and social security disability going in as a direct deposit, so I missed that money at the beginning of the month and therefore had no money for rent. Thank God my refund check came from my student loan. I keep getting declined to open a bank account, but I was able to sign the check over to someone else’s account and paid my rent and phone bill that way.<br />The quarter will be over in three weeks or so. Where has the time gone? So far, I’ve brailled a chapter of a children’s book, made 10 literacy games, turned in a 46-slide power point about phonics, read and attempted to memorize many tables and info about child development, and other mini projects. I still have to finish researching for a 12-page research paper and 15-minute presentation, finish research for another 15-minute presentation, do article summaries/reflection, read the rest of the info for child development, and practice my slate speed and accuracy so I can pass the test. School is overwhelming me right now. We went to a deafblind conference a couple weeks ago, and tomorrow, we’re leaving for the Louisiana state convention. I really wish I had this weekend to do homework!<br />Things I’m thankful for:<br />a friend that I met in Minneapolis last summer is coming to hang out and look at attending this masters degree program for teaching blind students.<br />My rent is paid and phone is back, so I don’t have to worry about that for another month.<br />My guide dog applications will be done next week, so all I have to do now is wait and pray someone has a dog for me this summer.<br />I have awesome friends who help me; whether it’s financially or can you tell me what this captcha says, they are great!Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-88150531354378835432012-03-02T12:26:00.000-07:002012-03-02T12:27:00.326-07:00Life Long Braille ReaderI’ve been totally blind since birth. My mother is also totally blind, so she knew the importance of literacy.<br />Ever since I was a baby, she read me stories; she says The Little Red Hen and Daddy Makes the Best Spaghetti were two of my favorites. When I was a little older, I would put my hands on the braille, and since I had the story memorized, I would run my hands from left to right across the page, mimicking how I saw her reading.<br />When I was three, I entered preschool, where I immediately started braille instruction a few times per week, and by the time I entered kindergarten, I knew uncontracted and contracted braille.<br />After that, I was immersed in braille in school and at home. My textbooks, including math, were braille. The braille teacher made me stories for library time, or I brought books that I had gotten from my state library. All appliances were labeled; I remember standing in our kitchen reading the key for the microwave and asking my mom, “What does m I x spell, or why do you defrost in the microwave if it is supposed to cook things?” Cans of food had dymo tape, as did the spices, jars of jelly, and sometimes packages of frozen food. We had braille playing cards, board games with labels, and instructions for how to play them.<br />Because of this early instruction, I was a veracious reader. There were whole Saturdays where my mom and I would sit in the same room<br />Reading our individual books. When I went to relatives’ houses, they often said, “don’t you want to do something else besides read?”<br />I always took the opportunity to read anything I could get my hands on, and if I could keep the books, that was even better. For example, I was 10 when the National Federation of the blind had its annual convention in Atlanta. It was my first time there, and my mom took me to the free children’s books section. We had UPS mail me 32 books; they were Goosebumps, Anamorphs, and Babysitter’s Club and each one had two or three parts. My bookcase with three shelves was already crammed full, so two boxes were put in my room so I could make space for my new collection.<br />Being literate helped me participate fully in academics and in extra-curricular activities. That was so useful for all subjects, especially Algebra, geometry, and trig, where equations had several steps as well as biology, chemistry, and physics with tactile diagrams of gene problems, the periodic table, or graphs with acceleration and force per second. <br />Back then, writing and languages were my passions. I wrote stories for our high school newspaper, magazine, and year book, and I eventually became the copy editor where I edited for spelling, punctuation, AP style, and paragraph structure. I would not have been able to do that through listening to it on the computer. I also took one year of German, two years of French, and four years, including advanced placement, of Spanish. Learning languages has four distinct parts: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. If I hadn’t had braille, I would have missed a critical component of this experience. Listening is *NOT* literacy, and I would have missed accent marks and had extreme difficulty learning new words.<br />I went to college and have degrees in print journalism and sociology. I had many braille textbooks because I scanned them and put them into my notetaker, so I could read them on a braille display. Now, I am studying for my masters degree for teaching blind students.<br />Helping children enjoy reading leads to success in school and in life. Sadly, many blind children are denied the opportunity for literacy. Since I’m totally blind, there was never a question about my reading medium. However, children who have residual vision are made to struggle with print, reading 10 words per minute and experiencing eye strain headaches. These blind children don’t learn reading is fun and don’t realize true literacy can take them to any real or imaginary world; instead they learn reading is a struggle, and they fall behind academically, which will affect them for the rest of their lives. Too many times, teachers of blind students teach print because they either did not have adequate Braille instruction in their preparation programs, or they believe Braille is too hard, too slow, and old-fashioned. Not true. I was tested a few months ago and can read 180 words per minute out loud and more than 300 per minute silently; that is because I was taught early and encouraged to read.<br />Today is Read Across America where every child is encouraged to read a book in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday. I read The Lorax on my Braille display. Creating life-long readers is a goal of this event, and blind children can be part of this group of people who never stop learning because they have access, through Braille, to the written word.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-66716137942638189602012-02-02T17:24:00.003-07:002012-02-02T17:38:46.779-07:00Maybe a Dee video?Can someone tell me if you can clearly see me walking with Dee, and if you can tell that we are walking quickly? I might include it in my guide dog application but only if it is possible for them to judge my walking speed.<br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-c6b4bb8948cd3cd0 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="c6b4bb8948cd3cd0"></OBJECT>Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-90987370566125620592012-01-25T12:50:00.004-07:002012-01-25T13:52:55.299-07:00Goodbye DeeI was so tired when I left my house; I’d only slept 3 hours. Before we left for the airport, I took a 3 minute last walk with Dee, and my driver filmed it so I can add it as part of my video for the guide dog schools. Dee was giving me her old fast pace, and her tail was wagging.<br />We had no problems getting to the gates, and my flights were on time. Dee was stressed out, and she had an accident in the airport in Denver.<br />On my flight from Denver, I cried for awhile. The person sitting next to me tried to have a conversation, but I just turned away to face the window. We got to Portland 5 pacific time, and we met Shelley outside of the gates. She asked me how I was, and said sad and started sobbing. I calmed down a couple minutes later, and I was able to talk. We went to some restaurant where we had burgers and tator totts.<br />Afterwards, it was time to say goodbye. Shelley went to find someone to show me where the gate was, while I hung out on the floor with Dee. Dee licked my face, panted, and was whining a little. She rolled over, and I rubbed her belly. She was all excited when I took the baggies of food and a new kong wubba toy from my back. When I got the elk antler, she took it from Shelley, and tried to run in circles on her leash. I disassembled the harness, took of the leash, and put her tags in my bag. Shelley hugged me, said she was sorry, and I cried some more. <br />After that, I went back through security again. I was too upset to talk, and all I could was nod or shake my head. The airport person wanted to know if I was ok. I kept walking into everything with my cane and wasn’t judging my distances and turns well. I was so thankful that the flight from Oregon to San Francisco was relatively empty, so I had a row to myself. I faced the window again, put a handkerchief over my face, and tried to cry silently for the first hour of the trip.<br />I know Dee is happy with Shelley. She remembered her, and we saw her at the airport, Dee jumped in the air and licked her in the face. I miss her. I’ve been ok since the flight from San Francisco; I was able to talk about her and even saw another dog. But now I’m crying again, so I’m going to post this and read a book or do something to try to distract myself from the sadness.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-23027766955873575102012-01-17T22:47:00.001-07:002012-01-17T22:55:32.499-07:00obstacles in retirement<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>This is my post for <a href="http://dogstaracademy.com/?p=90">The Sixth Assistance Dog Blog Carnival</a> Because of back and shoulder problems, my four-year-old guide dog, a black lab Dee, is retired. We've had other obstacles in the past, but this is the one in my heart right now.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>First, there are situational obstacles that do not allow me to keep her as a pet. I live in an apartment complex where no pets are allowed. the other major problem is lack of money. I am a grad student living on SSI and disability income. By the time I pay rent, electricity, and maybe the phone bill, I have enough money to pay for cabs or drivers and dog food for the new dog I will hopefully get some time this year. Even if I moved to somewhere pet friendly, it is not possible to pay for food, vet bills, toys, and grooming for two animals.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>My next one was where did I want to place Dee. The guide dog school can placed retired dogs, but I would have no idea where she ended up, and I want updates for whoever has her. I had a few possibilities. One person who liked Dee would have given her a good home and attention, except there was no fenced in yard and Dee's off leash recall isn't as good as it should be. Another person was interested, but since she had a baby, she couldn't handle that and a new dog at the same time. Finally, I've been in contact with Dee's puppy raiser ever since I got her in 2009, and she gladly agreed to take her back.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Once she decided she wanted Dee, I had to figure out how to get her from Louisiana where I live to Oregon where she lives. GDB wanted to ship her as cargo, but I didn't like that. I was worried about her being under the plane in winter or that she would be lost in the airport transfers. I also want to say goodbye, and it feels like a better send off than putting her in a strange situation that might be scarey for her.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>As I wrote before, I am on a fixed income, and plane travel is expensive. I talked to the guide dog school who will reimburse the price that it would have cost to fly Dee in cargo. I didn't have the money up front for the plane ticket. Fortunately,Dee's raiser paid for the ticket, GDB is sending her the check they would have sent to me, and I will give her the rest when I am able in a couple months.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Finally, there are emotional obstacles. I miss her guiding me; she was with me through everything: global issues conferences, interviews for journalism and research projects, my job working with blind children and adults, blindness training in Minneapolis, graduation from college, and my move from Pennsylvania to grad school. She was always so confident with her head held high and her tail enthusiastically wagging, except when it rained. She was the reason why I gained confidence crossing busy city streets with my cane, so I could teach her that traffic wasn't scarey. She helped me balance when my hips were hurting and after I sprained my ankles. She kept me crossing in a straight line when I was dizzy from problems with anemia and hypoglysemia, so I wouldn't veer into oncoming traffic. I will miss her companionship, just lying on the floor and petting her or watching her excitedly play with the other dog and person who live with us.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Sometimes situations cannot be avoided or overcome. Even though it breaks my heart to put her in a new home, the dog who guided me through everything needs me to get past these final obstacles, so she can be free to enjoy her well-earned retirement after her two years of service.</FONT></DIV>Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-68666558764121585322012-01-16T19:34:00.000-07:002012-01-16T19:43:06.538-07:00good news<DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Things have gotten much better since my last post. My old boss talked to the lions club where he is a member, and they have graciously agreed to cover my $3,000 tuition bill from last quarter. That means I will now be able to register for classes in February, and the classes will start in March.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Shelley, Dee's puppy raiser and new owner, paid for my flight. GDB is going to reimburse her $500 and I will give her the rest. It's going to be a very long day. I leave Monroe, La at 9 am, get to Houston at 11, Denver at 2, Portland at 5 where I will transfer Dee, Sanfrancisco at 9, Chicago at 5:30 the next morning, and finally Baltimore at 12:00. After that, I am going to take a train to D.C. to spend a few days with my best friend Beckie who is in seminary there. Later that week, I will be attending a teacher leader seminar for teachers of blind students. I've also been able to get a few of the vitamin and other supplements that I need to keep me functioning ok. My medicare prescription card came, and I am so relieved!</FONT></DIV></DIV>Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-27355751448554564862012-01-03T23:00:00.003-07:002012-01-04T00:29:26.817-07:00unwell state of beingThings tend to go like this for me. I can usually handle a problem but when it causes multiple problems or little ones add up to issues, that’s when it’s bad.<br />I’ve said it before, but I’m exhausted and have no energy. I am also very broke. I get $720 per month. $570 of that is rent plus $30-$40 for electric. My guide dog Dee’s food is $50. That leaves me $70 to have readers for grocery shopping and going out to dinner a couple times with friends. Because of this, my phone has been off for the past 2 months, and even though it is off, I’m still charged the $120 service, even though I’m not using it. I owe $400 to them plus $30 for late fees and $30 to reactivate my number. I owe $200 to a doctor in Minneapolis after I sprayned my ankles and needed treatment, $260 to a former roommate when I borrowed it last year to buy groceries, $120 or something to my current roommate, $100 to my uncle who shipped me the rest of my packages from Pennsylvania to Louisiana, and $300 for something, maybe a former internet service provider? Thank God for food stamps.<br />I was supposed to have classes this quarter, but I don’t. I should have qualified to at least get stafford loans, but I did not. I cannot get a private student loan because I do not qualify, my mom doesn’t have enough money and thanks to me, not a good credit history, to cosign. Other family members plus other people I have asked can’t or don’t want to cosign for me. Rehab will cover me for the rest of my tuition for this degree, but because of ridiculousness on my end and others, I didn’t get unconditional admission last quarter. Since there was no unconditional admission, they weren’t able to pay. I owe $4,000 to the university, and until I can find some way to pay it, I can’t register for classes and rehab can’t pay until this balance is gone. Since I am not taking classes, rehab can’t pay for my rent.<br />Also, Dee is retired, which just makes me feel sad and all that horrible stuff. Her puppy raisers want her, but they live in Oregon. GDB wants me to take Dee to Dallas and ship her as cargo. First of all, I have no money; Dallas is a few hours from here, so I would either have to fly, take the bus, or hire a driver. Second, I don’t feel safe having Dee travel under the plane during the winter. If I did that, I would have to buy a crate which is like $100. The best way for her to get to Oregon is if I fly her as a service dog in the cabin. GDB says it’s too expensive and too long of a flight for them to cover the cost. I’m going to ask them if they can give me whatever amount they would have paid for shipping towards the cost of my plane ticket. I wanted to have Dee go this month, but that is definitely not happening now.<br />For some reason, I am having issues with both of my insurance providers. I am not getting medicare anymore, even though I changed my permanent address with the post office and social security. I should also have Medicaid, but I still have no card. I’ve called them five times requesting new cards; they have said each time that they mailed one. I verified my address is correct with them, and still no card. No card means no prescriptions which are necessary to my health. I am supposed to have a vitamin b12 shot as well as iron and other things for my severe anemia.<br />I usually take supplements in addition to my prescriptions. Omega 3 oils, multi vitamin/mineral, vitamin c, antioxidants, b-complex, glutamine, tryptophin, and probiotics/digestive enzymes. These help me to manage my hypoglysemic tendancies and depression. Since I am out of all of these and that adds up to about $250 per month, my ability to concentrate, have motivation, digest well, and overall handle stress is making me feel awful. Since I will not have money any time soon, I will be off for the next few months, more than I usually am.<br />Pray or send good vibes or whatever; something needs to give soon.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-77074115375206672302011-11-30T21:46:00.000-07:002011-11-30T21:47:22.540-07:00Why is it always the woman?Recently, one of my friends told me about an experience with a date. He pinned her wrists and pressured her for sex. She told him to stop and it was making her uncomfortable, yet he told her that she wanted it and to relax.<br />Some people say it’s the woman’s responsibility for her actions as well as the man’s. Not true! A woman has the right, at any time, to say stop and that she doesn’t like it, and the man will ideally respect her wishes. That also goes the other way around if the man is uncomfortable.<br />It is a form of victim blaming. “if she didn’t want to have sex, she shouldn’t have started something.” I think the question should be, “why is it automatically the woman’s fault, and why does the man not have to have self-control?Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-44449848928515155732011-11-29T21:00:00.000-07:002011-11-29T22:07:47.415-07:00tired as usual<DIV><FONT face=Calibri>I woke up at 7:30 when someone east coast time called my phone. After that, I tried to scan mail, but of course it kept freezing every two minutes. Eventually, I fed and relieved Dee, vacuumed, did laundry, and ran out the door to go to my practicum. It wasn't a bad drive; my professor is a nice person to talk to, and she gave me good advice about working with the student. She said I need to be friendly with the secretary and the principal as well as the child's teacher, so they can realize I am a competent person and that I am helping him.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Whenever someone sighted is with me, other people tend to talk to that person and assume I can't do anything. For example, one of the staff I spoke with asked my adviser if "how will she get here every day?" I responded that I have a driver and that I will be calling every morning to make sure he is there before making the trip.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>This is the hard part for me; I am a business kind of person. I'm not good with small talk and doing the social niceties; I'm there to do a job and would like to get on with it. It's also my north mentality. I've noticed in the South that people like to have long conversations. For example, I went to the scrapbooking store a few weeks ago. The lady wanted to show us books her daughter made as well as cards and other things she designed; she also told us all about her wedding and her daughter's boyfriend and other things. All I wanted to do was get my paper and go; I also had a major headache which was not helping my patience.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>Anyway, after we drove back to campus, I worked with another blind girl. We are reading the Barenstein Bears book, and we are half way through. She is having trouble with the ou sign which stands for out when written alone as well as the sh sign and the ch sign.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Calibri>After that, I came home and attempted to make fudge. What a disaster. I didn't read closely enough to see that it said "powdered" sugar and used white sugar instead. I feel kind of nauseated from eating a piece of that fudge.</FONT></DIV>Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-48188957084196424442011-11-28T23:26:00.001-07:002011-11-28T23:31:15.058-07:00first field experienceI have five years of experience working with blind kids and adults, helping them learn to use the computer, elelectronic Braille devices, cooking, and other independent living things. But tomorrow is my first time working alone with a student. I have always worked alone with the adults, but with the kids, there was a Braille teacher and a travel teacher. Now, I am the only one. I am nervous; what if I don’t do well helping him learn to read? What if I have no idea how to teach? I’ll be dressed in a nice blouse with wool pants and my hair braided. Sometimes I feel as if I am playing at being an adult and more as if I am playing at being a teacher. Please God, help me to do well with this student.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-44021960682712356592011-11-27T18:09:00.000-07:002011-11-27T18:10:15.424-07:00Three wise womenThere are many people who have affected me regarding my blindness and life in general.<br />One was Rose; she was my parapro from seventh through the middle of tenth grade. She helped me orient myself to the school, brailled things, made accessible pictures for math and science, ETC. I was terrified of entering junior high; elementary school was small, and I knew how to find everything. Suddenly, I was going into a junior high with four floors and 1,000 other students trying to get to class before the 3 minute bell rang. As I’ve written before, I was terribly shy and didn’t want to say anything to anyone in authority. She was always asking me questions. “you read that poem for English; what do you think the symbols mean? You talked about the death penalty in class; are you for or against, why?” At first, I just kept saying, “I don’t know,” and she said you have to have an opinion in there somewhere. Eventually, I began sharing my thoughts, even if I didn’t tell anyone else. We talked about race and racism, how I didn’t enjoy being catholic, family, ETC. She had high expectations for me academically and independence. I slowly gained confidence traveling the halls of the school, even when she was not walking with me<br />Another one is Doreen. She was my parapro after Rose took a different job. Besides all the scanning, editing, and brailling with AP Euro and three foreign languages, along with four other subjects she had to Braille, she listened to me as well. By this time, I knew how to be articulate with my feelings and beliefs and wasn’t afraid to share, even if they went against others around me. I talk to her about my mom problems. I told her my point of view on politics and religion. She is liberal and Methodist, so we have the same points of view. It was nice to find someone to share these ideas with and not have them be angry because of my beliefs. I told her about what I wanted to do in the future. Back then, I absolutely loved foreign languages, especially Spanish. I was born in Paraguay South America, where Spanish is the native language. I had four years in high school, and I planned to minor in it in college. I eventually wanted to live in a Spanish-speaking area to write and live in a bilingual community. When I told her that, she was like, that's great; I think you can do it. When I told my mom, she was like, why do you want to move so far away, to get away from me? Why do you want to live where there is Spanish culture; what's wrong with English.<br />Besides problems, I talked to her about things that were happy. When I got my first guide Valerie, she was the first person, besides Beckie, that I called. When I completed my first solo, I talked to her about it. When I got my AP scores, scholarships, my first job at kids camp, being able to go to Texas for NFB national convention, joined clubs, I told Doreen. She went with me to foreign language competition, where I was the top winner in Spanish for our region. The top winner in each language gets an Oxford dictionary for that language. It is a HUGE book!!! When I told my mom, she was like, what are you going to do with a print dictionary? I was like, that's not the point; the point is that is a prize for winning. We also went to New York to see hairspray. My mom was llike, what is soo great about new York and musicals; they are borring. We still talk every six months or so; I tell her about my life, and she tells me about hers.<br />Finally, there is Cheryl. I had posted on the NFB national association of blind students e-mail list that I was interested in being a journalist; Allison, one of the board members, emailed with contact info for a totally blind journalist from Michigan. I was so excited; finally there was someone who worked in the business for 30 years I could ask technical questions, writing help, and how to complete aspects of the job related to blindness. I was unsure what to say in the email, so I just said I was a 16-year-old blind student looking to talk. I think I wanted to know if I could do page layouts and how I could edit stories in class since everyone turned them in in print. To my surprise and happiness, she wrote back. “Dear Martha,<br />Well, I have a little more time to write and think about your <br />questions. I got your e-mail last night while I was at work to write <br />a story for Monday's paper, and I had to scoot pretty quickly, so I <br />didn't write much.<br /><br />I was thinking - is there any way you can print up the dummies to a <br />braille embosser? That would be a pretty cool thing if you had one at <br />school and it could interface with the print printer.<br />I'll try to get information on a woman who edits and does design layout for a newsletter. <br />Unfortunately, you might have to have a little adaptation for your editing, and perform those tasks on a computer exclusively. I edit on my computer, but really don't know of any other way except the <br />braille embosser idea. I have one at home, not at work.<br />What I most want to tell you is that, yes, a totally blind person can <br />work at a newspaper. I never had anyone to tell me that when I was in <br />school, so i planned on getting two college majors just in case the <br />journalism one didn't work out. But it did!<br />As a professional, the biggest thing you need is a good support <br />system of several people who can drive for you if your local bus <br />system doesn't go everywhere you want it to. It's a good idea to get <br />retired people who are strongly civic minded; they know how important <br />it is for you to get there on time and come off as the class act that <br />I bet you are.<br />Where do you live? Would you ever be interested in coming up here and <br />job shadowing with me? It'd be swell!<br />By the way, I took graphics, but I worked with a reader and told her <br />verbally what I needed done, and she did it. That's the only way I <br />could think of at the time to get through it. I also took editing. I, <br />too, worked on the literary magazine as a high school sophomore. What <br />I never did is yearbook - I'd love to hear about that.<br />This probably is the most challenging job you'll ever have. Get ready!<br /><br />Cheryl”<br />After that, we exchanged many more emails. We expanded to talking about guide dogs, other aspects of blindness, religion, and just life. We met some time when she came to my hometown for a Christian conference and again when I went to Michigan for a dog scout camp in 2008.<br />That first email was 8 years ago; we both are now on different paths; I had depression as well as journalism burn out, so I went to grad school to become a teacher of blind students. The field is ever changing, and she also went back to grad school to become a rehab counselor. Even though I am no longer interested in journalism, we are still good friends. We email and have 2-hour long phone conversations. She listens to my dog ramblings and omg I don’t know if I can do this’s! She talks to me, and sometimes I have no idea what to say, so I listen and hope that is enough.<br />Writing is not as easy for me as it once was; it is hard for me to put things together with good detail and descriptions, especially when it is an emotional subject like this one. Being an inspiration and being thankful often brings up feelings associated with negativity, gratitude for accommodations, or pity disguised as compliments from the able-bodied public. However, in this case, I raise my virtual glass to these three women. Thank you for your overflowing cup of kindness and always treading lightly on my dreams.<br />This is my submission for this month’s edition of the <a href=http://learninbabysteps.blogspot.com/2011/11/call-for-submissions-for-november.html>disability blog carnival</a> Please consider reading the other submissions and leaving comments for the authors.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-364139181441643202011-11-26T21:38:00.000-07:002011-11-26T21:43:14.662-07:00no pet bottlesI try to find ways to minimize my carbon footprint. One way I do this is to not buy disposable waterbottles. They are made from petroleum, which is disasterous for the environment. They are made of PET which is harmful plastic. I can tell because it smells funny when I open it, and the water has a disgusting plastic taste if it is a few weeks old.<br />Having a reusable water bottle saves me money. I also have a britta pitcher; while it is also a plastic item, one plastic item with a one-time expense is much better than putting hundereds of bottles in the trash because where I live does not have a recycling program. I drink at least 80 oz of water per day; I love how it tastes, and I love knowing that no matter how long it is in my stainless steel klean kantine bottle that it will stay cold and not taste or smell awful when I drink.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-10686497155379109832011-11-25T20:58:00.000-07:002011-11-25T20:59:03.394-07:00sometimes technology is not my friendThis is the ninth time I've tried to write and finish this. My pronto, a pda-like device with a braille disply, keeps freezing. The program I use to read my textbooks, mail, EtC doesn't let me do batches; I have to do each page individually. The internet at the apartment was down three days during finals week. My computer randomly stopped talking for three days. I'm hoping it all will work better soon.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-37449135923839318572011-11-24T23:10:00.001-07:002011-11-24T23:10:38.799-07:00ThankfulI am glad to have friends to celebrate with and that we hadesome food!! I am also thankful for for the chance to get my masters degree in a program I absolutely love. I lobe my dog; she makes me smile every day! Finally, I am happy I am feeling somewhat better health wise, and I am hoping for continued improvement.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-55548303899619742082011-11-23T23:17:00.003-07:002011-11-24T00:23:10.490-07:00Food and more foodToday I went to stay at a friend's house to celebrate thanksgiving. For dinner, we had pasta with a whine and herb butter sauce as well as green beans with almonds. Tomorrow for the meal I am having Turkey and we are having stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, creamed corn, casserole, and pumpkin pie! We are sleeping in and cooking in our pjs. I can't wait; I am hungry already!Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-32943303411113442772011-11-22T21:51:00.000-07:002011-11-22T21:52:10.385-07:00comfort cocoaEveryone has something that is a constant comfort item, and one of those for me is hot chocolate. I have had a mug or paper cup or travel bottle of it with me during some of the best and worst moments of my life.<br />When I got my first guide dog Valerie, we bet the instructor we all wouldn’t finish our routes by 11 am. I was the last one to go out of the four of us, and I finished at 10:29. Since she lost, she bought us a drink from star bucks. This was my first time there, and I loved the dark chocolate flavor, as opposed to the watery swiss miss I grew up drinking.<br />The next summer, I went to Guatemala. Kakao beans are a popular crop there, dating back to the time of the Mayans. As part of a museum tour, we got to watch them use a morter and pessel to grind the pods to cocoa, mix it with a little bit of sugar, and make them into round, flat cocoa bricks. That is my favorite kind of hot chocolate, a flavor I haven’t been able to duplicate since; it is rich, very dark, and not chemically processed. The closest I have come to finding a similar product is ah laska organic cocoa powder.<br />The next year, I went to starbucks on a cold, snowy February morning. I had just taken my last walk with Zorro. I bought the cocoa to have something to hold and drink so I wouldn’t sob in public as I signed the papers dissolving our partnership and returning him to the school.<br />Finally, last year, it was another freezing day. I was in Minneapolis. I started my trip at 8:30 walking to the bus, transferring to the lightrail, and getting off downtown. I walked a few blocks, went to the north side of Minneapolis, walked about a mile, spent 1.5 hours or more haplessly wandering around a park and river path before I found the bridge to cross over to northeast, and walked the rest of the 7 miles back to the south. By the time I finished, it was 3 pm; since the windchill made it feel like it was 0 degrees, I was freezing, even with my three layers, hat, scarf, and gloves. This was my final assignment for blind inc travel training, and the cup of chocolate I had when I got back warmed my hands and my insides.<br />I always have a can of godiva or ah laska chocolate mix wherever I live, and when I am miserable, want to celebrate, or need a constant in my routine, I have some.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-75497923434035968562011-11-21T21:38:00.002-07:002011-11-21T21:40:45.791-07:00Hummus recipeI first had hummus during my friend Michelle's large meal for 40 last May at blind inc. This is something I want to continue making because it is really good!<br />It sounds like it will be wonderful on naan, a flatbread originally from India.<br /><br />Hummus<br />1 can chick peas or garbanzo beans, or dried chick peas or garbanzo beans<br />1 tsp cumen<br />1 or 2 lemons (juiced)<br />Half cup olive oil<br />2 or 3 cloves garlic<br />Put all ingredients, except the beans, in the blender. Take off the top and stir occasionally to make sure ingredients don’t stick to the sides of the pitcher. Once all ingredients seem like they are mixed well, add the beans, and blend until smooth.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-72946383152730883152011-11-20T20:41:00.001-07:002011-11-20T20:45:16.216-07:00fragrance freeA couple years ago, I realized that scented products bother me. I get a headache, and it is uncomfortable to breathe. I don’t like perfume, febreeze, Lysol, tylex, dryer sheets, downey, or any other scented cleaning or beauty products.<br />For laundry, I use soap nuts. They grow on a tree. I put them in a cotton or other natural cloth baggie, and when they are in hot or warm water, the sap releases. I can also make soap nuts liquid detergent for cold water by boiling them in water. To help with stains, I throw a half cup or so of baking soda in all of the clothes, especially the whites.<br />I use a fragrance free lip balm from organic essence; it comes in a cardboard tube, so it is better for the environment too.<br />Finally, I use fragrance free Dr. Bronner’s soap. I have a half gallon of it. It is shampoo, body wash, hand soap, and dish soap.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-78147444505591342102011-11-19T22:17:00.000-07:002011-11-19T22:30:52.690-07:00first walkA year ago today, I graduated from <a href=http://blindinc.org/>BLIND Inc</a> an adjustment to independence training center in Minneapolis. For years, I had avoided going.<br />In the summer of 2005, I attended a training center program for high school students. It lasted 5 weeks, and since we were under 18, we had supervision 24 hours a day and weren’t allowed to have any alone time or go anywhere without a counselor and other students. That made me absolutely crazy. By the end, I was running out of patience and absolutely needed to get away from everyone. At that point, I was just starting to get comfortable with city travel. I think a part of me knew I should go for more training, but my thoughts then and for the next several years were “If 6 weeks with people made me crazy, I will never survive 6-9 months.”<br />After I had been in college and realized I was going to either have to go to grad school or get a new job, I knew I needed to go. Travel was, and still is, my weakest blindness skill. I think I would still get easily disoriented and be bad with directions if I were sighted.<br />I didn’t have good travel teaching when I was younger. As I’d written before, I wasn’t encouraged by my teachers in elementary school to walk by myself. As a result, I was one of the slowest moving people; because I was always in a group or hanging off of someone’s arm, I didn’t develop confidence to walk easily.<br />The first time I ever walked alone, without an adult supervising me or with a friend, I was in ninth grade. For some reason, my ride didn’t show up to pick me up from reading club after school. I was pretty sure I knew how to walk home once I got to the junior high school. I got there and walked the way I had learned with my travel instructor. I was fine till I got a block away from where I lived. I veered right into the street, and when I corrected myself, I didn’t know how to figure out where I was. Someone in a car saw me and gave me directions to get to Crawford, my street. I was so excited, and when I got home, I told my mom I had made it by myself.<br />After that, I practiced walking home with a travel instructor because I participated in 10 or so after school activities in high school and didn’t want to depend on a van. My mom saw something about kidnapping or something on TV, and after that, she was worried that I would be hurt and it wasn’t safe. So, I didn’t walk independently again until I got to college.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-61034005130736911362011-11-18T20:41:00.002-07:002011-11-18T20:43:54.650-07:00my healthThe results of my bloodwork came back. I am anemic and vitamin deficient. I have to start taking iron pills and more vitamin b12.<br />My collesterol is also a little high, but nothing to really worry about.<br />I think I am going to increase my smoothy drinking to two per day instead of one. I think I’ll do 3 cups spinach to two cups lettuce instead of 2 and 2. I’ll also add more chia seeds because those are loaded with omega 3, which helps lower collesterol. I can also eat more walnuts; maybe I’ll make a waldorf salad.<br />Today’s meals were smoothie for breakfast. Applesauce for lunch. Celery with peanut butter for a snack, and carrots with an olive oil garlic dressing.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-63131441699033710582011-11-17T20:27:00.000-07:002011-11-17T20:29:21.158-07:00dog and cane charmsI just listened to a serotek podcast about accessorizing a cane or guide dog. Some people like to do this, and others think it is unprofessional.<br />I am one who likes to decorate. I have a purple harness for my guide dog; it is nylon. Not only is it padded and much lighter than the traditional leather harness, but is a nice color. I also have a dolphin-shaped collar bell. All of my dogs are good at moving silently, especially when they are doing something they aren’t supposed to. The bell helps me keep better track of my dog. She does not wear this when we go out because the noise bothers me, and I do not want to attract attention from neighborhood dogs.<br />I also like to put something on my cane. The cane is an extention of my body. When I went to the prom, I decorated it with bands of rhinestones. At blind inc., I had a guide dog charm on it; since everyone had one, it made it easy to tell which was mine. Now, I have a holly leaf-shaped charm for Christmas.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3922599888392369464.post-35058508535367224362011-11-16T22:10:00.001-07:002011-11-16T22:10:45.520-07:00ong DayWhat a long day! This morning, I went to the doctor to have five tubes of blood drawn. Also, they cleaned my ears because I was having trouble hearing, and it took five minutes till they could uncover my eardrum. My sinus infection is almost gone, and I have ear drops for the ear one.<br />We also went out to dinner because one of the students in our program graduated and got a job. It took 4.5 hours to get served and get the checks. I’m never going back there again!<br />I have had Dee two years today. It’s bitter-sweet because I know she won’t be my guide much longer. She did amazing work for me, the best I’ve ever had, and I miss her guiding and will miss her as a dog whenever I have a new home for her.Marthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06507671847375305013noreply@blogger.com0