How do I do it !

Hello Everyone ! Hope you are all well. I checked the stats of my blog and cannot believe that so many people have read my story, and keep reading ! I would like to thank everyone of you for taking the time to read my blog it means the world to me !

I would like to take the time to answer a few questions about how I do some things around my house. I get asked how I do certain things in my day to day life so today I am going to try to answer those questions.

I am going to put pictures of a few things that I use :
First is my CCT (Closed Circuit TV ) It is a large monitor with a camera that enlarges the text on the screen as big as needed and can change from black on white to white on black and this is what I use to see things like kids agendas, mail and so on it is really hard on my eyes to use and I cannot use it for any length of time but it really does help for quick things.

 Next is a braille labeller I use this to label things like jars of pasta in my cupboard and other things around the house. It is very handy it spits out a sticker labeller similar to a dymo labeller or something like that.

My broiler and slate and stylus, these are what I use to write things in Braille. I am very grateful that I learnt braille in High School, I would be a lot farther behind in getting my life back had I not learnt this skill. I will make grocery lists, or write my speeches for toastmasters with these tools.

 This little gem is called a pen friend. It will read labels that I can record using the buttons on the pen. I use it for lots of things around my house such as spices, things in the freezer ( all meat feels the same once frozen), medications and many more things in my house. It is a god send ! And the labels can be rerecorded on so that is amazing and very useful !

This is my liquid level indicator, you simply put it on the side of a cup and pour whatever you want in the cup. When the liquid hits the prongs it beeps very loudly. I use this more for hot liquids but I am not going to lie more often I just stick my finger over the edge of the cup ha ha ! But when I have company over and it is just rude to stick your finger in their cup I will use this !


These are only a few of the things that I use daily. I also have puff paint and raised dots on my appliances like my stove, microwave and washing machine and measuring cups. There is always a way to things and that is the biggest thing for me. I have to find a way to do everything I don't want my vision loss to define what I can and cannot do. I am still looking for a way to sort my laundry that I have not figured out yet but give me some time and I will come up with a good way !

Hope this answers some of the questions on how I do things. If you enjoy reading my blog or have any questions please leave me a comment and share my blog !

Until next time !
Ashley and Rick

Winter Troubles

Winter !!!!!!!! UGH !!!! pretty much sums up my feelings for winter. I don't mind the cold or the snow, I like going for a walk in the crisp winter air and or hitting the hill on my snowboard in some fresh snow. But when you live rurally and there is no sidewalks trying to get outside can be well dangerous. The snow builds up on the roads and then gets packed down by cars and turns from snow to ice. This ice then gets covered with snow and makes for very slippery conditions. When you have to walk every where you want to go this can be dangerous. Now that I have Rick my guide dog it is not only dangerous for me but for him as well. I really worry about him slipping and hurting himself as well as me slipping and getting hurt. We have had a couple close calls.

Drivers don't always slow down either and this makes me a little (ok a lot) nervous while out doing my errands or just out for a walk, because I can not stay at home all winter I would go nuts. This makes me nervous because I worry that they are going to lose control and hit us or once we are in the street and someone comes around a corner they are not going to be able to stop if need be. And Rick is trained to get me out of the way if this were to occur, however the roads are so slippery that he may not be able to get out of the way in time either. So we stand at intersections and wait until I don't hear anyone coming for a good distance like probably a few blocks. I am sure we look a little funny standing there waiting for what looks like nothing but I would rather be safe than sorry.

Then there is the cold. I don't mind it when it is -18c or warmer it is when it is -25c with wind chills in the minus 30's that I am not a happy camper. We can't get out of the house for any length of time in these temperatures and I hate being house bound. So this can get very frustrating for me. And for many people that don't drive I am sure.

But the good news is that it is February and that means that it should start to warm up in a couple of months and then I will be a happy camper and Rick will be much happier when we go out, he won't have to wear socks, boots, and a coat while working. He has done fabulous in his boots this winter and I am so proud of him but he still puts his head down when I go to put them on him, as if to say "really lady, again" !

Hope you are all staying warm and enjoying winter as much as is possible !
Until next time !
Ashley and Rick