What's it like being Blind!

For those that not are aware, my dad is nearly 90 and legally blind, has been for many years. Still lives in his two story house alone expect when my husband and I go down every week and sleep for a night or two. Dad lives just over 100 km away. He is able to walk up and down the stairs, on odd occasions comes shopping with me, and his mind - well that is sharp as a tack!

I wrote these words back in February 2009. What I have written is so very true. (I did a post back then), infact I have been blogging for a very long time and have deleted all posts prior to 2009 including many in 2009 and onwards. Thinking I should have kept them there, too late now.

he walked into the room
and sat down on the chair
look out the window and said,
“what a beautiful sea”.
with surprise he said,
“i see that ship, it’s all coloured white, the size of a match box”,
he turned and looked at me
as i sat in my chair looking at him.
the sun was shining bright
glaring into the room
he said, “are you there, daughter, for i do not hear you,
where are you, are you there my daughter?”
i sat there in silence, listened to his words
as he looked straight at me
but of course he didn’t see,
for the sun was not shining on me. 

JMD

Keeping Cool!

It's a warm day today. It's 35 degC (F 95).
I got up at 5am when it was cooler and did the vacuuming, ironing, cooking, then the dusting. Didn't have to iron many things, but was getting a bit behind with the normal housework. It's all done for a day or two.

So what do we do in warm weather!
Many people go to the beach, and being on an island we are at no point less than 250km from the sea, apparently, but there may not be a beach there, or the sea may not be safe.
Other's go shopping to A/C.
Some sit under a shady tree in a park, or sit in the shade of a breeze way.
There are some people who put their feet in a bucket of ice, and the list goes on, what ever you have to do to keep your body cool, that is what you do.

In this house we turn the A/C on which is fortunately ducted to each room, and I have that set on 25 degC (F 77), I don't like it any cooler, I like to know it's summer.
Went outside, the pavement is extremely hot, would burn your bare feet, and could easy cook an egg on the pavement.
Tasmania is a bad place for burning the skin, so we are advised to cover up and or use sunblock as most of Australia.

Before it became too warm this morning our youngest grandchild came for a visit, I captured this photo of her.  In a few months she will be 2 years of age.