First Hair Cut!

How time flies,

my boy will be five months old on 3rd November.

Yesterday he went for his first "Big boy" hair cut.

Here is the last photo before he went,

Jess put his fringe up in a bundle, 

because he couldn't see!!

We went for a walk before leaving him with Barb,

he was so good. 

We walked all the way to McKinnon, 

past the poodle parlour, a small dog, a stroller,

the chicken shop and a busy coffee shop,

I wish he was this good everyday.

This is what he looks like now!

He is soooooo small again,

but his legs look even longer!

Remember my "tongue fetish",

I could not resist this photo.

He is the prettiest boy around,

even when he is being silly, 

I love him to bits!!!!

Until next time ---- hug a puppy!!

Unbelievable!

I cannot believe what happened on Thursday!

I have been a member of 

Glen Eira's Disability Reference Committee for three years, it is a state government requirement that each council 

must have a DRC.

We have a big problem with parking in our municipality,

so when I was told we were having a  council worker to speak to us about the problems  I was naturally very excited.

I have had many people ask me to see if something could be done to make parking safer 

for people with a disability and the aged.

Unfortunately we got the usual bunk about how wonderful Glen Eira Council is, we meet all the minimum requirements for parking, and actually have a couple of extra spaces!!! 

I ,and many other people rely on hoist buses for transport, they are usually Toyota or Mazda vans with a long wheel base. 

Unfortunately they do not fit into a normal "dis.parking" spot

which are usually situated behind the shopping centres.  

Even if we find two spaces, 

we have to unload into the road, 

as you can imagine this is incredibly dangerous.

When I asked if council could do anything the problem, 

I was told NO, you are registered as a bus so -----

USE THE BUS STOPS!!!!!

This is what would happen --

1: Carer stops at the bus stop, lowers the ramp.

2: Public bus pulls up behind, cant fit in because my "bus" is taking up most of the space.

3: Carer unloads me [takes about 5 mins]

Public Bus still waiting!

4:Carer now has 2 choices, she can either walk me half a block up the middle of a major road to find a cut , so she can leave me unattended on the foot path.

OR 

she can leave me on the road [at the bus stop] and go and find a place to park the bus.

Public Bus still waiting!

5: Carer walks me down the centre of the road for half a block, looking for a cut so I can get on to the foot path!

Public Bus is now running 10 minutes late!!!

And remember --

We have to go through it all again 

to get me back in the bus!

This is Glen Eira Council's solution, and they keep saying they are very disability friendly!!!!

Do I have ANOTHER fight on my hands?

Until next time -- Keep Happy

A surprise!!

 In case you haven't noticed,I have a great regard for Yooralla,

they support around 30,000 people in Victoria,

who live with a disability.

Gradually over the years I have used more and more of their services and now I feel that I am part of Yooralla.

This year, when asked if I would help with publicity 

I agreed.

I am sure that surprised a lot of people!

For the last few years I have been happy 

to give talks to people about living with my disability,

but I have always refused to have my picture taken.

I think it probably has something to do with being labeled as "the poor old crock in the wheel chair".

At last I don't care what people say,

I know I am not a poor old thing!

That is what all this preamble is leading up to!!!

I was asked if my picture could be taken and used in 

the Yooralla Annual Report, 

"probably as part of a collage about people who use Yooralla services."

This is what I saw when I opened the envelope!

I am on the FRONT COVER!

Yooralla has  a 65 year old grandmother 

as their cover girl.

What a positive image, 

usually disability is represented by a lovely 

little disabled child. 

Yes, it pulls at the heart strings,

but it is negative 

and portrays us as "poor" people. 

We are not, we have to be strong

to fight discrimination and ignorance.

How I wish we were always portrayed 

in a positive light.

News papers are the worst, 

as I have said many times ,

I may be stuck in my bed, 

but I am not confined to a wheel chair!!

        Incidentally, I am amazed at the comments I have had about, - how good it is to see some one 

obviously enjoying life!!!  Ha!

Until next time  ----  wear a happy Hat!

PS: I am trying to get used to the new 

colour of Yooralla !

More musings!

   Two special things happened to me today,

 whenI returned to my art group, after two weeks absence.

As I was wandering down the passage , 

the receptionist came hurrying from her office, gave me a hug and told me how much she had missed me and my smile.

          The second special thing happened during art, 

one of the ladies asked if she could have a photo of mine, when I said yes, she also, put her arms around me, 

and gave  me a big hug, 

it made me feel very happy.

This sort of spontaneous affection is becoming very rare these days. 

No longer can a teacher comfort a small child  by picking them up or giving them a quick cuddle, 

it is not professional and can be misconstrued! 

Thank goodness I am no longer teaching, I would not last a week!!

It is the same with disability,

the people who look after me are not supposed 

to hold my hand if I am distressed, 

or rub my my arm if I am in pain. 

Its called "professional ethics" and "boundaries" but I think the world has gone crazy.

I know there are bad people in the world, 

but these heartless rules are not going to stop them.

All it does is take away love and compassion

and leave suspicion and indifference.

Hopefully the first and last thing we feel in this life is the touch of love, 

 why must it not be all the time?

Until next time -- Show someone you love them!!

A Fairy Tale!

Once upon a time, there was a magic garden, 

where plants grew all over the ground.

they received a great deal of love and attention

 and grew and grew.

At the end of Autumn a pumpkin was harvested, 

it was beautiful.

The pumpkin was stored in a lovely airy cupboard until spring,

then it was cut and steamed to make mash.

The magic pumpkin tasted wonderful.

Now the seeds will be saved 

and the whole cycle will begin again.

MAGIC!

Until next time -- Keep Happy!

Musings!

I have just spent the last ten days in bed.Because my head and chest felt so awful, I could not even use my computer.   All I could do was think, 

something you do a lot of when disabled.

My thoughts eventually got around to the Internet. 

Now that Gabe and Indi are staying with us,

"band width" has become more of an issue.

Last month I noticed a sudden large leap in usage, 

for no genuine reason.

It appears that some one had been 

stealing our band width!!

A while ago I read an article about people driving around  using other people's Internet connections, 

evidently it is a great "game"!

Yesterday, we came across a "scam" on a real estate site.

Someone was advertising a lovely little apartment for rent, at a very reasonable price.

Everything seemed legitimate 

until I read the reply we received, when we made enquiries,
-- there were small grammatical errors that set off warning bells.

When my daughter "Googled" the address,

we found the  flat was also advertised with a
well known estate agents,
for a much larger price!!!
The first advertisement was definitely fraudulent
 and cleverly done.
On Monday, we will contact the authorities [don't know who] and see what happens!!

That was called a "scam", and the free use of my band width was a "game".

I call them THEFT,

and the people that perpetrate these crimes THIEVES.

Funny how values appear to have changed, 

I guess I must be getting 

OLD!!

Until next time --- Keep Safe!

Hot off the Press!!

I just had to post these two pictures,

Jess has just taken them.

Midnight really is huge, how on earth will we fit in the bed  when he is six months old!!!

This is Jess's favourite picture, obviously she is talking about Midnight not me!

I hate having a head cold.

Still -- Keep Happy!!

A Fetish!!!

People have fetishes about many things --feet, hair, ears.

I definately have a fetish about tongues!

I have a lousy cold, 

yesterday, Jazz came over to cheer me up, 

the sun was shining, so she and Jess, took photos of my baby.

He has one of those long, slurpy, drippy tongues that big dogs often have, as Jazz soon found out

 Its hidden away in there, just wait.

 Getting bigger!

 and bigger!

 and BIGGER!!

But then again,

look at those eyes, how could anyone resist them.

You know what is the best thing about Midnight,

he is all mine.

Nacho will always be "my special girl", but she loves her mum the most, as it should be.

Midnight will one day, be able to sleep with me and walk by my side where ever I go, 

what more could I want.

Until next time ---- Keep Happy!

A new addition to the family!

Can you see what is in the picture above?

Not Nacho, not the potting mix,

the little black hairy thing!

Its my new puppy, he is only 13 weeks old.

have a look at him.

Isn't he enormous!

His name is Midnight, for obvious reasons

and he is a large Standard Poodle.

I was expecting to take him for his first visit to the vet,

riding on my tray, but I think he will be walking.

This is a picture of him when he first arrived, Jess bought him the green toy, it is now his absolute favourite,

I hear it squeaking in the middle of the night.

This is us on our first solo outing, 

he is so intelligent that it is easy to forget he is only a baby.

He is learning to walk by my side without me touching his lead. I am finding this very difficult because I am scared of running over his paws.

Everyone keeps telling me that he will learn very quickly, but that does not make it any easier for me.

He wears a red body harness instead of a collar, this makes it easier for him to walk next to the wheel chair, and will not damage his neck.

Look at that face and those eyes!

Now look at the next picture,

 another set of beautiful eyes.

Now I am going to have to train him, 

it will be a interesting experience for both of us.

I have no idea how to do it in a chair.

Fortunately big poodles are very placid dogs,

I have already noticed how calm  and gentle he is.

I am very relieved that he and Nacho get along, she is definitely the boss [because she is a girl],

but he is happy and so is she!

I guess it is early days yet, so we shall see.

At present, they are both lying on the floor near my chair, chewing on a puppy bone, 

now if they would always be like that,

life would be soooo easy.

Until next time --- Happy Days!