It's funny how my first order took months a arrive, the second order was here within two days! I know the order was smaller this time, anyway, its here and I am very pleased with it. I have brought batteries to go in the light wands and have used the sticky pads that they came with to stick them in my cupboards, I would show you a picture, but now I can see in the cupboards, I realise how incredibly messy they are, clearing them out will be a job for the Christmas holidays.
I got three more light wands, another cutting board, red this time and this very fetching computer key board.
The key board just plugs into the back of my laptop, right now as I type, the keyboard is sitting on one of those dinner tray things on my lap and my laptop is on the arm of the sofa, its much easier to use, its the same with the big PC, just plug it into the USB thingy and away you go. Fab, I wish I had one of these months ago, it would have made using the computer so much easier.
The RNIB have a online shop that is easy to access, there are some really helpful gadgets in there as well as bigger things like mobile phones, I know I had a bad experience with ordering from them, but when someone finally got down to looking into the problem, it seems there were problems with several other orders that were placed that day, so it sounds like it was a computer glitch. A couple of years ago, I brought a speaking watch from there, the ladies ones aren't super snazzy but they do what they are supposed to do, touch the little button on the side of the watch face and a little computerised voice tells you the time, press it again and it tells you that date. I was quite fond of my watch, until it found its way into the washing machine, sadly it was never the same after that. I think I might look into getting another one, also check out the measuring jugs and weighing scales, I like to cook and bake, but my equipment lets me down and just irritates me when I cant see what I am weighing or measuring.
I also wanted to talk to you about talking books. Although I am a very active person, there are times when I just want to sit quietly, in total silence, I think this is because my head is often crammed full of millions of different sounds and my brain is working overtime trying to process all the images I see, silence and sitting still gives my brain time to sort of repair. However, this can be a very dangerous time, as sitting quietly can soon turn into thinking, thinking is fine but over thinking is not fine, over thinking produces emotions and thoughts that distort your perception and can turn a very small and insignificant situation into something which majorly effects your ability to have rational thoughts...bit like taking drugs I suppose.
I am a over thinker, but I KNOW I am a over thinker, that's where the difference lies, I am aware that I can convince myself that the whole world hates me or that I am fat, ugly and stupid, I can turn peoples words around in my head until the thing that they said to me takes on a whole different meaning, and suddenly I am worrying about something that's not even there!
That's where the talking books are hero's on little memory sticks.
Many many, years ago, when I was small, my Mum used to listen to talking books, I could never really understand why, she used to get them from the library, and they came on 'TAPE'!! We used to walk into the kitchen and there she would be listening to Miss Marple whilst peeling the veg, I used to think she was a bit nuts, grab my wellies and go off to see what trouble I could get into in the garden.
How things have changed, these days you get memory sticks with the stories on, plug them into a USB hole and you are sorted, I use to download them onto a mp3 player and listen to them on the train on the way to work, now I no longer get the train to work, I just play them through my laptop. I remember when Mum used to get them there used to be very little choice, bit like the old large print books, they were all Mills and Boon, romance just isn't high on my agenda unfortunately.
I receive two stories, when I have listened to them both, I send them back and another two pop through my door, simple as that.
Calibre are a charity, when you register with them they ask a bit about you so they can send stories relevant to your interests, over the years I have only received a couple of stories that I couldn't get into.
The magazine is handy all the stories are categorised and it gives you the name of the book, a bit about it and most importantly, the person who is narrating it, believe me, there is nothing worse than listening to someone for four hours who has a voice that either drives you crackers or sends you to sleep. For those, who for one reason or another, are unable to get out, these types of charities and organisations are a real life line. To lose yourself in a book is a very special feeling, it sparks the imagination and gives you something to think about, I found listening to the stories helps me to relax, it also helps me to stay grounded, I was separated from the real world for a while, but when I turned off the story I seemed to have more of a positive energy, there is nothing like a good book, ask anyone!!
The white label slides out and my address is on the other side, so I just switch it over when I send the stories back.
This week has been a strange one, I made a couple of mistakes at work on Monday, I know why they happened but it has stopped me beating myself up over them, Tuesday, I went shopping on my own...all the way to Stevenage on the train, its gonna sound daft to you but, I made a list (fairly normal behaviour for a woman my age) but I also visualised my route, I mapped the shops out in my head and my list coincided with the route, like, first stop was Tesco, when I got to Tesco, I checked the list (Tesco stuff at the top of the list) and I brought NOTHING else, and then I went to the next shop and did exactly the same, I even scheduled in a stop at the Café! Totally perfect, the only thing I hadn't factored in was the rain, but hey its just rain...lots of it, but just rain.
So why the hell today when I went into Hitchin was it a bloody disaster? I did the same sort of thing, bank, post office, Sainsbury, Wilkinson, Superdrug and Marks, It might not have been as simple as I couldn't get my usual seat on the bus so I had to sit nearer the back, which meant there would be two steps down from the back of the bus instead of the one step from where I usually sit, I had this two step crap in my head all the way to town, and when the bus stopped I had this little vice screaming in the back of my head TWOOOO STEPPPPSSS, DONT FALL DOWN THE BLOODY STEPS!!!
Then this woman started talking to me...Yes, TALKING, she was just walking along beside me just chatting about what cake she was going to buy, bloody hell woman, you are seriously messing with my flow! Off she went to buy a doughnut or maybe an éclair or perhaps a custard tart, cos she really fancied a custard tart and I scooted into the bank, on-one about so I made my way to the business till only to be cut up by a old couple who thought it was fucking hilarious that they had brought a suitcase full of 2 pence's to be banked, luckily another member of staff saw the look on my face and steered me to a help desk where she took my bits and used the computer where the old couple were happily counting out their 2p's.
Post office next, the cue was coming out of the door so I joined it behind a man and his little darling who had his very lovely scooter and thought it was ok to keep driving over everyone's feet...By the time I had been in the other three shops I stood outside Marks with the familiar sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, I just wanted to roll into a ball and cry myself to sleep, but I went in got what was on my list and came out just as my bus home was pulling up, I literally ran across the road, so pleased to be going home, unfortunately there was the whole two step business thing again because my seat was unavailable. I have sat in complete silence for 45 minutes before I started writing this blog, youngest daughter is about to come through the door, at least my brain has been rested!
Speak soon, I think it will be time to put up the Christmas Tree this weekend, I will show you a photo x
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