April 23 - Happy Easter

Lyle and I are nearing the end of a holiday in Australia.  For the past ten days we have been staying at my sister’s home in Summer Hill.  Summer Hill is a suburb of Sydney’s Inner West.  It is an interesting mix of the old and historical and the new and trendy.

This was evident in the local neighbourhood church we attended on Sunday.  St. Andrew’s was cathedral like in appearance.  It was a huge building with multiple stained glass windows and capped with a very, very tall spire.  The church was completed in 1883.

Inside, the back pews had been removed to create an open space for children to move around and where tea and coffee were served after the service.  The front part of the church had traditional wooden pews.  The congregation comprised mostly younger adults and there were children everywhere. The atmosphere was vibrant and enthusiastic.

Upon entering the church, two greeters handed us service bulletins.  This was good as the service didn’t follow the traditional Anglican format.  Two hymns were sung with the pipe organ and three songs were accompanied by a five-piece band and lead singer.  It was a mix of  the traditional and the more modern. I was disappointed when the words of a traditional hymn I knew by heart had been changed.  Possibly this was meant to make it more inclusive but I was now unable to sing as the words were unfamiliar to me.

While Lyle and I usually travel together, I often ask myself if I would be able to do the same things if I was alone.  St. Andrew’s passed the test for me.  As well as the printed bulletin, verbal directions as to whether to sit or stand were given as to the flow of the service.  Greeters and ushers were helpful.  This was a church I could easily return to.

There is a picture with this post.  I am standing at the gates to the courtyard in front of the church.

 

 

Sue at the gates in front of the church

Easter greetings to everyone from Lyle and myself. 

April 14 - Overheard Conversation

Lyle and I were walking through the plaza.  As we approached a nearby picnic table I heard the following conversation between an older woman and a teenage boy.

Woman: “You should move your bike from where you dropped it on the sidewalk.. Somebody might trip on it.”

Boy: “It’s okay where it”s at. You would have to be blind not to see it.”

I was just hoping that I wasn’t going to be the blind person who tripped over the bike that had been carelessly dropped in the middle of the pavement.

Fortunately, even though the bike wasn’t moved, I missed it!

April 9 - The Shoreline

When my sight first changed, I found that walking in a straight line with my cane could sometimes be difficult.  My mobility instructor suggested that I use the tip of my white cane long the “shoreline.”

I was confused.  At the time we were walking along an inside hallway of a CNIB building. What did Janice mean by the “shoreline”?  She explained that the shoreline was simply the edge of the path. Inside it might be where the carpet meets the wall. Outside it might be where the pavement meets the grass.

I found this suggestion very helpful, although it doesn’t apply everywhere and in all locations. If you are a white cane user you will know that there are many wide surfaces without an obvious shoreline, such as an airport terminal, a shopping plaza, a playground or a park.

I often think of this first white cane mobility lesson when Lyle and I are actually on the shore of the ocean. That is where the following picture was taken.  I am standing on a sandy beach with small waves rippling towards my feet.  The edge is not so clearly defined.  I know I will have “crossed the line” when my feet actually get wet.

 

Sue with white cane at the shorline