Need Wise Advice? Not too concerned that it makes sense? Talk to me! Helen is my name and crisis is my game. Cooking fiasco? dog problems? Can’t see? Can’t dance? Your life’s a mess, eh? (see! I’m Canadian!) Whatever the disaster, I can help. It’swinter spring summer fall winterspring in Nova Scotia, so I’ve got time on my hands…with a touch of psoriasis. Have dog, will travel, though I might send a ’special crisis team’…just for you! Don’t be shy. We have helped millions, thousands ok, so maybe just a few people, desperately seeking advice. We will get on your case pronto. (INSERT BIG DISCLAIMER HERE) But seriously folks, In a real and past life, I worked as a chef. I know my way around a kitchen. Now I cook in the dark…piece of cake! and my guide dog, Opal enjoys my work too! I’m game to talk about cooking, guide dogs, vision loss, accessibility or any combination of these. I may get off track and rant a bit, but I aim to inform. Read on!
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24 responses so far ↓
Terena // April 21, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Hi. I’ve enjoyed reading your blog and I wanted to share information about Laura Fogg’s book, “Traveling Blind; Life Lessons from Unlikely Teachers.” She is an Orientation and Mobility Instructor in Northern California, USA, and has worked with blind children for 35 years. My own daughter is one of her students. The book is now available from Bookshare.org for those who need an accessible version. I apologize if this looks like “spam,” but I do believe you would enjoy her book. I should mention I am her publisher.
Thanks again for your enjoyable blog. Have a great day,
Terena
Helen McFadyen // April 21, 2008 at 9:07 pm
I have not read it yet. I will try to get an audio copy from the CNIB library, if they have it. Helen
Angel Anderson // May 5, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Helen,
Its Angel! I am doing this research paper on service dogs and one of the questions is to explore your topic. So I was wondering if you could tell me 2-3 things about what’s like to have one. thanks
Nice blog by the way.
Keep up the good work.
lablady // May 5, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Hey Angel!!! That’s great. I am so excited that you asked…I could spit! (in a ladylike way). Check tomorrow’s blog for your answer.
Annie Cruz // June 18, 2008 at 10:43 am
Hi Helen,
I wrote to you before as an urban planner and mom to a daughter (she’s a very busy toddler!) with a congenital eye condition. But, I am also a part-time student working on my dissertation in cultural geography in the UK. I started out researching about eyes on the web about a year ago and I stumbled on your website this past winter. Anyway, I really enjoy reading your blog and would love to converse with you further on blogging, the internet, accessibility issues – you name – it if you would be interested.
Thanks,
Annie
lablady // June 18, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Hi Annie,
I’m so sorry I have not been in touch with you yet. To be honest, I had forgotten your original request. I would be delighted to chat with you. Urban planning, accessibility… I can chat up a storm. You have been cautioned! I will e-mail directly very soon. Thanks for your interest. Hi to your daughter. Helen
kate.mac // July 6, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Hello Helen and Opal,
Just wanted to comment to let you know that I have updated my site and changed the URL to puppyguru.com. I will link back to you and just ask that you correct the link on your site and title it “Puppy Guru”
Thank you!
~Katelin
Denise McNerney // August 29, 2008 at 4:09 am
Hi Helen and Opal,
I just wanted to say that I love your blog and writing style. You are so honest, funny and genuine.
I came across your blog by accident (while looking for opal blogs) but because you were in Halifax, Nova Scotia, I ended up hanging around. I am in Australia and did one semester of overseas study, guess where? yep, you guessed it, Halifax, Nova Scotia, (Dalhousie University) so it brought back memories of trudging through the snow as I walked to uni.
Anyway I was looking for blog sites that had advertising spots for my jewelry store but I don’t see that you have any advertising spots on your blog. Opal would have made such a good mascot do you think? hehe
Anyway, goodbye and goodluck, will come back and read your blog every now and then.
lablady // August 29, 2008 at 6:29 am
Hey Denise, I don’t think I’m allowed to pimp Opal out as a sales gimmick, but I REALLY want to buy …you guessed it…a black opal one day. Thanks for reading. Do you think you’d buy a book by the same author? (grin)
brenda c. // September 6, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Hi I wanna see if this works, Will write more later
brenda c. // September 6, 2008 at 9:41 pm
just thought I would let you know that I bumped into your blog. Hope you will still be willing to be nominated for the board next year.
lablady // September 7, 2008 at 6:53 am
Hmm. something to think about. See you in Vancouver, I hope.
Jonathan Perkins // September 23, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Hi Helen,
My names Jonathan Perkins, I’m a film student at the University of Illinois at Chicago and I recently stumbled across your blog about “art for the blind day”. Put simply you’ve intrigued me. For the past year I have been working on a project that studies perception and the scenes. Recently I have been examining sight and blindness. I have been thinking about how I can better understand and then better represent blindness to the sighted. I also wondered if there could be away of introducing video in some form (possibly using the other four scenes) to he visually impaired. I guess, I would love to discover a way to come up with tactical and audible video for the blind.
That said I was wondering if you would be willing to give some input on the idea.
Is there anything in video, film or narrative based stories that you already find interesting?
would you be willing to tell me about some of your experiences with film?
Once again I would love to get your input, and look forward to hearing any ideas you might have.
Jon
jonathanrperkins@yahoo.com
lablady // September 23, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Hey J. I will e-mail you directly when I have a moment…some videos are descriptive. That is to say that they have a voice over track to describe some of the key visuals in the movie. Frankly, I don’t like them. They annoy the hell out of me! Imagine: Humphrey Bogart is smooching with Ingrid Bergman and some dweeb says over the violins, “the air is thick with smoke and passion”…but that’s just me. some blind people like them. ditto descriptive tv. There is a big legal fracas going on with CRTC regarding a ‘descriptive channel’ in Canada. I think that good film stands alone. I would be annoyed by smell-a-movie or the like. I also accept that part of blindness is that I will not have the same experience at a movie, but I am ok with that. I’m ok with not having my sweetie describe every sunset, cause I don’t expect or want her too. Just because I can’t see the movie (or the sunset or the clouds) does not make me an incomplete person. If you make videos, then make them for sighted people. Make good films period. As for better understanding blindness, just hang around blind people. But do something useful if you are using them to get “understanding”…like help someone shop or read mail….and by the way, you should edit your comments before you post them. Kids! sheesh…
Jonathan Perkins // September 25, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Sorry about the poor editing, and thanks for the quick reply. I look forward to emailing you.
Katelin MacNair // November 27, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Hi Helen and Opal!
It’s Katelin again (from your blog roll). I was just wondering if you could change the title from “Katelin’s Blog” to Puppy Guru since that’s the name of my blog. Also if you could change it from puppyguru.blogspot.com to just puppyguru.com I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!
-Kate
George // December 6, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Dec.6/08
Was disappoined not to see any mention of the significance of the Day that left so many killed, injured, disabled but more relative to this Blog ……..Blind.
But to be fair, being a PFA you might not be familiar with
the hundreds of children & adults left blind and the assistance provided for them.
lablady // December 6, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Thank you George,
You are correct and I am sorry not to have touched on this yet.
I will alolutely research and write on this topic soon.
tim // December 16, 2008 at 4:28 am
your snowing Braille theme is cool. Or my monitor is broken. Either way, it’s cool.
lablady // December 16, 2008 at 8:52 am
Very interesting interpretation…but that would be tough to read Braille…sheesh! I struggle with it when it’s stationary.
E.J. Zufelt // March 23, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Good evening,
I ran across your site this afternoon while looking for information about the Jim Sanders apology, lucky you for getting a response, my complaint about his less than eloquent statement was an empty void, perhaps the Internet ate it.
I just wanted to say that I love your site and commentary, sinical yet somehow positive. Keep up the great work.
knowledgetoday // March 29, 2009 at 4:29 am
I love your site. Keep it up !
beckylpc // April 19, 2009 at 12:30 am
Just found your blog – can see I will enjoy reading and contributing to the dialogue! Thanks … mine is cruisinwithcricket.blogspot.com
Currently have my second guide – Cricket
sandrar // September 10, 2009 at 11:09 am
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.