How Great Thou Art is one of my top favorite songs. I can never get through it without tearing up and just sobbing. The third verse especially is extremely powerful.
This video was done by Ronaldo Feliciano. Ronaldo is the Deaf pastor of Tampa Baptist Deaf Church in Florida. Even if you don't know ASL, you can "see" the music in his soul!
Pause a moment from whatever you are doing and stand in awe of the Almighty God we serve!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Back to Blogging and Summer Movies
wow... I didn't realize I haven't been blogging in too long of a time. I need to get back into the habit. Its interesting how summer brings new routines and habits. For instance, since I work from home and have my own business... www. bienleindesign.com... I do not have set hours that I have to go to bed or wake up. I'm SO blessed!
My kids are teenagers so they are pretty much on their own and share many of the same habits I have... stay up late and sleep in in the morning. Unfortunately, my husband MUST wake at 3am as he starts work at 4am so all years around, he is the only one who still has set hours.
I rarely watch TV and even when I do, I am often doing something else at the same. I am reading a book or I am doing business related stuff on the laptop or maybe ironing. I just can't seem to SIT and DO NOTHING. To me, that is a waste of time. But... during the summer, I change.
Since I don't have to be awake at a set time to get the kids up and off to school, I have been doing the following routine for about a month now... I work on business related stuff until about 10 or 11pm. During that time, I'm not normally on the computer but I could be cleaning up or reorganizing my inventory.. I'm selecting the items I plan to post the next day...I take photos of those items or I pack up sold items for shipping the next day. Always something to do. I'm normally on the computer only up until about 3 or 4pmish.
So, anyways... at around 10 or 11pm, I force myself to stop. Now is my downtime. I find the remote and just browse through the Guide until I come across a movie that looks interesting. I try to pick one I haven't seen before, that has at least 3 stars rating and that is closed captioned. It really bums me to find a great movie and then discover it is not captioned or the captions are so screwed up, its not worth it.
I watch almost anything but I'm not a fan of the overly violent, gory or incredibly stupid movies (most of those DON'T get 3 star ratings!) or westerns. I like science fiction and most of anything else! I especially love Turner Classic movies - those in black and white! I try to do nothing else but just watch the movie. So far, I have not fallen asleep during a movie. I go to bed when its over and that is normally around 1am.
Of course, all this will end starting September when my kids are back to school and I need to get up at 6am again. Thus the routine changes with the calendar. No more late movies until the next June rolls around. In the meantime, I'll just enjoy catching up with old movies while I can.
I want to add that I never go to watch movies in the theater - mostly because none in my immediate area offer captioned movies. We don't often rent or buy movies either so I am years behind in watching the movies that won all the awards and such. That is not a big deal at all to me.
My kids are teenagers so they are pretty much on their own and share many of the same habits I have... stay up late and sleep in in the morning. Unfortunately, my husband MUST wake at 3am as he starts work at 4am so all years around, he is the only one who still has set hours.
I rarely watch TV and even when I do, I am often doing something else at the same. I am reading a book or I am doing business related stuff on the laptop or maybe ironing. I just can't seem to SIT and DO NOTHING. To me, that is a waste of time. But... during the summer, I change.
Since I don't have to be awake at a set time to get the kids up and off to school, I have been doing the following routine for about a month now... I work on business related stuff until about 10 or 11pm. During that time, I'm not normally on the computer but I could be cleaning up or reorganizing my inventory.. I'm selecting the items I plan to post the next day...I take photos of those items or I pack up sold items for shipping the next day. Always something to do. I'm normally on the computer only up until about 3 or 4pmish.
So, anyways... at around 10 or 11pm, I force myself to stop. Now is my downtime. I find the remote and just browse through the Guide until I come across a movie that looks interesting. I try to pick one I haven't seen before, that has at least 3 stars rating and that is closed captioned. It really bums me to find a great movie and then discover it is not captioned or the captions are so screwed up, its not worth it.
I watch almost anything but I'm not a fan of the overly violent, gory or incredibly stupid movies (most of those DON'T get 3 star ratings!) or westerns. I like science fiction and most of anything else! I especially love Turner Classic movies - those in black and white! I try to do nothing else but just watch the movie. So far, I have not fallen asleep during a movie. I go to bed when its over and that is normally around 1am.
Of course, all this will end starting September when my kids are back to school and I need to get up at 6am again. Thus the routine changes with the calendar. No more late movies until the next June rolls around. In the meantime, I'll just enjoy catching up with old movies while I can.
I want to add that I never go to watch movies in the theater - mostly because none in my immediate area offer captioned movies. We don't often rent or buy movies either so I am years behind in watching the movies that won all the awards and such. That is not a big deal at all to me.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Being Deaf within Hearing Groups
It was almost a last minute decision to fly out to Tucson, AZ to spend the holiday weekend with my college roommate Grace. They are constantly telling us to come out to visit them and we try to at least once a year. John was supposed to go with me but that didn't work out so my 13 yr old daughter went with me instead. We are blessed to be able to fly free as John is an employee of Delta airlines.
Grace knows a limited amount of sign language but she is one of those I normally have no problems lipreading so I'm comfortable being around her and we have a good time together. Her husband, Charlie is a little harder to lipread but I can manage. If necessary, Kayla will interpret what they say if I get stuck. It works out.
They have 9 horses on their mini ranch so I got to go horseback riding twice. My horse, "Chief", is so patience and tolerant of my inexperience. Kayla enjoyed riding "Ben" and she does a good job.
While we had a super relaxing weekend with Grace and Charlie, there were a few testing, stressful moments for me - all of which involved groups.
I do not do well in hearing groups. Put me with 3 or more people who do not sign and I'm lost. I am not able to follow conversations that bounce back and forth as the subject matter keeps changing...people don't keep their bodies in my line of sight...people are laughing and its pretty much impossible to lipread talking while they are laughing or smiling big... people are not looking directly at me... the lighting is not good... mustaches and beards (ugh... a deaf person's nightmare)...etc etc.
The first happened Saturday night when we attended an Open House for a friend's son who graduated. That was not too bad as that was also my first evening with Grace so it was our first chance to catch up with each other so we mostly sat at a table and chatted the whole time. I am pretty good with a one to one conversation as long as I know the subject we are discussing.
The next occasion was church on Sunday. They normally have an interpreter. I was there before with an interpreter so we all expected the same... except the interpreter did not show up. ugh... that meant I had to sit there for an hour and attempt to lipread everything. Not good. My lipreading skills are no longer as good as they once were. Since I learned ASL and spend most of my time around Deaf people, I don't depend on lipreading as much as I once did growing up. When I am sitting "deaf" within a hearing group, I tend to have "pity parties" for myself.
I hate that and I struggle with that. I really should have stopped feeling sorry for myself and just had a private worship and ignored what was going on around me but I have a hard time doing that. I tried SO HARD to lipread the pastor and it frustrated me so much that I had no idea what he was saying. I'm curious if any of the readers also feel this way. I spent more time trying to hold back tears than anything else.
The third occasion was Memorial day when Grace had 2 other couples over for a BBQ. I had met these people during previous visits with Grace so I knew who they were but never really related to them. We all sat around the table and the conversation just bounced from one thing to another. Grace would occasionally voice interpret what someone said. As long as she was talking directly to me, I could understand her. It was interesting to note that my daughter who was also there and knows sign very well, did not attempt to interpret except if I couldn't understand Grace. I never asked her to and would never put her into that position. That would have to be her choice. Just because she is a CODA, doesn't mean she is my personal interpreter. Perhaps when she gets older, she will feel more comfortable. That is fine.
I might be seeing these very same people again next month as we were invited to join them when they travel to Mexico and stay at their summer house on the beach. This time John is coming with us. While I won't force him to be my personal interpreter, I know he will be willing and I'm looking forward to the chance to get to know Grace's friends better as they are all very nice people.
Overall it was a very nice weekend and I'm glad I went. It forced me to take a break from work and do different things...even if sometimes they are out of my comfort zone!
Grace knows a limited amount of sign language but she is one of those I normally have no problems lipreading so I'm comfortable being around her and we have a good time together. Her husband, Charlie is a little harder to lipread but I can manage. If necessary, Kayla will interpret what they say if I get stuck. It works out.
They have 9 horses on their mini ranch so I got to go horseback riding twice. My horse, "Chief", is so patience and tolerant of my inexperience. Kayla enjoyed riding "Ben" and she does a good job.
While we had a super relaxing weekend with Grace and Charlie, there were a few testing, stressful moments for me - all of which involved groups.
I do not do well in hearing groups. Put me with 3 or more people who do not sign and I'm lost. I am not able to follow conversations that bounce back and forth as the subject matter keeps changing...people don't keep their bodies in my line of sight...people are laughing and its pretty much impossible to lipread talking while they are laughing or smiling big... people are not looking directly at me... the lighting is not good... mustaches and beards (ugh... a deaf person's nightmare)...etc etc.
The first happened Saturday night when we attended an Open House for a friend's son who graduated. That was not too bad as that was also my first evening with Grace so it was our first chance to catch up with each other so we mostly sat at a table and chatted the whole time. I am pretty good with a one to one conversation as long as I know the subject we are discussing.
The next occasion was church on Sunday. They normally have an interpreter. I was there before with an interpreter so we all expected the same... except the interpreter did not show up. ugh... that meant I had to sit there for an hour and attempt to lipread everything. Not good. My lipreading skills are no longer as good as they once were. Since I learned ASL and spend most of my time around Deaf people, I don't depend on lipreading as much as I once did growing up. When I am sitting "deaf" within a hearing group, I tend to have "pity parties" for myself.
I hate that and I struggle with that. I really should have stopped feeling sorry for myself and just had a private worship and ignored what was going on around me but I have a hard time doing that. I tried SO HARD to lipread the pastor and it frustrated me so much that I had no idea what he was saying. I'm curious if any of the readers also feel this way. I spent more time trying to hold back tears than anything else.
The third occasion was Memorial day when Grace had 2 other couples over for a BBQ. I had met these people during previous visits with Grace so I knew who they were but never really related to them. We all sat around the table and the conversation just bounced from one thing to another. Grace would occasionally voice interpret what someone said. As long as she was talking directly to me, I could understand her. It was interesting to note that my daughter who was also there and knows sign very well, did not attempt to interpret except if I couldn't understand Grace. I never asked her to and would never put her into that position. That would have to be her choice. Just because she is a CODA, doesn't mean she is my personal interpreter. Perhaps when she gets older, she will feel more comfortable. That is fine.
I might be seeing these very same people again next month as we were invited to join them when they travel to Mexico and stay at their summer house on the beach. This time John is coming with us. While I won't force him to be my personal interpreter, I know he will be willing and I'm looking forward to the chance to get to know Grace's friends better as they are all very nice people.
Overall it was a very nice weekend and I'm glad I went. It forced me to take a break from work and do different things...even if sometimes they are out of my comfort zone!
Monday, May 11, 2009
God Gave Each of us an Angel
This is dedicated to all the moms out there! Hope you had a happy Mother's day and remember that EVERYDAY is Mother's Day and it is an honor to be a mom! Enjoy! If you doubleclick on the video, it will show up larger.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Vote for DOUA today!
Please Vote for Disabled Online Users Association. http://communicause.com/my-cause/1431/gwscY7DTmzrYLDgs
DOUA stands for Disabled Online Users Association. Its free for anyone who has any type of "disability" to join. No one judges you there. There are classes and forums where you can ask questions to help you get started with having a business on the internet. They have been a big encourager to me when I was struggling a few years ago. They are part of a contest to receive a $25,000 social media makeover. They deserve your support and your vote. GO and vote now! and many thanks!
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