throwing up your hands

I was rehearsing yesterday for our murder mystery play. At one point, someone suggested I throw up my hands in exasperation.
I don't know what that looks like. I've never done it. They showed me and I tried it out. It didn't really feel natural.
Do people do this a lot? Fling up their hands skyward in frustration?

reading minds?

Today something hit me. No not literally. When you first get a new guide dog, you and the dog don't know each other. I've loved each of my dogs almost right away. Felt comfortable with them. happy. Safe more or less (more safe as time passed) But, there comes a time, when dog human relationship has evolved to the place where I feel that sometimes we do not need to say anything to each other. Sure, I still give commands. Sure I still praise. sure we communicate. But there are things I know and my dog knows. It hit me today. As we walked along, Tulia paused. Not the pause that means, "I'm figuring something out." But a pause and a pull towards the grass that says, "Hey, can we stop while I have a pee. So off with the harness and she hit the grass. Then, as we walked, ahead of us in the block, a dog barking menacingly. A dog in a car. Jumping at the windows. Barking. All might be okay but I thought, "Well we could walk past that dog or we can cut through this building on my right and avoid the dog altogether. I did not say, "Right inside. or anything else. I was just thinking a bit when Tulia swung right, pranced to the door and showed me the handle. Then, later on, I was thinking about construction ahead and thought I would turn right and go around the block. Again, I was about to say right, but we had already turned.

Finding stories.

It's odd that sometimes when you think you know what story you will create (or not create) it never works quite that way. Storytelling tonight at the tea party cafe 119 York street in the market from 7 to 8:30 PM with fellow storyteller Joanna Smith. Our set is about mythical creatures. i said, "No autobiographical stories this time. Just brownies and giants." As an intro to my brownie story, I was going to tell 2 lines about my own experience as a brownie. These two lines expanded and expanded into a story I had forgotten and actually did not know was a story until it came out of me. Much tweeking and reworking later, I am becoming happy with it. so interesting that the creative process is never quite what you think it is at the beginning.

So glad I have such varied work.

i have had a very busy week. It struck me today as I was going for a walk with my guide dog, how glad I am to have such varied work. This week for example, I worked on a script for our hallowene murder mystery show. I worked on stories for a performance at a local cafe this week. I gave a presentation at a technology fair. i toured the exhibits at the fair. I worked on some accessibility work, upcoming storytelling performances. I attended a meeting about historical storytelling and a video publicity project. I did some publicity work and updated my finances and work schedule. I received 1 school and 2 seniors bookings. I just love having a wide variety of things to do.

Storytelling next week at the tea party.

I will be telling stories next Tuesday at the tea party cafe. 119 York street in Ottawa with new storyteller Joanna Smith. She is great! Our theme is mythical creatures. But somehow, no matter what I do, my own autobiographical material creeps in. Want to know about being a bad blind brownie? My act of inadvertent vandalism? And yes mythical creatures come into play too. Come to the tea party and find out all about it.

Storytelling next week at the tea party.

I will be telling stories next Tuesday at the tea party cafe. 119 York street in Ottawa with new storyteller Joanna Smith. She is great! Our theme is mythical creatures. But somehow, no matter what I do, my own autobiographical material creeps in. Want to know about being a bad blind brownie? My act of inadvertent vandalism? And yes mythical creatures come into play too. Come to the tea party and find out all about it.

Dog's calmness makes me calmer too.

A lot of people around me have been going through serious health problems and difficult situations. It has shaken me up greatly. Yesterday afternoon, I was working at my desk but thinking about all that is going on. Feeling sad and overwhelmed. And then, suddenly, a little black lab head bumped my arm. a dog appeared. Wagging her whole self. Living in the moment. Dragging over a rope with which to play her most favourite game of tug. And tug we did. Her whole self wagging. Then, she flung herself on to my legs. Rubbing her head all over me. Wagging, snorting, rolling. and somehow I felt better. Got that sense that life is to be lived joyfully. That things will be what they are but we can get through them and we will. And how did she know that I needed her to do that, just right at that very moment?

Guide dog loves show tunes! Who would have guessed?

The other day, someone started singing show tunes to my guide dog. She went crazy. wagging and rolling around. All excited. We did not know many full versions of the show tunes. everyone in the room seemed to know a line or two of each one. But, each time, she got very very silly. Perhaps it was our laughter or the way we sang them (or tried to) but when we sang other things, she was not nearly so excited. So, does this mean I have to start taking her to musicals? That could be a pretty expensive project although I would not mind as I like musicals too.

Kim Kilpatrick
Storyteller, workshop leader, disability awareness and access technology trainer
kimjkilpatrick@gmail.com
Blog and samples of work at http://kimgia3.blogspot.com
Sent from my iphone

Dentist adventures

I had some dental adventures this week. Broke a chunk out of a tooth. No, I didn't bump into anything. I wasn't playing sports. I just bit into a piece of toast and there it was!
Or I guess I should say, there it wasn't.
Well, the good things about the dentists if you are blind are the following.
I thought of these while I was lying there and they were drilling and filling.
First, I had my dog with me. She was so calm and happy and would lean her head on my leg and once even on my shoulder looking at what they did. Felt so nice and comforting. Just like having your mom there when you were a kid.
Next, couldn't see the things coming at me.
Just lay there and let them work.
Bad things, had trouble talking from the freezing. On the way down in the elevator, I asked someone if this was the ground floor. He said, "Have you just been to the dentist?" Was it that obvious?
Anyway, all is well now.