Fall Luncheon Pictures

Here are the pictures from the Guide Dog Luncheon at the Portland Zoo on Friday. Such fun and we were so happy to have our Steve's come along ... unfortunately, we don't have a picture together. The picture below - note: I have my purse that I LOVE!
Its my third luncheon joining these ladies! Love them all and so happy they received the memo that brown was the color this year.

A piece of my dream

Since my master's degree internship at The Sharing Place and hearing so much about The Dougy Center, I have wanted to visit there. Today while in Portland, we had the opportunity to have a two-hour meeting with the Director. As we were leaving with the cab driver waiting, I said Steve can you take a quick picture of us. (What a sport he is.)

A piece of my professional dream is to create a center like this in my area! If you go on their site you will see that unfortunately, four months ago their beautiful house for grieving families was burned - arson. So sad. They will rebuild. What an analogy of what you do with loss.

Becky, who is blind

Often I am asked - What can you see? Retinitis Pigmentosa is an interesting lesson in ambiguity. Vision can change from day to day, its unpredictable on when it will take its next 'drop' or additional vision loss, and many like me have a pinhole remaining that is fairly clear/useable vision. For the past while, mine has been stable at roughly 3 degrees. The picture to the side is a good visual of what I can see -- kind of like looking through a fuzzy peephole that continues to get smaller. So, you can see the need to walk with a guide dog or cane from this picture. What becomes confusing for others, if something is far away in that little peephole, I may be able to spot it! Yesterday, at the Portland Market, I spotted something - thought it was cute soap and it turned out to be fudge (even better) so you can see the vision is often unreliable. There is still some misconceptions that blindness = total black. True for some, however, the majority of people who are blind have some type of remaining vision. I have found that many times that remaining vision is not reliable and have embraced the tools available to a person who is blind. If someone has questions, (are you training that dog? etc) I may explain the term legally blind (less than 20 degrees in peripheral vision or 20/200 or higher in acuity) or visually impaired as education purpose. Language is empowering and love the concept of People First Language.

Yes I can

Yesterday we enjoyed a great day with our friends, Steve and Debi and their sweet dogs, Dakota, Desma, and Culver (pictures to follow). They are such incredible hosts and friends. Love them and when I think of reasons I am grateful for Guide Dogs for the Blind -- the blessing of this wonderful friendship is near the top!

As we were going into lunch, Panerra (yummy soup on a rainy day); I was outside with Cricket. An employee that was outside, asked me if that was a guide dog - yes, I said. He then said, oh our manager probably won't let you in our restaurant. I told him very nicely that yes he could and gave him a brief explanation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Thank you, ADA. The employee left with 'good luck - I don't think you'll be able to go in.' I smiled and said Yes I can. I entered and there was no problem. Just a situation of an employee that is learning and I realized I have learned so much in the past 12 years with a guide and grateful that I can assertively say, Yes I can (in so many ways)

Gratitude for Guide Dogs for the Blind

Perhaps this title is obvious but after attending the Fall Guide Dog Luncheon today (at the Portland Zoo), once again my heart is full with such gratitude for all the people & dogs that make a working guide dog team possible. I'm having a hard time putting words to the experience - (especially because there is a little yellow lab wanting to take priority and be fed) Lunch with people who are so committed to the mission of Guide Dogs for the Blind, music, new puppies, stories of independence from graduates (Morgan and Erin were incredible putting into words the experience of a partnership with a guide dog - having us laugh and cry), spending time with friends = a beautiful experience with tears of gratitude shed.

Fall Luncheon

Oh, Cricket I am sorry that I have lost count on what flight # this is for you ... anyone remember? We are so excited to be attending the Guide Dogs for the Blind Fall Luncheon in Oregon. This is our third year attending and looking forward to hearing from Morgan and his guide, Will. This is me and my good friend, Debi last year. I am excited that this year our husbands are also joining us!

Missed you, Cricket

Today someone was missing from my office:It seemed like a good idea when I had 10 hrs of back-to-back sessions (I know not smart and usually don't have that many but we are leaving on vacation, soon :D), Steve was working from home today, I was going to be sitting in my chair for basically this 10-hour block; so I opted for Cricket to take a personal day and be home w/Steve rather than on her work bed for this extended period. Result: all day I felt like part of me was missing and ten sessions = ten clients asking where is Cricket? (Cricket, I know you were fine at home, but be ready to be back to work tomorrow. I missed you SO much.)