The Artist's Sketchbook

From the earliest days of my art journey I had always kept a Journal and/or a Sketchbook.

What is a Sketchbook and why would a person want to use one?

A sketchbook is a little bit of everything to the artist.

It can be a book of blank pages, or a binder that you can put blank pages or any other things that will fit over the rings inside the covers of the book. It can be large or it can be very small. It can be an expensive bound book with leather covers. It can be a small tablet or one on a spiral so that the pages can lay flat giving you two surfaces to work on at a time. My favorite sketchbooks were small or medium sized spiral binding books because I always like to work on two surfaces at a time. I liked to work in a series or set and this gave me the opportunity to think beyond a single page.

What can the Sketchbook do for you?

It is a place to dream or to write about dreams. It is a place to experiment. Since it is not usually considered a a finished “product” you feel free to let go, use materials you know nothing about, or make marks and shapes and colors that are new to you. It is a place where, as you begin to work on the pages. They come alive and take you on a new journey.

Begin by thinking about how you will work in your sketch book.

First select one that seems right for you. It can be any type of book at all in which you can work on ideas.

All you need is a little bit of time and something to make some marks with: Pencil, pen, marker, chalk, crayons, nail polish, shoe polish, bingo markers, pieces of paper and glue, well, anything at all. If you can put it on the page, you can use it in your sketchbook.

With the loss of eyesight, things like this had to change for me.

What do you do when you can no longer see the page or anything written on it and when you cannot write on a page and see what you wrote? That was my situation three years ago. I had to find a new way to do a sketch book. It had to be one that could work for me.

Here is how I solved my problem.

I now have a somewhat different approach to my work I created a sketch book for each of the mediums I work in: fibers, encrusted bead work, and pottery.

Here is how I adapted the Sketchbook:

1.) For my pottery: one three ring binder with transparent pages.

This book it I am working out ideas and keeping track of my glazes and ideas for other projects in clay. Since I can use a Closed Circuit TV to “see” things, virtually, I can put the pages under the camera and the computer will let me know what is there. This is a wonderful adaptive piece of equipment that works for me. I still have some peripheral vision, so I can use this machine. If I was totally blind, then I would have to do the pages in Braille and read them that way. Fortunately, I can use the CCTV which is very quick and easy for me to do.

I even put pottery magazines in my binder so that I can find them easily, scan them, or view with the CCTV.

The Transparent pages hold my notes written with very large black markers. I can see only contrasts, so if the marker is very large and the paper is white, I can see the large letters on it.

I can also put pieces of leaves or bark or other small things in the pages to use for references for glazes and colors for a project. Since all my current pottery is made from information I get in Nature, this allows me to make notes. The leaf itself is a note there in my binder.

2.) Fiber Arts: a folder of ideas for fibers works well for me. It is just a very simple folder that you might buy for a student to use for a class in school. It has pockets and you can put some transparent pages in it, too. I can put labels for yarns, pieces of yarns, etc. this folder is my sketchbook. I sort through my ideas at the beginning of the year and select some ideas to work with that year.

3) Encrusted bead worked amulets and magical pieces – For this medium I do not need a binder or folder. Instead, I need a container that will hold my stones and other objects for future use in a piece of art. The container I use is especially made for holding such items. There is a lid on the container and it fits tight so that if the container is dropped or shifted upside down, nothing will spill out. Inside, the bottom half of it is divided into separate boxes. Each little section holds a special object. When I open the lid, there is a wide array of stones and objects, waiting to be used in my next project.

When I am creating my encrusted bead worked pieces, I begin with a rock, stone or gemstone or object. That "thing" is the beginning of the idea that will develop as I begin to work with it. The object is actually my sketchbook and journal. I take information from that stone to guide me to what it will be eventually. I never know when I begin where the piece is going to go - I sort of pick out a palette of glass Japanese beads that I might use in the work, all based on the initial stone. Then, one very tiny bead at a time, I begin the tedious and long hours of working on this piece. It may take several months or even a year or two before the piece is completed. The piece itself becomes a journal of my creative and life journey during that time.

Regardless of your own creative journey, you need to have a sketchbook. Why not begin to think about it now. Take a little trip to the art supply store to see what is there that might work for you own needs. You may even visit a stationary store or special school supplies section at a variety store. You will find something that will be perfect for your needs. It does not have to be expensive or fancy. You can begin with whatever you have. Let me know how it works for you!

Create a Quiet Place to Read

Create a special place in your home that is just for reading. I have done this recently and it has brought so much peace to my home. It is a special room that I can go to when I want solitude. Here I read and knit on the winter days that we have in western Pennsylvania. Here, I will share this secluded place with you today.

At the top of my list of favorite things would be books.

I savor the books by authors who challenge or uplift my mind and leave a residue of wonder behind long after I have read the final page. I close that book with regret that it has come to the end. I treasure the books that have fully developed characters. The characters become living people who transcend the ordinary and mundane and leave an impression on the reader. Books take me to places I have never been before. They take me to places I will never be going in person. They take me into their world where I meet individuals who each have something to share with me personally. I see them, listen to them, and I have communication with them, if the book is well written by a sensitive and honest author.

I have created a library in my home. It is a room on the second floor devoted to books and reading. In this room there are books on shelves from the floor to the ceiling. The books are surrounded by art works on the walls, tables, and pedestals. The art in the room reflect the things I like to be surrounded with - things made by friends, my husband, my children, and me.

There are paintings by friends and also paintings that I have created over the years. You can see photographs from friends, lithographs, stained glass pieces made by my husband, a woven tapestry by one of my daughters, a tapestry that I made many years ago. On a primitive table there are sculptures from Africa and one dynamic piece made by an artist friend. there is a tall black column of stone, a favorite sculpture made by an art school friend. Here you can find pottery that I recently made, handmade baskets woven out of cloth and honeysuckle vines, by West Virginia artisans. there is a striking Victorian style clock that once hung in my husband’s grandmother’s home. I seldom wind it up, but I enjoy it as a work of art.

This library is a place of solitude and peace. There is a futon and two chairs in the library. They form a circle in the center of this space. An overnight guest may stay there and be surrounded by art and literature and have a time apart to read, rest or relax. A space that holds books and art is a sacred space.

This is the room where I read my audio books. Since I can no longer see to read the physical books on the shelves, I use a special audio book machine that is provided to the blind and handicapped people through the US Library of Congress. The books I had selected arrive in my mail box and after I have read them, I put them back in the mailbox and they are sent on to another person to enjoy. This service is free to those of us who would be unable to enjoy books and reading without it. I am so appreciative of this service.

As I read the book, I am knitting on special projects. Right now, it is a Prayer Shawl. I do not yet know who the shawl will be for, but when the time is right, I will know.

My library room is the perfect place to spend the hours of a winter day. It is warm and comforting and time stands still here in the library. I bring my cup of tea with me, sit down in my high back chair that supports my back so well. I reach into my woven knitting basket, slowly pull out my soft and colorful yarn, pick up my smooth bamboo needles, and begin listening to my book.

Your library will reflect your own tastes and interests. Think about where you might create such a space for your own enjoyment. You do not have to be blind or handicapped to have such a wonderful place to read!

My Thanksgiving Wish for 2010

A little girl, Isabella Daley, was adoped a year ago by a loving family who already had three children. "Bella" was born with multiple birth defects due to an assault on her while she was still in the womb, and drug use by the biological mother. The Daley family has given Bella the love that all children need. They have been with her through many hospitalizations, and other things that we would never know about when raising a normal child.

Isabella is now in need of therapies for the next year. These therapies will cost more than most any family could ever pay for and I thought that perhaps I could help Bella and her family our by getting the word out so that people know about the needs for Bella.

I have written about Bella on my FaceBook page. I have sent out a letter today to everyone on my E-mail address book. And, I am writing about Bella on this blog right now. As a blind person, this is something I can do in my way to help this family. I cannot help them by drinving them to doctor or hospital appointments. I would if I could. I cannot help them by going to their home and doing whatever needs done. I would have no way of getting there as it is too far away and I would not have transportation to get there. But, what I can do, is to tell YOU about this family and ask you to help by giving whatever amount you can give to the Isabella Daley Fund.

Here is the address to send your donation:

Isabella Daley Fund

P.O. Box 31

North Washington, PA 16048

When you send a gift, you can ask for the number that you can use to get your tax deduction if you need that.

I hope you will be able to give a gift of any size at all to help make MY Thanksgiving Wish come true for Bella this coming week.

Thank you for your generosity and love for children with special needs.

Be Sure to add your name as a "follower" of Bella on her blog so you get the updates every time they are published. And, if you are on FaceBook, type in "Saving Bella" in the SEARCH bar and you can "LIKE" this page and get updates daily there.

While you are at it, put yourself on as a FOLLOWer of mine for this blog, too!

Santa Writes Letters to Blind Children

National Federation of the Blind
Partners with Santa to Promote Braille Literacy

Baltimore, Maryland (November 15, 2010): Once again, Santa has enlisted the help of the elves at the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) Jernigan Institute to get Braille letters out to hundreds of blind boys and girls this Christmas season.


This notice arrived in my e-mailbox this morning.

Have you ever wondered how blind children communicate with Santa at Christmas time? Here is the answer.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “Santa approached the National Federation of the Blind a couple of years ago and asked us to be his helpers. I’m quite fond of the fellow and was delighted that we could assist him in his work. Braille literacy is the key to success and opportunity for the blind, but unfortunately too few blind children are learning it today. This program will not only spread holiday cheer but will also serve an important educational purpose, as blind children will be able to practice reading Braille as they enjoy their letter from merry Saint Nicholas.”



Between November 15 and December 20, parents can go online at www.nfb.org and fill out a Santa Braille Letter request form. The form can also be printed and faxed to (410) 685-2340. Beginning December 1, the Braille letters from Santa will start going out to boys and girls around the country. The Braille letter will also be accompanied by a print copy (for mom and dad to read), and parents can choose the contracted or uncontracted form of Braille for the letter. Requests for letters must include the writer’s name, the child’s name, birthday, gender, mailing address, and a telephone number or e-mail address in case Santa’s helpers at the National Federation of the Blind have questions.


The deadline for letter requests is December 20, to ensure that a return letter in Braille is received before Christmas. For more information about this and other programs of the National Federation of the Blind, please visit our Web site at www.nfb.org.

When You Come to a Roadblock: Slow Down and Stop

One thing is certain.

Change will come.

Changes will be unexpected and will happen when you least expect them. Some changes will be welcome and you will embrace them. Some will be changes you might never have wanted and really won't want to embrace them and invite them inside for a visit. You have no choice in the matter. It is guaranteed that you will have changes as they are a part of our life. Some of the changes will be life altering. Sight loss is life altering. Sudden blindness comes unexpectedly and you are stopped in your tracks, confused, and uncertain what your next step will be. This blog is devoted to sight loss issues and how an artist deals with this situation. This is my way of communicating with others who have experienced sight loss, or are helping someone through this journey.

Recently, Channel 21 Youngstown, Ohio, WFMJ TV did a short feature on the changes that came to my life when in a few days time, I was plunged into a world of sight loss. As a visual artist, it would be the most dreaded situation. In this video I discuss the major change that I had three years ago, and how I have continued to be an artist despite the change.

The biggest difference in my life now, is that I was forced to slow down and stop for awhile.

It was like coming suddenly upon a stop sign along the road. You have to stop immediately and just sit there awhile until the light changes and you can then proceed on your journey. For a person like me who lived an intense life of teaching, lecturing, traveling, writing, and making art it was a sudden jolt.

The thing that caused the loss is not so important. What is important is what we do after the change happens to us.

I am learning to practice "mindfulness" during the day. Instead of continuing on at the frantic pace I had lived as a professor I find that now I have slowed down and have time to really appreciate my life so much more.

My mantra for the day is "Slow Down and Live."

Click Here for Video

Regia Kaffe Fassett Design Sock Yarn at Yarn Supply

Regia Kaffe Fassett Design Sock Yarn at Yarn Supply

I have not knit a pair of socks in three years, since the sight loss.

I tried and tried, several times.

Finally, I set the sock yarn and needles aside and knew that I had to just take baby steps in regaining my knitting skills again. Mostly, for the past three years, I have knitted dish cloths and towels in cotton; Swing Jackets from Lion Brand Homespun yarn; and some Prayer Shawls for friends who have disabilities and some for myself to keep around my shoulders on cold winter days. I love to knit but it has been a challenge for me. I still cannot pick up a dropped stitch, or tear down a row or two to fix a mistake. My friend, Chris has done this for me when I am in a "fix."

Now, I have recently had a class in how to do the Magic Loop with a circular needle, knitting in the round. I belong to a fantastic group of blind crafters in a group called _ Krafter's Korner_ It is a division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) organization. I signed up for this group on-line when I heard about it through another blind friend. Through contact with this group I have regained my confidence that I, too, can learn how to do more complicated patterns and be successful. So, with this in mind, I have ordered some stunning sock yarn, and some Addi Turbo circular needles that are super flexible. I am planning to knit a pair of socks again, using my new Addi Turbo's and my Kaffe Fassett yarns. I have ordered this yarn through http://www.yarnsupply.com and it arrived very quickly. The yarn looks wonderful.

This has motivated me to give it a try again. Learning to be patient, and willing to do things over and over again, with determination, is now my life style. Some days I still want to breeze through tasks, but then I get very frustrated and anxious when I do. I have to just tell myself to slow down, and enjoy the experience of re-learning things I used to do so easily.

The new yarn has inspired me to try and try and try again, to make socks.

I love to wear handmade socks. They feel so comforting and cozy on my feet.

Getting the Word Out

I have become a missionary. My mission is to get the word out on sight loss. It's time to put the myths to rest. Find out what sight loss really means these days. Rehabilitation is available and you can live a good life AFTER sight loss.

I have a message to share with people. the message is not about what happened to me, or to any other person who has lost eye sight. How we lost our sight is really not as important as how we continued to life our lives AFTER we lost our sight.

Recently, I have done a number of interviews with regional newspapers and a TV station because I am an ARTIST who lost my eyesight three years ago. The "story" really is not that a I cannot see, but the story is that even though I cannot see I can still make VISUAL ART. Yes, it is amazing. I know now that anything is possible for those who want to move forward regardless of the losses we have had.

Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Homestead, PA was the place where I went to get the help I needed to begin to learn how to live my life in a new way. This non-profit organization is celebrating 100 years of service this year.

My story was one of the success stories published recently. The story is on the link that I have added to this article.

If you, or anyone you know needs some help in adjusting to personal blindness, why not give the BVRS a call and set up an appointment. You can arrange a visit the facility and SEE for yourself what you might learn to do. Getting help is a big first step towards your new life. Find out what you just might be missing.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_701676.html

Clusters of Blessings

Clusters of Blessings

Sometimes life’s special moments come to us in clusters.

This week I was so conscious of blessings and opportunities that came my way, one after another. They came so rapidly that they overlapped at times. I felt like I stood on a white sand beach in Puerto Rico. As on a beach, I walked gently into the Caribbean. Warm waves flowed around me, gently. I felt buoyant, as though I did not even need to swim. My inner being said, “ lay back in the water and let the waves carry you.” The waves came in clusters as I relaxed.

What made me realize the clusters of blessings I was receiving?

Several things.

First, there will be an article and photograph of me in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on Tuesday. It will be in a magazine section. The story will be about how I make art work for others to view even though I cannot see the work I have made because I have vision loss.

The story is part of a series of features on members of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. I am a member of this organization. When asked to describe what my greatest achievement has been to date, I said it is that I was able to remain the artist I am even after losing my vision. It is because an artist has a spirit inside that nothing can take away. It remains despite any physical challenges we endure. The art spirit is always with us.

The second thing that happened is that I have been selected for a feature article in the next edition of the newsletter published by the Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Homestead, PA. Deborah Mendenhall from the BVRS is writing this feature, and she has taken photos that will be published with the article. Her photos will also accompany the feature that will be published this week in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

And, finally the third interesting thing for me this week is that I have been asked to think about developing a special program or class on teaching pottery making to blind students. Just when I thought my teaching life was behind me, it popped up again. This time, in a very new and different way. I just might be interested. Perhaps I will never really be retired from teaching. Perhaps my teaching career is far from over. Perhaps a teacher’s life also comes in clusters.

New Vessels - From the Kiln

COLOR and TEXTURE - It's All in the Layers!

The newest pieces to come ouot of the kiln were exciting to see. You never know just what is going on in there, till you finally get the firing over with and open the top of the kiln to have a look. As you take the pieces out one by one, it can be very exciting or not so exciting according to what you find there. This time, I was delighted with the results of the newest pieces as they emerged from their final trip to the kiln.

Two large vessels were experiments in color and texture. I experimented with layers of oxide stains. Two of the vessels are now finished and a third one will be going into the kiln soon. They are approximately 15 inches across the top, and 14 inches tall.

What interests me in my art making is the sense of "passage of time." I try to get a look and feel my works - things that show this passage somehow. These newest vessels achieved that feeling.

New Friends

I have found some new friends who are creating art and crafts. They are also blind!

I was told about a group of artisans who are members of the National Foundation of the Blind organization. I have recently made contact with them. I registerd to be on their list of artists and I am now getting personal e-mails from some of the members.

It is amazing the things that these blind artisans are doing! I am so inspired by their notes on the site list and their notes to me personally. I hav found other people who do bead embroidery. I have not even tried to do it again since my sight loss. But, it has been on my mind all the time. That has been my desire, to once again be able to pick up a very slim needle, get out my gemstone cabachons, and tiny seed beads, and work on a project. I was doing "Encrusted Beadwork" at the time I lost my vision and have longed to be able to create some pieces once again. Now I know it is possible, because others are already doing it and have contacted me.

I am beginning to make pottery, and that has kept me occupied as I work my way through the process learning how to feel the clay and turn it from a piece of mud into something lovely. There are potters on this website and list, too.

And, knitting has been my passion for years. Yes, I have found other knitters, too.

What is so amazing is that these people do "classes" using the telephone call conferencing option. By doing this, people from all over the country can be in the same "place" at the same time, and be "in a class" together through the phone conference call. Amazing, isn't it!

Now you can understand why I am so excited. Daily, I am getting contact emeails from artisans who introduce themselves to me, the new member. And, I am having a blast meeting these talented and lively people. They make me realize that there is next to nothing that I cannot do again.

But, don't expect to see my driving by in my car. That won't be happening!

New Works from River Road Studio

I have been having so much fun since I started making pottery!

You just never knew what new things you will do in your life. I find that being an artist is the most wonderful life a person could ever ask for. No matter what the challenges, art always comes through to bring us new surprises and new beginnings.

I was formerly a painter and print maker and did some tapestry weaving as well. When I lost my vision in 2007 that all changed overnight. At first I thought I would never be able to make "art" again. But I was still an "artist" inside so what would I ever do?

Over the Sight Loss journey I have been on for the past 2 1/2 years, I have started to do pottery. At first, a friend called me and told me she thought I could do pottery. She took me to classes and very slowly, I began to work in 3-D. My efforts at first were tentative and nervous. I struggled with the clay and with the idea of making pottery. But, it was not long until the artist took over and I began to learn to feel the clay, and to be one with the clay. Being one with your medium is essential to making art. You and the medium have to work together and once that begins to happen, it is exciting.

One of the projects I wanted to work on was to make three vessels in a series, using a template. I love to hand build with coils and I love the way you can work so large and powerful by using them. I made a template for the profile I wanted the vessels to have and then I began the process of working that shape into the outside of a 3-D surface.

My vision for the vessels was to reflect an ancient way of working and the image I was thinking about was the Venue of Willendorf. She is an ancient statue, tiny, and was found in Austria in an archaeological dig. I first saw photos of this little statue when I was an art student, in my Art History 101 class.

Let me introduce you to the Willendorf Sisters, a series of three large vessels. They were made with red clay bodies, and have a clear glaze applied. When the glaze is fired on the pot, it turns this soft pinkish/brown color. I was surprised and very pleased.

When I look at these vessels I am reminded of organs and delicate inner tissues inside the body. The color of them is feminine and delicate and they seem to ppulsate with life forces. I am very pleased with how they have turned out.

Organization Makes Sense to Me

Careful Organization Helps Me Make Sense of My Life

My move into my new office bagan to take place in my imagination last January. It was only an idea, but it seemed to be a good idea. When we thought about it, it was almost overwhelming sometimes. But now it is a reality.

It would be a big step forward to move my office to a space where all my adaptive technology could be in one place. Bob and I have worked diligently the past few weeks to make that happen. What an enormous undertaking to move my office from one floor to another. We had decided that my office should be on the main floor of the house, just off the kitchen. It is a terrific place because now I have two walls surrounding me with large windows so that I am connected to the space outside the house. The trees, the weather, the sounds of people and traffic, birds, and wild creatures. All the things that motivate and stimulate you when you are working in a solitary space. I feel like I now have my own "command center." I feel in control.

There have been many days of sorting through my files and whittling them down. What do I need? What do I no longer use? What makes sense to keep? What should I do with this? or that?

I had to make some hard choices, but I did it. Boxes of things I can no longer use or need were taken out of the office and trashed, recycled, or given to someone else who could use something.

One artist friend walked away with an enormous box of slides taken over a 30 year period of all my art works. She will make them into art - they have become found objects now, for my friend. Lots of binders, and papers - all gone now. What a good feeling to purge your life of clutter. I highly recommend it to anyone. It gives you as sense of being in control again.

Our dogs Rocco and Mitchell have adjusted well to the new office. Rocco has two places where he can hide away by the hour as I work. Occasionally, I hear him snoring or moving about to stretch. Mitchell brings in her bones and lays in the center of the office on the new carpeting. She is in heaven when she has a nice big bone to chew on. It can last for weeks and she is content being here with me.

I am posting some photos I took today to show some slivers of the new office space and my collection of technological adaptive equipment in it. And, in one you can see a glimplse of Rocco in one of his new safe places, under the antique chest by the window.

Learning Life Lessons From Your Dog

When I lost my vision in October 2007, I lost my career in academia. I was a college professor. I had gone through the Personal Adjustment to Blindness program, a fifteen week in-residence experience at the Blind and Vision Rehabilitation School, Homewood, PA. I lived there on the campus for a fifteen week period. I had to re-learn how to do most things that I had done most of my life, but in new ways. I had to learn how to read, using adaptive equipment instead of my eyes. I had to learn how to walk, using a long white cane. I learned simple things that we take for geranted, like how to put toothpast on a toothbrush when you cannot see it, and how to cut your nails again, or how to apply my make up when I caould no longer see my face. I even learned how to use a sewing machine again. It was a long and painful process at times. I got frustrated sometimes. I even got angry some times. But, all in all, it was the best experience of my life in many ways.

My next bit of training would be to learn how to operate computers and technology once again. As a professor I was very computer literate. Now, I would have to begin again and learn new ways of doing things I had done for years. Before that happened, though, my college decided to terminate me. It was the most shocking and humiliating experience of my life. It was far worse than dealing with sight loss, for I had been a very active scholar all my life and academia had been my life. I had a great career in my field and now it was ended because I had lost my sight. After this devestating situation with the termination of my professional life, I was determined to go on and to build my life anew in spite of my challenges. Though my teaching career was brought to an end, my real life began once again. I had many more life lessons to learn.

Living a guality and successful life once again, after sight loss, takes time. It is not a quick fix. I will never "get better." You cannot just go to get some rehab and be on your way. You have to learn how to live your life again and how to find value in your life when you can no longer do many things you once did with ease. And, most of all, you soon learn who your true friends really are. There were some disappointments when people I thought were my dearst friends literally shunned me. But, others stepped up and showed me love and support and gave me encouragement. It is great to really know who it is that truly is your friend. I know that now.

Bob and I had not had a dog for 17 years because we were not home very much to take proper care of a dog. I traveled in the summer to Europe, taking students on trips that lasted a month. Then, I gave lectures and presentations at conferences which took me out of state many times. My work schedule at the college was extermely harrowing at times. On many days, I was gone before 7 am and not back home before 9 pm. My hours in the classroom were intensive. Not only did I teach studio art classes which are three hours long, twice a week. I also taught Humanities classes and did art history lectures for them. In addition to all of this, I was in the English Department and I taught culture specific courses in literature and poetry. There would have ben no room in our week for a dog.

After sight loss, we began to think again about getting a dog. I did not want to get a guide dog because I did not want to have to take a dog with me everywhere I went. I live in the country, and do not really need a dog to get around. My white cane is just fine and all I need for traveling about when I am alone.

Our first dog was from a shelter. He is Rocco, a mixed breed dog who was 6 when we adopted him. He is Pomeranean and Shetland Sheep Dog. We got Rocco in January 2008. He was such an easy dog to have. He learned everything so quickly, and Rocco took me on as his special project. I am never out of his sight. Rocco became my personal companion. After 10 months we began to think about getting another dog. We thought Rocco would enjoy another dog and we had room for another one in our home and hearts.

Before we could really go looking for another dog at a shelter, a dog was abandoned near our home. Bob found Mitchell in the woods near our house, dropped off at the beginning of the cold winter frost. People had seen her running about for 2 days before we found her. We got her home and decided that she was the perfect dog for us and Rocco liked her immediately. They became best friends.

In order to be a better dog owner, I recently read the book_Caesar's Way_ by Caesar Milan (The Dog Whisperer). One important thing I learned from the book is that a dog lives "in the moment." I began to appreciate this in my dogs. I saw that every outing we take during the day is delightful to them regardless of the weather or conditions. They are filled with enthusiasm at the idea of a walk and the weather does not matter to them at all.

Today, I watched as they romped through the tall spring grasses along the creek where we walk. Rocco loves to lay in the warm sunshine, sniff the flowers, and just be contented as we are outside in the spring morning. Mitchell romps through the tall grasses. She likes to nibble at it, etating flowers, and other plants along the way. She stops to roll on her back in the grass. She smells it, rolls over, and gleefully rolls about on the grass. Time stands still as we experience the spring time here in western PA.

Dogs have so much to teach us humans about what makes life have quality. It is that they can enjoy the moment. We are often thining about the future, or the past, and worring about things that might or might not be...but the dogs are just enjoying their sunshine and grass.

I have come to appreciate the moment myself. Often throughout the day, I now sit and consciously think about the moment and try to stay in it and keep in in my mind and heart. The dogs have taught me so much more in such a short time. It was just a matter of learning to watch them and be aware of the moment along with them each day.

In the photo Mitchell pauses to have a look out the window at her backyard.

Google Alerts

Did you know that you can set your email to receive notices about any topic you may want to follow? Yes, when a new blog is posted you will get an update telling you about the post. It will arrive on your Yahoo E-mail. All you need to do is set your email setting to receive these new posts through blogs or other sources, and you will get them daily in in your "in-box" at Yahoo. The SEARCH is done by using Google. It is called a Google Alert.

You can go to the "google search" information and set the paramaters for using this research service. You can have access to .edu sites, newspapers, and blogs. This will save you a lot of time, and bring the information directly to you in-box. I love it.

Just type in the different topics that you want to get daily information about. Mine is set for "sight loss" as I want to get information on this topic. Another one for me is "Ischemic Optic Neuropathy" since I have this condition and like to be kept updated on any research being done and current thoughts about the condition. Other things that interest me are also on my Goggle Alert list, and I get those listings, too. You can follow people or places this way as well.

I hope this help you. I like to do posts here that might help other people who have sight loss and I like to post articles that I write about my own ways of copping successfully with this handicap. I am a visual artist, author, and former professor of Fine Arts and Humanities. Let me know if I have helped you in some way, or if you need to ask me a question. I would be delighted to help you if I can.

Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

What is Ischemic Optic Neuropathy?

How is it diagnosed"

What is the treatment?

Ischemic Optic Neuropathy is often associated with hypertension. This would be in 40% of the cases.

Other causes could be diabetes, at 20%

That leaves 40% due to other causes, which are really unknown. That is where I fall in, unknown cause of my disability.

Typically, this condition is seen in older persons, in the 70s or above.

For me, it happened when I was 64 years old. I was told I am very young to have this condition.

What happens when Ischemic Optic Neuropathy stirkes?

It is SUDDEN. One night you go to bed with normal vision, and in the morning you cannot see very well. My vision was blurred upon waking up one morning. I thought I just needed a good night's rest. But, my vision never cleared up, and remained blurred. A visit to my eye doctor revealed I had a "big problem." And, I was sent immediately to a specialist, and had emergency blood work done that day at the hospital.

It is characterized by acute, sudden vision loss, usually in one eye, and presents often with optic disc edema, blurred disc margins and flame-shaped retinal hemorrhages. An altitudinal visual field defect is also usually noted. If it is of the arteritic variety, then swollen, tender, temporal artery is involved along with pain on the side of the face between the outer eyes and ears. Lab tests and biopsy confirms the diagnosis. Treatment includes systemic steroid administration usually methylprednisone 1 gram IV each day for 3 days, then tapering the dosage until resolution. I was put on this medication immediately, and then had surgery for a temporal biopsy. I did not have the arteritic type of Ischemic Optic Neuropathy. I was thankful for that.

In my case it happened on January 1,2007 in my right eye. Then, ten months later, it happened in my left eye. More blood work, more steroids, and another surgery for biopsy followed the second episode. It is now 3 years since my journey into sight loss began.