A Stranger At The Door

(Just a little story I wrote for Halloween, and for my graduate school writing sample, and never got around to posting. But on the bright side, I’m early for Halloween 2022.)

The kitchen cocooned me in warmth, as the layered scent of flour, nuts, and vanilla swirled around me in a blissful cloud. I trailed my hand along the line of ingredients on the counter, then while my fingers were free of flour or sugar, I skimmed the recipe one more time. With the directions committed to memory, I closed the Braille book and laid it aside.
After a month living with Mac, I couldn’t imagine why the decision to move in with him had been so complex. As it was, I wished for more hours in the day, just to spend them with my fiancé, but moving from my neighborhood in Raleigh with its public transportation and many shops and restaurants within walking distance, to a sprawling home in the country hadn’t been so simple. Had I cautioned myself that I’d be giving up some independence? I couldn’t imagine it now, for I had gained so much more.
Our “Winter Classic Rock” playlist was the perfect soundscape while I sifted and measured – The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Chicago, America, and now The Doors, only Jim Morrison was cut off in the midst of shrieking at the top of his lungs. With the silence, the world grew still. Gazing out the window, what light I could see was murky, and not because of my vision. It was a “gray” day.
A crash shattered the silence!
There was no wind to blow the trash can onto its side, and I couldn’t think what else would be so near the back door.
I stopped stirring and listened. Glob of chocolate cookie dough plopping softly back into the mixing bowl, ducks and geese down by the lake, and . .
Someone was at the back door.

Feel the Food, Hear the Sizzle, Baby Steps

Training for the half marathon was an exercise in baby steps. I began so slowly, that it seemed I would never make progress, and somehow, eleven months later, I crossed the finish line after walking 13.2 miles.
Slow and steady progress is also the way in which I am learning to cook.

Six Ideas To Put Frustration In its Place

Life comes at you fast in the 21st century, and just keeping up is a job all on its own. Everyday frustrations can make you feel
discouraged and overwhelmed, thanks to the frenetic pace of our world. You may be writing a term paper, applying to college, or searching for a job. You may be embarking on a new relationship, raising a child, or caring for an older loved one. You may be struggling to get through the day with anxiety or depression. Whatever your challenge, stop, breathe, and remind yourself of six things that will put frustration in its place.

Winter Memories

To most people, a trailer house might not seem like the heights of joy. You might even look down on a trailer house, but . . .
I was six years old, and there was a cold snap, a REAL cold snap for east Texas. You could hear the wind outside. I imagined it howling like the wolves in the “Little House” books from Laura Ingalls-Wilder. If I stood near the door, I could feel the wind claws, reaching in to try and grab me!

Snow Day

Frozen powdered sugar frosts the earth and trees. Dollops of it cover the wooden railings on my stairs. My little town is cocooned in silent softness. Doors and windows clasp their people in a cozy indoor embrace. Outside, the stars dance down to earth to shimmer against all the white.
We are experiencing a rare snow day here in east Texas.

Listening Through the Mirror: Why I Love Audio Books

When I was small, my very first audiobook narrators were my loved ones. They read to me, stories of princesses and fairies. Each book was like looking, or in my case listening, through a magical mirror! I could see a world that was not my own! It was in the castles and fairy gardens that I gained imagination, and a sense of wonder.

The Sky Is The Limit: Spotlight on Allie Parrish

Originally, I wrote this post for The Lighthouse, and it was never published there. It’s a bit different from my usual posts on this blog, because it is a profile. But this lady is awe-inspiring, and a role model for anyone, blind or sighted. I’d like to introduce you to Allie Parrish.

Bucket List Beginning

I had a mild shock the other day. I realized that according to statistics, my life is half over.
I decided I better get to work, doing the things I’m “going to do someday.” So I started a bucket list.
First, just because I was curious, I made a list of unique things I have accomplished so far. It surprised me, because there was a lot more on there than I expected there would be.
But I have much left to do, and this is only the beginning of my list. So if you are wondering what a blind person’s bucket list looks like, read on.

Awakening

No matter where you are, above all else, you must love!

Feel the Food, Hear the Sizzle, Cooking Without Sight, Smell, or Taste

I always intended to learn to cook like my grandmothers. I admired them for the love they poured into the food they prepared for us, and I had no doubt that as an adult, I would take my place alongside them in the kitchen.
But life in the 21st century reshaped my food priorities, and not in a good way. The act of preparing a healthy meal felt like a lot of work with little reward, when compared to the mass availability of convenience food. Since college, I livd on fast food, frozen food, the few good meals that I could make, and the kindness of family and friends who knew their way around kitchens.
That’s all about to change in 2017.
I reset my mindset. I decided that I am worth the effort of preparing good food. I have no interest in fancy dishes. I just want to make food that consists of ingredients I recognize, good food that will allow me to live my best life.
The fact that I am totally blind will present challenges, but nothing I can’t overcome.
Oh, and because that might be boring on its own, I will be cooking without a sense of smell, and without 90% of my sense of taste. Now that should be interesting.