Happy Monday!

Hi All!

As you may have gathered from my profile picture, I am a little . . . . fluffy. This is something that I keep telling myself that I am working on. After all - I have been the walking queen for a while and I was the walking/swimming queen this summer. Of course, the two or three week break I have been on - not good for the anti-fluffy movement.

Sooo . . .in an effort to get back on track with my walking I headed out this morning. It was still dark! I don't like the dark. It is scary. Who knows what can be hiding in the shadows. Cars zooming by on the street might not be able to see my bright white shirt and the reflector strips on my tennis shoes. It is dark! I don't like the dark!

Anyway - I actually completed my walk and then . . . I decided it was time to start my weight routine again since I am not swimming. So - I trooped up to the bonus room, got out my instruction sheet (from Oprah a long time ago) on the ten minute weight routine (written by Oprah's exercise guru).

What was I thinking????????

Okay. To be honest, it was a good idea which was a long time coming. BUT - can I just say I am a wimp? My arms are already achy and it has only been about half an hour! I can't imagine what it will be like later!

I am hoping that I can be stubborn enough to keep walking and doing weights. On certain days this might be difficult due to early observation assignments but - I can walk later - right?

Right!

Think positively!

I wanted to show you that the birds have come back to Texas for the winter. They are everywhere!

This is a wonderful building in Fort Worth - I have no idea what in the world it is but . . . cool!

sfj

Why was I in Fort Worth?

sfj

Tarrant County College (the community college in Fort Worth) has an ASL/Interpreter Preparation Program and they held something called "It's a Deaf, Deaf, World."

sfj

This was an event in which "real life" activities such as banking, visiting the doctor, attending church, and several other activities were recreated and student and community members go through the activities relying only on sign language. There was no spoken English allowed. In fact, if you were seen to be speaking, you were taken to "jail!"

sfj

Let me tell you - this was a wonderful event to attend. It really makes you use those ASL skills and gives you a glimpse inside the Deaf world.

sfj

The most impressive activity was called "The Deaf/Blind Experience." In this activity you are blindfolded so you can't see anything and then, still relying on sign language, an interpreter takes you to do an activity (I was thrown into jail!). You might wonder how you use sign language if you can't see. Well, to talk it is easy since you can still form the signs. Understanding what you are being told, however, is a bit tricky. You basically rest your hands on the hands of an interpreter to feel him/her signing. This is HARD!

fj

Just think that there are people in this world whose entire life is spent like this. Wow- I am impressed with the tenacity of those people!

sdghsfdgh

*** By the way, the experience was NOT in the building pictured. I just passed it on the way home and thought it was neat.

sfghsghsgh

Okay - I am going now. Have lots of stuff to do!

ghjdfjdfj

I hope you have a fabulous Monday!

sfj

Trisha

sfjsfjsfjsfj

Voice Update: Okay - you will be proud of me. Not only have I been doing my exercises and massage but . . . yesterday I did my hour of oral reading! YEAH! I got through the book of Isaiah and into Jeremiah. Let's keep our fingers crossed that I keep this up!