Nov 2020 – Life in Eureka

The Seeds of Life is like a Circle Cycle.

At noontime today, I was standing in the side doorway and admiring the lovely sweet peas over the trellis. I noticed there are changing of the sweet peas’ lives – old and aged from new green growth into colourful flowers proudly display each day. Every second or third day, I checked for any seed pods for us to use seeds for the next season or to give away to my friends or family. Here is the video.

This morning, I was watching and discussing with the Deaf Bible Study group over Zoom. How wonderful to have Zoom as a new technology for many Deaf people! One Deaf person taught us several Bible verse readings and here are a couple verses which are 2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! (The Ministry of Reconciliation) and Romans 12:2 – Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (The Living Sacrifice) NIV Bible.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your^[a] faith; ⁷if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. This quote is from Romans 12: 3-8. BibleGateWay NIV.

So what do the seeds of lives mean to everyone? The living creatures of all plants and human even mammals and fishes as according to the Christian belief, God created the universe. We, human, are the act of creating something, making something new as bringing the world into ordered existence, for example, how we, humans different from the rest of creation.

My growing up from a baby to adult, I learnt so many skills of growing seeds, plants, the stories from the Bible, faith, what is the purpose of life with me, even a simple ordinary daily life by family-friends through Churches and eldest families members. Yes, I am a deaf philosopher, and my mother – Mary (fiction) and late father – Raymond, were a robust Methodist Christian. Recently another sad new, one of our family-friends passed away, and her name was Jessie. Jessie was a remarkable woman, and she lost her husband – David (Edmund) as everyone called him David in 2000. Jessie was only 92 years old with excellent skills she taught young people, Asian students, young families and families. Jessie and David took me to their house, and I became a great mate to their adopted son – Phillip when Mary was a solo mother with four children. They helped Mary a lot of times, and I enjoyed spending times with Jessie and David.

Jessie and David taught me many skills such as music, the Christian group with the young people for I am the only deaf person in the group, foods, holidays and the meaning of faith and belief in God and the life out there. These people were teachers and a firmly good friend to my family and me. What David and Jessie encouraged me, was to break down the barriers of unaccessible into accessibility for I am a deaf person, and my skills have been passed on to other people with disabilities. One thing that I always know David loved music – piano and he played many music pieces in the churches, and he sang in the choir groups. In the past, I asked David, would you like to play music for our Hamilton Deaf Fellowship while I do the signing in sign language to the Deaf Christians. He said yes, and he played music for us many years until his death.

Let go back to the seed of life – we sow the seed of gift to teach, to use the skill or to plant the seed and watch the source to grow into fruit or vegetable or the young person develop their confidence or to relearn the meaning of understanding in life or the skill from wrong to the right way. We, human pass on our skills and teaching the meaning of life to our young generations even to the people with disabilities.

Often we see someone who is feeling proud and higher achievements than us even letting people with disabilities/Deaf people down. It is wrong to see them boasting about themselves. Because Christian people often do not realise the real meaning of life, such as a homeless person living in the street, or a ‘downgraded’ family who received very little income. The Christian people do not help or give foods/donation/support helps such as social services. Yes, there are some excellent, faithful Christian people like myself do help and teach homeless people, low-income family and many other benefits. Here is a video clip – Youtube a homeless man (a pastor who taught). https://youtu.be/7qftpoMfe08 and second one which is different video – the view of fear to bring in the gangs into the community https://youtu.be/b27cJflYe-g

How Life so Fragile!

“Life is fragile means that there are no certainties, and that adverse events (illness, disaster, death) can strike one at any time without warning.”

A quote from Creativemikely.

Life, so fragile~

To understand yourself is to understand that nature has given you life. What you give into it is what you’ve taken all along.
~Namaste~

Our youngest dog went out for her run along with other dogs this morning. She bought something home in her mouth carefully until she dumped on my feet. It was a dead baby startling bird which found in the camellia trees areas where we know there are nests in the trees. Our young dog does not attacked the baby bird. It was the second baby bird so far, and the other nights there was a few high winds in the middle of the night. There is nothing we can do; however, these birds remind me of something special and important thing in life.

We have lost several friends, a couple of cousins and a brother in 2020. We have not forgotten about the people who survived the Whakaari/White Island disaster and leaving twenty-one people from four different countries plus two tour guides of New Zealand killed/died back on 9th December 2019. Two people are still missing and never found on the Whakaari/White Island or surrounding the ocean. The disaster was a great tragedy, and the police have not yet laid down what kind of charge until another couple weeks to go. Where was the Health and Safety guidelines by the Tour Guides, the company who runs the business? Is there any communication about the warning level for the Volcanic Alert Levels by the Geonet between the cruises they sailed on, the company – I.D. Tours New Zealand Ltd, and Whakatāne City Council?

Yesterday I attended the funeral – an eighty-six years old Deaf fragile chap with a huge warm heart for his close family – a daughter, a son in law and two grandchildren only and to the other Deaf people he knew over many years. One of the highlights memories spoke by the late wife’s family members was learning the lesson on how to communicate a Deaf man and the need of another person besides this Deaf chap during the old days. The story was about the accidental of the fire sparks onto the next spot within twenty metres apart. In the old days, in the rural areas, everyone must report the fire station, checked the current of the winds and have water bucket handy so anyone does not need to pay the fines or to have the name on the list. The story goes here, one day the men, including the Deaf man – Mike (fiction name) were cutting rotten branches, pruning back the trees and piling up as a mould of hills. Mike volunteer to stay on the ground while the men were up in the high trees cutting more branches and do the felling branches onto the land. Mike picked up, cut up branches and piled onto the mould of piles and observed while the fire keeps burning. What Mike does not know that there were several fire sparks jumped out and landed onto another spot that created more fires? The men upon the high trees called out to Mike, and they forgot that Mike was Deaf. The men began to throw pine cones and broken small branches onto Mike’s head. Mike looked up and saw what the men were trying to tell him, and he looked over the new spot where there were more fires, Mike ran for cover as far as he could run. The fire engines came over and put out many fires. The fire inspector asked who was responsible for letting the fires loose, and the men could not put Mike’s name down for he was responsible for this incident, so one of the men volunteer to have his name down on the list without paying a fine.

Most of the Deaf friends does not realise how fragile he was over the last three weeks, and they visited him. His niece and I kept in touch regularly, and I knew his time drawing nearer to death. I saw one of his other Deaf brother – Sam (fiction name) for his weekly requests and stayed in touch to ensure Sam is okay. Unfortunately, I posted the sad news on Facebook for the Deaf community, and they were utterly shocked.

Many people are still grieving as they lost their loved one through COVID19, accidents, illness, or unexpectedly incidents. What about animals as well? What the disaster strikes anywhere like a typhoon, flooding, earthquake in the world?

We can not save or have the perfect life where we are, BUT we need to learn to understand how we can change the way of our life more comfortable and making it better!

Quotes about Life Is Fragile (62 quotes)

A Time to laugh, a time to weep..

A time to sit down for a moment to think how shall I type tonight! Another night and night put me aside until today!

There has been a sad time in the Deaf community as they lost one Deaf chap who he passed away peacefully this Monday 16th November 2020.. He was a widow for 32 years and had a daughter with her husband and two grandchildren. The daughter wished to have a family time of their own – a father, father in law and grandfather but it was not working due to her Deaf uncle sent out the messages which were not clear information the last few days. Never mind!

Spending time doing gardening helped me to wind down and forget the moment of the works yesterday. What did I plant in the vegetable garden? Sweet corns, capsicum seedling, peas and relocation the pumpkin from the greenhouse to outside. Gardening helps many people who have gone through grieving times, a break from stressful work or having mental issues such as depression, feeling anger building up inside and unable to let your anger go. I called this a ‘Garden Therapy’, which I found it very useful to get me through a stressful time when I have chronic pain syndrome from the right side of my body. The symptom I have is a Cervical Degenerative disc disease and Cervical radiculopathy, and I am learning to live with this symptom since I was diagnosed two years ago.

I knew an excellent verse from the Bible (Ecclesiastes 3. 1-13 in the Old Testament),and a viral song by the Byrds. Here are the video song clip and the lyrics.

Happy reading and hearing the song… GO FOR IT! https://youtu.be/w4qINY8KYpM

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late

Loathe or love the garden?

Reflecting my memories about whether to do the garden or not, when I was a very young deaf girl lived in Hillcrest, Hamilton. My mother – Joan, was a solo mother with four children, and she does all the works around the house and in the garden. We spent our time with our grandparents over the school holidays for many years.
Joan said to me, whether I help her to do the weeding in the garden and my reply was no, but I helped her from time to time with the housework and less gardening. Joan said when I am older enough to move out and do the garden one day. I said that I am definitely doing the weeding, planting shrubs, growing vegetables and other jobs around the garden. Let wait and see what happened when I move out in the future!

Fast forward to my first home in Barrie Cres, a first-timer own a two-bedroom house with the blackberries and gorse shrubs gully down to the creek run through from the State Highway 26 1992. My home was tucked away at the end of the street just like a private home with a gully I never thought to own this part of the gully section. I drew up the plan to attacked blackberries and gorse shrubs as to extracted and replaced with native shrubs and trees. I remember getting a sizeable old goat, and his name was Jeremiah. It was a friendly goat and often got loose when I was working afternoon-evening job at the BNZ as a data entry/Bank Officer. My Dutch neighbour got a fright to see Jeremiah eating the grass off my lawn, and she managed to tie him to the clothesline until I get home. Jeremiah lived another two years until one morning I woke up to check on him, sadly he passed away. I spoke to my two neighbours – one worked at the Ruakura Research Institute Centre and the second one was a University student for I know his future wife and the family through church. Their response was left to them when I go to work, and Jeremiah won’t be there when I get home. When I got home and found a collar left on the doorstep for me as a memory of Jeremiah.

The first garden project in Barrie Cres, was a long term and formidable challenge to make it successful in 1994.

There was a landscaping layout from the top to the bottom where to meet the stream. It was laid out with ponga logs, topdecking platform with a stairway and weeding mats. I bought fast-growing trees and slow-growing trees, flaxes, bottlebrush trees, low growing native shrubs and hebes bushes.

Oh, I remember one moment four days before Christmas Eve, I was doing planting trees then I climbed back to the top. I lost my footing, somehow I rolled myself down approximately 30 metres before the totara tree stopping me. I received bruised from the neck area to feet, even arms and wrists, and there were no bones broken. I managed to climb back and rest for a bit before driving to my GP, which was not far from my home. Unfortunately, I have 2 weeks leave from work, and the manager was desperate to have me because of my high skill in data entry and the ability to target the deadline frames.

The ‘mother nature’ weather disaster struck with a violent wild wet weather. It happened overnight for I did not hear the slip or rumbling down in the gully. I checked in the early hours of the morning to find the landslip on the right side where I planted freshly new shrubs and trees recently (a couple months ago). I faxed the Environment Waikato and The Earthquake Commission for the advice, and they told me to contact Hamilton City Council for we pay our rates to them. The year was 1996 during May as it was an autumn season. I was lucky to have more shrubs and trees free from the Hamilton City Council and the task team – Force 2000 team did the planting for me. Thank you Hamilton CityCouncil.

The learning key is to plan wisely and to prevent the damage by mother nature weather. Do not start a big plan than a small plan; otherwise, you will lose the high cost of financial on garden projects. I was lucky to have several family members and a couple neighbours who have long experience with plants, landscaping and plant cuttings. I took their advice on growing seeds, plants and vegetables throughout the years. I learnt how to do plant cuttings even failed several times, but I keep trying until I have succeeded in growing.

Today (2020), I am living with my hearing partner and three dogs in the large property, and it is four times bigger than the first home. Yes, back in 2014, I first starting refresh plan on landscaping to match our lifestyle and my physical injury, which allow me to maintain less weeding, pruning, trimming and growing seedlings in the green house.

Not everyone even family members have not been to our property for years, just to look at the photos or video over Facebook. Our dogs are OK for now. The tradesmen and neighbours visited here and walk pass to their homes down at the end of the road. .

We love living here and enjoying regularly doing garden and landscaping from year to year. I am hopeful of completing the final push of the garden project next year.

International Day of Persons with disAbilities

Next month, there is a special day to remind you all. Have a look at the photo here.

Modibo Sall, 10, teaches his 52-year-old father, Amadou, sign language. Modibo was born deaf. He lives in the village of Bouaké, in the centre of Côte d’Ivoire. UNICEF/Frank Dejongh

It is on the 3rd of December and the theme is “NOT ALL DISABILITIES ARE VISIBLE”. Nothing about us, without us.

The quote from UN –

According to the WHO World Report on Disability, 15 per cent of the world’s population, or more than 1 billion people, are living with disability. Of this number, it’s estimated 450 million are living with a mental or neurological condition— and two-thirds of these people will not seek professional medical help, largely due to stigma, discrimination and neglect.
Another 69 million individuals are estimated to sustain Traumatic Brain Injuries each year worldwide, while one in 160 children are identified as on the autism spectrum.
These are just some examples of the millions of people currently living with a disability that is not immediately apparent, and a reminder of the importance of removing barriers for all people living with disability, both visible and invisible.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, isolation, disconnect, disrupted routines and diminished services have greatly impacted the lives and mental well-being of people with disabilities right around the world. Spreading awareness of invisible disabilities, as well as these potentially detrimental— and not always immediately apparent— impacts to mental health, is crucial as the world continues to fight against the virus.

What we, Persons with disAbilities want you to remember and to be sure that we ARE part of the society same as you anywhere in the world. The key messages are inclusive, accessible, sustainable society, and the future IS ACCESSIBLE.

Over many years, we, persons with disAbilities are list almost at the bottom of the colonialism (Anthropology – Social, Cultural, socioeconomic) but above indigenous people. We are not equal to societies around the world such as receive little income/funding, stop us from working in the businesses, from living in a home where there are a friendly accessible environment and accessible communication like internet, video chat.

Today there are many high rise apartments without lifts in the communities, fast-growing technologies, high cost of equipment as as iPhones, power wheelchairs, large mobility vehicles, the lack of resources about people with disAbilities even Deaf people/children’s first language – Sign Language for home, work and educations, cochlear implants, stem cells or designers babies in medical areas. Who are the countries miss out and a long delay of catching up with our disAbilities in the world? Here is the quote from UN Enable – disAbilities in developing countries.

“The problems of disability in developing countries need to be specially highlighted. As many as 80 per cent of all disabled persons live in isolated rural areas in the developing countries. In some of these countries, the percentage of the disabled population is estimated to be as high as 20 and, thus, if families and relatives are included, 50 per cent of the population could be adversely affected by disability. The problem is made more complex by the fact that, for the most part, disabled persons are also usually extremely poor people. They often live in areas where medical and other related services are scarce, or even totally absent, and where disabilities are not and cannot be detected in time. When they do receive medical attention, if they receive it at all, the impairment may have become irreversible. In many countries, resources are not sufficient to detect and prevent disability and to meet the need for the rehabilitation and supportive services of the disabled population. Trained personnel, research into newer and more effective strategies and approaches to rehabilitation and the manufacturing and provision of aids and equipment for disabled persons are quite inadequate.
In such countries, the disability problem is further compounded by the population explosion, which inexorably pushes up the number of disabled persons in both proportional and absolute terms. There is, thus, an urgent need, as the first priority, to help such countries to develop demographic policies to prevent an increase in the disabled population and to rehabilitate and provide services to the already disabled.” https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/diswpa04.htm#Disabilities%20developing%20countries

Covid-19 have highlighted the daily discrimination faced by disabled people

Masked off: Deaf Arkansans and those with partial hearing loss have a problem with masks

Let anyone who works in the Architecture businesses, technologies, ITs, property developers, and many more, stop for a moment and start to think about us as people/children with disAbilities/Deaf people/children first. Is design plans are friendly accessible for EVERYONE in the societies or not?
Financial is no big deal if anyone who is a property developer, businessperson, want a cheaper and fast buck plan goal then turn into a quick investment financial in return profit.

It is a time to stop and start learning from people/children with disAbilities, Deaf people/children, even many elderly disabled people as well. We, D/deaf people and people with disAbilties are advocators for many years. We have the right to speak/sign louder in the societies in every country until we achieve to be inclusive and equal and won the battle. Nevertheless, the battle is not over yet for there is plenty of times to come. We are (must) not to be ignored by anyone in the Governments, City Councils, businesses, and in the societies.

Are you a coffee lover or not?

As a deaf distributor to one of the businesses – Drink my Coffee in New Zealand, and I thought I would take up the opportunity to deliver and sell Drink my Coffee anywhere in New Zealand or overseas.

Currently, I am starting a small business and see how I go by marketing and promoting through media websites, even Facebook. Why not!

What kind of place – Drink my Coffee, and can this company help anyone as distributors to achieve? You can check out through this link here – https://www.drinkmycoffee.co.nz

You can find their mission from the link above or in here as in quote block –

“Our Mission — Enabling people with disabilities to create their own business, whilst at the same time creating employment opportunities for other disabled people.

The Market Problem

Many people with disabilities strive for nothing less than being normal, which includes being employed and financially independent. However, employers do not see their value and capability and this potential is wasted.

The alternative is to create a business opportunity for the disabled person so that they are not reliant upon an employer.

We are going to supply premium quality, freshly roasted coffee in a distribution type arrangement. The disabled person can utilise their local networks, and with training and guidance, create a loyal clientele of customers to appreciate a great coffee.”

Here is an example we have been experiment using the beans into the plunger and tasting coffee. The taste of drinking coffee was smooth, not bitter or sour burnt taste and the smell of smokey malt biscuit scent. We did not use milk as we love drinking black coffee straight. We kept the leftover plunger in the paper bag and put in the fridge so it will stay fresh until we run out of the plunger coffee grinds. The tip is to try to limit to 1 cup or one and a half cup of coffee beans for two people.

What a coffee cake, muffin even a loaf or a coffee ice cream even iced coffee? The other day I made a delicious coffee cake along with icing sugar, and it was a sharp taste than a ‘supermarket product’ coffee. Did you know that you can make any baking foods or drinks by using a ‘real coffee’?

How to order Arabica coffee beans, plunger or espressos? Click the link as above or through my Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/drinkmycoffeejenz/?view_public_for=113737557158379

Do not hesitate to order or ask any questions through my Facebook page or the link above. Note we do not have decaff coffee yet. However, it is on the bucket list for the future. Please spread and share “Drink my Coffee” with your families, friends, and your staff even ask the barista.