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Waking up in the early hours of this morning by seeing the sun peeping through the windows while our dogs waiting for their daily run.
What a joy to have a blessing day after working with a person who is deaf, speech impaired and CP yesterday.

A quick check on the plan list as there are so much to do before the Summer arrives and I will get too busy. A couple fruit trees need to be planting before flower buddings out in the field and several blueberries shrubs will be planting near the old vegetable garden. A small group of shrubs requires to be planting in the large central garden.

An hour break came and have a cuppa while watching a Deaf Bible group over Zoom. A delightful break gave me a well deserved while Rusty managed to do the bricklaying down the edge runner by the driveway for he did not tell me as his battered hip will have to wait for the surgery. Our dogs ran around and keep coming back to me while I watched the Deaf Bible group.

A quick to hang the last load of washing on the line. Plus a colossal bedspread hanging on the line and over the ladder outside. Head over to the plot where I marked the area for the apricot tree in the old house area and next to the current apricot tree. Viola an apricot tree planted has done with a little help from Rusty for he was doing well BUT not a massive job. We rested through lunch for there was nothing much on television because there were too many rubbish shows. I head over to another plot further out in the field for the plum Hawea tree, so this tree can be a companion to our current plum tree for I forgot the name of the plum tree. Sigh! Hours fly out, and I stopped for now until another day to complete the tasks. Here are the several photos I took today. I can look back how much we have done so far since we moved here 2014 November. The video was taking too long to upload.

Just before I finish off and I would like to acknowledge that tomorrow it is our NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language) Week which postponed from the first week of May 2020 due to COVID19. BUT WAIT – there is another awareness week. This awareness week is the International Week of the Deaf. From tomorrow I will post daily blogs/themes so you can learn from us – D/deaf people.

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It had been a madhouse despite the lovely fine weather so far today. This morning I was rushed off as we went out to a local town after making a few enquiries despite one delayed message.

Our girl dogs woke me up before 7am without realised that they woke Rusty up earlier before 6am. Rat! There was something outside as their ears pricked the sounds through the windows or floors. Dragged me out of bed to let the dogs out for their runs plus their toileting leaving Rusty to stayed in bed.

It had been raining since last evening, BUT it was only 6mm of rainfall so far while I carried a cup of coffee into the courtyard and waited for the dogs returned from their runs. Sighs! Dogs came back and demanded their breakfast now than later. Our routines are different between Rusty and me, I gave two chicken wrap sticks to the girl dogs, and some nibble treats to Joseph, the older dog. Then couple tux biscuits for Jazz and Joseph plus a lump of puppy meat from the tin can for Nova. Enough and enough for them until Rusty got up to feed them more treats and biscuits. Rusty loves providing them more than me.

Reading online newspapers – more worst news and nothing brings us some good news. We got tired of too many information about COVID19 cases for we do NOT worry too much. I am just staying calm and moving forward without too much stress, or there is no need to fear because I know God is always with us. But really God does have plans for us each day which brings the mad or cheerful day.

Oops, there goes the sirens go passed and our dogs howling. Sigh! Another accident or emergency medical urgent for the hospital?

Finished sending a couple emails in regarding the funeral coming up next week – remind note for the Minister on booking another interpreter for the Deafblind lady who lost her husband during Level Four – note it was NOT linked to COVID19. And a ‘thank you’ email to a different lady before we head out to the local town. Driving toward the local town, we saw the banged car, which was ‘written off’ near the railway line. There was a bad accident, and the traffic was closed several days ago. We knew that area very well, and there have been many accidents there.

Arriving home at last! Praying that our dogs do not make any mess while we were out as they always make chaos such as digging up the courtyard garden, ripped pillows, chewed out the inside lining of the old sofa which reserved for Joseph to sleep on, chewed up the firewoods and many more. Mmm, not bad for there was less mess. If you are wondering why we could not keep dogs outside the house where there is fence off around the large boundary. Well, you never know if someone is walking with their dog along the private farm road, a farmhand guy who doesn’t mind our dogs riding on a motorbike, a stranger who can not read the sign ‘Beware of Dogs’ on the gate by thinking it is okay to enter the property. Our neighbours do not mind for they know I am deaf and our dogs are great to raise alarms by barking if someone tries to entering someone else’s properties.

A quick lunch and then do works in the office at our home during Level Two. You can not blame Aucklanders who have caught the second wave of COVID19. Still waiting for video chat as he replied by saying he is busy and apologised. Finally, a break so I can do the gardening by planting a couple hellbourne shrubs in the shaded area next to the carport. Putting the final touch of mulches on top of the ground until dogs ran out to greet me. Dogs walked back to the courtyard gate for Rusty told me that he needs the courtyard gate opened while he does the sanding the window trims plus painting the frames. A dogs’ way of communicating me so I can follow them to wherever there is someone at the driveway gate, Rusty may be in the barn. There is no use for anyone to shout or yelling at me for I can not hear them far away without the dogs.

Back to work and still waiting for the video chat while I do a different approached – genealogy research. Oh boy! what more I discovered in the genealogy this afternoon. Gotta share the family lineages to a newfound cousin, BUT it is vast information and a large number of children in the families. Relax and wonder how I will reduce the downloading by sending off to this newfound cousin.

Blast! Nova bought a couple large piece of broken window glasses in her mouth. Stupid girl!!

It is never ending for us in our home.

Mm, perhaps I will post the newsflash after making contact with the founder tonight. Watch this space!!

As a deaf person who can not hear any sound in the middle of the night to the early hour of the morning…

I normally use my special vibrating pager alarm clock under the pillow which attached to the clock at the bedside table. Now I would not need the vibrated alarm clock regularly. WHY?

As you see we have got three dogs – the young pup is nearly eight months old. Nova is the name and she love waking me up every morning in her unusual ways of getting attention to a deaf owner. When she was barely a baby pup and she did not realised that I can not hear her barking in the middle of the nights – let alone my partner has to do it. Then she hear the loud buzzing and high pitch sounding coming out of my hearing aids when I put my hearing aids on or to take off before going to bed. She has found a way of waking me up for I can not find a picture to show you. It is similar to the photo above from the website I found.

What actually Nova do every night to the early hour of the morning? She use thumping on me just like jumping, licking my face, gently paw on my face or to press her nose to my face to check if I am really awake, stroking my blanket as if she was pulling the blanket away from me even to walk over me from foot to right shoulder where I do get constant pain from my neck, shoulder to right elbow for many years. She knew her routine time pattern for toilets, meal times, or stranger lurking out there.

If you are wondering about two other dogs – one dog is a senior aged of nearly twelve years old and the middle black dog who she is nearly four years old. They are well behaved and they press their noses to my face. Often Jazz the middle one, would use her paw to pull down the blankets from the top of my shoulders.

Imagine me getting up three or two times in the middle of the night to the early hour of the morning. I would become a bad mood if I do not have a proper sleep or have increasing pain on the right side. Then I would let my boss know that I am home resting. Usually my partner do this BUT not at the moment due to his double hernia surgeries and during the Lockdown from the start of Level Four and it is my turn. I am grateful that my partner help me and support me during the day even when I am working from home. Currently nearly two weeks since his surgeries, I am full on to do the jobs around home such as collecting firewoods, let the dogs out for runs around the fields, prepare meals for all of us including dogs, washing etc and working from home. I am also grateful that my second workplace let me have a month leave instead of two week leaves since I met the persons (I am supporting)‘s case manager last week.

Dogs give us pleasure of funs, mischiefs, sense of humours if they behave strangely or different ways they do, give us comfort and cuddles in bed or on the sofa.

There has been a lot of talk about Universal Design in New Zealand, unfortunately, not to many designers, property developers, architectural house designers and Building designers were not aware of the Universal Design for all People with disabilities including older adults. The other problem is a high cost to installed for every people BUT ended up not accessible design to meet the price they can afford. Any people with a disability adapted, add special equipment or to remove their home layout design to make more accessible home at their own cost or by the funding under the Ministry of Health/ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) they sourced.
A question to ask you… Do you have any idea and look out there is everyone are the same which can function themselves in many ways of doing activities and working? Have you thought about people/children with disAbilities can’t do function the same way as you? What about your grandparents, even great grandparents?

We were lucky to found a home with several custom equipment like handrails, low steps, heating, easy to look out through the windows and the driveway already there for us. Because of my deafness and age within another 5-10 years or more, it is essential to meet our needs. It saved us the cost to install the equipment or ramp when one of us get older and finding it difficult to access or manage thing around the home. We have got three dogs to keep an eye on me as working/pet dogs in the vast property.

Back in 1997, Ronald Mace led the team in the North Carolina State University to a working group which were architects, product designers, engineers and environmental design researchers. The working group created and developed the seven principles in Universal Design in 1997.
The purpose of the Principles is to guide the design of environments, products and communications.

But first of all before I typed what are the seven principles in the Universal Deigns.

I want to give you an idea of how people with disabilities manage in their own life even myself in society anywhere in the world.

Imagine a block of apartments with a lift/no lift – the size of one apartment is smaller than an ordinary house of two bedrooms. The bathroom, including the toilet, is small than average size, the kitchen is a ‘u shape’ layout narrow. When a wheelchair user rent an apartment but this person missed out the ground floor because everyone is there already. then this wheelchair person has to go up in the next level if there is any lift available. The wheelchair user found it is difficult to manoeuvre around the kitchen, the bathroom otherwise to go forward and backward without turning around as in 360o. Or having a shower in the cramped bathroom, there is no space to get out/get on the wheelchair. If there is a fire happening in the next floor up, the wheelchair user is unable to get out if the neighbours do not realise a wheelchair user is living in the same apartment.

What about any Deaf people? It is okay to live there, BUT there is no flashing light system in the apartment and the flashing light system come in with a doorbell, fire alarm, break in security, baby crying, a phone ringing, and security gate entrance from the car park. As well no visual contact like the security system when someone is visiting a deaf person via television screen or a small screen by the door as an intercom.

Today I went to one of the buildings in Frankton, and I discovered this building was not a friendly accessible for refugee people with disAbilities (wheelchair users, anyone finding it difficult to walk up stair/downstairs). There was no lift due to the size of the old building. The other problem was the lack of car parks for staff even for the people with disAbilities and their mobility car park holders. I spoke to someone who was in the same building, and the response was it was cheaper rent. Still, they did not think about any refugee people who may have disAbilities or finding it difficult to walk the stairs. Sigh! Other barriers from the landlord who owned the old building. 

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Oh, we would like to visit the Chatham Islands one day, and anyone wants to learn the experience of people living there, what life was like in the pre-1860s.

Why would the deaf blogger/researcher want to learn the experience of living there? Mm, the researcher is in the middle of doing researching one particular woman who travelled from Scotland via London and Queensland to Canterbury and Otago before the 1900s. For some, reason, Ms Mitchell chose to travel to the Chatham Islands and got married to a German chap was looking for a bride through newspaper advertising. This woman knows a few people through her brother who was a minister, involved with the church in Queensland, Australia and Charteris Bay, Canterbury.

The researcher was reading one of the diaries, and the diary was fascinated life by a young man – Mr Spencer. He lived in the island for one year because his contract expired and the life was very harsh due to lack of foods, meats and the weather conditions. This Spencer man came from a Spencer family who came out from London, the UK to Christchurch, New Zealand.

How does the connection between Ms Mitchell and the Spencer family back in London, the UK? Ms Mitchell was a servant to the Spencer family according to the census record in 1861 in London, UK. There is also a connection to Scotland and a Mrs E Spencer came from Scotland where Ms D Mitchell came from Scotland.

The Chatham Islands bear rugged landscape, and several small islands are surrounding the main two inlet islands which inhabited.
The Chatham Islands is a 920 sq km, also called Rēkohu (by Moriori) and Wharekauri (by Māori), and Pitt Island is a 7.7 sq km, also called Rangihaute (by Moriori) and Rangiāuria (by Māori).

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Jack the frost came in the early hour of this morning. Brr what a chilly rude waking us up as it was -1.5oC in the morning!

Our dogs huddled together except our older dog – Joseph slept on the other side of the bed. Wondering why my ass were partially cold for the blankets and duvet was only resting on top of the bed due to dogs hogging blankets to themselves.

Checking the time for our dogs go out for their daily runs and off they took off through the open door and chilling airs crept in. Just in the nick of time before the children and a couple teenagers were walking down the private road then across the main State Highway Road where they waited for their school buses. There is a special rule for all school buses as we are in Level Two now. The buses carried limit number of students per 2 metres/1metre spacing inside the bus.

Walking around the house in my dressing gown and pondering where to start for I am currently working from home in Level Two. Texts alerted in my work mobile from the Deaf Persons and their requests were when the bank are opening, what is QR barcode tracking and contact tracking? Mm, time to make a video and off to change into ordinary clothes before entering the home office. Blast, the home office was cold, sigh as it was time to turn the heater on.

Young mischief pup – Nova running around with her favourite toy and barking at poor Joseph as he was sleeping in his dad’s chair until he growled back to Nova as to hushed her to be quiet.

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Hours had passed as I was working in the home office until the beautiful sunshine came out at last.. Stepping outside in the courtyard and sat down in the chair to enjoy the warmth and comfort of sun ray as vitamin D played an important role for health. Watching the bees dancing over the shrubs in the garden and what a sight to see them buzzing over the lavender shrubs. Pleasure and enjoyed for the moment of time… The sun going down sooner and it was time to go back inside before mad hours start…. Until Nova decide to pick out the firewood to chew…. Oh bother her!

Nearly time to stop working for another day and let start making a heating fire for it gonna be a cold freezing night. Let the sleeping dogs lie on the sofas as it is their favourite places while Nova munchies a piece of fire wood! My partner – Rusty makes the fire for heating the house while I check final emails and reading newspapers in the office. Rusty yelled out “Mummm”, did you buy Lotto?” My replied was “Yes I am going to get one through online.”. Sooner gonna make the tea – Satay Chicken with rice tonight.

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While waiting for the repair job at one of the people I know who will be able to fix the problem.

Standing outside abide by the lockdown rule – 2 metres from the door of the house yesterday.

Admiring the colour leaves on many trees – brown, orange, yellow, fade green and burst red colours.

You may hear the wind and other strange noises in the video for I can hear a bit through vibrating echo sound of the wind.

All I can see the leaves on the branches bending forward and backward for I know which way the wind were blowing.

There were so many fallen leaves on the ground for many people clean up the leaves by rakes or even mow over just like my partner who mowed the fallen leaves on the ground. Bear not!  It is good for the soil as composting – did you know that?

 

One thing that took my mind off was having the tooth extracted and had a nasty pain for I can not ask for a glass of water from the person I know. I had the tooth extracted done before I started working yesterday. What a way to start having a toothache during the lockdown!

 

Sitting out in the sunshine – waiting for a moment when the lockdown ends!

The Prime Minister – Jacinda Ardern announced from next week Monday 27th at 11:59pm, the Level four drop down to Level 3. It is the reality of not knowing how far we are improving, and the number of Covid19 cases is slowing up by 1445 in New Zealand. Today there was one death which added to 13. The data can be found on the website here – Ministry of Health

As you can see that in Waikato, there are two significant clusters which are from Matamata – Hospitality Venue and between Eureka and Cambridge – Matangi (Aged residential care facility). There are no increasing cases of Covid19 around Waikato since I stopped travelling to Matamata three weeks ago. I made the decision through self determine whether I will be carrying the ‘community transmittal’ or not. I chose not to visit and arranged one of the nurse for I know, who lives near Matamata. Four days ago, the elderly man who linked to the Matamata clusters passed away, and he was linked to the hospitality venue that happened on the night of the lockdown. The number of significant clusters can be found here – Covid19 Health Govt.

I continue to work from home, and there is so much to sort through for the people with disabilities and D/deaf people’s need. There is one problem which has been not resolved, was the Deaf man finding challenging to connect his mobile (Android) to the broadband provider. My work Ipad (Apple) worked well BUT why Android mobile does not work well. We were told that there is no need to pay for the contracts, no need for the landline and it is good to use $5.00 of 30Gb for anyone who is on benefits, seniors and people with disabilities. I made two trips to visit him under essential services and tried my best to resolve the problem, however, from my last visit, I took my work Ipad (Apple), and it worked fine. I MUST find another option for this Deaf man and his mobile android. He can not afford to get any computer/Ipad under Apple technology. Is there anyone who may have a spare Apple laptop/Ipad that will help him within the Deaf community?

I received a friendly email from my manager, and she confirmed that the funding will pay to me for my work from home. That new was an excellent result and lighten my burden of working hours here. I often try to switch my mind off away from all the media and crisis, so I can do things around the home and in the garden. My partner has been very supportive, and he often noticed that I have been working long hours during the day, not at night. However, there is a piece of good news for us – my partner received a call yesterday, and I will have to shift from ‘working from home’ to home role sometimes in the next couple days or next week.

We are entering eighteen days of the lockdown due to COVID 19. The lockdown date was on the 25th of April at midnight.

Today it is an Easter Sunday, and I am enjoying the break from home business, for I am an essential worker under three organisations. I did have a good break on Good Friday the day after my birthday, and I was working on my birthday day.

There are so many things to do around home and in the garden BUT can not decide where to start. Today the weather is becoming an ‘early winter’ because there is a storm coming tonight or tomorrow.

Books to read, tidying up the office, cleaning out the pantry even cupboards, throw out old wear clothes, re-arrange the furniture or to do vegetable seedlings and plant cuttings and keep in the greenhouse over the Winter season and the list go on.

What up with my partner and our three dogs so far?

MM, my partner, did some carpentry in the garage for the last few weeks, did house cleaning, bringing the washing in, and cooking while I was working. Watching any programmes on the television does not convey any exciting for it was plenty of old rerun programmes and we got tired of it. My partner gets fed up with rubbish programmes and kept flicking through all channels. Yes, we do have DVDs but can not be bothered either. Our dogs knew something strange for we are home all the times and they love to prank or ask us to let them out for more runs around the fields. Our dogs notice peculiar sounds and increasing more wild rabbits for they love to chase and try to catch it. Our older dog – Joseph is getting old and resorting himself to a quiet space as he is reaching 11 years old.

Today Joseph found a perfect place to have a nap – on a bed which he did this regularly while we are out. My hubby was going to have a rest after his carpentry and found Jospeh taking over the bed. SO he ended up sleeping on the sofa along with two young dogs. Yep, taking all the space on one long piece of the four-seater sofa.

How much longer do we have a lockdown? I know it is dangerous for everyone who may do foolish to creep outside the bubble or have breach the rule in New Zealand if anyone ignores the lockdown.