Posted in How I'm Adapting, Useful Information

The Lost Plant

As it’s been quite lovely weather here for this time of year in little old England, I’ve carried on with my gardening seeing as I’m in full house and garden renovation mode.

The amount of bark I’ve bought is eye watering. But at least I won’t be pulling flowers up as weeds and weeds up as flowers.

For some time I’ve been making my garden ‘eye proof’

As in. The only thing that will need to be done is abit of zhuzhing, hedges trimming and lawn mowing.

I’ve got a cordless trimmer. So I cannot cut through the cord ‘cos I can’t see it.

Also I’ve got one lawn that needs cutting. I had a little one at the front that I’ve now pebbled over. Low maintenance is the word I’m also looking for.

As the years go on I notice the progression of my eye condition when I head out into the garden after a while over the winter months.

Painting my fences (the old ones) from year to year was when I noticed the difference.

When you don’t do something all the time you don’t become aware.

Picking up a paint brush and seeing the ever more blurrier fence, ended up with me painting with my reading glasses on. Was abit of a shock as in “OK. That’s alot worse than last year.”

Then when I was proud of myself for tackling this instead of getting someone to do it for me, someone said “Is it finished? It’s patchy”

I stood back and it was.

It’s OK though. This is the way it’s going to be.

I can’t feel sorry for myself.

I have though, lost a plant.

Not lost it misplaced it.

Lost it after I planted it.

So I had new fences installed earlier in the year. The old ones were hanging on by a thread. Each storm I looked out of the window, one eye open, wondering if they’d survive.

Me and my neighbour kept propping them up until we couldn’t anymore.

The workmen did a good job (Apart from hitting a water pipe, I can’t even go there) All the previous bark was all mulched in the soil during the work, so I had to start again with the weed fabric and the litres upon litres of bark.

Can you tell I’m fed up of it 😁

Now is my chance to redesign the garden and have what plants I’d like in there.

The old ones have gone. Some by accident, some by design.

Some I Google lensed them while walking around if I came across a plant I liked in somebody else’s garden.

Once I’d found out the name, I bought them ready to plant.

My sister helped me go get an olive tree to plant as it would match my gorgeous juniper tree. That was a funny day getting that in the back of a camper van.

My lost plant is a Dahlia Moonfire. Beautiful brown black leaves with big bright yellow flowers. I found this waiting for the bus from my boyfriends house. It’s across from the bus stop in someone’s garden, so I nipped across, leant over, Google lens, jobs a good ‘en.

I cannot see it.

I’ve planted it. I’ve tried to feel for it. It has green buds on. Still can’t see it. I’ve got on my knees, I’ve walked a few feet away.

Thing is, I need to move it somewhere else I’ve decided.

If you see me sweeping my hands over the ground in my garden. I’m not losing it. I’m just trying to find the lost plant.

And no. It’s not that green plant in the photo. That’s a Buddleia ‘Flower Power’ known as a Butterfly bush. So it should attract bees and butterflies. It’s beautiful when grown. Orange and purple poker style flower buds.

I’ve got more bark coming this week!

So I’ll be out there gardening. Making it foolproof, eye proof so when my eyesight deteriorates even more, I can come out and enjoy it without the stress of weeding and pulling up stuff I shouldn’t have. Whilst leaving the weeds.

It’s nearly done now and I’ve enjoyed doing it. I’ve had help from people who have been very kind in helping me chop things down, move stuff I can’t.

I do like to do what I can myself though. Even though those little fences you see as a border? I still have bruises on my hand from hammering my hand sometimes instead of hammering those into the ground. Until my boyfriend told me to put the hammer side ways, which did help me enormously.

Sometimes you can do things you used to do with less central vision, you just have to think out of the box.

A row of wooden fences on the right hand side. Brown bark is next to it then a little fence. In the background there is an olive tree and a green small plant towards the front.
PD 1 A row of wooden fences on the right hand side. Brown bark is next to it then a little fence. In the background there is an olive tree and a green small plant towards the front.
A screenshot of a Dahlia Moonflower. Brown black leaves with a large pom pom style yellow head of petals and a small orange centre
PD 2 A screenshot of a Dahlia Moonflower. Brown black leaves with a large pom pom style yellow head of petals and a small orange centre

Posted in Blind Traveller, Blind Travelling, Useful Information

Special Assistance with Visually impaired Travellers

A new blog is coming up about the Special Assistance service we used on our holiday to Tilos, Greece recently.

Myself. My other half Richard and his lovely Mum Pauline.

This was my first time using this service and my experience of it.

From Manchester Airport to Rhodes (Diagoras) Airport there, and back.

How to book it. Who can use this service. What this involves. Any hiccups. Ease of service. What to expect.

On one leg of the journey we were left to our own devices by the special Assistance member of staff. As he… “finished at 5pm”. We’ve made a complaint about this to Jet2.

This didn’t spoil the holiday it was just a very small incident among the amazing people that helped us make travelling alot easier. Other people in both countries couldn’t do enough for us and even went out of their way to help. From the staff in Special Assistance, to the cabin crew from both airlines we flew with.

We were 2 visually impaired travellers and one person needed a wheelchair for ease of getting around. 3 of us in total.

I will write about the additional help we received from the very kind and caring people we came across.

VD Choppy images of inside the special Assistance room in Manchester Airport. Images of my shoes walking in the airport and on the plane. On the beach with my cocoon sunglasses. Small Greek church. Greek flag fluttering in the breeze. Bright pink flowers. Our apartment next to the beach with blue doors and shutters. Richard being guided in Rhodes Airport by their special Assistance member of staff.  Croissant and coffee on the plane. Outside view of the plane taking off from my window. The Greek salad meal I had on the way home. The plane landing. A green eye logo for One Vision Blog appears with the words One Vision Blog
Posted in Blind Traveller, Blind Travelling, Useful Information

Blind Traveller Airport and Duty Free Shopping Tips

When I used to get on a plane. The first thing I’d love to do was read the in-flight magazines. The travel one, where it would show you destinations, food and recipes. Gives you an idea maybe where to go. Where you’re going to.

The best magazine for me, is the duty free magazine.

I wouldn’t particularly buy myself anything from this, but I’d pour over the lovely items you could buy. The perfumes, jewellery, skincare travel sets, etc.

The first time I did ever buy anything was years ago in the very late 1980s. The very first time I ever went away abroad. I went with my friend on a cheapy we found in the September of 1989. To El Arenal in Majorca.

Back then, on a plane. To listen to the radio channels by your leg near the armrest, you needed a headphone adapter. Couldn’t just plug yours in without this (What a con!)

In the bag with it, came a European adapter for your UK plugs. Some wired headphones and the headphone adapter. I still have it all in the bag from Air 2000 😂 . Don’t know why! Probably because they are a memory of a wonderful holiday when I was a teenager, or because they were bloody expensive! I came across them when I was having a clear out recently. I didn’t clear them out though. I still kept them.

The second time I bought something was for my son when he was a tiny tot. A toy plane. That probably cost an arm and a leg as well, but you never mind for your children do you?

The thing is. Now I cannot read them. I see blurry photos inside. Not much details. I tried to read it on my recent holiday. Just to try. I gave up.

So knowing this, I do what I do before I go out for a restaurant or anywhere where the menu will be usually a fussy text with a background image that’s impossible for me to comprehend.

I looked at it one night at home online. I was going with Jet2.com, so started there. Feet up. With a cuppa. Really enjoyed it too.

This may seem so little to some people. But it’s usually the little things that pee you off the most. The little enjoyments you always had to look forward to. Now you can’t.

Look online for whomever you are flying with and find the online magazine.

Also I don’t know about anyone else with this same or similar condition, but the duty free shops are so packed with lots of things and bright lights that it’s hard to get a grip on what you are seeing.

Colours mush together especially when there’s numerous different items infront of me. The more there is the more it melds together like a bright colourful splodge. It’s difficult to make anything out properly if you want to browse in person. I’m better with a plain background. With one or two items infront of it.

Trying to find my sons aftershave as a present in Manchester Airport when I went to Tenerife with my friends in April, was OK when I found the stand, but sometimes my eyes just give up. I persevered and found it but then couldn’t be bothered to find any for myself.

A good way around this also is looking online at the airports website you’re flying from. They have online duty free shops. You can also buy items online from some airports in the UK and pick up once you’re there at the airport, so you don’t get stressed looking for things when it’s so bright and full and busy.

So whilst I had my feet up. I looked at Manchester Airports Duty free online shop too.

Just a couple of tips to help you. Bon Voyage!

PD 1 Screenshot of the Jet2 online magazine How to use our digital edition page. At the top of the page it has search this issue. Main menu sections. Swipe to move between pages. All this is on white font infront of a blurred background image.
PD 2 Same blurry background with white font. Another instruction page. Text reads tap highlighted articles to view. Pinch to zoom in and out. The words at the bottom read continue to edition.
PD 3 A mossy woodland background with 3 red and white toadstools in the middle of the image. In between the toadstools, sits 2 light green skin cream pots. One with the lid open showing the cream inside. White text reads Skincare in all capital letters above the image.