Voting When Blind

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all well. Yesterday, some local elections were taking place in the UK and as it is my democratic right to do so, I went to vote.

But, would you believe me if I told you, that in the UK, there are a group of people who still do not have an independent secret vote?

That’s impossible right? In the first half of the twentieth century, women won the right to vote. Working class people won the right earlier than that. So I am talking nonsense, right? Wrong!

Yes, it is true. Blind and partially sighted people can not vote in secret and independently.

What about postal votes? I hear you ask.
You still need a sighted person to pop the x in the box on your behalf if you have no usable vision.

As I have very little trust in the voting system as it currently stands, I have my mum help me vote. I have not seen the new version of the voting template and I grant that my experiences with that element are a little out of date. But I maintain my argument that this current voting system is not serving those in the community who are blind or partially sighed.

As we walked into the polling station yesterday, not one person offered me the said template though and I did not ask for it. Maybe I will ask for it at the general election and will write more about that at the time.

However, even if I had been offered the template, it would have required a member of the team at the polling station to A position the template correctly and read the list of candidates. This does not make this experience independent. Of course, the officials have to look away when you are voting but how would I, with no vision know if the pencil indeed made the mark or if I had in fact spoilt the ballot paper? The truth is, I would never know which is what makes this process not fit for purpose in my view.

I am lucky, I have a good relationship with my mum and she would respect any choice I made regarding anything in my life so I trust her to mark the vote I choose. But not all people have that kind of relationship with a family member or friend.

It could be, we are all spoiling our ballot papers unknowingly or voting for someone we did not intend to either by misapplication of the template or moving it accidentally.

I feel if this was any other group of people, there would correctly be an uproar. As things stand though, this is the situation as it stands in the UK in 2024. What is the answer? I am not sure. But whilst we still use pencils to vote, it will never be fool proof for those of us who cannot check our own vote.

Maybe the answer is textured markings, stickers or something like it.

New Writing Project

Hello everyone,

 

Wow, been a long while since I have written. 

 

The first part of the year has been very sluggish both physicallyy and mentally, although hoping if I can get my sinuses cleared up, things may be looking up on both accounts.

 

I’ve been writing again. Decided to try and do Camp NanoWriMo as I could pick the target and opted for a thousand words per day. I am almost on track, only about 500 words off today’s target. So I know I will be able to finish this challenge all being well. The topic itself is very interesting and I am building some fun and in depth characters.

 

Hope you are all well and spring is treating you good. Will tell you more about this new project in the coming weeks.

 

Goodbye 2023

Hello Everyone,

 

I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas. I started feeling a little poorly Christmas Day and the rest of the week has been spent in bed with the flu and a chest infection.

 

But here we are again. At the end of another calendar year.

 

I definitely feel a little mixed emotions regarding this past year. I have continued to try and get through each day but with the change of my antidepressants earlier this year, I have grown in strength and courage. Am I completely back to pre pandemic me? No! Will I ever be? Probably not but being able to participate in activities I never thought possible this time last year has definitely been a growth. 

 

With the support of amazing friends, I’ve been back to the theatre lots, been to an outdoor concert, celebrated my 40TH birthday the way I wanted to and done Christmas celebrations with the nephews and niece I wouldn’t have done before. 

 

I still need to take the time to decompress after I have done those things but to be able to even do them is somewhat of a miracle to me.

 

I retired my beautiful, faithful, fabulous Labborghini, in February and was offered a new pooch but for so many reasons, she was not the right dog for me. Happily, she went to a very good friend of mine and their partnership has flourished. I paused my guide dog application and plan to hopefully resume that in the new year. 

 

Now I am wanting to go out and about again, having a working set of paws is crucial. Yes, I can use the cane, another strength I didn’t know I had this year but I still know I prefer working a dog for my mobility needs. 

 

The relationship between me and Bertie has had to change. And although he lives with me, and will continue to do so, he’s very happy to go off with mum for exercise and go to mum’s when I’m out doing other things. 

 

This year has been a relearning curve for me. Learning to live and not merely exist again. 

 

2024 will hopefully bring many more interesting things into my life. I know I need to work on fitness, get back to horses, and take care of myself. What other things will happen I will see. I have some planned get aways with friends in the diary and some yet to be planned, but I am hopeful for the first time in about four years. 

 

All the best to everyone for 2024. I hope it gives you the love, light, prosperity and joy you all deserve.

 

Unfinished Business

Hello everyone,

 

I know. I have yet again failed to complete a writing challenge. I’m pretty sad about this one but with illness and general feeling of inability to continue with the story I started, it was not meant to be. I hope 2024 changes that and I can get back to writing. I may or may not come back to the one I started with NaNowriMo but I do have a story I want to write. 

 

Anyway, for anyone who has got close to the 50000 word target, well done and feel proud of what you have achieved.

 

#NaNoWriMO Day 11

Helo all,

It finally happened. I finally managed to catch up with the word count. Day eleven and I am now on just under 18500 words to date. 

 

Am I loving this story? No. And annoyingly I thought of another story yesterday but I’ve written my idea down and who knows, may start that one after I’ve finished National Novel writing month. Feeling better that I’ve finally caught up. I do like a healthy word count.

 

Characters are
developing nicely and the plot is moving along so I cannot ask for much more than that at this stage.

 

Happy writing all

#NaNoWriMo2023 Day 7

Hello Everyone,

 

So, day 7. Yesterday I felt I could not go on with this challenge. I just felt so pressured and like I didn’t have a story to tell. Mental health can be so soul destroying and make you believe some awful things about yourself. My self esteem has never been particularly good but the past few years have certainly taken a hit.

 

I woke up this morning though and felt like picking up my MacBook and giving it another go. I’m still a little behind, currently at 10110 words and today’s count should be around 11669 but I think I may still have some words in me later today. I’ve managed just over 3000 words today already and that’s a good chunk. My characters are finally talking to me and the path feels a little lighter to walk upon. Sometimes, you just need that conversation to start. I’m hoping I am now on a roll.

 

Happy writing 

#NaNoWriMo2023 Day 5

Hello everyone,

 

I am not going to pretend I’m having an easy time of this year’s national Novel Writing Month. I’m already behind and just do not feel I have the words in me at this point in time. Hoping I can get some words down but honestly, I feel so detached at the minute. 

 

I don’t think my own mental health is helping and my creative juices are flat. 

 

Here’s hoping I have better news next time I write.  There is so little to report at present. The struggle is real!

 

#NaNoWriMo2023 Day 1

Hello all,

 

Day one of any challenge is always a little apprehensive. I’m not a huge planner but I do try to create my characters beforehand and have a good plan of where scenes will be taking place but I like for my characters to take me on a journey. So here is where the proof in the pudding will now lie. Will the characters I’ve started to try to get to know take me on an interesting journey.

 

Here goes nothing!!!!!!

Tower Oven: A Review

Hello all,

 

Last year, I purchased an instant pot duo crisp which is both an air fryer and a pressure cooker. Although, I have used this as an air fryer, as it is a basket, have found it okay for things like chips but for baking, practically unmanageable.

 

I had decided to clear out my old George Foreman grill as I now often just use the air fryer to cook any meat. So I had room to purchase another appliance.

 

I specifically wanted one with shelves and found this little beauty from Tower. 

 

It is a 12L and a manual oven. It’s not too big for my kitchen and has 2 dials at the top, one for time and one for temperature. I have had someone help me put bumpOns on different markers to make it easier to find the exact time and temperature quickly. The shelves are great.

 

It did come with a rotating chip basket and rotisserie components for both joints and for making kebabs. Although haven’t used any of these just yet.

 

The timer is like the old school ones you used to wind up and goes up to 60 minutes and pings when done. The temperature dial goes from 100C to 220C. 

 

There are three shelves which can be removed and a removable drip tray. All is very easy to clean. 

 

The oven door opens downward onto the counter so I’ve got mine pushed back on the counter top.

 

It is safe to say, after cooking some cakes in it the other day, I’m super happy with my purchase.

 

I just find it easier to locate items and check on their cooking progress without catching my arms as I was doing frequently in the deep basket of the duo crisp.

 

Air frying is a type of cooking you really have to adjust to. Things will cook brilliantly each time you cook but you have to get the timing and temperature right which sometimes means a little adjusting. I’m excited to try more things on the baking side of things now and may need to get some new accessories, although thankfully all of my cake tins fit and can let my silicone muffins just stand on the shelves. I will probably be ordering some other accessories for a pizza and muffin tray at some point though, just for ease of use as ordinary oven trays are too small.

 

Tower deliver quickly and Its I was a first time customer, got a lovely discount so keep an eye out for that if you choose to buy directly from tower.

 

NanoWriMo 2023 Challenge

Hello All,

 

It has been too long. I know, I seriously failed on the Skeptember challenge. It has been and still is a bit of a slog to do each day but I’m going to attempt National Novel Writing Month this year.

 

For those of you new to my blog, this is a challenge set for writers each November where you are challenged to write 50000 words through the month of November. To learn more visit the NaNoWriMo website.

 

I just hope I can conquer it.

 

Wish me luck and I will try to blog throughout the challenge.