Vlogventure. Indoor Campout. Talking About Why We Have Amazon Alexa Devices

Join us for a diversion or just to see why we like Amazon's Alexa devices.

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Watch Below

 

Craig's First Time Using His New E-Motion M25 Power Assist Wheels!! Part 1

For details, this video corresponds with our blog www.walkingwayoverrated.blogspot.com My husband Craig has been waiting to replace his broken Power Assist wheels for months. To see his entire experience and learn what they are check out "Power Assist Wheels" at our Walking Way Overrated Blog.

See what half a lifetime of using a manual wheelchair can mean for your upper body and how you can receive great assistance. Come and learn with us.

Here is part one of Craig's new E-Motion M25 power assist wheels. These replace his 5 year old Quickie Xtender wheels and then his one day Alber Twion wheels. Just search power assist wheels on our blog to learn his history.

Part 1-

Craig's E-Motion M25 Adventure -Watch Below

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A Covid World And Craig's Power Assist Wheels, Journey #2 Begins

Hi guys!  Recent times have left many many people, without the care that they usually receive. It's hard to believe that the entire world has been impacted by one microscopic virus! But it has! Many of us who live with physical challenges, dependant on the arms and legs of others, most definitely had to figure out (and still do), how to not sick but to also how to live life in our home knowing folks from the "outside" world would be coming in to give us a hand. It was tricky knowing the protective equipment like masks, gloves and sanitizers were unavailable. Thankfully, due my vulnerability and need to avoid chest infections, we already had basic protective equipment. A larger order of medical masks from Amazon took about 8 or 9 weeks! (Amazon sure has been making a killing during this pandemic!)

In our case, I had a challenging time trying to hire a new Personal Care Attendant over the past four months. Wow, four months! Hard to grasp our big blue marble basically hold for that long. As it slowly started to roll more, we were finally blessed with a wonderful new addition to my care team! Thank You God for her and for my solo Attendant who assisted me daily over these past months. More thankful than I can say!

As for my dear husband, Hard to believe it has been five years since Craig first received his power assist wheels. So I thought it would affect my husband being able to get a seating clinic appointment, in order to get set up for a new pair of Power assist wheels. Many of the clinics and companies that we would deal with as you may already assume, have been on reduced hours and such. Well, about two weeks ago after Craig inquiring about making a seating clinic appointment, they actually called to make an appointment! Craig was out doing his grocery shopping run at the time, so I got to take the message. The amazing thing was, or I like to say the miraculous thing was there was a cancellation and he was able to get an appointment within a week!

Even More Miraculous...

Even more miraculous, Craig came home from the grocery store that very same afternoon, showing me how his five year old power assist wheels were no longer. 

Check out the video below to learn more about it.

Watch My Dad Build My Customized Desk

Hi there. A few years ago my talented Dad built me a huge customized desk. I  have had the footage since then and finally got it all put together into a video. He has built so many great pieces over my 52 years, the list is endless. This is the most recent. It is great to have a lot of surface area when you use a wheelchair. It means I can store things where I can see them and access them with ease. As a visual artist, collecting art supplies is an addiction. Having a large area with easy to pull drawers makes my artistic life possible. Thank you always to my wonderful Dad, and Mom too of course. Having caring parents without special needs is a blessing, and an even bigger blessing when you do have those unique needs.
Take a watch Below!
 My Dad Builds My Customized Desk

From My HeArtfully Creating Blog/Vlog: A Balmy Adventure

When I am not trying to work on wheelchair repairs and all the communication that can go with that, I am creating, blogging and making videos for those articles. Just wanted to share my newest

Me, when I painted after I thought I couldn't anymore!

article on my creativity blog called HeArtfully Creating. As an artist, it is what I have always known. To not create, leaves me feel out of sorts. I know I talked about this before, but even when you live with a muscle wasting disorder/disability like I have or any other type that suddenly or slowly result in you physical abilities changing. It doesn't mean you can not do what you love to do. I know for me, there are definitely things I would love to do that I just have to accept that I can't. Doesn't mean, I have to lay around staring at a screen all day, there is always some how, some way to do something you love. So I focus on what I can

Cruising on my own legs, sort of.

do. If you aren't familiar with the disability I was born with, it is called Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 3.

I won't go into detail here, but I am now almost 50 years old, yay! It is an exciting

Grade 4, I used a wheelchair as needed.

milestone that I look forward to. These days, my hands are  the only part of my body, aside from my mind, and mouth (darn, say my family members, ha ha) are the remaining abilities I have. Which means, with my husband's assistance, I am able to work on creating, such as in this instance, my own Lip Balm and solid perfume. 

Yes,  I know a DIY doesn't necessarily fit into the purpose of the

Emily being my "arms" to assist me.

Walking. Way Overrated blog intent, I wanted to explain why sharing this part of me does fit in here. I want to encourage others who may believe that because their arms, legs, hands, body in general, don't function or cooperate, it doesn't mean you can't do what you love. If you love creating in any way shape or form, there always is a way you can. Daily, I depend on others to be my "arms

Without others, going to and get out of bed would not be possible.

and legs," without them, I wouldn't be sitting up in my chair writing this blog, creating what I create. 
You would be amazed at the many times, I believe God has provided me either direct into my mind, or through the advice of others, ways to problem solve how I would be able to do something I thought I couldn't do anymore. So pray, ask for help, always. Life for me, wouldn't exist as glorious as it is, a part from Christ. I did it without Him, and never would have survived if I continued living that way. You got nothing to lose!
Be encouraged with this creative, fun diversion.
I did it, I tried...reusing EOS containers but for me...well, take look...

HeArtfully Creating: A Balmy Adventure: Alright, I did it. I did make the DIY lip balm and since the base is the same, as a bonus, I also made some solid perfumes. It all starte...

Shared Experiences

Experiences Many Persons Who Use Wheelchairs Have.  
Click the title to check out this interesting list of commonly shared experiences amongst those of us who happen to use wheels for legs. My husband and I both have had similar experiences and more. 

The one regarding parking in accessible spots, well for us, twice, we were yelled at with extreme prejudice and ignorance. And both drivers were the ones parked beside our lift vehicle, not actually in a wheelchair accessible parking spot. In fact, we were parked in one. Instead of not being able to park, we were blocked from being able to get back into our van! It was crazy and unbelievable to experience such behaviour! 

Do you have any interesting experiences, good or bad due to the fact that you use wheels? We'd love to hear from you. Just write it below. 

Anita :o)

Dancing In A Wheelchair, No Biggie, But Underwater...

photos by: Freewheeling Norman Lomax/ Rex Features
http://www.digitalspy.com/fun/news/a403294/underwater-wheelchair-dancing-a-hit-at-cultural-olympiad-watch/

We like to not just talk about relevant topics pertaining to mobility issues and experiences, but pass on those extra unique individuals we learn about who are exceptional at proving why our blog has the title it does. Sue Austin, is one of those individuals. Watch and enjoy, as we are encouraged and reminded once again that walking really is, way overrated. Take a look at dome of her artistry.

An Unexpected Christmas, errr, Journey?

Christmas, An Unexpected Journey!

We joined Bilbo Baggins and crew, on his Unexpected Journey. Little did we know, we'd have our own unexpected event just trying to leave the theatre! Watch below to find out what it was!

By the way, we love The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey, just as much the second time. And this time, we both stayed awake, so it was as if we saw it for the first time! (no, we weren't fighting heavy eye lids because the Hobbit was a drag, it's what happens when you are dead tired, sit in a dark room and tilt your wheelchair back like a Lazy Boy.

Wheelchair Accessibility and Transportation

Part one of our newest video is all about the basics of wheelchair accessible driving as the driver (my husband's perspective) and as a passenger seeking transportation without having to transfer out of her wheelchair (that is my perspective! Click here to watch Part One.

Before we were getting married, my husband to be's vehicle was not suitable for modifications that were needed to enable me to also get inside, to travel together. We began praying specifically and God, always knowing our needs, within a few weeks, voila! In our local Auto Trader magazine, was the vehicle we had been praying about. Our city isn't a huge one, so to find a fully modified wheelchair accessible van was truly a miraculous event for us. As you can see in the video, it has all the features we needed so Craig could drive.
It didn't originally look like it does now. The person who owned it before us, had this full size Ford F150 van, modified at an awesome place called, Sparrowhawk. Check it out.

If you have any questions or input, please email us at walkingwayoverrated@gmail.com
Enjoy the video!

Laundry, Craig Style

Is doing laundry when wheels are your "legs," a challenge? The answer is, it can be. The resurgence of the front loading washing machine has been a blessing, many may take for granted. You'll see how awesome it is as you watch, (click this:  "Laundry, Craig Style.")

Ancient Laundry Methods, Survivor Style?

Some love it, others deem it a necessary evil and yet others, have the means to hire a laundry service! All this talk about laundry brings to mind one memorable, "laundry" moment....We are big fans of Survivor. No matter where on the planet the contestants are, they must outwit, outlast, and outplay each other. Something else they must do, is their laundry. Imagine thirty nine days with same undergarments...on second thought, don't.
Over the past twenty five seasons, we the viewers, have witnessed many laundering occasions using the oldest methods we can imagine, scrubbing clothing with water and sand or rubbing them on a rock. No smelly soap, just grit and water and then the good old fashioned hanging them up to dry method! Oh and as you'll see at about minute number 7:49, in the video above, the boiling water method. This clip is worth a view, because in this setting, a colourful and very unique survivor, named Tarzan, a plastic surgeon, mortifies fellow female survivors, as he seeks to drop his clearly, "spotted" underwear into a boiling pot of their laundry! Watch him defend his skivvies. Only on Survivor.

We can only imagine how thankful the ladies, must have been, knowing that laundry machines awaited them back home.
Back to "Laundry, Craig Style."

Aside from the pointers you will see in this video, I want to add a few things...Craig is the laundry guy, but most of the time, I have the great young ladies that I get to hire, to act as my "arms and legs," and have them fold and/or hang it all up according to how we would like it done. It works well for us for us.
If you have a top loading machine, back in my apartment days, with coin operated machines, I used a metal hanger, stretched out into long hook so I could pull out the clothing out,  I couldn't reach. A reacher is also another great device.
Laundry Hints
1. Directions: For best results, follow the directions on your laundry products.
2. Detergent Matters: Caution, use High Efficiency Laundry Soap for Front end loading washing machines. It really matters. We found out years after that using regular detergent can shorten the longevity of your machine.
3. Mildew?: For front loading washers only, please always leave the door ajar a little once the load is removed. Again, we learned the hard way. After smelling mildew or mould in the laundry room, we were informed that a slight puddle of water always remains under the drum which therefore, smells bad!
4. Keeping Bright and White: Separate clothing. To keep whites, white and bright colours true, do not mix darks with brights or whites.
5. Water Temperatures: Cold water wash with cold rinse is what we use most of the time. It saves on energy and keeps colours from fading or running. However, we do like to wash things like sheets and other items that can be soiled more, like towels- use warm wash, cold rinse. It is a matter of opinion. We are sure Martha Stewart has much better advice than we do!
6. Stains?: Stains can only be removed when they are fresh. Once a stained item is washed and dried, the stain is set. Shout, Stain Away and other Oxy type stain removers seem to work well. But follow directions.
7. Avoid Fuzz Balls: Wash towels separately. We have learned through experience that washing clothing with terry cloth produces those annoying little fuzz balls a.k.a. pilling.
8. Washer to Dryer: Always shake out wet items before you put them into the dryer. This helps to shorten dry time, and because the items are opened up and not in a ball, the wrinkles will be less. (We avoid ironing at all times.)
9. De-Lint: Always clean the lint filter before drying clothing.
10. Dryer Setting: Depending on the size of your load and what it is, you need to select the appropriate setting.
11. All Balled Up: Sheets always tumble into a big giant ball, usually with other wet clothes inside. We find that for best results, you should pause the cycle after about fifteen minutes and toss the sheets. Bring what is inside, outside. Sometimes we do it two to three times, it helps everything to dry properly and avoid severe wrinkles.
12. Ironing Underwear?: Just kidding, we don't iron anything. But, it is true, there are devoted Martha types who do iron socks, under wear and sheets! You decide.
13. Once Dry: If you leave clothing in the dryer too long, you will be faced with a lot of wrinkles. Best way, shake out all dry clothing and lay them out on a surface until you can fold them up. Or fold right away. We always fold the clothing first because it doesn't matter to us if rags, towels and such are wrinkled.
14. Share the Load: If you love laundry great then do it your self. But if your loved one prefers folding, then let them fold and you can wash....

Cone Making, Craig Style!

Craig makes the perfect cone. Learn how! 

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling, Keep Those Tires, Rolling!

Kaboom!

Last night as my dear husband was starting to cook dinner, suddenly, we heard a gunshot! No, not really, sure sounded like one though. Turns out it was his rear wheelchair tire that suddenly just blew out. Needless to say, it startled both of us. I, in my usual manner, went on about how he shouldn't have overinflated his tires a couple of days earlier, sure of myself, that that was why it blew. Of course, I don't really know for sure, but in my brain, logic says, when things like that happen, there must have been a way to prevent it. He does affirm that he always over inflates them by about seven pounds. (Never over pump tires because it can cause exactly what happened to him!) And yah, sometimes, stuff just happens. What did Craig think? He thought perhaps, it was a pushpin that he spotted on the ground at our local wheelchair repair shop! Sharp objects, are not something you want to see when you have pneumatic tires, but that shouldn't cause a blowout! 

 

After I raved on about the over-inflation thingy, and how on earth are we going to get help right now concern...with one phone call, thank the Lord, we were able to locate one of my PCA's (Personal Care Attendant)," to come and retrieve his spare wheel. A great reminder of how important it is, to have spare parts for such emergencies. Riding around on a rim can damage your wheels, not to mention, most people using manual chairs, can't transfer safely from their wheelchair without locking it.  Flat tires can't be braked.
We were quite thankful as well, that it happened once he was home. We both have many stories to tell about how "breakdowns" have happened once we were in a safe place, like at home. Be it a bent front wheel fork, blown or flat tires, failed or dying power chair batteries or a broken motor, we definitely feel taken care of.

Okay, I just have to share a couple of these stories, they are just too phenomenal to withhold. Before the age of mobile phones, instead of depending on our local wheelchair accessible transit vans, whenever the seasons permitted, I would "walk" all over our fair city. One particular warm summer day, as I was headed to a family function, my front wheel hit a curb sideways. For some bizarre reason, the fork that I had believed to be solid steel, bent so much that my wheel was seized. The break down was right in front of a street side shop that just happened to have their door open. Of course, I didn't see it as a good thing at first (no, I am not a "half full" kind of person) and fear flooded every part of my body, wondering what on earth will I do? Suddenly all the worst case scenarios left my brain and then came the "duh!" moment!  Clearly, because the door was ajar, I could yell for help. So, I did, and the kind person called the accessible cab and my family fixed me up.

Another outstanding "event" that is so obviously a, "God's perfect timing moment,"  was over fifteen years ago when a girlfriend and I borrowed my parent's van and drove from Thunder Bay to Ottawa. Since staying at the local University residence was far more economical than a motel, we stayed at Carleton University.

On the very first day, of what we originally thought would be a four week visit, Randi, on a bicycle and I in my power chair, cruised our way down town. If I have calculated it correctly, that would be about a 7-9 kilometer walk, one way only. We made it back to the residence and as soon as we entered the building, my wheelchair ceased to work! As bummed out as I was about facing the possibility of having to return home, thankfulness flooded my heart as the multiple scenarios that "could of," happened played out in my head. What if it would have...broke down crossing the four lane intersections or any where else on one of those frantically bustling streets? There would have been no trip back home for me, except maybe in a pine box, had it happened then.

Oh, and In case you are curious, one phone call home to my best wheelchair repair dude and all was well the next day, we stayed on for two weeks taking in the sights and sounds, not to mention a few trips to the IKEA store!
Those are two of many, many stories about how things (not just wheelchair breakdowns)  in my life, could have ended up far worse, had they not been orchestrated by my Lord's perfect timing. Makes me wonder why, I still feel the need to panic and fret, EVER! Sigh.

Wouldn't you know it, today, the day after, I was watching Craig's other tire and I noticed a bulge in the rubber. Now, here's a shocker, wanting to prove my point (know anyone like that?)  about over pumping tires, I "googled" the subject and lo and behold, yes, over inflation can cause a tire to burst. In all fairness to my beloved husband, he told me that he has been over pumping his tires for more than ten years now and this is the first time anything like this has happened! So perhaps, I am not as right as I think I am...yah, that's always a possibility.
Here's the thing, using a wheelchair for over thirty years, had lead me to believe that I knew everything I needed to, in order to keep everything working well and to avoid any mishaps. Turns out I was wrong! (pssst...don't tell Craig) Apparently, I have been neglecting my own wheelchair maintenance duties. Assuming that I am not alone, I thought it would be a good idea to post the web sites that enlightened my ignorance. (Just click them on)
Power Wheelchair Maintenance Tips
Manual Wheelchair Maintenance Tips 

Final note: Did you know that mobility equipment such as, wheelchairs are a blessing and not something everyone in this world has access to.  Just ask the awesome people at "Wheels for the World" (or our friend Julio in Peru). All the more reason to take care of what we have as best we can and consider supporting those who are devoted to spreading mobility around the world.