Thought Wheel

Ann Chiappetta

Annie Shares News V. 2 I. 8 August 2023 📖

| Filed under blindness blogging Guide dogs

Annie Shares News volume 2 Issue 8 August 2023

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Web — www.annchiappetta.com

Blog — www.thought-wheel.com

Our time in New York is at an end, we’re moving onto a less urban location in the foothills of Western Pennsylvania.    A modest one level home with a fenced yard for the dogs and plenty of sunny windows for the cats. I’ll be writing in a different studio, meeting new people and collecting new experiences. What could be better? Shh, don’t tell my husband I’ll be traveling a bit more once we are settled. 😉

My guide dog, Bailey, is retiring once we reside in PA and I know it’s the right time. Next year I’ll most likely meet my new guide dog and train at home.

 

Earlier in the month, I was invited  to interview author Leonard tuchyner by good friend and author, Peter Altschul,   who cohosts the In Perspective podcast  with Bob Branco.  Leonard’s new book, Moon Rising: Stories and Poems  is whimsical and expressive, exploring life’s vicissitudes in a unique perspective.

Imperfections, my second novel, has been slated to be released in late spring or early summer of 2024. The audio for my first novel, Hope For the Tarnished is underway. Below is a poem I wrote during  our most recent visit to Pennsylvania. Enjoy it and may August bless you.

 

Doubletree by Hilton

or

Four dinky pillows for the bed

By  Ann Chiappetta

 

I thought the suite would be opulent

The King  bed

A sultan’s  necessity  for sleep

 

An Enviable, blissful transom

 

Whisk Weary  bones   beneath duvet and anticipate the soft

Pillowed  plumpness  cradling my head

My cranium  flattens cotton puff pastries  instead

WTF I say and inspect the offered spread.

I discover Dollar store purchases within

A  pricy three-night stay

 

shall we be complacent?

elect to ignite our  inner Karen  and

shout of the injustice of dinky pillows —

it insults  our guesthood

 

In the prone position

 

these little nothings  make no difference

 

Another thing about these pillows is their identity

Are they feather and down or

microfiber  polypill or some

hybrid of all of the above

I can’t figure out which one or  which combination

They’re like a generic of generic of generic

I’ve taken to putting a sofa cushion behind me instead

I am not Karen and will not stay there again.

Post a thumbs down on YELP while

reclining on a

Too hard king-sized bed

In a too large corner suite

With too many little pillows for sleep.

 

 

 

Annie Shares News June 2023 🍿🎬

| Filed under blindness blogging writing

Annie Shares News Volume 2 Issue 6 June 2023

anniesharesnews@groups.io

www.annchiappetta.com

 

Making Meaningful Connections Through Writing   ✍️

 

The month of May skipped by with her basket filled with springtime blessings. I hope you were able to appreciate some of them. 💐

 

Bailey and I attended ten disability awareness presentations  for grades K and first graders in May. He has recovered from the removal of the tumor in his lung and is back to being the goofy, treat begging dog of my heart.  He celebrated his tenth birthday in April, working and playing with eight other Guiding Eyes guide dogs during a three-day seminar for the organization’s graduate council. Going to the facility and campus is like visiting our Almer Mata. It is, after all, just like a college for dogs and is our second home.

April was National Poetry Month (NPM) and I typed a poem a day, many of them  made it to the poems folder instead of the recycle bin, I am proud to say.  If you read this and would like a document including the keepers from NPM, email me anniecms64@gmail.com and ask for the file.

 

Back in April, I was a guest for the APH Career Connect interview series with Lori Scharff and Amy Lynn Smith. Check it out on the APH blog:

https://aphcareerconnect.org/blog/careerconnect-blog/finding-joy-and-career-fulfillment-in-self-expression/

Listen to the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrYRPRgoDyA

 

 

Here is an article where myself and other blindness advocates are mentioned in relation to listening habits and terrestrial radio:

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/programming-and-sales/radio-and-the-blind-an-evolving-relationship

 

In other writing and book related news, I finished the  first draft of my second novel, Imperfections. I am now seeking beta readers. If you would like to be a beta reader and read and respond to  questions after reading the draft copy, email me anniecms64@gmail.com and drop in “beta reader” in the subject line. The book is 250 pages.

This is a story of destiny and obsession and  the  determination of love.

 

If you want to listen to independent authors discuss their books, visit www.behindoureyes.org and check out the book launch presentations. You can listen to a recording or read a transcript.

 

Sharing this poem is my way to herald in the warm weather. Enjoy. Until next time,

Random Thoughts from September to the End of December

By Ann Chiappetta

 

  1. Shoes slip-on damp leaves, an olfactory  mockery

Reminiscent of  fungi and distinct smell prods thoughts about

What  to cook, who to think about or not to think of because

Not everyone  skips along with the holiday song or marvels

At the foliage  or bakes ten dozen cookies or  decorates the weird, pimpled  squash gourds. It’s better To  mull over the ugliness of the  flesh hollowed vegetables then wonder how many less cards will come in the mail this year.

 

  1. . It’s not that I don’t like the essence of  Christmas, it dwells  in the intimate Place  only energy and intent reside, the location of which only I know and where both darkness and light are partners. I am not sure anyone else I know describes it like that but it is how I  do it.   God might know the place, keeping a respectable distance and maybe only  peeking  into the receptacle during  birth and death.

 

  1. It’s like that now, a time of resonance, a phase, time for the coldest air competing  with  the hottest air Pumping from the baseboard heating, pets snuggled beside each other for warmth. Snoozing late into the morning beside  my husband. Time for thoughts of others, catching up on social media.  The picture window in the living room apartment tapped by Nor’easter sleet beckons. It is  undecipherable Morse code sent by Brigid.
  2. Once the baby Jesus is placed in the cradle by millions of hands and millions of voices sing the chorus in a thousand tongues it’s time to

Let go. I’m going to keep the groovy gourd, eat leftovers and wait for the sleeping seeds protected  for months by damp fungus  and Brigid’s vast blanket   to burst. I cannot  read Nature’s Morse Code but My  nose can seek the  olfactory transition and my steps shall discover the burgeoning shoots of spring with a welcoming toe

Annie and yellow lab Bailey licking her face

 

 

 

 

Spring and Things Magazine

| Filed under blindness blogging writing

 

A great read and resource for Spring.

The writer’s Grapevine is a quarterly news and literary magazine featuring Writers, Small Business  owners and Nonprofits. 

In each issue you’ll find a variety of Articles, Essays, Short Stories and Poems for your enjoyment and education. 

Read the full edition at:  https://pattysworlds.com/the-writers-grapevine-spring-and-things-

To learn more about Patty Fletcher and her magazine, here is the link to her blog:

Patty L. Fletcher

author and social media marketing assistant.

Learn more at:   http://www.pattysworlds.com

APH Career Conversations podcast Join the presentation 🎙️

| Filed under blindness blogging Guide dogs writing

Save the Date

📖   📚

 

Join the APH Career Conversation with Ann Chiappetta

April 6, 2023, 6:00 – 7:00 PM EST
Career Conversations Interview with an Author 

Ann Chiappetta will share what it has been like for her to self-publish her poetry, fiction and nonfiction books. Ann has delt with changing vision as a result of retinitis pigmentosa and has used writing and her creative skills to help cope with her vision loss.

Register Here for Career Conversations Interview with an Author

 Read about Ann on the APH blog:

Annie with pink mask and Bailey close up

Ann and Bailey on bench: Both looking straight on

 

Book Review Honoring the Legacy of Friend and Author Chris Kuell

| Filed under blindness Fiction reviews

Book Review

By Ann Chiappetta

 

Morris

By Chris Kuell  © November 2022

Fiction; Short Stories

Atmosphere Press https://atmospherepress.com/books/morris-by-chris-kuell/

Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Morris-Chris-Kuell/dp/163988677X

Kindle$7.99 softcover $15.99 302 pp.

From the publisher

A wounded Vietnam veteran builds a guitar as a first step toward rebuilding his life. A young man is ejected from the foster system and hitchhikes his way across America in search of that elusive feeling of home. An unsatisfied twenty-something questions her relationships and imagines other possibilities. A single father struggles to come to terms with his daughter’s growing up. A street musician touches people with her words and her music.

Morris by Chris Kuell is a collection of fourteen powerful stories brimming with evocative landscapes and memorable characters. Navigating desire, despair, healing, and love—the residents of this collection are all searching to better understand themselves. Woven together through the universal thread of music, these stories, witnessed by a well-worn guitar, expose insecurities and highlight the power of endurance and personal transformation.

***

Full disclosure, Chris Kuell, the author, and I have been friends for over twenty years. We first met in a critique group.  Shortly afterward, Chris gained the position as editor-in-chief of the online literary magazine, Breath and Shadow and he invited me to assist in fencing submissions.  Needless to say, we’ve witnessed one another grow into our authorly legs, stretched a few inches  creatively since we first met. After reading Morris and being  captivated  by the breadth and depth of the stories,  I’ve got to admit a bit of the fan girl thing developing. I think it is because of the play list introducing each story. The nostalgic value  of the songs and song lyrics should not be overlooked. Each song attaches a specific emotion to each story and enhances the  theatric backdrop of the stories in this collection.

 

While each story in Kuell’s Morris is a stand-alone piece, the author presents an appealing  literary repast.  This book is an experience of relationships and life’s vicissitudes. What I loved about the book were the realistic interpersonal connections and how  the characters were influenced by either positive or negative circumstances. Each story touched a part of what it means to be human, to feel, love, care, hope and suffer. For example, how sweet or misunderstood a kiss can be, how good intentions are overcome by remorselessness and violence, or how bias and bigotry can escalate  into devaluing a human life.  Some stories ended tragically and some ended ambiguously, each one  resonated. Like a superb meal at a favorite restaurant, I reflected upon them for days. A creative piece  with longevity is a great accomplishment and Chris  Kuell’s book will stick to your soul and speak to your heart.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reader’s Note: On February 21, 2023, Chris died from complications resulting from cancer. He was sixty years old.  His obituary follows:

Christopher S. Kuell

June 14, 1962, ~ February 21, 2023 (age 60)

Christopher Kuell passed away on Tuesday, February 21st, 2023, at 60 years of age. He died in his home, surrounded by family members and love.

Chris led such a unique and interesting life that it is impossible to represent him in a few short paragraphs. He was born in 1962 in Salem, Massachusetts to Paul and Diana Kuell, one of six children. He was a brilliant and hardworking man, earning his Ph. D. in Chemistry from the University of Vermont in 1990 and working as a research scientist with Ciba Geigy before losing his sight at the age of thirty-five. Although becoming blind due to diabetes completely changed his life, Chris applied his brilliant mind, iron will, and open heart to building a new, beautiful, and independent life. He learned to cook, to travel, to play guitar,  to shop, to play board games, and anything else a sighted person could do.  He became involved with the National Federation of the Blind, attending and leading events, and collaborating with other blind and visually impaired people to make the world a better place for people with disabilities. He also began writing, publishing articles about life as a newly blind person and blind father, which ignited a passion for the written word that motivated him for the rest of his life. Five years after losing his sight, another major health complication threatened this newly built life.  However, his brother David’s decision to donate a kidney to Chris in 2002 saved him. Sadly, David passed away in 2013, but his gift allowed Chris to live another 21 years.

When his children were young, Chris dedicated himself to his family – cooking dinner, quizzing his children Nicholas and Grace on multiplication tables while they were in the bathtub, and listening to bedtime books-on-tape at night.  As the kids went off to college, Chris pursued a host of other passions. He applied his Chemistry degree to brewing delicious “Blind Wino” brand wine.  He began editing Breath and Shadow, a literary magazine dedicated to publishing authors with disabilities.  He helped run a monthly book club for friends and members of his community.  With his fellow parishioners at Saint James’ Episcopal Church, he prepared food and washed dishes for Dorothy Day, our local soup kitchen. His most recent labor of love was publishing his book, Morris, just a few short months ago. If you want to know something about who Chris was, what he valued, or how he saw the world, you’re in luck – he put his heart and soul into Morris and left it for us to read and re-read whenever we need to be close to him.

Chris was an exceptional man who will be remembered as the blind guy who walked his kids back and forth to elementary school, a faithful and dedicated member of St. James’ Church, a fierce advocate for the disabled, marginalized, and disenfranchised. He will be remembered for his quick wit, his passion, his sense of humor. Those who survive him will miss him immensely: his wife, Christine DiMeglio; his children, Grace Kuell, Nicholas Kuell, and daughter-in-law Alexis Willoughby; his siblings: Cathy and Kenny Halchak, Sandra Kuell, Michael Kuell and Jenn Cobb,  Jon Kuell and Maureen Buckley; his soul siblings: Tammy Kuell, Lisa Patey, Mike DiMeglio, Scott Kiem; his gang of admiring nieces and nephews.

To know him was to laugh with him, think with him, lean on him knowing he would always be there, to cry with him, ask his advice, pray with him, talk books or sports or – if you were brave – politics with him. Chris radiated love – love for life, and love for those lucky enough to know him. He will be missed by countless people and in a myriad of ways.  We are forever grateful for the gift of knowing Chris Kuell, and for knowing that this wonderful man is now at peace.

A service celebrating the life of Chris Kuell was held on March 11, at 11 am, at Saint James’ Episcopal Church, 25 West Street in Danbury CT 06810.

In lieu gifts of any kind, consider a tax-deductible contribution to Resources for Organizing Social Change (ROSC, PO Box 2444, Augusta, ME 04338-2444), the parent organization for Breath & Shadow, a quarterly journal of disability culture and literature, where Chris served as editor-in-chief. Include a note with the check that your donation is for Breath & Shadow in memory of Chris Kuell. ROSC is a public 501(c)3 charity.

Please share this post and ask friends to support this author’s legacy in the form of a wonderfully written book.

photo of well worn acoustic guitar

 

podcast on money and relationships 💵

| Filed under blindness Relationships

Sometimes retirement has it’s perks, like being a guest on a blog or podcast, sharing  what it’s like to have been a professional therapist. Check out the Penny Forward podcast focusing on money management and relationships. Shout out to Chris, Mo and Liz for  inviting me.

https://www.pennyforward.com/penny-forward-podcast-money-and-relationships/

 

A DNR for My Dog Guide? 😨🦮

| Filed under blindness Guide dogs pets and people Relationships

Whoa, pups and people, first of all, this is not a shock jock kind of post. It is my attempt to express the feelings and observations during the events of the past three weeks. We are all okay, so it is safe to keep reading.

🦮

Bailey, my 75 lb. yellow lab raised and trained by Guiding Eyes for the Blind, was diagnosed with a tumor in his lung. It was discovered in a routine vet visit and I am so grateful for the  staff veterinarian at Guiding Eyes for  listening to me and ordering the Xray and referring us to Animal Medical Center in New York City for  a CT and needle biopsy confirming the diagnosis.

 

We are now waiting for the surgery date  to remove it. During the examination of the CT scan/biopsy procedure authorization, I read the DNR clause. It said CPR would be administered unless directed otherwise by the owner. Of course I wanted lifesaving procedures to be performed, my dog  is showing very little symptoms and isn’t ready to check out.

 

I stopped, thinking, OH, shoot, a DNR? And it hit me just how serious this was and  how sick my sweet 9.7-year-old lab really is. He showed only a mild cough after playing and slowing down a little when we were out and about. I’m not sure why but  Bailey’s diagnosis brought me back to our Mom’s lung cancer and the mind-numbing period of time during her surgeries and treatments. Because of the consultations and  speaking with medical oncologists during our Mom’s illness, I believe I have a better grasp of Bailey’s chances and risk factors. I am not saying a dog is the same as a person, but I am thinking that Mom’s passing provided insight and strength for me and my husband to be better equipped to handle whatever comes after Bailey’s upcoming surgery and convalescence. Then again, maybe I am saying a life is worth fighting for, human or non-human.  Mom did not differentiate among two or four-footed family, and neither will I.

yellow lab Bailey in our livingroom

 

 

 

 

January 2023 Annie Shares News V.3 I. 1

| Filed under blindness blogging writing

Annie Shares News January 2023  Volume 3 Issue 1

Anniesharesnews+subscribe@groups.io

www.annchiappetta.com

2023 greetings! 🥳 🎉

2022 has been challenging and it’s great to be stepping out more, giving and receiving a hug from friends and colleagues once again. Society has endured and learned how to cope with the physical limitations  associated with the pandemic and while we are still being effected by covid,  we are adjusting. To hug or not to hug, that is the question.

 

One mask-wearing phenomenon I’d like to share is the increased level of general disorientation when wearing one.  And it isn’t just me experiencing this weird reaction. Whenever I first put on a mask, it causes  me to feel dizzy and like I am in a bubble. I can’t hear or rely on my sense of direction, which is usually good.  The spatial awareness is the worst and I have spoken with other blind friends who have experienced a similar  lack of sensory information from mask wearing. I tried a clear face shield and it was even worse.   I hope this is something we can research more to help others.

 

I want to share some good news about a friend and colleague, Elizabeth Ianelli. She and I worked together and remained friends after we both left the VA. She is one of the most resilient people I know and I am pleased to share the advanced ordering link to her new gritty and powerful book about the troubled teen industry called I See You Survivor: Life inside (and outside) the totally f*****d up troubled-teen industry.

 

Another author I know, Trish Hubschman,  has released her newest book, check it out:

Gayle’s Tales: Tracy Gayle Mysteries

by Trish Hubschman

Copyright December  2022

The book is for sale from Smashwords in eBook formats and from Amazon in e-book ($3.99), paperback ($8.50), and hardcover ($16.50).

175 pages in print.

 

Full details of this book and Trish’s four Tracy Gayle mystery novels are on her website:

https://www.dldbooks.com/hubschman/

 

Synopsis:

 

Gayle’s Tales is a collection of Tracy Gayle mystery short stories.

 

Everyone’s favorite couple, Tracy and Danny, are still going strong, romantically and professionally, rocking and rolling and solving crimes. The story  is a first-person account  told in Tracy’s point-of-view, detailing the circumstances as only she can tell it. Through all this, she and Danny are planning their wedding extravaganza at the Plaza Hotel in New York. In the end, she brings long–lost family members and friends back into each other’s arms and lives.

Trish is also appearing on January  25 at 7:00 p.m. eastern time as a guest author hosted by the Behind Our Eyes Book Launch program via zoom. If you would like the Zoom invitation, email booklaunch@behindoureyes.org and make sure you mention  it is for Trish’s book.

 

What’s in store for 2023? Writing, of course! 😉  I am working on a nonfiction  book about pet assisted therapy, gathering a third poetry collection, and writing a new  crossover novel plus a new chapter of a sci-fi novella. I am reading different genres of books, including an RPG-inspired   series  penned by Kevin Sinclair, a series by Andrew Rowe narrated by one of my favorite voice actors, Nick Podell and Marshal Arcane  by Terry Mancour is waiting in the queue. I also read The Address by Fiona Davis for my local book club. Very good historical fiction/mystery novel. I also must recommend The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving. The audio book is performed by a talented voice actor and it is  better than Irving’s book, The World According to Garp. It’s brilliant.

 

Reading is a considerable piece of developing as a writer and I plan to continue the quest. 😈

Until next month, be well and blessings to all.

Enjoy this classic poem about the New Year by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

The Death of the Old Year

 

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

 

Full knee-deep lies the winter snow,

And the winter winds are wearily sighing:

Toll ye the church bell sad and slow,

And tread softly and speak low,

For the old year lies a-dying.

Old year you must not die;

You came to us so readily,

You lived with us so steadily,

Old year, you shall not die.

He lieth still: he doth not move:

He will not see the dawn of day.

He hath no other life above.

He gave me a friend and a true truelove

And the New-year will take ’em away.

Old year you must not go;

So long you have been with us,

Such joy as you have seen with us,

Old year, you shall not go.

He froth’d his bumpers to the brim;

A jollier year we shall not see.

But tho’ his eyes are waxing dim,

And tho’ his foes speak ill of him,

He was a friend to me.

Old year, you shall not die;

We did so laugh and cry with you,

I’ve half a mind to die with you,

Old year, if you must die.

He was full of joke and jest,

But all his merry quips are o’er.

To see him die across the waste

His son and heir doth ride post-haste,

But he’ll be dead before.

Everyone for his own.

The night is starry and cold, my friend,

And the New-year blithe and bold, my friend,

Comes up to take his own.

How hard he breathes! over the snow

I heard just now the crowing cock.

The shadows flicker to and fro:

The cricket chirps: the light burns low:

’Tis nearly twelve o’clock.

Shake hands, before you die.

Old year, we’ll dearly rue for you:

What is it we can do for you?

Speak out before you die.

His face is growing sharp and thin.

Alack! our friend is gone,

Close up his eyes: tie up his chin:

Step from the corpse, and let him in

That standeth there alone,

And waiteth at the door.

There’s a new foot on the floor, my friend,

And a new face at the door, my friend,

A new face at the door.

 

 

This poem is in the public domain.

Dreya sends her best wishes for the New Year!

Dreya the book dragon is smiling and floating around with her best friends, books and musical notes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full Circle 💗

| Filed under blindness Relationships

Full Circle

 

How much do we know about a person?  I consider myself a private person but also a person who believes  sharing a personal success or a  challenge could help someone else. I am sharing the following audio vignette  produced by the Hadley Institute called Insights and Sound Bites and hope it helps you or someone you know struggling with depression or vision loss.

https://hadley.edu/podcasts/insights-sound-bites/i-came-full-circle 

One Dog’s Life 🦮 💖

| Filed under blindness Guide dogs writing

Second place winner! this essay will be in the December 2022 issue of the National Federation of the Blind’s  Writer’s Division Literary magazine, Slate and Style.

 

One Dog’s Life

 

2011

 

Verona and my daughter play in the lake for an hour. the funniest thing is the way Verona blows water from her mouth after dropping the stick. It makes a loud, spitting sound that can be heard from the patio.

 

When the assorted waterfowl horde realizes she is visiting, it waddles   in masse from grass to the lake weeds beside the dock. Labrador nose dilates, a front paw lifts, instincts override even an offer of a cookie. for just a little while she is the retriever, the soft-mouthed hunting companion, not a guide dog.

 

Each and every year we have together is a blessing, a time for me to feel unfettered. I try to think back on the way life was before training with Verona but my mind veers from those dark moments and I let them go. We are here, being warmed by the late afternoon sun. We are dog and woman, partners for however long time and fate permit.

2013

Four humans and two dogs fill the little red sedan. I sit in front, along with Mom, who is driving. In the back seat, Music’s furry butt crushes my sister, who, until now has suffered in silence.

“Thank God it’s a short ride,” I hear her mumble from somewhere behind us.

 

We reach our destination, extract ourselves from the little red sedan. Verona’s excitement is palpable. Once inside the gate, loose dogs run up to us, but I make her ignore them and sit until I’m ready. With a word she’s off. We claim a bench in the warm California sun. moments later Verona lopes by us, a pack of dogs giving chase. I listen for the pack to turn back and run past us again, Verona in the lead.

 

California 2013

Pebbles and shells litter the meandering path to the beach. The air resonates with surf and sea birds. I release Verona and she lopes off, nose to the ground

 

Music, my sister’s Golden Retriever, chases Verona into the water. As she turns to give chase, a huge wave crashes down and for a moment she is engulfed, Sucked away by green sea and foam. my heart skips a beat in arrested panic; The wave spits her out onto the beach and she runs to me, weaves in-between my legs and soaks my pants. I look like incontinence has gotten the best of me.  Thereafter, Verona avoids the waves and prefers a safer splash in the wet sand and tidal pools instead.

 

It’s important that Verona has the opportunity to be a dog; so much responsibility is put upon her when waring the harness, it seems that this is the best way to let her know.   As she digs a hole in the sand and flops down to dry off, my heart is content because she is doing just what she’s supposed to be doing, living a dog’s life.

close up of Black lab with snow sprinkled on her nose and head. She is looking at the camera with large, brown inquisitive eyes.

close up of Black lab with snow on her face