Hi all!

Thought I'd catch you up on some news.  I coppied and pasted and changed 
some things from what I wrote to my family, so you might see some repeats in 
things I've told you before.

I've read a good book, One Minute Millionaire, not too long ago.  I think 
they have some New Age beliefs that I don't agree with, but they have some 
good marketing strategies.  They divided the book into 2 parts; the 
left-brain section and the right-brain section.  The left gives straight 
information, and the right is a novel about some people who carried out that 
information.  this has inspired me, not only to make music, but also to 
write my life's story and include information that would be helpful for 
people who face similar challenges that I have faced.  I plan to sell it as 
an e-book as well as POD (print on demand).  I plan to use this website:

http://www.CDBaby.com

, where you can send your music for distribution.

Although I can control the sound of my keyboard from the computer, I still 
have some things I need to straighten out.  I plan to call Tech Support 
tomorrow morning.  I hope we have enough time to do this all at once.  Then 
maybe I can get started in recording!

As some of you know, I applied to go to the deaf-blind retreat at Seabeck, 
which is across the ferry from Seattle and not too far from my sister 
Maxine!  I've been accepted!  I also applied for and received a partial 
scholarship, so I only have to pay for half the fee, $135!  I'll try to pay 
$45 at a time.  Now I'm looking for a plane ticket.  I plan to leave on 
August 27 (on a Sunday), and return on September 10 (also on a Sunday), when 
her son Erick goes back to college.  It's gonna be fun!

this past week some of us Daybreakers went to the movies.  One of the 
choices was Curious George, which I'd been wanting to see.  For those who 
don't know, curious George is a little monkey who has lots of adventures and 
gets himself into scrapes.  There are a bunch of books about him, and I was 
able to order some from the library in Utah for talking books and books in 
Braille.  I figured that there would be a lot of animation and less 
conversation, so I asked the worker who was with me to describe it to me.  I 
used the microphone of my assistive listening device, (I wear powerful 
hearing aids and often use an FM system.), and got a lot out of that, but 
even then I had a hard time understanding him all too often.  I'd 
unknowingly dropped my alphabet glove in my nephew Joel's Blazer when we 
went down to the desert and to Mom and Dad's last Sunday.  I was missing it, 
but then I realized that only a few people would be able to "type" on my 
fingers quickly, but that many more people know how to type on a standard 
typewriter keyboard.  So I've decided to look into an alternative way of 
communicating.  I'm not going to wait until I can't understand speech at 
all.  One device has a keyboard for writing and a screen for sighted 
readers, and the other side has a Braille display and scroll feature that 
let's you read at your own pace.  Another device I'm considering sends 
vibrations to your skin to help the deaf understand noise and speech!  I 
plan to call the company and ask if it could supplement my remaining 
hearing.  If I decide to try it, I could probably use it for 60 days, but 
you have to get it through a hearing aid dealer, or company, I'm ot sure 
which.  I've also requested the Joy of Signing, in Braille from Utah.  My 
care provider Blanca wants to learn sign language too.

On Memorial Day, Blanca's family is going to have a big celebration.  Her 
cousin and his family with him plan to come from California.  they plan to 
look for a place to live around here in Idaho.

My adopted niece, whose name is also Blanca, is getting married on the 30th 
of June.  She wants me to play the piano at the church, and would like for 
me to play part of the Zorro Theme song as she walks in.  I had my sister 
get me the sheet music, and I had a former piano teacher dissect it for me 
so that I could understand it more clearly.  I've pretty much finished 
learning it.  I practice it and other pieces on my keyboard, but at some 
point I need to do it on the piano at the church.  All of my siblings and 
in-laws will probably be there!  The reception will be in her parents' 
backyard.  I'm hoping that my care provider, who came from El Salvador as a 
teenager, can get material from Guatemala, where my niece is from, to make 
me a dress for the reception.  If not, I'll wear the dress that she already 
has, with a blouse underneath.  She might also have a pair of sandals I can 
use.  I also have a purse from Guatemala that another care provider gave me 
when she and her family went on a short mission trip to Beliz.  (I don't 
know how to spell that one.)

One of my friends, Tawney, from Daybreak has been planning to move in with 
me, but so far that I've heard, Welfare is saying no, because she has too 
many points in bad health, and Blanca and Jose already have a man who is 
nursing home care status.  Tawney said she's going to fight it, so we'll 
see.  It's also possible that she might get to live with Blanca's 
daughter-in-law, who is interested in becoming a care provider, so I would 
still get to have her around here a lot.  It comforts me to know that God 
knows what's best for everyone, and He'll guide us and events as we seek 
Him.

Sharon