I began this series of Life of Brian posts by asking a question; how can I keep my father’s memory alive and celebrate the many wonderful moments we have shared ? By writing, and capturing special moments through our mutual love of storytelling ! Following in my father’s ‘pen’ and his playful spirit, I took to writing funny articles to amuse him. The following birthday menu was created to entertain him when he came to stay at our home three years ago for his 84th birthday. This coming Monday, 3rd July 2023, we shall place a setting at our table as before, and toast to his life and birthday. I ..read more

I was invited to give a keynote address recently for the Association of Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (AVRT). I couldn’t resist linking the theme with my ingredients to create a ‘happiness pie to help with managing vision loss. Listen here for the bitter and sweet of vision loss. The post Sweet Opportunities for Success appeared first on Maribel Steel ..read more

by Silver Farnham & Maribel Steel What could be more delightful than to create a children’s book with the little people in your life? Maribel and her grand-daughter, Silver, have created a storybook inspired by their mutual love for entering the enchanted world of story making. The stories… Pony and Caticorn in The Magic Forest The Mermaid with the Missing Tail Terriwinkle’s Dream Magic The Giant Toadstool Eva and the Orca Whale Hopper and the Fairy Queen of Caramel Castle What is ‘piggy-back writing’ Maribel coined the term ‘piggy-back writing’ to describe helping a young reader becom ..read more

Listen to an audio sample from the narrated book Blindness for Beginners = The most uplifting self-help book I’ve read this year. And the autobiographical anecdotes from Maribel’s life are the most inspiring part. Hazel Edwards OAM, Author, Patron: Society of Women Writers VIC ‘I was struck by Maribel’s ability to weave uplifting words together in such a fashion that I believed I could do anything. I see this book as a beacon of hope, inspiration and motivation.’ ~ Stephanae McCoy, Founder-CEO, Bold, Blind, Beauty SYNOPSIS Blindness is a life-changing experience. The author brings the reade ..read more

In a visual world, how does one relate to social media when one has to listen to see? When a friend posted a sunset image to Facebook recently, the usual ‘oohs’ and ‘arhs’ with thumbs up comments appeared. I wanted to comment too, but I had no idea why this image had attracted so many lovely remarks. So I posted: Rob, here is your challenge for the day, can you describe the image for me?’ He replied, ‘Challenge accepted’ and kindly painted the scene: ‘I noticed the sky changing colour, the low altitude clouds, lit by the setting sun, started out a pale orange and quickly deepened in intensity ..read more

Welcome to 2020! A beautiful number indeed, because this could be the year you discover living with blindness in a positive way! January also marks the beginning of a new series – ‘Insights for Living’! With insights gleaned from over  40 years of being visually-impaired, my desire therefore is to share the many, many ways we really can enjoy our lives with less sight. It truly is about having a 2020 Vision – on the inside; where your attitude and mindset set your sights on what is possible (or not). The truth is that challenges are a natural part of living. Sometimes life requi ..read more

Cooking Blind: People try to imagine how it must be for a ‘blind cook’ to pour boiling liquids into small containers, deal with hot oil in a sizzling pan or reach into the depths of a scorching oven. Challenging? ‘Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspirin and aches, or June and moon, or good people and noble ventures.’ M M.F.K. Fisher Now imagine not one but TWO ‘blind’ cooks in the same kitchen! Exciting! Cooking Blind : A Taste of the World About two years ago, I had the honour to share a kitchen with ‘Baking Blind’ cook from UK, Penny Melville Brown, chef extr ..read more

Let’s celebrate October as Blindness Awareness Month, and dip into the following sentiments from my book, ‘Blindness for Beginners: a renewed vision of the possible.’ ‘Focus on seeing through a different lens, the lens that focuses on teamwork and cooperation.’ Maribel Steel What to do with Butterfly Thoughts One way I confront my fears when I am sensing a measure of doubt or anxiety is to use my mental butterfly net to catch the negative emotion, sit with it for a few minutes and see it for what it is: a fearful thought, weighing down my heart with deep concern. Then I let it ..read more

Would you be surprised to learn that black guide dogs can attract deep suspicion from people who fear dog breeds such as Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers? This is a personal observation based on recent events. The general public on the whole are highly respectful of these dedicated and well-trained working animals – regardless of their colour. But it only takes a few people in the community to treat you with suspicion, due to the appearance of the living ‘mobility aid’ by your side, to really catch you off guard. On my very first bus adventure with Dindi I was asked by the person sitti ..read more

‘Wine and cheese are ageless companions, like aspirin and aches, or June and moon, or good people and noble ventures.’ M M.F.K. Fisher People try to imagine how it must be for a ‘blind cook’ to pour boiling liquids into small containers, deal with hot oil in a sizzling pan or reach into the depths of a scorching oven. Challenging? Now imagine not one but TWO ‘blind’ cooks in the same kitchen! Exciting! A Taste of the World About two years ago, I had the honour to share a kitchen with ‘Baking Blind’ cook from UK, Penny Melville Brown, chef extraordinaire, when she came to fi ..read more