Katie's site

Hello fellow readers.
Since the new year has begun, I'd like to take time to look back at the old year. I'll look at the good, the bad, what I accomplished and what my hopes are for the year to come.
Let's start at the beginning of last year. It was a rough time. As stated in my previous entries, my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer about 3 years ago. In January of 2014, he began to go down hill. He was mostly bedridden. He needed a lot of care from grandma and I. It was stressful, and also rewarding. Grandma and I did the best we could for grandpa. During the time grandpa was ill, I have decided to rekindle a relationship I had with an x-boyfriend back in 2012. The relationship started out great, but I learned that this wasn't the right time for a boyfriend. I had other responsibilities like work and grandpa, and I wasn't around enough eventhough I tried to be. The time we were together was brief and I think we realized we weren't meant for each other. In june 18th, my grandpa finally went up to heaven. This was very hard for all of us. We were so close to grandpa, and I think taking care of him brought us closer. To be honest, I still haven't gotten over Grandpa's passing to this day. Things got a little easier after that. My best friend came over for the summer and we had a great time. In september, I started back to work. As far as work goes, this year is much better than last. I have three students now. I am really enjoying working with them. Another good thing that happened was that grandma found a new house. She's been wanting to move for a while. I hope she loves her new place. I sure do.
Over all, 2014 had it's good and bad moments. I really learned a lot going through the things I went through. I learned to always appreciate my family and never take them or their good health for granted. I also learned to keep working hard, even when the going gets tough. I believe that the things you go through help you learn and grow. For example, if grandpa wasn't sick, I wouldn't have been blessed with the duty to take care of him. I have a lot of things to be thankful for and the lord has blessed my family and I with a lot.
There are some things I'd like to happen in the new year. I'd love to get paid for my work. I love working on a voluntary basis, but working a part time job would be good for me. I really want to have this happen. I also want to lose more weight. I also want to grow closer to god. I know my family, especially grandpa are proud of me, and hopefully I can make them prouder.

Hello everyone! It's been ages since I've updated anything on here. I have some exciting news. As of Thursday, December 11, 2014, my computer is back from being repaired! I am a very happy girl right now. I have most of my favorite programs installed at the moment and soon things will be back like they were before August 24, 2012, when my computer went down with a smash. I can remember that night like it was last month. I was getting ready to do some automation for my old internet radio station, KJM Online when it happened. This brings me to another thing I want to talk about. My computer's up, what comes next? Will I be an audio girl again? Well, the short answer is quite possibly. The long answer is, there are some things that have to be done before I am ready to broadcast and produce audio,.
As far as dectalk goes, I'll have to find the dectalk software I used back then. One problem, the website where I found the files has been down for a while. However, I could ask someone on the dectalk mailing list I'm a part of. I have lots of ideas in mind from a dectalk skit derived from the famous twilight series, to finishing the mysterious celeste productions I have been wanting to do. The only thing is, not only will I need the dectalk software, I'll also need an audio production program as well. Most of these programs are pricy, so I'll have to find a free solution. Maybe wave pad? I'll have to see.
As far as broadcasting goes, that's going to be a harder goal to accomplish. There are so many factors involved from broadcasting software to finding the right station to finding time to do a show. Finding a broadcast program shouldn't be that hard. There's always winamp and sam encoders. That should do for now. Finding the write internet radio station could take some time. The places I broadcasted two years ago have shut down. I have a couple in mind.

Hello everyone!
In my last entry, I discussed creating a website on the Iphone. In this entry, I will talk about starting a podcast on the phone. Keep in mind that the steps outlined in this blog entry may change. At this time, these are the steps I recommend taking to start a podcast. Before I begin, I'll assume you read my previous entry about creating a website. I also assume that you have found the right web platform and web host that meets your needs. Before you start on this task, it's best to have your website set up. With that out of the way, let's get started.

Things you'll need:

Here are a few things you will need to get started. This list may change depending on how you choose to do your podcast. This is just a fundamental list.

• A good recording app, preferably one that exports to dropbox.
• A file sharing service that works with the iphone. Dropbox is highly recommended and is the service I will discuss in this entry.
• An idea of what your podcast should be about. Ask yourself what you want to discuss in your podcasts. Also, if you plan to do a demo ofan app, it's good idea to have some knowledge of the app first.
• of course, an Iphone

Creating your podcast page:

The first thing a podcaster should do is to create a podcast page. your CMS may have a podcast function, but you don't need to use it. IOS does not allow uploading audio files through the browser, so the podcast function that's built in won't work. However, you just need to make a basic web page. Since all CMS's vary, I won't list the steps on how to do this. Please check your CMS's doccummentation for help.
First, your page should include the name of your podcast. My best advice is to name your podcast based on what it's about. It's a good idea to use the podcast name in the title of the page. Your page should also include a description of your podcast. give a general idea of what your episodes will cover. When putting links to your episodes on the podcast page, it's a good idea to put a heading right before listing them. This makes it easier for people to get quickly to where the episodes start and skip any introductory text.

finding a recorder and recording your first episode:

Before you can record your first episode, it's important that you find the ideal recording app. There are plenty to choose from, but you need to find one that's not only accessible, but works with your file sharing service. The app I use is called REV voice recorder. It's accessible and easy to use. It's dropbox integration is great. You could also check out
The applevis website
You may be able to find a good app there.
Once you find a recording app, it's best you familiarize yourself with the layout of the app and how it works before recording your first episode. I won't include instructions on your recording app because they vary.
Before recording your episode, you should have a good idea of what you're going to talk about. If doing a app demo, have a good understanding of the app. all in all, it's better to know what you're doing before hand rather than make it up as you go along. Your podcast will sound better that way.

Putting your work out there!

Lets say you found a recording app, had an idea of what to talk about, and recorded your first episode. Now, you need to put that episode on your site for the world to hear. There are a few file sharing services that can help you with this, but I'll only discuss using dropbox for now. you will need to use your recorder's export function to upload your file to dropbox. once uploaded, you will need to go into dropbox app and locate your file. after opening your file1 use this app to get a link to your file. go back to the podcast page you created earlier. if this is your first episode, paste the link at the bottom, surrounded by the appropriate HTML tags.
Now, you have created your first podcast

Hello all,
Today, I'm going to talk about how I created this website using only the Iphone. As I've said in previous entries, I am blind, and don't have a working computer. All I have is my phone. Creating a website this way has it's challenges, from finding the right web platform to finding the right hosting provider. Believe me, it's well worth it.
Before you start on this task, there are things you need to ask yourself. How are you going to put content on the site? What hosting provider should you go with? If you are going to have a podcast, where are you going to upload your audio? I will try to answer these questions in as much detail as possible.

how will y publish your content?

There are several ways to get your content out there. The most basic is to create web pages in notepad using HTML. While this is most simple if you know HTML, this isn't the best method for website creation. For one, the Iphone does not support HTML documents. Also, the phone doesn't work with FTP servers where you would normally upload your web pages. For this reason, another publishing method can be used. A CMS, content managing system allows you to create a website using a standard web browser. You can log on to your site and add pages, a blog, forums, and so on. There are many content management systems to choose from, wordpress and drupal to name a few. It's best to find a CMS that is accessable with the Iphone and voiceover.
I highly recommend drupal. The advantages of drupal are that you can create a vast variety of components for your website. Although it's best to know HTML, it's not required when making a personal site. Drupal links the pages of your website and puts your pages in an easy to navigate menu. However, HTML is needed to make links to downloadable files and third party websites. Once you've decided on what CMS you want to work with, you need to find a webhost that provides such CMS.

finding the right webhost

Finding the right host isn't all that easy but it can be done. First, you need to decide whether you want to pay for hosting. If you have a fixed income or you are just building a personal site, free hosting is best. I would only recommend paid hosting if you have a business or organization and need extra features. Try searching on google for a web host that meets your needs.
Once you've decided between free or paid hosting, you need sfind a host that provides the CMS you chose. When visiting a potential host's website, you might want to look at the list of features the host has. Some key words you want to look for are script installer or auto installer.After all a CMS is a script you will install on your site. If your host has such feature, they are most likely to have the CMS you want. If your lucky, some hosts specify what scripts they offer on their website.
Lets say you've found an affordable webhost, they have the features you like and the CMS you like. One thing you also need to look at is the host's sign up form. from personal experience, one thing I hated is finding a hoste that had everything I wanted, but I couldn't sign up for their service because of the captcha on the sign up form. If you have a pc, that's easy. If you have firefox and an add on called web visum, solving captchas is easy. The iphone isn't that way. Solving captchas on the Iphone is nearly impossible. You could get an easily understandable audio captcha if your lucky. These are hard to find though.
The best solution is to find another web host or if you like this one enough, you could contact them. When contacting a potential host, you need to state that you're blind, and use an Iphone. Also, give a brief summary of voiceover and what it can and can't do, including it's inability to solve captchas. Nexs, ask the company if they can assist you in the sign up process. Keep in mind it may take several emails to convence them to help you. If they are willing to help you, great. give them the information needed to set up the website. When the acount with said company is created, you can log in and use their autoinstaller to install your chosen CMS. Once your cms is installed you can use it to create your website on the Iphone.

I havent blogged in a little while. In my last entry, I talked about being a care giver to my grandpa. For a while, I still was. about a month after my last entry, he became bed ridden. he was totally dependent on Grandma and I. he slowly declined. He was often confused, and not really there. His breatheing worsend as well. As of the beginning of june, he stopped eating. From what the hospis nurse described, he was going through a transition process.
During the process, his body was shutting down. His heart pounded, his breatheing was more labored, and his motor functions was limited at best. I can remember his last night very clearly. He was having trouble breatheing and hospis proscribed anxiety medication. He began to feel relaxed and he was not with it. He would look around at things that we couldn't see. From what we believe, a loved one is sent to take the diing to the other side. I wouldn't really call it flash backs, but I am always thinking about his last day with us. Grandpa and I were very close. He was like my best friend. I can't describe how I felt after his passing.
Not only am I sad, and even a little happy for him, I have been having some very strange dreams. I can recall a dream back on july 5th. In the dream, we were at grandma's. I was in the bedroom on the phone with my best friend. Mom asked me to come in the kitchen. when I went in the kitchen, I haeard some noises. I heard glasses clanging footsteps and coffing. Grandpa aproached me and gave me a hug. I smiled and said, "grandpa, you're alive?" I questioned him about where he came from. To my knowledge, he was passed away. I asked him how he got here and what was heaven like. He wouldn't tell me anything. The way he was in this dream was just like when I was little. He was happy and healthy. The only difference was he was 6 foot tall. After grandpa talked with my family and I he said something strange. he said "I've got to go. It's about time."
A few minutes later, a young man appeared. He told Grandpa it was time to go. This next part makes me cry just thinking about it. I told Grandpa, don't go! Can't you come back. Without anything else being said, grandpa and the young man vanished. When I woke up, I didn't know what to think. The dream felt so real. It felt like grandpa was right there in front of me. I discussed this with my best friend. She thought that I may not have been dreaming. She thought that grandpa came to me in his own way. While I was doing my daily walk, my best friend did some research. From what she found, people from the spirit world can come to you in dreams.
this web site
Since then, i still have dreams about grandpa. They're not quite as vivid, but they all start with him appearing out of nowhere, us spending time with him, and grandpa vanishing. Anyway, I just wanted to share my experiences. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Hello to my site visitors. Here I am with another blog entry. Today I will talk about what it's like to be a blind care giver. To start off, my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer about three years ago. He has undergone various treatments, which some worked well and some didn't. In the past year his health has been declining and he was declared terminally ill as of December. His cancer has been in his bones, mainly in the lower back and right hip. As of December, doing small things like getting in bed have become very difficult. Not only does he have cancer, he has copd, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This makes it very hard to breathe. He uses inhalers and has been recently prescribed oxygen. Because of his condition, I elected to help grandma take care of him. As of December, I now only work two days and come to grandma's house for the other five. I do multiple things for grandpa such as administer medication and oxygen, help clean inhalers, bring him food and drink, and put him to bed.
Managing and administering his medication is fairly easy. He takes four different kinds of medicine at five times each day. Grandma and I keep a schedule so we know what to give him and at what time. I also keep a schedule on my phone and set alarms for each doce I also keep his pills in a pill box with many compartments. When I give him his pills, I find the compartment that corresponds with the doce he needs to take. I get the pills out and put them in a cup. This makes it easier for him to manage. This also helps me keep track of what I gave him and what I haven't. When the box is empty, I fill it up. Grandma keeps his pill bottles in a basket. Some of his bottles feel the same. Grandma puts a piece of tape or a sticky dot on the lid of some of the bottles so I can identify them. I can also distinguish between the sounds the pills make when I shake the bottle. Also, the pills come in different shapes and sizes. These methods help me manage his pills independently and effectively.
Administering grandpa's oxygen is fairly straight forward. I can put the tubes in his nose and adjust them. I the tank is very easy to turn on and the dosage is already regulated. His inhalers aren't so easy. They must be cleaned several times a day in vinegar and water. I am able to remove the medicine cup from the inhaler. I wash, rense, and blow dry the cups. Grandma just checks them to make sure they are clean and dry. I follow the same procedure when cleaning the mouth part of the inhaler. Once clean, the inhaler is easy to reassemble. Cleaning inhalers isn't hard once I get it down, however, filling them with medicine is something only grandma can do.
Another task I do for grandpa is put him back in bed once he's gone to the bathroom. With the cancer the way it is, he cannot lift his legs up to put him to bed. His bed is adjustable and that makes it easier, but I still lift his legs up. I also position his pillows where he wants them.
As a final note, I really enjoy being grandpa's part time caregiver. I am honored to take on such a roll and responsibility. I am proud that I can help make it easier on grandma by pulling some of the weight. I've even spoke with people from hospis. They are amazed that I can do so much for him. Not only is being a caregiver rewarding, it has its trials and challenges. For starters, sleep is hard to come by. Since I care for him around the clock, its hard for me and grandma to find time for sleep. Not only that, grandpa has good and bad days. He can be cranky and unaware some times, but we try to have patience with him. He also has days where he finds it very difficult to breathe. When this happens, it is very scary. I fear we could lose him at any time.
Anyway, I hope you find this little essay interesting. I want people to know that just because you can't see doesn't mean you can't care for someone who is ill. Who knows? Maybe blind and sighted people alike can benefit from my experiences.

Hello everyone
I'm going to talk about how I use my I phone. Yes, lots of people talk about using an I phone, but this is a little different. Believe it or not, I don't have a working computer. My computer crashed a year and a half ago. Because of this, as the title of this entry states, its an iPhone bound life, for me anyways.
When you are technically inclined like I am, its hard to do things without a computer. You have to do without things, and find iPhone alternatives to things I could do with a pc. All in all, you just gotta make do. Its easy to find iPhone alternatives to lots of things. Some of these work better than the computer equivalents. Some just can't substitute the pc. For example, web browsing is difficult on the iPhone because of bugs in voice over. It can be done. Though. Voice chatting is easy on the iPhone. There's kakao talk for that. As far as games go, there's a vast variety of games out there and I have quite a few. Voice recording is easy on the phone. It even sounds better that way. After explaining all this, one may ask why I would want my computer back? Well, being iPhone bound isn't easy. Yes, there are different ways of doing things, but there are obstacles to overcome and things I just can't do at all. For instance, one of the biggest problems I have is typing. There is Fleksy and dictation, but they have limits. There is no substitute for plain typing on a keyboard. I can type on the phone, but it takes longer. Another and big obstacle I had to overcome is web browsing. There are multiple voice over issues with browsing. It can be done with patience and a couple workarounds. The biggest hurdle I encountered was finding a web host and starting this site. Most of these providers had switches captchas on the registration page. Because of this, I couldn't use their services. On a pc, there is an add on that solves captchas. There is no such thing on the iPhone. I was at a dead end road until I decided to remodel a site and make this one from it. Making a website on the phone can be simple if you know what you're doing. I use a content management system called drupal. It allows me to manage my site right on my phone. To be honest, even after utilizing these adaptations, I still miss my computer. I can't broadcast, I can't program songs with dectalk, a speech synthesizer, and I am limited when it comes to audio production. Overall, like going blind, doing things with only a smart phone is tough, but doable.. Like losing your sight, you just have to adapt and find ways to make it easy for you. I'm not feeling sorry for myself as I write this, and I don't need for others to feel bad for me either. I'm just explaining my situation for those that want to know.