New Sprouting Device

I just set up the "Victorio 4-Tray Kitchen Seed Sprouter" this morning. It came with a small package of alfalfa seeds which I used for the first attempt. I put an even amount of seeds in each tray (about half a tbsp.) then stacked them up. I will need to pour 2 cups of water twice a day, rotate the trays and empty the bottom. Within in a few days they should be sprouting!

Visit to the Art Gallery

Here are some photos of my visit with friends to the Art Gallery of Guelph last weekend. We specially liked the outdoor sculpture park.

Getting ready to visit an Art Gallery

Some news about my love of art

My mind is full of images, colours and shapes.

I see words in my mind too.

I love to see art objects and paintings.

I never thought I could make art myself.

But thanks to my art mentor and collaborator Heidi,

I now choose colours and brush paint on to paper or canvas.

I like first to express the idea of a painting in words as a poem.

Then Heidi and I try out the colours and shapes.

I have watched videos about art and how to look at paintings.

Now I am getting brave enough to actually visit galleries.

Most surprising--other people like my art

and I have been invited to hang my canvases in art festivals

like the Eden Mills Arts Festival in 2016. See:

http://www.edenmillsartsfestival.com/andrew-bloomfield.html

I cannot speak with my voice

but I have lots to say.

So I express myself in words and images as poetry

and with paint and shapes as art. 

Bridges Dream Project

Our Bridges community of communicators began more than 12 years ago. We started meeting regularly in Guelph to share ideas of communication rights, technology and life planning. In 2010 we produced a move and book called In Our Own Words. Here is the film on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JentrBCN7Z8

Some members have moved away from Ontario and it becomes harder for some families to drive long distances. So we have been thinking of other ways to keep Bridges alive and useful. One way is to produce more films and books about why and how we use alternative forms of supported communication. They will show that we are all different in the details of how we are supported. But we all want everyone who needs support to get it. We are concerned that people understand that it is we the communicators who are expressing our own thoughts and words. We hope to interest new people who will train to be communication facilitators. Here is one film showing how the Master Trainer Pascal Cheng worked with me in 2015 to show how new people can start to support us in our typing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bP7jICJ4Ng&feature=youtu.betyping

In 2015 we also started the Bridges Communication Group on Facebook on July 1. We post news about communication rights and all forms of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) including Supported Typing. We also can have chats in real time even though we live far from one another. For example, I chat with my Bridges friends Tim in Antigonish NS and Kevin in Petrolia ON. Please let me know if you would to join the Bridges Communication Group.

The micro-greens are ready! Lentils on the left and mung beans on the right. They taste delicious, similar to the sprouts.

I am running with my amigos Dean and David!

MicroGreens: A New Project

We are trying out microgreens as they are easy and we had all the resources available. Just a little bit of soil, light, water and some seeds. We are making an attempt with mung beans and lentils. You can also get packages of seeds specific to micro greens, but we wanted to see how well this would work. If they turn out to give a lot of greens, we can mix them with the sprouts for a delicious and nutritious salad.