I am writing this post with a head on my lap.

For those of you who follow my blog, you know I hosted Thanksgiving dinner and you know I had a few sad moments. You may not know this is a new house for me. I moved here in May. I did have a sighted friend give me the entire tour - where are the smoke detectors - where is the water / gas / power shut off - where is the electric panel - where is the furnace and how do I set the thermostat?

So here I am, hours after everyone has left. The pots have been soaking and I am scrubbing them clean. The oven had some spills so the self clean has been turned on. The smoke detectors, of course, go off. I grabbed one of the folding chairs I used for dinner, opened it up and set it in the hall where I thought the ceiling mounted smoke detector was. Guess what, couldn’t find it!. Moved the chair, still couldn’t find it. Moved the chair again and finally found it. I disconnected the battery, set the battery aside and returned to the kitchen to work on the pots. Another smoke detector went off!. Where the hell is that one? I stood in the hall - maybe upstairs? Grabbed the folding chair and went upstairs. Yes, it is upstairs, but where? Not at the top of the stairs. Not in my bedroom, not in the next bedroom, not in the third bedroom, not in the bathroom. Where the hell is the smoke detector? Oh, there it is, in the hall between bedroom number 2 and bedroom number 3. OK, lets disconnect that one as well! Finally quiet. But can I find them again to reconnect the battery?

So, here I am, frustrated, pots are still not washed, oven is still not clean, smoke detectors are disconnected. But I have a head on my lap. My guide dog has left her bed and she is sitting beside me at the computer with her head resting in my lap. Her name is “Hope”. How appropriate is that? I have Hope.