Have you ever wondered what it’s like for a blind person to walk with a guide dog by her side? Even though many of you may have seen a blind person walking with his or her dog, my special guest gives you the inside scoop about how the guide dog and handler form a special bond.
INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEYS PRESENTS!
Special guest interview with DeAnna Quietwater Noriega!
Hello:
I’m proud to announce the following guest for your listening pleasure.
Please be sure to read onward after the following message to learn how you can be my guest here on INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEYS.
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WHO?
DeAnna Quietwater Noriega
WHEN?
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
WHERE?
MORE ABOUT GUEST AUTHOR DeAnna Quietwater Noriega…
DeAnna Quietwater Noriega is half Apache, and a quarter Chippewa. She is the mother of three, two daughters and an adopted blind son. She was the eldest of five children in a close-knit American Indian family. As a result of congenital glaucoma, She became totally blind at the age of eight. DeAnna Noriega and her husband, Curtis, currently live in Columbia, Missouri. Her latest book is entitled, Fifty Years of Walking with Friends
Description:
In e-book and print from Amazon, Smashwords, and other online sellers. 271 pages in print.
Full details, including cover image, synopsis, author bio, direct buying links, and free text preview: https://www.dldbooks.com/dqnoriega/
More than half of this eloquent, informative book is devoted to the author’s first guide dog, Tammy, and it soon becomes plain why. As the dog matured from beginning guide to seasoned veteran, the author went from starting college to embarking on her long marriage and her impressive working life.
Each of the author’s nine guide dogs thus far is described in loving detail: what it looked like, what unique personality traits it had, and why it had to retire from guiding. Age, illness, a tragic accident, and more—each required a return for the author to The Seeing Eye ®, the country’s oldest guide dog school. The beautiful German Shepherd pictured on the cover of the book with the author is her ninth dog, Enzo.
In prose and poetry, Noriega describes not just her loyal canine companions, but also the family she was born into, her children and grandchildren, details about her years in college as a blind student, and her subsequent work experience. While she accentuates the positive, she does not shy away from letting us know that there have been more than a few negatives in her life, too, including episodes of abuse and discrimination.
Experienced guide dog handlers will find much here that is movingly familiar to them. Those who have never walked beside such a marvelous companion will benefit greatly from learning what the dogs are trained to do, how they need to be cared for, and how observers should and should not interact with them. Touches of humor lighten almost every chapter, and the book ends with three imaginative, amusing skits in which the players are all guide dogs.
Excerpt:
Foreword
A guide dog can be more than a mobility aide to a blind person. The fear of the unknown, of injury, of being perceived as a disability instead of a human
being, can keep visually impaired individuals from stepping outside their door into full participation in the wider world. With Tammy beside me, I met
life head–on and carved out a place in it for myself. I overcame fears that would otherwise have crippled my ability to function and fully participate
in all that awaited beyond the threshold of my door.
In this age of skyrocketing costs, some have asked the question, why spend all that money to train a guide dog when a cane costs a thousandth of the price?
I hope to answer that difficult query through telling you about Tammy and the gift of sight she gave me through her loving amber eyes.
I dedicate this book to Daniel Boeke, who trained the first of my Seeing Eye® dogs. To my husband, children, and friends, both human and canine, who loved
and taught me so much about how to live, love, and flourish. But most of all, to my mother, who taught me to love books and the skills I would need to
live an independent life despite blindness.
Mama’s Hands
by DeAnna Quietwater Noriega
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Mama’s hands are long, slender, and graceful.
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The veins stand out on their backs, and their joints are growing a little stiff.
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They show the signs of the years and the hard tasks they have performed.
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As my world began to grow gray and hazy,
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Mama’s hand was strong and slim, grasping mine.
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When I was sick,
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Her hand was cool against my brow.
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Mama’s hands knit me bright sweaters to keep me warm.
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Mama’s hands were clever, making our home a pleasant place.
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Mama’s hands moved quickly, rolling tortillas,
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Sewing on buttons,
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Stretching taffy.
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Mama’s hands were gentle,
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Smoothing back my hair,
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Tapping my nose when she said look at me.
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Though delicate and slender, they were strong enough to conquer any task.
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Though they now show the passage of the years,
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Mama’s hands are beautiful
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Because they are not the pampered hands of the idle
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But the working tools of a loving heart.
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Connect with DeAnna at the following link:
Author page at DLDbooks
https://www.dldbooks.com/dqnoriega/
BE A GUEST…
As authors, creative artists and entrepreneurs, we often find it hard to stand out above the constant chatter on the internet. If that sounds like you, I’d like to help you boost the visibility of your brand. My name is Ann Harrison and I run a podcast called Inspirational Journeys. On my podcast I post solo episodes of value to my listeners, led by the Holy Spirit. I also talk to authors, creative artists and entrepreneurs who want to share their inspirational journeys with the world. If you’re interested in being a guest on my show, please send an email to annwrites75@gmail.com with Inspirational Journeys in the subject line, so I can send you my featured book questionnaire.
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