Visit codadiva
I’ve been dreaming of a plan for codadiva! I’ve got a website in the works and my goal is to connect in a positive, supportive and healthy community for those that are Codas and those that wanting to be involved. You’ll find I never disregard anyone. My goal is provide a community that feels willing to share our experiences both good and bad. I’d also like to open up the blog/vlog world for my coda friends, encouraging them to do their own “journals”. I can’t wait to get videos of codas from around the world.
New features (as promised way back when) will feature other codas via video. I want to do more in-depth interviews because I find it fascinating the differences between our Deaf parents and how it has shaped who we are today. I’d also like to have a resource for deaf parents. I’m looking for an active Deaf parent that would like to either contribute or assist with resources important to them.
Look for the unveiling in June! It’s going to be fun!
I’m not going to review the Hallmark movie, you’ll find a great deal of opinions on blogs over at Deafread or Google it. As I settled in to the movie, there she was… there… in the courtroom… Arlene Malinowski! I do this thing with my husband, tap him on the arm with one hand while pointing to the tv with my finger waving up and down, “there – there” as I bounce in my seat look at him and sign YOU kNOW !
What beautiful signing, and what a treat she also spoke too. I felt like she was in my living room. It brought be back to being in Chicago all over again with my Coda sister Arlene. What a wonderful treat to the movie! Well for me anyway!
I have recently volunteered to assist with the website committee over at CODA website.
The team is working hard to understand how you would use this website and has developed a series of questions to understand what you want from the website. It is undergoing a major overhaul and we want you to be involved.
Please fill out this survey, which will take just a few minutes to let us know what you like to see when you visit http://www.coda-international.org
Here is the link… any problems let me know.
Thanks for your time!!
I’ve seen this video many times. Fortunately I found it captioned! It’s about how I feel this week with the kids. Completely hilarious! MOM
I did find this video on youtube. It is not for children or the “faint of heart”. I don’t like Marilyn Manson, but I thought this video was done incredibly well.
I rely on the deafread community quite a bit! I can only have so many google alerts before I make myself crazy. A couple of days ago I was going to do an awareness or sign language or some kind of history post, but frankly I couldn’t find the information I knew was out there. Since all of you have such diverse interests, I know that had I asked, I would have gotten great responses. You are all my news, history, entertainment and “then some” gathers. I’d love to ask a question and throw it out there, but as a blog post, doesn’t make much sense.
What do you think about a deafread message board. This would be a place to kinda network without doing a blog post. If deafread isn’t the right place for the forum, any other ideas? A new deaf blog/vlog forum. One way I envisioning it working is if I was trying to find YOUR v/blog about a topic, I knew I saw it, but can’t remember where. Throw out the question on the forum and “Poof” there ya have it.
What do you think?
In my previous post Do you ever play the Deaf card? my husband and I just joined a dance class. We are now into our fifth lesson, however we have missed a couple due to illnesses and a concert to Bon Jovi. We haven’t been practicing much at home. Our teacher expects us to practice.
Yesterday’s lesson was the waltz, box waltz, revolving swing move, dancing on a diagonal. WHEW it was hard work. It wasn’t just remembering the steps, it was standing straight, feeling graceful and working together. My back hurt, hubby’s back hurt. We were feeling it pretty good.
During the class, our instructor who is close to 80 but moves like she is in her 30’s came up to me and said “did you ever think he’d be dancing?” She was making a reference to my husband. I’d like to think it is because he is a man, but it was because he is Deaf. Actually, I never did! I have been waiting for this since my wedding day. We didn’t have a reception with dancing and so I suppose this will just give me reason to throw a reception for our 10th anniversary. We’ll have 2 years to get the moves down!
I also convinced my husband to take the classes so that when his daughters have Daddy/daughter dances he’ll feel more confident in going. My girls are into dance. I also thought it’d be great if he could dance with them at their weddings.
So last night, my hubby made sure to tell the instructor that Marlee Matlin is going to be on Dancing with the Stars tonight. It will be really exciting! I don’t ever vote for people but I believe I’ll be voting for Marlee Matlin! I love how she says she is doing it to be a cool mom.
Happy Dancing!
My youngest daughter is 4. We called Grandma today via Video Relay. I put her in front of the VP and waited for my mom to answer. It was so great seeing my daughter try to communicate as much as possible in sign language. When she didn’t know a sign, she tried to talk through the lens of the VP. I always find it fascinating how knows she doesn’t need to raise her voice. Both the younger girls have known this since they were toddlers, but I can’t get over it at times. She will whisper and speaks into the camera. They talked for about 5 minutes with minimal assistance from me. It was slow going at times and grandma had to repeat the entire sentence to get the whole concept.
I have 3 kids, 15, 6 and 4. It just amazes me, taking into all of their levels of signing that the youngest is actually better than all of them. My oldest is “lazy” when he signs. It’s the attitude of teenagers!
Today, I was in awe of my daughter. It’s days like today that I cherish! I’m blessed to know such a beautiful language.
So, Janine and I always go to the Bon Jovi concert together. It’s a given. There is no discussion! Last November when tickets went on pre-sale, our mutual friend got tickets ahead of time. Turns out she invited Janine, leaving me out in the cold. When the tickets went on sale to the general public, Janine was on her computer and I was on mine with ticketmaster trying to work fast. We knew their tickets were in section 4. I got something in section 6… quick, quick, I entered in all my info and then … my computer FROZE. UGH! so Janine grabs a ticket in section 4 – I say just do it and enter in my info, hit enter and done! I’ve got a ticket to Bon Jovi. I’ll be sitting by myself, but at least during intermission I’ll have someone to talk to.
Turns out, I got the same row in the same section. Wow, that’s cool. I had been asking what their seat numbers were for months. Finally an hour before the show on Sunday, we meet for dinner downtown Chicago. Our friend arrives and says, guess where we are sitting? My seat was 3 row 15. Their seats were FOUR and FIVE!! How totally amazing is that? I was sitting right next to my friends. I am so floored, I don’t even know the mathematical possibilities of that happening.
It was a great show! Can’t wait for the next one!
I remember being in Chicago for the Deaf softball tournament in the 80s. Don’t know the year so I am guessing I was about 10, maybe. Our family driving on Lake Shore Drive. I was enjoying the view of Lake Michigan when a cop pulled us over. I leaned forward to talk to the cop. Turns out dad was swaying between lanes. He tells the cop (I tell the cop) “I am Deaf and I was looking at my wife for directions”. My father knows his way around every major city in the US. Deaf card had been played. The cop let us go.
When I was in high school I had a boyfriend that lived about 8 miles away. We were lined up off the highway beautifully. It was a quick on ramp, stretch of highway and then an off ramp. One summer night I was coming back from his house. It was about 11pm. I was enjoying the wonderful night and probably had my foot on the pedal a bit more than I should. The speed limit is 35, I think I was a tad over, ok ok more than a tad. A policeman pulls me over two blocks before home. He says, “what’s your story”. I tell him “My parents are Deaf and I’m running late, I have no way to call them to let them know I am on the way”. Deaf card played. This was way before cell phones. The policeman looked at me and said “nice one” and let me go.
Last fall I wanted to join a dance class with my husband. He didn’t want to and actually I ended up accompanying him to his flight training school to interpret. Wow, that was hard. Not the going and doing but the aviation terminology is a killer. To translate things you know absolutely nothing about is really very hard. Miraculously, my daughter’s pre-school had a bunch of parents signing up for adult dance lessons. AHA! I signed my husband and I up, waited 3 weeks and then brought him the invitation. At first he squirmed and said “aaaww, I don’t wanna”. I glared and said “oh I loved interpreting flight school”. So he said, “well I’m Deaf and I can’t dance”. I couldn’t believe it, he was playing the Deaf card. This was the first time ever! I replied with”Yea? well I’m a Coda and you can’t pull that with me, Deaf can do anything!”. He giggled and said “OK OK for my lovely wife I will do”. Last night was our first lesson. I was beaming an hour before. Perma-grin had set in. We get to the class and start with a basic pattern for ballroom dancing. We had soooo much fun. In fact, my husband grasped it just a bit faster than I did. Our dance teacher said that men that are skilled in reading blueprints or building things with patterns have a greater time of catching the dance moves easier. I created a monster! He was so into it! It was so FUN! After he took me for coffee and he was still chatting it up.
When we arrived home, our girls were begging for a demo. They are both in dance and know our dance instructor. After gliding for about 1 minute the girls also had perma-grins. They were so excited to see Daddy dancing. Momma dances around the house all the time, but Dad, this was new and exciting. Visions of Valentine’s Day daddy/daughter dances and their wedding day dance entered my head.
So have you played the Deaf card to get out of something? What was it?
Recent Comments
MARY HAYNES on CODA Family Reunion…PAH! Baelie on CODA FAQs Grace on Koda Kamp Very Fun! ChelseaUnicornn on CODA FAQs Colleen on Do you ever play the Deaf… -
Mother Father Deaf 
