Celebrate the GOOD THINGS

[Kayleigh]

Today’s good thing is my new tablet cushion. I struggle to hold my tablet but my new cushion stand for it arrived today and it’s already making a huge difference.

Hi Dina,

Your new tablet holder sounds very practical and comfy. I hadn't heard of those before and I might get one. If you don't mind me asking, what make is yours? (I've seen some on Amazon and other websites but I'm finding it difficult to decide which might be the best one).

Also many thanks for your suggestion for the advent calendar on the music thread. I've already got tomorrow's post and the post for day 7 on standby but your cheesy idea has given me some inspiration for day 8 already - thank you!

Love Kayleigh x

[Gillette]

Hi Kayleigh

Yes, I’m finding the tablet holder really handy. I have a cushioned tray on my lap and the holder sits on the tray.

This is the link to the one I bought, which was from Folksy. I bought it on Monday and it arrived on Wednesday.

https://folksy.com/items/7232015-hands-free-tablet-cushion-or-kindle-holder-maroon-fabric

[Kayleigh]

Thank you Dina. What a lovely website and my face lit up when I saw that it sells arts and crafts. I always enjoy craft fairs and that website has some beautiful hand-made items on it.
Thank you again.
Kayleigh x

[Gillette]

Thank you Dina. What a lovely website and my face lit up when I saw that it sells arts and crafts. I always enjoy craft fairs and that website has some beautiful hand-made items on it.
Thank you again.
Kayleigh x

You are very welcome, Kayleigh. Yes, there are some lovely things on there,

There are two other marketplace sites selling arts and crafts: Etsy and Not on the High Street:

https://www.etsy.com

https://www.notonthehighstreet.com

[Kayleigh]

Thanks Dina. Those websites also look great and are going to be very useful for me as well.
Love
Kayleigh

[Doug Carpenter]

Voice banking

Today's good thing is learning that the MNDA will consider funding my attempt to bank my voice using Acapela.

Thank you MNDA!

Doug

[Gillette]

Today's good thing is learning that the MNDA will consider funding my attempt to bank my voice using Acapela.

Thank you MNDA!

Doug

That’s great, Doug. Is your Speech and Language Therapist organising that for you? I seem to remember mine mentioning it when we first talked about voice banking. She wasn’t familiar with Acapela but was very interested when I mentioned that one only needs to record a fraction of the number of sentences needed on Model Talker (?)

[Ellie]

That's great news, Doug.

Hope the MNDA 'consider' your case positively and swiftly !!

Good luck.

Love Ellie.

[Barry52]

Great news Doug.

Be patient and stop regularly if you get tired. It’s worth the effort and I found my recording satisfying when I used it during a meeting yesterday.

Best wishes,
Barry

[Hayls]

Doug, it’s an amazing programme, it’s so less daunting than modal talker and so much easier to use, I was going great guns until I got a dreaded cold and it damaged my voice so much so I can’t complete it :’( I wish you lots of strength and hope it works out for you x

[Kayleigh]

That's very good news Doug - thank you for sharing it with your forum family - and I hope the lovely MNDA approve your application quickly.

You might need to replenish the stocks in your drinks cabinet before you start any voice banking though (especially if you have already finished that bottle of Grahams '77 you found recently!).

I understand voice banking is very thirsty work, so sufficient liquid refreshment to regularly wet one's whistle with is essential and probably obligatory!

Kitty Kayleigh has a purrrfect speech app she can use, if and when necessary. Sometimes it's interesting to paws the English accent and to ring the changes occasionally.

Kitty often finds it fun to sound Australian (like popstar Kylie) or like an American lady (perhaps similar to our fabulous forum friend CC) - however, a meow or purrr sounds exactly the same in any accent or country! LOL

Although I can't advise from experience gained personally, voice banking sounds well worth investing time in, by anyone who decides that its their cup of tea.

Although I've never heard your voice, you always sound like the perfect gentleman to me. You might not be as regal as Prince Charming? - but you always sound as dapper as your bow tie and as refined as your vintage Bolly.

You are always as charming as Nigel Havers and any Bond actor, including Sean Connery.

Also, you're as delightful as Leslie Phillips (the famous "Ding Dong" actor in movies & on TV) - but l don't know if a bowl of shreddies knitted by nanas has ever been your cup of tea?! ... LOL...

http://https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B2DT63DxGVs

Sending you a kitty full of hugs,
Love Kayleigh x

[Gillette]

.., you're as delightful as Leslie Phillips (the famous "Ding Dong" actor in movies & on TV) - but l don't know if a bowl of shreddies knitted by nanas has ever been your cup of tea?! ... LOL...]

Sending you a kitty full of hugs,
Love Kayleigh x

Woohoo, I used to knit and I’m a Nana! Perhaps I’ll stand a chance with our dapper Doug! Stand back, ladies. I have knitting needles and I know how to use them.

[Kayleigh]

You have me in stitches this morning Nana Dina!

Although you have your knitting needles to hand, Kitty Kayleigh used to be the Queen of Crochet with her king-sized needles - and she won't take a paws if she needs to use them to defend Doug against all those naughty Nanas!! LOL

My Christmas Tree tried to knit it's own skIrt - but it kept dropping it's needles! LOL

And, no, I wasn't spinning you a yarn! LOL

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but spining a yarn is so delightful, and as I have snow place to go, another row ... another row ... another row ...

http://https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_fn9Jba6zyw

Sending you warm & snuggly hugs,
Kayleigh x

[Doug Carpenter]

Thank you everyone for your advice and good wishes.

Apparently, I need to do all the recording and then notify the MNDA at the end.

Doug

[Kayleigh]

It looks like a good system Doug because the voice recording process is free (using Acapela's 'My own Voice' service) and hopefully the MNDA will pay the cost when you are ready to use it in an app.

Link to Acapela webpage about the 'My own Voice' service:-
http://https://www.acapela-group.com/solutions/my-own-voice/

Love
Kayleigh