APRIL

5th: Janet Dylla (Desert Low Vision) will talk about the latest technology and have many low-vision and blind accessible items to purchase.

8th: TSB Board Meeting at 10:15 AM

12th: Accordionist Roxanna Baker plays Western tunes, polka, and the Chicken Dance

19th: Sandy Reigh will present “Experiencing Nature Through the Senses.” Sandy is from the Arizona State Fish & Game Department and will bring items to touch such as skulls, furs, eggs, and other items.

19th: Lesson with Manny on the iPhone on Zoom 6:30 – 8:30 PM

22nd: V-rate zoom conference (free). Sign up at www.vrate.org

26th: Movie time meeting “Becoming Helen Keller,” Watch 90 minutes movie documentary, complete with popcorn and pizza, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

29th: Pool and Pizza Party 10:00 AM-2:00 PM at John McCann’s home 8761 E. Placita Bolivar; John has a wonderful covered patio. Food and drinks provided. Come join the fun! Let Barb know if you are coming.

MAY

3rd: Barbara Macpherson will talk about “Safety In and Out of the Home.” Be prepared to share your own tips.

6th: Field trip to Gadsden Pacific Toy Train Museum at 10:00 AM. The address is 3975 N. Miller Ave. Cost: $10 which includes submarine sandwich lunch. We will tour a real caboose, learn the history of when the train came to Tucson and experience the sounds of different model train layouts, complete with towns, people and buttons to push. After the tour we will eat at the museum. The museum also has an outstanding gift shop. Please let Barb know if you are coming a week ahead in order to arrange rides and have enough food.

10th: Judy will talk about “Resources from NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness)” and share success stories of people who have overcome mental illness.

13th: TSB Board Meeting at 10:15 AM

17th: Guitarist Bill Martin will perform a wide variety of favorite tunes.

17th: Lesson with Manny on the iPhone on Zoom 6:30 – 8:30 PM

20th & 22nd: ACB (American Council of the Blind Arizona) State Convention on Zoom. Lots of good guest speakers!

24th: Lily Brogan will discuss ”Healthy Habits, and Living” and tell about her own vision loss journey – potluck. Plan to stay until 12:30 PM for lunch.

21st: Bethany Smith of Youth On Their Own, will discuss how their YOTO non-profit keeps homeless youth in school. We will be collecting cash, food, and personal grooming items to give to the youth.

JUNE

7th: Jim Williams will tell the story about Raul Castro, the first Hispanic governor of Arizona.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

President’s Message by Barbara Macpherson

Happy Spring! You will find Easter bunny jokes at the end of this newsletter. TSB has various sources of income: dues, donations, and the sale of Jim Click Raffle tickets. So, thanks to all of you who have paid your dues and made donations to TSB. I will include Treasurer Vicki Postula’s address in this issue for those who have not yet paid dues.

TSB has launched the selling of Jim Click Raffle tickets. We encourage all members to sell raffle tickets to friends, family, and doctors. See the details below. All the funds from the sale of tickets goes into the TSB treasury. Thanks ahead of time for your generous support.

Annie has submitted an article on preparing ahead for emergencies. I also wrote an article on the same topic. So, put on your thinking cap and prepare ahead for emergencies.

We are so glad to be back at the church and meeting in person. See you there!

Please buy Jim Click Tickets to Support TSB
TSB Members are selling Jim Click Raffle tickets. The raffle tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100. And, as mentioned earlier, you may win a great prize, but the real winner is TSB since all the money raised goes into the TSB treasury to fund our programs.

The raffle’s first prize is a Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid pickup truck with an extended cab. The second prize is two world class flight tickets to anywhere in the world. The third prize is $5000 in cash. To purchase tickets, please give Barb a call at 520-298-2427.

Your TSB Dues Need to be Paid
TSB dues fund everything from the printing of the newsletter, providing luncheons, and having entertainment at meetings. Please send your $15 check to our treasurer at Vicki Postula, 1284 W. Hopbush Way Tucson, AZ 85704

Any funds sent above the $15 amount counts as a donation and is much appreciated. Thank you!

 

Eye Talk by Annie Schlesinger – “Falls”

About 36 million falls are reported every year, resulting in more than 32,000 deaths (CDC.gov). Falls can happen because of balance problems and medical conditions. It is good to be proactive – just in case. Here are some things you can do – just in case:

• Carry an emergency contact name and number list. This is who you would want notified of a medical emergency. You might include your doctor’s name and number.
• Carry a list of medications just like you have at home.
• I will mention two medical alert systems. One is a medic alert bracelet engraved with your pertinent information relating to your medical condition. For example, I am on a blood thinner which is important information for emergency personnel to know immediately. Second is a medical alert system, either a bracelet or necklace, that you can activate to notify someone you need help.
• If you have a cell phone you may be able to enter health information into the phone and, in many cases, first responders can access this information.

Falls are common and costly and can cause serious and lasting painful conditions. If you can, seek to prevent a fall. But, just in case, be proactive and prepare for an emergency.

 

Preparing For Emergencies Ahead of Time by Barbara Macpherson

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
• Take your cell phone wherever you go, even when going outside to get the mail or empty the garbage. Have the cell phone next to you at night in case of emergency.
• On an iPhone, you can set up the Health App. That app allows you to list your prescriptions and set up emergency contacts.
• Have a backup battery for your cell phone and take the battery with you on trips. A typical backup battery costs around $20 and can be purchased at Walmart.
• Under Contacts on your cell phone put a next kin and phone number and name to call in case of emergency.
• Get an Amazon Echo Dot for emergencies and set it up in the bedroom. You can put your telephone contact numbers in the Echo Dot so you can call for help by voice if you fall.
• Have a contact card in your wallet for emergency contacts, and a list of your medications. Consider a medical alert bracelet or necklace. You can put on it something that states you are sight and hearing impaired or include an emergency phone number. The bracelets cost around $20 on Amazon and you can customize them to fit your needs.
• Let someone know where you are going and what time you will be back.
• Think about how emergency personnel will get to you. You can purchase a lockbox at ACE Hardware that only medical personnel can open. Otherwise, the emergency crew might have to kick in your door. Consider leaving a key with the neighbors.
• Check your fire alarms periodically to see if they are working. You need a fire alarm outside or in each bedroom.
• Have an emergency bag packed ahead of time ready to go if you need to go to the hospital. See Annie’s article in last month’s newsletter for specific details.
• Do you wear glasses? Glasses can be a safety tool before a hanger pokes you in the eye or an overhanging branch scratches your cornea.
• Have flashlights, night lamps, and even motion detecting lights all over the house if you have low vision.

I hope these suggestions will get you thinking about what you can do in your own situation to prepare ahead of time for emergencies.

Consider going to Hadley for helpful tips on dealing with vision loss at www.hadley.edu Hadley free support 800-323-4238
Hadley Tech Support: 847-784-2815, Ricky Enger: 847-784-2783

Hadley is a wonderful free resource filled with practical information on vision loss. A series of short workshops cover Every Day Living, Adjustment to Vision Loss, Recreation, Technology, and Braille.

You need to log in to their website in order to get the information. The series of How to Learn Using the Computer and the iPhone using Voice Over is very helpful. Hadley has monthly discussion groups such as Tech it Out, Travel Talk, What’s Cooking, Crafts, gardening, writing, and learning Spanish and Braille. For those without a computer, Hadley will put the information on a cartridge which can be played on an NLS Talking Book player. Hadley will call you and connect you to any of the monthly groups if you do not have the internet.

Services offered by Tucson AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) Many of their services are offered for free but some require you to pay $16 in dues. Tucson AARP is a non-profit and does not support any political candidates only issues such as lowering drug prices.

You can read the AARP Bulletin and the AARP Magazine on NFB Newsline for free. Some of AARP benefits include discounts on glasses at Lens Crafters and a discount from AT&T cellular service.

MariaTrujillo, AARP Outreach Specialist, spoke to us TSB members. You can reach her by calling the AARP Information Center at 520 571-9884 or email her at MRTrujillo@aarp.org.

A couple of AARP services of specific interest to us are as follows. The AARP Friendly Voice Program matches you up with a person who will call you on a weekly basis to chat with you. We may be isolated, but we don’t have to be alone. Sometimes, just hearing a friendly voice on the other end of the line can help in challenging times. Trained AARP Friendly Voice volunteers will provide a call to say hello. Request a call at 1-888-281-0145. You can also go to www.aarpcommunityconnections.org for more information.

Also, AARP has a virtue community where they have many – Free interactive online events, movies, and classes designed for learning, self-improvement and also just for fun. Go to www.aarp.org/virtual-community-center

Senior Planet/OATS (Older Adult Technology Services) is now an affiliate of AARP. For more information, please review at https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2021/senior-planet-and-aarp-online-classes.html You can also call the Senior Planet technology hotline toll-free at 888-713-3495.

If you have questions about AARP Member Benefits you can call at 1-877-908-3360.

Call the Fraud Watch Network helpline to report scams or ask questions at
1-877-908-3360.

 

Finding Humor in Growing Older

• Eventually you will get to a point where you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
• The older we get the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
• Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me; I want people to know why I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.
• When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of algebra.
• You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.
• I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
• One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.
• Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
• Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it is called golf.
• Learn to laugh at your troubles.

 

Every Bunny will laugh at Easter Jokes

• One Easter, a father was teaching his son to drive when out of nowhere a rabbit jumped on the road. Slamming on the breaks, the son said, “I nearly ruined Easter! I almost ran over the Easter Bunny.” His father replied, “It’s okay son—you missed it by a hare.”
• Why shouldn’t I tell an Easter Egg a joke? – He might crack up.
• Where does the Easter Bunny study medicine? – Johns Hopkins
• Why did the Easter Bunny have on a hat? – Because he was having a bad hare day.
• Where does the Easter Bunny like to eat breakfast? – IHOP
• What kind of story does the Easter Bunny like best? – The one that ends with a hoppiest ending.
• How does the Easter bunny keep its fur in place? – By using hare spray.
• What does the Easter bunny and Michael Jordon have in common? – They are both famous for stuffing baskets.
• Why was Peter Cotton tail hopping down the bunny trail? – Because he was too young to drive.
• Where does a bunny go when he needs a new tail? – A retail store.