MAY/JUNE 2023 NEWSY NOTES
TSB meets every Tuesday – 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Christ Presbyterian Church, 6565 E. Broadway
Come when you can and leave when you must. Bring a sack lunch.
For more information call Barbara, 298-2427
www.tucsonsocietyoftheblind.org
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Calendar
MAY
2nd: Laura Lynn of Sister Jose Women Center, For donations, bring cans of food with pop tabs, flashlights with batteries, personal grooming item. Let Barb know what you are bringing to the potluck.
5th: Arizona Time Machine Miniature Museum, Meet at 10:00 AM 4455 E. Camp Lowell Rd. Cost $5 plus lunch. We will experience a touch tour. Lunch will be at La Placita Café, 2950 N. Swan Rd #131, Typical Mexican lunches cost around $11. Let Barb know if you are coming.
9th: Murry of Sun Sounds Reading Service, All about Sun Sounds and the Breakfast Lions Club. Potluck: Beef sandwiches and baked beans. Get a 12:15 PM out on Sun Van.
12th: TSB Board Meeting 10:15 AM, Biscuit Country Café, 7026 E. Broadway.
16th: Annie and I will discuss Self Defense and Safety.
16th: Manny’s iPhone class on Zoom, 6:30-8:30 PM.
23rd: Get ready to sing and clap as the Arizona Banjo Blasters will perform
30th: Roxanna Baker will play her accordion with patriotic songs and polkas
JUNE
6th: TBA
13th: Dr. Gerba, Microbiologist from University of Arizona, “How a germ travels through the whole building” and “How to clean up after germs.”
20th: No meeting at the church (Vacation Bible School). We will meet at the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, 5410 E. Broadway at 11:30 AM with a 1:00 PM out.
20th: Manny’s iPhone class on Zoom, 6:30-8:30 PM
27th: Paul Cunningham, Ward 2 member of the Tucson City Council will discuss roads and environmental issues.
JULY
4th: Holiday – No meeting at the church
11th: We will listen to a podcast, “Grandpa’s White Cane”. Annie and I will talk about tips on using the white cane.
14th: TSB Board Meeting 10:15 AM, Biscuit Country Café, 7026 E. Broadway
18th: Jim Williams will discuss the life of the first female Supreme Court Justice, Sandra O’Conner.
18th: Manny’s iPhone class on Zoom 6:30-8:30 PM
25th: TBA
President’s Message by Barbara Macpherson
Well, it’s hard to believe, but May is here. We have started selling Jim Click Raffle Tickets, our major fundraiser. All the money raised by raffle tickets sales goes to TSB to fund its programs. Tickets are $25 each and we hope you will sell tickets to family, friends, and doctors. See below for all the details. We have gotten off to a super start. See Barb for tickets.
Recently, we heard a recorded speech by the blind actor and writer, Tom Sullivan. He was born blind and it is amazing to hear about all of his accomplishments. His words of advice echo in my head.
His words include, Turn the disadvantages of blindness into an advantages. Find the passion and purpose of your life. Use competitive anger to motivate you to be a good problem solver. Be proactive. Get the skills and training that you need. Tom has two books at the Talking Book Library. They are “Seeing 14 life lessons” and “Now You can See What I See.”
Buy Jim Click Raffle Tickets! You could win wonderful prizes. The Jim Click Millions for Tucson Raffle fundraiser provides funds for TSB programs. All funds raised go to TSB to support its goals.
Raffle tickets are $25 each and can be purchased either by check, credit card, or PayPal. If by check, make check payable to TSB and send to PO Box 57655 Tucson, AZ 85732. Or, you can call Barbara at 520-298-2427 with your credit card number or you can use the PayPal link on the TSB website under Support Us.
You could win:
1st prize: Ford Bronco Raptor SUV worth $76,000.
2nd prize: Two first-class airline tickets to anywhere in the world.
3rd prize: $5,000 cash.
The drawing of tickets will take place in December, 2023.
Help TSB to provide more services to visually impaired individuals and purchase your Jim Click raffle tickets today.
Eye Talk, by Annie Schlesinger
What is a White Cane, Part 2
During my research about the cane, I learned more about the colors and the long white cane. According to the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) the all-white cane means the user is totally blind, has no usable vision. The free cane I requested and received from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is all white.
One catalog has canes that are white and blue. I have never seen one in use.
For users with low, but some vision; most seem to use a white cane with a red bottom band.
According to calendar-canada.ca the white cane has blue or yellow added to it; it signifies that the user is blind or Low Vision. Small children are often trained with colored cans to encourage their use.
I read that in some countries, persons with deaf/blindness use a red and white striped cane to navigate. The cane may have bands of red and white or vertical red stripes on white. A red cane signifies that the user is deaf.
The World Federation of Deaf/blind (WFDB) was established in 2001. They are working to increase recognition of this cane by the public.
There are different tips for the cane. I prefer the marshmallow tip, a large round tip which rolls and does not easily get caught in sidewalk cracks. I don’t find it as tactile sensitive as a medal tip though. There is a smaller rolling tip. So, try different tips to see which is right for you.
In Loving Memory of Tom Young
Tom and Bobby joined TSB in 2015. Both served on the TSB board from 2015 to 2021. Tom took care of the management of the Jim Click Raffle and was a strong supporter of TSB.
Tom brought joy and humor to our meetings. He would complain about Bobby not keeping him warm at night and he gave me savvy advice about running TSB.
Tom loved chili dogs, spaghetti, and visits to Dairy Queen. He would get all upset when Gina and I did not want an ice cream cone after a big meal together.
Tom would end each conversation with “Get to it!” or “Keep the motor running.” His friendship and encouragement will be sorely missed.
Tom passed away on April 14th due to a heart attack. He is survived by his wife, Bobbie, and a son and daughter. There will be no memorial service due to Tom’s wishes.
I wish I had enough space to tell all the wonderful stories Tom shared. We at TSB will miss his love, hard work, and friendship that he brought to our organization.
An Affordable Electronic Magnifier
I purchased the Eyoyo electronic magnifier on Amazon for $206. The electronic magnifier has options on it for viewing at two different distances. One distance is for close-up reading and the other distance is for looking at things farther away, such as looking at a clock. You can also change the font color and background to make it easier to see. You can also freeze a picture so you could hold it up high, say, to look for a price tag. Most electronic magnifiers start at $800, so this Eyoyo electronic magnifier is a bargain at $206.
Taming the Freezer
I could no longer read the large print labels I had placed on my Ziploc freezer bags. Originally, my husband and I thought plastic storage bins would work but after measuring the insides of the freezer we found they just would not all fit.
So, I came up with two other ways to mark the Ziploc freezer bags. One was to attach a mailing label on the bag and then put on different color round dots in the upper left corner. Well, unfortunately I can’t see colors well enough and would have to use a color reader. So, instead we used the puff fabric paint to make stand-out letters, such as B for green beans, O for oriental vegetables, and P for peas and carrots. Hooray! I could finally identify the frozen vegetables I was looking for.
The Blind Kitchen, a Super Website
This is a wonderful resource for the blind or low vision cook. Debra Erikson has a library of recipes and videos demonstrating many cooking techniques. You can also purchase tools for the kitchen.
For $7.99 I purchased an automatic pourer which you put on top of an oil bottle and only one tablespoon at a time comes out. I also purchased a pair of oven gloves for $18.99 and a Blind Kitchen logo apron. Each item is labeled in large print and all items are shipped as Free Matter for the Blind, so there are no shipping charges. There is also no sales tax as shipping comes from Oregon.
Debra Erikson is a low-vision trained culinary chef and teaches cooking classes at the Oregon Commission of the Blind.
If you are not tech savvy, get someone to order for you. Otherwise, go to https://theblindkitchen.com/ and explore the wealth of resources available there.
Listen to Podcasts on your Amazon Echo Smart Speaker
There are many podcasts and radio reading services to listen to on your Echo Dot Smart Speaker.
For example, you can ask Alexa to “play Eyes on Success podcast” with Nancy and Pete Torpry. They have many interesting podcasts including one on the Blind Kitchen. (See article above). You can also ask Alexa to play previous episodes or move ahead five minutes if bored.
Ask Alexa to “Open up ACB Media,” (ACB stands for American Council of the Blind.) Alexa will ask you which stream you want to hear (from 1 through 10). I find that most of the community calls are on “Stream 5” and other calls are on “Stream 1.”
There are two more podcasts by ACB that are fun to listen to: Writing Works Wonder podcast includes interviews with famous authors. The other one is called Let’s Talk Low Vision podcast.
Ask Alexa to open Sun Sounds of Arizona. She will ask you if you want the Flagstaff, Mesa, or Tucson stream. Pick the Tucson stream. You can listen to audio described movies on Fridays at 6:00 PM and the first Saturday of the month. The readers read many newspapers and magazines. You can get a free Echo Dot smart speaker by calling Sun Sounds at 520-296-2400.
Another radio reading service is Audio Reader. There are many choices such as “What’s Playing Now” and “Calendar of Events.” Ask Alexa to “open up Hadley Presents Podcast.” On the podcast you can hear Ricky interview many guests. The latest podcast is on Birds Songs. Other podcasts include “60 Minutes,” “Meet the Press,” “Sunday Morning,” and both CBS and NBC Evening News.
For more podcasts, as well as many music options on your echo Dot, you can sign up to subscribe to Amazon Music for about $9 per month. Happy Listening!
Some Funny Advice
Advice from a Saguaro:
Stand tall. Reach for the sky. Be patient through the dry spells. Conserve your resources. Think long term. Wait for your time to bloom. Stay sharp!
Advice from a Javelina:
Eat well. Keep a low profile. Go for a run. Hightail it out of hairy situations. It’s OK to be a little wild. Enjoy the nightlife. Root for your friends!
Advice from a Honey Bee:
Create a buzz. Sip life’s sweet moments. Mind your own beeswax. Work together. Always find your way home. Stick close to your honey. Bee yourself!
Advice from a Ladybug:
Spot new opportunities. Spent time in your garden, Be well rounded Enjoy the wonders of nature. Don’t let the small things bug you. Keep family close by. Be simply beautiful!
Have a Happy Summer!