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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hanks Robert.</p><p class=MsoNormal>Becky</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sent from <a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986">Mail</a> for Windows 10</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='border:none;padding:0in'><b>From: </b><a href="mailto:nebraska-senior-blind@nfbnet.org">Barbara Loos via Nebraska-Senior-Blind</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Tuesday, February 27, 2018 8:19 PM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:nebraska-senior-blind@nfbnet.org">Nebraska Senior Blind Info and Discussion List</a><br><b>Cc: </b><a href="mailto:beloos@neb.rr.com">Barbara Loos</a><br><b>Subject: </b>Re: [Nebraska-senior-blind] A Late Valentine - in other words, Valentines and Blindness</p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I add my thanks. I look forward to future thought provokers as well.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Barbara </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sent from my iPhone</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>> On Feb 27, 2018, at 10:35 AM, Nancy Oltman via Nebraska-Senior-Blind <nebraska-senior-blind@nfbnet.org> wrote:</p><p class=MsoNormal>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>> Thank you Robert for your belated valentine; truly enjoyed it. I have</p><p class=MsoNormal>> to echo Christine's words of praise for your again working on "thought</p><p class=MsoNormal>> provokers". Nancy</p><p class=MsoNormal>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>> On 2/26/18, christine Boone via Nebraska-Senior-Blind</p><p class=MsoNormal>> <nebraska-senior-blind@nfbnet.org> wrote:</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Robert,</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> I am really pleased that you are posting your Thought Provokers again. You</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> have touched so many people through your wonderfully direct writing so</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> artfully wrapped up within a story! This was a great one. Thanks for</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> sharing</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> it with us!</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Best,</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Chris</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> From: Nebraska-Senior-Blind</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> [mailto:nebraska-senior-blind-bounces@nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Robert</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Leslie</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Newman via Nebraska-Senior-Blind</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2018 3:22 PM</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> To: 0senior division listserv <nebraska-senior-blind@nfbnet.org>; NFB</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Senior</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Division list <nfb-seniors@nfbnet.org></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Cc: Robert Leslie Newman <newmanrl@cox.net></p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Subject: [Nebraska-senior-blind] A Late Valentine - in other words,</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Valentines and Blindness</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Hi You All</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> RE: A late Valentine - read on</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> I am in the process of getting my THOUGHT PROVOKER (TP) website back up;</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> long story. http://www.thoughtprovoker.info Pardon if you the reader had</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> not</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> heard of THOUGHT PROVOKERS; they are short-short stories, about blindness</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> and life. They are great for topics for a group discussion; educational to</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> read; and more. I have 40 TPs back up; finished total will be 154.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Yesterday I came across one of my THOUGHT PROVOKERS that has a valentine</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> theme. And because I did not get the opportunity to share this on</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Valentine's Day, please do consider this post as a late Valentine!</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> From my home page, Here is how the menu item reads for this TP.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> 130. TO BRAILLE WITH LOVE- Parents of a blind child face the decision as</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> parents, if they should learn Braille in order to support its importance in</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> their child's life.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> **Here is - THOUGHT PROVOKER 130</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> To Braille With Love</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Happy Valentine's Day!" chorused Sherry and Tom Hardy to the smiling</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> couple who were inviting them into their home. The Hardys and Pam and Rich,</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> the Andersons, were members of a support group for parents of blind</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> children; the Anderson's were longtime members and the Hardy's were new.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Hey, how was the lunch on this snowy Saturday?" Rich asked. He and</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Pam</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> had picked up Tom and Sherry's daughter Kathy and their own daughter Cheryl</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> to take both eight-year-old girls to a Valentine party, giving the Hardy's</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> a</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> chance to go out for a romantic lunch and movie. And now the Hardy's were</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> over for a short visit to the Anderson's, then it would be Hardy's turn to</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> pick up the girls, take them to their home, giving Pam and Rich their</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> opportunity to go out for a special dinner and dancing.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Wonderful." answered Sherry. "We took our time. It's great that</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Valentine's Day fell on a Saturday."</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "You bet ya!" said Pam. "Come on in. I have a fresh pot of coffee on</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> and a plate of Valentine cookies Cheryl made special for us."</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Seated in the kitchen around the family table, the two couples dug</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> into</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> their coffee break. "These are fantastic cookies. Your Cheryl is a great</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> little cook," commented Sherry, raising a cookie for another bite.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Knew I was smart to pass up the restaurant's dessert--love the pink</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> frosting." added Tom.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Oh, let me show you her card." Pam said, getting up and detaching a</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> card from a clip on the refrigerator door.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Whoo!" cooed Sherry, looking at and running her finger over the front</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> surface of the card, opening it to see inside.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Huh?" exclaimed Tom. "Braille . picture and all?"</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Yeah, she made it herself." said Rich, obviously proud of his</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> daughter's handiwork.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "She used her Braille writer." said Pam, pointing. "The border has</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> full</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> cells down the sides, then dots 1-2-4-5's across the top, and 2-3-5-6's</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> across the bottom, making an even two-dot border all the way around. And</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> you</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> can see the heart consists of full cells and parts of cells to get the</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> right</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> shape."</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "And she colored the heart, too. So creative!" continued Sherry. "And</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> this down here?" Tracing with a finger, "Words, I take it?"</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Retrieving the card, closing her eyes, Pam began reading with her</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> right</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> index finger. "I Love You Mom, Be My Valentine."</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Whoo, I'm impressed! With your finger no less." Sherry said, her face</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> showing a self-conscious mix of surprise and maybe guilt.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Oh, Sherry . guess we've talked about this . parents learning</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Braille?" Pam gave her friend a concerned look.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Well yeah, Tom and me, our life's are just so...busy. And, you know,</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> with this electronic age, we have a computer in just about every room and</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> there's voice mail."</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Tom added, "my God, Kathy is a wiz on the computer, you should hear</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> how</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> fast she has that voice cranked! These kids today they've grown up with all</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> these electronics."</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Rich." Sherry looked at Pam' s husband, her face showing that</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> something was still eating at her. "Do you read Braille too?"</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Yeah, but I haven't gone so far to develop the tactual sense for</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> reading it. I cheat, I read it with my eyes." Looking to his wife for any</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> sign of guidance, or a warning perhaps. "With Cheryl's blindness, we feel</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> supporting and encouraging her lifelong literacy is ." Beginning to think</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> he</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> was going too far with his pointed remarks. "Ah, anyway, it's fun!"</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Tom spoke up, obviously not offended. "Hey, so the card was for the</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Mom. How about the Dad?"</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Oh!" both Pam and Rich chorused with big grins on their faces.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "Grab your coats, ladies and gentlemen!" said Rich rising. "We need to</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> step out into the back yard."</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Outside. "Whoo, Whoo, Whoo!" hooted Sherry.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "How in the .?" Said Tom. "Did you guys get a picture of this?"</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Before them the white-blanketed yard spread to the fence and at its</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> very center lay a one-foot tall, six-foot across, very pink heart , with</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> white geometrical rows of dots on its top surface. Walking up close, it was</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> evident that the heart was constructed of compacted snow and the white dots</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> were hand-formed snowballs arranged to create Braille letters.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> "How did she get that snow painted pink?" Tom nearly stuttered.</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Pam answered. "A spray bottle and one gallon of red Kool-Aid."</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Standing near the broad part of the heart, Rich pointed. "This single</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> dot is a capital sign, followed by the letters in the word. That makes her</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> words here, cap L o v e, cap Y o u, cap D a d. Second line, cap I ' m, cap</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Y</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> o u r, cap V a l e n t I n e."</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Respectfully yours,</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> Robert Leslie Newman</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> NFBN Senior Division, President</p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>> </p><p class=MsoNormal>> _______________________________________________</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Nebraska-Senior-Blind mailing list</p><p class=MsoNormal>> Nebraska-Senior-Blind@nfbnet.org</p><p class=MsoNormal>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nebraska-senior-blind_nfbnet.org</p><p class=MsoNormal>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Nebraska-Senior-Blind:</p><p class=MsoNormal>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nebraska-senior-blind_nfbnet.org/beloos%40neb.rr.com</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>_______________________________________________</p><p class=MsoNormal>Nebraska-Senior-Blind mailing list</p><p class=MsoNormal>Nebraska-Senior-Blind@nfbnet.org</p><p class=MsoNormal>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nebraska-senior-blind_nfbnet.org</p><p class=MsoNormal>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Nebraska-Senior-Blind:</p><p class=MsoNormal>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nebraska-senior-blind_nfbnet.org/misscoffee%40neb.rr.com</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br />
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