[nfbmi-talk] Tree trimming for blind people?

[David Andrews]

I loved those chocolate mints.  I can remember sitting in Doug's 
truck, pawing through the plate, after he gave it to me.

Dave

At 08:45 AM 12/1/2010, you wrote:
>Oh man, I can't believe you still remember my chocolate mints.  Yes 
>indeed, they are still a family favorite.  In fact, Kate now makes 
>them at school and walks around the dorm, handing them out to 
>friends and strangers alike.  They are a hit!
>I am flattered, thanks Dave and a very Merry Christmas to you and 
>your kiddo's.
>
>Warmest Regards,
>Chris
>
>On Nov 30, 2010, at 2:40 PM, David Andrews wrote:
>
> > Thank you for the kind words.  At least  for now I have retired 
> from the Christmas Party business, but do miss it some.  I also 
> miss your plates of homemade Christmas goodies -- especially the 
> mint fudge or whatever it was yum!!!
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > At 11:42 AM 11/29/2010, you wrote:
> >> SURELY THERE IS NO PARTY SO GOOD AS ONE THAT IS HOSTED BY DAVE 
> ANDREWS!  NO MATTER WHAT HE IS COOKING, IT IS BOUND TO BE 
> ABSOLUTELY SCRUMPTIOUSLY DELICIOUS!  YES INDEED, DAVE IS FAMOUS FOR 
> HIS CHRISTMAS PARTIES,  , AND THAT FAME IS RICHLY DESERVED MY FRIENDS!
> >>
> >> WARMEST REGARDS AND A HOLLY JOLLY HOLIDAY TO ONE AND ALL!
> >> CHRISTINE
> >>
> >> On Nov 28, 2010, at 11:35 AM, David Andrews wrote:
> >>
> >> > The way I got my tree trimmed a couple times was to hold a 
> "tree trimming Christmas Party."  I provided lots of good food and 
> drink, a bare tree in the stand, lights, and encouragement.  I 
> asked everyone to bring an ornament, and everybody did, and put the 
> lights and bulbs and ornaments and garland on.
> >> >
> >> > I am known, or at least was known, for my all you can eat 
> chili Christmas party, so I think people were glad to participate.
> >> >
> >> > Dave
> >> >
> >> > At 04:05 AM 11/28/2010, you wrote:
> >> >> Well Fred, you could be more lazy and put an evergreen-scented air
> >> >> freshener next to, or a few inches to the tree--LOL!
> >> >>
> >> >> --------------------------------------------------
> >> >> From: "Fred Wurtzel" <f.wurtzel at att.net>
> >> >> Sent: November 27, 2010 22:56
> >> >> To: "'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
> >> >> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Tree trimming for blind people?
> >> >>
> >> >> Hi Jim,
> >> >>
> >> >> Mary and I have a stylized star for the top of ours.  It is pretty old
> >> >> and
> >> >> too heavy for some trees.  I sometimes have to trim the point down to
> >> >> get a
> >> >> stem strong enough to hold it up.  But, that is tradition for you.
> >> >> \
> >> >> Re: angel hair, I do not think we have any of those ornaments, though I
> >> >> do
> >> >> like them.  The fiber glass is a little irritating to the skin if it is
> >> >> handled much.
> >> >>
> >> >> We now have an artificial tree.  I basically object to this, but I am
> >> >> too
> >> >> lazy to fight about it, since I will have to go out in the weather and
> >> >> cold
> >> >> and wet, bring the tree home, let it dry out, mount it in a stand and
> >> >> have
> >> >> it tip over a couple times before I get it right, then clean up all the
> >> >> needles after we take it down.  I love the smell of a real 
> tree.  I like
> >> >> the
> >> >> ecological reasons for having a real tree.  Real trees create more jobs
> >> >> than
> >> >> artificial and the disposal is more ecologically friendly than a
> >> >> plastic,
> >> >> glass and metal tree.  So, convenience and laziness, in me, is turning
> >> >> me
> >> >> into an environmental hypocrite.  Just like a liberal like me, huh?
> >> >> (smile)
> >> >>
> >> >> Merry Christmas,
> >> >>
> >> >> Fred
> >> >>
> >> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> >> From: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
> >> >> [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> >> >> On Behalf Of Jim Prather (Jim in Detroit
> >> >> Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2010 10:43 PM
> >> >> To: 'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'
> >> >> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Tree trimming for blind people?
> >> >>
> >> >> Does anyone use Angel Hair nowadays?  It was big in the 
> 50s.  Do you put
> >> >> a star or angel on top of the tree?  Because of ordinances, we can't
> >> >> have REAL trees in this complex.
> >> >>
> >> >> --------------------------------------------------
> >> >> From: "Fred Wurtzel" <f.wurtzel at comcast.net>
> >> >> Sent: November 27, 2010 21:49
> >> >> To: "'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
> >> >> Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Tree trimming for blind people?
> >> >>
> >> >> Hi,
> >> >>
> >> >> I prefer starting at the bottom with the lights.  The lights go on
> >> >> first.
> >> >> Then garland if you use it, then ornaments then tinsel if you use it
> >> >> instead
> >> >> of garland.  Garland and tinsel are optional.  Most people don't use
> >> >> both,
> >> >> though there are no rules. We started using garland because cats are
> >> >> vulnerable to choking on tinsel.  A more earth friendly alternative is
> >> >> to
> >> >> string popcorn with or without cranberries and use it instead of
> >> >> garland.
> >> >> This takes a lot of patience and that is why I don't do it.
> >> >>
> >> >> One of the most annoying parts of lighting a tree is knowing if the
> >> >> string
> >> >> actually lights.  Our color identifier has a light probe on it, so we
> >> >> can
> >> >> use it, now, to know if a bulb is lit.  You can also plug them in and
> >> >> feel
> >> >> if they get warm.  Most tree lights are wired in parallel and so if 1
> >> >> goes
> >> >> out, they all go out.  I find this to be the most annoying part of
> >> >> decorating.  So, plug in the lights before you string them on the tree
> >> >> to
> >> >> make bulb replacement easier.
> >> >>
> >> >> Unless there is a window behind the tree, I do not totally encircle the
> >> >> tree.  I start nearest the electrical outlet then go straight across
> >> >> proceeding around toward the opposite side near the wall opposite from
> >> >> where
> >> >> you start, then go up six inches to a foot, depending on how 
> many lights
> >> >> you
> >> >> have and then come back across, keeping the second string as near
> >> >> parallel
> >> >> to the first as possible.  Keep repeating until you reach the 
> top  It is
> >> >> sometimes necessary to adjust if you come up with too few to reach the
> >> >> top,
> >> >> or have too many left when you reach the top, though this is 
> not as much
> >> >> a
> >> >> problem since you can simply reverse and go back down.  You may end up
> >> >> with
> >> >> more lights at the top if you do this, which really isn't a 
> big problem,
> >> >> depending on how fussy you want to be.  If possible, imagine where most
> >> >> people will view the tree from and consider that most of the 
> decorations
> >> >> should be visible from that point of view and look relatively evenly
> >> >> distributed.  My only rule is "do my best have fun and don't worry."
> >> >>
> >> >> With the ornaments, I start with the larger ones and try to distribute
> >> >> them
> >> >> evenly from left to right and top to bottom.  I then fill in the blank
> >> >> areas
> >> >> with smaller ones.  We have been married for 34 years and have lots of
> >> >> ornaments collected over the years.  Our first tree was just 2 feet
> >> >> tall,
> >> >> sat on a table had maybe a dozen ornaments and 1 string of lights.  I
> >> >> bought
> >> >> it for $1 very near Christmas and all the needles fell off within a
> >> >> couple
> >> >> hours of bringing it into the house.  We loved the tree, just the same.
> >> >>
> >> >> Some people have theme trees and some people have all the same colored
> >> >> lights and ornaments.  We are very eclectic.  We have ornaments that
> >> >> remind
> >> >> us of people and events in our lives and they range from computers to
> >> >> pets,
> >> >> sports, food, reindeer to abstract curiosities.  I like eclectic,
> >> >> myself.
> >> >>
> >> >> Hope this is useful.
> >> >>
> >> >> Merry Christmas and Warmest Regards
> >> >>
> >> >> Fred and Mary
> >> >>
> >> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> >> From: nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
> >> >> [mailto:nfbmi-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> >> >> On Behalf Of trising
> >> >> Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2010 7:19 PM
> >> >> To: NFBofMichigan List
> >> >> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Tree trimming for blind people?
> >> >>
> >> >> Nick and I want to do our tree without sighted assistance this year.
> >> >> Last
> >> >> year, because of the encouragement of our NFB friends, we
> >> >> put the tree together and put up the ornaments. This year, we even want
> >> >> to
> >> >> tackle the lights. Both of us are totally blind from
> >> >> birth. We have never seen lights, or been asked to help put 
> them on. Can
> >> >> we
> >> >> get some instructions from other blind people who have
> >> >> put on their own Christmas tree lights?
> >> >> Terri and Nick Wilcox
> >> >