[nfbmi-talk] Tree trimming for blind people?

joe harcz Comcast joeharcz at comcast.net
Wed Dec 1 20:15:33 UTC 2010 

say, could we share this recipe? I do by the way use the many good recipes 
that NFB MI offerred in the Braille forum a few years back though I've 
adapted many to include more meat and more spices...

Smiles in this Holiday season...

Joe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "mary wurtzel" <marywurtzel at att.net>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2010 3:22 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Tree trimming for blind people?


> Hi Chris,
> I also do remember your mints.
> I believe that I still do have the recipe.  It is special to have 
> something that brings a person you love into your mind especially at this 
> time of year.
> Mary
>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>>From: Christine Boone <christine_boone at comcast.net
>>To: NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
>>Date sent: Wed, 1 Dec 2010 09:45:42 -0500
>>Subject: Re: [nfbmi-talk] Tree trimming for blind people?
>
>>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
>
>
>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nfbmi-talk mailing list
>>> nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
> info for nfbmi-talk:
>>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/chris
> tine_boone%40comcast.net
>
>
>>_______________________________________________
>>nfbmi-talk mailing list
>>nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
> for nfbmi-talk:
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/maryw
> urtzel%40att.net
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfbmi-talk mailing list
> nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nfbmi-talk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbmi-talk_nfbnet.org/joeharcz%40comcast.net

More information about the NFBMI-Talk mailing list