[NFBOH-Cleveland] Fwd: [theblindperspective] April 2018 Newsletter

[Cheryl Fields]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Blind Perspective <theblindperspective at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2018 12:06:05 -0700
Subject: [theblindperspective] April 2018 Newsletter
To: theblindperspective at groups.io

Welcome to The Blind Perspective


April 2018
Volume 4 Issue4

Table of Contents
Greetings from the Editor
Sponsor of the Month
Movers & Shakers
International Perspective
Exercise, does a body good
Have I Got A Story For You
The Braille Highway
Kaleidoscope of Krafts
Spencer's Spotlight
Computer Tech101
A Time to Plant
Alternating Duo: Seeing the World Differently
the Rotating Trio: EyeShare
Readers Perspective
Cooking Concoctions
Riddle & Brain Buster

Navigation
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Greetings from the Editor
By Karen Santiago

Hello Readers!
As always, the writers are very busy every month with their
informative and entertaining articles to share with you. This month is
no exception! Please send them your feedback; good or bad.

I need individuals to interview for our popular International
Perspective segment. If you are interested or have someone to
recommend, send me an email at: Karen at TheBlindPerspective.com
Just to give you an idea of some of the countries I have not yet
covered; Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Poland, Japan, Brazil,
Mexico, and many others.

Audio Format:www.TheBlindPerspective.com

At A Glance: Out of Sight, Pay with Chip, Ukraine, Bands & Tubings,
200 Years & A Favorite, Interview, Practice, Breakfast, Tutorials,
Containers & Locations, Senses, Dependency, Funny & Whoops, Lunches,
Riddle & Brain Buster!

Sponsor of the Month
The time is right to join Out-Of-Sight!
We are a group of blind fun-loving, congenial, and interesting people
from all over the world, who use our screen-readers and microphones to
play games, chat, learn, and socialize on our own internet TeamTalk
server. We have a full schedule of activities every day and evening
and you can drop in whenever you wish.
We display our musical talents and play music in our music rooms. You
can get help with your computer, your iPhone, your cooking, and your
chess game, or you can just simply have fun!
We also have a book-discussion group and Bible groups.
There is no end to the stimulation, excitement, and camaraderie you
will experience.
To join us and receive your materials, simply send your real name, a
preferred nickname if any, your email address, and your phone number
to: OOSNHQ at gmail.com
We sum it up by saying: "Catch the vision, it's Out of Sight!"

Movers & Shakers
Pay With Chip
By Karen Santiago
Karen at TheBlindPerspective.com

I would first like to thank reader Judy, from New York for suggesting
the following person to interview for this month's Movers & Shakers
segment. Thank you, Judy, I found this very fascinating, and I hope
you all will too!

I had a Q&A email session, along with a great skype interview with
Michael Vinocur, founder and CEO of Pay With Chip, Inc.

Q. What is the Pay with Chip marketplace?
The Pay With Chip marketplace is an assistive software designed to
create an easy to use and highly accessible online shopping experience
across many online retailers, both in the United States and overseas.

Q. How does it work?
The software works by eliminating the clutter normally found on most
retailer websites, and then presents the important parts in a way that
is streamlined and well organized. Consumers can casually browse or
search for any item, from a variety of retailers, using just four
keyboard keys; up, down, enter and escape. Checkouts are a breeze with
the complimentary chip payment card reader, which facilitates a safe
an independently completed checkout that anyone can do. Because of the
consistency in the way we present stores, once a customer is
comfortable shopping at a single store they can quickly and easily
shop any other store on the marketplace.

Q. Who is this designed for, and what is needed in order to use the
software and reader?
The software is primarily designed to address the obstacles or
concerns faced by consumers using assistive technologies, such as
screen readers or screen magnifiers when navigating or checking out of
online shopping websites. A customer who is interested in trying out
the experience, will need a Windows based PC and an available USB
port. They can download the software from our website at
www.paywithchip.com. After the download, the customer will need to
install the application to their computer, where an icon will then be
placed on the desktop for the Pay With Chip Marketplace. When
launched, the first thing a customer should do is register, which will
trigger a card reader to be mailed and allow access to the marketplace
for browsing. We have a library of recordings available from our home
page which walk customers through a full tour of the software.

Note: The Pay With Chip software is currently available for Windows.
The Mac and iOS apps have been delayed due to programming changes, but
it is being worked on. Michael is hoping to have these two options
along with Android devices up and running by late Spring.

Q. Who are the current websites on board?
We have over 30 online shopping websites available at the moment which
range from large consumer shopping sites like Amazon, Wal Mart, Petco
and eBay to smaller stores like Brookstone or Russel Stover's
chocolate. We have an additional 40 merchants that are awaiting their
stores to be added to the marketplace. We will have access to a
shopping experience that puts more than 100 million products from
around the world at the fingertips of our customers by the beginning
of April 2018.

Note: Currently Pay With Chip has the following three categories live;
shopping (various stores & products), e learning (free courses), and
entertainment (audio & e books). They are working on adding finance
and travel platforms to the marketplace. The finance avenue is
projected to cover things from home loans, banking, credit
information, to investments.

Q. How do you get other websites to join your platform?
Initially we reached out to merchants using the available channels for
companies that wish to engage in creating business relationships. That
has begun to shift as our platform has grown and now companies are
sending requests to us.

Q. Is there technical support?
Yes. Our technical support desk is available everyday and we try to
maintain a response time of one to two hours up to midnight eastern
standard time. Questions or comments can be sent directly to us from
the conveniently located help option inside of the marketplace.

Note: currently this is a two-person operation. Michael is hoping to
have two more people on board in the future. This will then enable
those late night orders to be processed in real time.

Q. What is the chip payment card reader and how does it work?
Our chip payment card reader is a secure technology for online and
in-person commerce, which connects to a Windows based computer with an
available USB port. It is designed to allow a checkout at a speed
comparable to saving the information online (ex. PayPal or Amazon) to
avoid re-entry, but significantly safer. This is because chip card
technology also known as EMV and present in most stores that consumer
shop at today, is a fast and secure method of sending encrypted
payment details that can only be used one time and that a merchant is
unable to read or save. Consumers have a faster and safer way to shop
at their favorite online stores, without ever typing or saving their
payment card information.

Q. Is there a cost for this reader?
Reader's do not have a cost.

Q. How secure is one's payment information? Explain.
Microchip payment technology is the safest form of payment technology
available. It has been the gold standard for secure commerce in most
of the world, and has been mandated as the required payment technology
in the United States by 2019. By nature, the information generated by
microchips for payment purposes can only be used for a single
transaction and are then invalidated by a customer's bank unless
re-occurring use is authorized by the consumer.

Q. Can you tell me what motivated/inspired you to create this software?
I developed the idea working with my father who lost his vision about
10 years ago, and has had to develop the skillsets required to
successfully navigate online websites. Online shopping in particular
is a challenge, and it's one that many share. I spent a great deal of
time matching what I was seeing on his computer screen and compared it
to what JAWS was telling him and there was such a gap in the quality
of the information. I decided that I would create an alternative
approach to solving the problem of accessibility in ecommerce. The
idea for the marketplace was born. A place where consumers could log
on to with any assistive technology they were comfortable with using
and regardless of the level of training they might have, and be able
to exit with a product they want in less than 10 minutes.

Q. What has the feedback from users been like?
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Our customers have
referred to the software as the easiest and in many cases, fastest way
to shop online. The beautiful thing about what we are doing is that
customers send us a wish list everyday of the stores they would like
to rely on the marketplace to experience in the future.

Michael's ultimate goal is to be able to offer the Pay With Chip to
those in other countries. This would enable those in other parts of
the world to download the marketplace in their native language, and
have it already tailored for them. Then they too could have access to
stores that are specific to them.

Contact Information:
Michael Vinocur: Founder and CEO
Phone: 754-702-2258
Email: michaelvinocur at paywithchip.com

Website: www.PayWithChip.com

Twitter: @PayWithChip

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/PayWithChip/

International Perspective
Ukraine; as told by Anya Fuller
By Karen Santiago
Karen at TheBlindPerspective.com

A bit about Ukraine:
In Eastern Europe, along the Russian border, sits Ukraine, the largest
country in the region. Ukraine also borders Poland, Slovakia, Hungary,
Romania, Moldova, and Belarus. The Carpathian Mountains to the west
protect Ukraine from fierce northern winds. The Ukraine has some of
the richest farm land in Europe, over 1,000 miles of flat plains known
as steppes. It also has rich supplies of oil and gas.
Kiev is the capital city. Ukrainian is the official language, although
many people mainly on the eastern side speak Russian. Hungarian,
Romanian and Polish are popular languages spoken in Western Ukraine.
The population of Ukraine is just over 47.1 million.
Many ancient traditions are carried on in Ukraine today, like
traditional dances and music. One Ukrainian tradition is the
decorating of Pysanka, or Ukrainian Easter egg during Holy Week, the
week leading up to Easter. Pysanky are intricately decorated using a
wax-relief method, though there are many variations on design and
techniques for creating these eggs.

Blind Schools: Anya's remarks reflect the experiences she had with the
school she attended.
There are five schools for the blind throughout Ukraine. These
residential schools are Lviv, Kiev, Odessa, Kharkov and Slavyansk.
Anya attended the Kharkov school from the nineties to the early
2000's. She started at the age of seven, although students can begin
preschool at an earlier age. Students receive education through grade
twelve.
The only sport type of activities were checkers, chess, goalball, and
swimming with outside assistance.
Students at this blind school were fortunate enough to receive
exceptional music instructions, due to the collaboration with a nearby
music institution. Students could learn how to play two or three
instruments, and all were required to be part of the choir. This was a
very comprehensive music program as the students were also required to
take classes such as music literature and history.

Braille and Mobility:
Braille was taught in school. However, there was a shortage of braille
materials. For example. There was only one English book, and no math
books for high schoolers at all. As curriculums were constantly
changing, there were hardly any Braille books for other classes
either.
Mobility was not seen as an important skill to teach or learn.
Students generally felt their way around or relied on those who had
some sight. Canes were passed out during the mobility class, which was
once a week, if that. Anya received her first cane when she was a
senior. By that time, most students did not use their cane because it
wasn't "the popular thing to do."

Currently:
Until recently, blind children could be educated exclusively in the
residential schools. In 2011, the Lviv Regional Fund of Social
Protection and Recovery of the Blind, USI organized inclusive
education for blind children outside specialized boarding schools.
They have created many innovations that allow blind children to study
in ordinary schools. There are still things that need to improve such
as the training of teachers, increase funding, and more accessible
materials. However, enrollment at the boarding schools are decreasing,
which indicates a growing desire of parents for inclusive education.

University:
High school students are encouraged to attend university. Should they
have good grades, letter of recommendation, and meet the necessary
requirements, tuition is fully funded. Students also receive a monthly
allowance while studying, as long as they maintain an average of a B
grade.
There are no disability service departments available at the higher
educational facilities. The blind student is basically on their own
when it comes to accessible material. This is not an easy task, as
most textbooks are not available in braille. If students are not
fortunate enough to have a scanner, then they need to have great
listening skills, and rely on other student's assistance. Anya created
her own contraction, or shorthand braille in order to keep up with
class notes. Anya stated that many teachers pass the blind students,
instead of the blind student passing the class.

Benefits:
Blind individuals are categorized into three different groups; first,
totally blind, second, partially sighted, and third, high partial. So,
the level one is, determines the benefits one receives.
As for disability pension, the greatest monthly amount would go to the
first level, and decreasing with level two and three.

Transportation:
Individuals with the first level receive free rides on buses and
trains (suburban area), as long as they show their proof of blindness
identification. A person can travel with them at no cost as well. If
the train ride is a long one, then the person will get a reduced rate.
Level two individuals will receive a discounted rate for buses and
trains. Finally, the third level will receive no reduction in fare,
but they are still entitle to certain benefits.

Accessibility
Walking Around:
There are very little accommodations out on the streets for the blind
community. Things such as curb cuts, tactile strips, and audible
signals are few and far between throughout Ukraine. Anya said that
other obstacles in the way of blind people are the cars that are
parked on the sidewalks, or, in certain places, uncovered sewers.

Braille:
There is no braille what so ever in the public. It is deemed obsolete.
While students are taught braille it is not widely used. Parents of
partially sighted children do not even want their children learning
it. They would rather have other accommodations such as large print or
better lighting.

Accessible Equipment:
Blind schools are equipped with some accessible equipment. However, if
you want accessible devices in your home, you had to get it yourself.
Many blind people have to resort to cracked version of JAWS or other
software.

Reading service:
Ukraine does have libraries for the blind. Although there is material
in various formats, they are very outdated. The libraries are no
longer in high demand since most people can download books from the
computer.

Guide Dog Schools:
There are no guide dog schools in Ukraine. It is seemed as a nuisance,
and not much is known. Anya stated that she knows of no one owning a
guide dog in Ukraine. She added that the majority of blind individuals
travel with a sighted guide.

Blind Organizations:
Ukrainian Association of the Blind (UTOS):
The state-sponsored association is involved in the social, employment,
medical and vocational rehabilitation of the disabled citizens of
Ukraine, who cannot compete in the labor market. It provides
employment, health and social protection for the visually impaired.
This locally generated primary organization, and in areas where there
is a need to also organize training and production company. Blind
people get the full range of social protection, the ability to fully
implement opportunities to live and to work. Destination of selected
features of blind people to perform a particular job.
*Note: these statements are taken right from the association's
website. Although this sounds great, the hard reality is that they do
not do much for blind individuals in any way.

Ukrainian center for physical culture and sport for the disabled:
Works with youth and adult in various sporting activities. Teaching,
training, and competing with other schools, regional, national, and
international teams.

Paralympics: Ukraine is involved with Paralympics, and has performed
very well in past events.

Community Reactions:
Anya believes that there are many people who see blindness, as well as
other disabilities in a negative way. Furthermore, the more visible
the disability, the more a stigma is attached to it.
Some people in this society shame those with disabilities, and may
take advantage of them. Many see the blindness, or disability, before
seeing the person.

Changes:
Anya would like to see a lot of changes made with respect to blindness
issues in Ukraine.
*Use the American model of teaching those with disabilities; there
needs to be more advanced training of both the teachers and the
individuals.
*Greater awareness and education to the general public about people
with disabilities.
*Awareness to employers that blind people can work too.
*Access to materials in accessible formats.
*Providing Office of disability services in colleges and universities.

Exercise, does a body good
By Dan Kiely
Dan at TheBlindPerspective.com

Welcome back to another edition of Exercise Does A Body Good. In this
edition I focus on resistant, tubing or TheraBand training, and what
each color means. Resistance bands are used to help tone and
strengthen the entire body. They are inexpensive, ranging from 6 to 20
dollars. They do not take up much space, therefore, they can be used
at home and when traveling.

Unlike dumbbells and other strength training tools, the different
colors and strengths of the bands do not correspond to specific
weights. Resistant training can come in the form of a tubing, or a
TheraBand. The band or tubing comes in yellow, green, red, blue, and
black. Learn about the differences below.

Yellow: These are classified as light resistance. This means that they
are very stretchy, and it takes little effort to pull against them and
stretch them out. Light resistance bands are used for working areas
such as the shoulders and shins, where you don't need much resistance
to feel the muscle working.

Green: these are medium resistance. These bands are less stretchy and
have more tension than yellow bands. Green bands are used for muscle
groups that need slightly more tension, such as the biceps or triceps.

Red: these are labeled as medium to heavy resistance. They have a
higher level of tension than green or yellow bands and are harder to
stretch. Red bands are suitable for muscle groups that are larger,
such as the legs, chest, and back. They are also for individuals who
have been building muscle strength.

Blue: These resistance bands are heavy resistance. These are much more
stiff than red, green or yellow and do not provide as much stretch.
Blue bands are for those who are very strong, or for those larger
muscle groups, such as the legs, chest and back. These are also the
bands to use when working out with someone else; when two people pull
against a band.

Black: These resistance bands have the most resistance. These are the
hardest bands to stretch and pull. Like blue bands, black bands are
used for the large muscle groups, such as the legs, or when working
with others. Some sets of bands come in all black and the level of
resistance is not based on color in these sets.

Here are 2 lower body exercises to do with your resistant band.
Squats: I recommend using the red or blue resistant band.
Stand on the band with your feet hip width apart. Keep your back
straight, face forward, bend your knees slightly, and hold on to the
handles of the band. Make sure you feel tension in the bands.
Lower your butt out and down towards the floor, as if you were to sit
in a chair, then return to the standing position. Make sure there is
tension again in the standing position.
I recommend doing 15 to 25 reps, in sets of 3.

Lunges: To do lunges with resistance tubing, you need to wrap the
tubing around a pole, or attach it to a doorknob. Some tubings have an
attachment to place inside the closed door or inside the door jam.
Make sure you choose a closet door. If you choose a door that people
open and close all the time, and you are working out with the door
closed and someone opens the door, and whack! That is going to hurt.

Stand upright and face forward, away from the door. With handles in
hands and at chest level, stretch out your arms in front of you.
With feet hip width apart and stomach tight, step forward with your
right foot about 12 inches or more. Your right knee should bend at
about 90 degrees while your left foot stays in place and knee bends
slightly. This form will be at the maximum lunge position.
Step back and up to the starting position. Repeat 10 to 15 reps for 3
sets. Reverse lunge, stepping forward with your left foot.
This will require balance and strength.
Next month I will describe upper body exercises incorporating the use
of resistant tubing.

Health Tip: Seven ways to lower your blood pressure without medication
*Lose extra pounds and watch your waistline, blood pressure often
increases as weight increases
*Exercise regularly
*Eat a healthy diet
*Reduce sodium in your diet
*Limit the am ount of alcohol consumption
*Quit smoking
*Lower your stress level
monitor your blood pressure at home, and consult your physician annually.

Good luck, until next month, Exercise Does A Body Good!

Have I Got A Story For You
By Carla Jo Bratton
CarlaJo at TheBlindPerspective.com

Greetings book friends!
We have something to celebrate and one of my favorite writers I want
to talk about this month. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY FRANKENSTEIN!
Mary Shelley wrote the classic story of Frankenstein 200 years ago
this year. And she did it at the age of 18! If you've never read this
classic horror book, grab it and get to reading. It really does stand
the test of time. What were you doing at the age of 18? It boggles the
mind to think about a young woman creating this story at that age.

Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus
Written by Mary Shelley
DB25835
CNIB or CELA numbers; ET01163 and DZ31627
Reading time: 8 hours and 32 minutes
In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein
unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and
tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of
madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys
everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship,
scientific hubris, and horror.

My comments; The way the story opens just gives me chills. Mary
Shelley tells a story rich in detail and feelings. If you haven't read
it, do so, and if you have, read it again.

Now for one of my all-time favorite writers; Wilbur Smith.
Wilbur Smith was born in Central Africa in 1933. He was educated at
Michaelhouse and Rhodes University. He became a full-time writer in
1964 after the successful publication of When the Lion Feeds, and has
gone on to write many more novels, all meticulously researched on his
numerous expeditions worldwide. His books are now translated into
twenty-six languages.
Wilbur Smith lives in London and continues to have an abiding concern
for the peoples and wildlife of his native continent, an interest
strongly reflected in his novels.

My comments; Wilbur Smith writes sweeping sagas, telling the story of
a country, it's people and the rich history of Africa. He has 4 series
and many stand-alone novels. If you enjoy history, these books are for
you. He writes about the jungles, savannas, the mountains and the
wildlife, oh, the wildlife. Smith paints such pictures that it will
carry you away. I can't recommend his books enough. He does write with
some strong language, violence and some descriptions of sex. Here is a
standalone novel I've chosen for this article. He is just a powerful
writer.

Elephant Song
Written by Wilbur Smith
DB36001
CELA or CNIB number; DC15058
Reading time: 17 hours and 49 minutes
Blood was the fertilizer that made the African soil bloom. From under
the shadow of the Mountains of the Moon and the deep, brooding Forests
of the Tall Trees, to the hidden opulence of Taiwan and the paneled
boardrooms of power in the heart of London, a tough, determined man
and a dedicated woman begin their fight against the forces of greed,
evil and corruption.

In Zimbabwe, Dr. Daniel Armstrong, world-famous TV naturalist, films
the slaughter of a herd of elephant: closing in as their blood stains
the soil and their death song echoes around the stillness of the
valley, his professionalism is tinged with a deep sadness.

In London, anthropologist Kelly Kinnear is forced into violent
confrontation with the shareholders of the most powerful conglomerate
in the City of London, warning them of the destruction of an African
country and of a people - the Bambuti - she has come to love as her
own.

Combining breathtaking realism with thrilling suspense, Elephant Song
is a gripping adventure from the world's master storyteller - a
journey deep into the heart of a wild, magnificent continent,
threatened forever by the destructive hand of man.

Thanks go out to those of you who have written to me, it really does
make a difference. I love getting book recommendations from all of
you.
Until next month, Happy reading,
Carla jo

The Braille Highway
By Nat Armeni
Nat at TheBlindPerspective.com

Hello and welcome to The Braille Highway for the month of April! Being
a braille enthusiast, I belong to a couple of open forum chats where
the main topic is braille. While participating in these forums during
the month of March, I spoke to a few fellow braille fans. In this
month's segment I will be relaying a couple points brought to my
attention about their lives before and after blindness and how braille
truly opened doors and allowed them to continue living a big part of
their sighted life when they became blind.

Before we get to this month's article, a little housekeeping. As per
usual I always invite the reader's input, opinions, and suggestions.
So, email me at the email address mentioned at the beginning of this
article. I would like some feedback about what you would think of a
braille competition to be held in January of 2019, with some prizes
for the top finishers? Would you participate? What do you think of the
idea of a braille competition where I would dictate a few sentences
and the object of the competition would be to use a computer program
like Perky Ducks to braille the dictated words? Then you would send in
the finished copy as an attachment within a few minutes of completing
the reading, to discourage folks using braille translation programs to
aid in their accuracy. I am looking forward to your feedback.

The first person I want to shed a little light on their story is a
gentleman named Desmond from New York. He is in his 50 and is married
with 3 children. He became blind at 39 years of age from an accident
while outside during a Halloween party. A firecracker exploded near
his face. Desmond was the dj for that Halloween party. After many
surgeries to try to save his eyes and more cosmetic surgeries later,
Desmond has no vision.

Desmond has a wonderful supportive family who were all encouraging and
extremely helpful. After getting over the initial shock and the
reality of being blind, Desmond's wife suggested he go for some
training at a local center for the blind. Desmond's love for music is
what inspired him to learn JAWS. While at the center, he learned the
alphabet and numbers in braille.

Desmond has a very large music collection that he burned onto DVD's.
Each disk holds a thousand songs or more. The songs are all listed on
a word document and each DVD is numbered. So, for example, if Desmond
is looking for "We are the champions" by Queen, he would conduct a
search for that song title and artist in his Microsoft word document.
Once that song is located, it would tell him what DVD it is on.
Desmond's DVD's paper sleeves have all been labeled with braille
numbers, in order for him to retrieve the one he needs or wants.

Desmond has resumed his position as DJ. One of his sons and a nephew
assist in setting up the speakers, microphone, and other necessary
equipment. He uses his laptop to find the songs and then uses his
braille skills to find the proper DVD, and the rest is history. With
just a little training on how to use JAWS and learning the A B C's of
braille, Desmond has been able to go back to work doing what he loves.

Lynda is a very gifted clay artist. In her mid-thirties, Lynda is
blind from RP. Prior to her eyesight declining she was a bright up and
coming artist in clay works and her pieces were very sought after.
Living in France Lynda fell in love at a young age and was married at
the age of 20. After losing most of her sight, Lynda found she could
still make certain clay pieces just not as detailed in the
decorations.

Lynda says that she was always a very independent person and thrived
on marching to her own drummer. As you can imagine, she became very
stressed when she thought that she would need to always depend on
others for assistance, especially when creating her pottery. Lynda has
a mentor that she was paired up with when it became apparent that she
would be losing her sight. Through this mentor Claudette, Lynda found
out about resources and training opportunities in her area. Lynda
learned braille and practiced it with Claudette and others. Lynda's
father had a room that was his workshop and she decided to convert it
in to a place where she could create her works of art.

After multiple changes and modifications Lynda finds that she can work
pretty independently from start to finish when creating her pottery.
Like before, she uses help for removing items from the kiln. Lynda has
made braille labels for her buckets of paint as well as other needed
materials and tools. She creates braille labels for each of her clay
pieces. She also braille's time cards for each piece in order for her
to know how long each piece needs to dry before being baked in the
kiln.

With all her suppliers phone numbers and contact information being
brailled and stored in her telephone directory, Lynda places all her
orders as needed when she sees the inventory reaching critical low
levels.

Lynda has also made notes in braille on what techniques she used for a
particular series of work and refers to it when starting a new project
so that she maintains the consistency that her loyal customers have
come to expect from her.

I asked Lynda if she has come up with a braille theme for her pottery
yet. Lynda said that she has not as of yet, but it is a work in
progress. She added that before she is done, she is sure that she will
make a piece or two with a braille theme. Although in Lynda's case she
was still able to continue her love of creating clay art, the need for
her to be able to do things independently for her own peace of mind
was made possible by learning braille.

I was so happy to have come across both Desmon and Lynda who are
excellent examples that although losing their sight later in life,
they chose to learn braille which helped them to resume doing what
they loved. I want to thank you both Desmond and Lynda for allowing me
to talk about you both in my article. You are both wonderful examples
of why folks who have lost their eyesight later in life should learn
at the very least, the A B C's of braille.

Braille users do it with feelings. Why complicate life with gadgets
when you can complement it with braille. Remember to stay on the
dotted line of life! I look forward to speaking with you again in May!

Kaleidoscope of Krafts
By Lindy van der Merwe
Lindy at TheBlindPerspective.com

I am really pleased to be presenting some practical suggestions and
ideas from one of our readers, Deborah Armstrong, for this month's
Kaleidoscope of Crafts. She focuses on knitting, but I am sure that
her writing could just as well be applicable to any kind of craft one
can think of.

Here is what she writes:
"I just ran across the blind perspective. I am blind and learned to
knit as an adult from Davey Hulse's book.
I love to knit, but I'm not very good. Here are a few ways I've been
able to practice, yet make something useful.
I have long hair and am always in need of covered rubber bands to
coralle it. I decided to try knitting up my own scrunchies (decorative
hair bands) and it's worked beautifully.

First, I dissected some old scrunchies using scissors to examine how
they were constructed. A scrunchie is nothing more than a narrow tube
with a piece of waistband-type elastic threaded inside it and sewn
together at the ends to form a circle. A typical scrunchie is 20to 25
inches long and when the tube is flattened out, maybe 2 to 5 inches
across. Once you sew the elastic together, the tube material
"scrunches up, so it is the size of one of those large covered rubber
bands.

At Michaels (craft store), I purchased several rolls of elastic
waistband in different sizes, from a quarter inch to two inches wide.
Then, using leftover yarn from my less successful knitting projects, I
started knitting strips, some 3, some 4 and some even 5 inches wide.

My strips were practice pieces. Sometimes I tried fancy pattern
stitches and other times I just did straight knitting - which is
called garter stitch. When a strip was 22 to 25 inches long, I bound
it off.

Next, I folded the strip lengthwise and carefully sewed the sides
together with a tapestry needle.
This gave me a long tube about 3 to 5 inches wide when flattened out.
Smaller is harder. Tubes you can fit your middle and pointer fingers
into are best.

Next, I fastened a safety pin to the end of the elastic, threaded it
through the tube and pulled it tight until I had the scrunchie
"scrunched" the way I liked it. I pinned the ends of the elastic
together, before cutting it off the roll. Using a sharp,
self-threading needle, I then sewed the ends of the elastic together.

Lastly, using a tapestry needle, I sewed the knitted tube ends
together so it was a complete, springy circle.

What I love about making scrunchies is that knitting mistakes are lost
in the folds of the scrunched fabric, and my long hair hides holes
created by dropped stitches. Also, my long hair hides any inept
sewing!

Of course, as I continued to make scrunchies, my knitting and sewing
has gotten a lot better and I am dropping many fewer stitches today.

For Christmas, I knitted up read and green scrunchies and attached
bells. I made smaller ones to go around my guide dog's ankles and one
of the autistic students I work with in my job named them
jingle-foots. Soon all of my co-workers were clamoring for knitted
Jingle-foots for their pet dogs!

Another way I've been able to turn a potential knitting failure in to
an attractive decoration is to make a pillow. I once started to make a
hat but realized it was too big. Another time I was working on a
blanket when I accidentally dropped a stitch and it caused a big hole
to appear in the center.
In each case, I sewed the creation together, patching up the hole with
a tapestry needle. I can make a crochet-like chain with my fingers,
thread that onto a tapestry needle and use it to patch a hole in my
knitting that, if not pretty, at least works better than simply using
a piece of yarn.

To fill the pillow, I use blankets. In the winter we always pull out
blankets and by spring, we need a place to stow them away. I've found
stuffing them inside a hand-knitted pillowcase, with just an end
sticking out can be very attractive. It's also nice to curl up on the
couch with one of these blanket-pillows, and if you get cold, you can
just pull out the blanket and cover yourself up.

The lightweight fleece blankets are especially useful as you can stuff
two or three inside a knitted pillowcase. You can put the uglier side
facing away from guests so they only see your knitting successes!
When you manage to make a perfect pillow-case, purchase a new fleece
blanket in a matching color and give it away as a gift. I gave several
of these for Christmas, knitted in various shapes for the back, neck
and as a cushion for sitting on.

One last way to practice knitting with a small project: When you are
ready to start working with patterns and need to create swatches,
consider sewing up the three sides of a swatch to form a small bag for
carrying your Daisy player, cellphone, or if the swatch turned out
bigger than expected, a tablet."

As I read the above, Deborah's experiences resonated with me. For many
years I did not pursue knitting. I had learnt the basics from various
people over the years, but I simply could not find the time or
patience to finish anything. One problem I had was that I simply could
not correct my own mistakes, so I put my yarn and needles away,
believing that, unless I could either correct my own mistakes or knit
an entire project without any, I would not be able to make anything
worthwhile.

If only I had understood that knitting can be practiced like most
everything else and that I did not have to complete a long scarf or
cardigan to feel I had mastered the craft.
It took me a long time to realize that there are so many small
projects to choose from and making one mistake does not mean you have
to start over or give up in defeat. So, for those who are just
starting out or who can do the basics of knitting, doing small
projects is a wonderful way to practice and, as Deborah mentions,
allowing a few mistakes here and there is no big deal.
Some small items I have knitted include necklaces, small baskets or
bags, dishcloths or washcloths, headbands, bows, hearts, bookmarks,
slippers, hanger covers, and the list goes on.
These days you only have to Google for the words "small knitting
projects" or "stash busters".

Many thanks to Deborah, for confirming that anything is possible with
patience and a positive attitude. She made me realize once again that
crafting is not only about making things that are perfect or made to a
certain standard we or others have set, but it is often simply about
the enjoyment we are able to find in learning and challenging
ourselves to try out new things, or the joy of being able to make
something for others using our own skills and time.

I hope this month's segment will encourage you to consider trying out
a new craft of your own or perhaps reconsider a craft you had tried
and discarded a long time ago.
Until next time, happy crafting and please feel free to write if you
have anything to share relating to crafts or crafting.

Spencer's Spotlight
By Cheryl Spencer
Cheryl at TheBlindPerspective.com

It has just occurred to me that I must be hungry when I sit down to
write my articles because this month's subject is another kitchen
appliance. The Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich maker is a handy
little item to have in the kitchen. I use mine about 3 or 4 times a
week. For a totally blind person, it is easy to use and good for a
quick fix when you are in a hurry in the morning. It is a simple but
ingenious gadget.

I have the single sandwich maker since it is only me in the household,
but for the couples, there is a duel model. It comes with a cast iron
insert that is super easy to clean. It hooks into the unit and has a
tab that does not get hot so you can lift the sections without burning
yourself.

I use premade biscuits, you can use English muffins or mini
croissants, or lately, I have been using cheese Danishes which I found
at a big box store.

Preheat the unit, and in the bottom, place the bottom half of the
sandwich. I usually put a slice of cheese on the bottom before closing
the top half of the insert over it. Make sure the well part of the
insert is closed so your egg does not drip out. Crack the egg into it
and place the top half of the sandwich on top and close the lid. Set a
timer for 5 minutes and then swing the middle divider out opening the
sections so the top half falls onto the bottom half completing your
sandwich. Open the top of the sandwich maker and pull the bottom
section up to expose your completed sandwich. Spatula it on to a plate
and enjoy!

I found this to be easy to use and more importantly, easy to clean.
The Hamilton Beach Breakfast Maker can be found at Target, Wal-Mart,
Kohls, Bed Bath and Beyond, and my favorite place, Amazon. The single
unit is around 25 dollars and the duel unit goes for about 35 dollars.

I think maybe next month I will eat before attempting to write my article.

Computer Tech101
By Jim Morgan
Jim at TheBlindPerspective.com

First, I must give credit where credit is due. A reader was kind
enough to ask me about an instance that applies to last month's
article, that I flat out didn't think about. She wanted to know what
to do if one had a program or two up on the screen in front of the
main Desktop display when the screen reader went down. So, I thought
I'd correct that oversight here. If one opens the Start menu, either
with the mouse or using the Windows key, the last several programs
started, usually including the screen reader will be there and can be
accessed by first letter navigation, just like on the desktop.
Hopefully, that answers the same question that others of you might
have.

This month's topic also comes to us courtesy of a reader. He wanted to
know about a good Firefox tutorial. So, I thought I'd talk about
tutorials, in general. I'm not going to promote any specific one since
everybody is different. I thought I'd just give you some places to
look and let you figure out what was best.

A really good place to start is Hadley or, now known as, Hadley
Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I'm sure that most of
us already are very familiar with Hadley, but for those few who might
not know, Hadley is, to use the current vernacular, a long-distance
school specially designed for blind and/or Visually impaired students.
Their courses are free and very good. They have courses in many
computer topics including the Internet, Microsoft Office programs,
such as Excel, Apple products, such as the iPhone, and various other
Computer and/or Electronics topics. I would advise checking there
first since the material is designed for visually impaired people and,
are more geared to working with a screen reader than, say, a uTube
video. To contact them, you can either go Online to www.hadley.edu
You may also contact them by phone at: 1 (800) 223-4238.

The next best place to look is on the program manufacturer's Website.
In most cases, the people who make the software also have done
tutorials on it as well.

Here are a couple sites you may want to checkout.
Freedom Scientific free webinars: (such topics as Office 365, twitter,
facebook, Jaws 18, etc.)
www.freedomscientific.com/Services/

Learn NVDA (Nonvisual Desktop Access):
www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/

One other good place to look is uTube. You should be a little careful
here since the videos may be designed more for the sighted. Probably
the best thing to do is do a Search on the Internet. I think I've
spoken about searching the Internet before, but, in case I haven't,
I'll go over it again. What I find to work the best is to, unless the
program name is one word, like Firefox, put the program name inside
quotation marks, the plus sign, and then the word tutorial. For
example, if I was looking for an Internet Explorer version 11
tutorial, I would put "Internet Explorer version 11"+Tutorial into the
search field. This should then yield you some results.

Hopefully this answers some questions about learning new software or,
perhaps, getting the most out of the software you do have. As always,
if there are any questions about this topic or anything else, please
send me an E-mail and I'll try to return the message as soon as
possible. However, I will be away from March 17 through April 2,
therefore, any messages sent then, will have a delay in my response.
As always, Happy Computing!

A Time To Plant
By Sue Brasel
Sue at TheBlindPerspective.com

We need to consider where to put our plants. You could use the ground,
but with limited or no vision, perhaps containers might be easier to
find. Some think a container is a square foot garden, others think a
hanging basket is one, and others think of unique items in their
environment. They could all be right!

If you have a plant in mind, figure out if the roots would stay
covered in that container. Some small plants need room to grow, while
others need some confinement. A tall plant could easily tip over in a
small pot.

Figure out where you want to place your plants. Large pots should be
where you can reach them for both watering and relocating if needed.
Some plants sit better on tabletops. Hanging baskets or window boxes
need to be convenient to water, but out of the way so that you don't
bump into them!

What is needed for a container? Many materials could work: clay
(sometimes called terra cotta), plastic, and ceramic are just a few
examples. Some people like to use unique items such as tin pails or
glassware. Whatever you choose, make sure it has, or you can put, at
least one drainage hole in your container. In another issue I will
cover terrariums and fairy gardens, which are exceptions to this rule.

Thoroughly wash pre-used containers. Let your plants have as many
advantages of a healthy start as is possible.

If your container will be outside on a deck or patio, raise it off the
surface area. A heavy rain could cause the roots to stay wet if it
does not get a chance to drain. A plant stand could work. Consider
raising the pot by putting blocks under it.

Colorful pots add a whimsical fancy to your containers. Especially
with groups of containers, consider coordinating or contrasting the
containers with the plants you intend to grow there. Even if you don't
see colors well, your family or guests might enjoy them.

Now it is "thyme" for me to get back to my garden!

The Alternating Duo: Seeing the World Differently
By Lois Strachan
Lois at TheBlindPerspective.com

In my last article I tried to answer the question of why I love
travelling so much, and what I get out of doing so. Since I'm
primarily a storyteller, maybe sharing a few of my personal
experiences of how I use my remaining senses to build a picture of an
unfamiliar place might be a better way for me to show you what I mean.

In the interests of full disclosure, I feel I ought to tell you that I
usually travel with my sighted partner, which definitely impacts on
the way I travel. I'm not saying it's the only way, or even the best
way, to travel, merely that it works for me. I'd love to engage with
those of you who are comfortable travelling to unfamiliar places on
your own, to learn about the techniques you use.

But, let's get back to the point of this article, which is to
demonstrate how I use my other senses to help me learn about the
places I visit.

As I walked into the famous Buqueria fresh produce market in
Barcelona, Spain, I was assailed by a myriad of aromas. Walking
through the vast covered market I could tell exactly what was on offer
from each stall - the sweet scent of succulent fruit, crisp
vegetables, the (to me) less pleasant aroma of fish and seafood, and
the glorious scent of newly baked bread. It seemed perfectly logical
to while away an hour at one of the food stalls and indulge in some of
the local cuisine, surrounded by these tantalizing scents. It was such
a rich sensory experience - though I suspect my sighted husband may
have got less from the experience than I did!

Talking about food, taste also plays a strong role in the way I
interpret a new place. To stick with the example of the Buqueria
Market, the simple yet traditionally Spanish meal we ate that day is
closely linked to the way I experienced the market, and Barcelona as a
whole. Despite my particular crazy food preferences (I'm a fussy
vegetarian) I try to taste some of the local specialties that are so
much part of a country's culture. In Spain that meant gazpacho soup,
lots of meals with spicy salsa, and paella, a delicately flavored rice
dish.

Sipping a glass of fruity sangria following the meal, I recall
listening to all that was happening around me, glancing round the room
with my ears. I could tell I was in a large enclosed space with a roof
that was high enough that the nearby sounds were at a manageable
level. Sure, the place was noisy with the voices of the vendors,
shoppers, and fellow tourists, but the sound didn't "bounce" so I was
able to orientate myself with ease.

Sound also helps me learn about the people and culture of a country by
listening to the way they interact. Are they sociable and gregarious,
or are they quieter and more reticent? I know I'm generalizing, but I
find people from more outgoing cultures are more likely to engage with
me as a blind tourist, and I guess that makes sense, doesn't it?

You may be thinking that the way I use my other senses to engage with
the world when I travel are the same ways you use anyway. Which is the
point - I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary to learn about an
unfamiliar place when I travel. That means travel doesn't require
additional skills from those we usually use.

You're probably wondering why I haven't mentioned the sense of touch.
Don't worry, I haven't forgotten it. It's just that I want to handle
it in a separate article. So, you'll have to wait till next time to
learn about some of those experiences.

I hope I've given you a taste of how I experienced one of the many
tourist sites I visited in Spain and that I've whetted your appetite
to find out how I use the sense of touch to enrich my travel
experiences.

Till next time, happy travels!

The Rotating Trio: EyeShare
By Russ Davis
Russ at TheBlindPerspective.com
Your Mobile Phone, Home Alone

So now, you've received your April 2018 edition of The Blind
Perspective. You've opened the newsletter and managed to find the
various articles within the publication, including this one. I know
that I could have used various technology resources to get my article
from inside my head to its ultimate destination, that being, in the
hands of my editor. The resource I chose to use was one that I was
quite comfortable with, my home desktop computer which contains my
purchased copy of Microsoft Word. One thing I am quite curious about
is how you, as the reader, will access this article. Will you use your
home computer, will you open your laptop while sitting at a Starbucks,
will you pull out your Victor Reader Stream and log into Newsline, or
will you type, tap and swipe through your mobile phone to find the
newsletter in your email? Why, you may wonder, am I taking the time to
ponder about the technology you are using? The answer is simply,
because I've spent a great deal of time lately thinking about the
technology I use on a daily basis and just how my life might be if I
did not have it so readily at hand.

Here is the situation that brought me into this period of
contemplation and self-examination. I had an appointment recently in a
large office tower downtown, which was several miles from my home. The
building was one with extremely tight security protocols. I have grown
accustomed to security guards in the lobbies of office buildings and
airports, have become accepting of metal detectors, and even the
occasional "please stand still sir while we wand you", but when I was
told at a U.S. Federal Courthouse building, "visitors are absolutely
forbidden from bringing in any electronic devices, my level of anxiety
went up. "Any electronics" meant, no mobile phone, no electronic note
takers and no laptop computers or tablets. I could forgo the notebook
computer or tablet, and maybe even the voice recorder, but, no cell
phone? My explanation that I was a blind individual who needed the
phone for numerous reasons and that I did not have a car outside in
which to leave it fell on deaf ears. My initial bit of good fortune
was however, that I learned of this rule before I left my home on the
morning of the appointment.

I resigned myself to my situation, but still, as I walked out of my
front door and began my commute I realized I was truly uncomfortable.
I had not spent much time before then thinking about how dependent I
have become on my phone. The myriad of ways that I use my cell phone
began to scroll through my mind like they were written on a
tickertape. The list began with ways in which not having my phone with
me would affect me until I returned home, and then branched out from
there. How would I get along without instant access to bus schedules?
What if I couldn't find my colleague, (who also happened to be blind),
at our prescribed meetup point? What if I couldn't remember the exact
office number or phone number of the person with whom I had the
appointment? If I needed to reach someone in my phones address book,
or needed to order an Uber home, I knew those options were out. Once
the meeting got started I knew that I would not be accessing notes nor
would I be taking any. If the other party had to cancel or postpone at
the last minute, how would they contact me? As it turns out, we waited
for over 90 minutes in an empty office for a meeting that did not
happen. During that waiting period I found myself somewhat bored. I
was unable to make calls, check texts, scan my email or surf the web.
Heading downstairs with quarters in hand to find a pay phone wasn't
going to work either. As you are well aware, pay phones are rather
hard to find these days. I would have to wait until I got home to find
out why the appointment that didn't happen, didn't happen. I realized
that I was blessed to not be alone while I sat and waited, as my
friend and I passed the time the old-fashioned way we talked to one
another. What a concept!

What all of this told me was, "good grief, am I ever addicted to my
phone"! I just flicked through my phone to survey what apps are loaded
on it, and can't believe how many are there. A quick count showed me I
have about 149. The categories of apps probably aren't much different
than most smart phone owners, with the exception of the folder
containing apps on yoga and meditation and the one related to
blindness. Many of you probably have some applications associated with
the latter group. Mobile phone programs that can help us convert text
to speech, allow us to accurately identify money, find out the name of
a product by scanning its barcode, and giving us a method for figuring
out if the pair of socks is black, purple or bright pink are terrific.
Even finding our way using navigation apps like Blind Square and
Aroadme GPS is right at our fingertips. Yes, these apps are truly
amazing, but what were we doing before they came along, and what would
we do now, if they suddenly went away, even temporarily?

I won't take credit for the idea that, maybe, we have become a little
too dependent on our phones and that perhaps by using these cool
tools, we have lost sight of all the things we could do before smart
phones came along about a decade ago. I use to be able to rattle off
phone numbers for friends and family, by using nothing but my memory.
Now, I'd be surprised to tell you a couple dozen. When I want to call
Mom, I now just tell my phone, "Seri, call Mom", and poof there she
is. I used to map out directions to destinations before I left the
house, but now it's easy to tell my phone to direct me there. I used
to fold the money in my wallet with a certain pattern, so as not to
have to ask others what bill I was holding in my hand, but now it's
easy to pull out my phone and let the camera do the work. I'm not
saying that the apps don't have the ability to make our lives a bit
easier most of the time, but what do we do when the power goes out,
the battery dies or we get separated from our mobile device? Can we
fall back on the tried and true tools of the past, like coming up with
creative organizational tricks, reading and writing notes in braille
and using an extremely low tech, but incredibly complex tool known as,
memory. I can think of one group of blind individuals who have a true
understanding of the importance of keeping their previously learned
skills sharp or for having a backup plan when things don't go as
expected. The folks I am referring to are those who use guide dogs. I
have a tremendous amount of respect for that segment of the blind
community for knowing that keeping their cane skills sharp is a must.
I know many guide dog users who on a regular basis give their beloved
service animal a rest, and set out with only their cane in hand. With
that wonderful example in mind, how much better would we all be if we
decided that, for one day each month, we traveled without our phones.
If I had been following this suggestion in times past, perhaps I would
not have left the house with a nervous stomach as I headed off into
the land of forbidden phones.

Reader's Perspective
ReadersPerspective at The Blind Perspective.com

Carol asked that readers send in their funny or embarrassing blind
stories. Well we received many responses, read them below.

Carol's story:
When I was first diagnosed, I didn't want to use my cane. I would
rather feel and fumble to find my way. I was in a fast food restaurant
and had to locate the restroom. I found the wall and fumbled my way
there and back. When I went to leave, I opened my cane. I overheard
one of the workers comment, "I thought she was drunk!" I learned to
take my cane after that. Hope this makes you smile.

Here is a very common situation from Stephen:
I walked into a room and heard someone say hello. So, my natural
response is to say hello back. Then I hear the same voice talking with
short pauses, leaving me to believe it was a cell phone conversation.
Oops!

Another familiar scene from Yvonne:
While at a meet and greet at a work-related event, I was standing
talking to a colleague and then someone came up to me and told me that
person was no longer there. I blushed and was so embarrassed.

Anthony shares this extremely embarrassing story:
I was swimming along the side of a pool and I somehow drifted away
from the edge. To regain my orientation, I started reaching out for
the side. Unfortunately, I accidentally groped a woman. talk about
wanting to run and hide!

Here is a funny story from Olivia:
My girlfriend and I were leaving a restaurant, and I didn't bring my
cane. I followed her out one door and then there was another one.
However, the second door opened out the other way, and I didn't know
that. So, when I reached up to hold the door for myself, I got a
surprise. My hand was on a very broad chest. The nice guy just said,
"Wow! She's very friendly." I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Here is another situation many can relate to from Bella:
My boyfriend had recently moved in with me, and he was not aware to
move things without letting me know first. Well, I have these
canisters lined up on my kitchen counter. The first one on the left
contains sugar. One day when I automatically got a spoon full of what
I thought was sugar for my coffee, I got a surprise. It was not sugar,
it was clumps of flour! Yuck!

Mark shared this story:
this was before money identifiers were invented. I apparently had
mistakenly folded my money incorrectly. I was out for dinner with my
family and I gave the waitress what I thought were two 20 dollar bills
to pay for the meal. She was trying to tell me that I gave her the
wrong amount. I interrupted her by saying, keep the change. Then the
horror came when she told me I didn't give her enough. I had given her
two five dollar bills, not two twenties. Oh no!

the previous situations lead us into our next question. How do you
educate the sighted about blindness and/or related issues? For
example, do you tell someone to let you know if they are stepping
away? Do you explain to others about the potential problems of moving
things without notifying you?

I am sure there are many readers who can answer our question, and give
us all some great tips and advice. Please send your feedback to the
email at the top of this article.

Cooking Concoctions
By Maxine
Maxine at TheBlindPerspective.com

I received an email from Stephanie, who lives in Utah. She asked if I
had any suggestions for quick, easy, and healthy lunches to pack for
her to take to work. I do! Follow the below guidelines, and
suggestions and you can create numerous options for great tasty and
healthy lunches.

Packing a healthy lunch: Whether you're packing lunch for your kids or
for yourself, these smart "brown-bagging" principles will help you
prepare healthy and satisfying midday meals quickly.

Step 1: Pick a protein
Including a good source of protein is a smart way to stay satisfied
throughout the afternoon. Research shows that, gram for gram, protein
may help keep you feeling fuller longer than carbohydrates and fat.
Some good and easy options include cottage cheese, cheese cubes, nuts,
roasted tofu cubes, slices of turkey or chicken, pouches of tuna or
hard-boiled eggs.

Step 2: Add some whole grains
Whole grains are rich in carbohydrates, the body's main fuel supply
and, compared to their refined-starch counterparts, offer more fiber,
trace minerals and phytonutrients (plant compounds). Some smart
lunch-box options include whole-grain bread or crackers, whole-wheat
pretzels, cereal-based snack mixes, popcorn, whole-grain muffins and
leftover brown rice or whole-wheat couscous from dinner.

Step 3: Include a mix of fruits and vegetables
Packing your lunch box with vegetables and fruits will boost your
lunch's overall nutrition by delivering phytochemicals, essential
vitamins and minerals and a healthy dose of fiber. Pack whole fruits,
such as apples, pears, bananas, berries, peaches, plums or nectarines,
because they take no time to prep. Or, if you can do a little prep the
night before, cut up fruit such as melons, pineapple or mango. Cut-up
vegetables such as, red peppers, cucumbers, carrots, and celery, all
smart choices. If you're already making a salad for dinner, chop some
extra veggies for lunch the next day.

Step 4: Enjoy
Savor the lunches you make: bringing nutritious lunches from home is a
good move for your health, and for your pocketbook too!

Riddle & Brain Buster
By Alex Smart
Alex at TheBlindPerspective.com

Riddle
How do you make a baby poisonous snake cry?

Answer to March's riddle:
What is in you and is said to be broken without being touched, held or seen?
Your heart.

Brain Buster
B and B
Every answer is a word, name or phrase, that starts and ends with the
letter B. Example: Do this for apples; bob.

*Spill the beans:
*Lobster eater's protection:
*Police officer's stick:
*Criticize in an underhanded way:
*Start for a tulip:
* Tiniest bit leftover from a sandwich:
*Promotional statement:

Answers to March's brain buster
Each answer is a pair of 5 letter words that end in the same three
letters, and have the same definition.

*Trees: maple and apple
*Look steadily at: glare and stare
*Tiny spot: fleck and speck
*Tremble: quake and shake
*Give instructions to: coach and teach
*Hit with an open hand: smack and whack
*Dance: rumba and sumba

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Wishing You All the Best,

Cheryl E. Fields


A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human
life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will
never sit.
--D. Elton Trueblood