It is so quick and easy to put on a few pounds, and so very hard to take them off. So I like to keep track of my weight. I weigh myself at a set day and time every week. By doing so, I can catch any weight gain early on and work to reverse that trend before it is out of control. But it is so hard (admittedly impossible) for me to see the scale when I stand on it.
I like to keep my weight private. So asking someone to read the number to me is not my first choice. It may also be an inconvenience or an imposition for the sighted assistant. An alternative could be a talking scale, but that is expensive and the darned battery needs changing far too often. The talking scale is not the most accurate scale around either.
I figured out a way to weigh.
Pictured: The camera screen is displayed. The second button from the top along the right side of the screen is the self-timer button. If you are using your iPhone, the self-timer button will be at the top of the screen. The red circled area shows the choice of OFF, 3 seconds, or 10 seconds for the self-timer.
I place the scale on the floor next to a counter or table. I open the camera on my iPad and set the self-timer to 3 seconds. Then I place it on the table with the camera lens extended over the edge of the table. I check to be sure that the scale is visible on the iPad screen. Then, while standing steady on the scale, I gently push the START button on the iPad’s camera. Voila!
Pictured: The iPad in on a table and on the floor to the left is the scale.Pictured: My tootsies on the scale. The image is captured by the iPad camera.
The iPad’s camera now has the image of my scale with my current weight displayed. Now I can pinch and stretch the on-screen image to enlarge that portion of the screen.
I can see it! I can see the image of the scale with my weight displayed. On, so easy! I found a way to weigh!
But first a confession. I actually already have a step counter, and I use it all the time. My iPhone has a step counter, a good one too. The screen is large, bright, and easy to read. Using it, however, means keeping the phone with me at all times. I even bought a holster that clips onto my jeans pocket to host my iPhone, keeping it with me every step of the day.
There’s a problem. The iPhone is heavy. Add the weight of the holster and it really is a drag to carry around all day every day. After months of doing so, decided I need a tiny gizmo to count my steps. My phone can stay in my purse or at my desk, or wherever and just be my phone.
Pictured: Tiny MP3 player by Wiwoo about 1.5 inches square that includes a pedometer.
I studied the market. I need a simple step counter that is small, lightweight, and can live unobtrusively in my pocket. I finally selected a tiny MP3 player that includes a pedometer, made by a company that calls itself Wiwoo. The screen is clear, and backlit, and the whole thing is less than two inches square. I soon learned, however, that the screen is too tiny to read and getting into the pedometer part of the gizmo is a major hassle. So I returned it.
Pictured: Talking pedometer by VoiceZone, about 2 inches tall.
Next I tried a talking pedometer by VoiceZone. With that, I don’t have to worry about screen size. After all, the gizmo will read the step count aloud to me. Since that is all this gizmo does, it appeared to be easy to operate. It disappointed me big time! First, it was difficult to hear and understand, especially outdoors with street noise, or even indoors with the TV on or a pot boiling on the stove in the next room! The screen (no backlighting) is impossible for me to see. Finally, it did some crazy step-counting! I could easily reach 5,000 steps in about an hour with this thing. So I returned it. This company, by the way, doesn’t accept returns, they were quick to tell me. When I responded that I understood and would simply write an honest review on amazon, they immediately granted me “an exception” of a full refund.
Pictured: A pedometer by Omron, about 2.75 inches long, with tiny screen and no speech.
Finally, I ordered a small pedometer from Omron, a healthcare company. They offered free shipping and promised accuracy. Remarkably it turned out to be the least expensive of the three gizmos I tried. And I love it. So I have to hold this pedometer close, up to my nose, and then squint to read it. I can do that!
Pictured: Broken eyeglasses, one lens out, frame broken.
Last night I walked, full speed, face first, smack into a heavy glass door. BAM! ! I was stopped dead in my tracks. Well, not dead dead, but, well, you know what I mean! I was stunned! I was hurting.
Still standing, I was trying desperately to figure out what happened. My husband at my side pointed out that my glasses were broken. I was actually glad to hear that, because all I could see was blobs and blur. One lens was retrieved from the floor. Did glass shatter into my eyes? The orbit around my right eye was sore. Was I bleeding? Did I crack the door?
Once I realized I was essentially okay – I was still standing, after all, and there was no gushing blood – I started to feel embarrassed. I was standing in a glass enclosure – the well-lit entry vestibule to a busy restaurant. I was clearly visible to passersby on a busy street, seated diners within the restaurant, and lots of wait staff. Surely the loud thud caused people to look. But no one approached. No one checked on me.
We had dinner. Yes, we really did! I sat in a hazy blur and ate dinner. We weren’t as chatty as usual, still processing what the heck happened there! I had two thoughts running through my head over and over again: how am I going to get home (a half-mile walk in the dark of night with street lights and car headlights creating huge albeit beautiful starbursts and no practical vision otherwise), and maybe I should order a scrumptious dessert – you know, comfort food!
Once home, I checked a drawer where I keep a few pairs of old eyeglasses in case of emergencies such as this. My eyeglasses are extremely expensive and they take weeks to make, not an hour as advertised on TV, so I only get new glasses every 4-5 years or so. The glasses in that drawer could be 5, 10, even 20 years old. I had apparently saved two old pairs that undoubtedly were better than nothing.
I opened each eyeglass case and uncovered a pair of glasses that looked practically brand new. Where did these come from? Could they possibly help now? It seems they work remarkably well!
So aside from a little bruising and soreness, I’m good now. I walked into a heavy glass entry door last night…
Ordinary things do extraordinary things! In this video, we talk about how to slice fruits and vegetables easily and uniformly. With today’s simple tip, people who are blind or visually impaired can master this kitchen task safely and easily, and with a very simple and inexpensive tool.
I have braille books to give away. All of the books I am offering are UEB (Unified English Braille), all used but in excellent condition.
I am restricting this round of giveaway books to US addresses only. I will be mailing them “Free Matter” and I am not sure how international mail works with Free Matter at this point. My apologies to my international friends.
So, to my US friends, all you need do is fill in the Request Form below with your name, your email address, and which book or books you would like. Your comments are also welcome. If you are first to request, I will contact you by email and ask for your mailing address privately. It is that simple. So, on to the list of braille books to give away:
The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution – in one volume
Club CSI: The Case of the Digital Deception – 2 volumes
Conundrum – a puzzle magazine (word search, Sudoku, etc.)
How many hats will I crochet before I figure out what I really want? Answer: A lot!
I have tried a lot of patterns in the last month. I even created several hats to completion that were quickly frogged. I thought I wanted a floppy summer hat. I was wrong!
I do not think crochet and floppy summer hats go together. Each hat was much too heavy. Some of them looked cute, but the weight was too much.
So I turned my attention to newsboy hats: a simple hat with a visor. Every one I found seemed to also be more appropriate for winter, according to the yarn used and bulky stitches. So I found one pattern I liked best and modified it.
I made a simple hat using 100% cotton for its breathability and worked double crochet stitches for the hat itself to keep the hat light and airy. I added a visor brim with several rows of single crochet by first adding a braid around the base of the hat to give the hat a better fit as well as a more interesting edge. And voilà!
Pictured: The author wearing the newly crocheted newsboy hat, front view.Pictured: The author wearing the newly crocheted newsboy hat, side view.
The longhand pattern can be found under the CROCHET tab on the menu at the top of this page, or just click HERE for the pattern.
The abacus was invented in approximately 500 BC. It functioned as a counting device for centuries. It dates back to a time when written numbers did not yet exist. Merchants used the abacus to track inventory; farmers used them to count animals returning from the pasture. The abacus has evolved and been adapted by different civilizations and groups over the centuries. Essentially it is rows of stringed wire within a frame with a set number of movable beads on each row and column.
I have a Cranmer abacus. I took a course to understand its function and how to manipulate the beads. I am just nerdy enough to have enjoyed that course. But, the course is over and I have this nifty counting device at hand. I found the perfect use for it.
My abacus is my stitch counter. It also functions as my line-by-line stitch instructions. It keeps my place, counts my rows, and shows me my stitch pattern. It is handy, lightweight, practical, portable, and fits in the palm of my hand. It does not rely on electricity or batteries, devices, or apps. It is the handiest crochet accessory I have used yet, second only to the hook itself.
My Cranmer abacus measures 6 inches wide by 3 inches tall, and is held horizontally. The beads line up vertically in columns. It is divided by an upper row of only one bead in each column and is separated from the bottom section by a bar. The bottom section has four beads in each column. Since crochet is usually worked from right to left, my bead arrangements follow that same pattern.
Pictured: My Cranmer abacus for my current project. It shows that I have completed 4 rows. The 5th row will be worked with 4 chains followed by a single crochet and this pattern will be repeated across the row. A crochet hook is shown above the abacus demonstrating the abacus to be about the same width as the crochet hook is long.
I use the top section to count rows. Every time I complete a row, I move one bead from the top section down toward the separating bar. When a second row is complete, I move the 2nd bead from the right down. After I have completed 10 rows, I mark the 11th row by returning to the far right bead and now moving it to the up position away from the bar. My abacus has 13 columns. I use the last 3 column of the top row on the left to count sections or other pattern-specific things.
Now the stitches. For these, I use the beads in the bottom section.
If I am crocheting a single crochet across the row, I move 2 beads up toward the bar in each column all the way across to the left. Two beads is my bead code for single crochet.
Pictured: Cranmer abacus. Top row has first 3 beads on the right moved down indicating completion of the 3rd row of the crochet project. The bottom section has 2 beads moved up in each row across indicating a single crochet is to be worked for every stitch in that row of the crochet project.
If I am working a double crochet stitch across a row, I move 4 beads up to the bar across the row. Three beads is my code for half-double crochet.
If I am crocheting a pattern, I indicate the pattern with one bead up for a chain stitch (to create a space between stitches) , two beads up for a single crochet, 3 beads up for a half double crochet, four beads up for a double crochet, and so on. If my pattern is 2 single crochets, 1 chain, and 2 single crochets, I move 2 beads in the first column, 2 beads in the second column, 1 bead in the 3rd column, 2 beads in the 4th column, and 2 beads in the 5th column. I can see or feel at a glance what the pattern across the row will be. (Pictured below)
Pictured: Top row – 4 beads down indicates 4 rows have been completed. Bottom section shows the pattern to be worked for the next row which is 2 half-double crochets, a chain stitch, and 2 more half-double crochets. This would be repeated across the 5th row.
I can count my crochet rows and stitches until the cows come home!
You don’t have to be blind or visually impaired to experience panic, but it helps.
For me, there are 4 things that cause me to experience panic.
Pictured: The inside of a crowded New York City subway car. All seats are taken and there is standing room only.
1. Crowds. I do not mind crowds in a mall or at a concert. I do not mind crowds at the beach or in a packed subway car. I do, however, mind crowds greater than 5 or 6 people where I am expected to know at least some of the people.
I cannot see who is there or who is where. When I enter a room, I cannot assess the space and know whom to approach. I know these people. I belong there. But who is here? I have been known to strike up a conversation with a lamp, ask a mannequin for directions to a bathroom, and greet a golden retriever that was impulsively snatching food from a table. So I wait for someone to notice me, to greet me, and if that does not happen, I am overwhelmed with not knowing what to do and where to go.
I have avoided family gatherings most of my life. I did not attend my high school graduation, or my college graduation, I have declined invitations to weddings. My own wedding was limited to just 10 people including me, the groom, and a five-month-old baby; any more would have ruined my special day.
Pictured: A white smoke detector hung on a ceiling just waiting to sound its ear-piercing alarm.
2. Smoke detectors. I do not know why smoke detectors upset me so. We lived in a small apartment in Portland, Oregon, and there were 3 smoke detectors in our small place. Normal cooking set off all three smoke detectors – frequently. They were ear-piecing! I tried so hard to avoid anything that would set them off, but sometimes just the toaster would do it. Cooking makes my heart pound.
We moved three years ago. There is only one smoke detector in our current apartment. The first time I used my oven, the smoke detector went off. I have not used my oven since.
Pictured: A pre-schooler on a scooter. He is protected with helmet and elbow guards. When he is around, I need those protections too, and more!
3. Kids on scooters. Little kids on scooters scare me most. They roll themselves along the sidewalk at a faster pace than they can handle. They cannot steer to avoid objects in their way, including people. The parents or guardians are often far in the distance, sometimes calling to the seemingly deaf wee ones. These kids are essentially untethered and unattended. When they are headed straight at me, I usually do not know until they are near enough that I feel the air movement they generate. They do not comprehend the meaning of a white cane; they do not understand that their path is not automatically cleared for them. I have redirected quite a few of these speeding demons with my hand or body just in the nick of time, or not. I am afraid those little speed demons just might kill me one day!
Pictured: A public restroom with a lineup of sinks opposite a row of stalls.
4. Public Bathrooms. Public bathrooms drive me crazy – even without considering all the germs. First, they have to be found. Just ask. It’s over there, wherever there is! Too many are too dirty and I flat out reject them, immediately. But the nice ones – the ones that are clean and tidy and everything appears to be in the right place, best I can tell, – those are the ones that too often baffle me. I hate the ones with automatic flushes that flush before I am ready. Then there are the ones with delayed mechanisms to get the flush going. After waiting long enough to feel like nothing is going to happen, I start looking for the flush handle or the button or the pedal or something. Then on to the sink. Where are the faucets? I wave my hands here and there and if I am lucky, a measured amount of water appears, but my timing is off and I missed it. So I try again. Look for the soap. I do not think I even once have succeeded in getting the soap dispenser to dispense. Then on to the hand drier. Sometimes I pull a cloth towel through a machine; sometimes it turns out to be an empty paper towel dispenser. Sometimes I place my hands in a magical place and hot air loudly gushes forth. And sometimes I wave my wet hands here and there and nothing more happens.
Legally Blind 