Legislative Hotlines, current issues for blind persons:
CALIFORNIA CONNECTION: 800-221-6359, after 5 PM and weekends
WASHINGTON CONNECTION: 800-424-8666, 3 to 9 PM and weekends
DISCLAIMER: This publication contains announcements from the Silicon Valley Council of the Blind and is also a forum for opinions relating to blindness issues. Signed articles reflect the views, and research, of their authors.
STATUS: SVCB is a 501(c)3 non-profit, tax-exempt organization under the California Council of the Blind.
Monthly meetings are held at the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center (Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired San Jose). Meetings run 9:30 AM to 1 PM the third Saturday of the month and are open to all.
Thank you to all who participated in our virtual holiday get-together. It was fun to hear about your favorite Christmas and Hanukkah gifts, both given and received. Kudos to John Glass for sharing the funny and heartwarming Our Miss Brooks Christmas old-time radio show. It was a big hit. Thank you, Bev, for "Santa Baby" and the choir recording of "Let the River Run," to help us get into the holiday spirit. Thank you, Susan, for your timely and thoughtful poetry reading. And finally, Gail, the game you organized allowed us to end our get-together on an upbeat note.
In CCB news, planning for our 2021 virtual convention is ongoing. One program segment I think you will enjoy is a look back on CCB history, featuring voices from the past and present.
May each and every one of you have a blessed holiday season. Here's to what I expect to be a brighter 2021, which I admit is kind of a low bar. I look forward to speaking with you at our January membership meeting.
Bye-bye quiet time! "That's right. All you sad humans have to come home and get to work." Com'on, King, give us a break. "Why should I? I remember those Christmas and New Year vacations where everyone just laid around doing nothing. And then they'd say things like: 'shucks, gota write that Membership Corner.' It's so nice just sitting around eating candy and cookies, and ya know you'd better stop, but you don't want to." O but King, I stopped, I'm writing this membership report! "Poor Master! Just relax, make it last a thousand years. I am!" That's good, King, as long as you check in once in a while. "With a mask?" No, dogs don't need masks yet, and I'm sure goosts won't ever need them. "Good, I'm safe. What's goosts?"
So back to work. The first thing to do is tell you that SVCB has a new address. Apparently, the Mountain View post office has COVID and is far down-line for hospital care. They messed up our P.O. box, so we got a new one in San Jose. According to King, that post office doesn't have COVID.
So our new address is:
Silicon Valley Council of the Blind, P.O. Box 4116, San Jose, CA 95125
Srpinkle PostIts around the house, carve it on your next batch of cookies, chant it to your dog, tap it out with your cane ... "Master, you're getting carried away! And what's Srpinkle?" Yeh yeh!
(Copy Editor's comment: Hey King, I think maybe your master got himself deeeep into the Christmas tequilla this time! You'd better keep an eye on him from now on.)
(Back to Mike): OK, enough of that. "Finally!" King, you're not a peanut. "No, I'm a kibble. Just pour me in a bowl and I'll take care of me." Good, we'll be rid of you at last. "Not for long!"
We had a wonderful virtual holiday party. There wasn't any food, but I made myself an excellent turkey sandwich. The Our Miss Brooks radio show presented by John Glass was just right. It showed the importance of helping one another, just right for this sparsely-socializing time. And then there was the telling of fond Christmas memories, an event to be remembered. "I kept barking, but they never heard me. Master didn't, either: guess I'm getting rusty."
Let's wish happy January birthdays to Roger Petersen, Lupe Medrano, Margaret Hardy, and Kenneth Hoag. It's Roger's 79th! "That's nice, but mine's 300." What a braggart—and it was 256 last year. "Ah, shucks."
Be sure to come to SVCB's annual meeting, which will be virtual. We're working on getting the Blind Center vaccinated, so we'll be meeting there in-person soon. We'll welcome Rob Turner and crew, the 2021 SVCB administration. And we'll be accepting the 2021 Business Calendar that is distributed with this newsletter. The program will be announced in the Phone Tree message.
And remember to renew your SVCB membership for 2021. There were difficulties with our old mailing address, so remember:
Silicon Valley Council of the Blind, P.O. Box 4116, San Jose, CA 95125.
And don't forget PayPal. It's an excellent way to pay those dues, and to give your stimulus check to SVCB! "Who'd want to do that?" You would! I heard Victor wondering which income category to put 200 puppies into. "He got them: soooo cool!"
I'm wishing you all a happy and more social New Year. As of this writing, vaccines for COVID-19 are here, but it will still take several months for everyone who wants one to get inoculated. In the meantime, we are going to continue having our monthly meetings on Zoom.
Our November virtual auction was well received. During the November meeting, the members had a good time bidding on the auction items. By December 6, all the items were delivered and the money collected. The auction brought in $205.00.
The first Fund-raising Committee meeting for 2021 will take place on January 11 at 7:30 PM. We will discuss continuing the virtual auctions and other ways to fund-raise. The items for the next auction, which will take place at our SVCB meeting on January 16, 2021, are:
Two sets of 20-piece Finlandia Crystal Dinnerware service for four. The boxes include 4 10 inch dinner/luncheon plates, 4 6-3/4 inch salad/dessert plates, 4 8-ounce cups, 4 6-1/4 inch saucers, and 4 16-ounce cereal/soup bowls. The starting bid is $20 for each box.
Blue Yoga Mat and Blue Storage Case. The storage case has a drawstring closure and shoulder strap for carrying. The storage case says Thrive in large white letters, and the Kaiser Permanente logo in smaller white letters. The starting bid is $5.
A new overnight duffle bag, with 2 wheels and a pull handle. The bag is red with black accents. The main compartment has a zipper closure with 2 black handles. There is also an outside pocket with a Velcro closure. The dimensions are 18 inches long by 8 inches wide by 14 inches deep. The starting bid is $15.
A new full/queen 100% white cotton handmade taped cutwork lace comforter cover. The dimensions are 86 inches by 86 inches. The starting bid is $15.
If you would like to bid on any of the above items, you can call me at 888-652-5333 to leave a message that will be be forwarded to me, or look me up on our Membership List to call me directly. You can also send me an email at fundraising@svcb.cc, or check the Membership List and email me directly. You can also bid at the SVCB Social Hour each week on Wednesday. As we did for the November auction, arrangements will be made for payment from and delivering of the items to the highest bidders.
If you have any items that you would like to donate to our auctions, please contact me as listed above.
We will continue to keep all of you informed of changes as they occur. As always, please stay safe and well!
For more than three decades, ACB, as part of its February activities in Washington, D.C., has conducted a Legislative Seminar. Members from throughout the nation, including California of course, are given information on certain key legislative issues, and then asked to visit their members of the House of Representatives and Senate and advocate on these issues. At times, our advocacy efforts are very influential, while on many other occasions, as is true with most interest groups that advocate with Congress, we don't achieve what we would like. However, I can personally attest to the fact that quite a number of CCB members who have made the trip for the first time return energized and end up being passionate advocates for CCB.
The 2021 ACB Legislative Seminar will be occurring during the week of February 22. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 ACB Legislative Seminar will be virtual, thus denying us the opportunity to have face-to-face contact with members of Congress or, as is usually the case in a large state like ours, their staff members. However, as will be shown in this article, the virtual ACB Legislative Seminar will provide us with a unique opportunity in the advocacy realm in many respects.
As the largest state in the nation, and with 53 members of Congress and our two Senators, it is extremely challenging to send enough members back to Washington to meet with the entire delegation. This is especially the case in light of the higher cost of coming from the West Coast and the lack of funds that CCB has to pay to send advocates to the Legislative Seminar. In 2021, however, cost will not be a concern and thus we can work to have advocates from throughout the state participate. Another way in which this creates an advantage is that some members of Congress don't like to give appointments unless the advocate resides in their district. Moreover, a Congressman's own constituent generally carries more weight than advocates who reside elsewhere. The virtual Legislative Seminar gives CCB an enhanced opportunity to have representation from most, if not all, Congressional districts. In addition, by including more members as part of the ACB Legislative Seminar, it affords more people the chance to learn firsthand about advocacy, and hopefully develop knowledge and passion that are important to its success.
Holding a virtual Legislative Seminar also affords ACB greater flexibility in planning the event. As veterans of past seminars know, we receive one days' worth of information about national issues, including those about which we will be advocating with Congress. This year, however, although plans are not finalized, we intend to provide, on February 22 and 23, two days of information on national issues of importance, including those legislative imperatives for our Capitol Hill appointments themselves. This will mean that ACB will devote twice the amount of time for providing this information. Also, plans are beginning to be made so that ACB can provide logistical information about the platforms we can expect to use in making virtual appointments, and the etiquette that we need to follow to produce best results.
In order to maximize the potential that the virtual Legislative Seminar affords us, it will take organizational efforts on the state level. By the time you read this, I suspect that the wheels will have been set in motion to organize CCB's Congressional advocacy. We want to involve as many of you as possible. However, it is important that participants have the skills to ensure that their involvement will have a positive impact on our Congressional delegation. Ardis Bazyn and Alice Turner, our Governmental Affairs Committee co-chairs, compiled some skills that are essential for those who intend to participate as CCB advocates. They include:
* An interest in connecting with legislators;
* Good computer skills and the ability to use the internet;
* The ability to assemble information on legislative issues;
* The ability to present information, including both policy discussions and stories related to those policies;
* Navigating the extremely difficult appointment-making process, including obtaining Zoom or other conferencing platform information;
* Using appropriate Zoom etiquette, including managing visual background and noise and dressing appropriately;
* Compiling notes on their Congressional appointments.
If this sounds daunting, remember that we will be providing training to assist those who have the passion for advocacy and the ability to absorb information quickly. We will be providing training on the fine points of the process, so don't think you need to be a veteran of Capitol Hill visits to be successful.
In conclusion, let's turn the virtual 2021 Legislative Seminar into California's most effective and influential Capitol Hill campaign.
(Editor's Note: If you are interested in participating in this year's ACB Legislative seminar, please contact Alice Turner by means of our SVCB Membership List.)
When the COVID quarantine first began in March of 2020, I was worried that my mom and I would contract doghouse fever big-time. After all, how many days could we spend learning new games?—like "Find the chair," "find the couch," "find an empty chair without Dad sitting in it." Actually, those weren't games. They were skills Mom said we'd use once we again started going to restaurants and attending theatrical performances. We played "hide the cong" games, which were only a tad difficult when Mom buried the cong beneath blankets. But soon enough my nose figured that trick out, too.
Because COVID restrictions didn't prevent us from exercising, we began lengthening our daily walks to between 4 and 5 miles. Mom used a phone app called Nearby Explorer to plan our routes, and sometimes created them as we went along. We gained plenty of street-crossing experience, and Mom taught me to target dips and humps in the sidewalks that tree roots had created. Whenever I showed these to Mom, we both avoided falling down. I learned to guide Mom to our local ATM, and to a nearby mailbox. On days when the recycling and garbage trucks visited our neighborhoods, Mom made sure we walked up and down the sidewalkless streets so that I could target and lead her around all the cans and bins. There were usually some parked cars and trucks along the way, too, that made these walks especially fun and challenging for me. Working a sidewalkless street where there are obstacles is similar to dodging obstacles in a shopping mall or office building.
Mom also wanted me to keep my chops when it came to climbing stairs, so we practiced ascending and descending some steps that we found in a local park, and also in our condominium complex club house.
You'd think that all these activities would keep my guide work perfect. Alas! A recent trip to CVS Pharmacy proved the faultiness of this assumption. When I got out of my Mom's friend's car, the most enticing smells leapt into my nose: new pavements, new trees, shopping bags, curbside planters, and people! New people! I started sniffing so hard that my nose squeaked, and I forgot myself and ran Mom right up a curb without pausing. She corrected me by having us reapproach the curb and ascend it again. This time I paused properly, but my head was turned to the left instead of straight ahead. Something was distracting me. I paid for that distraction with a full minute of obedience exercises. I should add that Mom had wisely taken the precaution of fitting me with my head collar before we began this expedition. I can only imagine how much naughtier I'd have been without it.
We entered CVS, where I correctly stopped at the door threshold. I'm really glad I was wearing that head collar because oh my gosh! I could smell a candy aisle, and a pet food aisle, and the carpet smelled like all the shoes of other shoppers who'd been walking to and from the most amazing places! We were in the store for about 15 minutes. In some instances, Mom had me follow her friend through the aisles, and in other instances, they had me lead. By the time we reached the counter and made our purchases, I was feeling calm and collected, a consummate professional once again.
Like every other human and guide team, Mom and I will have some transitional work to do when the COVID restrictions finally lift. Until then, we'll continue our daily adventures. If you have any suggestions for us, please send your barking text to my Mom's phone.
Please note that this column is for information, and not medical advice. Please consult your physician in regards to information concerning personal medical conditions. If anyone has any areas of nutrition or types of recipes they want information on, feel free to email me and I will be happy to assist you.
Many plant-based recipes use a high-speed blender. Vitamix is the blender used by many individuals, as it has a very powerful motor with the capacity to make extremely creamy mixtures. Blendtec is the other brand that some people use. Vitamix has recently come out with an Immersion Blender. For any of you that may be interested, here is the link on Amazon:
1. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender on the warm soup setting for several minutes, or blend and then heat in a pot on the stove.
2. Pour into mugs, and sprinkle with a little pumpkin spice or cinnamon.
From her website, Carole Levy is described as "the culinary educator for Plant-Powered Metro NY, the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, and a Food for Life instructor for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. As artist turned chef, her intention is to appeal to taste, as well as to the eye, while promoting health." She says, "Spend the time to change habits, and don't wait for a health crisis to catapult you into change."
This is an easy recipe to make. There are a number of ways to make the date paste. Beneath the Banana Muffins recipe, I am inserting Carole Levy's recipe for Date Paste. There are a number of date pastes on the market. Here is a link to the Amazon page that has numerous date paste options:
To make the following recipe, I purchased the silicone muffin pan suggested by Chef AJ. What I like about the pan is that it has a sturdy rim built into it so that when you carry the muffin pan to the oven, the silicon stays sturdy, not floppy as silicon usually behaves. I found it easy to eject the muffins from the pan by pushing on the outside bottoms of each of the muffins. In the recipe, Carole uses Spelt flour, and suggests Oat flour for individuals that are gluten free. I used a combination of Millet and Garbanzo Bean flour, and the muffins were delicious.
1 cup plus 2 ½ tbsp whole-grain spelt flour (you can substitute with oat)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup date paste
6 tbsp plant-based unsweetened plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (1/4 cup goes into muffin batter, remainder is for decorating tops)
Chef's Note: I use Forager organic cashew yogurt, 5.3 ounces (use full container)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger.
In a separate bowl, combine vanilla, mashed banana, date paste, and yogurt.
Mix wet ingredients into the dry, and fold in half the nuts—be careful not to overmix!
Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter into silicone pan, and sprinkle remaining nuts on top for decoration. If you are using a regular metal muffin pan, you will need to line each cup with a paper liner.
Bake 20-25 minutes. You can poke a toothpick into the center of a muffin, and if it comes out clean, muffins are done.
2 cups finely chopped broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, bell peppers (any color), or zucchini (or any combination thereof)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 cup tightly packed and finely chopped greens
1-1/2 cups chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour)
1-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup plain unsweetened non-dairy yogurt or thick cashew cream
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried dill
Chef's Note: Original recipe calls for adding 1/4 heaping tsp kala namak (Indian sulphur black salt). This salt is used often in vegan cooking for an egg-like flavor. Or add 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp onion powder to the batter to replace kala namak.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Line a pie pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine and toss the vegetables. Set aside.
For the batter: in a blender, combine the flour, water, yogurt, turmeric, cayenne, black pepper, and (kala namak or replacement of garlic powder and onion powder). Blend until smooth. (Alternatively, whisk the ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.)
Add the veggie mixture to the batter. Add cilantro, thyme, and dill, and mix well.
Pour the frittata mixture into the prepared pie pan, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. (You can insert a toothpick in the center to see if it comes out almost clean.) The top will crack and become golden.
Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Store refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Many Vegan chefs make a "Tuno" Salad recipe. When I make it, I usually look at a couple of recipes and add the things that I like. I am showing you two versions of the recipe. It essentially is mashed chickpeas, vegetables, seasonings, and a binder to hold it together. I recently used parts of both of the following recipes, and enjoyed how much it tastes like the tuna salad I remember from my childhood. I used a potato masher to mash the chickpeas, and it worked real well.
Serving Suggestions: Serve over salad greens. Toast bread if desired, and add sandwich toppings, sliced tomatoes, avocado, or lettuce. Place a lettuce leaf on a work surface, and fill with the bean mixture; fold up burrito-style.
Here is James Rohrbacher's version of the salad from drfuhrman.com. The website says this about the recipe: "This mock tuna salad tastes even better than the real thing. Packed with flavor, it delivers just the right creamy and crunchy texture. Serve it on a bed of greens or stuffed into a 100% whole grain pita."
3 cups cooked or 2 (15 ounce) cans no-salt-added or low sodium chickpeas, drained
1 cup raw blanched almonds
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice, or more to taste
1 teaspoon kelp granules
1 (12.3 ounce) package firm lite silken tofu
3 tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 medium celery stalks, diced
4 green onions, minced
1/3 cup red bell pepper, minced
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas and almonds until coarsely chopped. Add the lemon juice and kelp powder, and pulse a few more times. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Place the tofu, vinegar, dry mustard, nutritional yeast, and mustard in a high-powered blender, and blend until very smooth. Add to the mixing bowl with the chickpea mixture, along with the celery, green onions, red pepper, peas, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle before serving.
Per Serving: Calories 350; PROTEIN 19g; CARBOHYDRATES 34g; SUGARS 8g; TOTAL FAT 16.9g; SATURATED FAT 1.5g; SODIUM 93mg; FIBER 10.8g; BETA-CAROTENE 451ug; VITAMIN C 19mg; CALCIUM 138mg; IRON 4.4mg; FOLATE 179ug; MAGNESIUM 135mg; POTASSIUM 633mg; ZINC 3.1mg; SELENIUM 5.5ug
Dr. Joel Fuhrman has three daughters. Talia Fuhrman wrote a book, Love Your Body, and here is a link to her website that has many dessert recipes and other useful information: http://taliafuhrman.com.
Cara Fuhrman is a Naturopathic Medical Student, and the main daughter behind the website, Doctors Daughters, https://docsdaughters.com.
The website offers a number of quick breakfast meals to purchase. Some of the names are: Carrot Cake, Banana Foster, Pumpkin Spice and Strawberry Shortcake. You can buy them either with a five packet option, or 4 packets and a jar to make overnight. All you have to add is a plant-based milk.
Here is a recipe by Dr. Fuhman's third daughter, Jenna Fuhrman. It is easy and fun, and can be made a participatory experience, or the Spring Rolls can be made ahead of time. Once you cut up the vegetables and put them in small bowls, you need a sauce, and a larger bowl filled with hot water to dip the rice paper. I used two wrappers together, dipped them briefly to get them nice and wet, and while I was holding them in my hand and filling them with the different ingredients, the rice paper became much easier to wrap and make the individual roll. I had Dr. Fuhrman's Sesame Ginger Dressing that is available on his website, and it was a delicious combination. For my Thanksgiving dinner, I made the Fresh Spring Rolls, and paired them with Pumpkin Curry Soup by Christina Miller, MD, that I put in the October, 2020 column.
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint
8 sheets rice paper (spring roll wrappers)
For the Dipping Sauce (see note):
1/3 cup no-salt, no-oil-added peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon coconut aminos
2 teaspoons date syrup (see note)
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons water, or as needed
Instructions:
Fill a shallow pan with an inch of water. Have a dinner plate ready next to the pan. Make sure your prepared fillings are within reach. Combine chopped scallions, cilantro, and mint in a small bowl.
Place one rice paper in the water, and let it rest for about 15 seconds, until the sheet is pliable but not too floppy. Carefully lay it flat on the dinner plate. Leaving about 1 inch of open rice paper around the edges, cover the lower third of the paper with a few pieces of baby greens and two strips of tofu, followed by some cabbage, shredded carrot, cucumber, and jalapeño. Sprinkle generously with the herb mixture.
Fold the lower edge up over the fillings, rolling upward just until the filling is compactly enclosed. Fold over the short sides like you would to make a burrito. Lastly, roll it up. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
To make the peanut sauce, whisk together the peanut butter, rice vinegar, coconut aminos, date syrup, and garlic. Whisk in water as needed to make a creamy but dipable sauce.
Serve spring rolls with the peanut sauce on the side. You can serve them whole, or sliced in half on the diagonal.
Note: For the peanut allergic, or to save time, Dr. Fuhrman's Sesame Ginger Dressing works well as a dipping sauce.
To make date syrup, blend together 6 pitted medjool (or 12 regular dates) and 1 cup of water. Store refrigerated in an airtight container. It will keep for 1 week.
Per Serving: CALORIES 277; PROTEIN 13g; CARBOHYDRATES 28g; SUGARS 10g; TOTAL FAT 13.9g; SATURATED FAT 2.7g; CHOLESTEROL 1.4mg; SODIUM 160mg; FIBER 5g; BETA-CAROTENE 3284ug; VITAMIN C 17mg; CALCIUM 103mg; IRON 2.5mg; FOLATE 80ug; MAGNESIUM 61mg; POTASSIUM 510mg; ZINC 1.1mg; SELENIUM 6.2ug
If you want to participate in these conferences, visit ltlv.cclvi.org.
Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors
Sailing will resume after San Francisco is out of the purple tier. Call 415-281-0212 for information and reservations, or visit www.baads.org.
Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP)
BORP believes that everyone should have access to the unique challenges that outdoor recreation provides, and makes every effort to accommodate each person's needs, including providing transportation and volunteer support. For event listings, call Lori Gray at 510-843-4398, or visit www.borp.org.
Calendar
January, 2021
January 5, 5:30-7 PM: Breast Cancer Support Group meeting; call-in: 605-715-4920; ID: 2776167. For questions, call Lori Scharff at 516-887-1336, or lorischarff@gmail.com.
January 7, 7 to 9 PM: SVCB Board meeting. If you're not on the Board but want to attend this meeting, contact SVCB president Rob Turner.
January 16, 10 AM: Annual SVCB membership meeting, see notes. 2021 administration takes office, approve Business Calendar.
January 18, noon: SVCB newsletter deadline. (IMPORTANT NOTE: From now on, the deadline for columns and articles to be sent to our SVCB In Touch editor has been changed to the third Monday of each month rather than the third Friday, to ensure that our newsletter is published in a more timely manner.
January 18: Publish 2021 budget.
January 19: Let's Talk Low Vision, Connecting with Others, see notes.
February, 2021
February 2, 5:30 to 7 PM: Breast Cancer Support Group.
February 4, 7 to 9 PM: SVCB Board meeting.
February 15, noon: March SVCB newsletter deadline.
February 16: Let's Talk Low Vision, Audible, Joshua Hendrickson, see notes.