November 2024

The mission of the Hull Foundation and Learning Center is to provide programs, facilities and services including social, educational, and recreational activities for people with blindness and sight loss.

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Making “Impossible” Thinking Possible

Part 2 of 3.

Teresa Christian, Sight Loss Instructor

“What we perceive as ‘the world’ is as much inside our heads as outside,” write the authors of The Power of Impossible Thinking, Jerry Wind and Colin Crook. “By realizing this and making choices about how we see things, we can become much more effective.

Thinking impossible thoughts is not just the realm of fairy godmothers or eccentric inventors such as da Vinci, Galileo, Edison, and Ford. We can all zoom in or out of our previous mindsets with a little practice.

Wind and Crook suggest a variety of ways to begin to see differently—before a crisis or failure

of the old model has made it too late. Here are a few:

• Listen to the radicals. What wisdom and opportunities are there in the sometimes “bizarre” ideas of the radical thinkers around you?

• Embark on journeys of discovery. Where can you travel—mentally or physically—to gain fresh perspectives on your organization, your life, your business?

• Look across disciplines. Often, “impossible” solutions develop at the intersection of several fields or departments. Crossing borders and moving into unfamiliar territory can help you see your situation from a fresh perspective.

• Question the routine. While routines create needed structure, they can sometimes lull us to

sleep. Disrupting the routine, even in small ways, can help us awaken to new possibilities.

• Recognize the barriers. Becoming aware of the obstacles or fences which keep us from seeing new models is the first step to overcoming them.

• Practice flying upside down. Little side bar, I have done this in a little Pitz, (small, 2-seater plane for doing aerobatics) and it freaked me out. All the other aerobatic maneuvers were fine, awesome even, but that one maneuver had me screaming. Back to the topic now. Like commercial airline pilots, who are trained in how to react to unusual emergencies (such as flying upside down!), we can look for ways to prepare for outrageous scenarios.

Stay tuned for part 3 when we talk about the Jamaican Bobsled team and how despite impossible odds, they did it!

ABAPITA

BY Marja Byers, SLI

ABAPITA-an acronym for “ain’t blindness a pain in the, …um, anatomy!” These are stories of things that happen to us that, most likely, would not happen to people with sight.

If you have had an ABAPITA moment that you would like to share with us, please email your

story to oralhull@gmail.com with ABAPITA in the subject line.

This is one of my experiences.

I had an opportunity to have dinner with a friend visiting from out of town who is also blind. We met at a nice local seafood restaurant to have dinner and a leisurely conversation. As we were winding down our server presented us with our checks. My friend pulled out his wallet, found a card and asked our server, “Is this my Visa

card?” Her response was “Yes, it is” as I handed her my card, and she walked away. About five

minutes went by and I am thinking that I was glad I had not called for an Uber yet. After at least 10 minutes we were wondering where our server had disappeared to. Moments later she finally returned to our table and said to my

friend, “We couldn’t run your card.” Being incredibly surprised he asked, “Why not?!” As she handed him back his card she said, “Because this is a JC Penny card.” He got his wallet back out, pulled out a different card and asked, “Is THIS my Visa card?” She confirmed that it was indeed and as she walked away, he threw his hands up and rolled his eyes. “Did I not ask her the first time if it was my Visa card?” I assured him that he most certainly had. Sighted people: what are you going to do?

ABAPITA!

Reading in the Dark Book Club

By Marja Byers, SLI

In October we read “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein DB66787. This was a much-loved book by our group, with one exception: me. Part of the discussion was how our current frame of mind can influence how we feel about a book. I will wait a couple of years and try reading it again.

Our second book was “The Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon DB117781. This is a historical fiction mystery that depicts strong women characters, as well as strong males and we felt it was beautifully written. The author creates a web of details and brings them all together in the end. Some of us will be reading more of the author’s books and sharing our thoughts.

November 12, 1:00-2:30 pm PT we will be discussing “Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen” by Susan Gregg Gilmore DB72281, 7:12.

“It is the early 1970s. The town of Ringgold, Georgia, has a population of 1,923, one traffic light, one Dairy Queen, and one Catherine Grace Cline. The daughter of Ringgold’s third generation Baptist preacher. Catherine Grace is quick witted, more than a little stubborn, and dying to escape her small-town life. Sometimes you must return to the place where you began, to arrive at the place where you belong.”

November 26 1:00-2:30pm PT we will be talking about “A Street Cat Named Bob” by James Bowen DB77202, 6:25.

“A Street Cat Named Bob is a heartwarming memoir by James Bowen. It tells the true story of a struggling street musician in London who

forms an unlikely friendship with a stray ginger cat named Bob. The book chronicles their extraordinary bond and how Bob helps James turn his life around.

All are welcome at our book club, even if you have not read the book, our discussions are always interesting! We will also talk about our December picks; we hope you can join us!

Food Beyond the Recipe

Pumpkin Mousse

Submitted by Desiree Christian, Sight loss Instructor

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 0 mins

Total Time: 15 mins

Servings: 4

EQUIPMENT

Hand Mixer or Whisk

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces cream cheese softened

1 cup of brown sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

15 ounces pure 100% pumpkin puree

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 pint whipping cream

1/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla

Optional Toppings:

Mini chocolate chips

cinnamon

candied pecans

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium size bowl, whip together the cream cheese, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until light and fluffy and completely blended.

Cream cheese, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar mixed in a bowl

Add the pumpkin puree and mix until combined.

Cream cheese and pumpkin combined in a bowl

In a separate bowl, whip together the whipped topping ingredients until it becomes thick and stiff peaks form.

Whipped cream in a glass bowl. Fold together about ¾ of the whipped topping with the pumpkin cheesecake mixture until completely mixed in.

Pumpkin mousse in a silver mixing bowl

Spoon the mousse into individual cups. Use the remaining ¼ of the whipped topping to top the mousse. Then sprinkle on chocolate chips, cinnamon, or candied pecans.

Pumpkin mousse cups topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips on top

RECIPE TIPS

Desirée’s Note: When I serve this, I mix all the ingredients together except the heavy whipping cream. It looks wet but trust the process. Whip the heavy whipping cream into stiff peaks. Then fold in three batches whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture. I then serve it like I would chip and dip with my favorite ginger snaps. Save time

by making the base of the mixture ahead of time and wait until just before serving to mix in the whipped topping.

This dessert is gluten free! No crust makes it an easy recipe to make for any of your GF guests.

To make it dairy free, you can easily substitute the whipped topping for whipped coconut milk. All you need is a can of refrigerated coconut milk, so it is nice and cold. Then whip the coconut milk with sugar and vanilla in the recipe until it becomes thick and stiff peaks form.

For a lighter version, use light cream cheese instead of regular, and light whipped topping in place of heavy cream. If you are making it with coconut milk, you can also find light coconut milk.

The One Day Fun Day guests posing in front of the Yellow Cab at Halloweentown adventure.

Picture Description

Guests Posing in front of the yellow cab displayed at Halloweentown pumpkin pavilion.

Poem

By Tina Christian, Sight loss Instructor

November

We vote for turkey

We vote to give thanks today

Dessert, a nap, football

The leaves run dry now

The turkey coma kicks in now

Tis apple season

I vote for family

I vote for the memory

Fall brings slower days

The Assistive Technologist

By Patrick Burton, CEO of Benvision

Hello everyone,

I am thrilled to share that over 1,500 people have downloaded our new AI Assistant app, Speakaboo, on the Apple App store. I have received wonderful feedback from many of you, several proclaiming it “better than BeMyEyes” – which is humbling, as I admire BeMyEyes for setting the gold standard in assistive tech. It is inspiring to hear how much you enjoy the app, and we are excited to keep enhancing it for you.

This month, I am also excited to announce that Speakaboo Premium is coming soon! This new version has everything you love from the free version and will include additional features

based on your suggestions. We would love to hear

from you about what you would like to see in the Premium version. Feel free to email me at patrick@ben.vision with your ideas and feedback.

As a reminder, here are ways Speakaboo can make everyday tasks easier:

Reading menus at restaurants: Simply ask Speakaboo if the menu has your favorite dish; if it does, Speakaboo will find it and tell you.
Sorting and reading mail: Stay on top of letters, bills, and important documents. Ask Speakaboo for a summary if you do not want to read the whole thing.
Reading maps: Staying at the Hull Foundation and you want to know which room your bestie is in? Simply point Speakaboo at the map and ask.
Reading the temperature on a thermostat: Quickly know the temperature setting to keep your space comfortable.
Identifying spice jars: Make cooking simpler by instantly identifying spices and ingredients.

Lastly, I would like to invite you to try ViddyScribe, another project I had a hand in creating. With ViddyScribe, you can upload videos and receive them back fully audio described using AI, making videos more accessible. It is still experimental, so please have patience while we work out all of the kinks. Give the beta a try at https://viddyscribe.com

Thank you for your continued support and feedback. It truly helps us make our solutions the best they can be. Until next month,
Patrick

Hull Foundation and Learning Center Upcoming Fundraiser

Pancake Breakfast with Santa

December 14^th, 2024

Time: Doors open at 7, Breakfast at 7:30-10:30.

Pictures with Santa, Craft table, cookies, and cocoa. Call the office about ticket prices.

Hull Foundation Upcoming Events and Seminars:

November 15^th – One Day Fun Day at Portland Bizarre

November 20^th– 23^rd Cooking Sight Loss Seminar.

November 28^th– 29^th – Office Closed in observance of Thanksgiving Day

December 3^rd– 6^th Advanced Sight Loss Seminar

December 17^th– 21^st Winter Getaway, spots are available. Call office for details.

December 23^rd– Jan 4^th – Office closed.

February 3^rd– 9^th – Winter Retreat

March 11^th – 14^th – Intro to Sight Loss Seminar

If you are interested in any of our social getaways, one day fun days, seminars, and

recreational retreats, please contact our office and sign up! Spots fill up very quickly, so jump in with both feet, save your spot and come out to Hull Park! If you would like to volunteer as staff

or sponsor an event, please contact the office at 503.668.6195.

Picture Description:

Hay bales, Black cat décor, yellow & orange flower arrangement in front of Rainbow Lodge.

Hull Foundation Presents Zoom Meetings:

Current zoom meetings will include topics on tech, cooking, crafting, book club, supporting loved ones of people with sight loss or blindness and a class on forgetfulness that has been a favorite. Bring a friend or spouse, sighted or not!!

If you would like to sign up to receive a weekly email with the weekly zoom schedule and links to the meetings, please email the office at

oralhull@gmail.com or call us at 503-668-6195. If you are not an email user, then you can call us on Mondays to receive that week’s classes and

the call-in number and meeting ID number for meetings you are interested in attending via phone.

Independence, finding solutions A to Z

by Todd Fahlstrom

Independence, finding solutions A to Z is a call I do the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of each month from

10-11 PST, and it addresses the Activities of daily living. We have covered such topics as

utilizing bump dots, organizing your kitchen and closet, and making lists. For November 6, we will be tackling planners, calendars and more. We will discuss many things around calendars and planners, but one bonus is we will have the founder of EZC planners, Edward Cohan, speak on behalf of his products. You can get a preview of his unique planners and other products by going to: Low Vision Products for Seniors & Others – EZ2See® Products

For November 20 we will be tackling shopping for the holidays. Each session there are notes and you can call the Hull office to get a copy. You also may send an email to todd@hullflc.org to ask questions as well or make topic suggestions.

Off the Cuff – Film with Tina

November 29th 7pm

Hi all, I am looking forward to our next film zoom chat. A friendly reminder- be aware that there may be sensitive subject matter within the films we discuss and to please show respect to others as everyone expresses their opinions during our

discussion. Thanks! The following is on tap for November- Family comedy to drama—

Questions to ponder and discuss- Who is your favorite character and why? Who is your least favorite character? Why did you identify with your chosen character? What do you think the movie’s message is? What scene or moment in the movie was the most powerful to you? Was

there anything that reminded you of your own life? What aspects of the family dynamics were relatable? What felt unfamiliar? What roadblocks did you see that the characters faced? Would you find the overall message to be?

Home for the Holidays (1995 Amazon Prime Sling TV YouTube) A single mom Claudia has just lost her job and is left in the lurch when her daughter decides to ditch family Thanksgiving for her boyfriend. What does that mean for Claudia? Facing the family

down on the worst weekend of the year, Thanksgiving.

I am Sam (2001 Amazon Prime YouTube TV) Sam is a man on the spectrum raising a daughter with the help of friends (the village). As Sam’s daughter grows, a social worker

believes she should be removed from Sam’s care.

Fatherhood (2021 Netflix Amazon YouTube) Loosely based on a true story—A wife dies one day after giving birth which leaves the husband to become mom and dad to his daughter.
Migration (2023 Netflix Amazon YouTube) A family of New England ducks decide to migrate to Jamaica but accidentally end up in NYC.
Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken (2023 Netflix) An awkward 16-year-old just wants to

fit in. Her mom has too many rules for Ruby’s liking, but her mom has her reasons.

Trolls (2016 Netflix Amazon) Poppy and Branch set off on a journey to rescue their friends.

Did you know?…

Save the date for the Blind Health Expo 2024: Friday, December 6, 2024

The story on Hull Foundation Sight Loss Instructors had changed to November 15th at 6pm on KATU to see our Sight Loss Instructors interview for the “Everyday Heroes” segment! Congratulations!

Jokes to Keep you Laughing…or Groaning!

Q. Why did the farmer enter the Cider Contest?

A. He loved all the apple-ause

Q. Why was the music fan’s ears ringing?

A. He just got through Rock-tober!

Q. What is the big event that turkeys get all dressed up for?

A. The Butter Ball!

Stay well, stay safe, and stay happy!

Contact Us

The Hull Foundation and Learning Center
Phone: 503-668-6195

Email: oralhull@gmail.com

Website: hullflc.org

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