Show Us the Captions! Report from Chicago

One group on their way to see Skyfall

Report from the greater Chicagoland area on
ALDA Chicago's November 17 event at several locations:

• Orland Park, IL - 11 attended, seeing Skyfall or Lincoln 
• Chicago Heights, IL - 8 attended, seeing Skyfall 
• Oak Park, IL - 2 attended, seeing Argo 
• Hodgkins,IL - cancelled 
• Hobart, IN - 3 attended, seeing Lincoln 
• Lombard, IL - 10 attended, seeing Flight, Lincoln, The Sessions, or Skyfall 
• Bloomingdale, IL - 4 attended, seeing Lincoln. This event was cosponsored with HLAA Lincoln Park chapter.

On November 10th, ALDA Chicago founder Bill Graham took a group of 4 to see a captioned film in Crystal Lake, IL.

Also on November 17th in other parts of the country:

• ALDA Inc. President Elect, Mary Lou Mistretta, brought a group of 8 to the Cinemark theater in Boca Raton, Florida. Half saw Flight and the other half saw Lincoln. She has a second outing planned for an open captioned showing of Skyfall at a Regal Cinema for November 24th.
• ALDA Inc. President, Brenda Estes took a group of 12 to see Lincoln at the Columbus Regal Cinema in Virginia Beach.
• Kansas City HLAA had 7 come out at one of their locations. I am still waiting to hear their final numbers.

While I've Been Busy, Blondie's Been Busy Too

 While I've been busy with school, the
morning glory vine grew into the bushes.



Blondie noticed my lack of time spent in the garden
and decided to relocate some fencing and plants
to our side entrance. See the missing piece of fencing
near the bottom right of the photo? Although at a glance,
the fencing may look like wrought iron, it's only
plastic and apparently easy to chew through.


  Speaking of chewing, this is a new shoe
I bought to replace the first pair of sneakers
she chewed. I must have a lot on my mind,
because it didn't occur to me that she might chew
these ones too. LOL - Blondie's teaching me to
put my shoes in the closet when they aren't on my feet.


 Blondie must not like my busy schedule. When I
came home from work on Friday, I found our
family calendar in shreds on the floor. I spent an hour
piecing it together just so I could write down when the
dogs' flea treatments and heartworm pills are due next.

Another day, I came upon Blondie creating a tutu. She
was unraveling a shower sponge and had it arrayed all
around herself as though she were wearing a tulle skirt.

I feel as outwitted and exasperated as Wile E. Coyote.

Show Us the Captions - this November

During the month of November 2012, people with hearing loss and deafness, along with their friends and families, will be asking theaters to demonstrate accessibility, when they go to the movies as part of the “Show Us the Captions!” advocacy campaign.

Theaters can provide captioning either through showing open caption films where all seats in the theater have access or by distributing individual captioning devices with access limited to the number of devices available.

Sponsored by Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning, this campaign is intended to

• Promote captioning to potential movie goers who don’t know their theater has it.
• Demonstrate the real need for captioning to theater owners.
• Raise awareness of inclusion and accessibility issues to the general public.
• Show appreciation to the cinemas that provide access via captioning.

The Association for Late Deafened Adults, Chicago chapter, is spearheading the campaign and hosting their own event on November 17, 2012. All organizations and interested people are invited to join them in planning their own events. Talk to your local cinema now, rally friends and neighbors, select a date, and begin to get the word out soon.

---

Regular readers may recall that I wrote about this idea last month. Since that time, I've been busy working to make it a reality. First I created the graphic above and posted the idea on the CCAC members' forum. I'm happy to say the reaction there was very positive. Lauren Storck, the founder of CCAC, decided to take the campaign on as a Captioning Advocacy Project (CAP) for the organization. With their backing, I have been able to spread the idea even further.

To help other groups participate, I created a Facebook site and posted the following tips for event coordinators:

1. Choose a theater near you that offers some form of captioning.
2. Choose a date in November for your event.
3. Ask friends, family, and coworkers NOW to save that date to join you and others with hearing loss at the movies.
4. Contact the theater’s manager
• to explain that your group will be coming on that day,
• find out how far in advance the movie show times for that day will be available,
• and if the theater uses a closed captioning system, check to make sure enough devices will be available.
5. Announce the event to your local hearing loss support group so they can invite their family and friends, and coworkers and help you spread the word.
6. Post the date and location of your event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ShowUsTheCaptions so we can promote it.
7. Follow up with your group once the movie schedule is available to finalize your plans.
8. Follow up with the theater manager when you have a good idea of how many will be coming and how many will be using the captioning.
9. Let us know on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ShowUsTheCaptions if you have any questions.

Then I got started setting up Chicago's event. I've been in contact with two Marcus Theaters so far. One location has 10 CaptiView devices and the other has 6 plus the offer to get more if they are needed. I still need volunteers. Two of mine were unable to help after all, but another person has stepped up, thankfully. I will keep you informed as this project progresses. If any of you want to join in and arrange a Show Us the Captions event in your area, that would be great.

Christmas in July

I visited my favorite public library the other day to return some books. I noticed one of the library staff speaking to me from across the way, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. I walked over to her and rather unexpectedly, she said "I thought Santa had come in." I looked at her blankly. She saw my puzzlement and added, "because of all the jingling." I looked down at the key ring dangling in my hand and mumbled, "I'm hard of hearing and didn't realize..." I wanted to drop through the floor from embarrassment. The library lady shrugged it off and said it was a nice sound.

Have you ever been caught in a similar embarrassing situation because you could not hear a sound? If so, please share in the comments. I promise not to laugh (ho, ho, ho).

The Power of Communication

Is there a book for every problem?

As a librarian, naturally I turn to books for help. Currently on my night stand are How to Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk, Staying Connected to Your Teenager, and Wonderful Ways to Love a Teen ... even when it seems impossible. Need I say more?


Librarian to Hit the Books Again

Recently I decided to apply to grad school to study communication. I became inspired to do this after reading Bruno Kahne's Lessons of Silence. In this article, he describes his approach to training corporate executives to communicate more effectively. His unique method is to employ people who are deaf as the trainers. They do not teach sign language; instead they demonstrate deaf cultural behaviors that allow them to communicate effectively. I realized then the significance of the behavioral changes I have made and continue to make as I face communication challenges on a daily basis. I began to consider how experiencing hearing loss made me become a more attentive and strategic listener. I wondered if anyone besides Kahne had studied this and thought I would like to do that type of research.

But mainly, I want to further my knowledge of communication and hone my writing and speaking skills so I can be more effective as an advocate for people with hearing loss.

Stay Cool

Blondie keeping cool 

With temperatures soaring, nothing beats an afternoon nap in front of the fan. This picture was taken in our basement which stays naturally cool. With a fan running, it feels just like air conditioning.

How are you staying cool?

Happy 4th of July

Protect your hearing this holiday and enjoy this accessible version of Katy Perry's "Firework" done in kinetic typography.

 

My Jury Duty Summons Experience

Last spring I received a notice in the mail for jury duty. On the form it said I was a standby juror. That meant I wouldn't know for sure if I would be needed until the day before. How that works is you call in to a recording which tells you if you are needed. The last time I had a standby juror notice, I didn't have to go. This time I noticed the form provided contact information to let them know if I would need an accommodation. I sent an email requesting CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) service. They responded by giving me an extension so they would have time to make the arrangements. That was fine with me.

My next notice that came in the mail was an actual jury duty summons - nothing standby about it at all. Again I was instructed to contact the Jury Administration Office concerning accommodations. Once more, I emailed them requesting CART.

On my summons date, I went to the courthouse. When I checked in, I mentioned that I had requested help because I don't hear well. The woman assisting me went to check about it. When she returned, she told me to go ahead and take a seat as I wouldn't need help in this room. She gave me a panel number and a name tag sticker identifying me as a juror. She said that if my panel number got called to go into a courtroom, I was to let the deputy in the courtroom know and he would handle it. I really appreciated that she faced me and spoke distinctly when she told me this.

I took my seat in this very large room that was similar to an airport gate waiting area. After a while, a video was played on large TV screens located around the room. I was very relieved to see that the video was captioned in large type. The video explained everything we needed to know about jury service. Then it was back to waiting. I had brought snacks, a water bottle, and reading material so I didn't mind. After a little longer, panel numbers began to be called. The numbers were announced on a microphone which I was able to hear. My number wasn't called.

An hour later, an announcement was made that we would be dismissed. No more jurors were needed that day. We lined up at a counter according to our last names and received checks for our jury service.

To be honest, I was kind of relieved that it turned out that way. I knew I did the right thing by showing up and by requesting accommodations, but I was still concerned about how I would be able to hear during jury deliberations. I hoped a CART provider would be allowed in the room with me, but I wasn't absolutely sure.

I recently read an article on the Limping Chicken website about a deaf woman in England who was rejected for jury duty because of her deafness. I am glad that here in America, I was given a chance to participate.

Amish Country Quilt Gardens Tour: Day Two

Here are a few highlights of our second day viewing the quilt gardens. Many more photos are available on flickr including pictures I took of painted quilt murals on the tour, a yummy looking quilt made of jelly beans, and lovely landscape photos completely unrelated to quilts taken at Wellfield Botanic Gardens.

Sign in Wakarusa, IN

Liberty Garden - Goshen, IN

 This design features a torch amid purple and
red stars. The marigolds are the torch's flames.

Miles Variation - Goshen, IN

Brickwork - Wakarusa, IN

Star of Hope - Elkhart, IN

Amish Country Quilt Gardens Tour: Day One

Here are a few photos from my travels along the Heritage Trail in the Amish country of Northern Indiana. This was my first time to photograph the quilt gardens which are a free attraction on display May 30-October 1, 2012. My friend Linda drove me on this self-guided tour. You can see more photos from our day on flickr. To learn more about the Quilt Gardens tour, visit the official website.

Piecefully Amish - Nappanee, IN

Can you see the orange triangle caution symbol
on the back of the Amish buggy?

Purdue Grand Champion Sunflower - Goshen, IN

Sunshine and Shadows - Shipshewana, IN

Peace and Plenty - Shipshewana, IN

Double Nine Patch - Shipshewana, IN

Trip Around the World - Middlebury, IN

Grandmother's Fan - Bristol, IN

Stellar Days - Elkhart, IN

Wedding Garden - Elkhart, IN

Cactus Dahlia - Elkhart, IN

Turn a Deaf Ear: A Book Review

I'm very pleased to tell all of you about Turn a Deaf Ear, a novel I read this week. I heard about the book through the publisher who sent me a copy to review here. Before I read it, I didn't know much about the story other than it was a book for adults (as opposed to children or young adult literature) and it featured a romance between a hearing woman and a deaf man. The book was written by sisters Janet Fiore Horger and Linda Fiore Sanders.

My immediate reaction upon finishing the book was the recurring thought "It's been a privilege." I don't think I've ever felt that way about reading a book before. The story combines fictional parts with a basis in fact, but I couldn't tell where those lines were drawn. The story was seamless for me in that regard.

Turn a Deaf Ear is the coming of age story of Linda, a young adult from New Jersey, transplanted to California when her parents divorce. The time period is the 1960s and 70s. Linda's mother relocates to California with her two children, Linda and her big brother Nick, to live near her oldest daughter Cee Cee, a married woman living in Burbank.

The Fiore family is Italian and family and food are of prime importance. I enjoyed learning more about Italian-American culture and found the mother's character particularly well drawn. I especially enjoyed the children's exasperation with her demands while they followed all her wishes to give her the respect due her as matriarch of their family. There are wonderful descriptions of her family dinners, nightly phone calls, restaurant rituals, and The Test she gives all her son's girlfriends to let them know no one is good enough for him.

Deafness enters the story when Nick brings home to dinner a coworker named John. Mama doesn't mind that he doesn't speak or hear, as long as he has a good appetite! Nick has learned ASL and translates. Even without communicating directly, Linda and John fall in love at first sight. They begin to date, but John is reluctant to teach her to sign right away. After three months of fingerspelling only, Linda tells him if he doesn't teach her to sign, it will be their last date! He gives in and this begins her introduction to ASL and deaf culture.

The pair face resistance from friends and loved ones, both hearing and deaf, but their love overcomes all. In a truly beautiful scene later in the book, the mother comes to fully accept John. I challenge anyone not to be touched by it. I hope that's one of the true parts of the story.

There are twists and turns to the story line which kept me interested. I don't want to reveal too much here in case I spoil it for you. Please note that this paperback book is published by Grasshopper Christian Publishing and not a major publishing house. But don't be put off by the name, the book is not preachy in the least and I found the quality a cut above vanity press standards.

If you would like to read this story for yourself, you can find it available here through Amazon. Italian recipes featured in the story can be found on the book's website. I also highly recommend reading my friend's review of this book on her blog, Xpressive Handz.


Special Offer for Readers of Speak Up Librarian:
The publisher is allowing me to offer one copy of the book as a giveaway to readers who live in the United States or Canada. To enter, please send YOUR NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS to me at speakuplibrarian@yahoo.com. I will keep the giveaway open until July 15, 2012. At that time, I will do a random drawing from the names and all participants will be informed if they are a winner or not. Your information will be kept confidential and used for no other purpose. The publisher will contact the winner directly for a mailing address. Only addresses in Canada or the United States qualify.

What's It Like When Captioning Isn't Available

Don't Leave Me Out!

Please take a few moments to watch this important film created by CCAC (Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning.) I am proud to say I know two of the women featured in it!

What's the Big Idea, Sarah?

I saw my blogging friend Karen Putz recently and she asked "Sarah, what's next for you?" The last time she asked me something similar, I ended up going to Costa Rica with Discovering Deaf Worlds. As one of my role models, Karen seems to have an effect on me - pushing me forward to try something new. At the time she and I talked, I did not know it then, but I was about to launch a Big Idea.

Before I tell you what it is, let me share some background information. Ever since I became involved with the hard of hearing/deaf community, I've been learning about the importance of movie theater captioning. We want full access to first run films and it's been a l-o-n-g time coming our way. There have been some legal successes and promises of future technological improvements, but I wonder how much longer will it be before our vision of full access is realized?

As social chair for ALDA Chicago, it's my responsibility to organize social events on a monthly basis. Last year one member suggested having a dinner and a movie night, possibly in several locations to make it more convenient for our membership which covers a large geographic area. I'm ready to go forward with the idea. I like the thought of having a group of people come to a theater and by their presence say in effect, "Here we are, show us your accessibility!"

But the logistics are going to be problematic, I admit. I've done some online research and have only found one theater in the city (so far) that offers both OC and CC films on the same night. I want my group to have a choice after all just like the other patrons do! There's also the question of devices. If caption devices are needed, how many does a theater have available? The one I checked has ten which is great if our group numbers less than ten. But what about the eleventh person in line? Or the twelfth, etc...? Is this an idea before it's time?

That's why I'm bringing the idea to you. What if this dinner and a movie night were bigger than the Chicago area? What if other individuals or organizations joined us by going to visiting their local theaters? What if those of us who need captioning set aside a weekend night to go to a theater and say, "Show us your accessibility!"

ALDA Chicago will host this event in November 2012. If you're interested in having a similar event or you have thoughts on how this might work (or might not), please leave me a comment or contact me by email. I especially want to hear from you if you've tried an event this before or have tried contacting your local theaters about captioning.

I can plan a one time event at one theater in Chicago, but I'd like to see if this idea can get bigger than that. Will you join me?

Update June 13
I've heard from an organization in Kansas City that's interested!

Beached Blonde

Blondie at Central Avenue Dog Beach, 

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Blondie enjoyed her first day at the beach. At first, she was uncertain what to make of the waves coming up on shore, but unlike Rusty, it wasn't long before she was swimming. Rob had fun tossing her a frisbee and watching her retrieve it. One time she even dove under the water to fetch it. Good girl!

As always, Rusty preferred to stay dry. He enjoyed saying hello to the other dogs that were there.

Do You Find It Hard to Be Happy?

Do you find it hard to be happy? I do. Worrying is much more my style. I tend to fear the very worst thing I can imagine at the moment is just about to happen and it will be ALL MY FAULT. I also take disappointments hard. Especially when someone close to me has let me down. I cry a lot and struggle with sadness. Despite the many blessings I've received and the upbeat outlook I present on my blog, happiness does NOT come easily for me. But I'm working on it. I thought perhaps I'd share some helps I've found, and perhaps you would share some tips with me.

One thing I do is keep the following words posted front and center at my desk at work:

I’m going to be happy. I’m going to be grateful. I’m going to smile a lot. I’m going to be easygoing. I’m going to count my blessings. I’m going to look for reasons to feel good. I’m going to reflect on positive events from the past. I’m going to notice positive things happening now. I’m going to anticipate positive things in the future. It is my natural state to be a happy person. It’s natural for me to love and to laugh. This is what is most natural for me. I am a happy person!
Source unknown

I really like the line "I'm going to be easygoing." If I can manage that with all the challenges I face on the job, then I can be proud of myself for that day's work. I probably also made my coworkers' day a little better too.

Hey girl library style

All of this is on my mind because I recently reread one of my favorite library books on the subject: Happiness is a Choice by Barry Neil Kaufman. This author recommends making happiness a priority in your life, being authentically you, letting go of judgments, being present in the moment, being grateful, and simply deciding to be happy. I love this book. It always makes me feel better to read it. I waste a lot of time thinking about how everything would be so much better if I were "thinner, healthier, stronger, prettier, etc....whatever "er" I think I'm lacking in at that moment. Or I make myself and others unhappy by wishing THEY were something they are not (at least in my perception). "Bears" Kaufman won't have any of that. He is all about acceptance and the importance of being happy right now.

I saw a cartoon recently that said "Making the Best of an Odd Situation". The drawing shows a biker guy with "love" tattooed across his knuckles on one hand, and "happiness" tattooed across the other hand which has 9 fingers!

Now it's your turn, readers. What is your secret to happiness?

Blondie and Rusty

Love is blind.
Love is Blondie!

My little miss at 4 months and 40 pounds.

Look how tall she's gotten.

"C'mon, Rusty. Let's play!"

Blondie & Rusty - best buddies

Enjoying each other's company in the backyard
It's going to be a wonderful summer!

Don't Let Hearing Loss Keep You Home

The beach is my favorite destination!

It's almost summer time and many people are thinking about how to spend their vacation. In the U.S. gas prices are high and air travel is a hassle, so I can understand if some choose to stay close to home. But I don't want anyone to use hearing loss as an excuse not to see new places! With a little planning and self assertiveness, you can get where you want to go.

Can you see the palm trees
reflected in the window?

Last Saturday, I attended a seminar on travel tips for people with hearing loss by Tina Childress, an audiologist who's late deafened and wears bilateral cochlear implants. I'd like to share a few of the many things that I learned from her and offer my own thoughts and experiences.

For Travel by Airplane

• Don't pack any hearing aid or cochlear implant equipment in your checked luggage. The scanner for this luggage is much stronger than the one for carry-on bags. I've had my luggage lost before, so I never put anything of value in there.
• It's OK to walk through the metal detector with hearing aids or ear level CIs. But a body worn CI has more metal and may set off an alarm. I've wondered about the effect of metal detectors on my hearing aids and even asked security staff if it was OK... but even though they gave me the go ahead, I always felt a little leery about it. I never had any damage or problems occur, but I feel better knowing from a hearing professional that it's all right.
• When you reach your gate, let the staff at the desk know you have a hearing loss so you can be informed in case of delays, gate changes, or other announcements. It's in your best interest to sit as close as possible to the desk to make it easy for them to find you. I have not actually approached airline personnel about my hearing loss, although I do sit as close as I can to the desk. Now that I know Tina has done this, I will be more assertive myself.
• Hearing aids and CIs will not interfere with the plane's navigational instruments and do NOT need to be removed during takeoff and landing. I don't like to wear my hearing aids on a plane because of the engine noise. I was surprised to hear from Tina that occasionally cochlear implants are mistaken for Bluetooth devices and the difference has to be explained. By the way, if you ever meet Tina yourself, be sure and ask about her Redtooth story - it's hilarious!

For Travel by Automobile

• Turn on the light at night for better lipreading. I wasn't sure that was legal. Good to know!
• Purchase an extra wide rear-view mirror which eliminates blind spots and reduces headlight glare. That sounds like just what I need! That's a good tip for everyone in fact.

General Tips

• When traveling alone on a plane, train, or bus you may want to let the person sitting next to you know about your hearing loss in case an emergency announcement is made. I might do that if the person were friendly or solicitous, but for me it would definitely depend on the person! Some people make me feel uncomfortable. Use your gut instinct on this.
• Bring along the customer service number for your hearing aid/cochlear implant manufacturer. If you need a new part, you can get one shipped to your travel location. I had never thought of that. It would be very helpful to have that number looked up in advance. Just in case.

Tina is an outstanding speaker and there was much more than this to her presentation. If you ever get the chance to attend "Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Travel Tips for People with Hearing Loss" or any of her other workshops, I highly recommend it. 

I wish you all safe travels wherever you choose to go this summer. Do you have any plans made?

People Hearing Better is the Talk of the Town

Last Friday my hearing loss story was featured on the People Hearing Better blog sponsored by Second Sense Hearing Solutions. If you're interested you can read the story here.

You may also be interested in their summer Talk of the Town contest. Three winners will receive an iPhone 4S. All you have to do to enter is complete a form and answer one of the following questions:

1. Who or what inspired you to treat your hearing loss?
2. Who or what inspired you to upgrade your hearing instrument?
3. Who did you inspire to treat hearing loss or upgrade a hearing instrument?

Complete contest details can be found at the People Hearing Better blog. Good luck!

Disclaimer: Please note this is not an endorsement of Second Sense Hearing Solutions as I have never used their services. I received no compensation for sharing my story with them or for posting about the Talk of the Town contest.

Rabbit Man Photo Fun

  This is a sculpture I've dubbed Rabbit Man. From here

it looks as though it might be made of stone or clay.

 Standing closer, you can see some wires.

My favorite photo. I wonder what the Rabbit Man
is "thinking". His eye is so enigmatic to me.

 Rabbit Man's folded hands. They look as
though they're touching. But they aren't.

From this view you can see the hands are separated.

In fact, they are so far apart, you can
walk inside this sculpture.

A view from inside Rabbit Man.

This close up photo shows that Rabbit Man is made
up of tiny metal fibers. I can't imagine how much work

it took the artist to shape them into Rabbit Man.

What do you think of Rabbit Man?

Captions Set Automatically to ON

I just learned this really cool tech tip about a piece of HTML code that will turn captions on automatically when you embed a closed captioned YouTube video onto a website.

Simply add to the embed code
&cc_load_policy=1
after the movie URL and inside the quotation marks.

I did this for a short video I made for my job and it really works. A viewer still has the option to turn the captions off, but what I like is that the default setting is for accessibility! To find out more and see an example, check out YouTube's help page Showing Captions by Default.

Yes, You Can!

It's so important to believe in yourself and follow your dreams. When people try to tell you no or you can't, you mustn't listen.
I had two experiences within the last year where people tried to discourage me. The first was when someone said she didn't think I would win the Oticon Focus on People Award because the other finalists were so impressive. That hurt. Although she was right about the caliber of my competitors, I knew that she did not know me as well as she thought she did, and I was very happy when she was proved wrong. The other time was when a group leader solicited ideas by email for upcoming meetings and then immediately vetoed a suggestion I made. In a group email, I was told in detail why my plan was so very bad. Ouch. I withdrew my offer. But then I turned around and within the year made my idea a reality for a different support group with fantastic results. I knew my instincts were right regarding this particular idea and I'm glad I stayed with it. These two incidents, while unpleasant at the time, ended up making me stronger.
The inspirational video below shares the stories of deaf people who have found success in their careers through hard work and persistence. I watched it tonight with my teenage son (who's hearing) and told him to think about the important messages shared about believing in yourself and making your dreams come true. I recommend everyone make time to watch it. The video runs 15 minutes.

Birthday Party Fun and Games

Today was ALDA Chicago's birthday banquet to mark the 24th anniversary of the group. Our party theme this year was fun and games. When we arrived, we were given beaded necklaces and instructions for our ice breaker game - Don't Say or Sign "No". How it worked was if someone tricked us into answering "no" to a question, we had to give them our necklace. The object of the game was to not lose your necklace while trying to gather as many necklaces as you could. I lost mine when someone asked me if I wanted iced tea and I said "no". Oops.

After our meal was served, we played two trivia games. One had questions pertaining to the month of April. These were rather hard. The other had questions with answers related to green because today happened to be Earth Day. These ones were easier. It was fun to see which ones we knew and which ones we didn't. There were prizes for those who got the most answers right.

Later, after cake and ice cream, we played a game which got everyone to mingle. It was called Famous Couples. Each person had a name tag placed on their back so they couldn't see the name written there but everyone else could. You had to first of all figure out who you were by asking people questions like "Am I a man or a woman?" "Am I a movie star?" "Am I a cartoon character?" etc... Then when you knew your own identity you had to go around the room and find the person who was the other half of your couple. I was Adam. The clues I got were that he was a man, old, and in a book. Ha! Eventually I found Eve. The first two couples who matched were given prizes. We also took photos of our Famous Couples once they were paired. They included Fred and Wilma Flintstone, Kermit and Miss Piggy, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, Superman and Lois Lane, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and Mickey and Minnie Mouse among others.

Adam & Eve

 We also sponsored a Split the Pot raffle. We sold playing cards, ripping each in half. One piece went into a bag and the other was kept as a ticket. The two of diamonds was the winning card pulled from the bag at the end of the party. A lucky lady won $71. The rest of the money went to ALDA Chicago.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the party and the chance to interact with others who were deaf and hard of hearing. It was a great time. Feel free to use these ideas for your own deaf social.

Blondie

My aunt asked me for an update on Blondie. I told her I never realized "house breaking" meant so many things around the house would be broken. Blondie looks adorable, but she's a one pup demolition crew in disguise. Here's some of the evidence for your entertainment:

Oops. Did I do that?

Having fun with Mom's puzzle magazine

(When I took this photo, I didn't realize
she had torn up the answer pages too!)

"God bless me" - Blondie

"But where is the plant?" - Mom

Blondie is 3 months old now and 32 pounds.

If they made American dog dolls...

At the end of a long day, we are all "dog tired" at our house.