Tag Archives: parents

Life is Tastier When You Create Your Own Recipe

Have you ever taken a bite of something so delicious your entire body could practically taste it?  Ever wonder how you could replicate that mouth watering savory sensation?

Stop wondering, because you will never be able to duplicate that exactly as the chef prepared it.  And seriously, why would you want to?

Why not take it, and make it your own?

I have a new motto I want to share with you.  “Life is tastier when you create your own recipe.”

For example, that box of Bisquick in your pantry.  The recipe calls for

2 cups Bisquick

1 cup milk

2 eggs

Box of Bisquick

Why stop at just that?  Why not add

blueberries

strawberries

bananas

chocolate chips

coconut flakes

oatmeal

nuts

What could be better than starting your day with smiley face pancakes with blueberry eyes and a strawberry mouth?

smiley face pancakes

For Valentine’s Day, how about strawberry heart pancakes?

Valentine's Day pancakes

I hope you realize that I’m not just talking about pancakes here.  Where would the world be if we all stuck to the recipe on the box.  Just imagine…

What if Thomas Edison stuck to the recipe on his box?

What if Dr. Martin Luther King stuck to the recipe on his box?

What if Bill Gates stuck to the recipe on his box?

What if Steve Jobs stuck to the recipe on his box?

Ever think about the box the blind are placed in?

Blind people are often placed into a soft, padded, protected, illiterate, unemployable box with low expectations.

What if Dr.  Jacobus Tenbrook, Dr Kenneth Jernigan, Dr. Marc Maurer, and Mark Riccobono stuck to the recipes on their box?  Who are these men you ask?  These are the past and current president of the National Federation of the Blind.  In 1940 Dr. Tenbrook organized the National Federation of the Blind.  This is an organization of the blind, not an organization for the blind.   We are changing the misconceptions about blindness, a movement tearing down the walls of inequality, we are blind scientists and blind engineers inventing our future, and we are blind educators and parents teaching the next generation of blind children that they CAN live the life they want.

Marley on the Braille writer

Do you remember Christine Ha?  Just a few years ago she was the winner on the show the Master Chef.

People!  We are all master chefs!

Get out of that box.

Make life zestier.

Make life sweeter.

Make life spicier.

Whatever you do, just make it YOUR recipe.

grilled chipotle chicken salad

 

 

 

Playing Catch Up

On November 28th, I published my 75th blog post.  I ended the post with a challenge to myself to post 75 blogs in the next 75 days.  If you follow me, and read my blog regularly, than you have noticed that I haven’t been around these last few days.  Fear not!  This doesn’t mean I will not meet my goal of publishing 75 blogs in 75 days.  This merely means there will be a few days I will be publishing more than one blog.  Starting with today,  I might just publish one, some days I might publish two, and if I’m really ambitious, I might even crank out three.

Where have I been and why did I miss Saturday, Sunday, and Monday?

I spent the weekend at the annual state convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Nevada.   As I play the game of Musical Chairs, I have decided it was time for me to get back in the game and change negative misconceptions and low expectations about blindness.  Stakes have been raised and rules have changed now that my daughter has been thrown into the court.  You can bet your britches that this mom is NOT going to stand on the sidelines.  I will be the loudest, the most competitive, and the strongest advocate to fight on behalf of my daughter’s rights and the rights of all blind children.

During the convention, I met other parents and we are organizing the Nevada Organization of Parents of Blind Children.  It is my hope for this organization to bring together parents, provide resources, connect blind shildren with positive blind role models, and creat and implement programs for blind children in our state.

I fully intended on blogging via my WordPress ap on my iPhone, but the ap insisted it would rather crash on me.  After the fourth attempt, I took it as a sign that I needed to turn off my phone, take a break, and take a nap.

Sunday on Monday were spent catching up with housework, cuddles with the kiddos, and a lovely afternoon meandering through the Venetian playing catch up with one of my oldest and dearest friends.

And here I am now, back in front of the computer with the kids tucked away in their beds.  I will finish this delicious cup of tea, possibly start a second blog for the night, and start on the glass of wine that’s calling out my name.  I’ve enjoyed catching up.  I hope you have too.

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Marley followed this girl around thinking she was a princess. Suddenly out of nowhere, she worked up the courage and ran up and gave her princess a great big hug.

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Jackson didn’t know what to think of this statue guy. He got more and more frustrated as he tried to give him a dollar.

 

 

“ALL HANDS ON DECK!” URGENT!

As you know, I am hours away from boarding a flight to Reno to attend the National Federation of the Blind of Nevada state convention.  For months now, I have been trying to rebuild the Parents Division.   I made this intention public when I published my blog, “Calling All Parents of Blind Children in Nevada.”

Each and every attempt in succeeding has been thwarted by the affiliate president by the lack of communication.  I had been under the assumption that yes, I can be there to organize, but no I will not have a spot on the floor to speak on the behalf of rebuilding and reorganizing the Nevada Organization of Parents of Blind Children.  Although I was disappointed that my request to address to convention floor had been dismissed, I was still planning to attend to further my goals of connecting with as many parents as possible.

This morning however, I received the convention agenda via email.   To my surprise I have been allotted a time and place for bringing together parents of blind children.

Frustration only fuels my fire and desire for success.

Instead of sulking and playing the blame game, I am utilizing these next few hours to try to get the information out to as many people, as quickly as possible.  I CANNOT do it alone.  Please help me.

Tonight you will find me at the Harrah’s Hotel in Reno in room Payute #1 from 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.  I hope to be addressing a room full of parents of blind/visually impaired children.  It is our duty as parents to support one another, to teach, to advocate, and to ensure our children have as bright of a future as their sighted peers.

I also invite anyone who is interested to join me for lunch tomorrow, location TBA.

Below is more detailed information of times, rooms, and the Hotel address.

Thank you all for your love and support,

Terri Rupp

702-524-0835

terri.rupp@gmail.com

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND OF NEVADA
STATE CONVENTION 2014
Harrah’s Hotel Reno
219 Center Street
Reno, Nevada
(775) 786-3232

Registration cost: $20.00
Banquet cost: $55.00
Dues are: $10.00
NABS dues are: $5.00

Friday November 7, 2014

NABS meeting: Business, scholarship information… Payute #1 East Tower …5:0-6:00 p.m.
Anil Lewis, Janesha Murphy and Benjamin Dallin
Parents Organization of Blind Children: business, constitution, rebuilding …Payute #1 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Board of Directors meeting Payute #1 7-9 p.m.


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Calling all Parents of Blind/visually Impaired Children in Nevada

Are you a parent of a blind/visually impaired child living in Nevada?  Do you know a parent of a blind/visually impaired child in Nevada?  Are you a teacher of a blind child, or a medical professional who works with blind children?  If  so, than I am looking for you.

Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Terri Rupp.  My almost 5 year old daughter and I both have Optic Nerve Atrophy.  I wrote about the discovery of our daughter’s diagnosis earlier this year in my blog, “Marley and Me Musical Chairs.”  I feel fortunate to have my own experiences of growing up as a blind child, the opportunity to attend the Louisiana Center for the Blind where I learned Braille and other blindness skills an where I was introduced to the positive blindness philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind.  The foundation has already been laid for my daughter through my own blindness for her to grow up knowing that blindness isn’t anything to be ashamed of.  It will NOT hold her back from a bright future, rather it will  give her strength to overcome any and all obstacles if given the proper training and opportunity.

My husband and I want to share our positive outlook on blindness with other parents.  In all honesty, we both went through our own grieving process upon the diagnosis.  However the self pity, anger, guilt, and tears quickly tried up, and we both realized that this is just another mountain for us to conquer as a family.  During our frequent visits to the pediatric ophthalmologist, we have observed countless distraught, lost, and grieving parents of whom we just want to shout at, “YOUR CHILD IS FINE!  YOUR CHILD IS NORMAL!  YOUR CHILD HAS A BEAUTIFUL FUTURE!”

My dream is to get this message to every single parent in Nevada.  You are NOT going through this alone.  There are so many us out there just like you.  We are dealing with understaffed and underfunded school systems.  We live in a state with very limited resources for equal opportunities for the blind.  We CAN change this!  With the resources and support of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), we can change what it means to be blind, and give your children the future they deserve.

Please join us in organizing the Nevada Organization of Parents of Blind Children.  You can reach me at terri.rupp@gmail.com or join our Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/653738258066532/.

Sincerely Yours,

Terri Rupp

Oh, and PS, did you know that October is National Meet the Blind month?

 

 

Thankful November in a Nutshell

I started out this month intending on publishing a blog post each day on something I am thankful for.  As you can see by looking at my recent posts, I only made it to day 9.

Here it is in a nutshell.

I am thankful for my parents who raised me to know the difference between right and wrong.  They gave me a brother, who gave me two beautiful nieces, and a sister who is the most loyal friend I could ask for.  They instilled in us the importance of family. showed us how to work hard, and taught us how to love and have compassion for others.

I am thankful for my husband’s family.  Without them, he wouldn’t be the man that he is today.

I am thankful for modern forms of telecommunication like cell phones, texting, emails, Facebook, and skype to help me stay in touch with my family and friends all over the world.

I am thankful for all the friends that I made throughout the years, both near and far.  You all know exactly who you are.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be a stay at home mom and raise two beautiful children who are so eager to learn, and never fail to bring a smile to my face.

I am thankful for a warm cozy bed, food in my fridge, and clothes on my back.

I am thankful for coffee, wine, and chocolate.  These are my drugs of choice.

I am thankful for fuzzy socks.

I am thankful for friendly neighbors who watch out for me and my children when my hubby is gone.

I am thankful the stucco guys finally started painting today and we are closer to having our backyard done.

I am thankful for the opportunity to blog and share my life with you.

And oh yes, one more thing.  I am thankful for my blindness.  Without it, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today.  Every experience, every challenge, every of struggle to try to fit in and look normal, every missed step or curb, every triumph, every mile I’ve traveled, every person I’ve met, every child I’ve taught, every person I’ve influenced, every accomplishment I’ve made or will make in the future are all because of my blindness.  I used to imagine what my life would be like if I had 20/20 vision, but then I wouldn’t be where I am today.  If somebody told me there was an opportunity for me to get all of my vision back, I honestly don’t know what I would do.  So until there is a 100%, 0 side effects, consequence free way, I’m going to have to pass for now.