Homemaking After I Became Blind

Homemaking After I Became Blind

Future Reflections Spring/ Summer 1986, Vol. 5 No. 2
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HOMEMAKING AFTER
I BECAME BLIND
by Mary Lou Hentges
(Editor's Note: This article originally
appeared in the Blind Missourian, the newsletter of the National Federation
of the Blind of Missouri.
The author, Mary Lou Hentges, became
blind just as she and her husband,
Clete, were anticipating retirement.
Their youngest son was nearly through
high school and they looked forward to
much retirement activity. At first it
seemed as though blindness would dash
all her dreams. Today, however, she not
only fulfills her earlier dreams, but
she and Clete have become very active in
the Columbia, Missouri chapter in the
Missouri NFB affiliate. They travel
widely spreading the hope and courage
they found in the Federation.)
Blind people use their other senses to
help them when the vision is gone. I
listen for cars before crossing the
street. I find that I hear many more
things than my husband does. That's
because I have learned to use my ears.
My hands can tell me a lot too. Touch
is something I learned to use. I have
learned that I can smell when the
chicken or other things that I am
frying, needs to be turned over. The
sound of the sizzle and the smell tell
me. All of these things sound almost
impossible, I know, but after awhile
they came to me naturally. If I become
frustrated trying to do something, I
just quit, walk away from it and come
back to it later.
I bought a talking clock from Radio
Shack. It gives the time each hour and
has a button to press to get the time
during the hour. I have a small one
that I carry in my purse. I also have a
talking alarm clock in the bedroom.
I put a mark on the dial of my washing
machine and dryer. This is marked
on the setting that I use the most; the
dryer is marked at thirty minutes. I
have an iron that I can tell where the
setting for cotton is. You can buy
irons that click at each setting.
I have my electric skillets, deep
fryer and oven marked at three hundred
degrees and then I can judge if I need a
hotter or cooler temperature for each.
I have the thermostat for the furnace
marked at seventy degrees and can lower
or raise the temperture.
There is a marking glue that can be
bought at any good hardware store made
especially for this purpose. My husband used a small piece of a flat toothpick
and glued it to the dial for my washer
and dryer. This works well for me.
When baking, I pull the rack out of
the oven several inches and then put my
finger on the top of the cookies to see
if they are done. You may burn your
fingers at first, but you will soon
learn to feel the heat and can tell
where to put your finger.
I have my recipes and telephone numbers
recorded on seperate tapes. I keep
a blank tape in the recorder just in
case I need to record a new telephone
number or a message.
When pouring coffee, water, or other
juices I put my thumb on the edge and
down a little bit into the cup or glass
to tell when I have poured enough. I
did this slowly at first but soon got
the hang of it without any problem. I
use this also when pouring milk into a
bowl of cereal.
When ironing I place the garment over
the ironing board and then smooth it
with my hand before starting to iron.
This keeps me from ironing wrinkles in
the garment. This too, came easy and
fast after a few times.
I have my husband pin his socks together
after he takes them off, for the
laundry. Some people use round plastic
cafe curtain rings. If he doesn't do
this, I put his socks in a pile when I
take them out of the dryer and he can
match them and fold them himself. He
has a choice.
I found that I had a hard time with my
clothes and found some things to do that
will help a lot. I keep a suit and the
blouse to go with it hanging together.
If there are more blouses that match the
suit, they should be hanging with the
suit also. I do slacks and sweaters
this way too. My shoes are kept on a
rack in pairs. There is always something
a little different about each pair
that lets me know the difference in each
pair. This also works for blouses.
There is usually a difference in the
sleeves, collar, placket, or buttons
that will identify one blouse from the
other.
The thing that I find the hardest to
manage is to know if my hose have a
runner. I usually ask my husband. The
good ones I fold and the ones with a
runner (that I wear under slacks) I tie
into a knot.
Singer Sewing Company sells self
threading needles that I use. I sew on
buttons and repair rips or tears and hem
my slacks. This seems to be impossible,
but after a few tries you can do it
easily. They also have self-threading
needles for sewing machines. I have
made a few garments, but it was frustrating
and not fun anymore. So I watch
the sales and buy my clothes. I find
that the clerks in the dress shops are
very helpful and willing to please. I
have someone to go with me when I go to
the discount stores where there are no
clerks.
I have several white canes that I use.
Each is a different length. I have a
folding telescope cane which I use for
church and restaurants. It folds nicely
and fits into my purse. I have one two
inches longer and another that comes to
my shoulders. The longer the cane, the
faster I can walk. If the cane is too
short I cannot find things in my way
until I am upon them, it would be easy
to fall over something if the cane is
too short. These canes are fiber glass
and light to the touch. I was told when
I got mine that the cane would "talk" to me after awhile and really it does,
got mine from the National Federation of
the Blind. Our sate has a state agency
for the blind which can be helpful.
Each state has a Library for the Blind
and Physically Handicapped. This library
has all their books either on
cassettes, records, or in Braille. They
also furnish the cassette and record
player free of charge. The cassettes
and records are also sent through the
Post Office free of charge. The local
library should have an application for
this service. The library will send a
catalog listing titles of books that are
available. I have found this service
quite useful.
I joined the National Federation of
the Blind and found it very helpful to
be with other blind people. They can do
so much for themselves and it makes me
want to do just as well as they do. The
NFB is blind people working with the
blind and helping each other in many
ways. There are other organizations for
the blind but they are, for the most
part, sighted people telling the blind
what they need, don't need, and what
they can and cannot do.
Blind people are not hiding in the
closet like they were years ago. We are
out there, doing the same things as
sighted people. I have always been an
independent person and I feel good about
myself. My motto is: Don't give up,
just keep on trying.
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