In the studio: Jeff and Angela

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

In the studio: Jeff, Angela and Annabella

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

In the studio: Angela and Annabella

I photographed my friend Jeff, his girlfriend Angela, and her daughter Annabella this morning in my studio and outdoors. For the studio shots, I used my Westcott Spiderlites as well as two strobes with the Lastolite Hilite background. I’ll have more images to show later but wanted to share a few sneak previews.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Valerian?

I think this might be a type of Valerian, but I’m not 100% sure…would love help with identification on this one!

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Opium poppy

Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

Chives and Columbines

A bed of chives (Allium schoenoprasum) against a backdrop of Columbine (Aquilegia) blooms in the rock garden at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

Blooming in my garden: Allium schubertii

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Blooming in my garden: Bearded iris

Bearded iris (Iris germanica sp.)

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Star-of-Bethlehem

Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum)

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

On Assignment: Kitchen remodel by Cross Construction

Remodel by Cross Construction, San Antonio, Texas

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Get out the Kleenex for this one…well worth the tears to watch

On Assignment: Bathroom remodel by Cross Construction

Remodel by Cross Construction, San Antonio, Texas

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

On Assignment: Kitchen remodel by Cross Construction

Cross Construction, in San Antonio, Texas, remodeled this sleek and modern kitchen, which is completely different from the previous kitchen I blogged about.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

On Assignment: Kitchen remodel by Cross Construction

Cross Construction, in San Antonio, Texas, remodeled this beautiful kitchen for a client who needed their home modified for special needs. The term is called “aging in place,” and Craig Scott, owner of Cross Construction, is a certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS). He received his certification from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). I photographed six beautiful homes in April and will show more photos shortly.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Bearded iris, unknown variety

Bearded iris (Iris germanica), photographed at Green Spring Gardens. The parking lot was my background (and I couldn’t have that!), so I improvised by using my white tri-grip diffuser as a background. Voila!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Star of Persia (Allium christophe)

While I’ve photographed this intriguing plant before, I’ve never had the opportunity to shoot it from ground level. All my images have been shot overhead. This bloom was a tiny wayward volunteer in Carolyn’s garden, growing in between stepping stones. Being able to shoot from this low vantage point provided some interesting images. The stamens look like little crowns in this shot. The afternoon light was dappled and provided a beautiful glow behind everything.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Mountain Laurel

Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), blooming in my friend Carolyn’s garden in Annandale, Virginia. I’ve heard of this evergreen shrub, and I assumed it would bloom, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen the blooms. They are spectacular! Little umbrella-like buds open to about 1/2″ in diameter with inverted “spokes” that appear to loosen to become the stamens. In this shot you can see all the stages of these pretty little flowers. The buds remind me of those little chocolate stars we used to buy at Sears when they had a candy section (you know, in covered wagon days).

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Seen & Heard: Teri Wathen

Teri Wathen is our Seen & Heard profile in the May/June 2013 issue of Hearing Loss Magazine, published bimonthly by the Hearing Loss Association of America. I met and photographed Teri at HLAA’s Convention 2012 in Providence, Rhode Island.

Photo © Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

TERI WATHEN
Richmond, TX / Born April 2 (not quite a fool) in Houston, TX

MY HEARING LOSS… I was born with a mild hearing loss and got my first hearing aid at age 12. My hearing loss progressively grew worse as I aged (I aged?). I am now a bilateral cochlear implant user and love them.

SAGE ADVICE FOR SOMEONE NEWLY-DIAGNOSED WITH HEARING LOSS…Get hearing aids as quickly as possible. They are not a cure-all, but they sure do help. Find other people with hearing loss and ask a lot of questions. Your local HLAA Chapter is a good place to start. Educate yourself. Do not bluff.

MY FUNNY HEARING LOSS MOMENT… While walking down the street with a friend, looking at her in order to read her lips, I ran into a light pole. This really happened!

WHEN I GREW UP, I WANTED TO BE… an airline stewardess. I don’t think they call them that anymore, though.

FIRST THING I BOUGHT WITH MY OWN MONEY WAS… my first car, a 1967 red and white Ford Mustang convertible. My sons wish I still had that car. “It’s worth at least $40 – $50,000 now, mom!”

HARDEST THING I’VE EVER DONE… I was a business teacher and taught typing, shorthand, business law and accounting. When computers first came out, I had to teach programming. I had never taken that course, had never programmed anything, and had no idea how to teach it. Some of my students knew more than I did. It was agonizing and embarrassing!

I LOVE THE SOUND OF… I never thought I’d say this, but I love the sound of trains. We just moved into a new subdivision that has a train close by. We hear the train horns all times of the day and night (except when my processors are off). Now when I hear trains, it reminds me of “home.”

IN MY SPARE TIME, I… love to play Sudoku, the Jumble, crossword puzzles, and Spider Solitaire on the computer.

I MISS… my friend, Karen, who passed away way too young.

WHO HAS HAD THE MOST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE? My husband, Ray. He is kind, talented, humorous, loves to play with words (puns), a poet, and a great husband, father, and grandfather. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary by renewing our wedding vows.

MY KIDS HAVE TAUGHT ME… Both of my sons have hearing loss. My younger son has two sons and they also have hearing loss. All of them have inspired me to advocate for others with hearing loss.

PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED THAT I… have a black belt in Karate.

WORKING NINE TO FIVE… When I was a teenager, I gift wrapped in my mother’s dress shop. In college, I worked as a secretary for my aunt and uncle’s advertising agency. I was a teacher for 32 years. I have been a hearing loss resource specialist for the past 10 years. (That’s only four jobs in the last 50 years!)

I AM… passionate, tall, laid back, forgetful, and very sensitive. (I cry at the drop of a hat.)

WHAT’S THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD? My iPhone. I love that I can text, e-mail, talk, and play games all in the palm of my hand.

MY GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS… getting my master’s degree, getting my black belt, having two wonderful sons, and being married to Ray
for 40 years!

I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED… as someone who had a passion to help people with hearing loss.

Hearing Loss Magazine is great! I love reading about new technology and inventions that can help those of us with hearing loss. I love reading about others and what they have accomplished.

Meet Rosemarie Kasper

I had the pleasure of photographing Rosemarie Kasper at HLAA Convention 2012 in Providence, Rhode Island. Read her article below from the May/June 2013 issue of Hearing Loss Magazine to see why I find her to be such an inspiration!

Photo © Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Hearing Loss: My “Secondary” Disability by Rosemarie Kasper

For half my life, navigating the barrier filled world in a wheelchair was a major struggle. My loving parents always wanted the best for me but worried endlessly about my safety.

The major characteristic of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is fragile bones, bones that can sometimes break even without moving, especially during infancy and youth. Related symptoms include respiratory problems, scoliosis,  short stature, weak muscles, and brittle teeth. Not long ago it was determined that more than 50 percent of individuals with OI experience hearing loss.

Due to inaccessible schools and the absence of special transportation, a public school teacher came to my home for one hour each school day—after classes were finished. Although I was frustrated at the separation from school and classmates, I looked forward to attending a local college and preparing for a career.

This was not to be. As an interviewer at a local college explained, “We have too many stairs” to accept students in wheelchairs. It was not until 1968, 13 years after high school, when my college dream became a reality. I was so overjoyed to attend new and welcoming Bergen Community College that instead of trying to hasten my graduation, I wanted to delay it!

After completing my associate’s degree at Bergen Community College, I was accepted at the four-year, stairfilled Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey, then stayed on for my master’s degree in counseling. All courses were taken at night and I continued to work full time during the day. As my college credits accumulated, my position with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation changed from clerical to counseling.

Through the years the problem of inaccessible facilities gradually lessened as the equal rights of people with disabilities were enhanced through legislation. My peers and I, with supporting human service agencies, joined together in advocating for our cause. As a result in my 20s I enjoyed an active life including a secretarial job, membership in clubs, and community activities. The future looked bright.

Hearing Loss Enters the Picture
In my early teens, my parents became concerned about the volume I preferred on radio and TV but attributed this to a fondness for loud sounds. Tests ultimately proved otherwise, and at 18, I received my first hearing aid. It was upgraded periodically in accord with my needs and advances in technology. I also learned the value of binaural aids and regretted not trying them sooner.

Various assistive listening devices (ALD) joined the group of communication tools as needed. Presently, my captioned phone and alerting system are especially valued. But captioning for TV? With the volume turned on high, I felt that was not needed.

Who Dunnit?
One memorable evening I watched a mystery show in my room while my parents watched a different program on another TV. When the mystery ended, I stared blankly at the screen—I had no idea what had happened! And there was no one I could ask. The next day, I ordered a caption decoder box.

On the Fourth of July in 1985 the unthinkable happened: I lost total hearing in my right ear. This was a spontaneous medical occurrence and drastically reduced my communication ability. With the encouragement of my friend and companion, Jo Ann, I enrolled in a lip reading course, and we then both took lessons in sign language. Although nothing helped significantly, basic knowledge of sign language has been useful in certain circumstances. Children are often fascinated by sign language and learn it quickly. An intro course for the early grades might prove valuable.

After expending time and energy trying to convince people that a small person in a wheelchair can function independently, my difficulty in communication has become very frustrating. Servers in restaurants, salespeople, clerks at ticket counters, persons attending meetings—all frequently present communication challenges that hinder independence.

Certain situations are especially frustrating. In a vehicle it is virtually impossible to lip read, and my hearing—even when aided—is useless without this assist. It is also nearly impossible to talk with anyone who is pushing my wheelchair. In small groups every effort will be made to seat me where no one will stumble over my wheels, but it is rarely possible to face everyone.

Roller Coaster Ride with Captions
I have learned to expect far more surprises with a hearing loss than with a wheelchair. If a building is wheelchair-friendly there rarely are difficulties. With a severe-to-profound hearing loss, the absence or malfunction of an assistive listening system can be a major problem. There also seems to be an almost universal belief that people with hearing loss can benefit from sign language interpreters. This depends on various factors, and many late-deafened persons such as myself lack all but minimal skills in sign. I am everlastingly grateful for the availability of captions and this is especially true at HLAA Conventions!

However, movie captioning was not initially helpful to me. With Rear Window captions, the device is placed in a cup holder next to the patron’s seat, but a wheelchair has no holder. My alternative was to hold the device in my hand throughout the movie, which was cumbersome and tiring. However, my own advocacy and especially that of my friend, Arlene Romoff, a crusader in theater access for people with hearing loss, helped to alleviate this problem and a special holder was developed for wheelchairs.

I was thrilled with the advent of captioned live theater but this joy was short lived as the captions often are not readable from wheelchair locations. To assure safety, and as mandated by the fire department, wheelchairs are placed in a specific area close to an exit. One evening when it was impossible to read the captions, theater personnel led our small group to three different areas, each with a progressively worse view. We missed a large part of the first act before reaching a place where the captions were marginally readable. I quickly learned to contact the theater before ordering tickets to a captioned show.

He Did a Great Job
Early in my adjustment to hearing loss I was fortunate to learn about the local New Jersey HLAA Chapter, then known as SHHH. Although I now have a large number of role models, Jack Mulligan, the long-time president, was my first and he similarly inspired many others. He chaired 11 meetings each year, many with interesting speakers. He also sent out a newsletter and added a personal note on many. A retired gentleman, he spent his “spare time” volunteering at our local hospital, and appeared in a video featuring their services for persons with hearing loss.

Jack unfailingly would tell all who helped: “You did a good job!” In 1994, he was honored with the well-deserved Spirit of SHHH Award. Our committee has tried to follow in his footsteps, but he is a tough act to follow.

Going Forward
Even before my hearing loss became so severe, I sensed how much greater its impact would be on my life than the wheelchair now was. Friends easily learned to push my wheelchair and realized the type of help I needed in certain situations. They willingly folded and lifted the wheelchair into their cars and some even carried me up and down steps.

With my hearing loss, it was more problematic. People tended to overlook this invisible condition and did not know how to deal with it. Everyone’s time and patience in repeating a conversation are limited. Today, a dictation app is available for iPads and iPhones but this is appropriate only in certain circumstances. As they say, it’s a different ball game.

A year ago a friend who is a CART reporter expressed her willingness to caption Mass at my church. It seemed a gift from heaven, but I was unsure that it could be set up conveniently. I was wrong, and my pastor was willing and even eager to offer this service. Since then, two Masses each month are captioned and while not many worshippers with hearing loss appear to be availing themselves of this service, those of us who do find it helpful.

On a number of occasions I have been invited to give presentations to classes of medical students. Often schools and universities will seek out speakers, preferring persons who are experiencing the problem. Afterwards, students sometimes commented: “The textbooks never talked about that!”

Public hearings afford the opportunity to testify on various issues including transportation needs, communication issues, and more. It is a valuable opportunity both to provide input and to promote awareness. Overall, coping with hearing loss in addition to using a wheelchair has impressed on me that the most formidable problems might not be visible. Staying at home or pretending to understand when we don’t will not help us or future generations, and joining with others in a cause—such as HLAA demonstrates again and again—can be both rewarding and the key to success.

Rosemarie Kasper graduated with a master’s degree in counseling from Fairleigh Dickinson University and worked for almost 35 years with the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in Hackensack. At retirement she was a senior rehabilitation counselor. Rosemarie also worked for four semesters as an adjunct instructor at Bergen Community College in the Department of Continuing Education. In addition, she served as the editor of Breakthrough, the newsletter of the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation (OIF) for 10 years. Rosemarie has been actively involved in OIF for many years, served on the national Board, and co-founded the local New Jersey Area OI Support Group 20 years ago. She remains its co-chair. In addition, she currently is president of the HLAA Bergen County New Jersey Chapter. Her top interests are travel and writing. With close friend Jo Ann, she has traveled to 39 states as well as Canada, the British Isles, and Bermuda. She has published close to 100 articles in magazines and newspapers, most on her travels as well as how-to pieces. Rosemarie can be reached at rdkoif@verizon.net.

______________________

What is Osteogenesis Imperfecta?
Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), a genetic disorder, affects a person from birth throughout his or her life. It is caused by an error—a mutation—on a gene that affects the body’s production of collagen found in bones and other tissues. OI is variable having eight different types ranging from lethal to mild. The number of Americans affected by OI is estimated to be 25,000-50,000. For more information about OI, go to www.oif.org, the website for the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation.

Hearing Loss Magazine, May/June 2013 issue

The Bozzone family graces the cover of the May/June 2013 issue of Hearing Loss Magazine, which is published bimonthly by the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). Jason and his wife, Melissa, have three children. Their youngest child, Madeline, has a hearing loss. In this issue of the magazine, Melissa writes about Madeline in “Our Party of Five: Madeline’s Story.” Julie Fisher, the Walk4Hearing Program Assistant, interviewed Jason for this issue as well. I photographed the Bozzone family at a Pennsylvania Walk4Hearing event last fall.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Also in this issue:

National Sponsors Create Awareness for Walk4Hearing
2013 sponsor Noreen Gibbens explains why she supports the Walk4Hearing.

The Countdown is On
Nancy Macklin builds excitement for Convention 2013 in Portland, Oregon.

Closed Captioning Frustrations—How to Get Some Help
Carol Studenmund explains how consumers can help improve the quality of captioning on TV.

Can You Hear Me Now? Maximizing Your Hearing on the Phone
Audiologist Brad Ingrao offers technical tips and communications strategies for using the phone.

Seen & Heard
HLAA member Teri Wathen is this issue’s profile.

Advocacy, One Person at a Time
Lise Hamlin, HLAA’s Director of Public Policy, outlines how the organization advocates for public policy and federal regulations, as well as for the rights on more personal levels

Hooked on Bionics
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month and in honor of the event, world-renowned puzzle creator George Barany creates a doozie for our readers.

Hearing Loss: My Secondary Disability
Osteogensis Imperfecta is a rare genetic condition. Adding hearing loss to that could mean a lot of frustration and insurmountable challenges, but, not for author Rosemarie Kasper.

New in Print: Shouting Won’t Help: Why I—and 50 Million Other Americans—Can’t Hear You
Janet McKenna reviewed Katherine Bouton’s new book.

Foxglove

Foxglove (Digitalis), photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

I was aware that Foxglove is highly poisonous, but wanted to do some further research. I found a fascinating reference to Van Gogh’s paintings and his possible use of digitalis therapy during his “yellow period.” Here’s what I found on wikipedia on the subject:

The entire plant is toxic (including the roots and seeds). Mortality is rare, but case reports do exist. Most plant exposures occur in children younger than six years and are usually unintentional and without associated significant toxicity. More serious toxicity occurs with intentional ingestions by adolescents and adults. Early symptoms of ingestion include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, wild hallucinations, delirium, and severe headache. Depending on the severity of the toxicosis, the victim may later suffer irregular and slow pulse, tremors, various cerebral disturbances, especially of a visual nature (unusual colour visions (see xanthopsia) with objects appearing yellowish to green, and blue halos around lights), convulsions, and deadly disturbances of the heart. Vincent van Gogh‘s “Yellow Period” may have been influenced by digitalis therapy which, at the time, was thought to control seizures. As noted above, other oculotoxic effects of digitalis include generalized blurry vision, as well as seeing a “halo” around each point of light. The latter effect can be seen in van Gogh’s Starry Night. Van Gogh’s digitalis use is strongly suggested by multiple self portraits that include the foxglove plant.

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SIDEBAR: I initially majored in fine art (painting) in college before switching to graphic design. I don’t regret that decision as my education and experience has afforded me a fulfilling career in design. Through the years, when I have attempted to return to painting, I have found it difficult to get traction and to find my “style.” I prefer painting loose and sketchy, using lots of paint. I also don’t want to copy work as I did when I was learning to paint all those years ago. As a photographer who continually strives for sharp focus in my images, it can be hard to loosen up when I return to the canvas. Despite this struggle, I don’t think I’ll be partaking of foxglove as Van Gogh did!

Earlier this year, I wrote about what I call “the painting years.” You can read those postings below:

https://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/the-painting-years-first-florals/

https://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/the-painting-years-texas-bluebonnets/

https://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/the-painting-years-apple-harvest/

https://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/the-painting-years-landscape-with-deer/

 

 

Clematis

I photographed this unusual Clematis (Klematis sp.) at Green Spring Gardens this afternoon. I have no idea what variety it is, but it was unusual in that the stamens spread out of most of the bloom, rather than being smaller and centrally located.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Blue Pearls Wild Indigo

Blue Pearls Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis var. minor ‘Blue Pearls’ (B. minor); variety is native to Kentucky and the central U.S.; photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved

Lotsa love (in-a-mist)

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena), photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Bearded iris ‘Megabucks’

Bearded iris ‘Megabucks’ (Iris germanica ‘Megabucks’), photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved

Yellow Columbine blooms

Columbine blooms (Aquilegia sp.), photographed against small evergreen trees in the rock garden at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Bleeding Hearts bloom

Bleeding Hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis; formerly Dicentra spectabilis); photographed at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

 

Blooming in my garden today: Bearded iris ‘Poem of Ecstasy’

Bearded iris ‘Poem of Ecstasy’ (Iris germanica). How’s that for a flower name?!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Stonecrop sedum ‘Weihenstephaner Gold’

Stonecrop sedum floriferum ‘Weihenstephaner Gold’, photographed in the rock garden at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Columbine blooms

Columbine blooms (Aquilegia sp.), photographed in the rock garden at Green Spring Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.