Newsletter Date: October 31,
2011
THE BUZZ
Issue # 3 Volume 3
Joke of the
Quarter:
Advocacy in Action: By Mr. James Burney
How do you make
a witch scratch?
Take away the
itch.
By: Lori Shapiro
Inside this issue:
Advocacy in Action
1
A Poem About Hope
Fins, Feathers, and Paws
2
Worker Bees
3
Healthy Recipe
All About Tim and Tim’s
Wonderful Girlfriend, Jan S.
4
My Trip to Disney World
5
The Benefits of Yoga
6
This is What I Think...A
Critique Column
7
Hart to Heart
Rock News
8
Annual Fishing Trip
9
Riding the Tide
10
In the beginning of
the month
of August,
I, James
Burney, attended the
ARC conference in Virginia Beach,
Virginia, and was one of the speakers
on a panel of four from the Our
Voices committee. Also attending the
conference as speakers for Our Voices
were Lori Shapiro, Dorothy Clark, and
Kevin Benton. The reason that I attended the conference was because I
wanted to speak about the Buzz newsletter and how people can go about
doing their own article for a newsletter. This is important because I want
people to know that I have a voice,
that you have a voice, and that you can
be able to let your voice be heard.
Even though I stood up and spoke to
the people I was a little nervous, but
the most important thing I wanted was
to get my message across to the listening audience, because when I do a
newsletter, or speak in a crowd I want
to have the right words for people.
What I experienced was that you don‟t
have to say a whole lot, but just a couple of words from the heart that you
feel the people would greatly appreciate, and will make a difference in everyone‟s lives. The reason I go to all of
the conferences I attend and meetings is
because other speakers encourage me
not to give up and to let my voice be
heard. My message is this: whatever
disability you have in life don‟t let it get
in the way of your dreams. Don‟t let
your past hinder your future because
further down the road there are bigger
and better things along the way… you
just have to continue the race. Stand up
for your rights, the rights of others, and
fight! Let ALL of our voices be heard as
one.
I would like to invite you to send me
any questions or stories regarding advocacy, or this article. Have you had a
success that would be good to share?
Please feel free to contact me via email
[email protected] , or
through the Hope House Foundation
Administrative Office at 625-6161.
A Poem About Hope:
By Tim Sherman
Hope is deep down inside,
Hope is there for you when you
need it,
Hope is having dreams.
THE BUZZ
Page 2
Fins, Feathers, and Paws: By Jeremy Norman
“what in the world?” After
my roommate was cleaned
up, I had to take my poor
cat and give him a bath.
Luckily no one was hurt.
My Cat is Afraid of my
Rabbit!
One day I had my rabbit out
of his cage and running
around in the living room.
While this was happening,
my cat was using the liter
box. All of the sudden, the
rabbit hopped over to sniff
my cat. When the cat saw
the rabbit he jumped to high
heaven despite not being
done doing number two in
his liter box. At the time I
did not know that the cat got
poop all over the living room
floor. My roommate, Kenny,
came out his room and asked
me what all of the racket
was, but before he could say
“racket” he stepped forward
and slipped in the poop and
fell back words. I giggled
under my breath and thought,
Another funny incident that
happened between the cat
and the rabbit occurred the
next time that I tried to get
the cat used to the rabbit. I
put my cat in the living
room first and then put the
rabbit in the living room
next to him. I watched
them for a minute while the
rabbit and the cat sniffed
each other. Then the rabbit
jumped toward my cat and
my cat ran away and skidded into the hallway. A few
minutes later I walked back
into the living room and
out of nowhere the cat
jumped into my arms, making me fall backwards. All
I can remember is that I
was able to catch the cat
while we were falling into
my rack of CDs and the
CDs falling on me and the
cat. After that, I put the rabbit away and I remember
thinking to myself that rab-
bits are supposed to be
afraid of cats, not the other
way around. Now whenever the rabbit is out and
about the cat hides on top
of the tables. If the cat does
not hide the rabbit will
sneak up behind him and
scare him again. Don‟t be
discouraged, usually cats
and rabbits make good
friends if they are both indoor animals, have never
been outdoors, and are well
trained.
I have to go for now. This
is Jeremy saying over and
out.
Fun Fact of the
Quarter:
Frogs sometimes eat
enough fireflies that they
themselves glow.
Page : 3
THE BUZZ
Worker Bees: By Keisha Turner
Hi, my name is Keisha.
I would like to tell you about my work experience.
I work for Goodwill in Virginia Beach. I do a lot of different
things there. When I work as a cashier, I first greet the customers with “Welcome to Goodwill.” I am working on ringing people up and giving them their correct change. I also put clothes on the racks.
We have all kinds of clothes, except for doll baby clothes. I put the clothes on the
hangers and put them on a rack. I tag the clothes by color, spray them with Febreze,
and take them out to the sales floor. From there, I put the clothes where they need to
be. When the donation bell rings, I take the newly donated clothes and ask them if
they need a receipt. If they want a receipt, I write Goodwill and the store number on
it. I tell them to have a nice day and to come back again. The computer room is
where the computer, copier, file cabinets, and telephones are located. This is where I
work on the computer when I need to and have meetings. I work long hours, but I eat
lunch and get to take a break everyday. Luckily, I get along well with my coworkers.
I am a very hard worker, and I love my job!
Thanks for choosing me to be in The Buzz!
Healthy Recipe of the Quarter: Tuna-Vegetable Salad
Ingredients:
Instructions:
1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheesefilled tortellini
1– Fill 4-quart Dutch oven about half full with
water; heat to boiling. Add tortellini and frozen vegetables. Cook 5 to 8 minutes or until
1 bag (1 pound) frozen broccoli, cauliflower, tortellini is tender; drain. Rinse with cold waand carrots (or any other combination)
ter to cool; drain
1 can (12 ounces) tuna, drained
2– Place tuna, tortellini and vegetable in large
bowl
1/2 cup creamy Parmesan or cucumber salad
dressing
3– Add dressing; toss gently until evenly
coated with dressing
Page :4
THE BUZZ
All About Tim and Tim’s Wonderful Girlfriend, Jan S:
By Tim Howard
I have a wonderful girlfriend named Jan S. who
works with me on
Wednesdays at Cox Enclave, a division of
Chesapeake Service Systems (CSS). I get to see
the pretty shining face of
my beautiful girlfriend,
Jan S., every Wednesday
from 9 am until 2 pm at
Cox Enclave. Jan is
very smart, intelligent,
bright young lady. I love
her too pieces. She is
my shining star, my
shnookums. I support
her at work in order to
make sure she is alright.
Jan and I get along
really, really well. We
are compatible and we
make a really good cou-
ple. I lover her so, so very
much. She is the greatest
thing that has ever happened to me, she is my inspiration. I will keep her
in my life forever. I will
never cheat on her or mistreat her. Those things will
never, ever happen.
We go on dates and eat at
places like Wendy‟s,
McDonalds‟, and CiCi‟s
Pizza. I treat Jan when we
go out to eat sometimes
and then sometimes we go
out dinner too. We go
places like Walmart and
the Dollar Tree for me to
buy a few things that I
need.
This Sunday is her 27th
birthday celebration. I am
going out to eat with her
to the Lynnhaven Mall
Food Court. Then we are
going to shop around the
mall and go to the Dollar
Tree to buy a few things
that I need. I am also go-
ing to buy her birthday presents at the Dollar Tree this
Saturday to give to her on
Sunday. My staff Nicole at
the Tranquility House in Virginia Beach is going to help
me pick out her gifts.
SAFE Tip of the
Quarter:
Having good self-esteem is
really important in developing and keeping good relationships. Self-esteem means
feeling good about yourself,
or having strong, positive
ideas about who you are! It‟s
about knowing what you like,
what makes you happy, and
what makes you sad. Other
people like to be around people who feel good about
themselves. Having positive
self-esteem is something we
have to work on every day.
THE BUZZ
Page 5
My Trip to Disney World: By Dorothy Clark
I went to
Disney
world in
October
2010. I vacationed
with a
travel
group
called The Guided Tour, Inc,
which we called simply
Guided Tour. They specialize
in assisting people with disabilities of all kind to go on
their dream vacation. When I
went to Disney World I traveled by train. I met up with one
of the Guided Tour staff on the
train. His name was Jim. My
friend Maggie gave me a ride
to the train station in Richmond. My experience on the
train ride was great. I got to eat
dinner and breakfast during the
ride there. On the train as a
souvenir for myself, I bought a
hat that says “Amtrack” (that‟s
the name of the train station).
staff. We got to eat dinner at
the restaurant inside the hotel
on our first night there. The
next day we went to Sea
World. I got to see the killer
whales and the dolphins do
tricks. I purchased a cup and
toy dolphin from there. We got
to eat lunch inside of Sea
World. It was a lot of fun. I
took a picture beside the killer
whale tank and it looks like the
killer whale was right behind
me. We went back to the room
after our visit and put away our
things and we went to dinner.
On the third day, we visited
Magic Kingdom. I met Mickey
Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto
and Goofy. I got to see three
plays, a parade of the Disney
characters and I saw the seven
dwarfs. I met Beauty and the
Beast. They were really cute. I
took lot of pictures of the different characters there. I purchased two hats while at
Magic Kingdom. One was a
Goofy hat with his ears and the
When we arrived at Disney
other was a Mickey Mouse hat
World I got really excited be- with Mickey‟s ears. I went to a
cause it was my first time ever Bugs Show that was in 4D.
being there. I also got my hotel While watching the show one
room assignment when I arof the bugs passed gas in my
rived there. My roommate‟s
face. I felt the little cockname was Kara. We were very roaches crawl across my back
friendly towards each other. I
while sitting in the chair. I didalso got to purchase a Guided n‟t like that very much. On the
Tour t-shirt while at the hotel
fourth day I went to Animal
from one of the Guided Tour
Kingdom. We went on a Safari. We rode in a Jeep to the
Safari. The animals got really
close to the Jeep. I saw an upside down tree, giraffes, rams,
donkeys, sheep, and goats.
While in Animal Kingdom we
saw “The Lion King” show.
We went to a restaurant where
there was a play going on. We
got to go on stage and dance
with the characters from the
play. I enjoyed myself. Then
we went back to the hotel. We
got to go to the souvenir shop
and purchase things we
wanted. We went out to dinner
afterwards. On the last day Jim
took to me back to Magic
Kingdom so that I could get
the character‟s autographs in
my new autograph book I purchased from the gift shop.
Then one of the Guided Tour
supervisors treated Jim and I to
lunch and we were dropped off
at the train station.
I would recommend other people to travel with the Guided
Tour. I had a really nice time
with them. They helped me
with my morning and evening
routines. They helped me manage my money. I saved a nice
sum of money for my trip. I
didn‟t spend it all so I got to
bring some back with me. The
Guided Tour staff stayed with
us the entire time. They were
very friendly to me and I
would love to go on another
trip with the Guided Tour!
If you have any comments, opinions, or just want to contribute contact the
Hope House Foundation Administrative Offices at 625-6161.
THE BUZZ
Page 6
The Benefits of Yoga: An Interview with Heather Keane
Susan: Hi Heather. Would you mind telling the
readers a little bit about yourself?
Heather: No problem. I am 40 years old, and I have been receiving
services from HHF for the past 7 years. I live in my own apartment in
Virginia Beach with my new husband Bruce. We were married on
July 3rd. I work at McDonalds, and I‟m a volunteer at PetSmart for the
SPCA.
Susan: How long have you been taking yoga classes?
Heather: I have been taking classes for about 1 ½ years now at the Seatack Recreation Center
on Birdneck Road through the City of Virginia Beach Parks and Rec. The classes don‟t cost
very much for yoga.
Susan: What made you choose yoga?
Heather: I wanted to do something different. I had already started following a nutrition plan,
and I wanted to learn more ways to keep my body in shape. I was doing square dancing, but I
wanted to be in even better shape for my wedding.
Susan: Now that your wedding is over, will you continue to attend yoga classes?
Heather: Oh yes! I want to continue to stay healthy. It is lots of fun, it helps me stretch my
whole body, and it makes me feel good inside too. I also enjoy taking long walks to the
oceanfront from my apartment on the weekends. It feels great to exercise.
Susan: What are your favorite yoga poses?
Heather: I really like the Eagle balance pose and pigeon pose.
Sometimes the workout can be tough, but I like to prove to myself Diabetes Tip of the
and other people that I can do it.
Quarter:
Always check your blood
glucose before and after
exercise. You might need
Heather: Just try it! It‟s just like riding a bike. Try it and you
a snack to prevent low
will be ok. You will meet some really nice people too! I do think
it is best to go with a friend though. It will keep you motivated to blood glucose.
go when you are just not sure you can make it.
Susan: What advice do you have for people that might be too
nervous to give yoga a try?
If you have any comments, opinions, or just want to contribute contact the
Hope House Foundation Administrative Offices at 625-6161.
Page : 7
THE BUZZ
This is What I Think…
A Critique Column –By Blake Thomas
Hi! My name is Blake Thomas and playing video games is what I do. I have a huge
collection of all sorts of video games. The game that I purchased most recently is called
NASCAR 2011. I play this game on my XBOX 360.
I got this game from Wal-Mart in North Carolina. My granddad took me to purchase
this when I went to visit him and my grandma over the weekend. My granddad helped
me pick it out.
When I first played the game I was at my grandparent‟s house. I played it on their
small TV. I like playing it so much better at my apartment because I have a big screen
TV which makes everything on the game look bigger and real.
I give this game two thumbs up. I like this game because it has real NASCARS in it. I like when they crash
into the walls and especially when the cars crash into each other. I love to make my car in the game drive
really fast. I‟m a really good driver.
When you play the game you get to pick which car you want to drive and you get to pick a real NASCAR
driver to play with as your character. Dale Earnhart, Jr. is my favorite driver in the game. He‟s my favorite
driver because he is a good driver and he wins a lot of trophies. At the end of the race you get points for how
well you do and whether or not you crash your car. You also get trophies and prizes after the races.
One of my favorite parts in the game is when the coaches are talking to you while you‟re racing and they say
things like “Easy Cowboy”. I always laugh when I hear them say that.
This is a fun game for people to play because it‟s a sport. I think everyone would enjoy it “…it‟s all in the
game Baby!”
Hart to Heart– An Advice Column on Relationships
Dear Dr. Hart:
With the seasons changing what are some good ideas for inside dates?
Lacking Creativity
Dear Lacking Creativity,
Some fun ideas for indoor dates include: ice skating, roller skating, visiting museums,
the aquarium, hockey or basketball games, art galleries, coffee shops, hosting game
nights, bowling, laser tag, rock climbing, or the movies. I hope this helps!
If anyone else has any relationship questions, send your letter to The Buzz.
Dr. Hart!
THE BUZZ
Page 8
Rock News: By Justin Brown
This year, the summer concert season
was full of bands that I like. There was
Def Leppard, Heart, Megadeth, Godsmack, Disturbed, Journey, Foreigner, Night Ranger, Sheryl
Crow, Kid Rock, Stone Temple Pilots and Brett Michaels.
The first concert of the summer that I saw was Def Leppard
and Heart. It was a good start. Heart played some of their
older songs like “Barracuda”, “These Dreams” and “What
About Love”. They also played some of their newer songs off the “Red Velvet Car” CD.
Then Def Leppard came out and did songs like “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, “Love Bites”,
and “Foolin„”. As well as some songs off their “Mirror Ball” record.
The second concert was the Rockstar Energy Drink Tour. The headliners were Megadeth,
Godsmack, and Disturbed. It was awesome. It was an all day concert with several other
bands. They also had people on dirt bikes jumping over ramps as tall as trailers while doing
stunts.
Next I went to see Journey, Foreigner, and Night Ranger. Night Ranger started the show
early but they were the best band. They played songs like “Sister Christian”, “Don‟t Tell Me
You Love Me” and “(You Can Still) Rock In America”. Foreigner was the second band to hit
the stage with songs like “Hot Blooded”, “Jukebox Hero” and “I Want To Know What Love
Is”. Journey was the last band of the night and they played songs like “Don‟t Stop Believin‟”, “Separate Ways”, and “Open Arms”.
The fourth concert I saw was Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock. Sheryl Crow started the concert
with songs like “Soak Up The Sun”, “If It Makes You Happy” and “Everyday Is A Winding
Road”. Then Kid Rock sang “American Badass”, “Cowboy” and “Bawitdaba”. Kid Rock
had a video of several different celebrities wishing him a happy 40th birthday including Jay
Leno, Jon Stewart and Bevis and Butthead. At the end of the concert, Sheryl Crow came
back out to sing the duet “Picture” and a couple of other songs with Kid Rock.
The last concert was The American Music Festival where I saw Stone Temple Pilots and
Brett Michaels. STP was dreadful. They sang some of their songs but I left before they
could finish. But Brett Michaels was good. He sang songs like “Talk Dirty To Me”,
“Unskinny Bop” and “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”. He also sang “Sweet Home Alabama”
giving credit and thanks to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
All in all, it was a good summer. The best concert out of them all was Kid Rock.
If you have any comments, opinions, or just want to contribute contact the
Hope House Foundation Administrative Offices at 625-6161.
Page : 9
THE BUZZ
Annual Fishing Trip: Contributions from Bill Hearld,
George Outlaw, Jessie Smith, and Donald Tinglan
Bill Hearld holding the blow fish he
caught!
Each year individuals supported by Hope
House Foundation have the opportunity
to participate in one of two fishing trips
hosted by the Great Bridge Fisherman‟s
Association. On September 14th, over 60
individuals boarded a boat at the Lynnhaven Fishing Pier and headed out into
the Chesapeake Bay for a day filled with
fishing, friends, food and fun. Four individuals were interviewed to share
Donald Tinglan preparing to
cast his reel.
their experience fishing and encourage others to get involved in a fun outing to make new connections and try a unique outing.
George Outlaw, the winner of the contest for the most fish caught in the afternoon, has enjoyed
attending this fishing trip for years. This year he reeled in three fish and as a result won a new
hat that he proudly enjoys wearing.
Bill Hearld attended the fishing trip with his neighbor Donald Tinglan and two of his favorite
staff. He enjoyed relaxing on the boat, casting his line into the water, and enjoying a fried
chicken meal. On one of his casts, he reeled in a blow fish! While he had a great afternoon out
on the boat, he really enjoys the trips to the fishing pier and encourages others who may be nervous about going out on a boat to give the pier a try!
George Outlaw holding one of
his record setting three fish he
caught.
When asked about the fishing trip, Donald Tinglan enjoyed showing
pictures of himself fishing and out on the water, communicating that the
water is one of his favorite places to spend time. Both the excitement
and the peacefulness of the water appeal to him.
Jessie Smith attended the fishing trip
with her neighbor Linwood Tatem and
boyfriend Jeremy Norman. She stated
that while she is not an avid fisher she
enjoyed spending the afternoon on the
water with her friends and watching
other people fish. The trip inspired her
to plan a fishing trip of her own with
her boyfriend!
A great time was had by all!
Jessie Smith, Jeremy Norman, and Linwood Tatem eagerly waiting to start
their fishing adventure.
Page 10
THE BUZZ
Riding the Tide: By Melissa Greene
Melissa Greene‟s take on riding the Tide
with her neighbor Nick Wright.
I recently had the opportunity to try out Hampton Roads new
transit system, the Norfolk light-rail called the Tide. I thought
that the Tide was cool and exciting to ride, with plenty of available seats for me and my staff to sit in.
I will be taking the Tide in the future because it travels 7.4 miles throughout Norfolk and goes
by some of my favorite places including MacArthur Mall and the Tides stadium. It is convenient to park for free in the designated parking lots and ride for only $1.50 for a one-way-ticket
from anywhere along the track running from east downtown Norfolk to Newtown Rd. It only
takes about 24 minutes to ride from one end to the other and there are options available to purchase weekly or monthly riding passes that may be a better option for folks who are planning on
riding the Tide multiple times.
Something that I just found out is that the Tide offers discounted tickets for individuals with
disabilities, but you have to go on Wednesdays and fill out an application and have your doctor
sign it. Then we can ride for $0.75!!
However, my neighbor Nick went with me and although they had wheelchair accessible seating
on the Tide, they were difficult to get to and there weren‟t very many! It
was a tight squeeze for Nick to move around on the Tide, especially because there were a lot of people riding the day that we went.
I think others should ride it because it can help them get to where they
need to go and save money on gas. I wish that the Tide could reach more
places like Virginia Beach and Chesapeake!!
I am looking forward to riding it again!!
The Buzz is looking for contributors. If you are interested in writing a one
time feature article or in being a part of our regularly contributing staff writers please contact Erin Freeman at 625-6161 ext 519 or [email protected]. We look forward to reading new and exciting articles.
If you have any comments, opinions, or just want to contribute contact the
Hope House Foundation Administrative Offices at 625-6161.