7.16.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, and Welcome to Women's World on RADIOI. As a reminder,
RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
read printed material. Today, I will be reading from Better Hello,
and Welcome to Women's World on RADIOI. As a reminder,

(00:25):
RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
read printed material. Today, I will be reading from Southern
Living Magazine dated June July twenty twenty five, and other
publications as time allows. Your host today is Rosemary. Newspaper

(00:49):
and magazine articles presented in Women's World are for general
information only. RADIOI does not endorse or recommend any of
the subjects mentioned. We start with the picture of health
Secrets to a Good Life Custom Kicks. This Tennessee native

(01:10):
is redefining adaptive footwear. For Aaron Warren, maneuvering his feet
into shoes was a time consuming experience that often left
him uncomfortable or in pain. Last year, I was putting
on my shoes and hurt my toes really badly, and

(01:30):
it frustrated me, recalls Warren, who has final muscular atrophy
in that moment, I was like, what if I could
turn these into accessible shoes? What if I could just
add a zipper to them? The Murphysboro, Tennessee natives began

(01:51):
reaching out to local cobblers, eventually meeting Oliver Gardner and
his wife Angel Gardener Celia shown in the picture here
with Warren, who together run The Shoe Man with Angels
Customs Creations. They worked with Warren to customize a pair

(02:13):
of Nike Air Force one sneakers, his longtime dream, with
subtle zips for easier accessibility. I didn't want the zippers
to be very noticeable, notes Warren. I wanted them to
be functional but stylish as well. That the shoes weren't

(02:35):
obviously modified was important for Warren. It feeds the want
of inclusion. He explains, I always wanted to be fashionable
and where the same ones that my friends wore, but
I never could. I always wanted that feeling of being
a part of the conversation. Now he's inviting others to

(02:56):
the discussion. Last November, he launched Zipped brands, aiming to
make it easier for those who need adaptive footwear but
don't want to sacrifice the looks. They love right now.
The collection includes men's Nike styles, plus women's and kids

(03:19):
Nike and Doctor Martin options, with plans to expand the
line in the future. The next pair that I'm so
excited about is Cowboy boots, he says. I live in
Tennessee and boots are like Nikes around here. Ham crafted
custom shoes aren't expensive, says Warren, noting that price inaccessibility

(03:44):
is something the disability community faces all too often. He's
working to meet folks where they are, offering payment plans
and accepting donations to help mitigate cost for those who
want a pair of his kicks. Ultimately, he aspires to
find partners in the big brands whose shoes they're reworking.

(04:09):
I'm hoping we can show them that there is not
only a need, but a want for this, he says.
Next house call, the eyes have it. Protect your vision
with Doc approved shades. Everyone should wear sunglasses when they

(04:30):
go outside. And the earlier this starts in life, the better,
says doctor Andrew E. Eisman. Don't let a cloudy over
cast a convince you to ditch the shades. The optimologist
adds the risk of ultraviolet radiation is always present when
it comes to finding an effective pair, he says to

(04:54):
look for one hundred percent protection from UVA and UVB
rays to ma the risk of corneal damage, macular degeneration, cataracts,
and eyelid skin cancers. Bigger lenses that cover more of
the eye and the eyelid are better too. The price

(05:14):
of glasses does not always correlate with the quality, so
be careful to buy those that have these features. Next,
Beautiful Spaces for a better life at home, a happy
place when warm weather arrives, there's no one spot Katie

(05:37):
Jacobs and her young family want to be in want
to be their lively garden in Brentwood, Tennessee. Come summertime,
Katie Jacob's yard is something of an easen Tall rows
of corn and sunflowers reach toward the sky. Raised beds

(05:59):
burst with canny colored zenias and climbing vines hang heavy
with miniature green striped watermelons. But that wasn't the case
four years ago. We couldn't grow grass behind our garage
because it gets full sun there. So it was this
dead area, recalls the author in Silas. Frustrated, she and

(06:21):
her husband Brent, shifted their efforts to crafting something that
would thrive in the abundant sunshine of vegetable garden. There
was just one catch. Despite the familiar legacies, he hails
from a cattle farming folk, and her mother and grandmother
cultivated flowers, the couple had absolutely no gardening, no how

(06:47):
of their own. They started small, with four raised beds
fencing them in to keep out deer and other wild life.
We brought in some gravel and dirt and unloaded every
show of every shovel of it ourselves. We didn't want

(07:09):
to spend a lot of money because we weren't sure
if this was going to work or not. She recalls
to their delight their first attempts with herbs, zinias, tomatoes,
and yellow squash thrived. This early success spurred the introduction
of sunflowers and corn the next season, and now four

(07:34):
years later, their fruitful plot spills over with all kinds
of produce and flowers, including blackberries, cosmos, green beans, eggplants,
and a handful of apple trees, among other things. Over time,

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the space has become a sort of sanctuary for the
pear and their three young children, a magical escape where
harried schedules and screens are happily forgotten. We constantly say
it is the best thing we have ever done for
our family, notes Katie. Our kids have seen a patch

(08:15):
of dead grass become this beautiful garden with hard work
and a lot of passion. They are out there with
us every day, with their hands in the dirt, smashing
bugs and picking vegetables for dinner. They see the trial's
firsthand when a windstorm comes through and knocks down all

(08:35):
the flowers, when insects take over a crop, and when
we run out to cover the plants before a frost.
We have built this incredible thing together and they just
take as much pride in it as Brent an I do.
And there's an addition to the article, be fearless with failure.

(09:00):
I always tell people not to be intimidated. Just plant something.
If you never plant anything, nothing's going to grow. You
can start with a three dollars packet of sea. She says.
When steaks are low, it's easier to shake off the
inevitable flops with good humor. I tried Kiwi two years ago.

(09:21):
I tended to the freaking kiwi all summer, watered it
for two hundred days, and we never got one, says
Katie laughing. Maybe Middle Tennessee is not the epitome of
zones to grow it, but we won't do that again.
Next homeschool lessons in Southern decorating. Host with the most

(09:47):
Five easy ways to ensure your party is a success.
Take full advantage of the porch. Don't forget to utilize
your outdoor spaces. I love to have cocktail hour inside
and dinner seated out on the porch as night cools.
It's hard to create a more beautiful setting than Mother

(10:10):
Earth's natural sunset views. And that was from Molly Fleming, Charleston,
South Carolina based co founder of Red Clay, Hot Sauce
and Sipland Next, forget the fuss. Hosting in the summer
requires a certain relaxation of expectations. Some of the guests

(10:33):
will be traveling or out of town. Some of your
standards for foods and beverages are better off Lowered hot dogs,
fried chicken, and beer performed well in the heat for
a reason. And some of the typical approaches to getting
ready require modifications. Skip the silk or blow drying your

(10:55):
hair before entering a sweatstorm. Lean in, let go and
put out something breezy That was Natalie Steen, Texas taste
master and curator of the lifestyle newsletter The Gnat. Note next,
be ready when the sun goes down. We love lingering

(11:19):
outdoor parties in the South, but remember the sun will
eventually set. Don't leave your guests in the dark. Layer
in giant floor lanterns with candles, cafe lights strung above,
and cordless lamps where possible. That from Calder Clark, Charleston,

(11:40):
South Carolina based wedding and event planner. Make a pretty
welcome drink from glassware to your cocktail of choice. Adding
special touches to a beverage goes a long way. I
believe elegance welcome drinks set the tongue perfectly for an event.

(12:02):
They're refreshing and beautiful. I love using edible flowers and
seasonal fruits, so I'll freeze roast petals or marigolds in
ice cubes. That from nietzs John Nashville chef. Keep kids
in mind. If it's a family affair, be sure to

(12:27):
offer a few activities that will encourage the little ones
to occupy themselves. As a mom to three young children,
I really appreciate whenever a host provides some kind of
entertainment a bounce house, inflatable pool, etc. For the young one,
so that the parents can get in more than a

(12:47):
word with each other. That thought from Nadie Steam. Next
the grumpy gardener, Dear grumpy, With all the smartphone technology
these days, can you recommend any digital gardening tool so

(13:08):
I can spend less time working in the yard and
more time watching TV? Tired of the old fresh air
and sunshine, Bob, Yeah, that's so nineteen nineties. The most
obvious examples of teking the garden today are sprinkler systems
and lawnmowers you can program and control remotely using apps

(13:33):
on your phone. But if you want to download a
virus and keep your sprinkler running for weeks while you're
sunning in ma Yorca, causing it to flood your teak
wine cellar and cigar barn, or a rogue file can
send a smart mower crashing through its digital fence, making
it buzz two inches of fur off a neighbor's cat.

(13:56):
Will the product warranty or your homeowners insurance cover that dope? Call?
Mean the theandral, But I prefer a dumb shovel trowel
or pruning saw that will fit in my hands and
won't need updates. Log me out next. Long Live the

(14:21):
Queen Grumpy. I feel like I've been living alive. I
just learned that Queen Ann's lace is non native and invasive.
Is this true? I'm almost seventy years old. It's been
around all my life and I have never seen to
take it, and I've never seen it take over anything.

(14:44):
Should I not so seed this fall? It's true that
Queen Anne's lace is non native. It's very closely related
to the common carot, which is basically an edible version
of Queen AND's lace. However, I don't consider it invasive

(15:06):
at all. To me, it's just a pretty wildflower I
look forward to seeing each year. Plus the black swallowtail
caterpillars feed on its foliage, and bees and butterflies enjoy
its nectar. So away. Clematis woes. I have a ten

(15:29):
year old clematis vine. This year it turned round at
the ground after it bloomed, and then the discoloration continued
all the way up to the top. What happened the
culport is a disease called clematis wilt. Its fungal spores
live in dead stems and plant debris at the base

(15:50):
of the vine, and then reinfect new growth the next year.
Fungicides won't help. What you need to do is to
cut off all disease foliage and stems and throw them
out with a trash. Also discard debris around the base.
The good news is that the fungus doesn't affect the roots,

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so the clematis will come back to promote future health.
Ensure the vine isn't crowded by other plants, has good
air circulation around it, and gets at least six hours
of sun a day. Don't plant this. How can I

(16:34):
get rid of Mexican petunias? I added just one and
now they're coming up everywhere. Often sold in garden centers.
Mexican petunia, formerly known as our Brittoniana, boast very pretty
purple blue flowers. However, it's a ruthless spreader, particularly one

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named purple showers in USDA zones eight to ten. The
roots grow deep and wide and are nearly impossible to
dig up. Plus it sees itself all over. A volcano
or asteroid might destroy it, but most people are afraid

(17:20):
of such things. I suggest treating it according to labeled
directions with the herbicide or like crossbow or bioadvanced brush
killer hope for hydranges. I live in the bay in Sarasota, Florida.
Is there a hydrangea that will survive here? Wait, Carl,

(17:44):
do you actually live in the bay. Unless you have
a houseboat, neither you nor a hydrangea will ever reach
old age. In any case, you're located right on the
southern limit of where big leaf hydranges, the ones with
blue or pea flowers will flourish. Pick a spot that

(18:05):
gets mourning sun and afternoon shade. A mend sandy coastal
soil with plenty of organic matter such as composted cower manure.
Be prepared to water your hydrangees frequently in hot weather.
Remember to use only fresh water, not that from the bay.

(18:29):
And now, grumpies, gripe of the month. I am not
growing tomatoes this year, not because I don't want to,
because I can't. Like all fruiting veggies, tomatoes need full
sun to produce a decent crop. Unfortunately, the sunniest area
on my property is in the front yard near the road.

(18:52):
This is not a good place. Neighbors in the burbs
don't like matter patches by the street. If they did,
you know that there would be a parade of issue
of ease, all with smoked windows and their lights turned
off inching by night so the thieves could help themselves.
I did try growing a Cherokee purple in a pot

(19:15):
on my driveway ones two Measley tomatoes, the size of cubeballs,
took until September to ripen. Then a squirrel and a
ski masks rob them. Of course, Next, know your plants.
Persian shield protect your garden's sterling reputation with its electrifying foliage.

(19:40):
Plant persian shields can do more than fend off swords.
The gardening kind offers brilliantly colored color from spring to fall.
Its broadly oval pointed leaves are six to eight inches long,
have a metallic sh she and are variegated with magenta, silver,

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and green hues atop a solid purple undersize a perennial
in the USDA zones nine and ten and an annual elsewhere.
Persian shield grows two to three feet tall and wide.
It does fine in flower beds, but I like its

(20:26):
best in containers mixed with silver, blue, pink, and even
orange plants give it fertile, moist, well drained soil, and
part sun. Direct summer rays may bleach the colors, pinched
back any stems that get leggy, and that is the

(20:50):
Persian shield. Next a locals guide. Time to take a dip.
Now that summer has set the thermostatue sizzle head to
one of our top spots to cool off. There are
four mentioned Kinlock Falls, Silver Run Falls, Aikin State Park,

(21:13):
and Hamilton Pool Preserved Kinlock Falls and Lawrence County, Alabama.
When it takes a bit of driving to find this
gem in northwest Alabama, once you reached the refreshing pool
at the base, you'll agree the tip was trip was
well worth it. About twelve miles northeast of Hayleyville in

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the Bankhead National Forest, Kinlock Falls isn't far from the road.
The cascade tumbles fifteen feet over well worn rock ridges.
He can also climb down the hillside next to the falls.
Both routes are slippery, so proceed with caution. Even on

(21:57):
a stifling afternoon. The stream below stays clear and cold.
Pack a picnic and spend some time enjoying the views
before getting in the water. Next Silver Run Falls in Cashier's,
North Carolina. No strenuous hiking is required to reach these

(22:19):
stunning falls, which drop thirty feet. This easy to find
wonder is just a quarter mile from a roadside parking
area off State one oh seven. You can take it
all in from observation points along the trail and bank,
or with a little more walking, get a closer look

(22:40):
at the natural beauty from the com pond at the bottom.
This shallow pool is popular for waiting and splashing around
on sweltering days. Silver Runfalls can get overcrowded on weekends,
so try to get there early so you can stake
out a spot. Next Aiken State Park in Windsor, South Carolina,

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you can float, fish, hike, swim, and learn African American
history in the process. At this one thousand and sixty
seven acre natural area on the banks of the South
Fork at Deisto River east of Aiken. Underground springs fill

(23:26):
the fore fishing and swimming lakes, while the river's south
fork offers a calm flow for canoeing and kayaking. When
you've had your fill of the water, take a stroll
along one of the hiking trails, where interpretative signs tell
the story of the facility's unique beginnings. Aikin State Park

(23:48):
was originally constructed in the nineteen thirties by the Civilian
Conservation Corps, a Depression era government program which much of
the work being done by African American detachment. Their tremendous
skills were evident in several original structures throughout the park,

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including a bathhouse still used today, and finally, Hamilton Pool Preserve.
Dripping Springs, Texas about thirty miles west of Austin and
sixty miles east of Luckinback the swimming hole is a

(24:30):
spring fed box canyon as famous in Texas as Whelan
and Willie. Local legend says the eight year old son
of a rancher discovered the spot in the eighteen eighties,
but the area was used by Native Americans for thousands
of years. Travis County bought the public pool in more

(24:54):
than two hundred surrounding acres in nineteen eighty five and
eventually formed the Hamilton Pool Preserve. There is a limit
on the number of swimmers allowed into the water at
a time. Reserve a morning or afternoon slought online for
twelve dollars per vehicle credit card only, and then pay

(25:17):
an additional cash only per person entrance fee upon arrival.
The cost is totally justified by the hours of fun
and relaxation you'll have admiring the fifty foot waterfall and
waiting by the beach at this collapsed stone grotto. Next

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snack time a good catch upgrade happy hour with this
stir together appetizer inspired above the Gulf Coast. The smoked
tuna dip. Active time for the recipe is ten minutes
total time to minutes. The recipe serves eight. The ingredients

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are two ounces of cream cheese softened, two teaspoon grated
lemon zest plus two teaspoon fresh juice from one lemon divided,
plus lemon wedges for serving, two tablespoons mint shallat or
shalot from one shallot, two tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus
more for garnish, two tablespoons drained non perell capers coarsely chopped,

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one fourth teaspoon kosher salt, one fourth teaspoon freshly ground pepper,
two two point five ounces pouches smoked tunas such as
bumble bee, drained fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, assorted crackers,
and hot sauce whisked together cream cheese and lemon juice

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and a spol until smooth. Stir in zest, shallat, chives, capers,
salt and pepper. You're in half of tuna until well combined.
Fold and remaining tuna until just combined. Transfer to a
small serving bowl, garnish with chives and parsley. Served dip

(27:14):
with crackers, hot sauce and lemon wedges. Here's a test
kitchen tip. Can't find the right tuna in a pinch?
Add a dash of liquid smoke. That was the recipe
for smoked tuna dip. This concludes Women's World for today.

(27:39):
Your reader has been Rosemary. If you have any questions, comments,
or suggestions about this program, please call us in our
Lexington Studios at eight five nine four two two six
three nine zero. Thank you for listening, and please stay
tuned for continued programming here on RADIOI