Musings and What-not

Wishing you and yours a wonderful and safe holiday season! Or if you don't celebrate the holidays, just, ummm, wishing you well!  :D

I am humbled... and speechless by the author's review. I received my copy of Adonya Wong 's book In My Mind...The World through the Eyes of Autism in the mail today. The timing couldn't have been better. A rainy day, one child inside... Read on and you'll understand why.

Is this post about autism?  No, it isn't.  Then again, I don't always blog about autism.  Tonight's post is about another topic of which I am very passionate about.  I'm an advocate... what can I say? I like chocolate, but I don't love chocolate.   I know a lot of people who can't live without it; I think they call refer to themselves as "chocoholics". Most of us don't always pay attention to how that tasty bar or little kiss came to be.  We don't normally put a whole lot of thought into it because we don't want to ruin the moment . Some of you may only look as far as the label and that may very well be the extent of your concern. Then again, some of you may look beyond it, and see the dirty little secret that most chocolate sellers don't want you to know. Man!  I feel like this post is about to turn into the sequel of The Da Vinci Code ©. ;) The following is an excerpt from a Global Exchange article. In 2000, a report by the US Stat...

Yesterday, my Twitter friends learned of my decision to donate my tresses to Locks of Love , a public nonprofit that "helps disadvantaged children with medical hair loss." This is a pic of my pony sans product (meaning my hair is chemical-free and store-bought product-free).  No sense being natural if you're going to put crap in your locks, right???. I didn't want to get cold feet, so, ummm, here's a picture of it after I cut it off today. Now, I know some you are out there laughin' at my forehead or fivehead (as it was so graciously referred to during my youth) AND spottin' your britches over my robe! {y'all are so messed up for laughin' at me! :-)} In between gasping for air, please remember that this was all for a worthy cause and my after photo should not be held against me.  {wink} Man!  The stylist is going to be ripped to shreds when I walk in and ask her to "fix" the rest of my head!  I still have almost 8 inches of hair on th...

This slide show does an amazing job explaining what took place on December 16, 2008!  I was proud to be part of it!  It was an amazing day! Thank you, PF Anderson, for putting this together!  Bravo! The rest of you... enjoy! [slideshare id=855621&doc=asdautismtwitterday-1229572866190311-2&w=425]

[et_pb_section bb_built="1"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text] I couple of months ago, I blogged about wanting to learn more about autism... from the perspective of an adult who was living with it; a self advocate. There isn't enough awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome in... adults. What happens to our children once they're all grown up?  Who will represent them? Lisa Jo, About.com's Autism Guide, brought up an interesting topic the other day that gave me pause. Although, her post spoke of Autism Speaks (because it is viewed as "the voice" of our community), the gist of her post was this... is the adult autistic community being properly represented within organizations that were founded to "help" the ASD community? Here's an excerpt from that post. Some suggest that it's unreasonable to expect Autism Speaks to include autistic adults in their organization because most of the be...

My son LOVES him some Bob Marley!  Seriously! Now, some of you probably turned your nose up when you read that, and that's okay.  I'm thinking you probably don't know much about Bob or his music, and that's okay too. Allow me to shed some light on that which you do not know... Bob makes my son sing... at the top of his lungs and with emotion! Bob makes my son sway to the beat! Bob encourages my son to read.  If there are lyrics in the album cover, my son can be found reading them. And I credit Bob for much of the spontaneous speech that my son has spoken this year. Here's a little more of that which you probably do not know. Marley remains the most widely known and revered performer of reggae music, and is credited for helping spread Jamaican music to the worldwide audience. The compilation album, Legend , released in 1984, three years after his death, is the best-selling reggae album ever (10 times platinum [ 3 ] ), with sales of more than 12 million copies. Mar...

I'm going to keep this short. The next time you're feeling down in the mouth and start carrying on about how badly autism has affected your life... watch this video ! If this absolutely amazing woman can go about her days with a smile ... so can you ! Now, pick your chin up, smile, and go about your life!  :) P.S.  Please DO NOT make the same mistake I did by going to the site that recommended the video!  I'll say this and move on... you'll be scarred... for life!

I love perusing the net and discovering new "green" sites! Last night, hub and I were watching Focus Earth with Bob Woodruff on Discovery's Planet Green, and we learned about Enviromom.com and their green efforts. What a pair these two moms are.  Their blog is chocked full of amazing information!  They even offer a Master Recycler course which is worth exploring if you're just starting out. Living in Oklahoma, we lovers of the earth quickly discover that not all plastics are created equal.  A fact that frustrates me every time I put our recycling out. Now, you're probably thinking you're being pretty eco-friendly simply because you switched from petroleum-based plastics to corn-based, right? I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but corn ain't much better. In Enviromom.com 's own words... Corn-based plastics are still disposable products, which is pretty much the main reason neither Renee nor I like them. Here are some other reasons: Creati...

I walked into class, not knowing anyone. Y'know?  The new kid in school. I laid my books on the desk... and waited for someone to say, "Hi."   "Welcome."  "It's nice to meet you." And someone did! It was my first book signing.  And I was beyond excited. Word on the street is if you sell one book, the signing was a success.  After all, books are only sold one at a time. I did better than one, but the quantity of books sold really wasn't important in the end.  I had a really good time meeting other parents, grandparents, aunts, and supporters of our community. When you're passionate about something, talking about it is second-nature. I also had a good time talking about the benefactor of a portion of my proceeds, Tulsa Autism Foundation .  It is unfortunate that not everyone in Tulsa (within the autism community) has heard of them.  It saddens me to hear that people are still out there struggling to find information when there is a wealth o...

Thank you from the bottom of my bottomless heart to EVERYONE who entered, tweeted, and blogged about my lil' giveaway!  Words cannot fully express my gratitude. The video you are about to view is unedited, meaning I did this on one take AND I enlisted the assistance of HRH (His Royal Hiney).  After all, this whole experience was made possible because of him. Oh!  And don't even think of judging me because he's up so late!  {wink} The books will be mailed on Monday because I have another giveaway at my signing tomorrow (WOOT!), and I want to be eco-friendly by making only 1 trip to the post office. Thanks again!  This was an absolute blast! P.S.  It only took me 11 hours to upload the video!  LOL  Hence, the lingo referring to tomorrow which is, of course, today!

There is a lot to learn from a child with special needs. Some parents to these amazing children don't always play nice with one another.  Some exchanges are often unpleasant, often to the point of life-threatening. So, how is one to speak out and play nice in a divided world? I feel like I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm sure much of what I post on this blog has gone against what many parents on the spectrum believe.  However, these parents not only respect my thoughts... but they keep coming back to read more.  Heaven love them!  :) It's this kind of social interaction that makes for a good time. Speaking of being social, let's talk about Twitter for a moment, shall we? I follow, and I'm being followed by parents, caregivers, educators, medical professionals (traditional and unconventional), etc. who are living with autism in some way, shape, or form. However, there are some people who choose not to follow me but are fine with me following them. Now, it's this...

Yes, I'm going to talk about Ning again!  Gotta problem wit' dat? Oh, yeah?!?!? Well, I know people who know some people who know other people who can help you out wit dat lil' problem. Capiche?  {wink} Sorry about.  My cinematic tastes, which includes movies like Scarface , GoodFellas , and The Godfather series, are as diverse as they come, and it's obvious I've seen these flicks one too many times. {teehee} Anyhoo, I'm here tonight to tell you about another wonderful holiday giveaway besides my own (which ends tomorrow @ 11:59 PM CDT, in case you forgot to enter! {wink}). Model Me Kids announced on their Ning network that they were having a little soiree of the giveaway sort, and being a good neighbor, I just couldn't resist jumping in and spreading the good cheer to all of you! So, here's the deal. Win a 3-set of Model Me Kids videos for your favorite teacher for your child with Autism. We will ship a 3-set of your choice of Model Me Kids social...

Life is sweet! Life is good! Life rhymes! Remember the post when I briefly mentioned my obsession, I mean, love for Ning ? Well, in addition to being a member of some pretty awesome autism sites, I am also a member of some pretty awesome author sites.  I guess I gotta thing for sites with "au" in 'em. One of the author sites is about book marketing ! I'm an author.  Whatdya expect? One of the many cool things about being part of the Ning family is I have met some pretty incredible people (I've also met some pretty incredible people on Facebook and MySpace too! {wink})! The friendship I'd really like to highlight today is Teresa Butler, author of Simon Says Share . Teresa is one of the most gracious, amiable, big-hearted, good-natured, friendliest people I ever did meet... online, that is! And folks!  Lemme tell ya, I've met a lot of people over the years, and she's definitely in my Top 10 ! I do hope to actually meet her someday.  Perhaps, at a conf...

Okay.  I'll admit this post has absolutely nothing to do with autism. It's just something I wanted to share with you. The creator of this celebration is Carleen Brice , author of Orange Mint and Honey , and she is beyond brilliant. The premise is to introduce people of lighter color to authors of, well, darker color. We've all heard of Alice Walker , renowned author and poet probably best known to most by her book-turned-to-movie The Color Purple . We've all heard of Terry McMillan , critically-acclaimed author probably best known for her books-turned-to movies Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back . We've all heard of Toni Morrison , recipient of numerous awards, notably the Nobel Prize for Literature (1993) and the Pulizter Prize (1986 for Beloved which became a movie starring Oprah Winfrey & Danny Glover). The question that needs to be pondered is have you read anything that was written by one of the many and talented up & coming black ...

This is not a piece about segregation. This is not a piece about discrimination. This is a piece about awareness. American Aboriginals have been raised not to talk about family business even amongst those not within the immediate family circle. As children, we learned "not to air our dirty laundry in public". As children, we learned how to associate with, identify with, and categorize... life. As children, we learned all things are truly not equal. An apple is not an orange. An orange is not an apple. White is not "Black". "Black" is not White. The media doesn't tell many stories of American Aboriginal families affected by autism, and it's probably because not many of us are outspoken about living with it. So, when Holly Robinson Peete and Toni Braxton came out and told the world that they, too, were living with autism?  Well, that news was probably a shock to our community. I, for one, am very grateful they are speaking out. I've been sear...

What type of thing do you Ning ? With 3,700 650,000 networks, you're bound to find your thing on Ning ! (Thanks for the correction, Laura !) I've found several groups on Autism on the Ning network that I would have otherwise missed. Families of Autistic Kids Helping One Another to Cope Living with Autism Autism Unites Moms Model Me Kids There are others, but I'm already a member of over 20+ Ning networks.  I'm having a hard time keeping up!  ;) I love the new friends I've made.  My autism support network has grown leaps and bounds since I jumped on the social network train. MySpace got the party started. Facebook took it to another level. But, Ning is quickly becoming the Oprah of social networking! If you're still networking the old way... Then you're missing out on a whole lotta life! Being social has never been easier! First, there was snail mail. Then email! Then IMs! Then came text messaging! Technology is constantly changing., and if ...

**This post is not meant to be offensive.  If you're offended, please accept my apologies.  I am merely sharing an experience.** My family's theme this holiday season is trains, trains, trains!  They are my son's absolute favorite thing. Do you know how Cookie Monster loses his mind whenever he's given a cookie?  Well, that's pretty my prince's reaction whenever he hears or sees a train. Last night, we surprised him by taking him to Dry Gulch, USA . The property was purchased in 1985 and originally constructed to be an Old West movie set for feature family films. In 1996, Dry Gulch added a narrow-gauge steam locomotive to its list of attractions. The Christmas Train was launched later that year, and the attraction now welcomes an average attendance of 50,000 guests over the course of select nights of operation in November and December. As part of an evening at The Christmas Train, you will experience the true meaning of Christmas amidst the sights and sounds o...

So, what's a parent to do?  Christmas is creeping up on us... What can we do to ensure our children remain healthy this holiday season? Besides eating healthy, what are our other options? Do we even have any? Earlier this year, I donated about 98% of my son's toys.  Anything toxic has been banned from his room... and this house. Our home is as healthy as I can make it without going completely apey ! I already told you about HealthyCar.org in a previous post , and during a conversation with a friend today, I learned about another groovy organization. Allow me to introduce you to Healthy Toys .org ! It's another project of the Ecology Center, and it's goal is to educate consumers of the toxins harboring in children's toys and other products. Why Do We Need Healthy Toys? HealthyToys.org includes test results for more than 1,500 toys and children’s products. This site is a first step in providing parents, grandparents, and others who care about children with the info...

I've only known about this site for a couple of days, and I really like the information they offer. So, imagine my surprise when I received an email from Craig Evans, co-founder, stating he wanted to interview me for their Key Learnings from Autism Thought Leaders program. I mean, really?  Me? Talk about a cool experience. Craig made the whole process smooth and enjoyable.  I didn't even feel like I was being interviewed; it felt like I was chatting with a friend. This post is really short tonight because I'm still reeling from it all. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.

While waiting for my son's speech session to finish up, I chatted up another mom in the lobby.  I had overheard her talking about recent hair loss, and I wanted to tell her about some natural remedies. As one would suspect, the conversation eventually turned to our children. Her son, now 15, was diagnosed when he was 3.  As he was leaving with the new therapist, she pointed out his inability to speak conversationally... meaning in full sentences. She also pointed out that for every question the therapist asked, he responded with a one-word response. Autism or not, how many teenaged boys do you know that have a lot to say whenever they're in the company of a "hot chick"? I mean, really?!?!?  How many? She also went on to discuss his other "problems" like ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (something I had never heard of before today), Scoliosis, and something else I can't recall right now. Then there was her other son who has ADHD and Tourette's Syn...

Twitter has been an awesome resource for me.  I've been introduced to companies and websites I would have otherwise not have known about. Everyday, it's someone new. Today, I received several new and pretty cool "follower" notifications, but one of them really caught my eye. @fgustafson is the co-founder of Autism Hangout which is part of Community Hangouts whose "business is to transform individuals in need into communities of care." This transformation is accomplished through the following: "Learn... Share... Thrive!" 1. The presentation of relevant, timely community news and ongoing reports helps individuals in need “learn” of solutions to their issues. 2. Each hangout offers technological tools that enable ''sharing'' discussions (i.e. forums, product/service review sections) and encourage personal interaction (i.e. a member can create their own home page with a listing of interests, blogs, video postings and more). 3. Simi...