Musings and What-not

With heavy heart I write this post. Last night the fam and I headed over to Romano's Macaroni Grill for some good eats. As we sat in our booth, minding our business, we saw something that saddened us... You know the economy's gone down the crapper when even Santa has to get a second job! {teehee  Hope I made you smile.  This gentleman actually bleaches his beard every year for the holidays.  He also volunteers by donating & delivering gifts, dressed as Saint Nicholas, to children living in at risk communities in Tulsa!  We tipped him a fiver for letting us take his picture, and he told us he would put it towards his Christmas fund for the kiddos.  WOW!  The world truly does need more people like him in it.}

I am thankful for a little piece of spam email that I received back in 2005.  It was from Santa Mail.org ! I am thankful for the wonderful memory this company gave me. That year, I got to see the most wonderful expression cross my son's face when I told him he had a letter from Santa.  It was priceless!  He was beyond excited! Here's a screenshot from this company's website. The letters are personalized and are postmarked from the North Pole.  You can choose from a Traditional or a Christian letter. There are even letters for Baby's First Christmas ! And for $9.95, it's worth it! Since 2005, I've been addding the Good List Certificate to my order because lil' man is the best kid ever ! One of the items I would LOVE to order, but will have to wait until we move to a climate where it frequently snows, is their exclusive "Santa Was Here" kit. Very original these folks are, and they're definitely worth checking out! I don't know about you,...

The commenters on Lisa Jo's blog seem to be inspiring my posts this weekend.  ;) Today, Lisa Jo wrote about Autism and the Happy Medium (basically, finding balance in our lives).  One of her commenters happens to be one of my favorite Twitters , and he's an all-around good dad to a child on the spectrum. It was his statement that made this post possible. It is amazing how much time there is in a day when you lose your job and many of the social functions are off limits due to the behavior and actions of your child with autism. Why is this the case exactly? How many parents actually feel the same? Are they more concerned about how they will look in these social settings? Have these parents allowed their egos to get in the way of their children enjoying more of life? Or is there more to it? Nothing is off-limits for us because I don’t think folks have enough chutzpah to give us funny looks if my son does something “unusual”. Holistic lifestyle or not, I still have my military a...

You have the warriors. And then there's the rest of us. The warriors will, literally, stop at nothing to "fix" their children. While the rest of us don't view our children as being broken and in need of repair. The warriors are very angry and are certain of the "cause" and "cure" for autism. While the rest of us believe, and know, that there's more to learn and discover about the "causes" and that there's definitely not a "cure" for something still considered a mystery. Like the nation, our community is extremely divided, and I do not know how we can come together. The warriors don't  understand those of us who don't subject our children to rather intensive and extensive therapies just so we can have the "perfect" child. No.  I don't think they like us very much at all. The warriors also don't appreciate it if you don't agree with them by claiming that vaccines are the "primary" ca...

Black Friday is also known as Over-Consumption Friday. We have become a world where the Christmas lists are endless, and no one is ever satisfied. What happened? Where did we go wrong? How can we stop this vicious cycle before it's too late? Wall-E is an excellent example of what will happen to us if we keep over-consuming the way we are. Here's an excerpt from the Rolling Stones review: First image: the Earth as a garbage dump, a future reduced to ruins. For the past 700 years, what's left of humanity has been cruising the skies in a spaceship. Only a tiny robot, WALL-E (for Waste Allocation Load Lifter: Earth class), scoots around on urban terra firma compacting trash into piles that grow into skyscrapers. BNL which stands for BUY n LARGE reminded me of Wal-Mart aka Wallie World 'cause it's reminiscent of an amusement park where practically everything you want is at your disposal. BNL is a conglomerate that sells everything at low prices...

Dinner? An organic Celebration Field Roast (wheat flour & barley loaf stuffed with mushrooms) with organic Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, organic Green Beans & Carrots, and organic Wild Rice, Pearl Onion and Cranberry Pilaf.  Price? $49.99 Dessert? Organic Pumpkin Pie (organic wheat flour, pumpkin, soy milk, tofu, and organic spices) Price? $9.99 Letting Whole Foods prepare it, so all I had to do was come home & heat it up? Priceless !

Thanksgiving is that time of year when folks, miraculously, take time out of their busy schedules to gather 'round and be thankful. Blaring car horns... Phones ringing off the hook... Folks rushing by to get nowhere fast... All seem to slow down if only for one day. This day. For some, parenting a child with autism can seem daunting, even down right frustrating. For others, parenting a child with autism brings wonder to each day because you never know what's going to happen. I, for one, am thankful for autism. I am a more patient, tolerant, and compassionate person... all thanks to autism. I am a more caring, kind, and empathetic person... all thanks to autism. This year, I am not faced with the hustle and bustle of making a grand meal for all to enjoy.  (Last year's headache of not having an oven remains a bitter moment for me.) This year, I am not faced with having to dash to one family home to another. My holiday season will seem relatively calm compared to most, and thi...