Blog Posts
Brown, Down, and (not) Out
Sitting in my kitchen several years ago, I wrote a list of things I did not want to forget to pack. Moving is definitely a major task, fraught with stress and chaos. I’ve moved several times in my life, and it seems there is always something left behind, something that goes missing in the process. I didn’t want to increase [...]
Rise and Fall (Not in That Order)
I was searching for a luggage cart in a quiet hotel corridor at 11:00 on a Saturday night. It was a long, hot drive, and the last task of the day was to transport the bags from the car to the room. I slung my purse over my shoulder, walked inside, and was greeted by cool air that was a [...]
Wouldn’t Give a Penny for Those Thoughts
Nothing boils my blood faster than hearing derogatory comments uttered by people about other people with special needs. I once heard two store employees talking as one described someone else as a retard. I yelled out, “Hey! That is rude and unacceptable!” The young men cast their eyeballs in my direction and grimaced. I stood my ground and glared. [...]
Staring (From my Sacramento4Kids.com blog)
Staring HOW TO DEAL WITH STARING May 21, 2018 Staring. We all seem to do it at some point, for some reason. We’ve all been stared at by someone else too. Staring at people is a social behavior, albeit one that generates discomfort for the one receiving the stare. Most often, people’s stares are directed toward those with some type [...]
The Plane Truth
That’s it. I’m done. No more. Not good at it? Not true. I’ve spent a long time telling myself and other people that I’m not a good flyer. Am I scared of putting myself in a giant metal tube with wings and speeding through the clouds at 37,000 feet above earth? Yeah. I’m scared alright. I don’t sleep well the [...]
Seldom Celebrating
At the beginning of April I set out to write about Autism Awareness Month and my less-than-enthusiastic feelings which accompanied it. My focus was on the fact that awareness goes only so far, and that action was more critical to progress on the autism front. I wrote that in part two of the piece, which you’re reading now, I’d give [...]
Awareness Gives Me the Blues
Autism Awareness Month. I’m personally sick of Autism Awareness Month. Blue lights, blue shirts, blue ties. Blue Blue Blue. Well, actually, the color does match my mood this month. That’s right. I’m blue about autism awareness. Not happy. Things are not all rosy or peachy when it comes to autism. And I’m not suggesting a change of hue to red [...]
LOOK at it BOTH WAYS
Afternoon sun was warming the porch. October in California can feel like mid summer, and so I decided to sit on the toasty steps of the porch and wait for Zach’s school bus. Being in special education, he had curbside drop-off. He’s always had door-to-door service from school to home the years he rode the bus. So I kicked off [...]
HELLP. Me.
My slippered feet slowly shuffled across the carpet. The pencil in my right hand rapidly beat a tiny invisible drum in the air. Sunlight streamed in the window, and I waddled over to adjust the Venetian blinds. A pocket of cool morning air found my face, and I was grateful for it; my body seemed to be running too warm. [...]
Handcuffed to Home
(Recent post on www.Sacramento4Kids.com) Staying home can be a comfort. Staying home rather than going out with a child with autism can be confining. The definition of housebound is unable to leave one’s house typically due to illness or old age. Parents of individuals with autism, especially severe autism, often find themselves staying home but not because they are ill [...]
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