Prize Give Away -- Including Students with Autism in their School Community

Good morning,

I gotta tell ya, we're about beaned out. Ryan's green beans did so well that most days we were picking (and eating) a pound of beans for dinner. It slowed down for a week while everything rebloomed, then whap! Beans again. I love them and so does he but at this point a nice serving of carrots would taste good.

How is everyone doing today? We're okay. August is a lazy month for us. Most of the festivals are winding down and Ryan has sensory issues with bees and bugs so fall isn't our best time to hang around food. Probably a good thing in my case.

Ryan really doesn't like bees at all. We used to own a Chevy Prizm, which I loved. It was a 2002 and the doors didn't have all the new fangled technology so wouldn't "lock" while the car was in gear. I lived in terror that Ryan would see an insect in the car, think it was a bee (he thinks everything is) and literally get out of the car at 55 miles an hour.

Since the car was not meeting our needs in other ways (size wise) I had to get a new vehicle. It was time anyway. I love the new one. It's a Buick Rendevous SUV and the doors lock the minute it's in gear! I need to install a hitch to haul bikes, but at least we'll be able to haul them! It also has lumbar support for Ryan's back and ample room for him in both the front and back seats. So far, we love it.

The Prizm was a compact and this is a mid size SUV so for the first week I felt like I was up-high driving a dump truck. The ride is smoother than our little car and when I get in traffic I don't feel like a bug to be squished. I can run with the pack. I can also SEE over other cars! I can SEE traffic, I can SEE signs over the huge SUVs in front of me. All in all a good buy. I haven't had a car payment in ten years, however, so that part was a bummer. I just feel good that I have something that fits our needs better.

I never thought I'd have to buy a vehicle to fit my son's needs, rather than something I just preferred. But then, I didn't think my life would be this way either. Sometimes I grieve for the life that might have been. Most days I'm grateful to have learned a more graceful way of living. It's a trade off, I guess.

I have a give-away PRIZE today. I'm offering a VHS tape called, "A Sense of Belonging: Including Students with Autism in their School Community." It's a tape I received a number of years ago at a conference and want to give to someone. Leave a comment OR contact me by clicking on this link  A SENSE OF BELONGING to throw your name in the hat. Please leave your name and email addy so I can contact you.  I will draw for the prize next Friday so you have a week to contact me.

Have a great week and watch for more prize giveaways in the future.

Much love and joy,

Karen