I did it! I walked 3K today!
Yep, today was the day of the 3K walk (also a 5K race too) to benefit the Cure Autism Now organization and I did the walk and lived (barely) to tell about it now too!
Keep in mind here, prior to even registering to participate in this event, I did the comparison thing online to see what exactly did 3K equate to in terminology I understand and it worked out to be 1.86 miles. I figured since a walk around the village here where I live amounts to about 2 miles, that this was comparable, on a bit more level ground too, so I decided I dared to try this.
There were eleven of us on our team. My older daughter, Carrie, her fiance, Robert, her son- my grandson, the Prince, Alex (age 9), my son, Clayton, my younger daughter, Mandy and her younger stepdaughter, Sierra, who is eleven. In addition, there was Lois - a friend and co-worker of Mandy's at the grocery store, Amie -my son's former girlfriend who came up here last night from Littlestown (near Gettysburg) to do the walk with us and a dear friend of mine from my high school days, Sharon, who now lives in State College - and of course, fat old me!
While Sharon and I made this a pretty much leisurely stroll around State College, along the pretty tree-lined streets lined with fraternity houses and gorgeous older homes with the stone fronts and all, the rest of the group with us moved along at a somewhat faster pace. However, when Sharon and I had completed the walk, our time was 55:58 minutes and there were still about 10 walkers behind us - all who were also much younger too than Sharon and I are! So we felt pretty doggone good and pleased as punch with ourselves for having made it around the course.
We had initially planned to take both the little ones with us too but because the weather forecasts for today got yuckier and yuckier as the week progressed, calling for rain, temps to be in the 30's, Mandy decided we'd best not take a chance on lugging them along. HOwever, although it probably only did get up to the high 30's during the walk, there was (thankfully) no precipitation and Mandy then felt quite guilty about having left Miss Maya at home with her Aunt Kathy -her dad's sister. I think Maya probably would have enjoyed the whole thing very much and also, it may have cured her from asking us almost daily "Walk me? Walk me?" regardless of how miserable the weather might be. Then again, maybe it would have started a life-long habit of enjoying the prospects of a nice crisp and brisk walk too.
Who knows? I sure don't but not much can be done now to rectify that.
Right now, I'm not sure exactly how much our team will end up with for our contribution to the fund raiser though. We have $843 tallied up on our team at this time, plus I turned in checks totally $60 at the event today. I don't know if we can get credit to our team for the three new walkers who went with us - Lois, Amie and Sierra - or not as Mandy said they didn't ask if they were on a specific team or anything but if I can contact the coordinator and see about that, it might add another $45 to our donation totals. And, if I understand and have all the paperwork completed properly, we should then qualify to have Thrivent, a Lutheran service agency, match what monies we collected, up to $1,000 which then would give us at least $1,800 in contributions to the organization.
And I think that was a pretty respectable sum we collected even without the potential matching funds, don' t you?
When I got home today though, I must confess that I was then - and still am at this time now too -stiff, very, very stiff. Probably will ache even more all day Sunday now I suppose, too. Oh well, take another Alleve and shut up about it as it was worth every step and every lingering ache tonight in my ankles, knees and my hip/leg joints too!
Sunday now, I have to get moving enough to cook for the birthday celebration Mandy has planned for little Kurtis who was a whole big year old this past Friday - the 13th - but we aren't having his birthday party until today. Gotta cook up a huge batch of Sloppy Joe stuff, along with a casserole of macaroni and cheese (something that is pretty much guaranteed that will be acceptable fare for the princess, Miss Maya here), plus Mandy is making a really good pasta salad that a cousin of ours had fixed for our family reunion last summer. So, there will be no starving folks in this house today at any rate. (Although some of us here could use a bit of "starvation" in order to be able to fit better into some decent clothes she recently purchased to wear to her big 45th Class Reunion coming up on June 2nd! Gee, wonder who that might be?)
And now, I am off to beddy bye in hopes that I will still be able to walk when I wake up come morning!
Showing posts with label Cure Autism Now Walk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cure Autism Now Walk. Show all posts
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Saturday, April 07, 2007
PLEASE, Say It Isn't So!????
Yesterday was a really crazy, very mixed up, get very little accomplished day for me.
For openers, I'm struggling with filling out forms to get an organization affiliated with our church to, hopefully, back us with extra funds for the Cure Autism Now Organization's walk/race fund raiser here in State College next Saturday. I've e-mailed I think every friend and relative, even casual acquaintance I can think of whose address is somehow magically listed in my e-mail address book. My kids- each one has been trying to "talk up" the walk, donations, etc., for our team. We're not doing poorly with it but because this event really means so much to me, because the cause hits home directly with my little princess, Miss Maya, I want it to be that our team has a good showing.
Now, I know we can't begin to compete against the fraternity and sorority teams that are involved in this event, but still I think we can do well but can also always do better. And, every little bit we gather up helps is my belief here.
I know we are very fortunate with Miss Maya as she is picking up so much, just amazes us some days to see how far she has come. Then, out of the blue, things turn on a dime with her and she will suddenly go into an absolute meltdown that may last a matter of mere minutes or in some instances, may go on and on and ON till you want, as daughter Mandy says, that advertisement of years back to be available right now for you - "Calgon, take me away!" It is at times extremely frustrating to try to cope with some of her actions, moods, you name it.
But I still wouldn't trade her for the world! And I'm sure anyone reading this -whether you have an autistic child, or one who is facing a life-threatening illness, or so, so many other challenges life often bestows on the littlest ones that seems so unfair to them, to parents/grandparents, family, friends alike at times, you know what I mean there, don't you now?
But that is just one item on my "challenging" list yesterday.
The other just so happens to be my 45th high school class reunion - coming up now shortly on June 2nd. I know, I've mentioned this before but yesterday, something came up that really threw me for a big loop.
I'm not the one planning this event - my friend, neighbor, former classmate, former class president too she was, is in charge of that. I'm just here to help here once in a blue moon with piddling little things - like trying to see if I can locate maybe a long-lost classmate, or communicate with some class members I keep in contact with fairly regularly who live far, far away from here. And this year, I'm supposed to be coming up with some little bit of entertainment, of sorts. No, I'm not a stand-up comic - far from it! But, I'm just trying to figure out some little thing we can do that will serve to entertain the troops and keep us still wanting to come back together in, hopefully, another five years.
So yesterday, I got an e-mail from Kate - the coordinator of this event. In it, she told me which classmates had responded that they will definitely BE THERE and right now, it appears we have 16 classmates coming and 8 are bringing a guest. That's good - gives us a total head count now of 24 and possibly 25 if Nancy, out in Colorado comes home and convinces her husband to come with her, it will then give us the 25 needed for our reservation so we won't have to pay extra for a room fee. Yippy!
Then I read further in Kate's note as to a couple kids who responded that they WON'T be coming this year and that is something that is always disappointing to see who can't come.
But this year, one name stood out as someone not planning to attend and when I read that name, I said out loud, talking to the computer screen of course, OH NO, This can't be! This is a real BUMMER! Please, say it isn't so!!! Joe's gotta come cause it just won't be right within our class reunion world without him there!
Shortly after reading Kate's note, I was composing a response to her when my daughter (the birthday girl) called and I told her this piece of news. To my surprise, really, she said "OH my Mom, that's terrible! He has to go or you'll have no fun at all without him there!" Wow, even my kid knows him, and knows how much I enjoy being around both him and his wife. I almost always sit at the same table with him and two other guys from our class and their spouses. Not that I don't associate with the rest of my classmates but those three guys, their wives - well, I just am totally at ease around them.
My daughter told me then too "Mom, you have to call him. If you call and talk to him, I betcha you can talk him into coming after all. You know, you HAVE to do that!" And I thought and thought about that idea and finally decided ok, I'd take a chance and do just that.
I made the call -his wife answered. We exchanged opening pleasantries, not having talked to the other for quite a long time although they only live maybe 5 miles or so from my home.
I asked her if it was true that he wasn't going to attend - that they weren't coming and she said yes, he had decided he wasn't going to go.
Now, I have my own theory as to why Joe had made this decision. You see for our 30th and 35th reunions, he had graciously invited our class to their home - a beautiful area out in the country here, not anything grand, pretentious, just a pretty home, fixed up very nicely, with lots and lots of open space around, plenty of room to park, and also, to party!
A businessman in the community, Joe had also opened up our reunion to invite kids from classes three years above our and three years below ours plus he had included kids who had attended with us but for one reason or another, hadn't finished school with us. His theory - and I happen to concur with him on this - they were all still our "classmates." Then too, he invited the people who worked for him in his construction company, and from the bar he owned at that time too. Keep in mind, many of his employees had attended school with us too, so it wasn't that they were unknown entities exactly. All this made for a bigger event than we would have had if we only invited those who actually graduated and their spouse or guest. Because of the way he did this, he was also of course, able to use it as a tax write-off too but the base cost to his classmates was minimal compared to what others were shelling out to go to their particular class reunions at the time. He also had a DJ present, several kegs of beer and an open bar too - no "cash and carry" stuff with the drinks - it all came with the price of our acceptance to attend - $10 a head! His wife's niece and a friend had begun a catering venture at the time and they catered these reunions - one being an ox roast, the other a pig roast - and the food was excellent! No complaints at all from the peanut gallery on that.
For my part, I loved it too because it was casual - meaning I didn't have to go on a search and destroy mission for some special dressy outfit that I would only ever wear most likely that one time and which, because I have expanded more than my mind over the years since graduation, regardless of what dress style I found, it would still make me look and feel like was was an over-stuffed sausage! Now, jeans, or even slightly dressier slacks and a loose top -hey, I figured it would hide a few of the multitude of caloric sins I had obviously committed over those years between high school and the reunions.
Well, at our 35th reunion, some of the girls were kind of grumping that they would prefer our next reunion to be one held at some nice, relatively upscale restaurant - a place where they could visit, be wined and dine, then even dance to a band of some type too. Some were even kind of quietly growling too about there being so many people at these gatherings who weren't even part of "OUR CLASS!" Well, that part didn't bother me in the least cause I looked at it as a chance to see lots of other kids I wouldn't have a chance to see and talk to any other way. Actually, I loved that aspect of those reunions too!
But anyway, a vote was taken and the ones in favor of a change of place, of participants, etc., won out.
Now I'm not saying I know my old classmate Joe like a book or anything like that but I KNEW how much he had put his heart and soul into these two events and how much he wanted to provide the best time possible for his classmates -along with yes, a lot of other friends too. And hearing him speak up there about changing the place, etc., I could see by the look on his face the disappointment there that he was actually struggling very hard to hide. But I knew then and have seen it in his eyes when we've talked on occasion since then, the hurt, that he felt he'd been slapped in the face for all his hard work, his efforts, his caring for his class. But he's also one very macho individual so if you were to talk to him about this, he would respond in his gruffest voice and try to put on the mask that heck, this didn't bother him at all. And, especially those who maybe only saw him once every fifth year at our reunions, they would believe he meant that too.
Talking with his wife, she pretty much verified my thoughts were on target there. And, because of things that happened at our last reunion, it solidified his feelings into not wanting to be a part of this scene.
Now, his wife is going to talk to him, tell him I called and that I want him to return my call. If/when he does that, I plan to open with the fact even my daughter knows that it's JOE who really makes our reunions flow, come together. As soon as you hear him laugh - and he does like a good laugh and a long one - and his laugh booms and echos and makes you want to laugh too whether you know what he's found humorous or not - it's the contagion there that he brings. It relaxes everyone around him to see him flash that big smile, that laugh then gives you a nice comfortable feeling that somehow, all is in its place and right within this little corner of the world for that short period of time.
So, that's where I am now - waiting, hoping he will return my call. Hoping I can tell him what my daughter said, how I feel about him not being there and if I have to, yes I will probably beg him too!
Please Joe - Say it isn't so! Come on Buddy, you've got to go! You HAVE to be there! He's a big, big part of the cement that keeps us glued tightly together and wanting to return to see others from our class. To feel his big strong hand clasped on your shoulder and saying "HEY! How're you doing?" And know, that he really does care about everyone who shows up for these things.
Now, say a few extra prayers that somehow I can cajole him into changing his mind about this whole process. If need be, I'll try to call in some reserves too who might be able to talk to him and get him to change his mind too.
Wish us all luck there, please now, will ya?
Come on Joe - You've GOTTA GO!
For openers, I'm struggling with filling out forms to get an organization affiliated with our church to, hopefully, back us with extra funds for the Cure Autism Now Organization's walk/race fund raiser here in State College next Saturday. I've e-mailed I think every friend and relative, even casual acquaintance I can think of whose address is somehow magically listed in my e-mail address book. My kids- each one has been trying to "talk up" the walk, donations, etc., for our team. We're not doing poorly with it but because this event really means so much to me, because the cause hits home directly with my little princess, Miss Maya, I want it to be that our team has a good showing.
Now, I know we can't begin to compete against the fraternity and sorority teams that are involved in this event, but still I think we can do well but can also always do better. And, every little bit we gather up helps is my belief here.
I know we are very fortunate with Miss Maya as she is picking up so much, just amazes us some days to see how far she has come. Then, out of the blue, things turn on a dime with her and she will suddenly go into an absolute meltdown that may last a matter of mere minutes or in some instances, may go on and on and ON till you want, as daughter Mandy says, that advertisement of years back to be available right now for you - "Calgon, take me away!" It is at times extremely frustrating to try to cope with some of her actions, moods, you name it.
But I still wouldn't trade her for the world! And I'm sure anyone reading this -whether you have an autistic child, or one who is facing a life-threatening illness, or so, so many other challenges life often bestows on the littlest ones that seems so unfair to them, to parents/grandparents, family, friends alike at times, you know what I mean there, don't you now?
But that is just one item on my "challenging" list yesterday.
The other just so happens to be my 45th high school class reunion - coming up now shortly on June 2nd. I know, I've mentioned this before but yesterday, something came up that really threw me for a big loop.
I'm not the one planning this event - my friend, neighbor, former classmate, former class president too she was, is in charge of that. I'm just here to help here once in a blue moon with piddling little things - like trying to see if I can locate maybe a long-lost classmate, or communicate with some class members I keep in contact with fairly regularly who live far, far away from here. And this year, I'm supposed to be coming up with some little bit of entertainment, of sorts. No, I'm not a stand-up comic - far from it! But, I'm just trying to figure out some little thing we can do that will serve to entertain the troops and keep us still wanting to come back together in, hopefully, another five years.
So yesterday, I got an e-mail from Kate - the coordinator of this event. In it, she told me which classmates had responded that they will definitely BE THERE and right now, it appears we have 16 classmates coming and 8 are bringing a guest. That's good - gives us a total head count now of 24 and possibly 25 if Nancy, out in Colorado comes home and convinces her husband to come with her, it will then give us the 25 needed for our reservation so we won't have to pay extra for a room fee. Yippy!
Then I read further in Kate's note as to a couple kids who responded that they WON'T be coming this year and that is something that is always disappointing to see who can't come.
But this year, one name stood out as someone not planning to attend and when I read that name, I said out loud, talking to the computer screen of course, OH NO, This can't be! This is a real BUMMER! Please, say it isn't so!!! Joe's gotta come cause it just won't be right within our class reunion world without him there!
Shortly after reading Kate's note, I was composing a response to her when my daughter (the birthday girl) called and I told her this piece of news. To my surprise, really, she said "OH my Mom, that's terrible! He has to go or you'll have no fun at all without him there!" Wow, even my kid knows him, and knows how much I enjoy being around both him and his wife. I almost always sit at the same table with him and two other guys from our class and their spouses. Not that I don't associate with the rest of my classmates but those three guys, their wives - well, I just am totally at ease around them.
My daughter told me then too "Mom, you have to call him. If you call and talk to him, I betcha you can talk him into coming after all. You know, you HAVE to do that!" And I thought and thought about that idea and finally decided ok, I'd take a chance and do just that.
I made the call -his wife answered. We exchanged opening pleasantries, not having talked to the other for quite a long time although they only live maybe 5 miles or so from my home.
I asked her if it was true that he wasn't going to attend - that they weren't coming and she said yes, he had decided he wasn't going to go.
Now, I have my own theory as to why Joe had made this decision. You see for our 30th and 35th reunions, he had graciously invited our class to their home - a beautiful area out in the country here, not anything grand, pretentious, just a pretty home, fixed up very nicely, with lots and lots of open space around, plenty of room to park, and also, to party!
A businessman in the community, Joe had also opened up our reunion to invite kids from classes three years above our and three years below ours plus he had included kids who had attended with us but for one reason or another, hadn't finished school with us. His theory - and I happen to concur with him on this - they were all still our "classmates." Then too, he invited the people who worked for him in his construction company, and from the bar he owned at that time too. Keep in mind, many of his employees had attended school with us too, so it wasn't that they were unknown entities exactly. All this made for a bigger event than we would have had if we only invited those who actually graduated and their spouse or guest. Because of the way he did this, he was also of course, able to use it as a tax write-off too but the base cost to his classmates was minimal compared to what others were shelling out to go to their particular class reunions at the time. He also had a DJ present, several kegs of beer and an open bar too - no "cash and carry" stuff with the drinks - it all came with the price of our acceptance to attend - $10 a head! His wife's niece and a friend had begun a catering venture at the time and they catered these reunions - one being an ox roast, the other a pig roast - and the food was excellent! No complaints at all from the peanut gallery on that.
For my part, I loved it too because it was casual - meaning I didn't have to go on a search and destroy mission for some special dressy outfit that I would only ever wear most likely that one time and which, because I have expanded more than my mind over the years since graduation, regardless of what dress style I found, it would still make me look and feel like was was an over-stuffed sausage! Now, jeans, or even slightly dressier slacks and a loose top -hey, I figured it would hide a few of the multitude of caloric sins I had obviously committed over those years between high school and the reunions.
Well, at our 35th reunion, some of the girls were kind of grumping that they would prefer our next reunion to be one held at some nice, relatively upscale restaurant - a place where they could visit, be wined and dine, then even dance to a band of some type too. Some were even kind of quietly growling too about there being so many people at these gatherings who weren't even part of "OUR CLASS!" Well, that part didn't bother me in the least cause I looked at it as a chance to see lots of other kids I wouldn't have a chance to see and talk to any other way. Actually, I loved that aspect of those reunions too!
But anyway, a vote was taken and the ones in favor of a change of place, of participants, etc., won out.
Now I'm not saying I know my old classmate Joe like a book or anything like that but I KNEW how much he had put his heart and soul into these two events and how much he wanted to provide the best time possible for his classmates -along with yes, a lot of other friends too. And hearing him speak up there about changing the place, etc., I could see by the look on his face the disappointment there that he was actually struggling very hard to hide. But I knew then and have seen it in his eyes when we've talked on occasion since then, the hurt, that he felt he'd been slapped in the face for all his hard work, his efforts, his caring for his class. But he's also one very macho individual so if you were to talk to him about this, he would respond in his gruffest voice and try to put on the mask that heck, this didn't bother him at all. And, especially those who maybe only saw him once every fifth year at our reunions, they would believe he meant that too.
Talking with his wife, she pretty much verified my thoughts were on target there. And, because of things that happened at our last reunion, it solidified his feelings into not wanting to be a part of this scene.
Now, his wife is going to talk to him, tell him I called and that I want him to return my call. If/when he does that, I plan to open with the fact even my daughter knows that it's JOE who really makes our reunions flow, come together. As soon as you hear him laugh - and he does like a good laugh and a long one - and his laugh booms and echos and makes you want to laugh too whether you know what he's found humorous or not - it's the contagion there that he brings. It relaxes everyone around him to see him flash that big smile, that laugh then gives you a nice comfortable feeling that somehow, all is in its place and right within this little corner of the world for that short period of time.
So, that's where I am now - waiting, hoping he will return my call. Hoping I can tell him what my daughter said, how I feel about him not being there and if I have to, yes I will probably beg him too!
Please Joe - Say it isn't so! Come on Buddy, you've got to go! You HAVE to be there! He's a big, big part of the cement that keeps us glued tightly together and wanting to return to see others from our class. To feel his big strong hand clasped on your shoulder and saying "HEY! How're you doing?" And know, that he really does care about everyone who shows up for these things.
Now, say a few extra prayers that somehow I can cajole him into changing his mind about this whole process. If need be, I'll try to call in some reserves too who might be able to talk to him and get him to change his mind too.
Wish us all luck there, please now, will ya?
Come on Joe - You've GOTTA GO!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Bang of a Wake-up Call
I went to bed late - or very early - depending on how your perception of time might be - last night. I think it was well after 3 a.m., maybe around 4 a.m. before I hit the proverbial old sack. I was sleeping quite nicely too until about 7:30 when I was awakened with a bang. The banging, actually the slamming of the front door - just a few feet away from my room, from my bed, and by some not-so-friendly type parting words too as the person who slammed the door left the house for the day.
"Ah ha." I said to myself, "There apparently is some trouble here in paradise."
Then, not quite fully awake, I thought for maybe 10-15 seconds or so as to whether it warranted that I get up then and find out what the squabble was about or should I roll over and go back to sleep.
I opted for more sleep!
When I finally did decide to get up, it was getting close to 10 a.m. Just about enough time to get two wake-up cups of coffee in me before the first of Maya's therapists arrived today.
Maya was quite receptive this morning with her behavior therapist - paid pretty close attention to the tasks she had put before her, no meltdowns, nothing even close to looking like it might develop into a slight hissy fit, and that's always nice to have a session go like that!
But, because the therapist this morning also decided to join our "walk" and be a part of "Maya's Team" in the Cure Autism Now Walk on April 14th over in State College, my normal routine in the morning - check e-mail, read the CDT paper, read blogs - got way behind. I got the therapist entered on our team. Then we discussed places to try to see about getting donation cans set up. Add to all that mix, my son showed up and wanted me to do his registration for the walk then too since he had learned from his co-driver they would be leaving tonight, early hours of the morning (actually about 90 minutes from now as I type this) to be on the road for the next 4-5 days.
So, I got that done. Then my daughter picked up the mail and in it was a check from a very dear friend of ours to be applied towards our Team's totals. Got that recorded, plus the money that my ex-husband had sent home last Saturday with my son, after they had been able to have breakfast together in Needles, California.
And after that, it was to write a letter to the special events organizer for the Walk to see if he could correct an error in which a cousin of mine had made a very substantial contribution to our team but her confirmation notice didn't show that it had gone to our team's totals. In the process of doing that, I asked the gentleman if he could also fix it so that my older daughter, who had registered for the walk before Mandy and I had set up our Team could be moved over to be reflected as part of our team.
By the time the day was over, I had confirmation on my cousin's donation, got my older daughter over to our team report and with the two new walkers registered, other donations recorded, etc., I was really very pleased when I looked at our totals that we had collected thus far - $510.00! Not bad for a group of folks who have never done anything like this before as Mandy and I are! Actually, I think what we have raised to date is pretty doggone good!
Ok - enough of the pats on the back there!
I forgot until late this afternoon that today- the 28th, that is, was the day my neighbor and very good friend, was having heart surgery down in Pittsburgh at the University Of Pittsburgh Medical Center so please, keep our neighbor safe, say an extra prayer or two for her that the surgery went well, that she heals quickly and comes back home very soon! I have your birthday card here, ready and waiting for your return, Shirley! So, you'd best be home quick so I can run it up to your house and hand deliver it!
This afternoon, Mandy and my son took Miss Maya up to his house where they proceeded to take a bunch of pictures of Maya playing with Uncle Clate's drum set (Actually it's her Dad's drum set but he keeps it at Clate's house because he can go up there and practice and not annoy everyone here with the drumming noise!) They also took some pictures of her holding an electric guitar that belongs to a good friend of Clate's as well as pictures of her with the microphone to his stereo set-up as she was "playing" that she was singing. Then, they decided to take her outside (the weather was nice and sunny but a chilly edge to the breeze) and wanted to take some photos of her seated in Uncle Clate's old blazer with him at her side. They wanted these pictures of him and her together so they would have a good picture to pick from to use on the donation can they were fixing to put out at Cooney's Bar up on Route 53 for donations for the Cure Autism Now Organization. The thought being although a picture of Miss Maya would be enticing, very pretty, etc., a lot of folks might ignore it cause they wouldn't know who she is but if she were pictured there with UNCLE CLAYTON - who virtually all the regular patrons up at Cooney's know - well it might loosen up for some more donations that way. Oh, the things we will do, the lengths one will go to find ways that may ultimately help our little Miss Maya some day!
They did get some really cute pictures of her alone as well as some great shots of her with her Uncle Clate too and yes, I'll be posting some of these photos here today too. I hope so anyway, if I can find 'em here on ye olde computer!
Here's Miss Maya playing the drums up at Uncle Clate's house. Notice the way - very professional in our opinions here - that she holds the sticks. Looks like she really knows what she's doing doesn't she?
And you really do have to agree with me when I say she is just as cute as cute can be too, now don't 'cha? Come on, admit it, agree with me cause you know I'm right, right?
And here we have Miss Maya, the up and coming future country western singing sensation, showing Uncle Clayton how it's done! Considering the fact that the ONLY thing she really enjoys watching - requests it to be honest - is the Country Music Video channel. She has her little toy guitar that she holds and strums while watching this or that singer belt out a song and she even is developing the movements too - lean forward, tilt the guitar a certain way for effect, the lean back. However, her repertoire is still somewhat limited to "Twinkle, twinkle, little star," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," "Jingle Bells," "Happy Birthday," and her lastest addition -"You Are My Sunshine." But she's learning and that's all that's important. You can't tell at all by the smile on Uncle Clate's face either can you now, how much he adores his little niece?
And, the last picture to go with this post is this one. Here's Maya and Uncle Clate sitting on the hood of his old Blazer parked in his back yard. If you look really close, you can see there is something in Maya's hand - yep, it's a microphone. Seems the only way Clate and Mandy could talk her into getting up on the old blazer with him was if she could take the microphone to his stereo setup outside with them. Hey, what can I say! The kid apparently has her own particular set of priorities now doesn't she?
And, that brings me to the end of my stories for tonight. Aren't you glad that's over and done with? And with the end of those stories also comes one more little thing on the blog - the Bushism for the day. And perfectly timed too this all has been as it matches up exactly for my last swallow of the last bottle of Yuengling beer from the six-pack my son brought down last night! Pretty good timing on my part there too I think!
For Thursday, March 29, 2007
"I'm thrilled to be here in the breadbasket of America because it gives me a chance to remind our fellow citizens that we have an advantage here in America - we can feed ourselves." - Stockton, California, August 23, 2002.
"Ah ha." I said to myself, "There apparently is some trouble here in paradise."
Then, not quite fully awake, I thought for maybe 10-15 seconds or so as to whether it warranted that I get up then and find out what the squabble was about or should I roll over and go back to sleep.
I opted for more sleep!
When I finally did decide to get up, it was getting close to 10 a.m. Just about enough time to get two wake-up cups of coffee in me before the first of Maya's therapists arrived today.
Maya was quite receptive this morning with her behavior therapist - paid pretty close attention to the tasks she had put before her, no meltdowns, nothing even close to looking like it might develop into a slight hissy fit, and that's always nice to have a session go like that!
But, because the therapist this morning also decided to join our "walk" and be a part of "Maya's Team" in the Cure Autism Now Walk on April 14th over in State College, my normal routine in the morning - check e-mail, read the CDT paper, read blogs - got way behind. I got the therapist entered on our team. Then we discussed places to try to see about getting donation cans set up. Add to all that mix, my son showed up and wanted me to do his registration for the walk then too since he had learned from his co-driver they would be leaving tonight, early hours of the morning (actually about 90 minutes from now as I type this) to be on the road for the next 4-5 days.
So, I got that done. Then my daughter picked up the mail and in it was a check from a very dear friend of ours to be applied towards our Team's totals. Got that recorded, plus the money that my ex-husband had sent home last Saturday with my son, after they had been able to have breakfast together in Needles, California.
And after that, it was to write a letter to the special events organizer for the Walk to see if he could correct an error in which a cousin of mine had made a very substantial contribution to our team but her confirmation notice didn't show that it had gone to our team's totals. In the process of doing that, I asked the gentleman if he could also fix it so that my older daughter, who had registered for the walk before Mandy and I had set up our Team could be moved over to be reflected as part of our team.
By the time the day was over, I had confirmation on my cousin's donation, got my older daughter over to our team report and with the two new walkers registered, other donations recorded, etc., I was really very pleased when I looked at our totals that we had collected thus far - $510.00! Not bad for a group of folks who have never done anything like this before as Mandy and I are! Actually, I think what we have raised to date is pretty doggone good!
Ok - enough of the pats on the back there!
I forgot until late this afternoon that today- the 28th, that is, was the day my neighbor and very good friend, was having heart surgery down in Pittsburgh at the University Of Pittsburgh Medical Center so please, keep our neighbor safe, say an extra prayer or two for her that the surgery went well, that she heals quickly and comes back home very soon! I have your birthday card here, ready and waiting for your return, Shirley! So, you'd best be home quick so I can run it up to your house and hand deliver it!
This afternoon, Mandy and my son took Miss Maya up to his house where they proceeded to take a bunch of pictures of Maya playing with Uncle Clate's drum set (Actually it's her Dad's drum set but he keeps it at Clate's house because he can go up there and practice and not annoy everyone here with the drumming noise!) They also took some pictures of her holding an electric guitar that belongs to a good friend of Clate's as well as pictures of her with the microphone to his stereo set-up as she was "playing" that she was singing. Then, they decided to take her outside (the weather was nice and sunny but a chilly edge to the breeze) and wanted to take some photos of her seated in Uncle Clate's old blazer with him at her side. They wanted these pictures of him and her together so they would have a good picture to pick from to use on the donation can they were fixing to put out at Cooney's Bar up on Route 53 for donations for the Cure Autism Now Organization. The thought being although a picture of Miss Maya would be enticing, very pretty, etc., a lot of folks might ignore it cause they wouldn't know who she is but if she were pictured there with UNCLE CLAYTON - who virtually all the regular patrons up at Cooney's know - well it might loosen up for some more donations that way. Oh, the things we will do, the lengths one will go to find ways that may ultimately help our little Miss Maya some day!
They did get some really cute pictures of her alone as well as some great shots of her with her Uncle Clate too and yes, I'll be posting some of these photos here today too. I hope so anyway, if I can find 'em here on ye olde computer!
Here's Miss Maya playing the drums up at Uncle Clate's house. Notice the way - very professional in our opinions here - that she holds the sticks. Looks like she really knows what she's doing doesn't she?And you really do have to agree with me when I say she is just as cute as cute can be too, now don't 'cha? Come on, admit it, agree with me cause you know I'm right, right?
And here we have Miss Maya, the up and coming future country western singing sensation, showing Uncle Clayton how it's done! Considering the fact that the ONLY thing she really enjoys watching - requests it to be honest - is the Country Music Video channel. She has her little toy guitar that she holds and strums while watching this or that singer belt out a song and she even is developing the movements too - lean forward, tilt the guitar a certain way for effect, the lean back. However, her repertoire is still somewhat limited to "Twinkle, twinkle, little star," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," "Jingle Bells," "Happy Birthday," and her lastest addition -"You Are My Sunshine." But she's learning and that's all that's important. You can't tell at all by the smile on Uncle Clate's face either can you now, how much he adores his little niece?
And, the last picture to go with this post is this one. Here's Maya and Uncle Clate sitting on the hood of his old Blazer parked in his back yard. If you look really close, you can see there is something in Maya's hand - yep, it's a microphone. Seems the only way Clate and Mandy could talk her into getting up on the old blazer with him was if she could take the microphone to his stereo setup outside with them. Hey, what can I say! The kid apparently has her own particular set of priorities now doesn't she?And, that brings me to the end of my stories for tonight. Aren't you glad that's over and done with? And with the end of those stories also comes one more little thing on the blog - the Bushism for the day. And perfectly timed too this all has been as it matches up exactly for my last swallow of the last bottle of Yuengling beer from the six-pack my son brought down last night! Pretty good timing on my part there too I think!
For Thursday, March 29, 2007
"I'm thrilled to be here in the breadbasket of America because it gives me a chance to remind our fellow citizens that we have an advantage here in America - we can feed ourselves." - Stockton, California, August 23, 2002.
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