I am not one for calling in sick to work, especially when I could easily work from home. I took off work and used sick days for Monday and today because I am just not feeling it. Ugh. It started with what felt like congestion from drainage. It's definitely in my chest and the coughing is really taking a toll on my muscles. Now my voice is gone and I am horse. 😵
They tell you to not focus on regrets in life. But one that I have had to live with for almost twenty years still smarts every time. Long story short, my mother had initially left me her house but when my siblings found out, especially my sister, chaos reigned. I often joke to people that the ink was not yet dry on my mother's will when I had her change her will to split the selling of the property between us.
A standard white wood clapboard house with brown trim sat here before it was demolished. A house that was practically worth nothing compared to today's housing market. My childhood home. the property sold for $75,000 - split between four people. Do the math. And now the land is for sale. This is extremely heartbreaking to see. 💔
Today is Administrative Professionals Day. Since this day falls on a Wednesday and that is normally my remote day, I am not usually at the office. I swapped my office days this week and got to celebrate with my co-workers. The CPI PA, Jess, ordered pizza for all of the admins and handed out cupcakes!! We were special today! 😊
I finally leveled Maribel up to 10 and was able to complete the Festival of Friendship!!! 😊
The weather was nice this weekend so we had planned a trip to the zoo. The traffic was unbelievably crazy, and there was not even a scheduled event taking place. Every parking lot we passed on the way to the entrance was closed. The entrance was actually coned off and two police officers were directing traffic. One of the officers must have been having a bad day because he did not look happy and when my husband asked him a question, he got snappy and was downright rude. He exhibited behavior of someone who should NOT be wearing the uniform. Needless to say, we should have gotten his badge ID number and name and reported him. We were finally directed in and found a parking space relatively close. Wow.
We had packed lunch and had our cooler full of drinks, too. While we were eating under the covered picnic area, this little guy kept coming up to my husband. The pumpernickel bread didn't go over well, but the little guy likes Doritos! LOL!
The day was beautiful and we ended up getting to see some of the big cats and a few other Texas animals that were hiding the last time we had visited. 😊
This weeks Disney Dreamlight photo challenge:
[OUTFIT CHALLENGE] It's time to let your inner monster out! Style an outfit to show off your monstrous side. Get inspired by Monsters, Inc. or go your own way -- just make it weird and wondrous!
When you wake up in the morning to log onto your PC and see a note. My husband is such a ham! Gotta love that man!! I got a keeper! 😍
This weeks Disney Dreamlight photo challenge:
[DECOR CHALLENGE] Get into an island groove! Dress up your Village with decor inspired by the world of Moana.
Happy 24th Birthday to our son T!! 🥳 We hope you have had an awesome weekend celebrating. Six Flags yesterday and a Birthday celebration today with gifts, homemade enchiladas, and cake!! 🎂 I am one proud mom of this young man!!! He has a heart of gold!!
Gotta love Facebook Memories! Well, sometimes. This one popped up for April 14th.
We went to Six Flags today for Viva Fiesta and T wanted to go for his birthday weekend. 😊 It was a really nice day to be out and about. The weather was nice and breezy and we decided to grab lunch at JB's BBQ and eat outside. We walked around and enjoyed the day. The only ride we hopped on was the Mine Train and they are now set up for Flash Pass. Yay! That means we will be able to take advantage of our skip the line passes that come with our memberships. We rarely use them because the rides you can use them for we don't ride. But the Mine Train is our favorite!!! Fun day!!!
Order of the Worship of God
— April 14, 2024 —
Third Sunday of Easter
Started the service off this morning singing How Great Thou Art!!!!
How Great Thou Art
On this day 112 years ago, April 14, 1912, RMS Titanic is traveling thought the sea at 21 knots.
First class passenger, Helen Candee sneaks out at dawn to watch what will be the Titanic's last ever sunrise.
This weeks Disney Dreamlight photo challenge:
[OUTFIT CHALLENGE] Bam! Pow! Bang! Show off your super style in this week's DreamSnaps outfit challenge!
Nothing is Missing: Why the Puzzle Piece Needs Replaced
It seems every time we flip the calendar each month, a new awareness is taking place. In most cases, there is a symbol and a color associated with the topic
to be aware of. For example, the ribbons that many groups,
foundations, and organizations have adopted as
symbols of support or awareness. As a result, various causes may often share
the same, or similar, ribbon color or colors. With new awareness days, weeks,
and months, and ribbon colors, designs and symbols being created for
causes, conditions, and cancer awareness - there is a lot!!!
In 1963 Gerald Gasson of the National Autistic Society in the UK created a puzzle shaped logo about his child’s “puzzling condition” of Autism. It featured a child crying in the foreground and a green and black puzzle piece background. The intention was to represent the complexity and mystery surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). At the time, very little was known or understood about autism, so it was like putting together a puzzle and trying to understand the bigger picture, but to many this also displayed the notion that autism was a tragic disease that children suffered from.
The version of the Autism puzzle piece we see most often today is the Autism Awareness ribbon created by the Autism Society in 1999.
With its different colors and combinations, for some, it better
represents the diversity of people living on the autism spectrum. To directly quote the foundation, “The brightness of the ribbon signals
hope - hope that through increased awareness of autism, and early
intervention and access to appropriate services/supports, people with
autism will lead full lives able to interact with the world on their own
terms.” But in this context the statement
“increased awareness of autism, and through early intervention”
typically meant putting research and money into finding a cure and
treatment for autism.
The debate and controversy on the appropriateness of the puzzle piece as a symbol for Autism is still going strong and the meaning behind the symbol still elicits very harsh reactions, both positive and negative. The puzzle piece symbol has faced significant criticism from the autistic community, and is viewed as infantilizing (prolonged treatment of one who is not a child, as though they are a child) and suggesting that individuals with autism are incomplete or missing pieces. This perception has led to the argument that it promotes the idea of autism as a problem to be solved or fixed. This symbol has also faced criticism from autism advocates, siting a historical link to eugenics (beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population), and the belief in fixing or curing autism is both harmful and stigmatizing.
The puzzle piece symbol has been highly criticized for its
association with Autism Speaks, an organization that has been accused of
promoting a negative view of autism and focusing on finding cures
rather than accepting and supporting autistic individuals. In 2006, Autism Speaks began a campaign for autism awareness. In doing
this, they ran a variety of advertisements on TV, which were later archived to
YouTube. “I Am Autism,” can still be found on YouTube, a voice speaking about
how autism ruins families and to directly quote the ad, “I (autism) work
very quickly I work faster than pediatric AIDS, cancer, and diabetes
combined and if you are happily married I will make sure your marriage
fails your money will fall into my hands and I will bankrupt you for my
own self-gain.” It is because of this many people with autism find the
puzzle piece to be something they do not wish to represent them as it’s
so deeply tied into Autism Speaks. I haven't supported this organization for many years now, as I believe they have only gone downhill.
So, what happens when the original symbol is no longer relevant or the public’s perception of that symbol changes? That’s exactly what has happened within the Autism community in
recent years. Not only has the call been sounded to move away from the
original symbol for awareness, but also to replace the word awareness
with acceptance. A puzzle piece is a part of something unfinished, and a piece by
itself means the puzzle is incomplete, which can imply that people
with autism are somehow incomplete. In response to the many controversies surrounding the puzzle piece, new alternative symbols have been proposed and blasted across social media, the most popular two being the rainbow infinity symbol and the butterfly. The infinity symbol signifies the idea that autism is a broad spectrum,
endless, and diverse and aims to celebrate the diversity of
the autism community, focusing on acceptance and understanding, rather
than on 'solving' or 'treating' autism. The butterfly represents diversity, inspiration, and the evolution of abilities within society. Both of these symbols emphasize the potential for growth and change in individuals with Autism, and combined they are a beautiful representation.
Order of the Worship of God
— April 7, 2024 —
Second Sunday of Easter
Pastor: The Lord will not forsake those who call upon Him! He will not be
far from us.
Adapted from Psalm 38:21
When Death Was Arrested
Alone in my sorrow and dead in my sin
Lost without hope with no place to begin
Your love made a way to let mercy come in
When death was arrested and my life began
Ash was redeemed only beauty remains
My orphan heart was given a name
My mourning grew quiet my feet rose to dance
When death was arrested and my life began
Chorus
Oh Your grace so free washes over me
You have made me new now life begins with You
It's Your endless love pouring down on us
You have made us new now life begins with You
Released from my chains I'm a pris'ner no more
My shame was a ransom He faithfully bore
He cancelled my debt and He called me His friend
When death was arrested and my life began (Chorus)
Our Savior displayed on a criminal's cross
Darkness rejoiced as though Heaven had lost
But then Jesus arose with our freedom in hand
That's when death was arrested and my life began (Chorus)
Oh we're free free forever we're free
Come join the song of all the redeemed
Yes we're free free forever amen
When death was arrested and my life began (repeat)
When death was arrested and my life began
When death was arrested and my life began
Adam Kersh, Brandon Coker, Heath Balltzglier, Paul Taylor Smith
CCLI Song #7046448
© 2015 Seems Like Music; Adam Kersh Music; Bcoker Music;
Centricity Songs; Paul Taylor Smith Publishing; Music At North
I have always had a fascination for Ships and Pirates, so this game is right up my alley. LOL!
Awareness vs. Acceptance, what’s the difference?
“Awareness is knowing that somebody has autism. Acceptance is when you include (a person with autism) in your activities. Help (them) to develop in that community and get that sense of connection to other people"- Christopher Banks, President and CEO of The Autism Society of America
Behold, the month of April is alive,
When all but nature springs with hope and grace,
The clouds of gray and winter finally die,
Green fields and buds now decorate the space.
The rains of April breathe new life in fields,
Refreshing and renewing all the earth,
The season’s warmth the cold weather yields,
A beauty that defies all season’s worth.
Sweet fragrance fills the air in all its bloom,
A symphony of color spills and flows,
The birds and animals start to resume,
A life anew that only nature knows.
April, the season’s call of springtime cheer,
A time where all of nature comes to rear.
