Inspired by The Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge
Category Archives: Fun Stuff
Wonderful Vacation! Now Back to Life in Paradise!
Washington Monument as seen from National Mall in front of Smithsonian Castle
Vacation is a wonderful thing and returning to life post-vacation is always hard. Throw in a six-hour time difference, eighteen days away from home, and the beginning of the school year, and you’ll have an idea of where my head has been the last few days.
The trip however was well worth the jet lag! I got a chance to visit with my oldest brother and his family, to spend time with old friends, and to explore D.C., Boston, and Maine, along with a little of New Hampshire with the kids. They rode their first subway. We explored four of the Smithsonian Museums and toured the national monuments via of moonlight tour. We walked the Freedom Trail and we drove down to Plymouth, then up to Maine, where we met friends and hiked in the White Mountain National Forest. All in all a wonderful vacation! I took a thousand pictures, but don’t worry, I am not going to bore you with that many.
First Smithsonian Museum Visited
Lincoln Memorial at Night
Old Mother Goose was real! Who knew?
Did you know Old Mother Goose was based on the real person? Apparently, she was! I walked the Freedom Trail decades ago, but somehow I missed this tidbit until I went with the kids.
Boston, MA: The Old State House
- Two of my favorite things!
- A Reminder from Plymouth, MA: Thanksgiving Isn’t Thanksgiving for All!
View from Bradbury Mountain State Park in Maine
Hiking in White Mountains National Forest
Pacific Rim Disability and Diversity Conference Anyone? 2
I’ll be there as an exhibitor and author and I’ll be giving away ten autographed copies of Delightfully Different. The keynotes and noted speakers looks impressive, and I know there are over 200 speakers total.
Let me know if you are coming! I would love to meet you face to face, and I might even tell you where to find the best beaches and the best shave ice.
Books for a Meme 16
Today I am grateful for this meme and for Rachel at Journeys with Autism who doubly honored me by tagging both my book and me in a book meme. I was grinning from ear to ear when I read that she likes my novel and then further down the post she tagged me for the meme because she knows how much I love books. But alas I fell off the blog sphere radar was distracted this week.
Here are the rules for the meme:
1. Take a picture of the books you are reading currently and add them to your post. (I am cheating altering the rules and including one that I recently finished. I think you will be able to figure out why.)
2. Describe the books and if you are enjoying them
3. For every book you are reading, you have to tag one person.
4. Leave the person a comment letting them know you tagged them.
Here goes: 
I recently finished reading The Uncharted Path: My Journey with Late Diagnosed Autism by the afore-mentioned Rachel B. Cohen-Rottenberg. It is an insightful gem which I highly recommend especially to those of you who are parents of girls on the spectrum. You can find out more about it on her blog or at Amazon.com. Rachel, thank you so much for sharing your life with us!
Love and War: The Civil War Letters and Medicinal Book of Augustus V. Ball edited by Donald S. Frazier and Andrew Hillhouse and transcribed by Anne Ball Ryals, was my birthday gift to myself. This book is actually about my family. Dr. Augustus V. Ball was the brother of my direct ancestor.
There are two letters in the book from Augustus’ dad who was also my ancestor. I have been skipping around the book because of family ties, but I love what I have found. This book includes information from pre-civil war to its aftermath along with medical recipes for treating various illnesses. I think today we would call him a naturopath.
Now you know my secret; I am a history fanatic buff and when I have that rare spare moment I get self-absorbed lost in family history.
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks is an enjoyable easy read about a young woman named Katie who has a mysterious past. I am only half way through it, but so far it is entertaining and a good way to escape from reality for a while. I always enjoy reading Nicholas Sparks’ novels. It is my guilty pleasure.
May You Always Have an Angel by Your Side; edited by Douglas Pagels is a collection of quotes and poems about angels another of my favorite things. I definitely believe in angels both in human form and otherwise.
So now you know! I either focus on autism or escape it depending on my mood and how much time I have.
Now to pass on the fun I am tagging:
Suzanne atAutism Mom Rising because I know she is a very spiritual person.
Lisa at Karma Per Diem who is also a southern belle who loves books.
Kelly at Puzzle Piece Princess who certainly understands the need for more education about how autism affects our girls.
Grace at Blessed Elements when loves reading, positive messages and angels as much or more than I do.
Delightfully Different Life 