However, after apartment-living the first 5 years after I moved here to Ohio, we finally rented a house, and I began my journey into gardening.  I started with daisies since they’re my favorite flower. To my surprise, they actually GREW!  So the next season I added dahlias, and they seemed happy as well, much to my joy.

Now are are buying a house, and I have an entire front yard that, at one time, probably was nicely landscaped with daffodils, hyacinthias, daylillies, tulips, and other stuff. I have a LOT of gardening room and the ideas occupy my thoughts, many times, late into the night. Not kewl for sleeping, I can assure you.  I can tell that this has now become my new passion!

I have quite a few tulips – red, white, yellow, and pinks. Beautiful. I filled in with a couple of asiatic lillies, dahlias, and of course daisies. Though the flowers are gorgeous, I’m not happy with the layout, so will probably dig them all up next spring and re-do the garden area.

My most recent interest tho, is in making a raised-bed garden in the middle of my front yard.  I was going to use landscaping timber, but then saw a pic of a raised bed using those pink-colored bricks. Not the bricks that houses are build from, but industrial-type bricks, shown below.

Best thing is, they’re free. They came with our house!

So using these, I’m going to build one of these two raised beds out in the middle
of my front yard.  I’m not sure which one yet. What do you think?

OR

God bless you all.

1. It saddens me that there are veterans out here who are hungry, penniless, even homeless.
2. It saddens me (although I am VERY glad they do it) that the V.A. Centers, such as ours on Belmont Ave, has to take in food, toiletries, and other non-perishable items for our veterans who are desperately in need.
3. It saddens me enough that a wonderful organization is even needed to pass out sack lunches, toiletries, and clothing, 2 Saturdays per month on Front Street in Youngstown. It GREATLY saddens me that many of the recipients are United States Veterans.
4. The fact that football/baseball/basketball, etc players sign contracts for MILLIONS of dollars per year to hit, kick or bounce a ball; yet the men and women who fought for our freedoms and the “rights” that so many like to spout off at the mouth about, often draw a pension that doesn’t begin to cover their expenses and needs, and they have to find meals in soup kitchens and food pantries, and many can’t afford anything better than run-down apartments – IF that.

Something has to be done. If the government won’t do it, WE must.

1. Purchase a blue light bulb and change your outside lights to the blue bulb.
2. If you live in an apartment, park a lamp near a prominent window and change that light to a blue bulb.
3. Dress in blue. Wear a blue shirt, blue hat, blue pants, blue socks. If someone asks why you’re dressed in all blue, tell them!
4. Ladies, paint your nails blue (I am).
5. If you own a bar, make your drinks BLUE on April 2.
6. If you own a bakery or restaurant, offer a blue dessert, cookie, or frost a cake or cupcakes with blue frosting.
7. Hang a poster in your store or restaurant window or home window, that says ‘Celebrate Autism Awareness Month’.
8. Teachers, have your students draw and color a puzzle piece blue, cut it out, and adhere it with velcro to anyone who wants one.  Better yet, sell them for $1 and donate the proceeds to Autism Society of Ohio-Mahoning Valley.
9. If you have a radio show, please announce the upcoming Autism Awareness Month, and all the ways to get involved, above.  Same for TV and newspaper.

Work with me people.  Please.

The images below are available to use on your website, Facebook, or anywhere they will do some good.
Thank you!

“What is Autism?”. Autism is a brain – or neurobiological – disorder that is marked by language delays, social and communication challenges, and unusual behaviors and interests.

“What is this Autism Spectrum that I hear about?”. The Autism Spectrum is a group of disorders that in many way “mirror” Autism, but also have their own distinct characteristics such as difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. Disorders that fall under the ‘Spectrum’ include:

Asperger Syndrome – Often referred to as High-Functioning Autism, Asperger Syndrome is often misdiagnosed as ADHD because of the lack of focus and inability to concentrate in unfamiliar surroundings or larger group settings (sugh as a school classroom with a larger number of students). Asperger Syndrome is also marked by lack of social skills and more pointedly, lack of interest in socializing, fear of social situations, unusually narrow field of interests, obsessive behaviors, over-sensitivity to light, sound and texture, adult vocabulary, demand routine/no change in routine, and many other symptoms. However intellectually, they often develop right on target, with many having an above-average intellect.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder – This most severe form of Autism is also the least common. After a period of normal development, usually between age 2 and 4, a child with CDD rapidly loses multiple areas of function. Social and language skills are diminished or lost, as well as intellectual abilities. Often, the child develops a seizure disorder. Children with childhood disintegrative disorder are severely impaired and don’t recover their lost function.

Pervasive Development Disorder -  ”atypical autism,” a diagnosis for people with fewer and milder symptoms than autistic disorder and Asperger syndrome, but not as severe as “classic Autism”.

Rett syndrome – a genetic disorder that results in growth failure, no verbal skills and gastrointestinal problems.

It has been argued that other disorders such as ADHD (Asperger kids often initially receive a misdiagnosis of ADHD when they really has Asperger Syndrome, and vise versa), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) should be labeled Autism Spectrum Disorders because their symptoms so closely mirror those of Autism and Asperger Syndrome, but they’ve yet to receive that designation. Why they haven’t, is beyond me, especially SPD. A good read on how SPD is strongly related to Autism can be found here.

What causes Autism? The simple and short answer is, no one knows. Scientists and medical experts and researchers are working hard every day to find the cause, and cure, for Autism.

However, MY personal reason for advocating for Autism Awareness simple. My son has Asperger Syndrome. He hears and reads a LOT about needing a cure for Autism – TV commercials, magazine articles, people talking, etc. He asked me once, a few years ago, “Mom, what’s wrong with me? Why does everyone want to fix me? Am I broken? Why can’t I just be me?”.

Ever since then, I’ve been an advocate, locally, for Autism Awareness. Not necessarily for finding the cure, although like any more, I hope they do. But for ACCEPTANCE of people with Autism, in any of its forms. I don’t care if anyone understands what Autism is. I sure don’t, probably never will, and guess what? I don’t care. Leave that up to the doctors, scientists and researchers, thank you very much. What I DO care about is that people with Autism are accepted and loved, just the way they are.

1. Do not try to ‘fix’ them. They aren’t broken.
2. Do not expect a cure (although I’m sure there will be one some day).
3. and do not treat Autistic people as though they have some disease (they don’t. It’s a brain disorder and is not – I repeat NOT – contagious).

So again, April is Autism Awareness Month.  And April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD).  How can you help?  Glad you asked!

1. Purchase a blue light bulb and change your outside lights to the blue bulb.
2. If you live in an apartment, park a lamp near a prominent window and change that light to a blue bulb.
3. Dress in blue. Wear a blue shirt, blue hat, blue pants, blue socks. If someone asks why you’re dressed in all blue, tell them!
4. Ladies, paint your nails blue (I am).
5. If you own a bar, make your drinks BLUE on April 2 (WAAD).
6. If you own a bakery or restaurant, offer a blue dessert, cookie, or frost a cake or cupcakes with blue frosting.
7. Hang a poster in your store or restaurant window or home window, that says ‘Celebrate Autism Awareness Month’.
8. Teachers, have your students draw and color a puzzle piece blue, cut it out, and adhere it with velcro to anyone who wants one.  Better yet, sell them for $1 and donate the proceeds to Autism Society of Ohio-Mahoning Valley.
9. If you have a radio show, please announce the upcoming Autism Awareness Month, and all the ways to get involved, above.  Same for TV and newspaper.

Work with me people.  Please.

First responders in the Mahoning Valley (Youngstown, Ohio) are being offered training which would better equip them to deal with an individual with Autism in an emergency situation.

In honor of Autism Awareness Month (April), the Autism Society of Ohio-Mahoning Valley is partnering with the Mahoning County Mental Health Board and Help Hotline Crisis Center, Inc. in sponsoring this event.

Date: Wednesday, April 17
Time: 12:30 to 4:30 pm
Place: OHIO ONE BUILDING
25 East Boardman Street
Second Floor Auditorium, Youngstown, Ohio

First Responders may include police, fire, emergency medical technicians, hospital emergency room staff, paramedics, Red Cross volunteers, etc., who will all learn how to respond to emergencies involving individuals with autism, effective de-escalation techniques, and much more.

Pre-registration is required.
Attached is a flyer in both doc and pdf form, that has more info including some background on the officer who is doing the training, that you can download, print, complete, and send in to register.
Hope to see you there!

First Responder Training – doc
First Responder Training – pdf