"A Rose by any other name...."

     Does your heart need a little warming? This Valentine, by Rachel, brought me to sweet, happy tears! She made & wrote it for her "best friend", Rosebug! We have had Rosie for going on 5 years this summer. And she has added so much happiness to our lives (& a few frustrations) and increased Rachel's capacities of caring & empathy more than any human could.
    Here is the Valentine she made & wrote for her "best friend", Rose!

In case you have trouble reading from the picture, it says:

"Dear Rosebug,                                          2-14-11

Thank-you for being my dog.

I couldn't live without you.

You mean a bunch of flowers to me.

Love,

     Rachel"

 Friends are golden!    'Nough said!

House Rules by Jodi Piccoult

   If you enjoy reading Jodi Piccoult and learning how Asperger's can affect the life of an Aspie, as well as their family, you might enjoy this book. It is fiction, but it certainly could happen & actually hits on a few of my fears/concerns for our future. Can you imagine law enforcement understanding an Aspie? Me neither!

                   Synopsis from back bookcover:

 

"When your son can’t look you in the eye . . . does that mean he’s guilty?    Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brilliant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject—forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he’s always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he’s usually right.

    But when Jacob’s small hometown is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob’s behaviors are hallmark Asperger’s, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight. For Jacob’s mother, Emma, it’s a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it’s another indication why nothing is normal because of Jacob.

   And over this small family, the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

I'm an Astronaut! Really?!?

   Almost an extended weekend... time to smile! This morning, I got a dose of education....via Rachel.
   My daughter, informed me this morning that she is an astronaut! hmm...hmm...should I inquire further? I know it will be something I have not thought of, BUT, I bite. "How are you an astronaut?".  She continued to inform me that I am an astronaut, too. Wow, my life must be more exciting and adventurous than I knew.
   Now, I'm trying to think ahead...nothing..."I don't understand what you mean, Rachel". To which she "explains", "well astronauts go & live in space, right?". To which I say "that's what I thought". She then tells me that the earth is in space, our house is on the earth, and houses are "living spaces", so we are all astronauts!
   So, next time I have a form to fill out, & there is a question of my career, I might consider "Astronaut"! Have a great weekend! To infinity and beyond...

Change? Did someone say new Dr.?

     It's been an interesting week, as usual. Rachel's Dr. left the practice in November, so we were assigned to the new one.  We got there plenty early...were signing in....the sweet lady informed me that her new Dr. was "different" from her old ones. Hmm...Different? Change? You get the anxiety!
     She had had 2 warm, friendly female Dr.s, so when told it was a man, some anxiety was shown by Rachel & a good bit was being felt by me. We were also told that patients had reported he was not so friendly, while the parents reported that they hoped he was thorough, since the connection seemed "off".
   So, with some apprehension, we followed him into his office. Once in there, we watched him write & write & write....did I say write. He hardly looked up, asked just a handful of questions & even I was feeling uncomfortable. Twenty minutes later, Rachel's hands were flapping & she was rocking back & forth in her seat. By that point, I just wanted to get out. He continued silently writing, while I tried to break the ice....it just wasn't going to happen. So after handing me the prescriptions, I breathed a sigh of relief (a little prematurely)!
   He then proceeded to ask her the obligatory questions, by most psychiatrists (however, her previous ones did not ask)! Do you have any thoughts of hurting anyone...yourself...? She just sat there, confused. With a little different wording by me, she said "NO, but sometimes it happens"! Then he asked if she ever saw things that weren't there, or heard things that weren't there? Uh oh... Total confusion from her! Then he tried to reword it & said "Do you ever see things that other people don't see?".  She immediately said "YES"! Oh dear, & we had almost made it out.
   When asked to explain, I guessed kind of what was coming. She told him everday it happens. She always sees her teacher from her seat, but some others can't always see the teacher from where they sit. (Excellent point!) He finally wrapped it up, much to my relief!
   As he was escorting us to the door, I stepped into the hall & turned around to see Rachel was not there. We stepped back into the office to see her neatly pushing all of the chairs up to his table, at just the right angles & amounts of seperation. She couldn't leave until that "job" was done! Just a little OCD! I wondered how long he would be writing once we left! But thankful to have escaped!

What makes for a more balanced woman?

   I always enjoy a smile. And this morning began with just that! We were listening to the radio, as always, on the way to school. Our radio station has a "DQ" every morning (darned question), where listeners call up guessing answers to win various prizes. So...
   Today's question was "according to Cosmo...what helps a woman feel more balanced?". The expected answers were being called in: enough sleep, eating right, exercising... But Rachel "knew" they were all off!
   Her, near, immediate answer was..."You have to wear matching shoes to be balanced!" True enough!   ;0)   There's an Aspie moment!
   As the guessing was continuing on the way to school a caller guessed something to which the DJ's gave a hint...yes, "it has something to do with appearance". That set Rachel's thinking off again. Then she suddenly said: "Well, I guess it has to be having a baby." ....hmmm....hmmm, I cave, "Why is that?"...To which she answers, "Well, you have to have a baby to be 'a parent'."
   Enjoy your day. Look for the good!

p.s. The radio "correct" answer was to wear lipstick. Rachel insisted that made No Sense at all!