Hope Is Real!

Today I attended an event about children with disabilities put on by FOCUS , Families Of Children Under Stress, and it was great. The first speaker, Joe Sarra of ChildKind, Inc., began his speech by making this point: disability is natural! Having a disability is not something to be feared or ashamed of, as it is a totally natural part of life. What a refreshing view on disability! To further illustrate his points, Sarra included these facts: 54 million Americans have a disability. That's one out of every five! (2002 Census) The number of people born with disabilities is higher and more children are surviving past birth due to medical advancements. People with disabilities are living longer due to medical advancements. While some disabilities are identified at birth, others occur throughout the lifespan due to traumatic events or the aging process. People with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the United States. Getting diagnosed with a disability is often a trauma

Exactly a week ago, I went to see the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and Chorus play Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. It was wonderful! I love seeing the symphony and sometimes my uncle, who is in the choir, gets me free tickets. I took a friend along and we actually saw a dress rehearsal. I had no idea what to wear-I know to dress up for the symphony, but I also know a dress rehearsal is a far less formal event. Since I don't get the chance to dress up very often, I decided to go slightly formal. Necklace: Birthday present from same uncle Shirt: Target Sweater: Marshall's Skirt: Old Navy Leggings: No Idea, but are very comfortable Shoes: Wild Pair - You can't tell in this picture, but they sparkle! Here's an artistic shot of the High Museum , which is a part of the Woodruff Arts Center , where the ASO and Chorus meets. My uncle used to write the program notes for the symphony and so I always take care to read them when I go. I advise anyone to take the time to rea

Where: Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church Address: 800 Lawrenceville Hwy, Lawrenceville, GA 30046 When: Will be every Thursday starting Feb. 3 Time: 7-9:30p Cost: Free Details: This is a class for caregivers, family members and friends of persons with a diagnosis of a mental illness. It is taught by trained family members and is where family members can learn about different mental illness, how to help those they know with mental illess, advocacy, and self-care techniques. My Thoughts: I've never taken this class, but I have heard good things about it. Just as people with mental illnesses need to learn about their illness, so do the people that love them. It's hard to help someone if one does not have all the facts. I also like the fact that it teaches self-care skills, as it is so important to take care of one's self and not get burned out. What: Chair Yoga Where: The Yoga Source Address: 2268 Fountain Square Dr., Snellville, GA 30078 When: Every Thursday Time: 5-5:45p

We had a snow storm last week, so I had the rare opportunity to show off my galoshes. Atlantans don't wear things like galoshes very often...Aren't they cute? I got them from Land's End at the Sears Outlet I worked at two years ago. This is our dog, Georgia. Her sweater matches my boots! Here is my car covered in snow: The snow was fun at first, but being stuck in the house for three days straight got to be pretty depressing. Thursday, my dad and I went to the grocery store and I've never been so excited to get out of the house! Ever since Friday, I have been constantly on the go, with hardly any time to be on the computer. Once again, I have hardly any time to write, so I will leave you a quote. Although we can reject God's calling, God is still calling us to be the best that we can be in every context. This constant calling is what saves us. (59, Monica Coleman , Making a Way Out of No Way) I needed saving Monday. I hate to admit it, but I was really struggli

You look like a Christmas ornament! A few weeks ago, someone said this to me and I thought it was funny! This is what I was wearing-what do you think? I just love bright colors! I used to dress this way all the time, but I have noticed that my clothes this year have been more boring, I guess you could say, than usual. Partly this is due to the fact that some of my funkier clothes no longer fit and I do not have the money to buy the kinds of clothes I would like. Most of my clothes now are basics from Target, so it is a good thing that their clothes come in a lot of bright colors! Still, I slowly came to realize that I had gotten lazy in my dressing. It's not that I did not look good, but that I did not look like ME. I was wearing a lot of dark turtlenecks and sweaters, which certainly give me an adult look, but it is unfortunately, a look that I do not particularly like for the most part. I was beginning to feel boring and old. I missed the old, fabulously quirky me, but I thought

I hear you, but I do not understand- Why are you so proud of your evilness? All that you say are lies. Your tongue is a knife, Which cuts at my heart. I bleed and yet you laugh- Your evilness is disgusting. But I have faith in Godde. The Holy One will dull your tongue And silence your mouth. She will remove you from your people And you will never harm me again. Then I shall be the one laughing, Delighting in my Godde's strength. Do not laugh at Godde Or make light of Her strength, But trust in Her power always For She protects Her children. ********************************* To read the original, go to BibleGateway.com (from the blog, Typographic Bible Verses ) My eating disorder made me lie a lot. I would lie about how much I'd eaten and this in turn made it easier for me to lie about other things. I became quite skillful at lying and in hiding my illness. I also was a people pleaser and often denied how serious my depression or my schizoaffective disorder was becoming and

I have decided that I'm going to have an 'events' area on the right side of my blog for events related to disability, gay rights, feminism, or simply recovery in general. Most of them will be in the Atlanta area. I had this on my other blog, Femi-Nation, when it was up and I don't know why I didn't think about doing it for this one! If you know of an event that goes along with the theme of my blog, then send me an email at hopeisreal42@yahoo.com and I might advertise it here. In fact, if you want to contact me for support or questions, then you may email me at that address too. I'll put that contact info on the right also. To start it off, I already have two events to promote: Exclusive Red Carpet Event! ~ The Fat Boy Chronicles (Click on that link to see a trailer!) Location: Aurora Cineplex Address: 5100 Commerce Pkwy, Roswell, GA 30076 Date: Saturday, January 15 Time: 7pm Price: $9 Contact for More Info or Group Rates: 770-518-0977 **This movie is suit

I had a lot more time this December, as I spent a lot of time just relaxing at my brother's house in Anacortes , Washington state. I'll talk more about that trip later. Cowboy Feng’s Space Bar and Grille by Steven Brust – I wasn’t wild about this book. The first person narration includes too many details and reminds me of the way I wrote when I was in middle school-not a good thing. I thought the concept of the novel was intriguing-a bar that jumps planets and time when there’s a nearby nuclear disaster-but I thought the reason was stupid. In my opinion, this is a book with more promise than it delivers. Rosie Little’s Cautionary Tales for Girls by Danielle Wood – This book was fabulous and a great bargain! I felt a little guilty while reading it, because I got it from the dollar table at Charis. It’s a collection of short stories that are cautionary tales for “girls who have boots as stout as their hearts, and who are prepared to firmly lace them up (boots and hearts both

I'm gonna be honest here-my fibromyalgia is back and the pain is making it hard for me to concentrate long enough to write what I want to write. The pain isn't the worst I have ever felt by a long shot, but it's enough for me to lose my motivation and concentration. I am also really busy. I am trying to fight all these things and still write, but it does mean that my blog posts will probably be a little shorter than usual for a while. I must do what I can... ******************************** Did you know? Kwanzaa is almost over-today's principle is Imani, or Faith. To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and the victory of our struggle. I really like the concept of Kwanzaa and how it is about remembering our ancestors, building community, and looking forward to the future. I did not really know a lot about Kwanzaa before today, but my church had a beautiful Kwanzaa service today and I learned a lot. I a