Mikelle and I feel compelled to write about life with a disability, not just the challenges but the opportunities, the friendships, the innovations, and the brilliance of our communities in action as we share our everyday life living with a disability. With a little more information, motivation, we hope to share how our life is shining beautiful and maybe help you to shine beautiful, too.

Mom’s Summer Vacation

Mom’s Summer Vacation Every summer my mom, Katherine Carol, hops on a plane and travels to the Dominican Republic (DR) for two weeks. It’s her chance to take a nice sunny break from our hectic everyday life. When she’s gone all my girls rally together to make sure I have

Couch Crushers

Couch Crushers At the end of April we realized that some changes were going to be forthcoming this spring/summer. Changes in Mikelle’s schedule, her staff, and not least of al, her apartment. First on our list of Things To Do was buy a new couch. This brought a plethora of

It’s What Friends Do

From time to time, we at the Shining Beautiful Blog series like to post an update about Ms Mikelle and her good buddy, Jerome. They’ve been friends for a long time, since 2003, thirteen years. Over the years their friendship has grown and changed just as they have grown and

Bracelet Bloom

  By Katherine Carol and Taylor Mason As the seasons transition from Winter to Spring there is a renewed sense of energy. Energy in the air, in the city, and in Mikelle. With the warmer weather she has been able to be outside more, to spend time in coffee shops

For Every Time, There is a Season.

  Caught in the middle of change. The Equinox has us smack dab in the middle of seasons.  One day it is 70 degrees, the next we are buried under 18 inches of snow.  It is as if we slow down to speed up. In March, we are in the

It’s not March Madness, but it is Bracelet Bonanza!

March Madness does exist at Mikelle’s home, but it is more like madness for making money at her Bracelet Bonanza Party. While many things bring a smile to Mikelle’s face, nothing makes her more confident than gathering the green stuff in her small hand. At the first ever Social Security

How is your New Year Growing?

(NOTE: This is the second post in the series on Life Planting.) “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and the end of human existence.” ~Aristotle Can you pursue your dreams and support a loved one with a disability? Yes. Fulfilled dreams lead to happiness, which

Mikelle and Shakespeare

Karin Carr, left, and Allison Learned star in “The Taming of the Shrew” at The Bug Theatre. (Christine Fisk, provided by Lost and Found Productions) Mikelle and Shakespeare—I never thought these two words would be uttered in a single sentence.  To my surprise, I found there was a connection. How

What Seeds are You Planting in 2016?

Let’s start this new year together! “From one small seed of our first encounter have come many harvests.” Russ Berkus Mikelle and I, along with our friends at Shining Beautiful, are taking time to reflect on just where it we want to go this year. We do this every year

Three Gifts Under Our Christmas Tree 2015

Do the gifts of community come from systems or families? Intelligent, hardworking human services professionals discuss the need for inclusive communities and person-centered planning. I know, I have sat in numerous conference rooms over the years, I hear the concern in their voices as they acknowledge the elusive nature of creating enduring

Let’s Get Ready to Party!

It is early December and I am already thinking about the New Year. Holiday preparations are on the to-do list. The gingerbread house needs to be baked. Think Mikelle and Kara can do that while I sit at Anne’s Kitchen Table draped in a plastic table cloth with my other