“When the cat is away the mice will play.” When Mikelle’s mom, Katherine, goes out of town that can mean only one thing; Party Time! Mikelle has always loved going on adventures and hanging out with her roommates. The same is true with her current roommate Taylor. When Momma is gone the girls like […]
O’ Happy Day! Roommates Romp! Read More »
I sent the Universe a request. I prayed for the perfect roommate to once again grace our home with the similar qualities Taylor, Kari, Lauren, Adriana and Susi shared with us during their time with Mikelle and me. Qualities like compassion, respect, fun, creative, laugh out loud zaniness. Life is often serious, terribly bureaucratic
The Frustration of an Unanswered Prayer Read More »
Is Craigslist God’s Way of Saving the World? Tiredness sets in. I hear my bed’s urgent call, “Get in here!” I fail to heed the call, and instead, grab my Smart Phone and check it one more time before I give up on another long day. The switch from daylight savings time has thrown me
Is Craigslist God’s Way of Saving the World? Read More »
It was Mikelle’s brother, Kasey, who loved cats. His seven year old hands helped rescue “Vampire,” a gray hodgepodge of a kitten from beneath the pfitzer bushes standing sentry to the entrance of our home on Ponds View Place, back when we had grass, a sprawling ranch-style home with an uncertain future. When we sold
Perhaps She Does Love Cats Read More »
Life with Mikelle: Balancing our Special Needs I thought living with my daughter would either be intense, even feverish. or cool and somewhat detached. After all, I am the “backup” her “just-in-case” person, the one she will use as needed, like a first aid kit. But, as any special needs parent knows, both scenarios
As I enter our home, it is warm and bathed in soft light. I take off my coat and hang it on the hook near the door as I reflect on life in its present incarnation. I thought living with my daughter would either be intense, even feverish, in my attempts to help her find
Life with Mikelle: Balancing our Special Needs Read More »
Reluctant eagerness. Yes, those two words capture my dilemma each time I take a break from being a “special needs mom” and caregiver—if there is such a thing. Respite is good for both of us. On one hand, I am eager to leap out of my routine. Since, Mikelle graduated from high school, I have
Everyone Needs a Break–The Importance of Respite Read More »
By Ashley Ryder, Our new roommate. Some people say that ‘variety is the spice of life’…and I tend to agree. Like most people, I’ve got “chapters” in my life that define who I am and who I am trying to become. These segments are easy to identify because they’re punctuated with a proverbial ‘fork in
A Fork in the Road Read More »
This month we are sharing our ideas on what makes us happy. Listen to Kasey, Mikelle’s brother, thoughts on happiness.
January is Happiness Month. Read More »
Happy New Year. Either I am getting older, or the world is getting more complicated—or both. This year at The Shining Beautiful Series, we decided to keep our celebrations simple, grabbing for clarity rather than verbosity. On January 2nd, sitting in my favorite coffee shop awaiting the arrival of my delicious latte, I flipped
How Happy is Your New Year? Read More »
