Snorkel Log: Sharks and Rays and Guitarfish!

Dear Friends, I am so loving my weekly snorkel outings! I am so lucky to live somewhere with such incredible marine life. I am also lucky to have the support to get out and swim with it! Here is a clip from this week’s outing. So many sharks and rays and guitarfish! It was soContinue reading “Snorkel Log: Sharks and Rays and Guitarfish!”

The Ocean & Us Ep9.2: Making Conservation Work for Whales, cont’d

Dear Friends, Presenting part 2 (of 3) from our fascinating chat with Dr. Jo Marie (Jom) Acebes of Balyena.org in the Philippines! She shares about the conservation status of some marine mammals in the Philippines, and the challenges of trying to reduce the threats to those animals. I so enjoyed chatting with Jom and learningContinue reading “The Ocean & Us Ep9.2: Making Conservation Work for Whales, cont’d”

The Ocean & Us Ep9.1: Making Conservation Work for Whales

Dear Friends, Well, at long last, we have a new episode to share! It has been such a scattered year, and we are still learning how to manage our complex schedules. Tara will say it is her fault, but it is more like she is so overextended! I am just so grateful that she canContinue reading “The Ocean & Us Ep9.1: Making Conservation Work for Whales”

My Birthday Message

Dear Friends, Wow, I am 37 today! I decided to re-post the poem I wrote for my birthday last year. I am still so just beginning my life with communication, and this is only my third birthday since having Spelling access in my daily life. Each milestone brings joy, pride, and also gratitude, but alsoContinue reading “My Birthday Message”

Back to Summer Snorkel Bliss

Dear Friends,  It is high summer – hot sunny days, invasive crowds, and glorious warm ocean waters! I am back to regular snorkeling after several months’ hiatus. It is easy to get out of the habit, since it is a bit of a drive to our favorite spots, and we are so juggling the manyContinue reading “Back to Summer Snorkel Bliss”

We are us

Dear Friends, I am so glowing from Motormorphosis! Wow! I want to share a poem I wrote about how it felt to be in such an accepting community in person. This was my first time at a large public event centered on nonspeaking autistic folks, and it was such a space of understanding and comfortContinue reading “We are us”

Catching up & my blue skies

Dear Friends, Wow, it seems like it has been a long time since I have posted! I was so drained from an emotionally profound and physically tiring trip. It was so amazing, though, and I am so inspired by it. I want to catch up with you all about so much, but today I wantContinue reading “Catching up & my blue skies”

The Father Land

Dear Friends, Greetings from the Emerald Isle! I am so overwhelmed with emotions about this trip to my father’s homeland. It is a gorgeous country with a troubled and rich past. And it is a place of such spiritual depth. It is where my father grew up and spent his youth before setting off forContinue reading “The Father Land”

A chat with my main CRP and ally: separation, autonomy, and opportunity

Dear Friends, I hope you are all enjoying your weekend! I am having a lovely day with my family. My sister and main CRP Tara leaves tomorrow for Ireland and will be there for ten days before the rest of us join her. This is the longest we’ve been apart since we gained fluency justContinue reading “A chat with my main CRP and ally: separation, autonomy, and opportunity”

Leo in Bloom: Blooming Again!

Dear Friends, I am so thrilled that our project Leo in Bloom has been reborn as a platform to feature nonspeaking autistic voices, with a new theme every other month! We just wrapped up our first month in this form, on the theme “Advocating as Nonspeaking Autistics.” It featured contributions from several of my impressiveContinue reading “Leo in Bloom: Blooming Again!”