Autism and The World Around Me

Total Issue Resolved

2012-01-22T09:33:00.000-06:00

Do you hate it when others hack your blog to add a link that redirects your entire page? I sure do. I even created another blog to prevent any loss of my pages. Luckily all I had to do is look through my codes and find the one that was linking me to another site. I found it in my Entrecard widget. To prevent any future problem, I just deleted my account. Not that I was really using it anyways, but at least now I don't have to worry about it so much. Thanks to wonderful help at Blogger, I am relieved today.

Attention Followers

2012-01-21T16:22:00.000-06:00

Follow me here: ourautismworld.blogspot.com

Changing Web Address

2012-01-21T14:38:00.001-06:00

Due to an expired domain name, I am forced to change the address of Autism And The World Around Me. The new address will be ourautismworld.blogspot.com. I am hoping that everyone will find it. The address will be changed by tomorrow January 21, 2012. Hopefully by changing it in blogger dashboard, it will fix my problem. If anyone has any suggestions on how I can keep my original address without buying a domain name, I would greatly appreciate it. I am having issues getting these posts to my new address as well.

Thanks again

Picture of the Day

2012-01-17T17:49:00.001-06:00

Daddy thought I was a cold little girl!

Eddie's Nomination

2012-01-17T12:01:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone, I thought that I would take a few minutes to update you all on everything that has been going on. We are all back in school again, but I am not sure if we are all ready. Christmas vacation came and left with us wishing that it could have been longer. Getting back in the swing of things may take some time, but not to much if we are expecting to get everything done on time. It is housekeeping inspection time as well, so we have that hovering over our heads for the time being.

Little Eddie received some great news a few days ago. I have been meaning to write about it, but it seems that other things kept getting in the way. He received a nomination to attend the 2012 Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C. I would absolutely love for him to be able to attend the five day conference, but it is an impossibility. First of all, there is tuition (about $2000), then there is the fact that he is only 10 with autism and ADHD. If he was able to attend, I would have to be there by his side at all times before he would even be allowed to go. I just can not put my faith into letting him go alone, or be able to even scratch the tuition surface. I know that there are ways to have fundraisers for the tuition, but even still I would have to be there with him the entire time. Such a great honor for him, and his parents could not have been more prouder. Congratulations Eddie!!

For those who want to know what classes I am taking this semester, I am taking College Algebra, English Comp II, Computer Concepts of Micro Apps, and Principles of Anatomy & Physiology.

I would also like to say Happy Birthday to Devin who had his 9th birthday on Jan. 7. We had a family party with just the four of us, and we gave him the Kreo-Bumblebee Transformer set. Granny (Eddie's mom) bought him a cake for me to make. It was 7:00 p.m., before I was able to get it done. We did not see Grandma (my mom) for his birthday, so I do not know what happened there. She has recently started working nights so that she can get a few more hours. She is a Medical Lab Technician at a local hospital. She recently moved into a new house next door to my grandmothers, so I guess she thought that working nights would help her out on that one.

I decided to set up blogging by email, since the computers at the college will not allow you to log on to blogger. I am hoping that it works, but then again, I do not see why it would not.

Well, I guess that I will get going. I had some time to burn so I thought that I would get something posted. Hope that you all have a wonderful day or night. Whatever your case may be. BE SAFE!!

Christmas Wishes 2011

2011-12-25T09:22:00.000-06:00

Christmas Wishes From Our Home To Yours

Economics Final, Snow, Getting Sick

2011-12-07T20:29:00.000-06:00

Tonight was my Economics final. Did I do good? Well, we can hope and see. I could have stayed to find out my grade, but I am not feeling well either. I problably should have not been there, but it was only finals night, and I thought that I could get by. Devin was sick last Friday and over the weekend my husband got sick. I got sick I guess it was Monday. I am not sure if little Eddie has it or not. He was starting to complain earlier, but I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens. Sore throat, congestion, sinus issues, stuffy nose, and the usual.

We had snow this morning for a few hours, but the ground was so wet that it did not stick. It had rained quite a bit over the night. As we were taking the boys to school this morning, it started. It was all gone by the time I went to English class at 11:00. Most everyone in the community was glad to see it, and people thought that it was dazzling. Snow is few, far, and between. We did however have a white Christmas last year. Maybe we will have one again. I am predicting that there will be another chance to get some snow.

Well, thought that I would give you an update.
Have a wonderful day/night (whatever your case may be)

Short Attention, Running Sounds, Increased Frustration, Generalized Anxiety

2011-12-05T18:29:00.000-06:00

Finals start this week for college, and I am getting very nervous. As for some of you, you know that I have generalized anxiety disorder. This is were you have anxiety most of the time, but you have do periods of calm which do not always last for a long period of time. Okay, the official definition is an uneasy sense of general tension and apprehension for no apparent reason that makes the individual highly uncomfortable because of it prolonged presence. There are many things that start the whole cycle for me all over again. A test for example, because I am so nervous about it I will forget everything that I have studied and go blank. Frustration sets in, and I am almost into a mental breakdown. There are a lot of things that I have problems with, and sorting them out has become a task in itself. My attention span really bothers me. Things do not soak in like they should. Learning things takes me more time than one would normally do. Hearing has become very annoying lately. When there is more than one noise in the room, I have difficulties hearing any one particular sound. They all blend in together, so I hear everything at once. If I am working on something and there is the slightest noise, I get very disrupted and loose all train of thought. As a child, I remember sitting in front of the television and be tuned in to the sound and not be able to hear someone calling my name. Same kind of problem today. I will be watching television and someone will say something to me. Either I will not hear them at all, or it will only be a murmur. It is hard to stay focused on what is said in a lecture, because my mind tends to wander. Not that I am trying to make it, but that it does it all on its own. There are a lot of misfires that I find within myself, and wish that I had answers for them. I have wondered what effects seizures at birth could have on the nervous system. I only had them at birth and not since then, but there is a suspicion that it could have caused some of the issues that I do have.

Well, thought that I would ramble a little today. Just kind of feeling frustrated.

Dad, saw that you probably had some snow recently. What two days ago? How much did you get? How's Aunt K? I have not heard from her. Love you dad, Amanda

Picture of the Day

2011-11-26T00:04:00.000-06:00

Sleeping Calypso

Thanksgiving, Black Friday Chaos, Wedding Anniversary

2011-11-25T16:51:00.000-06:00

Hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We stayed home this year and had duck, dressing, pecan pie, macaroni salad, pintos, toast, mac and cheese, and maybe something else. We decided to skip the turkey this year, husband said that no one eats it anyways. I had bought three ducks, and cooked two of them. The other one is in the freezer for some other day. Duck is a wonderful alternative to turkey. What all did you have and do on Thanksgiving? Here is the picture of our dinner. Nothing fancy I remind you:

We decided to go to town last night about 8:30 p.m., and maybe we have learned our lesson about going out on the night Black Friday decided to get moving along. As with most places, stores were opening earlier. Deals at Wal-Mart started at 10:00 that night. Tons of people were all around, oh my. We had planned to buy a few things that we seen that were going to be on sale, but choose to get products that were not actually on sale. Yeah, we had to pay more for them, but it beats the hassle of all the people. I even felt that it could get dangerous for the family. We had brought the boys with us as well. People were starting to get itchy for items with two hours or more to go. They were giving us funny looks as we were headed to the checkout lines. They were wondering if we had gotten Black Friday deals, or just what we had to begin with. People were even getting angry for all kinds of reasons. I had saw a man get in his truck to leave, and after waiting about five minutes for his woman to get in the vehicle, I saw that she had a depressed look on her face. He had backed out of Wal-Mart parking lot spinning every tire he had. I knew that he was mad either at her or because they could not get what they wanted and when. My husband had said that there was one man who got run over by the crowd. The whole way Wal-Mart had their deals set up for when it was time was really weird. They had everything that was on deal in the aisles only in the sections that had sales: toys, electronics, and home decorations. Everything in the aisles were gone where the checkout lines were. Guess they thought they needed more space for check-out instead of room on the floor. I eventually had to drop the buggy and beg my way through the crowds. We have two Wal-Mart's here and I am sure that both were packed terribly.

Another thing that I had forgotten to mention was that my husband and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary on the 23rd of this month. Happy Anniversary Dear.. Love you lots!!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

2011-11-24T13:49:00.001-06:00

Sending wishes for everyone on this Thanksgiving day! We have been watching Game Show Network today. They are having the Deal or No Deal marathon. We have seen one woman win a million dollars. Little Eddie is playing games on the computer while Devin is looking up Lego instructions to different sets. He likes to recreate some of them. Husband is napping while I clean house and cook duck for Thanksgiving. Will have pictures of our meal up sometime later. Hope that you will all join me then. Hope that all your Thanksgiving fun is blessed with safety. Enjoy your day with your family and friends. From our house to yours...

Fall 2011 Midterm Grades Are In

2011-10-15T09:12:00.003-05:00

Good morning everyone, I thought that I would do a post on myself giving you the details on my progress in college. As with most colleges, it is time for midterm grades. I received my grades last week so I wanted to share those with my friends and family. Well, here we go...

English Composition A

Intermediate Algebra B

Macroeconomics B

Psychology I A

My husband has not told me what his were, but we already know what he made. An A in every subject. LOL. Hey, that is not fair. No matter what grade he did make, I am still proud. For me, I am happy with what I received. A B is good enough for me, however it will make me work harder for the rest of the semester to try and bring it up. You have to consider that family time which allows you to do nothing but run around the house in circles getting everyone comfortable with their situation.

I was really surprised how easy college would be. All materials are pretty much given to you, so you know exactly what you will be learning. It gives you a heads up, where in high school you had no idea. I am enjoying it so far, yet I have a few more years to go.

I have decided to go into Medical Information Technologies. The only thing that I do not like is that my community college is limited on their choices for a major. I had originally wanted to do Medical Laboratory Technician, but it was not offered.

Well, guess that I will be going now. Hope that you all have a wonderful day

Bronchitis For The Third Time This Year

2011-10-11T17:31:00.004-05:00

Well, Little Eddie stayed home today from school. He had came down with bronchitis again for the third time this year. The last episode was just about a month ago, when he missed five days of school. His oxygen levels were sitting about 93 percent. He was having bronchospasms where he could breathe air in, but not out. For treatment, he has an inhaler that he uses. I may end up trying to get a nebulizer to use at home, since it does seem to be more effective than the inhaler for him. I am just hoping that I can get his doctor to agree. He does have some of the worst allergies during the night when he lays down and goes to bed. From scratching his throat to nasal congestion are his symptoms at night. I have thought about dust mites, but not really sure. He is always having sinus issues, so for myself, I have trouble trying to pinpoint the possibilities of what could be causing that problem. And to think, winter is not even here yet. I am hoping that this will not be a constant problem with him.

Hope that you will all have a blessed evening.

Hope that you will feel better soon. We all love you Eddie!!

Newly Found Friend

2011-10-04T19:36:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone, I thought that I would do a quick post to let everyone know that I am now back in the saddle again. We are all going well, and we also have a new addition to the family. In April we took in a cat. I thought that I would let you all meet Calypso. We use her as a therapy pet for the boys. So, here she is.

Saying Hello

2011-06-20T14:56:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone! I thought that I would drop in to say hello to all since I was at my grandmother's house. I have really missed blogging in the last year, so the few times that I get to come over here I try to get a few words in. The boys are doing great! Little Eddie made the A honor roll for the fourth grade, and Devin made the A/B honor roll. Also, Eddie had the highest average for Spelling and Math. He will be in the fifth grade next year and Devin will be in the third. They will also be going to the same school again. I am planning to go to college this year, and will probably do medical laboratory technician. My husband is also planning to go back and get his computer networking degree. The programming degree is not used much down here and those jobs are pretty much taken. I am hoping that I will do ok since I haven't been in school since 1999. I had thought about doing transcription or billing, but I think that it would be easier for me to get a job doing laboratory work. Well, I am supposed to be helping, so I guess that I will be going. It was nice to sit for a minute to tell you all hello. Hope you and your families are doing well. Talk to all again soon. Love your children for me and happy reading!!

Moving... Again

2010-05-20T09:01:00.003-05:00

I thought that I would give everyone a heads up on when I will be writing again. We are having to move again. Just after two years of living here, we are having to move to a different apartment. We are currently living in a handicapped apartment, and they are now needing it for a lady two houses down. We are to move everything out of the house so that maintence can come in and get everything cleaned up. Husband has decided to take everything to mom's house which is about 45 minutes from here. He says that he can get it with our Blazer. I think that is ridiculus because if you think about it we have to move the washer and dryer along with beds and couches. Another thing is that it will cost... imagine the gas prices and how many trips that we would have to make. Anyhow I am leaving it up to him on how he will get things done. He said that it could take up to three weeks before we were able to move into our next home. Not sure why it would take that long, but I am sure that he has a good reason for that one. Having utilities and cable/internet transfered will cost us as well. I just hope that it will all go well and we do not have much to worry about in trying to get done. I will be posting until then, so in the mean time you can read some of my other posts. Just look to the side for my archives and enjoy reading. Devin is really excited about it because he really enjoys grandma's house. He wants to stay there long time. Guess he will get the chance before to long. Not sure about Eddie, he is allergic to cats and dogs, which mom has both of, so he is worried about that. When we were there is past weekend, there was a dog that had come up and ended up chasing Eddie around the yard. He was terrified screaming, "Help ME!". The dog was only following him, but ever since he realized that he had allergies to them, he absolutly will not have anything to do with them. I have even had to ban my brother in law's dog from the house. I am hoping that he will eventually grow out of the allergy. I was the same way when I was a kid. My worst animal was horses. There hair would be so dirty and oily that I would break out in no time. Dogs and cats were no different. As I grew up, the allergy just went away. I do not seem to have any problems with them now. Well, I guess that I will get going. I have somethings that I need to get done today. I will keep posting as I can.

2010-05-14T08:05:00.006-05:00

Today is the day for my husband. Why? Graduation Day!! He is majoring in computer programming, and he has finished 3 years of school with a 3.96 GPA. The only B that he has made the entire time was in English. I believe that he told me that he had a hard teacher for that class. In everything else, he made A's. He will also be graduating with special honors. Learning the computer languages was exceptionally easy for him. When we first got our computer, he automatically knew everything about them. His mother had one of those dinosaur computers which he did know how to operate. Today's computers are much more advanced than they used to be, yet he took up with it instantly.

I had to call mom yesterday to see if she could take the boys and me to Fulton for his graduation. His mother is not able to come, because of her car's condition. It is very picky on when it will run or not. His brother Jake will not be able to come either. Not sure why though, however he was here just about two weeks ago. I was very lucky to get a hold of mom. If I could not get her ASAP, then the boys and me would not be able to go either. Glad that I did get a hold of her. I would have been very sad if we were not able to go. I am sure that he would be too.

For you my dear, I am congratulating you for all the hard work you have done all these years. I rarely seen you with a textbook studying, yet you have accomplished so much. I hope that this experience will open up a lot of doors for you to walk through. Now is your chance to fly like an eagle, and make a better life for you and your family. Best wishes to you, and I hope that you will find what you are looking for in the job force. I am so happy for you that tears of joy fall from my eyes. We have waited for so long for this day to come, and it is a relief that you are finally finished. It seemed like forever this year, because we knew that graduation was not far away and we would be free from all the struggles that come along with a parent who is in college.

Again Congratulations and

WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!!

Love always,
Your wife and boys

Mommy Merit Mother's Day

2010-05-10T10:37:00.006-05:00

I was given this badge/award from my friend Rose. You are to add a picture of your kids along with it, but I thought that I would add the picture below on this one. It is an appreciation for being a mom. If you would like to grab this badge, then you are more than welcome to have it. Just save the image to your computer, then you can use it anywhere. Thank you Rose for sending me over to pick this one up. I really appreciate it, and I appreciate you being my friend. These were the easter eggs that grandma had made them last year for easter. Oh boy pure sugar. Yesterday was Mother's Day, so I guess that this badge would be appropriate for that day. I did not get a chance to get things wrote, so I am wishing all moms a Happy Mother's Day! I enjoyed my day and my mother in law and brother in law's visit. They are such heartwarming people. I could not love them any more than I already do. I am very blessed to have a mother in law and two brother in laws that treat me as if I was their own daughter and sister. I am very fortunate to have such wonderful family members. Thanks for stopping by with all comments welcome.

ADHD Only Research Study In Sydney: You Can Participate For Free

2010-05-04T15:32:00.005-05:00

For those in Australia, there is a participation opportunity for those who are parents of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). The Sydney University Faculty of Health Sciences are looking for participants for a play- based intervention program that assists children with ADHD to help develop their social interactions with others. This will also help them in learning how to build friendships.

"In a previous study involving 350 children, we discovered that the play of children with ADHD differed from that of their peers," says Professor Anita Bundy.

The program takes seven week including assessment of social language, play skills, and play-based intervention. They are seeking children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old, having a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD. Children can participate in the program if they have conditions commonly occurring with ADHD (learning disorders and oppositional defiant disorder) provided ADHD is the primary diagnosis.

Children will not be able to participate if they have other major developmental or psychiatric disorders (autism, intellectual disability, and cerebral palsy). Participants will be required to have functional English skills to participate. The program is free and you can learn more about the ADHD only play-based intervention study in Sydney, Australia from The Medical News.

Blast Off To A Sucessful Life

2010-05-04T10:50:00.005-05:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Allison Maslan, author of "Blast Off!". All opinions are 100% mine.

I enjoy reading self help books to see how others think and feel about certain things. I came across something that was a little different than what I am used to. I came across a book that showed you how you can become successful including your career, personal life, finances, relationships, health and spiritual life. The book tells you how you can apply certain principles of life to achieve a successful life.

Alison Maslan who was a divorced mother, discovered a way to totally succeed in life with nine businesses and the ability to find the husband she has always dreamed about. A lot of Americans find their selves in the mist of personal distraught, and I believe that this book can help you see how to overcome the everyday issues that we have as we live. In her book Blast Off, launched back on January 19, 2010, it will give you daily action steps that will help you succeed in building a business, taking your career to the ultimate level, and have financial wealth and freedom. Let us not forget the personal satisfaction that you will receive when you try the action plan.

I think that this would be a good book for anyone who will be graduating. Either from high school or college, you can have a good idea of what opportunities that you have. As a mother of two, I did not get the chance to do a lot of the things that I wanted to do. I became a housewife devoting my life to my family. My husband will be graduating this month with a computer programming degree. He could really benefit from this book if he decides to create his own business some day. He even could end up working with some of the biggest businesses in the world. He can even benefit from learning how to create a better life for himself and for his family. Turning what you love to do into something that you can prosper from. For example, a hobby. I can take that hobby and create anything that I want to out of it, and use that to help guide my way to a better life. It is up to you to learn how to get the most out of life, and this book will give you ideas.

So are you ready to get the facts on how you can be successful? Then, Blast Off! You have officially entered into a world of possibilities. You can have your own chance at success by ordering Blast Off from the bookstore at Barnes & Nobels, and Borders. You can also grab the book at most other major bookstores. So what is your price? How does $24.00 sound, and it is even available on Amazon at a cheaper price as well. So go on over and see what kind of deal you can get.

Caseworker Troubles

2010-05-04T09:54:00.003-05:00

A few months ago, we were given a new case worker for the boys. She works at the clinic where the boys are treated for their ADHD. I did have one that was very nice to our family, and she would do anything that I needed without question; never had anything bad to say.

A case worker is supposed to get medication from pharmacy, set up appointments, and run errands for you. They also can transfer paperwork to be signed from the schools to you if needed. My old case worker did it all. She was a true friend even though we could not be actual friends because it was strictly business. I was truly sad because I lost probably the best one out there. Thank you for everything that you have do for me. We will miss you greatly.

On to the new caseworker...

The first time that I saw her I had a child home sick with the stomach virus. She absolutely did not want anything from me after that. She took only one glance at Eddie on the couch and rushed to say, "Does he have the stomach virus?" What got me was that it seemed as if she knew what he had. Think about it, what are the chances of that happening when anything could have been wrong with him. I was shocked that she had determined that he was sick with a virus in less than five seconds. She rushed out of the screen door (I was in between the doors) as if she had some type of phobia to the stomach virus. A little more than a week later, she had come back to see me. This was her second visit to my house, and my old social worker basically had to make her come out here. I had knew for over two weeks or more that she was supposed to be coming to get started, but never did until the old worker was gone for good. It seemed like forever.

What gets me is that how she was talking to me. It's been a few days since we talked so I will try to remember as much as I can. Have you ever been told exactly how you are supposed to live and how you are supposed to raise your kids? Well, she was the queen of put downs I thought. I felt attacked from the very beginning. The house was not as clean as she thought it should be, so basically she took it out on the kids. She was telling me that her grown sons have ADHD, and they all including her husband treated her like a Queen of all things. Why is that so wrong? Well the impression that I got from her she was as if she basically owned her household and everyone in it. Now she was out to change mine. I do not think so. The boys have autism as well, and they are just not ready to be learning to do all that. Devin will cry just at the thought of having to do chores. Eddie has not reply. They do not understand the concept of keeping things cleaned. So for now I will continue to take care of them even if they do not learn how to do chores. That is my right if I want to do that; especially now.

Oh, and it does not stop there oh no! Next of all, she starts attacking my husband. He is currently waiting to get a job when he graduates from college this month. That is how he is wanting to do...wait until after graduation. Well the case worker thinks that she can attack that now. "You should be looking for a job right now..get your resume out. There is a place I know where you could work." She went on and on. She even got my husband cornered telling him that he need to get out and find a job. You can not just go out and talk to him like that. He will put you in your place and in a hurry.

I know that she really does not like us, she has shown that by trying to control what goes on behind my doors. Either that or she has a problem with poor people. I am planning to try and get someone else. We will not have any of that here...period.

Readers, yes I have vented out some of my issues that I have right now, but I thought that someone out there could relate or have a comment on the subject. Thanks for reading.

Deer Vs. Your Yard

2010-05-03T18:35:00.005-05:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Deer Off. All opinions are 100% mine.

With the weather warming up and you begin to plant things, animals will start coming into your yard. Perhaps to eat your lovely garden or flowers that you have planted behind the house? I am sure that this has happened to many of you. Next thing you know, your entire yard and garden is destroyed. All of your hard work gone because of deer eating everything up.

Deer carry ticks and Lyme's Disease which can be dangerous for you and your family. Lyme's Disease can make you have severe fatigue, sleep disturbance, and cognitive difficulties. Now think, how can I protect my family from these diseases. First you can learn about deer control and how effective it can be.

What I have for you is also organic. Which in return can actually prevent the acceleration of diseases, provide mental and physical benefits, increase the vitamin and mineral content of your soil, and best of all save you money. Organic products are very important to me since we should live by the fruit of the land, and not from a factory.

Worried about having a large area to cover? No problem since this product will cover up to 1,000 square feet of your yard or garden in which I find it very useful. Also, it has a lasting effect for up to 90 days to help you even more. Note that you may need more due to high traffic of deer. It is a weather resistant formula designed especially for large lawns and can treat up to 100 ornamental shrubs that are at least four feet tall.

Imagine you had something that is easy on your hands when you are using it without having to use the squeeze motion. Would a battery powered sprayer catch your attention? Some would say where can I get one of those. It is a dual deterrent system formula that provides both scent and taste barriers to repel deer also, it is coupled with a hot pepper taste. So if they do happen to get past the scent barrier, the taste barrier is sure to get them caught.

This formula contains the following active ingredients:

4.63% Putrescent egg solids
.001% Garlic
.001% Capsaicin

So what exactly am I talking about? I will tell you and hope that you will try it out. I am talking to you to day about Deer Off from the makers of Havahart. Also, do you have a problem with squirrels and rabbits? No problem there, Deer Off can take care of that for you as well. Check out their website today and place your order. They are selling a 64 oz. bottle of Deer Off for around $30. Expensive you may say, but think about it. How much money and time did you spend on creating your gardens and yards. Probably thousands over the years. Now you can protect it all with Deer Off. This deer repellent is sure to please you, your yards, and your wallet. Do not forget to order yours today. Your yard deserves the best so get rid of deer, rabbits and squirrels while you protect the ones you love...your family.

Keep Critters Away Buy Deer Off Today!

Mississippi Tornadoes

2010-05-02T10:32:00.010-05:00

For the second weekend in a row, Mississippi has seen it's fair share of tornadoes. On April 24, 2010 multiple tornadoes were seen across Mississippi. As many would know, we lost 10 people due to what had been discovered as one tornado. The biggest one was in Yazoo City, MS with winds up to 160 mph and 1.75 miles across at its peak, and was the ninth deadliest tornado. It had left a trail for 149.25 miles. The Tallulah, Louisiana tornado finally dissipated in Sturgis, Mississippi. A tornado tracker for the 149 mile tornado will help you see exactly how far it went.

The Candlestick Park F-5 traveling 203 miles is the record for a Mississippi tornado. It happened on March 3, 1966. In February 21, 1971, 58 people had died prior to 1900 which was the record for the time. The most deadliest tornado in Mississippi occurred on May 6, 1840 with 317 dead. See how much we have changed in the way we forecast and alert people for tornadoes and sever weather.

Another famous tornado was in Tupelo, MS going all the way to Gainsville, Georgia. It happened on April 6, 1936. It was also an F-5 in Tupelo, and then an F-4 in Gainsville. It is said that letters from Gainsville were blown up to 67 miles away in Anderson, South Carolina. Another way that this was to become a famous tornado was because Elvis Presley happened to be a survivor of the 1936 Tupelo tornado. A partial list of about 82 that had died in the 1936 Tupelo tornado is available. However, more than a 100 were killed from the storm.

After the April 23-24, 2010 outbreak that had killed 10 in Mississippi, we are seeing even more tornadoes across Northern Mississippi.

After a tornado in Abbeville, MS hit, Phyliss Sabbatini was killed at age 45. It is located north of Oxford, MS on Sat. May 1, 2010. WTVA has taken down the post about three, but I did find one at the local newspaper saying that 4 were dead in Mississippi tornadoes. Several reports of tornadoes came across Union, Prentiss and Alcorn counties that I know of. It will take a few days to get all of the reports in on this weekend's round of tornadoes. As of today, Sunday, we are seeing bad weather again. Here is two radar maps at different times. The date and times are at the bottom. I doubt that we will have a tornado today somewhere, but the day is still here so the threat is here as well.

WTVA has reposted their news article. They are saying that three are dead in Mississippi.

During these horrible storms there was also a car accident due to heavy rains. Dustin Tyler Sloan of Saltillo, Ms (just north of Tupelo) was traveling on Hwy 78 (goes from Memphis to Alabama through Tupelo) when he wrecked into a bridge rail. He was not wearing a seat belt and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dustin was only 20 years old.

*Update*

After stormy weather on Sunday May 01, 2010, a 16 year old died when the car she was traveling in hit another car who was helping another one who had hydroplained earlier. Her name was Monique Braham of Shannon. The accident occured between the Main St. and Eason Boulevard. Read more here.

Also in the article, a man was pulled from rushing waters near Shiloh Rd. in Corinth, MS. His name has not been released as of yet.

BE SAFE!!

Erik Lippmann Found On Shoreline Has Past Away

2010-04-29T17:39:00.006-05:00

I want to take an opportunity to send my condolences to Erik's family. He was found on the shoreline about 200 yards south of the sand plant off Lapis Road just above the surf line in Santa Cruz, California at Marina beach. He was missing for eight days before someone found him on the beach. You can read about Erik Lippmann's death here at Mercury News. I was praying very hard for him to be found safe, the world was. So short on life, he was only 30 years old. He was loved by his family, especially his mother Alpha Ratike. To Ratike, I am deeply sorry for your loss. God bless your heart.

Photo of purple iris is from: PDPhoto.org and Flower Clipart.com

Video Response From Erik's Mom (from KCBA Santa Cruz, CA)

Video is in the upper right hand corner of their web page.

Proloquo2Go: Communication Devices Made Affordable

2010-04-29T09:49:00.010-05:00

Special needs children who have difficulty speaking due to autism, Lou Gehrig's disease, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other conditions that prevent ones communication now has a window of opportunity. And guess what, it is affordable. Imagine spending up to 10,000 dollars for a computerized machine, like many parents are trying to do for their children. For most that is too difficult when we are already paying for other treatments and things, or for that matter just maintaining the household.

Proloquo2Go (which is Latin for "speak out loud") that was created by AssistiveWare is a program that is actually affordable. How does $189 sound? Pretty good to me! Please visit Proloquo2Go.com to learn more about the features. The video link below will show you how it works.

It creates sentences from grouping pictures together using around 8,000 symbols. It is available for the iPod touch which runs from $200 to $400, iPhone which runs about $100 to $300, and now introducing the iPad for up to $1,000. Prices come from the Apple Store.

Proloquo2Go can be downloaded at the App store here. It is also located in the education category. View the video interview from ABC on Proloquo2Go.

The company is working to make it easier for parents to own, when they just do not have the resources to purchase this product.

This is the new way to go in today's technology, and one of the most affordable communication devices, and most portable.

Hope that you will consider this for your loved one who has difficulty communicating with others. Now we can all speak out.