My Nieces and Nephews

Here’s a picture taken of my nieces and nephews (including Milo) from when my brother’s family was visiting my sister’s on their way to Toronto (they moved there the end of May / beginning of June). From left to right:

Julia (my brother’s daughter): 5 years old
Danny (my sister’s older son): 3 years old
Zoe (my sister’s daughter): 7 years old
Milo (my sister’s younger son): 4 days old (at the time the picture was taken)

Nieces and Nephews: Julia, Danny, Zoe, Milo
My nieces and nephews, taken May 29, 2013.

Aren’t they adorable?

(Posted with permission of their parents.)

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New Nephew: Welcome, Milo!

I’m an aunt again!

My middle sister gave birth to her third child – a boy, Milo Ulysses – yesterday. So Zoe and Danny now have a new brother (thankfully less than nine days after the original due date – only two), and Julia has a new baby cousin.

Here’s just saying: Welcome to the family, Milo!

‘Later!

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Very Happy Birthday To Me! Plus SaR

Yes, it’s my birthday today. And I’ve had a wonderful one. My parents and I went out to the Classic Cafe East this morning for breakfast, then came home and I got my presents. {Hugs Mom & Dad!}

I then spent most of the rest of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon relaxing with Imber, and reading fanfic. (Specifically Vathara‘s story Embers, which though currently in progress [finally starting to near the end!], is a wonderful Avatar: TLA fic – especially for those who like Zuko, Iroh and Toph, and hard, realistic choices.) Then I went out to coffee with a friend, and finally came home and had dinner with my parents, my friend, and my brother, sister-in-law, and niece.

It was a really nice, quiet day, and I think it was exactly what I needed. So I’m both happy and content. (As well as tired. Didn’t sleep well last night due to writing high-induced insomnia.)

As well, for those who are interested, I managed to get a full 2 pages written on the re-write of Chapter 8 of Search and Rescue last night. I doubt I’ll write any tonight, but I’m back in writing mode! πŸ™‚

‘Later, all!

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NaNoWriMo 2008: The Continuing Story

Remember, way back in November of 2008, I started NaNoWriMo for the first time, and finished an SF novel, Search and Rescue? And I think I said something somewhere about having to re-write it, because some of what happened was seriously impractical, and I had them going from tension-up-point to eating, to tension-up-point, to eating, etc.? (Or maybe I just said that to Vathara.)

Anyway… it took me three years (until last spring / summer; mid-May, I think) to finish the re-write of Chapter 5 (there are 14 chapters). Chapters 1-4 didn’t need much adjustment, and were already partly adjusted before NaNo ’08 ended.

So, between last mid-May and now, I’ve gotten to the beginning of Chapter 8 (which has a major event… well, the major event is at the end of Chapter 7, but 8 is where the two protagonists finally really start becoming friends). I haven’t done any writing on this since… December, I think? (Last fall and this past winter were seriously stressful.) Maybe September.

But, there was the first meeting of the Newfoundland Writers’ Group MeetUp today, and I got pumped by it. So I spent the rest of the afternoon (after everyone else left) and after dinner working in minor edits for Chps. 1-7, and I’m now working on getting farther in Chapter 8! Yay me! πŸ˜‰

Anyway, I am writing my original fic as well as fanfic again. (Which reminds me… does anyone want to see some stuff from my other unfinished fic, or would you rather wait until it’s finished?)

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tag’s Haven: #AutismPositivity2013 Day!

I have now posted my Autism Positivity Day 2013 blog post on My Other Blog. Please, please go over and read it (if you haven’t already, that is!); and if you feel you can, please contribute. We need to get a more positive image of autism out there to the world.

Thanks!

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Storage Iron, BP, and Exercise

Just came back from my visit to the doctor (GP). During said visit, I was informed that “storage iron” was not what I thought it was. It turns out it has nothing to do with low iron anemia, the way I thought it did. It’s the reserves of iron in one’s system, and only makes a difference for things like emergency surgery and the like. So, yeah, diet can get to work on that.

With the blood pressure medication I’m on now (Olmetec), my BP is normal; the GP took it and it was 100/70 (you want it to be 120 or less over 80 or less). Yay for normal, but not happy at the thought that I probably have to continue taking the medication. *sighs*

And I’ve been told that to get over the tiredness, I need aerobic exercise. (Well, I think some of it is still depression, but….) So, Dad and I are going to work at taking Sanchy out for more walks. The weather’s getting better (though it was cold today, despite the sun and blue skies… or maybe because of them), so those ought to be more pleasant than Mom’s Saturday walks in the middle of winter. (No matter how much Sanchy enjoyed those as well.) I imagine we’ll probably go to Long Pond (aka the Fluvarium area / Pippy’s Park) again; that’s a nice trail and quite enjoyable. Time to start warming up for that on the treadmill!

‘Later, all!

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Welcome: New Blog Site

First of all, welcome, everyone, to the new site for tag’s Haven. I’d like to thank you all for following me here. Please, feel free to subscribe to my posts – the link is in the sidebar, just under my recent posts.

For those who are new and have followed a link here, Be Welcome! This is the blog where I talk about my life in general, moan and vent about the weather, and pre-publish my fanfic to get comments on it in order to improve it further before it goes to FFNet and tag’s Library for the wide world to see. πŸ˜‰ (If you want to see the fanfic I’ve put up, links to all of it are available through the Fanfic page, as well as a bit of a summary.)

Over the next little while I’m going to be wandering around the ‘Net, changing the URLs of my blog everywhere I’ve put it up. But there is news, for anyone interested… see below. (Also, question re fic. Sorry, RK fans, not quite ready for updates yet, but have been reviewing and doing a bit more writing….)

Continue for more about me, my family, and fic….

Posted in Autism Spectrum, Camp NNWM, Cats, Dogs, Family, Fic, Goold Zoo, Health, Life in General, NaNoWriMo, Rambling | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

20 Years Coming

Today, I had something monumental – for me, at any rate – happen.

I passed my road test!

It’s been 20 years since I first got my first learner’s permit (called a three-sixty-five in Ontario at that time, for the number of days that you had to pass the road test), and I’ve finally done it.

It took a wonderful instructor, who has worked with people with Aspergers and autism before, to give me the knowledge, confidence and support necessary to do it; as far as I’m concerned, thanks go to Frank Cody. He really made a difference, explaining things so that I could understand them and working on my confidence. I was nervous and anxious today when I went for the test, but not nearly as nervous as I was the first three times I tried (and failed).

(Thanks also go to my colleagues at the Independent Living Resource Centre, who cheered me on and gave me good wishes before I left to take the test; and to Jeff, my best friend here in St. John’s, who was willing to provide someone different from my parents in the front passenger seat while I practiced.)

So, I’ve finally done it. I’m understandably proud of myself. Now I just have to really get used to the St. John’s streets! πŸ˜‰

Later, all!

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IL Internship!

Hi, everyone! Sorry for the long delay between my last entry and this one, but I’ve had not the best summer, and before that I was busy with the Stella Burry New Beginnings program.

Anyway, I have wonderful personal news. Starting Monday until March, I’m going to be working as an Independent Living Intern for the Independent Living Resource Centre here in St. John’s. This is the place Mom and I have been looking for since last June; it’s the centrepoint of information, resources and communication for people with disabilities.

The internship will involve making connections with the St. John’s community, both the disability community and the wider community, doing presentations for organizations about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities, adaptive technology, and all sorts of stuff. I’m really looking forward to it.

Hugs to everyone!
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