Thursday, May 27, 2010

Talk & Book Signing At Castle Hill Library Last Night





Hey there all! I found last night both to be interesting, surreal in a good way, nerve-wracking, surprising and totally unique
experience in more ways then one.
There was a talk being held at Castle Hill Library starting at 7:30pm.

Yet the trouble was getting there because Sydney was blanketed by very heavy rain with the last of peak hour traffic as well. Luckily my parents were coming with me and my Dad was driving the car which was great. My Dad was the photographer for the night so the event could be documented and shown here on my blog.

We ended up getting there really early so my parents and I had a hot drink to try to warm up. I had a lemon tart and a chai latte which I needed. It was great because there was actually a cafe in the library itself. Having that little break with my parents helped calm my nerves a bit. I did the final preparations lipstick etc...then was ready. We asked where the room was and walking in I found there to be quite a few people there who were early.

After that time seemed to go really quickly because so much was happening. People started coming in, I met the lady from the publishers, also the library guy in charge, My Dad taking a few picture of me holding my book. Then a favourite old school teacher came in who I hadn't seen for about 21 years came and knocked me for six! So anyway I got fitted up with a fancy microphone and the proceedings began. It felt that like I was almost in a dream.The man in charge introduced me and then it was my turn.

So for the next hour and ten minutes or so I spoke in front of about 55 to 60 people about my book and my life with Asperger's. Also included in the time was where people could ask questions about what they heard. Hearing the range of questions was something like pot luck because I had no idea what was coming. After that I was presented with a bottle of sparkling wine and then the book signing began....

Talk about from going one thing to another really quickly was interesting because it was all new and I wasn't used to it. For the next 15 to 20 mins or so I was signing books and trying listen to names, spell them and trying to write neatly also. I was really surprised to see quite a line of people waiting for my signature and to talk to little ol' me.

By the end of the night we ended up getting back to my parents safely where we had a small late dinner and I stayed the night. My parents were full of praise and they were both bursting with pride about the talk. Going to bed I still felt like it was a dream that had just happened. I almost had to pinch myself yet the tired made it real. I nodded off to sleep with a sense of pride and achievement. Also a prayer of thanks to the big guy up stairs. So farewell for now m readers....

Monday, May 24, 2010

Shopping Expedition

Hey there everyone!
Today I was visiting a friend of mine in the Western Suburbs. While she had an appointment in Parramatta... I decided to go to Parramatta Westfield to do a bit of window shopping.

I was in Dymocks looking for a book by Jeanette Purkis called "Finding A Different Type Of Normal". She is Another Aussie woman on the Spectrum who wrote a book on her life. I dearly would love to read the book because I saw her in a documentary a few weeks ago. Anyway they couldn't find it in their system so I thought I'd have a stab in the dark and see whether my book was there. The guy looked it up for me said there was a copy and we went and found it together.

Lifting the book of the shelf I turned it to my picture and asked him whether he recognised the person on the back cover. His face looked blank for a second then I told him it was me. He offered to take me to the computer in the shop to see how it was selling... His comments were it is selling well for a book in it's genre. To tip it of I asked to take a picture of my mobile phone with my book as a memento...He politely did it.... The poor young guy I think that he was a bit stunned to meet a real life author of a book in his shop. Because it's not everyday someone comes in to find a book which happens to be their own creation...

Well that just a funny thing that happened to me today which I wanted to share with you...
I wish you all a good night!!!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Mental Health Awareness


I've just been looking on the internet and am feeling a bit confused about when and where Mental Health Awareness month is? It looks to me that it is different from America, World, Britain and Australia. So here's me wanting to support it somehow yet I'm getting different messages from different places....No wonder I'm muddled.

In America it says it's month is May and it started way back in 1949 over there. On the Mental Health America website they have got quite a bit on their nation wide campaign. Here's the link below:
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may

Another site which I presume is Australian say that Beyond Blue’s Anxiety and Depression Awareness Month happens in October which is five months away. So Australia seems to be different from the rest of the world... Here is the link I've found:
http://blog.thepastoralcompany.com/?p=864

Then I've found another site as well which seems to be really informative yet overloaded with a lot on a different day... or week...or a month. I basically tells you all the observances that are happening in May this year in a lot of different countries around the world. Here is this link:
http://www.whathealth.com/awareness/may.html

Yet I must say that in my small amount of travels on the web doing some research that I didn't find much on Autism, Asperger's and ASD awareness which was sad to see. It seems to me that there are a lot of different causes, illnesses, ailments etc... that are trying to get the public's attention also in different countries. So I wouldn't be surprised if people were wearing different types of hats or ribbons on any particular day around the world.

It also brings home the fact that it is rather good to have different times to help spread the word on all these different issues. Because one day we might end up needing help from a different foundation or something.... None of us ever really does know what's around the corner in life so it is great people are trying to raise awareness on nearly everything....

All of us are really lucky for living in more of an aware world from about a hundred years ago. Also how all the medical technology has caught up to and do such wonders with the magnificent human body. So I should count myself blessed for living in such an amazing age....something for you to think about...

Sunday, May 16, 2010

The Rough Diamonds @ Mars Hill Cafe



Last night on Saturday night a friend of mine and I went to the Mars Hill Cafe in Parramatta. We went to see a group called The Rough Diamonds who are an Australian trio of three sisters.

I've known about them for a few months and how they've released a new album in March.

Also another interesting fact that this year they are donating 20% of their profits to a cause that they have chosen together. The one that they chose this year is 'Autism & Asperger's Support Group Inc.

The group is an invaluable resource for parents, carers and individuals that are affected by Asperger's and ASD's or Autism Spectrum Disorders. With the group it also helps to spread awareness as well out into the wider community. So it is filling a much needed hole out there for people, carers and families that are battling out there seemingly alone.

With finally seeing The Rough Diamonds at last in an intimate concert it was really refreshing just to hear some wonderful music from these girls. They also sang some really moving songs which touched me greatly along with some funny songs with true Aussie humour.

Also finally meeting the group in person was amazing because I'd been looking forward to seeing them for the last month or so. On Facebook I had been looking at what gigs had been coming up and when I saw it say Parramatta...then I was stoked. So i took a friend of mine Caz along with me and it show us in one of the pictures with The Rough Diamonds.

Caz was also really impressed with what she saw and we came away with high praise for these amazing girls. I am really touched by what they are doing and have been achieving in the process. So go The Rough Diamonds!!!

Down below I've also included the links so you can have a look yourself:

http://www.theroughdiamonds.com.au/

http://www.autismsupport.org.au/

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

My Gurgly Stomach

My stomach feels so gurgly tonight. It feels like I've got something in there which is going for it. Like the picture I've got on my blog tonight. If you could light the gas then it will be a flame like that.

I'm not to sure if I'm the only one on the ASD spectrum who has a really sensitive stomach...yet it sure is frustrating to say the least. It flares up when you least expect it and sometimes with food that you are so used to. For me tonight it has been peanut butter and bread i think. Or sometimes it can be really rich food that gets to me and also really sweet food as well. Does anyone else find that? Or just me?
I remember when I was younger that I had an allergy test which came up with a few allergies. I then went on a diet cutting those foods out. Now I'm on no such diet and I'm wondering whether I should get some more tests done to check a few things out.

I've also got ADD as well which can be quite annoying because some days I feel like that I've got no energy or motivation to do anything at all. No matter what i do or eat...I still feel tired with whatever activities I'm doing. That for me can be really depressing because it cuts into what I want to do with some activities.

Yet I do think that it's about time that I should find out once and for sure whether Asperger's Syndrome and ADD can be made worse by different food or diets at all. Because come to think of it I've always had a very sensitive stomach all my life which has frustrated me. So who know's?! A visit to a Doctors might do wonders for my tummy... I wil keep you posted.....

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mothers Day!

Today is Mothers Day and it is a day to remember
what all our Mum's have done and sacrificed for all of us. It only comes once a year yet i think we
should remember our mums all year around.
I've included a couple of pictures of my Mum in this post just to show you what she means to me. With the photo's they are not ones from today modern day because she gets quite shy in those photo's.

The sepia photo on the right being held in my Mum's arms I'm pretty sure was in my book. I was only less than a day old and was one of the first pictures that my Dad took of me.

The first one on the left was from a family portrait where Mum and I almost looked like twins with matching outfits on. I was between the ages of 3 to 5 years then. From then on we have shared many, many moments as a mother and daughter. Some have been good, bad, confusing, heartwarming amongst a whole lot of other emotions since then.

It also shows me how much I really do love her also how much my Dad and younger brother actually does actually mean to me. My family does really mean a lot to me and I appreciate them like nothing else.

Today I couldn't talk to my Mum because her mobile was out of range yet I hope that she had an excellent and special day! Yet I'm sure she did have a great one. I think it is one of the first Mother's Day where I was unable to contact her for various reasons and it did feel strange as well. I miss my parents when I don't see them...yet that is probably normal as I'm growing older.
I realize how much that they have done for me and how much that they love me. I also understand that they are growing older as well and that they do also have lives after raising my brother and I.

So this year may we also remember our special Mums not only on Mother's Day yet for the rest of the year as well! We are only blessed with these angels for a certain amount of time in our lives! So for my Mother I hope that you had the best Mothers Day and please remember how much I love you!! Also Happy Mother's Day to every single Mum out there as well around this wide world of ours!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Woman VS Computer/Machine!!

Computer wins I lose..... computer wins....i lose. I try something different...computer still wins
Trying to work out the stupid computer, pages, groups, blogs, internet and emails a near nightmare as this technology is overtaking me as well as my mind....

In the end the computer wins....I lose once again.. worn out and frustrated I try to bustle up more energy for another battle...Woman VS Computer/Machine!!

Today this woman here had enough of technology computers and everything that she had her own little meltdown. If I was a volcano I would have been like the most recent one in Iceland....letting off a whole lot of steam, electricity ti match the lightening norse god of Thor!

Well tonight I'm off to bed early and going to be getting plenty of hugs tonight which will be a consellation. So The Woman does win in a sense after all.....
I'll stand up and fight another day.....yet goodnight sweet all!!!

Monday, May 3, 2010

Stephen Wiltshire At Customs House, Sydney



Last Friday 30th April which was the last day of Autism Awareness Month. A friend of mine decided to go see the exhibition of Stephen Wiltshire's artwork.

As we were walked in we noticed a group of people milling around some bright lights. As we got closer that it was the media hovering around Stephen Wiltshire himself and his latest artwork of Sydney. Now this was such a big surprise that we walked up and I started recording what was going as well as pictures.

We had walked into a media conference and Presentation where the NSW Premier was there as well as other important people. I was stunned and it felt like a dream seeing all this happening in front of me. I found myself at the very front seeing everything going on and I was up there with the best of them. Journalists, film crews and photographers jostling all around me which felt so funny.

There was a couple of presentations, speech from Stephen's sister, Stephen meeting the NSW Premier, showing his his artwork, also signing the latest piece and a few photo's for the press.
Halfway through I got really emotional and found that really weird. Afterwards I saw someone I knew from ASPECT so I went and said 'Hello' with my friend. We then ended up meeting and had a little talk to Stephen and also to his sister. It was very great honour to meet another creative person on the spectrum.

Afterwards it really hit me on how special and unexpected this was that I felt quite faint. Upstairs I ended up sitting down on a bench just to start to feel normal again from this exciting event. The rest of the day was quieter yet we were still in awe of everthing that had happened on this extra-ordinary day in the city!!