Sunday Stills: Signs of Fall

These are some fall shots that I have. They are a little old because unfortunately with days in the 80's it's just not gotten cool enough for the change of fall to happen that is visible. Enjoy.

Product Review for DawnCorrespondence

Introducing Amanda Day of DawnCorrespondence.

Amanda is dedicated to creating quality paper products for all of life's events and really looks forward to custom orders. Something that she so elegantly shares on her website, blog, PLURK, Twitter, and email communications.

One of the many fine products that Amanda Day creates are Mini Thank You Notes. They may be considered mini being the size of a business card (Cards measure 2" x 3.5"). But they are extremely well crafted and very eye catching. Using her Mini Thank You Notes will definitely give you an edge in standing out from the crowd.

We have recently had the privilege of purchasing and reviewing her Chocolate and Strawberry Mini Thank You Notes. These were our first ARTFIRE purchase. The transaction was very easy to make. From finding her shop on ARTFIRE to making the Paypal payment to complete the transaction. The communication with Amanda regarding the transaction was personable, professional and timely. The turn around time from placing the order to receiving it was notably quick. Only 5 days from start to finish. With a mere two days of our order being in the hands of the USPS. The order arrived well packaged for the utmost protection to our item, clearly addressed, and in a highly professional looking manner. We would highly recommend using DawnCorrespondence in the future.

DawnCorrespondence can be found at the following locations: ARTFIRE and ESTY. Not only is Amanda a wonderful person to do business with, she's also a member of Sassy Sisters in Sales,and Unique Women in Business. She also finds time to produce a lovely blog.


We highly recommend DawnCorrespondence for all your life and business events.
Connie & Mic
C Turtlez Oddz n Endz

*This review is simply because we purchased a product of Amanda's and were pleased with it. We wanted to draw attention to her business because we felt others would benefit from knowing about her shop*

Maybe It's Just Me: Blue Roses

The following is an anonymous authored story that was sent to me via email from a lady who works with special needs children.

Blue Roses

Why do I always have to be the one that starts to do laundry and there's no detergent? Well, I guess it was time for me to do my store run, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags and Clorox. So off I go.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies, and headed for the checkout counter only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man that appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged, and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?"

"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.

"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Hal."

"Hal, like Halloween?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"

"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle. "You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.

Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him. I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow and pink roses in God's garden, however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.

She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"

Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion but I sure love living in God's garden."

Please the next time you see a BLUE ROSE don't turn your head and walk off, take the time to smile and say Hello. Because by the grace of GOD this mother could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece, nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

From an old dandelion.

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.. Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God!!!!
- Anonymous

I am sharing it here because it came to me after a really bad day. See we had to go work on some life skills. It's not easy watching them struggle with things that others take for granted as being super easy to accomplish. It's not easy watching them attempt a skill that they struggle with in hopes of giving them real world experience which might make it click this time. (Sure it's easier to do it for them. but then what happens when I'm gone? who will do it for them then? Trust me they have to learn no matter how hard on me it is) It's taking some time the cashier is understanding but not the people in line behind us. Unfortunately the lesson learned has nothing to do with what was being taught and practiced. What was learned is that there are too many weeds in the rose garden at least that's what I learned. What they learned is that being Blue Roses is something to be ashamed of.

So the next time your privileged to see a blue rose. Please stop and consider that there is more going on than what your seeing and that Not every parent or care giver of a blue rose is doing something to be deliberately inconveniencing for you when working on a skill. But then maybe it's just me.

Dyslexia: Myth or Fact?

Myth or Fact

Dyslexia can be a very confusing, more often than not a misunderstood learning condition for those who have it.

Here are 4 definitions for dyslexia:

A simple definition for dyslexia is as follows:
Dyslexia is an inherited condition that makes it extremely difficult to read, write, and spell in your native language, despite having at least average intelligence.

A definition from the International Dyslexia Association:
Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, often familial, disorder which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language. Varying in degrees of severity, it is manifested by difficulties in receptive and expressive language, including phonological processing, in reading, writing, spelling, handwriting, and sometimes in arithmetic.

A definition from the National Institutes of Health
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.
Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
A definition from Microsoft Encarta Dictionary 2003 ©
Dyslexia: learning disability marked by difficulty in recognizing and understanding written language.

There are many myths floating around in regards to dyslexia. Do you know what is myth and what is fact? Now that you have the definition for dyslexia fresh in your mind why don't you try to discern what is myth and what is fact from these simple statements.

1.Dyslexia doesn't exist.
2.Accommodations do not mean changing the curriculum.
3.People with dyslexia see things backwards
4.Dyslexia is rare.
5.Professionals with in-depth training can accurately diagnose dyslexia as early as age 5.
6.Children with dyslexia are just lazy
7.Most reading and resource specialists are highly trained in dyslexia and its remediation methods
8.Children with dyslexia cannot learn to spell the traditional way.

How did you do? Did you easily pick out the myths from the facts? Or were you unsure what was just a fact and what was just a myth.? Answers to the questions are at the end of this post.

Do you know any famous people who have been diagnosed as having dyslexia?

Here are a few famous people who also have dyslexia.
Actors: Henry Winkler, Whoopi Goldberg, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jack Nicholson, Jamie Olvier, Walt Disney, Robinn Williams, Woody Harrelson, Orlando Bloom, etc.
Sports: Magic Johnson, Billy Blanks, Mohammad Ali, Stan Wattles, Nolan Ryan, Bruce Jenner, etc.
Military: General George Patton, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Napoleon Bonaparte.
Writers: Agatha Christie, Richard Cohen, Edgar Allen Poe, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Grisham, Mark Twain, etc.
Artists: Charles Schultz, Ansel Adams, Scott Adams,
Musicians: Cher, John Lennon, Tony Bennet, Aimee Osbourne
Enterpreneurs & Business Leaders: Charles Schwab, Bill Hewlett, Paul J. Orfalea, David Murdock, Tommy Hilfiger,
Science & Medicine: Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Steven Hawkings, Jack Horner, Nicolai Tesla,
Politicians: Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F Kennedy,

There are many, many more famous people who have dyslexia. I chose to list the ones that general population might easily recognize. To see who else has dyslexia visit
http://www.dys-add.com/symptoms.html#famous

Because no two people with dyslexia are exactly alike, getting an accurate diagnosis can be a bit of a challenge. Dyslexia has four different levels: mild, moderate, severe, profound. Some people with dyslexia can also have another underlying condition that can make the presentation of symptoms confusing as to what is a true dyslexia issue versus dyslexia with another condition for example, ADD/ADHD, etc.

You may recognize the topics from the quiz above. Here is some more in depth information and the answers to the quiz.

1. Dyslexia Doesn't exist.
Dyslexia is one of the most researched and documented conditions that will impact children. Over 30 years of independent, scientific, replicated, published research exists on dyslexia. Much of documentation and research was done through the National Institutes of Health and funded by taxpayer dollars.

2. Accommodations do not mean changing the curriculum.
Accommodations are either a slight change in the way the teacher presents information, a slight change in the way the teacher has students practice new skills so they can master them, or a slight change in the way the teacher tests students to determine if they have mastered the skill. Examples of reasonable accommodations are: allowing the student to give an oral report instead of one in a written format, allowing a student to tape record the teachers presentation of materials to the classroom for note taking purposes, allowing a student to dictate the answers on a test to a scribe who then writes what the student says, etc. Remember when it comes to accommodations, no student wants to be different and they most definitely don't want to have dyslexia. They would rather be able to do the same assignments, the exact same way, just as their peers do.

3. People with dyslexia see things backwards.
People with dyslexia do not see things backwards. Dyslexia isn't caused by a vision problem. Which is probably why vision therapy isn't a complete cure all for dyslexics. Yes, they reverse their b's and their d's and they can say was for saw and saw for was. This happens because of a long time confusion over left versus right and by the difficulty reading by sounding out words.

4. Dyslexia is rare.
According to the NIH researchers, in the United States of America, dyslexia impacts 20% of the population. That's 1 out of every 5 people. It is the most common reason a child struggles first with spelling, then with written expression, and eventually “hit the wall” in reading development by 3rd grade.

5. Professionals with in-depth training can accurately diagnosis dyslexia as early as age 5.
Dyslexia cannot be officially diagnosed using one single test. That's because of dyslexia having 4 versions of difficulty. Also, Dyslexia can impact many different areas in a child's life. That's why a professional with in-depth training will use from 10 to 12 tests to investigate every area that might be impacted by dyslexia and also why they can diagnosis at a much younger age.

6. Children with dyslexia are just lazy.
To the unaware mind it is possible to consider that as an answer for the poor showing with schoolwork and reading. If students are undiagnosed, do not receive the right type of tutoring and accommodations in the classroom they often struggle in school. They're often bright, highly motivated and spend hours on homework assignments. Another factor that should be considered is maybe just maybe the student has heard so often that they're lazy and they have had enough negative experiences even though the reality is they are really working harder than most everyone else in the class. That they simply quit trying.

7. Most reading and resource specialists are highly trained in dyslexia and its remediation methods.
Sadly, that is not true. Not even recent graduates with Master degree in Reading have had a single course in dyslexia, its warning signs, and appropriate remediation methods. Most literacy coaches, Reading First coordinators, and Resource specialists have had no training in dyslexia or appropriate remediation methods.

Children with dyslexia cannot learn to spell the traditional way.
Sadly this is true as well. Their spelling will not improve just because a teacher marks a word wrong.
It will not improve if the teacher writes the correct word in red. It will not improve it if the student writes the correct word 100 or more times. It will greatly improve once they have been taught spelling using a very different approach.

Dyslexia is a catch all term
That was true at one time because of lack of research. Now there is a research-based definition of dyslexia, which is:

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin.
It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.
These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.
Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

What We Now know about Dyslexia (from NIH Results Released in 1994)

These research results have been independently replicated and are now considered to be irrefutable.

Dyslexia is the most commonly shared characteristic of juvenile justice offenders.
Reading failure is the most commonly shared characteristic of juvenile justice offenders
Dyslexia affects at least 1 out of every 5 children in the United States.
Dyslexia represents the most common and prevalent of all known learning disabilities.
Dyslexia is the most researched of all learning disabilities
Eligibility for special education services is not a valid diagnostic marker for dyslexia

Resources.
http://www.dys-add.com/myths.html
http://www.dys-add.com/symptoms.html#famous

Answers 1. M 2 F 3 M 4 M 5 F 6 M 7 M 8 F

www.cmp.ly/0/j1j2vz

Sunday Stills: The Color Purple

Sunday Stills Color Purple
Here are some examples of the color purple that I've found.


Pretty Purple Flower


School Related






Purple Hats on Black Cats & Ghosts on Purple Background


Purple AVON Bag


Purple Blooming Sage Brush


Girl in a purple shirt

Purple Dodge


Purple Wrapped Package

Sunday Stills: Mechanical Transportation

I apologize for the late posting of my examples of Mechanical Transportation. My connection speed wasn't cooperating for uploading. Here are my various modes of mechanical transportation.

Creative ScentSations

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And as always...

Here at Creative ScentSations we believe our reps/affiliates are a very important part of our business growing & want each one to grow & strive with us.
We offer 4 levels to choose from. Each Level comes with a mini website, link, back office & rep support group.

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Level 2
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You will receive a starter pack valued at $25 of various products with first order
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5% downline
$25 Quarterly quota
Level 3
$25 Signup fee
Receive $25 in products & samples with first order
40% Commission
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Level 4
No Sign Up Fee
No Quota or Minimun Order
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First order must be placed within 5 days.

Creative ScentSations
I would love to share the wonderful Creative ScentSations products with you.

Please mention Connie #510 in the fax line or comments section. www.cmp.ly/5/cntzik

Sunday Stills- Rule of Thirds

This is of a lighthouse in Nassau that was the tour bus was passing.