Falling Into Fall

Fall means hayrides, pumpkin patches and apple picking.  On a recent warm fall weekend afternoon, we experienced it all!

This is Justin in the early years exploring pumpkin patches, when autism was just a word.

 

Fast forward 20+ years, and here he is today ... still exploring, although he and the pumpkins have gotten bigger.

Lauren chose the perfect pumpkin to carve.

Freshly made caramel apples are yummy!  We bought the one on the left and a few of its friends.

Children of the corn.

Hayride love.

Apple picking and eating.

 

Apple slushes while apple picking.

Autism, Dorney Park and the Kindness of Strangers

A day at an amusement park with a child who has autism can be challenging and stressful, though not so much when the destination is Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  My son Justin obsessed and talked about little else for weeks.  He was so excited that we moved up the date.  On an unseasonably chilly summer morning, Justin, his sister, her friend and I headed off to Dorney Park. 

Justin knew which rides he wanted to go on and in what order.  Which brings us to the Stinger.  During that one minute and 30 second roller coaster thrill ride, Justin's prescription glasses flew off his face.  This is where the day could have ended in disaster.

I took Justin to the car so he could be in a quiet place with little stimulation while his sister and her friend searched for the missing glasses.  From the parking lot, I called ride services and spoke with a supervisor who told me there was nothing he could do and that we would have to wait until 10:00 pm when the park closed and the rides were turned off before we could get any help in our search.  I was crushed.  I thought that weeks (four) of anticipation and planning were down the drain and that we would be heading home.  I didn't cry.  Not yet.

Imagine my surprise when shortly after returning to the ride, a crew of uniformed employees arrived to help us in our search.  A supervisor gave instructions and the reinforcements were off.  I don't know if they closed the ride to clean up throw up (which they did in fact do) or to look for the glasses, but either way the Stinger was out of commission long enough for them to search the places we couldn't go.   

One young male employee ended up saving the day.  He, on his own initiative, started searching moments after Justin finished the ride.  He said he wouldn't stop looking and, by golly, he was true to his word.  He found one lens and, eventually, the other which was far away from the first.  I wish I would have hugged him and given him a reward because he deserved both.

The frames never resurfaced, but with the assistance of two first aid employees, I was able to tape Justin's prescription lenses on top of a pair of weak reading glasses I found in the bottom of my purse.  His sister said he looked like a minion from Despicable Me, but the MacGyver fix worked and we were able to stay and enjoy what was left of the afternoon. 

Here is Justin wearing his minion glasses.    

I would like to thank Keith Koepka, Director of Operations, for his kindness, and all of the employees of Dorney Park who worked together to make Justin's day a happy and memorable one.  Thank you for the tears of joy and relief.

~Merrill ♥

Note:  Many people with autism easily become anxious and overstimulated, Justin included.  If you have a child with autism and are planning a trip to Dorney Park, I recommend you check out their Tips for Guests with ASD page, as well as Ann Schlosser's and The Autism Society's amusement park guides. 

A Happy Anniversary!

This year we celebrated our wedding anniversary with a New England adventure.  Here we are in Bass Harbor, Maine, still madly in love after all these years.

Autism Meets Paula Deen

Some boys love sports.  In Justin's case, it is Paula Deen!  My son Justin has autism, and for as long as I can remember, he has been crazy about calendars, food, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and ... Paula Deen.  Because Justin has autism, he has little interest in current events, including news of celebrities who have made poor decisions.  Instead, he lives his life one day at a time.

Justin left school early on a cold December afternoon for a chance to meet his idol, Paula Deen.  When Williams Sonoma learned that Justin had autism, they brought him to the front of the line.  Thank you, Williams Sonoma! ♥

Paula and her husband, Michael, were gracious, friendly and funny.  They were most kind to Justin and seemed genuinely interested in hearing about the meals he was helping to prepare in his life skills class at school.  Justin was quite happy that they signed his cook book and his Paula Deen t-shirt.

During a trip a few years later to Savannah, Georgia, we took an old time trolley to Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady and Sons.  The restaurant occupies an entire city block and is hugely popular with tourists.  We went to buy a red "Hey, Y'all!" t-shirt for Justin and ended up going back for dinner.

At the time, they did not accept call ahead reservations which meant we had to wait quite awhile for table.  Genius on their part to locate the gift shop right where one needed to wait in order to hear his or her name being called for a table.  

When our name was finally called, we traveled by elevator to the third floor.  I ordered tilapia which was greasy but good.

Hands down, the highlight of the meal was the skillet hoecake.  Topped with maple syrup, it was a taste of heaven! 

We had a wonderful time in Savannah, and can't wait to go back!

~Merrill ♥

A Visit to Liz Gilbert's "Two Buttons" in Idyllic Frenchtown, New Jersey

This weekend, my loving husband and I traveled to Frenchtown, New Jersey, a charming little town right across the Delaware River from Pennsylvania.  Frenchtown is home to coffee shops, boutiques, restaurants, antique stores, art galleries and a well-known import store off the beaten path.

We had been wanting to visit Two Buttons, the fun store (warehouse, actually) owned by Liz Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love," and her husband, Jose.  We weren't disappointed. 

We had lunch al fresco in town and then headed off on foot to Liz's store, only about a 10 minute walk.  If you plan to visit the store, keep an eye out for the yellow umbrella by the side of the road.

 The entrance is on the side of the building.

Much of the store's eye candy inventory is imported from Bali, Indonesia and India. 

 

There are two rooms filled with thousands and thousands of treasures.

There is always time for a quick smooch because (see first photo below), as Liz's priest in Laos said, we have so much love for life that we need nothing more than two buttons in our pockets to get by in this world.♥

~Merrill ♥

Happy Birthday to Me!

After a weeklong birthday celebration, it was off to New York City for lunch, shopping and a matinee of The Book of Mormon.

When in Rome, I mean New York, eat as a New Yawkah so we had lunch at Carnegie Deli ...

... which meant matzoh ball soup for me.  Yum!

After lunch we cruised the aisles of a huge street fair on Broadway.

My beloved chose a new pair of specs for me, bedazzled with hot pink rhinestones.  Nice!

Coolest backpack.

Interesting choice of shoes to wear to a street fair.  Ouch!

We stopped for a bit of belt shopping in front of the famous Ed Sullivan Theater, home to the Late Show with David Letterman Show.  We went to a taping when Pierce Brosnan was the guest.  Tip:  If you go to see Letterman bring a jacket or, better yet, a down parka as it's freezing in the theater. 

Then it was on to the Eugene O'Neill Theater for The Book of Mormon.

The show was fun but totally irreverent.  Do not bring your kids.  Really.

There were birthday flowers purchased and arranged by my lovely daughter.

I had not one but TWO birthday cakes which is super duper as birthday cake is my favorite guilty pleasure food.  The first was a Minnie Mouse cake created by our neighbor, Chef Lily.

... and the second was from my beloved.

Food, fun and family.  The perfect birthday celebration.

~Merrill ♥

Our First Trip to Shake Shack in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You know how you hear about a restaurant and can't wait to try it?  I first heard about Shake Shack on the Food Network as a "don't miss" eatery in New York City.  I had planned to give it a try during my next visit to the Big Apple, but Shake Shack saved me a trip by opening their doors in Philadelphia in early June.

We decided to visit in the late afternoon, between lunch and dinner, to avoid the lines that reportedly wrap around the block.  There was no line when we arrived and we quickly scored an outside table. 

Justin, who has autism, studied the online menu before leaving home.  

Justin and Lauren had ShackBurgers and fries (we brought a gluten-free bun from home for Justin).

Bob and I enjoyed 'Shroom Burgers.

From Shake Shack we headed east to visit the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

The Liberty Bell is a "very significant symbol for the entire democratic world." ~Nelson Mandela, July 4, 1993.

Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are such powerful symbols of individual freedom.  

Lauren shows George some love.

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were drafted and signed in the Assembly Room located in Independence Hall.  

The First Amendment:  A wonderful parting reminder.

~Merrill ♥