Dusty the Klepto Kitty

Eating = Life

"One of the very nicest things about life is that way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."

Luciano Pavarotti, My Own Story

Have you ever considered that one of the most fundamental aspects of being human--something we all share--is that we must eat often in order to stay alive. I was thinking: what if God had created us to only have to eat once a month? Or once a year? Our lives would be radically different. No restaurants. Probably no ice cream shops. Eating would not have any pleasure element--it would be strictly utilitarian. I am so thankful that eating is daily. Our food is part of our culture--it represents who we are and distinguishes us from other cultures and traditions.

What would you miss most if you only had to eat once a year? I would definitely say ice cream!

Happy Birthday, Kern!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to my favorite person and best friend - KERN!

The federal government has honored Kern today by giving us the day off work. We are spending it relaxing and celebrating!

I made Kern a coconut cake--it only took me two attempts to get it right. I used his grandmother's (Miss Dolores') cake recipe and ended up using my grandmother's (Gran Fran's) Fluffy Frosting recipe. I may or may not post the story of my cooking disaster first round attempt of the cake and icing later this week.

Anyway, the final product was a huge success!

"Happy Birthday to you!"

This morning, the birthday came over (post workout) for a birthday breakfast of homemade biscuits, fried eggs and bacon. I made him wear the birthday hat and glasses.

My parents and Gran Fran gave him a vintage Coach briefcase.

My gift to him was an espresso maker, special espresso shot glasses, a coffee grinder and Illy brand coffee, but I let him open it early so he could enjoy the coffee all weekend.

A successful birthday requires a mid-morning nap to recharge for part 2 of the day!

Letter Box

I love snail mail. A handwritten letter gives me joy. As a result, I have a lot of them! I had been shoving them inside a manila envelope and keeping them under my bed and finally I decided it was time to organize! However, I did not want to just put them in any old file box. I wanted my solution to be practical, fairly inexpensive, pretty and allow for growing room. (I don't plan on stopping to write and mail letters any time soon!)

This is what I started with. These are only the letters and notes I have received since being in DC. I have tons more in Mississippi! I first went through the enormous stack and weeded out items that didn't mean that much to me or that I did not want any more. And good organization project requires throwing away and keeping only the most important items.

I then divided the cards into stacks base on who the letters were from.

I then purchased a box (a great price!) at TJ Maxx and manilla file folders and some adorable pink labels and I used my paper cutter to cut the file folders down to the size of the box. I only kept one side of the sheet--not the connected folder. I wanted these to be my dividers and to be of a thick stock, not papery thin.

I labeled my tabs "Gran Fran," (she has written me more than anyone else!!) "Mom and Dad," "Friends" and so forth. I placed the cards in the box!

The box has this great top that opens up and zips close--perfect for easy transportation. It also has a handle on the side so it's easy to grab from a shelf or under the bed.

I put one of my decorative name cards in the front as the final touch!

Now I have a place to keep my special mementos. I think having this nice box will help me be choosier about what I decide to keep. It's not quite half full yet, so send me some letters!

HARPER INTRODUCES ID LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE

The most rewarding part of my job is being involved in the internship program that Congressman Harper started for individuals with intellectual disabilities. He has not stopped there. I've put a press release about his Intellectual Disabilities Legislative Package that was recently introduced:

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Gregg Harper (R–Miss.) introduced a legislative package today which aims to streamline federal programs and services intended to support youth with significant disabilities from adolescence to adulthood and rebalance federal funding to focus on improved outcomes in post-secondary education and integrated employment.

The three bills, collectively referred to as the “Transition toward Excellence, Achievement and Mobility” (TEAM Act), seek to promote meaningful post-secondary educational and employment opportunities for individuals living with intellectual disabilities. Harper’s proposal intends for these citizens to gain full-time employment in an integrated setting at a livable wage leading to long-term career development and inclusion in the community through independent living and social engagement.

“In order for individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities to reach their maximum potential, Congress must enact a systems change,” said Harper. “The current federal disability laws are hopelessly outdated and will ultimately lead to unemployment and poverty for these children.”

The “TEAM-Education Act” ensures that schools are provided guidance and modest additional resources to engage transition coordinators to proactively assist America’s disabled children during their years in the public school system.

The “TEAM-Empowerment Act” creates an adult transition planning process and system of supports for youth and their families under the supervision of state intellectual and developmental disability agencies. This plan declares that youth can choose an adviser to work with them, whether they would like to advance their education or join the workforce.

The “TEAM-Employment Act” seeks to stimulate a national system-change initiative, which will establish that agencies coordinate services better to produce the desired outcomes of integrated living and employment. This includes incentivizing and rewarding those states who reshape the focus of their current funding streams to promote those services that lead to getting our youngsters fully participating in the community through the general workforce and economic mainstream.

“My intent in introducing the ‘TEAM Act’ is to guarantee that steps are taken to realign the current federal infrastructure so as to promote an efficient blending of resources and coordination of services among federal agencies,” added Harper. “This goal is met by implementing coherent planning centered on the individual and targeting publicly-financed investments toward self-directed significant outcomes.”

Harper, a second-term Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, has a 21-year-old son with Fragile X Syndrome, the most commonly inherited form of intellectual disabilities and the only known genetic cause of autism. The Mississippi lawmaker is a passionate advocate for the intellectual disability community and for promoting public policies that encourage the effective and efficient use of federal resources to support optimal self-sufficiency and economic advancement of citizens with significant disabilities.

The Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination (CPSD), a network of twelve national organizations committed to high-impact public policy reform to promote the economic advancement of citizens with significant disabilities, has endorsed this reform package.

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