Autism Acceptance Month and #HAWMC day 30! We made it! :)

Wordless Wednesday. We all know a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Post/share a picture that relays a message or story to the viewer.

We're all made of stardust, I choose to live and shine brilliantly!

Love and a Spoon
<3(___)==========

Autism Acceptance Month and #HAWMC day 29!

Summer Lovin. Summer is coming up. What plans do you have? Any family vacation? What do you look forward to in Summer 2014?

Summer is coming! So there Jon Snow! XD

Anyways, HB and I have a few plans this summer, we're right close to the beach now, and a few local walking trails, so we're going to be doing both of those things a lot this summer for sure ! Have to make up for lost time living in the cruddy place that we did last summer, *if you call that living, it was more like hiding from the sun and psychos downstairs! O.O *
AND
We plan on going camping at least twice this summer! I love going camping , its my time to reconnect, spend time with no shoes on, I hate shoes. Camping brings us time to just be still together , or run around and be as nuts as we like because no one is judging :)We go camping at the raven's knoll, otherwise known by its more lengthy name of:

Its a beautiful campground and its my home away from home! We plan on being up there at the end of June and at the beginning of August again , hopefully with a visit or two in between, money withstanding.
Usually we only get to go once a year, but this year HB won a ticket to the Kaleidoscope Gathering, the BIG festival at the end of summer, and I've won a ticket this year too, so there won't be as much making money stretch to get there this time :) 

There will be drumming and flow toy dates at the parks this summer, **flow toys are hula hoops , poi, and other things** and there will be lots of kite flying and outdoor painting, and hopefully lots of outdoor henna dates for me X)

Other than that , we don't really PLAN plan, because we never know , how HB's pains will be that day , or if my anxiety will keep me from going to a social event. Or if I'm having a bad sensory day and end up just not being able to do anything but sit at home with iced lemonade and a good book because my skin is rebelling.
Planning sometimes doesn't work , but we always manage to have fun.
I love being outside! Like when we were kids, I like to spend my time outside in the summer if possible so that it doesn't feel like it went by in a blink by the time fall comes round again.

So, I'll be out till the porch lights come on and HB calls me in XD

What are your plans for the summer?


Love and a Spoon
<3 (___)========

Autism Acceptance Month and #HAWMC day 28 **ALMOST DONE! :D **

Dear 16-year-old-me. Write a letter to yourself at age 16. What would you
tell yourself? What would you make your younger self aware of?

Dear 16 year old me, When you're still known as Mallory-ann, goodness that's so awkward to say now!

Since we think about this kind of stuff a lot , this likely won't be as much of a surprise as other people think, I'm writing to you in our 29th year, so , now you know you make it this far relatively unscathed!
Its an improvement from what we thought right?

I want to tell you, that things are going to get really rough for a while, and its going to suck, its going to be tough and really heart hurty. Your family is going through a lot right now, and you feel stuck and lost at the same time. I hear you, I remember that, and I'm sending you love and juju from the future and love and juju from all the friends and new family that you have now. You have LOTS of people who love you, for EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE! Not who you think you need to be to fit in.
Things get so SO much better, you won't even believe it when you look back, when you're me :)

You haven't started school in the country yet, I want to tell you 10 things that will help make highschool a little less miserable for you.

1. You're going to meet a boy there, he will break your heart, repeatedly .
You are kind, stubborn, naive and no matter what I tell you, it will still happen. Its ok. 

2. Stop wearing overalls and find some good flare leg, lowrise jeans, band tees and hoodies. Also soft hippie clothing. You will be SO much more comfortable , listen to what your body is screaming, wear what is comfortable FOR YOU.

3. Go ahead and wear your trench coat and all the dark colors you want, wear eyeliner, just give it a pop of color with jewlery so that your principal doesn't bring you in for questioning about weather you're carrying weapons. **She IS as stupid as you think, and WILL follow you around the school because she beleives you're going to hell because you're a witch.. an assumption, but she's right.... go ahead and make the devil horns \m/ in her direction! It will make her back off a little, and the reaction is kinda funny **

4. DON'T WAIT UNTIL GRADE 12 TO PUNCH THAT BULLY IN THE FACE!!
It will hurt your hand, but feel so good, and NOone bullies you at school after that, now you have a reputation of being a witch AND breaking people's noses, you're kinda badass :)

5.You ARE going through some A-typical issues. You ARE different, you DO see the world differently,  and no matter what anyone says you are NOT just going through a phase and its NOT ALL IN YOUR HEAD.

When your baby brother is born in another couple months, you'll notice a lot of the same differences in him. 

Just know, that all the CRAP you're going to go through in the next couple years, its going to be ok. You are going to be ok, you make it.

6. Going to college away from home is frightening , but its the best adventure of your life so far, you find someone that heals your scarred over heart, you find the end of the red thread , I can't remember if you know what that means yet, but some mysteries are so much better when you stumble over them on your own <3

7.Friends , you have a few really good,very nice friends, some of them have issues as deep as yours, just be careful ok? There will be many who leave your life, some with words some without, and there will be some who stay in your life like deep rooted dandylions X) 

8. Learn the word NO. Learn it well, in many forms and to apply it with strength. You can, you will, and you will be so much the better for it.

9.Don't let ANYONE (even yourself) drag you down the rabbit hole, kick , scream and eyegouge anyone who tries to take you there WITH them, no matter how short they promise the visit to be, they don't climb out, YOU DO.

10. I know you don't right now, but learn to LOVE YOURSELF. Because you are worthy , you are worthy of friendship, respect and space , you are worth time and you are worthy of love. You are enough, no matter what anyone expects of you , you become who you are meant to be, you become so much more than you feel at the moment. You are beautiful, no matter how dull your shine at the moment you are made of stardust and you SHINE BRILLIANTLY. It just takes you time to recognize that in yourself, and to find others who sparkle just as fiercely.

You are a good person and not half as dark as you think you need to be.
 Try to be happy and keep on drawing, I am a terrific artist, that means you are too! Be proud of yourself !
 Even if you don't love yourself right now, know that I LOVE YOU, I'm proud of you :)

Alright, thats it for now, see you in the mirror , ok?

MAE

Love and a Spoon

<3(___)========

*you'll find out what that means later, it will bring many positive changes, trust me :) *

Autism Awareness Month and #HAWMC day 27!

Book Report. What’s your favorite book and how can you tie to your health or life?

My favorite books really don't tie to my health/ blogging or life, but I DO love me some good books!

Recently I've read more on Autism and ADHD, because I want to know more about them from other people's perspectives. Its hard for me to see from other's point of view sometimes so the books that strike me on a personal level are always easier for me to take more information away from.

ADHD According to Zoe :
 http://www.amazon.com/ADHD-According-Zo%C3%AB-Relationships-Finding/dp/1608826619

The ADD Myth 

Aspergirls : 

http://www.amazon.ca/Aspergirls-Empowering-Females-Asperger-Syndrome/dp/1849058261

Carly's Voice 

The Reason I Jump 

and a few others , but my list is getting really long!

These are just some of the blog related books I've read recently, and I WAS able to relate to them really well, I LOVED ZOE and ASPERGIRLS , they touched home on LOTS of things. Great reads for anyone who IS or knows someone either with ADHD or Aspergers as adults, though both are geared for women, by women, I found there was a LOT of good information that was applicable for men, women and those of us considered neither :)
**I'm researching ADHD as well as Autism because HB is TOTALLY ADHD, and I love that he is! Its a big part of him and I wouldn't have it any other way, its kinda neat to see where some of his habits and quirks come from, just like its interesting finding out why I do , what I do. I think HB and I are much better together for BOTH being odd, we balance one another out REALLY well!  :3**

Other books that I've read in the last while:
The Diana Gabaldon series ** soon to be a tv series!!! ** :

Outlander

Dragonfly in Amber

Voyager

Drums of Autumn

The Firey Cross

A Breath of Snow and Ashes

An Echo in the Bone

*not the same series, but still same author*

Lord John and the Private Matter

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The Secret Life of Bees ** you know, the movie didn't do that bad a job!**

The Help **again, not a bad movie adaption**

Eat Pray Love

The Hobbit *AGAIN, fourteenth time at least.*

The Vampire Lestat

Interview with the Vampire

Queen of the Damned

Grimms Fairytales

and 

I'm going to read GARGOYLE

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Gargoyle-Andrew-Davidson/dp/0307356787

 as well as PILGRIM again, muchly similar stories but
 SO GOOD!

http://www.amazon.ca/Pilgrim-Timothy-Findley/dp/0006485278/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398651932&sr=1-1&keywords=Pilgrim

Then there are the PILES AND PILES ,SHELVES AND SHELVES of ART books that I look through every couple days, depending on what I'm referencing or drawing in a day X3
The Katuran Odyssey is a beautiful story an set of illustrations and one of my go-to favorite story books to give as a gift, because its SO DAMNED PRETTY!!!
http://www.amazon.com/Katurran-Odyssey-David-Michael-Wieger/dp/0743225007
And Dinotopia are some of my go to referances for truly great illustration :3

and last but not least, these books by Dr. Micheal Newton are SO(S) important to me because I have this HUGE paralitic fear of death, dying and anything afterlife. *even though I'm pretty sure from things that I dream and feel and have learned and experienced that there is a continuation of the human spark/spirit/consiousness after passing I'm still 'EFFIN terrified and sometimes its like a big black blanket of tar that just creeps up and cuts off all the air and clarity from my brains... yuck.*
And these, these HB bought me , and they have been a game changer in holding that fear in check:

Memories of the Afterlife

Journey of Souls

Destiny of Souls 

Life Between Lives Hypnotherapy

More information can be found : http://newtoninstitute.org/

Anyways!!
Thats it for tonight because I don't want to spend time dwelling on that last subject, AND I'm working on finishing up some art to go out into the world, and I'm going to be trying my new BEAST of a scanner tomorrow! XD
It scans 11x17 AND prints that size withOUT borders! This , is some serious scan and print power!
*I may have just moved over to the darkside, if you don't hear from me for a month someone send oranges and lemons so I don't get scurrrrvy X)*

Love and a Spoon
<3(___)========

Autism Acceptance Month and #HAWMC day 26!

Word Cloud. Make a word cloud or tree with a list of words that come to
mind when you think about your blog, health, or interests.

I'm keeping it simple today because its my first henna and facepaint day of the season! :3
Unfortunately its rainy, and blah out, but I'm sure it will be a good day, I'm wearing cozy clothing and
I'm ready for work! X3

My wordcloud/map!

Love and a Spoon
<3(___)========

Autism Acceptance Month and #HAWMC day 25!

Fitness Friday. What do you do to stay fit? Tell us about your efforts in
maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

I've always been a curvy girl, but that isn't to say I'm not fit, I can walk for hours and  I'm pretty sure I can lift a bear! *metaphorically at least*
 AND I'm pretty flexible for my size which I'm thrilled with because I <3 yoga :)
The way you look ,doesn't define how healthy you are ,  people in the spoony community will know that , but there are still so many people who judge health just by looks!
So, here's my post for today!

** Weight training MAY help some people lose weight, but so far , not for me. Its helping me maintain

and be as healthy as possible as *I* can be. No matter WHAT I try I can't seem to lose the weight

I put on when I was on a couple medications a few years back. Which SUCKS because I try SO HARD!

***And DIET is like a cuss in our house, I gave up dieting because its stupid and it doesn't work. What does work, by way of making me FEEL better and I know its better for me is eating GOOD food, little to no BOXED items and stuff with 5 or less ingredients unless you made it yourself like I mentioned above :)

(I used to do the food deprivation thing, and I've tried every diet in the book, they turned me into a 

Hangry Bear, which wasn't nice for me at all, and no fun for anyone near me.)

What do YOU do to maintain healthy-ness ?

:)

Autism Acceptance Month and #HAWMC day 24! COMIC TODAY!!!

Health Activist Choice Day 2! Write about whatever you like.

Here it is! Page #43 and the fourth comic update for Autism Acceptance month!

Hope you all have a shiny day!
Love and a Spoon
<3 (___)========