THEY LINE THE SLEEVES DIFFERENTLY...

... did you know that? Many coats have different lining in the sleeves than in the body of the coat. If you didn't know this, perhaps you are a BYSTANDER!

A colleague of mine told me the greatest story today... she had been getting frustrated with her son because he couldn't find a coat that was acceptable. She wondered whether he wanted to be cool, and was looking for just the right coat, or whether he was just being independent.

Then her family read Living Sensationally and the whole family started talking about their patterns. My colleague started thinking about the coat situation too. The next time they went shopping, she stood back and watched her son examining the coats. He used his hand to feel down every sleeve; she realized that he was looking for the right texture for his daily activity of running his hands through the sleeve of his coat. They didnt find a coat that day, but she said she also wasnt upset with him this time.

This is a real tale of Living Sensationally... it's not about the fancy stuff, it's about the everyday experiences that comprise our days. She realized that part of what would make her son's day sensational was having the right feeling on his hands as he put his coat on each day.

Now THAT is VERNACULAR!

VERNACULAR

Last week in church we had a 'White Stone' ceremony. We discussed the new year, and making big dreams, dreams we cant imagine are even possible, dreams we can grow into. We each got a small white tile, and were asked to identify a word that would symbolize our dream.

I picked 'VERNACULAR' because that is my dream for the ideas in Living Sensationally. I want families to talk about being Bystanders and Seekers at the kitchen table, laughing about each person's quirky ways of doing things. I want coworkers to consider who on their team will be best to complete a project because they understand what Sensors and Avoiders contribute to the work's success. I want friends to plan activities together with their sensory patterns in mind.

Here's to our collective understanding of each other! ahhh, the vernacular...

INTERVIEW ON AUTISM ONE

On January 21, 2008, I am taping an interview with Chantal Sicile-Kira. She hosts a radio show called Autism One. She is the author of Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum which won a 2006 San Diego Book Award, and Autism Spectrum Disorders which was the 2005 ASA Outstanding Literary Work of the Year.

I am looking forward to this conversation since some of my research findings included people with Autism Spectrum Disorders; in fact we learned how the sensory processing patterns work because of the experiences of children with ASD and their families and teachers. Isnt it great that we learned ideas from them that we can now apply to everyone?

TV APPEARANCE

Just before Christmas, KC LIVE hosted me on their TV show. I was included in their health segment, talking about LIVING SENSATIONALLY. They were extremely cordial, very attentive, and the interview went really well. I am working on getting a link here so you can see and hear what I have to say, instead of just reading about it... Talk to you soon!

BOOK SIGNING AT BARNES & NOBLE

Barnes & Noble on the Plaza in Kansas City has scheduled a book signing for

January 19, 2008 2-4pm

I am really excited to have a chance to talk to the public in this way; this is a really busy store, so I am certain that I will see many people just running their weekend errands. What a way to celebrate everyday life: sitting in an 'everyday life' place on a Saturday afternoon. Life is good.

BOOK SIGNING RECEPTION AT KU

We had a book signing and reception for Living Sensationally at the University of Kansas Medical Center in December 2007. People attended from all over the university, and were so gracious and excited about the ideas in this book.

I am so grateful for everyone's interest and support.
Read the article about the event at this web address.

http://www.kumc.edu/news/publish/School_of_Allied_Health_13/KU_professor_helps_people_live_sensationally.shtml