HAPPY NEW YEAR, COOL GABE!

Gabe and I were scheduled to write his weekly blog this morning.  Well, it turns out he didn't come in to ARC today because his mother wanted to spend the day with him because she has the day off from her job.  Enjoy your day with mom! 

While talking with Gabe's classroom teachers, Jacque and Barbara, this morning about how Gabe never misses a day of work, we talked about how excited we are for you to have the whole day today to spend some quality time with your mom.  We decided "the blog will go on" this once without you!

Gabe, we want you to know that you have been teaching us some valuable lessons about life, about our attitudes towards life, and about the time we have to spend together with family and friends.  Every morning when you and your classmates are going outside and I hear you working to get my attention so we can talk about our game plan for your blog, you make me smile. 

You communicate so well!  Every time when you are in your classroom across the hall from my office and you hear my voice when I'm talking with someone and you start working to get my attention, I'm listening to you.  Whether it is the way you communicate with sign language or with your eyes or with your voice, we are all listening to you.  Your faith in God is great and we are all listening to you.  Your smile is contagious and we are all listening to you.  

We all have a purpose in life.  Gabe, we are so grateful to know you and to have you in our lives because you have become our teacher.  I know 2012 will bring bigger and better things for you.  Thank you for allowing me to help you bring your voice to the world through this blog.  I see your blog as just the first of many new tools to come into your life. 

Happy New Year to Cool Gabe from all of us at ARC of Indian River County!

"GABE, YOU INSPIRE US"

Your friend,
Nancy Heinrich

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hello World, 

We're expecting a high of 80 degrees here in beautiful Vero Beach, Florida today as we anxiously wait for Santa Claus to start his trip around the world tomorrow night.  It is Christmas in the tropics and here I am at ARC of Indian River County in shorts, a t-shirt and my Santa hat! 

Today is a busy day at ARC.  I'm in the 9 A.M. cooking class and we're making Christmas Salad.  I heard the greens we're having are from Veggies of Vero! 

In the kitchen with my cooking teacher, Miss Nancy

Later this morning is our annual Christmas party.  We're having subs from Subway, Christmas music, and dancing (my favorite part).



Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas (at ARC with my teachers, Miss Jacque and Miss Barbara)



Cool Gabe enjoying the tropical weather on December 23rd!

I'd like to wish a special Merry Christmas to my mother and my sister.  I'm looking forward to a great Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together with you!

Merry Christmas, everyone! 
Your friend,
Cool Gabe

COOL GABE GOES TO TARA PLANTATION

Hello World,

This week I went on a field trip to a Vero Beach tradition.  Several classes from ARC of Indian River County visited the offices of Grall Glenn and Grall yesterday. 

This is not your normal law office.  First, it's located in a sprawling office named Tara Plantation in Vero Beach.  Mr. Bernard Grall, Jr. is not your everyday run-of-the-mill attorney.  For the past 21 years, he and his wife have created Christmas displays inside Tara Plantation's many rooms and on the grounds.  Christmas at Tara Plantation has become a Vero Beach tradition.  Mr. Grall opens up his law offices to the public and to groups like ARC.  We made our annual pilgrimage to Tara Plantation yesterday to get into the Christmas spirit.  (This was my second trip there!) 

I am now officially in the Christmas spirit and you will be, too, when you see the pictures below. 

The sad part is this is the last Christmas when the inside of Tara Plantation will be open to the public.  I feel so special to have experienced the love and care that goes into creating the beautiful rooms filled with Christmas trains, trees, and angels.   Thank you to Tara Plantation and to Mr. Grall and his family for sharing this tradition with me and  my friends and teachers at ARC.  Merry Christmas, Mr. Grall!




Cool Gabe being very cool at the Christmas village. 





Here I am in front of my favorite Christmas tree at Tara Plantation.



Merry Christmas, my friends! 
Cool Gabe

PS - If you need a special gift to inspire someone, you can call Sandy Gaunt at ARC (772-562-6854, extension 217) for a copy of my book, The Adventures of Cool Gabe.





GETTING ON YOUR CHRISTMAS GROOVE

Hello World! 

My favorite holiday is fast approaching.   I'm really enjoying seeing my neighbors' Christmas decorations going up.  The lights, the decorations, the Christmas songs on the radio, the smell of the Christmas tree in my house - this is what makes December my favorite time of the year. 

I want to do a SHOUT OUT to Mark.  Thank you for getting me safely to and from ARC of Indian River County every day.  It's always a great ride when you do the driving!

Tomorrow is a big day for me.  My new ride arrives!  This is the last day for my yellow wheels.  It's almost like Christmas! 

Your friend,

Cool Gabe

READY FOR THE NEW RIDE

Hello World,
It was a great Thanksgiving at the Caldwell house in Sebastian, Florida.  We had great food to share with great friends and great family.  Speaking of great friends, my neighbor, Miss Vic, was over for dinner.  Miss Vic, who is 80 years young, is a great cook and she makes the best rice pudding in the world.  She made her homemade gravy and mac, as she calls it, and everyone loved it.  We had lots of family in for Thanksgiving, including my Aunt Cindy who also lives in Sebastian.  My sister, Taylor, was a great help to Mom  to get Thanksgiving dinner on the table.  The best part of the day was when our Christmas tree was delivered to our house after dinner! 
You may recall an earlier blog where I wrote about my yellow chair.  Well, this may be the last week for riding around in my yellow chair because my new wheelchair has arrived and I can't wait to get it!  So the next time you see me, you may also be seeing the new Gabemobile!



Good-bye, yellow bus!

 

Have a great weekend!  If you're in Indian River County, tonight's the 23rd Annual Light Up Night in Sebastian and tomorrow are the Christmas parades in Vero Beach and Sebastian.  Have a great weekend! 

Your friend,
Cool Gabe
Author, The Adventures of Cool Gabe

Happy Thanksgiving from Cool Gabe

Hey World!

Last week, I went on a field trip with some of my peers from ARC of Indian River County to see the annual Festival of Trees at the Riverside Children's Theatre.  It was awesome to see all the decorated trees.  My favorite was the Beatles-theme tree. 

It's starting to get busy at my house with all the cooking and cleaning to be done before Turkey Day gets here this Thursday.  As you know, I have a large family and I am looking forward to seeing family members this week.  Some will be staying at our house, so i imagine we won't be getting much sleep. 

In sign language class at ARC, Patricia has been teaching us how to sign "turkey" and other signs related to Thanksgiving.  In the picture below I am demonstrating the sign for "turkey".  There will be plenty of turkey at my house. 

Here I am with my ARC teachers, Miss Barbara (left) and Miss Jacque (right), demonstrating the sign for turkey

To quote Cool Gabe, "HAVE A FUN TURKEY DAY!" 

As we all prepare for Thanksgiving, please remember that this is a special time to give thanks for the lives we have, the love of our family and friends, and gratitude for those whose service to America protects our freedoms.  I am especially grateful for all that my mother does for me each and every day.  Love you, Mom! 

To all my friends around the world, this is Cool Gabe saying, "Happy Thanksgiving!"

Stay safe and be healthy!
Cool Gabe

Citizen Journalism at 2011 Youth Service Institute

Hello World,

You may have noticed I did not write a blog last week.  Well, here's what happened.  My blog friend at ARC, Nancy, took time off to attend the Youth Service Instititue (YSI) in Philadelphia.  She told me about a session she attended about Citizen Journalism.  Check out this definition from Wikipedia:

Citizen journalism (also known as "public", "participatory", "democratic",^[1] "guerrilla"^[2] or "street journalism"^[3]) is the concept of members of the public "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information," according to the seminal 2003 report We Media: How Audiences are Shaping the Future of News and Information.^[4] Authors Bowman and Willis say: "The intent of this participation is to provide independent, reliable, accurate, wide-ranging and relevant information that a democracy requires."

When Nancy told me about her "citizen journalism" workshop, I was excited because this describes what I am doing with the Cool Gabe blog  -  bringing accurate and relevant information from my perspective to make the world a better place for other people with and without disabilities.  Recording my observations helps me explore the world and reach people who are ready to be inspired. 

As you know from my previous blogs, I attend the Adult Day Training program at Abilities Resource Center of Indian River County and have access its new computer lab plus the computer where I write this blog with assistance from able-bodied staff.  Having access to a computer has greatly expanded my world (did you notice that I can use Wikipedia?) and I'm just getting started.  Having this computer access has inspired me to continue writing this blog because it is fun to do and it gives me new things to think about!




Nancy (with blue scarf) at YSI promoting Cool Gabe's "Citizen Journalism."

 
















Photo credit:  Diane Palm, Harris County Juvenile Probation Office, Houston, Texas

This photo is of people from all over the United States attending the Citizen Journalism workshop at YSI.  The message from the presenters was to be inclusive of all youth, including those with disabilities, when recording your surroundings.  Nancy shared with them what I am doing with my blog. 

Thank you to everyone at the Youth Service Institute for giving a shout-out to me and http://www.coolgabe.blogspot.com/.  Thank you, Diane Palm - I love the picture you took! 

Please take my inspirations and share them with  someone in your own community.  Help someone discover their ability to become a citizen journalist just like me!

Your friend,
Cool Gabe

My First Book

Do you know that I am an author?   Earlier this year I wrote a book.  It is called The Adventures of Cool Gabe. The book is about my family, my friends at ARC of Indian River County, and the activities I enjoy doing. My friend, Walter, says that I am a "babe magnet", which I think is a pretty cool name to have!  I think Walter is pretty cool because he runs our snack shop at ARC. 

The author holding a copy of The Adventures of Cool Gabe.

I am very proud of myself for writing the book.  If you know someone who needs an inspiration to live up to their potential, then maybe my book can inspire them.  To get inspired, call Sandy Gaunt at ARC  (772-562-6854, extension 217) if you would like to purchase a copy of The Adventures of Cool Gabe. 

Yesterday, I went on a field trip to Mckee Botanical Gardens with my teachers, Ms. Barbara and Ms Jacque, to see different kinds of scarecrows which are planted around the garden. Some of the scarecrows were dressed up in different costumes from local organizations that participated.  McKee  is a hidden treasure filled with tropical trees, bamboo, exotic orchids, and tall palms.  A little known fact to people from outside of Indian River County is that McKee used to be Florida's most popular tourist destination before Disneyworld opened in Orlando. 

Your friend,
Cool Gabe

FAMILY MATTERS AND MORE

Cool Gabe and Kathi in my "Blog Central" office at ARC!

ON THE PERSONAL SIDE OF COOL GABE:

Let me tell you about my family.  I live with my mom, Liz, and my sister, Taylor.  Here are some interesting facts about my family.  My mother is one of 15 children - really!  That means I have 9 uncles and 5 aunts, and that's just on my mother's side.  I have about 50 cousins - REALLY!  My favorite girl cousin is Desier.  My grandmother Cavazos, who was a great cook, always told me that of all the cousins, I was her favorite! 

A special shout-out to Mom and Liz and one up to Heaven to Grandma Cavazos.

BACK TO WORK AT ARC:

The office across the hall from my classroom at ARC of Indian River County is the Support Employment and Supported Living Office.  Because of its convenience to my classroom, I use the computer in that office, with a little help from my blog teacher.  One of the things the staff do is help find jobs for people with disabilities, like me.  One of the job coaches is a woman named Kathi Pulver and here is a picture of Kathi and me in the Supported Employment Office.

Back to get some more work done before lunchtime.  Then we're playing bingo at 1:00 - I LOVE FRIDAYS!!

Stay cool, my friends,
Cool Gabe

Yellow Keds and Pelicans

Hello World,

We're having a wet tropical morning here in Vero Beach, Florida.  Mark is the man who picks me up every morning and brings me to ARC of Indian River County.  He had to drive through quite a bit of rain to get me here this morning.  Even though I am the original cool guy, my friend Mark is also very cool.  In fact, there are 3 pictures of Mark and me in my new book, The Adventures of Cool Gabe.

Let me tell a story about my yellow Keds.  As you can see from the pictures, I love to wear my yellow Keds.  My dad always wears Converse shoes, and I always want to be like my dad.   I have several different colors, however, the yellow ones are MY FAVORITES!   It also happens to be a coincidence that the color of my own personal transportation device is yellow, as you can see.  Sometimes I call my chair "The Yellow Bus". 

Speaking of transportation, if you check out this morning's Vero Beach Press Journal, you'll see a picture of ARC in the story about the Walking School bus.  The picture shows some kids walking to Vero Beach Elementary School, which is right next door to ARC, where I come every day.

On Tuesday,  my sign language teacher, Patricia, who I introduced you to in my previous blog entry, was here and I had another great sign language lesson with her.  I showed her and her mother my new blog and they were quite pleased to see what I have been up to.  One of the signs Patricia taught us to do is for "Pelican" which is really cool because I live in Sebastian, Florida, home of the nation's first national wildlife refuge, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (established by President Theodore Roosevelt).  If you want to see some pictures of this really cool place, click here:  http://www.fws.gov/pelicanisland/.

Time for me to get to work!  I hope you enjoy today's blog!

Your friend,

Cool Gabe

Check out my yellow Converse! 

I love the All*Star on my Converse!

I am now officially an author!!! 

PS - Copies of my new book, The Adventures of Cool Gabe, are on sale at ARC.  Just call Sandy Gaunt at 772-562-6854 or go to http://www.arcir.org/.

Sign Language and Morning Devotions

Hello World!

This week I want you to meet my sign language teacher.  Her name is Patricia Moody.  She visits ARC once a week.  She comes into my classroom and we learn to sign.  She is a lot like me (even though we're not related) because she always has a smile on her face and remembers everyone's name.  We always have fun when she is teaching.  This week I learned the sign for eating, drinking, and love.  I just taught my blog teacher, Nancy, these signs! 

Here I am with Patricia.

This is me with one of my classroom teachers, Miss Barbara, reading the morning's inspirational devotion to me.  She has such a gentle voice! 

Special thanks to Ms. Jacque for taking this week's photographs for my blog.

Be cool! 

Your friend,

Cool Gabe

Inspirations

Dear World,

Here I am at ARC of Indian River County with my teachers.  Jacque is the one in the purple shirt, Barbara is the one in the white shirt, and Nancy is the one in the blue shirt.  Jacque and Barbara have 9 other individuals in my classroom where we work, play, exercise, and socialize from 8 in the morning until 2 in the afternoons. 

In our classroom we have a theme where I get to learn new things every week.  This week we are learning about ducks and geese.  Yesterday I learned how to sign "duck" and "geese" from my sign language teacher, Patricia. I enjoy having my sign language class, especially when I get to do funny things with my teacher, Jacque. 

In the mornings, my teacher, Barbara, reads to us.  What she reads gets me inspired.  When we get inspired, we can go great things.  What I inspire other people at ARC to do is to smile and think positive thoughts, because we all have the ability to be great and do great things.

Be inspired, my friends.

Cool Gabe

My First Blog

Welcome World! 

My name is Cool Gabe.  I am writing this blog to be able to communicate with everyone who would like to learn more about me and what I do every day.  I am using the computer at ARC of Indian River County where I attend the adult day training program Monday through Friday.  My teachers are Jacque and Barbara.  Nancy is my blog teacher. 

I will be sharing pictures of what I do at the day program and look forward to hearing from all of you.

To learn more about my day program, go to http://www.arcir.org/.

Here's to a great life!
Cool Gabe