Happy Birthday, Saint Patrick's Day, and Easter

Hello World,

Guess what today is for me. It's my birthday!   So Happy Birthday to me!!  Also Saint Patrick's Day is coming up in a few days, followed by Easter. What a lot of things to celebrate in the next few weeks.

Our class is is ready for Saint Patrick's day. We learned about who Saint Patrick was, the history of, leprechauns, shamrocks, and pot of gold as well as  Ireland, the traditions, wearing green, and the luck of the Irish.  We learned quite a bit about the Irish people and who they are.It was really interesting.    Easter is coming up soon and we will be getting ready for the holiday. I'm looking forward to a special Easter basket and lots of crafts.
Here are some of my birthday pictures

HAPPY SAINT PAT'S DAY

MY BIRTHDAY CAKE

HOLDING MY CAKE

YUMMY CAKE

CHALLENGE QUESTION:  WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR SAINT PAT'S DAY AND EASTER?

Your Friend,
CoolGabe

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