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
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
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!
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
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!
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| Good-bye, yellow bus! |
Your friend,
Cool Gabe
Author, The Adventures of Cool Gabe
Monday, November 21, 2011
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.
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
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.
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| Here I am with my ARC teachers, Miss Barbara (left) and Miss Jacque (right), demonstrating the sign for turkey |
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| To quote Cool Gabe, "HAVE A FUN TURKEY DAY!" |
To all my friends around the world, this is Cool Gabe saying, "Happy Thanksgiving!"
Stay safe and be healthy!
Cool Gabe
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
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!
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
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!
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| 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
Friday, October 28, 2011
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.
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
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| The author holding 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
Friday, October 21, 2011
FAMILY MATTERS AND MORE
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| Cool Gabe and Kathi in my "Blog Central" office at ARC! |
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
Thursday, October 6, 2011
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
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/.
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
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| Check out my yellow Converse! |
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| I love the All*Star on my Converse! |
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| I am now officially an author!!! |
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