Tornado Outbreak Relief!!!

Dear Friends,

Please say a prayer for my "other home" - Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  Say a prayer for the entire state of Alabama and the Southeastern region that was drastically affected by the tornado outbreak on April 27, 2011.  That is a day that is forever sealed in my memory, and I often wonder what it would have been like to still live there and be a part of that. 

I wasn't... I moved back to central Florida this past December after my own drastic year of losing everything in a house-fire and a continued battle with depression and anxiety.  I witnessed so many days in Tuscaloosa that looked as if "the sky was going to fall out" and I witnessed the heightened sense of fright when severe weather was reported, but there's no way to describe what is happening in that place right now because few have ever experienced something like that.  It breaks my heart, and I am doing everything I can to help out despite me not living there.  For the past five and a half years, Tuscaloosa was my home and I wasn't done there.  I plan to go back, to finish school and to part in the way that I set out to. 

But then April 27th happened and that town will be forever changed.

The destruction is almost unbearable to look at and the numbers of those lost, missing, and without a home are too high to comprehend to be the result of mother nature.

The entire state is in a state of emergency in what an EMA official described  the damage and destruction as: "Katrina without the 3-day warning." 

My heart is breaking for so many, but I know that good can come in crisis.  My learning experiences throughout my personal journey this past year is a constant reminder and personal example of good coming from crisis and I know how much can happen when people unite for the good of humanity. 

I am driving a load of donations up to Alabama from Orlando and I'm encouraging anyone in the area to message me if you can make donations such as clothes and supplies that I can take up on Thursday afternoon.  For folks that are out of town, please donate $10 by texting REDCROSS to 90999.  If you'd like to donate more - so much is needed!!! - please visit www.givetuscaloosa.com.  

Thank you so much.... so many good people appreciate your help! 

Please be praying for my friends, and "home away from home" as so many are experiencing huge losses. 

I love you all! God will provide! 

(The path through Tuscaloosa. Just missing my old place.  Many of my friends homes were destroyed.)

(A main street in town. You're not supposed to be able to see those building through that neighborhood of homes, apartments, and trees.)

(Holt.  Remember when I taught my JumpStart pre-k class for student teaching that summer?  Holt Elementary School was where I taught.  It was also in the tornados path.)

Matthew 6:25-34

PEACE AND LOVE

and lots of hope for Alabama

Bai

These are needed if you are in the Orlando area and can contribute to my efforts: 

baby diapers

wipes

premade formula

clothes (underwear & socks, too!)

toiletries

pop-top non-perishable foods

canned foods

can openers

tarps

shoes

women's hygiene products

first-aid supplies

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

A...B...C...

THE ABC'S OF THIS FREEBIRD

because who doesn't dig a survey every now and then?!?

I got my hair done today, by the way...

A. Age: 23
B. Bed size: I'm a QUEEN!!!
C. Chore you hate: Vaccuuming!! Hate is an understatement.
D. Dogs: Millie :)

E. Essential start to your day: Caffeine - (Coffee or a Mello Yello or a Coke)
F. Favorite color: TURQUOISE!
G. Gold or silver: Depends on what it is. I'm a David Yurman girl so I dig the two-tone, but my future husband will know that I want a white-gold/platinum band for my bling! ;)
H. Height: 5'3
I. Instruments you play: Air guitar & I'm a pretty mean drummer on the dashboard!
J. Job title: Unemployed... I'm trying, y'all!
K. Kids: Someday...  But I have a little baby niece or nephew on the way!!!
L. Live: The Sunshine State
M. Mom’s name: Cheryl
N. Nicknames: Bear, Bob, B-Bop, Bee, and Queen Bee
O. Overnight hospital stays: When I was little, a few...
P. Pet peeve: Being ignored; people clicking pens/tapping feet when others are trying to concentrate; KICKING MY CHAIR AT THE MOVIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Q. Quote from a movie/show: 
"I know you think those guys are your friends. You wanna be a true friend to them? Be honest, and be unmerciful." -Lester Bangs, Almost Famous
R. Righty or Lefty: Righty! (But soccer-wise, I can strike the ball with both feet, just better with my natural right side!)
S. Siblings: I am the Little Sissy out of us two girls. Just the two of us. Spoiled rotten :)

But she married a super-cool guy named Tyler and gave me an awesome brother!
T. Time you wake up: I'm in the process of getting on a stricter sleep schedule and waking up earlier (so that when I do get that job I'll be able to be up and at it) so I'm trying for 8:30 but it's been 9 here lately.
U. Underwear: Victoria's Secret PINK collection.  I'm a boyshorts fan!
V. Vegetables you dislike: PEAS! Ewwwww.
W. What makes you run late: My Attention Deficit Disorder ;)
X. X-rays you’ve had: Teeth, MRI on my knee, endoscopys, CAT Scan.  I mean, come on... just check "all that apply"
Y. Yummy food you make: I'm the Queen of "dips" and "spreads" amongst my friends!

Z. Zoo animal favorite: ELEPHANTS! Roll Tide!  

Well that was fun! And way less annoying than the 200-question ones that used to go around AOL and Hotmail and all my other middle school email engines! Ha.

I love answering questions and writing down lists!

Is there anything you'd like to ask me?  I'm OPEN BOOK, so ask away!!!

CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING?

Do you know how harmful it is to use the R-Word?

If you knew it hurt the feelings of so many creative & loving souls would you still use the word?  Or would you try to remove it from your vocabulary - like I have?

If you know me in "real life" then you knew how passionate I am about this campaign:

SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD

at http://www.r-word.org/

would you help support this cause?

stop using the r-word & pledge!

today is national awareness day

THANKS, lovelies!!!

If you take the pledge you get

THREE (3) EXTRA ENTRIES

into my giveaway!!!!

PEACE AND LOVE

ALWAYS

BAILY  

today and always i am a server

"How far you go in life depends on

your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged,

sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak & strong.

Because someday in life you will have been all of these."

-George Washington Carver

"May I be medicine for the sick and weary.

May I be their doctor and their nurse until the sickness appears no more.

May I quell the pains of hunger and thirst with rains of food and drink.

May I be a torch for those in need of light, a bed for those in need of a bed,

and a servant for those in need of service."

-Shantideva

"You will find, as you look back upon your life, that the moments that stand out

are the moments when you have done things for others."

-Henry Drummond

"Love is the best friend of humankind,

the helper and the healer of all ills that stand in the way of human happiness."

-Plato

This past week I have been moved by a tremendous amount of things.

Some good, some bad, but all part of the game of life.

The good, though, has been to see the smiling faces of all the children I am around

throughout my coursework.  The children that are typically developing as well as those children with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, and those that have suffered traumatic brain injuries. I wish I could express the JOY they bring me.

It's indescribable the amount of love that can pour in and out of a classroom when you see it from somewhere that is geared toward hope, awareness, and service for these children.

To have a four year-old little girl in pigtails and a pink, hand-smocked dress climb into your lap and twirl your hair everyday is a feeling unlike any I have ever experienced.

Her almond eyes melt my heart and her little hands, with their simian crease that her extra chromosome caused, are always so gentle and loving. It is no wonder that she pours out her love for me, she is surrounded by love at home, school, and with friends.

That is why I have a hard time understanding why people refuse to serve, love, and - sadly enough - even treat equally, our neighbors with disabilities.

Hard-headed politicians look for all the answers to the world in foreign policy, immigration laws, and taxation practices but they never think that maybe it will all fall into place once we implement the golden rule into our societies:

treat others as you would want to be treated

because if ever one of my friends calls out to me for help, I want to touch their heart like my friend, the little girl with Down syndrome, has touched mine

"miss baily, if the fire still has all of your stuff, you can borrow my things"

I just smiled and tears ran down my face.

How could one not love a life like that? Much less, how could one not think a life

like that is deserving of being in this world?

We spend much of our lives focusing on people and relationships and friendships that end up amounting to nothing in a time of need. But yet, we ignore those indifferent from us because we are unaware of what really makes a child with special needs special! 

Just because God created an individual with an extra 21st chromosome and a predisposed development that is slower and less autonomous than his or her peer, does not mean He didn't bless that child with the same amount of love He did us.

Quite more, actually.

That's what makes children like that so sPeCiaL - the enormous amount of God's love that she expressed to me in a way that holds much more weight than someone sending a text message saying 'I'm here for you' which turns out to be a lie in the end.

So maybe that's why I feel inclined to raise the awareness of Down syndrome/trisomy-21.

Amongst other things, we should all be aware of the blessings that come from being unignorant, inclusive, and non-prejudice. More generally so is that God teaches us to love all of His wonderful creations and to find the richest fulfillment in life is to see the beauty in all things.

And trust me, if the big, compassionate eyes weren't beautiful enough, and if the simian-creased hands weren't God's own 'artist mark', then the beautiful soul that spoke out of her need to be of service to others, is very much so a sense of fulfillment that I look forward to go out an seek on my future endeavors.

I'm glad that many years ago, I was made

AwArE

of these exceptional lives and the goodness of their mere being.

peace&love

baily

let me talk southern to you

"Southern girls are God's gift to the entire male population. There is no woman finer than one raised below the

Mason-Dixon line. And once you go Southern,

may the Good Lord help you, you never go back."

-Kenny Chesney

please visit Hands On Nashville and make a donation for flood relief

please visit Save Our Gulf to donate/see what you can do to help the Waterkeeper Alliance protect and restore our beloved Southern coasts that are horribly affected by the oil spill

I can proudly say that the warm-hearted, graceful women and men of the South proudly help relief efforts, both domestic and international. As Dixie finally got back on her feet after the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, disaster struck us again. I know what it feels like to lose possessions, and I promise to advocate and volunteer to save my homeland.

Please help!

sweet Southern comfort, carry on....

Day Eight - a photo that makes me angry/sad

THIS PHOTO MAKES ME SAD BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS MORE THAN JUST A BUM ON THE STREET.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

 THIRTY PERCENT OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION IS FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN?

NINE PERCENT IS MADE UP OF U.S. VETERANS

 WHO RISKED THEIR LIVES IN SERVICE FOR OUR COUNTRY?

ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND VETERANS ARE HOMELESS.

TWENTY-SIX PERCENT SUFFER FROM ADDICTION?

SIXTEEN PERCENT SUFFER FROM MENTAL ILLNESS?

THE AVERAGE TIME A FAMILY REMAINS HOMELESS IS

 EIGHT MONTHS?

COULD YOU IMAGINE NOT HAVING A BED TO SLEEP IN, A TUB TO BATHE IN, OR A TABLE TO EAT AT SINCE LAST AUGUST??

THREE MILLION PEOPLE EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS?

FIFTY-EIGHT PERCENT ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND SHELTER.

BUT, THAT LEAVES FORTY-TWO PERCENT THAT GO UNSHELTERED.

ONE OUT OF FIFTY CHILDREN

IN THE UNITED STATES EXPERIENCE

HOMELESSNESS.

THAT IS ONE AND A HALF MILLION CHILDREN.

YOU CAN HELP IN HOMELESSNESS BY CAREING!!!!!!

C - Contribute (food, money)

A - Advocate                                  

R - Reach out (volunteer)        

E - Educate                                    

 visit the National Coalition for the Homeless by clicking here.

     

Other ramblings.... The week of April 18-24, 2010 is National Volunteer Week.  This signature event of the Points of Light Institute celebrates ordinary people doing extraordinary things to improve communities across the nation.  As many of you know, I volunteer many hours a week to the Tuscaloosa and University of Alabama communities by assisting The RISE School (click here to view).  I also volunteer advocacy, education, and awareness efforts to The National Down Syndrome Congress' campaign "We Are More Alike Than Different" (click here to view) and The Special Olympics and Best Buddies International "Spread The Word To End The Word" campaign (click here to view). 

On Thursday and Friday of next week I will be volunteering at The Gene Stallings Golf Tournament benefiting The Rise Program at Ol' Colony Golf Course in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 

I encourage everyone to become a part of National Volunteer Week.  It really is a nation-wide effort to be at the center of social change by collectively making a positive impact in communities all over.  I know that sometimes it seems difficult to find room in our already busy days (trust me, my little "student planner" is filled to the max almost always) but when you see things as a collective force, even an hour or two of volunteer efforts makes a really BIG difference.  And look at it this way, you won't be the only one doing it.  It's a national effort... so don't miss out!

Oh! One more thing.... I ought to inform any of my classmate reader's about The University of Alabama's Green Week, ALSO next week April 19-24.  In celebration of "Earthday" which is April 22, the SGA and other student organizations are sponsoring the week-long celebration of National Volunteer Week and Green Week. 

On Monday, a showing of A Bug's Life will be on the quad.  On Tuesday, on Doster Hall's lawn there will be a fashion show featuring sustainable clothing.  On Wednesday (Sustainability Day), there will be displays and information sessions on recycling and other environmental initiatives around campus.  On Thursday (Earthday), there will be a tie-dye workshop at the Ferguson Plaza where you can bring a t-shirt to tie-dye or $3 to buy an already created tee of your liking.  And on Friday, bring your bicycle to Denny Chimes at 4PM to be a part of the mass ride that will aim to promote cyclist safety and awareness between cyclists and drivers in the community. 

Alright, that's all for now.... I hope everyone has a good week this week as you plan your festivities for National Volunteer Week and Green Week that begin a week from today! :)

PeAcE&LoVe&GrEeN

Bjj

End The R Word

Most close to me know that my passion is in helping children with disabilities. Not only do I want to provide educational and developmental opportunities for children with special needs in my career path, but I also want to be an advocate for their rights and equality.

Too much has the "R-word" been used in mainstream society. I'm disgusted by how many people exchange the word "retard" for any other descriptive word. Not only are the words "retard" and "retarded" politically incorrect but they are also ignorant, not clever, and discriminatory.

In so many talk shows, sitcoms, comedy shows, movies, and civil conversations, is the word used. My friends and those around me are aware at my hatred for the widespread use of the word but even those that understand the prejudice behind it and the passion of my concern about it still say it out of habit - because it has gotten that bad. Teachers and even national political figures have used the word freely. How ignorant and discomforting.

Could you imagine if one of President Obama's cabinet members spoke to the media and used the "N-word?" What kind of havoc and chaos that would cause...
Well, it's discomforting and honestly embarassing to know that the President had nothing to say about one of his cabinet members using the word "retarded" in a public statement. It's the same thing as using the "N-word." It's prejudice, discriminatory, derogatory, and shameful.

Join the national campaign, started by the Special Olympics, that works to end the mainstream use of this word. "SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD" will rally on 3/3/10 to raise awareness and encourage people to show their support at www.r-word.org.

Make this movement known all over the nation, starting in your community - at school, at work, at home, or even at your online community. Please! Help this cause!

Buy a t-shirt, make the r-word pledge, make an impact.

Please... take 5 minutes to watch this video. It means so much to me and those who are touched by the exceptional and loving lives of persons with disabilities.
www.youtube.com/endtherword.

Peace & Love
BJJ
The 'Other' Sister

Think Different

Here's to the crazy ones.

The misfits.

The rebels.

The troublemakers.

The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.

They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing that you can't do is ignore them.

Because they change things.

They push the human race forward.

And while some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones that do.


Peace and Love
BJJ ♫ ☮ ♥