Flowers For Sarah

This blog entry was sent via audio email by Mandy, who sent a beautiful bouquet of purple flowers to the funeral of her friend Sarah.

Hi, I just wanted to let you know I’m doing well. I hope that you are doing well too. I hope people who saw the flowers enjoyed them. I will talk to you soon, bye.

Chris Is Learning How To Use SmartHome Technology

This blog post was given in person by Chris, a resident of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder, Colorado.

I love living in the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. When I first moved in here, I didn’t know what to do with any of the computer stuff. Now I find videos on the internet, play games, send audio emails, and listen to music, especially country and rap. I really do love this place. 

Jessie Walked 500 Feet Today

This blog post was provided in person today by Jessie, who was born with a physical disability in her legs.  She has no femurs, and uses a wheelchair for mobility.  Until about a month ago, Jessie had not walked in six years.

Today I reached one of my goals for walking. I was at the physical therapy room at Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center and I walked four laps with my walker. It is 125 feet per lap, so I walked a total of 500 feet. That achieved one of my goals, to walk 500 feet with a walker.

My next goal is to walk 500 feet without a walker. That won't be so easy.  I currently don’t have the core strength to stand on my own, so I’m lacking the stability and balance to stand. That will hopefully come in time and with a lot of work.

I have a few busy days coming up, including some fun activities I'll be doing with Out & About. Tonight I will go to Giddy Up, (NOTE:  Giddy Up is an equine-assisted therapy program designed in collaboration between Out & About and Medicine Horse Program in which participants learn skills such as horse grooming, natural horsemanship, riding, and horse leading while focusing on relationships with the horses and each other), tomorrow I will go to Friday Night Out where we’ll have pizza and go bowling; and Saturday we’ll go to the Louisville Rec Center for Fitness and Fun where I’ll get some exercise.

I’ll keep you updated with my progress.

Lana Will Miss Her Friend Sarah Who Passed Away

This blog post was submitted via audio email by Lana. The funeral service Lana is referring to attending was for her friend Sarah, a resident of the Charles Family SmartHome, who passed away last Saturday. Lana attended the memorial service and celebration of Sarah’s life yesterday.

Hi, This is Lana. We had fun at Sarah’s celebration of life yesterday. We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because that’s something Sarah liked to eat. We also had chips, coffee, hot chocolate, and tea. I will miss Sarah.

Art Class Focuses On Collaborative Art Pieces

This blog post and photo were submitted by Katherine, one of the Art Instructors for Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department.

At Longmont’s CORE/Labor Source art classes, we have been focusing on collaborative art pieces. In the photo, participants were instructed to come together and compromise on colors and subject matters. The group expressed that they wanted to draw Charlie Brown and work on geometric designs.

David Enjoys His Bowling Leagues, And His Life

This blog post was provided in person by David at Coal Creek Sports Center (bowling alley) in Lafayette.

I would like to invite my friends at Imagine! to stop by the bowling alley on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday to watch me bowl and to visit. I am in different leagues all three nights, and the leagues go until April 2nd so I’ll be here all winter. We bowl from around 6:00 until 8:00 PM, and I have a lot of friends at Imagine! I’d like to see, so please pass this on to them. (When asked what his all time high scores are in bowling, David said that he’s had a 207 and a 209. Some leagues have bumpers in the gutters to prevent the ball from going into the gutters but David bowls in leagues that do not use the bumpers).

I haven’t been able to get to Mapleton softball fields since the bowling leagues started, but I got there a lot during the summer. I always watched the Imagine! team on Wednesdays. 

I’m working at Bayaud Enterprises in Denver as a janitor three days a week. I’m happy. I love to work, you know that. I just enjoy life. I don’t like sitting around doing nothing, I like to keep busy.

Jack and I didn’t go to the Bronco game last week since it was against the Raiders. We go to the rest of the games but we give someone our tickets for the Raiders’ games because the crowd is just too rowdy when the Broncos play the Raiders. We just go to have fun.

Well, I hope I see some of you soon. Stop by the bowling alley and say hi!

David sure had the pins flying on this shot.

John Is Working Hard At His Jobs

This blog post was sent via audio email by John.

Hi, this is your friend John speaking. I just want to record this message, and so I will tell you two things. I am working really hard at the Hungry Toad and Timberline, and I want to tell you that.

Here’s a good joke. “What did the fish say when he ran into the wall? Dam.”  I hope you know that.

Bye bye.