An Autistic Child has to leave this home for this weekend's event.

This past weekend in the City of Carver had their annual event called Carver Steamboat days.  It is run by the City of Carver Lions club. Which is an event that takes up the city streets, with music, vendors and a parade. What they don't want people to know is that they had to displace an Autistic Child and his family, so they can block off their home to have a out door concert and beer vendors serve beer until 12 am. on Saturday night.

Ok, I have to admit.  Those who have read my blog before, know that it is our family.  So let me explain the stresses that come with this.  We have been trying to get the Carver Lions Club, and the City of Carver to move this event from in front of our home since we tried to move Justin's father (who was a disabled Vietnam vet. moved back to his home after an extensive stay in a rehabilitation center.)  The city did nothing.  When we explained that we have a disabled child who lives with us, so they should move the event else where, they just offered a hotel room.  We have admit we took it.  We felt we have no choice.  So leaving our home to a city who doesn't care about it's constituents, and a Lions club who obviously doesn't care about the displacement of a child with autism and his care givers. We had to leave our home.

This year we have gotten ourselves a lawyer.  Not much good it did us. (not that we are ungrateful for what our lawyer did for us. She was as awesome as she could be not being an expert of this section of law, she did move small mountains.)  We still had to leave our home.  The only up side was we got food added to their bill.  So at least we didn't have to scrape for food, which we had to do the last two years.

We also found out last year that The City of Carver has been shooting off fireworks within 200 yards from our house, in doing so on the weekend after labor day weekend 2007 (or 2008) they did in fact light our home on fire. We were told this after we had gotten a new roof.  This was at the time when Justin's father owned the house and was in the hospital. We also found out that they didn't have a permit for those years and not one mention to the family, from the City or from the Lion's club.  So when we did get the lawyer we were told by the city we had to evacuate our home so they can shoot off the fireworks. Our lawyer called the state fire marshal. We then found out that evacuation of a family home for fireworks  is 100% illegal and in contacting the state fire marshal our lawyer did get the fire works moved away from our house.

This was what was blocking us from our home.  Our lawyer told us we could go home by Sunday night we couldn't believe they only left us enough room for our Honda civic to get threw the rows of bleacher and garbage cans.  They moved them the next morning after we  made a comment on Facebook with a picture of what they considered clearing our drive way.  They said they would clean up around our yard, it took them two days and us contacting them on Facebook yet again to get them to do what they promised.  

After they  posted this video, we were confirmed in our concerns about what happens in our front walk and drive way.

 Yep this in front of our home. What would you do?

Out raged yet?  It gets better.  Since we have moved into this home which has been in Justin's family for 5 generations.  We have been accused of trying to shut down the whole event. We asked them to move it, they then ask us to find a more appropriate site for the concert.  When we point out that they have 4 parks large enough to host the event, without having to move people out of their home. They then say it wouldn't work, because people would complain.  (really?)  We have been asked by the City of Carver and the Lion's club why we moved there if we didn't like the event there.  (again really?)  We also have been asked why we are complaining, they don't offer a hotel to anyone else.  (what?)

We don't want to take away their event, we just want it to be moved. So we can enjoy the celebration and even participate, maybe make people aware of the autism community.

All we are asking for is the quiet serenity of our home, and access to it  100 % of the time.

Please help this post go viral!!! Let the City of Carver, and the Carver Lions Club know that they are wrong in displacing our family.

 Thank you for your support.  I would also like to thank our Lawyer, who did everything she could and the State of Minnesota's fire Marshal, that got the fire works a safe distance from our home.

Been Moving to Carver

Well since it's been about a month and a half since I've last blogged I should say I have moved from Chaska to the little town of Carver, MN.  The house pictured is the place that I moved too. It looks a little different since this picture was taken.  It's been in my S.O.'s family for four generations.  He is the 5th to own and live in it.  There is a lot of history to a home that is older the MN it's self (by two years.) It was built next to the Minnesota River and was a hotel owned by the Strache Family at first, then their oldest daughter got married to Dr. Hartley who would stay at the hotel and open an office there when he was in town.  They inheirted the place after Bertha's parents past away. Then it was the Hartley house since the 1880's.   So we have been going through what is left of the family heirlooms and cleaning, cleaning cleaning.  Also trying to find the funding to replace the roof.  There also has been some major construction to the roads near the place can't be seen from the road, our plan is to open up the first door to the old doctors office to have craft sales and maybe a shop one day.  We just are trying convince the Steamboat Days coordinator to not block our house during the celebration (not to put the beer tent in front of our house.)  So we can participate.  Lot's of plans.

Also we went to Convergence this last weekend.  Lot's of fun as always!  I didn't sell anything at the Art show.  I tried something new and well, it didn't work. I guess it's back to the drawing board.  I did get to see a lot of good panels, and listened to great music , and was lucky enough to that we had friends that were kind enough to share their room at the hotel, Thanks again Beth and Eric! 

I did get a pair of 'Time traveler' hand mitt's done this weekend as well.  I also received a package for my Big Bang Theory Swap on Ravelry yesterday and received word that my package made it there in tact.  Things are good.  

So not many pictures this time, my camera's on the fritz.  Sorry.

Thank you for reading and tata for now.

It's that time of the year where I'm desperately trying to hold on to the positives in my life.

The court date for Justin's probate is next week and all that should be good.

It is for the most part. The down side is because Justin's father didn't have a Will, we will be paying down his fathers dept, that is if we want to keep the house that has been in his family for four generations.

Which is something we want. We want to keep it in the family,we want to live in it and we want to fix it up and do what his family did in it, which is raise a family and live our lives in it till we are old and grey. Then give to the the next Generation.

We don't mind taking up that burden we would except it. The down side is, we have to get the money. Although everyone we talk to believes in the cause and thinks it's only right that we do this, that is where it ends. No one is willing to co-sign for the loan that we would have to get to do it. Which is what is bringing me down. The total lack of faith in us.

So I'm forcing myself to think positive. Think about all of the good that has happened for us, all of the help, and good will we have had to obtain our goal thus far. To be thankful for the people in our life, they didn't have to do what they have already done, they did because they are good people. Also to be grateful for what we have. Family and friends.

I have to admit to be grateful, thankful and positive isn't easy for me, especially now. So this picture I'm posting is a white board with sentences that my son, Jerid, wrote this school year. He is in the Special Olympics swim team again this year and doing well. They think with training he could compete unassisted, which is a big leap from last time (assisted with life vest, to unassisted and no life vest) Every little and big milestone makes me smile. I have to trust that the universe has a plan for us, I just wish it co-excised with ours.

Thanks for reading.

Spring is now sprung! I have the flowers in

my yard to prove it!

With it I had done a Beltain (May Day) swap on Ravelry and gotten a drop

spindle and some beautiful hand died wool.

I have never spun wool before, so some friends of mine, told me about the fiber festivel that was going on this weekend.

We went today and had a great time. I learned how to use my drop spindle there, I also found my new obsession with fiber (not that I needed anouther one) Next weekend my friend Jenny will be coming to my house for some sewing and quilting. Part of the sewing projects will be costumes for ConVergence (a Sci-Fi convention in Bloomington MN that is coming up in July) Though the theme isn't steampunk most people are looking at it as such, I thinking of making my costume on this level though not on the same level as most...it should be intresting.

One the news of Jerid.

He is swimming without life vest and loves to jump in on the deep end. He swam 30 feet the other day and loves to float on his back now. It is awesome to be able to say that. I am a proud mama.

Speaking of Mama's Happy Mother's day to all Mother's and prospective Mama's!

In Knitting News... Today I went to my usual Knitting spot, the place I try to knit at least every Sunday. I saw some fellow fiber artists, I thought it was very cool and tried to socialize to meet new people, that seem to have a love for the arts of fiber. Then I had to remind myself a very important thing. Knitters are an intresting breed and there is two types of knitters in this world. Ones that are social knitters, they knit out side of the house to meet new people and want to socialize outside and inside of their inner circle, thus creating a bigger circle of friends. Then the other ones are anti-social knitters they knit out side of the house but are not intrested in meeting other knitters, their inner circle is just fine and there is no need to expand it. I often find that most of the knitters where I live (Chaska Area) are the anti-social knitters, sad to say. I hope to find people in my area willing to expand there social knitting circle entill then I'll just have to knit alone in the city I live, and drive to MPLS, for my social circle. In Jerid news... I was in the coffee shop (as said above) when a person who works with Jerid came up to him and said hi. She told me that Jerid is doing more and more Swimming on his own. Without a flotation device. He is also jumping off the diving board and is going into the deepend willingly. This is exciting news, consitering where he was a few short monthes ago. He is making great gains in his physical development. I'm very proud of him. We still have alot of work left to go, but the journey is the best part. In Moving to Carver News.... In my previous post I anouced that Justin's dad had past away. He apparently had no will and so everything is pending. The county wants over two-hundred grand from his astate and it's not worth that much. The house has been in the family for four generations and may be lost to the county because of Bill had no will. We are looking in to get a Lawyer because we have been working on the house for over three years. We were mostly moved in and have put alot of money and work into the home we were hoping that would be owned by a 5th gen. Hartley. If anyone knows a good lawyer, or knows the laws around this sort of thing please let us know. Thanks

Jerid has been going to Summer Camp this week, two more weeks to go. He seemed to develope a cough, I took him to urgent care, but it seems nothing medical, I guess I have to up his juice intake, and make sure he eats, gets rest. I am fearing he may be sick soon. I really hope it's just allergies. I don't want to take him out of Camp, he really likes it. I like that he does. We talked to an elder care lawyer today. sigh. We couldn't stay longer then an hour and she insisted on getting paid right there. Two hundred an hour...How can you sit there and look at people and seriously expect two hundred dollars for sitting on your but and looking at some papers, saying things to people that may already know. I am appalled at the amout of greed that people have. Ok, rant over....Sigh, I just wish things weren't so complicated when it comes to keeping a family house in the family. Justin and I have finally come to the conclusion that we just need to move to Carver. It would be in His dad's best intrest for some one to live in his house, on the premise that he will return home, he can't live alone.

lately I have been on face book ranting about the way the community and the world has been acting. I have been reading how religious groups have been holding up signs saying "God hates...fill in the blank..." I realize that it's been going on long before I was born and will be going on as long as the human race has posible thumbs.
I am not a Christian, nor do I follow the Christian faith in any way, I do not have a church, People are the ones that hate. To say or put in writing that God hates anything is selfish and ignerate and should have some serious counciling to boot. I know that the universel God is supposed to made of love and nothing more.
I also realize as long as there is opposing thoughts and politics that people will bash anyone as long as they are in a politial party that they are not in, weather they like them as a person or not. It's sad and frustrating.
I admit that I have opposing views in politics, I will also debate with people. I admit I didn't mind the bashing when it was George W. Bush. I had disliked him from the beggining because I was so frustrated and felt like my freedom of speech was being squished while he was our president, I got on the band wagon as soon as the uprise of political bashing happened, now that the world is happy that he is out of office. I am realizing how even with less fustration with our present the world has, people with opposing thoughts are angry. They are excersizing their freedom of speech, I just wish it didn't sound so much like they are screaming fire, in a crowded theater and there is none.
I have to admit that I am not perfect in the least bit. I'm the first to admit this. I just wish more people would personify their beliefs as something more then their own.

Jerid started summer school last week, I had a meeting with Andrea B. (Jerid's social worker) I am now signed up to get paid as a Paid Parent, It to me is very exciting and scarey. Let the adventure begin. I've been knitting the second sock in a set, for Justin, just got done with the heal. I've been using my left overs for infent hats, which are alot of fun! Jusin has a lot of phone calls to make, which he successfully avoided today. I'm crossing my fingers for tomorrow, the up side is we have our AC in at the trailer now, at least we can be confortable when we go to bed. Jerid is having a hard time with working at Kidtalk, I don't know how I can make it easy for him, I wish I knew why he is so resistent to working with them. I'm also wondering why he is so reluctant to most things, he just seems more withdrawn then usual. sigh.
I can't help but relate it to Bill (Justin's dad) he is resistant to cares and is withdrawn as well. Not that it is related but it just seems like a paraelle.
I'm also trying to think of ways to use my tallents to bring about money or at least change to the system at hand. I can' t help but wonder why the government doesn't want familly's to have a legacy. It seems that houses are taken from famillies every year, because of the lack of money that a family can't pay to properly take care of a family member. Why is it so hard to find affordiable care for our aging community. No fed. gov. program, sliding fee scale with options for family to help by moving in to keep the family home sted. According to lawyers, Minnesota State law has made it even harder to keep a residence, no matter how many generations have lived in it. I can't believe that. It doesn't matter how much you've done from a far, because they are resistant to help (trying to convice you they are ok because of pride.) and tryed like hell to get your loved one home, to take care of them and give them what they want (which is to be home) That is why I want to start a "Keep the family home project" a non-profit org. to help give the family what they need when all they want to do is presurve the family home and history for the next gen. I just have no Idea how to do it. If anyone knows how, please let me know.

Thanks