MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

It's the Holiday Season again 2015!!

I love Christmas! It's my favorite time of the year, I even tell people Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in the summer! I love the cold and the snow and I tell Michelle (she's my job coach and she helps me write this blog) all the time!! She doesn't like the cold and she's from Vermont!! I tease her all the time about it.

I've been getting ready for Christmas by helping my Dad decorate the outside of our house with lights and Happy Holidays sign. I went shopping with my companion; Theresa, I bought gifts for Grandma, Mom, Dad, Kelly, Erin and Uncle Gary. I'm not telling you what I got them though because they might read this blog! NO PEEKING UNTIL CHRISTMAS DAY!!!

HRC had our Christmas party at Woodloch Pines. It was a lot of fun! I loved the food; especially the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and mudpie! We danced at the party until midnight! Well, not really midnight, but it felt like it! Santa and Mrs Claus came and delivered presents, everyone got one and we had fun opening them. I got a backscratcher and a camo caplight so I can walk my dog Sheeba in the dark if I wanted to. Here's the link to the video of our party. I am the tall guy with the ugly sweater on! LOL!!

HRC Christmas Party

In case my family reads my blog, here is what I would like for Christmas:

• New sweater
• Socks
• A cell phone
• A new watch that tells time correctly
• Can I get a coloring book and a couple of cd's?
• Lots of Christmas novels and some horse magazines
• and I would REALLY like a new car this year!!

That's my list, not too much to ask for, right?!?

I hope you have a Happy New Year!


MERRY CHRISTMAS CHARLIE BROWN!!!

Christmas spectacular at Fair Hill Farm Riding Academy

FAIR HILL FARM RIDING ACADEMY'S CHRISTMAS KICK-OFF SPECTACULAR 

On Saturday December 5, 2015 we had a Christmas Spectacular at Fair Hill Farm. It was part Christmas party, part horse show and part fundraiser for the scholarship for riding at Fair Hill Farm. We practiced a lot to put on the show for our family and friends. All my friends did a outstanding job putting on the show and riding for all the visitors. The farm looked very pretty and all the horses were decorated and looked beautiful!

I got to ride Charlie and did some polo mallet work, I had a lot of fun riding and showing everyone what I can do. I like hearing the people cheer for me and it made me feel really happy. 

OH and SANTA CLAUS WAS THERE!!! He was awesome! 

Art even got a day pass because he has been in the hospital and he was able to come to the party and watch all the riders and the hard work we've done. I love Art and Ben and I am glad that Art is doing better!!

Everyone had a really good time and we raised money for the therapeutic riding program.  

Please watch this BEAUTIFUL, SPECTACULAR video shot by Bridget LaMonica. She did a wonderful job capturing some really special moments!

Fair Hill Farm Christmas Spectacular

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! 

The Things I am Thankful For.......

Thanksgiving is coming up in a few days, it reminds us to be thankful for many things in our life. Here are a list and some pictures of the things I am thankful for:

*  My family: My mom, dad, sisters, my aunts and uncles, of course my Grandma.
*  My friends: Savannah, Rebecca, Wayne, Dylan, Matthew, Debbie.
*  My dog Sheba.
*  My companion worker; Theresa.
*  Going to the YMCA and swimming and exercising.
*  Special Olympics; my team in bocce and bowling.
*  My jobs at Wayne County Recycling Center and Fair Hill Farm Riding Academy.
*  My job coach Michelle and her "drads" LOL!!!
*  HRC and all the people that work there.
*  Helping other people.
*  Going shopping and having fun.
*  Helping Ben bring in the horses and other jobs at the barn.

*  For Art and Ben at Fair Hill Farm.
*  Fair Hill Farm and riding and activities there.
*  My blog to write down my feelings.
*  Bowling.

Working with Philip.....

On Tuesdays I work with a man named Philip, at Fair Hill Farm. I know Philip from HRC (Human Resource Center) so when he started working at Fair Hill I was happy to work with someone that I knew.

My job is to help Philip learn the tasks that need to be done in the barn. I enjoy helping Philip learn these tasks because it helps me to stay on task, it also helps me to feel important because I have been working at Fair Hill longer, I know the job and I am proud that Ben trusts me and believes that I am responsible enough to teach Philip.

I enjoy working with Philip, we get along great and have fun but we also work well together as a team to get the tasks done.

Here is an example of what tasks we do together at the farm:

The first thing we do when Philip gets to the barn is to fill up the water buckets that are in each horse's stall. We have to unhook the hose from the wall and make sure the water is on or off and that water goes in the bucket and not on the horses or yourself! (I did that to myself before)

The next task after we finish filling the water buckets is bringing hay in to each horse in their stalls. It's important the flake not be too big or too small and that it goes all the way in to the stall so it doesn't make a mess.

The most fun part of the morning is making the horse's "cereal" it's not really cereal but a combination of different kinds of oats, grains and vitamins. We measure those out into the feed tubs and then add a little bit of water. While we do this the horses are always talking to us and impatient to get their breakfast.

I really like working with Philip, he's a nice person.

SAVANNAH.....

I have a friend named Savannah, I've known her for 2 years. I met Savannah working at HRC and Fair Hill Farm where we both work and have a session with Ben Goldburg on Fridays. Savannah and I have lots of great times together; we laugh a lot and sometimes we go out to dinner together.

This past Friday, Savannah did something she hasn't done before....SHE GOT ON A HORSE!!

She has been trying to get on a horse for a long time and she just hasn't been able to do it. When I saw Savannah get on the horse I felt happy seeing her accomplish something she hasn't done before. I am very proud of her for doing something she was afraid to do.


WAY TO GO SAVANNAH!!!

Geocaching

I'm going to talk about a new, fun, hobby that my job coach Michelle told me about and got me to try. It's called Geocaching and it is so much fun!

Here is the official definition of Geocaching from Wikipedia: Geocaching /ˈdʒiːoʊˌkæʃɪŋ/ is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiveror mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world.

A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook (with a pen or pencil). The geocacher enters the date they found it and signs it with their established code name. After signing the log, the cache must be placed back exactly where the person found it. Larger containers such as plastic storage containers (Tupperware or similar) or ammunition boxes can also contain items for trading, usually toys or trinkets of little financial value, although sometimes they are sentimental. Geocaching shares many aspects with benchmarking, trigpointing, orienteering, treasure-hunting, letterboxing, and waymarking.

For my first geocache we used Michelle's phone with a Geocaching app, to get the clues and directions to find the geocache. We drove in the car to the general location (Apple Grove Picnic area in Honesdale) and then we used her phone to navigate North, South, East or West to walk closer to the geocache. We had to hike and look for the treasure using the few clues that the app gave us. Even though there are clues it wasn't easy to find and we had to look around a lot once the app told us that we were within 10 feet of the cache, it was hidden in a tree trunk and not very easy to spot. 

There are many, many geocaches located all over the US and even the World, you can go anywhere and with the Geocaching app on your smartphone, you can go on a treasure hunt anywhere you are! We had a lot of fun and laughs together and enjoyed ourselves very much!

Fair Adventures

It's that time of year again! Time for the Wayne County Fair, it's one of my favorite things to do at the end of the summer. This year the fair started on August 7th and runs until August 15th.

This year I went with my Aunt Patty on Saturday morning and with my mom on Saturday night. My friend Marsha also went with us, she is my friend from Special Olympics. The fair is always busy; there are lots of crowds and people walking around. I enjoy seeing all the people at the fair, I like seeing people talking and having a good time. 

Another great thing about the fair is the food!! There is always a lot of food available at the fair. Some of the tasty things I had this year were; mozzarella sticks with sauce and Pepsi, cheeseburger, fries and a lemonade. The food is very tasty and I really like eating there. 

I also like the animals at the fair, this year I saw the cows, donkeys and rabbits. We went on the opening day this year so not a lot of the animals were there yet.

There are also a lot of games at the fair and his year I won a stuffed animal in the balloon dart game. It seemed  really easy, I had to pop 20 balloons to get the animal, and I did!

If you ever get a chance to come to Honesdale, come to the Wayne County fair, you will have a lot of fun!!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!

Today is my mom; Jean's birthday. I love my mom because she is such a wonderful, nice person. My mom spends a lot of time taking me to things like my social group that meets every month. She takes me to the Carbondale YMCA to swim nights twice a week and brings me to Fair Hill Farm. She takes me to my Doctor appointments and to any meeting I have to go to. She does all of this and also works a full time job as a nurse in the Hospital.

If you see my mom today, wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Love you mom!

My sister Kelly, my Dad, my sister Erin, my Mom and me!

Just a Little Thank You......

On Friday May 8, 2015. My sister Kelly, my mom and I, presented a check to Art and Ben Goldberg of Fair Hill Farm, for the amount of $4,800.00 that was raised from "Bowling for Autism"

I felt really happy giving that check to Art and Ben,  I felt like it was my way of saying "Thank you" for all that they have done for me and the other people that come to Fair Hill Farm.

It Was All About Bowling For Autism.....

Saturday April 11, 2015 was the 4th annual Bowling For Autism event. It was in Honesdale at Gravity Alley Lanes on 6th Street.

This year the fundraiser was benefitting Fair Hill Farm Riding Academy, the same farm that I attend for therapeutic riding and that I volunteer work at.

We had a lot of fun and a lot of really fun things happened, here are some of the things we did:

• Bake Sale
• DJ with dancing (DJ Dennis provided entertainment)
• Raffles for a lot of prizes. 
• Bowling (of course)
• Lots of food to eat
• most important- everyone had a lot of fun.

One of the things I did this year was read a acronym that my sister Kelly and I made for Fair Hill Farm, below is what we read:

F is for the fun had by all who come

A is for being amazed at what can be accomplished

I is for the interesting people you meet

R is for the respect of instructors, students and animals

H is for the horses that have a natural ability to connect with their riders

I is for integrity of therapeutic riding

L is for the riders’ love of the program

L is for the laughter shared between riders and instructors

F is for the fortunate individuals benefitting from the program

A is for acceptance of each other

R is for the riders working hard to succeed

M is for monies needed in order to continue therapeutic riding

R is for reaching goals

I is for individualized training to help each student

D is for the demonstration of different activities

I is for being included in different tasks

N is for never giving up

G is for the Goldbergs, who work hard to run this program and help the students

A is for the ability to learn from a horse

C is for the challenges faced and overcome

A is for adjusting to a change in environment and activities

D is for the determination to do better

E is for the excitement of attending Fair Hill

M is for the memories made

Y is for your support of this program by coming here today

I'm glad we raised almost $5,000 for Fair Hill Farm and the therapeutic riding program there.

My sister and I are already planning for the 5th annual Bowling For Autism. If you would still like to donate please click here  

me being silly

Ben and me dancing.

my sister Kelly

me and my sister Kelly

BOWLING FOR AUTISM

I have a special event coming up; it's called "Bowling for Autism" it's on April 11, 2015 at Gravity Alley in Honesdale from 12-4. I would like to get everyone to come this year because it is for a very good cause; all proceeds got to Fair Hill Farm Riding Academy, which is a therapeutic riding facility for people with special needs and it is where I volunteer. There will be raffles, door prizes, with a DJ and music too! We have special t-shirts printed from Platform Industries. You can bowl as many games as  you want to and there will be lots of food!

I am really excited because I love to bowl, I will be there making people laugh and having lots of fun!

I Miss Lucille......

On Thursday, March 12, 2015 I heard that Miss Lady Lucille passed away. Lucille was a great horse at Fair Hill Farm. I felt really upset when I heard that she passed away.

She was a great horse.

I liked to ride her and lead her when other people were doing their therapeutic riding. I learned how to play polo on Lucille.

When I would go to the field to bring hay she would come to me and I would feed her.

I feel very bad for Ben and Art, for their loss.

I will miss her very much.

POLO ADVENTURES

Feb 28, 2015

Today I played polo at Fair Hill Farm with my friends; Ben and Savannah. I rode my favorite horse; Lucille, she is a black horse with a star on her nose.

Ben taught me about Polo before I even got on a horse. Ben showed me a polo mallet and he told me to look up "Polo Mallet" on Google, so I did. Here's what I found out about Polo and mallets from Wikipedia:

"The polo mallet has a rubber-wrapped grip and a webbed thong, called a sling, for wrapping around the thumb. The shaft is made of manau-cane (not bamboo because it is hollowed) although a small number of mallets today are made from Composite materials. Composite materials are not preferred by top players, because the shaft of composite mallets can't absorb vibrations as well as traditional cane mallets. The heads of the mallet are generally a cigar shape made from a hardwood called tipa, approximately 91⁄4" inches long. The mallet head weighs from 160 grams (5.6 ounces) to 240 grams (8.4 ounces), depending on player preference and the type of wood used, and the shaft can vary in weight and flexibility depending on the player's preference. The weight of the mallet head is of important consideration for the more seasoned players. Female players often use lighter mallets than male players. For some polo players, the length of the mallet depends on the size of the horse: the taller the horse, the longer the mallet. However, some players prefer to use a single length of mallet regardless of the height of the horse. Either way, playing horses of differing heights requires some adjustment by the rider. Variable lengths of the mallet typically range from 50 inches (127 centimeters) to 53 inches (134 centimeters). The term mallet is used exclusively in US English; British English prefers the term polo stick as the stick technically differs from a mallet in shape and usage. The ball is struck with the broad sides of the mallet head rather than its round and flat tips."

It's best to swing the mallet slow and smooth when at a full gallop or slower. The basic shots are named for the side of the Polo pony from which the mallet swing is made: The "near side" is the left side of the mount horse. The "off side" is the right side of the mount horse.

If you would like to learn more about Polo, check out the Wikipedia page.

While I was riding Lucille, I picked up cones that Ben had put in the middle of the arena with my mallet and gave them to Savannah to stack as she walked next to Lucille. I got a point for each cone I picked up with the mallet. After that exercise, I practiced swinging my mallet while riding Lucille around the ring.

I really like playing Polo, it is fun and I feel smart because I understand what Ben asks me to do. I am learning a lot when he asks me to look things up, it helps me to stay focused and pay more attention while I am doing my job.

See you next week!
Sean

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!

It was my birthday! I just turned 21 on Feb 15, 2015

I had 2 birthday parties this year! My first party was at the Carbondale YMCA. My birthday party was great because it was a great adventure with my friends and family. I really like the food at the YMCA, we had pizza, cake, cupcakes and drinks. During my party we swam, socialized and enjoyed ourselves. I got birthday cards from my family and my best friends; Josh, Rebecca, Charlie, Douglas, Nick and Victoria. I got balloons and a princess crown (as a joke) to wear at my birthday party.

My second party was a Valley Lanes Bowling Alley in Childs, PA. All my friends from my Autism social group came and I had a lot of fun. I got a strike and broke 100 in my bowling game!

I appreciate all my family and friends for coming to my parties and celebrating with me.


This is me and my sister Kelly when I was a baby! Now I am MUCH taller than she is!

Here am I with my friends at Valley Lanes Bowling Alley, celebrating my birthday.

Thanks for reading,
Sean Waters

About Me

Hi! I'm Sean Waters. I'm 21 years old, I live in Northeast PA with my mom, dad, sister, my dog Sheba, and my cat Buddy. I enjoy swimming, bowling, exercising, joking around, cooking and Horseback riding.

I am pretty much like any other 21 year old; I like girls and would like to be married someday. I think about my future a lot, and what I want to do for a job career.

I feel unique because I have Autism. I feel great about myself, but I also feel different from other people my age because of it.

I wanted to start this blog, to talk about my struggles and strategies in dealing with Autism. I want people to know I am a good person, Autism does not define me.

I hope you enjoy my posts and follow me on my journey in discovering what I may want to with my life and my adventures in working at Fair Hill Farm and riding stable that does therapeutic horseback riding that I participate in.