"Snowman" by Tara
I met Tara at our Fall art festival last month
I put my name in for a drawing to win a free book.
I thought, why not, right ?
so I picked out the "How to Make a Snowman" book .
Tara McClintick is the author and owner
over at www. Books By Tara.com.
She is from my area of the Cincinnati suburbia.
Her story is real and touching.
Tara has a son, now 13 years old
with a severe form of autism.
I feel a special link to autism,
not because my family
has been touched by it
but ...
it's a funny little story about the house I grew up in...
you can read on to hear my story'
or you can just go check out
Tara's books and her website
So here is an old photo of my childhood home in Wisconsin
Beloit Wisconsin... in the far south of the state
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| that's Gram Shaughnessy she came to visit us often. |
My dad had this house built for our growing family
when we moved from Michigan to Wisconsin
I was in second grade
and this house was like a dream home to me.
Back then in the 1960s
it was my three sisters and one brother
so we had plenty of room
soon there was two more and then two more.
not twins...I'm just trying to speed this story along.
My parents had
seven girls and three boys
all living in this house by 1972...
and space was getting tight.
luckily the first of my older sister were off to college
then and the space eased up a bit.
...and we would let my little brother sleep out in his tree house
we had a couple of kid built tree houses...
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Always room for more at our big table at the holidays |
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| my sister would find a quiet spot to read |
My Dad built onto the home...
a family room, finished basement ,
a third bathroom, and additional 2 bedrooms
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| lots of football and sports played around the house |
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| Midnight Mass then... Christmas mornings were a toy wonderland |
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| Many first communions this one for my brother Paul was in our home |
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| There is our garden |
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| more eating and our milk dispenser... we drank a whole lot of milk |
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Mum did a whole lot of grocery shopping ! |
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| winters were fun we had a dog, Brandy who just ran loose all the time |
My parents moved from this home in the 1980s
but it will forever be
my childhood home
Today the house is called
The Dutter House
The Dutter House
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The Dutter House was established in memory of Ryan and Kyle Dutter It is a respite care center for children with special needs. Kyle would have called it "Grandma's house", children with special needs receive loving attention and care here Parents get much needed relief from caring for a child with various disabilities, the parent knows that their child is safe comfortable, and happy here. a link to The Dutter House I like to think my Mothers kind Spirit lives on in this home and watches over the kids that need this place now. If you can... buy a book or two from Tara ...another wonderful mother caring for and living with all the joys and hardships of having a child with a special need. Hugs to all the kids that need one - KAT - other books include:  |
