Share Your World – July 10, 2017

On July 10, 2017 By dancingpalmtreesIn Autism, Autism Activism, Autism Activism Advocate, Developmental Disabilities, Share Your World – July 10, 2017, Stephen, Stephen as a Mighty Autism Warrior!!!, Stephen as Autism Warrior!!, Stephen Vincent Palmer, SYW13 Comments

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Share Your World – July 10, 2017

July 10, 2017 Cee Neuner

How do you like to spend a rainy day?

Inside. Rain is bad for my arthritis. Creates more pain. If it rains on a work day or if I have a meeting to attend then I just grin and bare the pain and pass out when I get home. Joint pain is no fun so rain is not my friend.

List at least five favorite treats. (They do not have to be sugary).

Plantain chips

Blueberry muffins

Egg and American cheese on a cinnamon raisin bagel

Italian ices

Yogurt

Where’s your favorite place to take out-of-town guests?

I never have out of town guests but I remember when I was a young girl and my family from Ohio came to New York either my Dad or myself would take them to the famous New York sites. Empire State building and all those touristy places I don’t like. I suppose if someone were to visit me and I had the vacation time to spend with them we’d be going to all the New York Museums which I can get in for Free since I am employed by a NY Museum.

You are trapped in an elevator, who would you want to be trapped with?

That’s something I don’t even want to entertain since it has happened on my job. Not to me but to my co-workers. I have a fear of enclosed places with no escape which is bad because one of my duties when there is a special exhibition opening is to operate the elevator. I know my bosses can see me pacing back and forth inside the elevator. Scary. Ugh. This scenario is a Trigger for my nerves. Reminds me of when I was trapped underground in the subway for over an hour last Jan when the train hit a guy on the tracks. Suicide victim. Horrible.

Given that I have high blood pressure, anxiety and panic attacks I’d pick Jesus because only Jesus could get the elevators to work or take me to Heaven in case I have a heart attack or stroke.

Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I got to see Stephen. I had planned for a relaxing three 3 day weekend but that did not happen. The only good part was attending Stephen’s meeting and seeing him. The news about all the layoffs and cutbacks due to lack of funding was depressing. Less and less services and programs for Stephen and the other residents.

The art program has been completely cut. Stephen enjoys art and making drawings, ceramics, etc…. He is no longer going out to as many work-sites because New York State has not provided funding to pay staff to take him to his job sites. Stephen used to attend a special camp for Adults with Autism but that got cut also. So you see my 3 days off was not relaxing in the least bit.

Developmentally Disabled citizens are being kicked to the curb because our American government no longer cares. Many professionals and family members are worried that this is a return to the warehousing of developmentally disabled people that was the norm in the 50s, 60s & 70s. Those of you old enough will remember Willowbrook and the scandal that reporter Geraldo Rivero exposed at that house of horrors.

I wish I was rich and wealthy so I could donate money to hire more staff and return the arts, camps, work-site/work readiness programs that make the lives those with developmental disabilities fulfilling.

Share Your World – July 3, 2017

On July 3, 2017July 3, 2017 By dancingpalmtreesIn Uncategorized7 Comments

https://ceenphotography.com/2017/07/03/share-your-world-july-3-2017/

Share Your World – July 3, 2017

July 3, 2017 Cee Neuner

For your main meal do you prefer sweet and sour, hot and spicy, spicy and sweet, bitter, salty, bland or other?

Sweet and sour. No spicy. Spicy food is bad for my digestion.

Where do you hide junk when people come over?

I don’t. The downstairs portion of the house is more or less all my room-mates furniture. I only have one Armoire and it looks very good. When he has dinner parties he cleans the downstairs thoroughly. When my brother Stephen comes over I usually camp out downstairs and Stephen gets my bedroom. I clean up the downstairs before and after Stephen’s visit. I do the best I can with my bedroom but sometimes the clutter gets the best of me even with sweeping, mopping and vacuuming. Personally I think closets and basements are great places to hide junk because company does not go to those areas of your home.

What daily habit would you like to introduce to your life?

Take more walks when the weather is good and see my brother Stephen more often.

If you were to perform in the circus, what would you do?

Mistress of Ceremonies. I could introduce the acts as I have no talents balancing on wires nor being a contortionist! Flipping, jumping and other athletic skills are beyond me. I do like to dress up but I would Not want to be a clown. I also like to dance. Maybe I’d be a Dancing Super Heroine. In fact if I owned a circus mine would be a Super Hero circus that would travel around the country catering especially to both physically and developmentally disabled children, teens and adults. With my crew I’d perform little skits to entertain the kids and I’d make sure that at least two people on my team knew ASL (American Sign Language) so all the children could enjoy the entertainment. I’d be a mixture of Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball.

Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Got to see Stephen last Friday and will see him again next Friday for one of his bi-annual meetings at his Training Center.

Share Your World – June 19, 2017

On June 21, 2017 By dancingpalmtreesIn Share Your World – June 19, 2017, SYW2 Comments

Share Your World – June 19, 2017

June 19, 2017 Cee Neuner

What is something that people are obsessed with but you just don’t get the point of?

Sports. Working until they drop dead. Public displays of affection. (Gross)

What quirky things do people do where you are from?

I Live in New York City. What don’t they do?

What are some things you wish you could unlearn?

Nothing. You can’t unlearn things. Life is not a movie like The Men in Black where some guy touches you with a device that makes you forget. If such a device existed trust me I would use it!

Whatever has happened in your life good, bad, ugly and total disaster is yours to keep. That includes the anxiety, nerves and stress. That’s a package deal. You can never go back to being carefree, your childhood or innocence. Put on your Big Girl panties and deal.

Who is someone that you miss having in your life?

After 50 you go to funerals constantly. Went to one a few Fridays ago. Most of my family has died and my Baby Boomer generation is passing away. Quickly. I go to more wakes, funerals, viewings etc… than any type of parties. Not too many of us are gonna make it to age 60. If I do I’ll count myself lucky. Heart attacks, strokes and cancer have taken a good many of my friends and co-workers.

Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I will be grateful when this week is over. Slowly going from bad to worse. I got two pieces of bad news last weekend. Can’t say I’m grateful for that. Nor do I see any solution to the problems.

Life has too many variables so I rarely look forward to things and as the saying goes the best made plans of mice and men often go awry.

As I was on my way to work yesterday I stopped to listen to the Brother sing. As many R&B Soul singers are wont to do he had a little monologue. He had several African-American listeners and while he was talking it was like church to me. In fact at least one Sister and Brother said “Preach Brother.” What he says is true. We have little control over our lives or what happens in our lives. We only think we are in control. Once I got to work and began my shift as usual satan had let some of his demons out to play in order to make my day miserable. I did not even finish my food. I believe certain co-workers are put in the workplace to torture you and make a simple job even more difficult because they must have their way. All. The. Time. And yours truly winds up getting screwed. It’s after 2:30 am and I should be asleep but I know what awaits me in a few hours.

Yes I’m Looking forward to Retirement and becoming Invisible!! Isolation!! No more dealing with Dumbfuckery and Assholes!!! Yessssssssss!!!!!!!

Share Your World – June 12, 2017

On June 12, 2017 By dancingpalmtreesIn Share Your World – June 12, 2017, SYW19 Comments

Share Your World – June 12, 2017

June 12, 2017 Cee Neuner

What do you do when you’re not working? If you are retired, what do you that is not part of your regular daytime routine?

Sleep. If the weather is nice after my nap I’ll go outside. Maybe take a walk. If I’m lucky and not too tired then I visit the Brooklyn Museum and/or the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. However I work very long hours so when I’m off it’s time to do laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning house, etc… I look forward to retirement when I’ll get my life back.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Stop working. Take my brother Stephen and move far away to a Caribbean island where I would hire care-givers for him. Then knowing he was being taken care of write that book, concentrate on creating art, do what I want to do 100% of the time. We would live in a luxurious beach home where we would be waited on hand and foot. Especially somebody to cook as I don’t like or enjoy cooking.

What makes you laugh the most?

That’s a difficult question. I don’t own a TV and rarely go to movies so I really don’t know.

Sometimes I’ll watch Trevor Noah videos on YouTube. I guess I don’t really have to much to laugh about. With all hell going on in the USA there is not much to laugh about.

My co-workers and I joke about our inability to balance work and home life. Our frustrations with trying pay rent, care for our families and maybe squeeze out some time for ourselves. Crazy co-workers who live to annoy the rest of us trying to do our jobs. How we are all running a sleep deficit. Truly sad. That’s not funny but it is reality. Our Patron Saint is Our Lady of the Perpetually Exhausted. Especially for those of us near or over 50. Working adults laugh to keep from crying.

What is your biggest pet peeve with modern technology?

I hate when you call doctor’s offices, utility companies, etc.. you get that robot voice telling to you Press 1 for this or 2 for that.

Optional Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Eye doctor visit went well. The blind spots in my left eye are contained and not spreading. Friday I got my Vitamin shots and was able to meet my girlfriend for some Buddhist meditation and dinner at Panera. It is very rare for me to be able to get together with any friends due to my job schedule. We all wish that could change but it will be years before it does.

Can’t say I’m looking forward to this week or the next. It’s all the same. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. When you work a full-time job your week is planned out for you. As for the weekends those are for household chores. I do have some vacation coming in August. If I have money maybe I can visit my girlfriend in PA. We will see.

Share Your World – May 22, 2017

On May 22, 2017May 22, 2017 By dancingpalmtreesIn SYW, Uncategorized7 Comments

https://ceenphotography.com/2017/05/22/share-your-world-may-22-2017/

Share Your World – May 22, 2017

May 22, 2017 Cee Neuner

What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?

Pilgrimages to my Ancestral Motherland Africa and Spiritual pilgrimage to the Holy Land. One of my deepest desires is to see where my ancestors came from and to go to Israel and Egypt to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

How often do you get a haircut?

So far this year twice but I try not to cut my hair too often as my goal and objective is to let it grow out.

In regards to puzzle what’s your choice: jigsaw, crossword, word search or numeric puzzles?

Word Search then Jigsaw. I’m not too good with crossword and I definitely cannot do Sudoku!

How many cities have you lived? You can share the number of physical residences and/or the number of cities.

New York, 569th PSC Augsburg, Germany, 101st Airborne Division sits on both states of Kentucky and Tennessee. I think the cities are Clarksville and what we used to call Hop Town. It’s been a long time and my memory fails me. I did my Basic Training and AIT at Ft. Jackson, SC. As a Civilian I’ve lived most of my life in New York moving from Jamaica, Queens, New York to Brooklyn, New York in 2012. Both Queens and Brooklyn could be cities unto themselves given the physical size and population.

1978 Augsburg, Germany

Deborah Ann Palmer U.S. Army 1977-1981

Home

https://www.army.mil/101stairborne

Memorial Day is coming up and this is when those of us in the USA honor deceased military Veterans especially those killed in battle. So I’m honoring my Dad Edward G. Palmer who served during the Korean War. No my Dad was not killed while serving otherwise I would not be here writing this blog post. Daddy passed away at the age of 65 from colon cancer and stroke.

However most Americans need to be reminded that Memorial Day is more than just barbecues and the beginning of summer. Also do not confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day which honors living Veterans. Please say a prayer or have a moment of silence of those who gave their lives for the United States of America.

I’m also honoring my Great, Great Grandfather William Henry Halstead who served and fought in the Civil War. Here is some more information on his unit. The reason that it says 29th Colored Regiment is because Blacks/African-Americans were referred to as Colored people and the Armed Forces were segregated. Meaning Blacks and whites fought in separate units. I recall my Dad telling me that President Harry Truman integrated the Military Armed Forces.

Connecticut Twenty-Ninth (Colored) Regt. C. V. INFANTRY

http://www.conn29th.org/history.htm

Voices of the 29th Colored Reg.

http://www.conn29th.org/stories.htm

William Henry Halstead Headstone ~ Sleepy Hollow

William H. Halstead name as inscribed on the Colored Soldiers Monument in Washington, DC

My Great, Great Grandfather William Henry Halstead had the honor of hearing Frederick Douglass speak to his Regiment the 29th. In December of 1863 my Great Great Grandfather, William Henry Halstead, who lived in Tarrytown, New York, traveled to New Haven, Connecticut to join the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry. On his Volunteer Enlistment papers it notes his occupation as a farmer. He enlisted for three years and was discharged on the 24th day of October 1865. He married and had five children. William Henry Halstead passed away in 1888 and was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Tarrytown, New York. His wife moved to New York City with her five children. Her children grew up in Harlem and belonged to various organizations such as Odd Fellows, Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Daughters of New York.

One of his descendants was my grandmother Eva Sophronia Gordon Palmer who was born in 1892. Another of his descendants was my Dad Edward Gordon Palmer who was born Feb. 11, 1930.