An AUsome Life · The journal

The good part of the day.

A small outing. A familiar place. Something useful we learned because we actually went.

A real family apple-orchard afternoon in New England. — From the family camera roll · an orchard afternoon.

Stories, field notes and practical plans from a New England family life that is beautiful, complicated, funny and real — profound autism included, never separated off into a sterile little corner.

Find a story, then take the useful details with you.

Browse the journal.

A little self-care, courtesy of Mr. Las Vegas.
A bucket-list evening seeing and meeting Wayne Newton at Flamingo Las Vegas, plus real-world questions about VIP tickets, seating, sensory needs and access.
Get in the photograph.
For the mother who plans the outing and takes the pictures: a reminder to get in the photograph, with a moment from our own family album.
A little lake time.
Fall foliage, lakeside boats and a rainbow: a lovely Rangeley, Maine getaway from our family's photo album, with practical notes for planning a visit.
I thought we were on opposite sides
A mother's thank-you to her son's special education director, plus a plain-language guide to one-on-one aides, LRE and questions for your next IEP meeting.
I Don’t Drink. I Don’t Gamble. I Love Las Vegas.
A dawn walk on the Las Vegas Strip, a caregiver’s full arms, and a little love for the people who make room for everyone else’s good day.
A Little Way Down the Trail with Great-Aunt Susan
A short walk at Minute Man with James and Great-Aunt Susan: Revolutionary history, sensory discoveries, and the pleasure of going at his pace.
A thrift stop for the cats.
A family thrift stop at Safe Haven in Wells, with a $1 L.L.Bean find, a vintage school-dance shirt recommendation and a free board for future browsing.
A doughnut stop at Congdon’s.
A Sunday-morning doughnut stop at Congdon’s in Wells, Maine: a quieter outdoor spot, room for James to dance, practical notes and a free picture choice board.
Wicked Whoopies: a little stop with a very large whoopie pie.
A family visit to Wicked Whoopies in Freeport, Maine: James, giant whoopie-pie displays, a colorful shop and useful sensory and access planning notes.
The furniture store with a fountain show. And cookies.
A real family outing to Jordan’s Furniture in Reading, Massachusetts: Fuddruckers, illuminated fountains, Cookie Monstah and practical access notes.
October ice cream at Dairy Joy.
An October Dairy Joy outing with grandparents, a red picnic table and one enormous ice cream cutout. Original family photos and practical notes in our Accessible Ice Cream series.
Autumn, at Ruby’s pace.
James, Ruby, and the simple joys of autumn—with a sensory nature guide for sitting, walking, or rolling, and outings across all six New England states.
A welcome before you walk through the door.
A toy-shop sign in Bath, England, offers something wonderfully practical: quieter music, softer lights and room to be yourself. A note on making welcome specific.
Snowshoes on a whim.
We rented snowshoes, brought a sled and wandered Fort Taber by the ocean in New Bedford: a winter family field note about letting one simple idea become the day.
Doe Orchards, at our own pace.
Apple trees, family photographs and Ruby in the orchard. A Doe Orchards field note with the practical details left in.
A cart, a bouquet, an ordinary errand.
Our Wegmans photograph with Caroline’s Cart and a bouquet: why useful design belongs in ordinary family life.
The flowers on the table.
A family photograph from a von Trapp visit in Vermont, and a note about the small details that make a meal feel like an occasion.
A family day in full color.
Our Wicked Tulips family photographs: spring color, a portrait and a practical note about enjoying a flower farm at your own pace.
Flowers, fidgets, and clutter. Because life.
Yellow roses on a lived-in table: beauty, useful objects and a home that does not need to be perfect before it gets flowers.
The caregiver handover, made useful
A practical caregiver handover with a short template, an arrival check, current-plan safeguards, privacy boundaries and a clear return of responsibility.
Rancatore’s, Lexington.
A Lexington ice-cream field note, with the story, illustrated town map and useful access details together.
The familiar-food plan for days out
The goal is not a perfect restaurant experience. It is knowing what food is available, what you can bring and what the backup is before hunger turns into the hardest part of the day.
The hotel + pool checklist
A suite, an indoor pool and a lovely photograph are not enough information. Confirm the room, the water, the timing and the complete price before the reservation becomes the plan.
Five, fifteen or thirty minutes to a more usable home.
A room-by-room reset for the time and energy actually available. Start with the walking route, make one space useful and stop at a clear finish line.
A good swim, from the first towel to the last dry sock.
A practical, age-respectful pool plan for older teens: arrival, changing, communication, water supervision and an easier way home.
Good photographs deserve a life off the phone.
Make a small, personal gift from photographs you already own: a six-photo envelope, a folded memory card or a ready-to-frame print. Keep the people and the moment exactly as they were.
Pack once. Reset after the swim.
A practical bag system for a pool visit or one-night trip, with a per-person packing list, a ten-minute departure check and a five-minute unpacking plan.
A New England rainy-day outing plan
Rain does not have to cancel the day, but it does make transitions, wet clothes and backup food more important. Keep one main plan and one easy escape hatch.
The sensory-friendly clothing checklist
Start with the clothes that already feel right, then shop the details: seams, waistbands, closures, fabric, care and whether the piece still feels age-appropriate.
The shorter-visit plan
Decide the small version of the outing before you arrive. It makes leaving a valid part of the plan instead of something that feels like the day went wrong.
The little boot that took its time.
An original, gentle New England picture story with optional read-aloud, a short tune and room to choose.
A birthday for our Lilo & Stitch fan.
A Lilo & Stitch birthday at the Children’s Museum of Greater Fall River: homemade decorations, family photographs, and a museum rental memory with party-planning links.
A camping swing, very much at home.
Our portable Walmart swing, Yankee frugality, and autism-and-camping planning: familiar comforts, communication and room for a shorter trip. Original family photo.
A conference, a castle, and a very convenient pool.
A Gaylord Palms Fiber Connect conference, Disney’s Pop Century stay, a Skyliner ride and a Crystal Palace meal—with original photos and practical Orlando travel notes.
A dance party for three.
A water view and a jukebox turned our Margaritas Waltham visit into a dance party for three, with specials and accessible parking in the lot behind.
A date at the Gardner.
A date at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, with our own photograph, practical caregiver planning, admission savings and museum accessibility notes.
A grocery run, then breakfast by the water.
A Saturday Hannaford stop during our off-season trip to Wells, Maine: Oakhurst eggnog cold brew, our own plates and glasses, and breakfast at a waterside picnic table.
A little 1954 magic in Buenos Aires.
Photos of Don Julio in Palermo, Buenos Aires, and the sweet 1954 tradition Mom-Mom and Grandpa Steve share before their Viking cruise.
A little Bristol blue.
A family photograph from Bristol, Rhode Island, a short waterfront guide, and our experience practicing staying together safely.
A Little Camelot in Boston
With Mom-Mom at Boston’s April 2026 Profound Autism Summit: Governor Healey’s moving caregiving speech, wonderful questions, music, practical resources, and the 2027 dates.
A little Easter color.
An Easter family visit to Berlin Farms in Massachusetts: colorful eggs, an enthusiastic bunny, wide-open fields and a few practical notes before you go.
A Little Heat on Cape Cod: Dinner at Kohinoor
A recommendation from a local artist led us to excellent Indian food in Mashpee—and a restaurant where our son was made to feel entirely welcome.
A little research, a short car ride.
A surprise Shaker history day in Harvard, Massachusetts: a thoughtful, inexpensive family gift, local history, and the craftsmanship behind Shaker furniture.
A little stop. A lot of spring.
A must-do Rhode Island spring stop: Rose Shack in Saunderstown for a host or mother-in-law gift and a family photograph among the flowers.
A little winter adventure, right outside our door.
Facebook Marketplace snowshoes, ski poles from a local free group, and a winter memory with James right outside our home.
A Love Letter to Buying Nothing
A framed Boston alphabet from a local Buy Nothing group, Yankee thrift, and the art of neighborly generosity. Plus a searchable New England sharing and swap shed directory.
A scoop, a phone, and a choice.
An ordinary ice cream outing at Rancatore’s in Lexington, a real flavor-case photo and a family-made choice board. Practical ideas for families and independent scoop shops.
A summer favorite at Twisted.
Twisted Pizza, Subs & Ice Cream is part of our family’s Provincetown summers: a familiar favorite on Commercial Street, with a photograph from the family album.
Almost home.
A decade in Burlington, a return from Massachusetts with James, and South Burlington’s whale tails: memories, parking, walking access and nearby I-89.
Burlington, at our pace.
Our Burlington, Vermont trip in family photographs: Oakledge’s accessible treehouse, pool time at The Essex, Al’s French Frys, and a little holiday sparkle.
Cookie Monstah: a sweet little family favorite.
A family-favorite stop at Cookie Monstah in Burlington, Massachusetts: James, a colorful cookie, a very good grin, and practical notes from our visit.
Disabled parking: the practical family guide.
Handicapped parking permits, nonvisible disabilities, passenger use and safer arrivals: a family guide with official links for MA, RI, NH, Maine and Vermont.
Energy is an access resource.
Why protecting energy can be part of accessibility and inclusive family travel.
Halloween, farm style.
Skeleton glasses, corn sifting, a farm ride and memories of Connor’s Halloween Party at Frerichs Farm in Warren, Rhode Island.
James wanted rigatoni. His parents stand corrected.
An Olive Garden dinner that left us proud of James—and honest about ourselves.
L.L.Bean, Freeport.
A family outing to L.L.Bean in Freeport, Maine: the trout pond, outdoor stops and practical observations from a real visit.
Old friends, an autumn wedding & a weekend away.
An autumn wedding in New Haven, old college friends from Bristol and Rome, a little time away, and the grandparents who made it possible.
Omar’s Superpower: Making Room for Everyone
A family meal at Omar’s Bistro in Lexington, Massachusetts: from-scratch food, exceptional neuroinclusive service, comics, games, and practical parking notes.
Small outings count.
Why a short outing can be the whole outing — with real family examples from New England.
Sometimes the straw is the whole trick.
INTENSE strawberry milk from Wegmans, a preferred straw, and the small details of everyday choice. Read our kitchen story and get two free picture cards.
The Beautiful Art of Letting Go
Three pairs of bare feet, an October ocean, and a father learning when to take a step back. An afternoon at Menauhant Beach in Falmouth.
The coffee before the car keys.
A paternal field note about Eight O'Clock 100% Colombian Peaks, a small morning ritual, and why this smooth medium roast has become a genuine family favorite.
Tourists in Our Own Backyard
A writer, a professor, and an overdue mid-fall date at Authors’ Ridge in Concord. Our photographs and watercolors, local history, a map, and practical access notes.
Wandering is the activity.
Inside the Book Barn in Niantic, Connecticut: room to wander, browse and take your time, with real outing observations and useful visit notes.