The Voice of the Phoenix Suns: Al McCoy

By

Jake M.

The Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA) had their inaugural season in 1968. Their radio play-by-play announcer Al McCoy, commonly dubbed as the Voice of the Phoenix Suns, has been with the team since 1972, which makes him the longest tenured NBA broadcaster.

McCoy began his broadcasting career in Webster City, Iowa during his freshman year at Drake University in 1951 covering the college basketball games. He then moved to Arizona in 1958.

While in Arizona, prior to his job with the Suns, McCoy did play-by-play for the Phoenix Giants, a Triple A affiliate of the Major League Baseball team San Francisco Giants. He also covered college football and basketball for Arizona State University and the Phoenix Roadrunners hockey team.

Al McCoy just finished his 47th season with the Suns and has expressed that he will only retire when it stops being fun.

Marvel Spotlight: Brie Larson

By

Jake M.

Brie Larson stars in the new Captain Marvel movie.

Plot Summary from IMDB: Captain Marvel is an extraterrestrial Kree warrior who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls. Living on Earth in 1995, she keeps having recurring memories of another life as U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers. With help from Nick Fury, Captain Marvel tries to uncover the secrets of her past while harnessing her special superpowers to end the war with the evil Skrulls.

Israeli Spotlight: Gal Gadot

 

By

Jake M.

Gal Gadot is an Israeli actress, model, and veteran of the Israel Defense Force (IDF). She won the Miss Israel in 2004 at the age of 18. After winning the pageant she served two years in the IDF as a combat instructor at the age of 20. She is known for her roles in the Fast and Furious Films, Keeping Up With The Joneses, and Wonder Woman. In 2018, Gadot was listed in Time Magazine’s annual list of the Top 100 Most Influential People In The World.

Poetry at SEEDs

Writing poetry encourages creativity and self-expression. Poetry stirs the imagination and helps us grow emotionally and intellectually as we examine our thoughts and feelings in a symbolic way. Taking part in an exercise focused on self expression, the participants at SEEDs for Autism created a series of biographical poems.

Disney Spotlight: Demi Lovato

By

Jake M.

Demi Lovato is one of my favorite actresses. She first appeared on Barney and Friends in 2002. She later appeared on Camp Rock (2008) and Camp Rock: The Final Jam (2010). After her appearance in the Camp Rock movies she starred in a TV series Sonny With a Chance (2009-2011). After her acting career with Disney she went on to a lustrous music career and is still producing albums. Demi has Bipolar and is a strong community activist. In 2016, she spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. In 2018, she performed during the March For Our Lives rally in Washington D.C., which promoted gun-control.

Celebrity Spotlight: Carrie Underwood

By

Jake M.

Carrie Underwood is a country music star from Oklahoma. She also co-hosted the 2018 country music awards with Brad Paisley.

List of major accomplishments

• American Idol season four winner (2005)
• “Inside Your Heaven” number one hit on U.S. Billboard 100 (only country music song to debut at number one on this list).
• Seven Grammy Awards
• Ten Billboard Music Awards
• Fourteen ACM Awards
• Thirteen American Music Awards
• Nine CMA Awards
• Guinness Book of World Records for most number one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs with ten tied with Reba McEntire
• Has appeared in Time, Rolling Stone, and Forbes magazines

My Experience Working with Mr. Ed

Hello my name is Daniel and I’m writing about my experience working with Mr.Ed in the Wood Department. He has taught me about using power tools in a responsible manner and being safe around the bandsaw. I learned how to cut wood to the correct length which is very important when making  cutting boards for customers who might buy them from Seeds. It makes me feel pride when someone buys something I made. In conclusion the Wood Department is one of  my favorite departments at Seeds.

A Year in Review at SEEDs for Autism

In 2018, SEEDs for Autism instructed, inspired and connected with the community through a series of Creative Workshops and Educational Lectures. We introduced Social Saturday Events where friendships were made, talents were discovered and adults on the autism spectrum gained the confidence to step outside of their comfort zones and GROW. We have added new departments, new products and we are excited to continue our mission with many more opportunities to come in the new year!

Zack Greinke: Depression and Social Anxiety

By Jake M.

Zack Greinke is my favorite member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He’s pitched 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) and three with Arizona (2016-present). His career accomplishments include being a five-time all-star, 2013 silver slugger, 2009 CY Young Award winner, four-time Gold Glove winner, two-time MLB leader in ERA, and 44th on the all-time career strikeouts list (2,435). He’s a workhorse and considers himself a student of the game. He’s also been diagnosed with Depression and Social Anxiety Disorder.

Zack Greinke’s struggle with depression caused him to miss portions of the 2005 and 2006 seasons and at one point during that stretch considered quitting baseball. He was also defined as socially awkward by fellow team members of the Kansas City Royals, whom he played for from 2004-2010. As recently as March 2018 Zack Greinke had to answer reporters questions about his low velocity numbers. He expressed in an interview that “I always get nervous prior to the start of every season and that it’s just something I have to deal with and my biggest concern is that I won’t be ready for the start of the season.” – USA Today March 8, 2018.

Zack Greinke’s ability to persevere through tough times and continue on to have a decent career should serve as inspiration to other people who struggle with various forms of Bipolar, Depression or Anxiety.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/03/zack-greinke-spring-training-arizona-diamondbacks-velocity-performance-mlb.

Gardening Aprons at SEEDs for Autism

GARDENING APRONS!

The Arizona summer is coming to an end and that means it’s time to start planting! To celebrate the start of gardening season, we have selected our beautifully made GARDENING APRONS as our featured product for the month. Sturdy construction with reinforced seams, these practical and stylish aprons have deep pockets for carrying gloves, garden tools and for keeping your phone handy while you work. The short style of our gardening aprons allows for lots of bending and crouching as you pull weeds, plant seeds and create a beautiful display of plants, vegetables or flowers. These hand-crafted aprons are available online and make a perfect gift for the gardener in your life!

SPECIAL ONLINE OFFER
In honor of planting time, we are offering a special discount on our gardening aprons. Just enter the code SEP18 when you make your purchase online and receive $5 off these delightful gardening aprons made with love by the participants at SEEDs for Autism!

Click HERE to start shopping today!

Be sure to visit Summerwinds Nursery for plant purchases, expert gardening advice and many other garden related products and services!