Balmorhea

Writing for endless hours each day has given me the opportunity to catch up on old podcasts, and today I discovered a band from Austin that has ensnared me very quickly.

Balmorhea. It's a State Park with an awesome spring-fed pool in my favorite pocket of Texas, but it's also an incredible band. The music is mostly instrumental and full of violin, cello, banjo, and piano. And it's just beautiful.


They're on tour in Europe all spring, but coming home to Austin on May 22nd. They'll be inside at Stubbs the night before gRaDuAtIoN!

This video is of the song Settler, which is on their newly released CD. It's one of their few non-instrumental songs and I find it just breathtaking and gorgeous.

Top Ten Things I Can't Wait to do Post-Graduation

1. Read for FUN. I have dozens of books that have accumulated over the past two years and I can't wait!!
2. Cook on a regular basis. No more 3-meals-in-a-coffee-shop days.
3. Reestablish Saturday and Sunday as fun days rather than work days.
   
4. Garden. And make use of my beautiful herbs who are loving the rain.
   
5. Train for a bike race. Got all the ingredients right now except for time.
   
6. Benefit from employer-purchased health insurance. Oh god, what a wonderful day that will be.
   
7. Reunite with Barton Springs and other glorious places that miss me.
8. Play games or socialize at a coffee shop. Or more specifically, go to a coffee shop for reasons other than work.
9. Rediscover photography. I see classes in my future.
10. Be outside every possible minute of my favorite season.
    

Please help if you are able...

I'm writing to support three former students of mine during a very difficult time. Their mother was very brutally murdered by their father over the weekend. Their father is now in jail, and the children are safe with family members in Corpus Christi. I will be heading to the funeral there tomorrow.

My teaching colleagues and I have been touched by this family in ways that are hard to explain. I can honestly say that out of all of the families I've worked with in Austin, I never expected such a tragedy to affect these children. They were our shining stars at Becker and we've always expected these children to accomplish great things in their lives.

Their mother was a wonderful lady. She worked long hours for the State of Texas and still ensured that she was involved in her five children's education. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the children. The two oldest boys are 14 and 16 and involved in band and magnet studies. The two younger boys entered the gifted and talented program the years I had them. Both of these boys made me laugh so hard I cried on several occasions with their great sense of humor, and they are very talented both academically and emotionally. The only girl is 10 and is such an amazing, positive, and happy child. She wants to be a teacher when she grows up. All of the children are extremely bright, hard-working, and loving to all of their classmates.

I am deeply concerned for the children's future given the sudden absence of two working parents. Raising five children (and hopefully getting them to college) is a hugely expensive task. The father's brother apparently has already sold many of the family's belongings in an attempt to bail him out of jail.

An account was set up for the children this morning. I know that many of us are struggling financially right now, but if you are able to donate any amount of money for these beautiful little human beings, it would be greatly appreciated.

Capital One Bank
"Ledesma Children" account
# 3813430907

You can either visit a Capital One branch (here is a list) or transfer money into the account from your banking account online.

Feel free to pass along this information if you know others who may be willing to help. Thank you so much.

Some Great New Local Biz

I've been to a few great new spots here in Austin recently and just thought I'd share. Please reply if you have suggestions of your own.

First of all, if you haven't heard of Bennu yet, it's probably because you are not a student.
I'm actually at Bennu right now. It's 12:30am and I just arrived....yep, a great new 24-hour coffee spot! It's on East MLK and has lots of comfy couches and chairs and I have to say...it arrived just in time for end-of-semester chaos so I'm very thankful. Another plus - it doesn't serve alcohol (yet, at least) so you don't have to worry about being the only nerd trying to work done on weekend nights :)

There's also a great new pizza spot in my very own neighborhood called House Pizzeria.
It's on Airport at 52nd, right in that strange mix of Pawn Shops and I Love Video/Coldtowne fun. Their pizzas are unique - I had the arugula pizza - and they use lots of local ingredients. They also have local beers on tap, a jukebox, and a fabulous turquoise concrete floor. You should check it out.

My final recommendation for the night is Somnio's on South First.
Somnio's serves brunch, lunch, and dinner, and I've been there for all three. It actually opened several months ago but is a fairly small place so many people still haven't heard of it. It's in an old house and probably only has about six tables inside. The menu is small and made of foods obtained locally (both produce and meat). My favorite experience at Somnio's was when Chris and I went for brunch and were delighted to find a large bluegrass band playing inside. They probably look up over half of the room :) They were great and I felt like I was in New England again. Anyway, I don't know if the bluegrass is a regular thing on Sundays, but the food is enough reason to check it out.

Yeaaahhhhhh!

I was hard at work earlier today, grumbling about yet another weekend lost to frenzied research and writing. Then I realized something that hadn't yet crossed my mind. In a few short weeks, I will become the first woman in my extended family to receive a Master's degree! My dad is the only man who has done so, and I will be the only woman. Whoohoo! I think I'll make it after all.

You learn something new everyday...

I just discovered that there is a place called Sembera, Indonesia!


I've also heard that there is a small village called Sembera in either Slovakia or the Czech Republic. And the Sembera Bridge. My mom discovered these things while doing genealogy. My grandfather was from Bohemia, which is now in Slovakia. When I travelled in the Czech Republic, I scanned a phone book and found that my last name is very common there.

But how did it end up in Indonesia??