It's a Wonderful Life

It's a Wonderful Life is on right now, so the holidays must be around the corner!  This movie has a special place in my heart and I've been waiting to see it pop up on one of our three channels.  I saw it for the first time as a freshman in college with my buddy and dorm next-door neighbor, Monica.  It was the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break, and we had a heart-to-heart after watching the movie about our futures and how we both wanted to make a difference in the world.  (You know, idealistic young folks' talk.)  Monica was feeling conflicted about her choice of college major and wondering if she should change to something more altrustic and socially-oriented.  She wanted to change the world, simply put. 

I drove home for Thanksgiving the next day and received a phone call that night that Monica had died instantly in a bad car crash on her way home for the holiday.  Unfortunately her family did not not get to see her before the accident happened.  :( 

Every time I see It's a Wonderful Life, I think of Monica and the happiness she brought me for the short time I knew her.  I think of the timeliness of our viewing of the film the night before she died, and even more so, the conversation that followed about the little things we can do in our lives to improve the world around us.  Even though her time here was short, she was a great person who touched everyone she knew.

He was shortish. And oldish. And brownish. And mossy. And he spoke with a voice that was sharpish and bossy.

My absolute favorite children's book of all time is being made into a full-length animated film.  Its plot and message were almost singlehandedly the basis for my curriculum as a science teacher.  It contains powerful and insightful lessons for not only children, but all of us.

The Lorax will be out sometime in 2012 and will feature the voice of none other than Danny Devito.  I couldn't have dreamed up a better fit myself.

Counting the days until I can introduce MY LITTLE BOY to this gift from Dr. Seuss.

I Was Born in a Crossfire Hurricane...

Well, not really.  I wasn't born in a car (or a hurricane), but I was born early, on vacation, out of state, and during a tropical storm.  About six weeks before my due date my dad needed to go to Houston for work, so my mom went along (they lived outside of New Orleans at the time).  I decided to make my entrance into the world there (couldn't wait to be a Texan?) and my parents did their best on the six-hour ride home with no car seat and  no baby clothes.   I think I spent the first few days of my life wrapped in an adult-sized robe.

My brother came a year later, and he made his entrance three months early.  It was an extremely stressful experience for my parents as my mom's original doctor told them there was nothing to be done to save the baby.  My parents made one of the best decisions of their lives to ignore the doctor and hightail it to the biggest hospital in New Orleans (nearly 2 hours away).  Ondre had a rough first few months but was 110% a-okay after that!  Can you imagine if they would have listened to the crappy doctor in their town??

Now that I've reached that point of time when baby could be ready any day, Chris and I have been busy making preparations so that we are ready to welcome him into this world whenever he decides he is ready.  Until I became pregnant, I really didn't understand how many decisions need to be make surrounding our child.  Over the past few months, Chris and I have made a bazillion decisions regarding the birth of our baby and his first few years of life. 

I do know that I have been dying to nest for the good part of this year, and we have been working hard to find a nest so that will be possible.  The good news is that we should soon be able to enjoy the fruit our hard work in our first home!  I still don't want to curse it, but it looks like we will be able to close on our house in less than three weeks.  Yipee!  This means that I am currently de-nesting and enjoying every minute of it.  And in a few weeks, we should be able to purchase a crib and other baby things and get them put together in baby's own room!

Being pregnant has been for the most part an amazing, incredible experience.  And I can't even imagine the act of giving birth.  I can tell you already, it will be the best day of our lives.  I am so ready and excited to meet the little guy and we want everything to be perfect.  For me, that means I want to be completely in the moment - alert, relaxed, and involved.

I've know for a very long time that means my ultimate goal is a healthy birth - drug-free and without surgery.  I do not want my baby to be "delivered"; I want him to be born.  I don't want it to be a medical procedure, but rather a natural one.  In my head, I imagine the kind of birth my great-great grandmother probably experienced, and her grandmother before her.

At the same time, I am very aware that complications can happen and the unexpected may pop in.  My mother, with all three of her births (the third unsuccessful), is the perfect example.  Each one of her babies came at an unexpected time and two in an unexpected place.  Not everything can be controlled.

So Chris and I have our Plan A, which involves an active birth in a local hospital.  We want to stay home as long as possible and head to the hospital for the birth.  Of course our Plan B involves being prepared for those unexpected things that may come up.  For example, if our baby does come the week he is due, my doctor will be out of town for Christmas.  So we've done what we can to learn about the doctors who will be on call that week.  But other things could come up too, so to be ready for those, we have done a huge amount of learning to be prepared. 

I'm so proud of my husband.  At the beginning of my pregnancy, he supported my decision to aim for a natural birth simply because he knew it was what I wanted.  But now his desire for a natural birth comes out of his own process of learning.  We've been preparing for the day that he will be my coach, and I'm certain that he's up for the job.  Through months of birthing classes and reading on our own, we've both become empowered and ready for this event.  In a way, our preparations have reminded me of training I did before I completed a triathlon.  We're working on preparing my body and mind.  It feels like a team effort, and I couldn't be more thankful.   

I am considered full term in less than six weeks!  Counting down the days to meet that beautiful little being who is currently playing soccer on my ribs. :) 

One Day I Will Be Able to Dance Like Dr. Ken Jeong

Oh Brother

1)  I am so thankful I am not a high school student.
2) I feel sorry for those unlucky souls who are.
3) This is ridiculous.  I would characterize this under one of our incredibly stupid (and unbelievably expensive) American traditions. Barf.

They Will Shine Out of Your Face Like Sunbeams

I adored all of Roald Dahl's books as a child, but I really loved The Twits.  Gotta love the take home message of the book.

What Kids Remember

A former student of mine found me on Facebook recently, and I am still beaming thinking about the wonderful young woman she has become.  Over the past few years, I've gotten the sad news that two of my former elementary students became pregnant in middle school (and I was their sex ed teacher), one student became a homeless/runaway drug addict at age 12, and two of my students essentially became orphans after their dad murdered their mom.  These updates deeply saddened me because they reminded me that it takes more than a village to raise a child, and some of these kids unfortunately have an unreasonable amount of challenges bombarding them in their early lives.  So when I heard from E that she is a junior in high school and concurrently enrolled in college classes at UT Pan American, I exploded with happiness.  Given she was great student back then and seemed to have a solid family life, this news just makes me so happy.

E also shared with me some memories of  her time as my student.  She didn't mention any specific skills or knowledge that she learned in fifth grade.  Instead, she talked about something I did that was not academic, and could have been considered to me a waste of valuable class time by some teachers.  I took portraits of all of the kids on the first day of school and used them throughout the year as I selected one each week as the Star.  They thought they were picked for being a good student/doing their homework/helping out, but in reality, I picked kids who I knew were going through tough times/had been recently picked on/failed to master a concept.  That Star had his or her portrait front and center all week, along with artwork and writing they did about his or her self the first week.  They got to help me with anything and everything, and they got to eat lunch with me on Friday.  And most importantly, all of the other students wrote something nice about the Star, and at the end of the week I gave them a compilation of things the other students had written about them.  In the world of fifth grade, it meant instant popularity...or at least respect.  Other kids wanted to emulate the Star so maybe they would be picked the following week.

E reminded me that teaching self-confidence and boosting others' self-esteem is not something only teachers should aim for with their students.  It's something we can all do as human beings.  It's something I can be doing at my job every day, at home with my husband and other family members, and with friends and people I meet during chance encounters.

I've been reflecting a lot this year about how my husband and I will be parents and teachers to our son, and reconnecting with E reminded me that confidence-building goes a long way with children.  I came across this blog entry that is common sense, but a good reminder.  I think it really applies to all loved ones, not just children.  :)

What Parents Need to Know (source)

That our children need more of us.  Our children don’t need Nintendos, computers, after school activities, ballet lessons, play groups and soccer practice nearly as much as they need US. They need fathers who sit and listen to their days, mothers who join in and make crafts with them, parents who take the time to read them stories and act like idiots with them. They need us to take walks with them and not mind the .1 mph pace of a toddler on a spring night. They deserve to help us make supper even though it takes twice as long and makes it twice as much work. They deserve to know that they’re a priority for us and that we truly love to be with them. 

Deep Blue

Diving is one of those things I am really missing right now.  It's so calming and peaceful.  I took this photo at the Great Barrier Reef several years ago.  I was leading a group of high schoolers throughout Australia for the summer.  We helped the students become certified divers, but these four couldn't pass the dive test because they had asthma.  So they snorkeled instead (and obviously had some fun doing so).  I took this photo from about 15 meters below as I was photographing the dive students. 

I've always loved the ocean and felt connected to it, but diving definitely has deepened the bond.  It's an expensive and exclusive hobby, but one that has taught me an immense amount.  There's nothing like quietly observing a reef up close to help one understand the intricacies of aquatic ecosystems.

Deep breathing (or as some yoga instructors appropriately call it, ocean breathing) is the closest replication I have experienced of breathing through a regulator underwater.  There's something exciting about relying on measured air.  Every breath counts, and you want to make it as deep as possible. 

I don't know if it's because of the cozy liquid environment in my belly right now, because I got to swim in the Gulf recently (with dolphins!),  or because I know that I cannot dive at the moment, but I can't shake the need to go for a good dive. 

Cool Down

Day trip to San Antonio!  Loved these girls chatting in the fountain.

One of my Favorite Peeps*

This is Fay Lee, my paternal grandmother.  I was thrilled to unexpectedly be able to spend a week with her in Florida on our recent vacation.  She is such a special lady.  She has Alzheimer's and her children made the difficult decision to help her move into assisted living earlier this year.  But after spending time with her last week, I can assuredly say that she seems to LOVE it and is doing so well!  I'm really proud of her.

Her husband also had Alzheimer's and passed away several years ago.  Not long after, she lost her home, vehicle, and all of her belongings from Hurricane Katrina.  She's had a tough few years, but she has remained happy and positive.  We are so blessed to have her in our lives.

I took this photo at a beach bar where we celebrated my dad's birthday, ate yummy brunch, and listened to live bluegrass.  And Grandma sipped her mimosa.  


*It's a pun!  Her great-grandchildren call her Peep :)

Calculated Consumption

 There's a great little gem in the New York Times this week - But Will it Make You Happy?

Research that the article highlights includes some common sense trends, but ones of which we need reminding.

1.  "...spending money for an experience — concert tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco — produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff."
2.  "Scholars have found that anticipation increases happiness." (with regard to purchases/experiences)
3.  “The one single trait that’s common among every single person who is happy is strong relationships. Buying luxury goods, conversely, tends to be an endless cycle of one-upmanship."

 The most free that I've ever felt was when I walked for over a month across Spain with only a change of clothes, a map book, a camera, and a journal.  I actually felt claustrophobic when I returned and opened my closet.  I think the challenge is remembering that feeling of freedom and happiness during daily life, and applying those preferences to consumption choices.  I say this at a time in my life when I am rapidly acquiring baby stuff galore, but I'm happy to say that the large majority of it has been given to me by friends or freecycled by local moms. 

Enjoy the article!

Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Before getting pregnant, I always thought I'd want to wait until delivery day to know the gender of my child.  I thought it would make the wait so special and exciting.  Well, pretty much the day I found out I changed my mind as I immediately knew I didn't quite have the patience to wait nine long months.  (Chris was definitely on board with that decision.)  I have soooo much respect for those who do wait, and maybe if we have a second child, Chris and I will try to be patient enough.  But for this time around, IT'S A SWEET LITTLE BOY! 

You Burned My Feelings

From a child who wanted to go to the beach, as her dad watched football.  Haha!!

(from Passive Agressive notes)

He Rolls with the Big Dogs

Adorable x 10

I got to hang out with two of my favorite kiddos last night.

It just might be a long-distance love match. :)

Well Look at What We Have Here!

My mom helped me create succulent centerpieces for our wedding last year, and I'm still enjoying them today.  Got a nice surprise of some psychedelic mushrooms after some crazy rain yesterday.  You can stay little mushies (as long as you don't kill the succulents!)

San Marcos is Going Gray

San Marcos passed a gray water ordinance today, allowing builders to install water reuse systems.  Gray water refers to water from sinks, washing machines, and showers that is safe for reuse in gardening, landscaping, and other outdoor uses (like foundation damage prevention).  Water from these household appliances is rerouted and redistributed in outdoor sprinkler systems rather than treated along with used toilet water.  I'm sure you can imagine the savings in water, energy, money, and infrastructure that result from gray water systems.

Other countries have used gray water systems extensively for years, but such systems have been slow to catch on in the US (probably from a misconception that the water is dirty).  Gray water does not include used toilet water, which is always sent to a treatment plant. 

I hope Austin follows San Marcos' footsteps in encouraging this great way to save aquifer water.  Incentives would be a great way to get developers and homeowners on board. 

Toxics In, Toxics Out

I think I've said enough about my thoughts on toxic chemicals in personal care products, but this cartoon is pretty informative.  Remember to use your dollars to protect your body, your future children, and our environment.





On a positive note, House legislation was introduced yesterday that would require the government to test product safety, rather than the industry self-policing as it currently does. Hopefully the bill also addresses well known loopholes such as the ingredient fragrance, which is protected by trade secrets and can pretty much contain any chemical under the sun.

The Assault on Comic Sans Continues

The world's unified assault on Comic Sans always gives me a good chuckle.  Poor Comic Sans was in the news again recently when the owner of the Cavaliers wrote his rant letter about Lebron leaving using the playful font.  "You see, he wrote in Comic Sans so that you would know he's serious" said a blogger.  

My absolute favorite defense of the font is I'm Comic Sans, Asshole by Mike Lacher.   And I love that neither of my grandmothers would have a clue what any of this is about.  When did we all turn into such geeks?  Geeks with senses of humor, no doubt.

Speaking For the Sallies (and Others With No Voice)

Sometimes in professional life, stars align.  Your job becomes something that you absolutely adore.  Not for an eternity, but for much longer than a moment.  And these periods of time get you through the times when you just feel out of sync. 


9-11 had a specific effect on everyone.  For me, I did some major reevaluation of what I do during the majority of my life: work. 

I studied business at UT and graduated a few months before 9-11.  Many of my classmates were puzzled by my decision to study business because the private sector didn't appeal to me.  I wanted to be an entrepreneur in the nonprofit sector, and I knew that a strong business background would be a prerequisite.

But when I graduated, I found it difficult to find a job that suited me.  The dot com bust had happened, and I wasn't quite sure which direction to go.  I did know that all I wanted to do was to save up as much money as possible and see more of the world.  So I moved home and got a job at the headquarters of a department store and worked in trend development for women's clothes.  I told myself  It's only for a few months.  But I quickly realized that 90% of my coworkers were miserable, and I wasn't happy myself. 

9-11 happened, and I had a flight to Malaysia for two days later.  I was meeting a friend who was in Australia, and we were going to travel around Malaysia and India and then go trekking in Nepal for several months.  Of course, the trip was canceled.  Aside from the cancellations of international flights, there were riots in Kathmandu and typhoons in Malaysia.  So, we changed our plans.  She met me in San Francisco, and we saw as much as the western US as possible.  We visited a dozen national parks and drove through snow and desert heat.  And I had a lot of time to think about which direction I wanted my professional life to go once the trip was over.  I decided that even if I was saving up for something big in the future, it wasn't worth it to me to take a job (even temporarily) that didn't fit my needs.  I came to the conclusion that I really had three requirements for jobs.

1.  I must be constantly learning.  I'm absolutely miserable if I'm bored.
2.  I must be contributing to the greater good of the world.  Bash my bleeding heart, but I know from experience that this is an inescapable requirement for me.
3.  I must be working in the realm of education or environmental work, and my absolute sweet spot combines these two passions.

My dad and I had many heart-to-hearts while I was in college and after, and he brought up his valid  point of view that I don't have to save the world at work.  His thought was that many great people have ordinary jobs and spend their free time volunteering and helping others.  I came to realize that these people are awesome, and I really respect them, but they are different from me.  It comes down to the fact that I want to spend the majority of my waking hours making a difference and leaving the world just an inkling better.  And the reality is, I can still volunteer in my free time.  Nothing keeps me from that. 

So once I realized my personal requirements, my career path took a turn for the better.  I took jobs in Germany and Cape Cod, and then I joined Teach For America and moved to the US-Mexico border.  I got to see the world while I was working.  And while I've had utterly exhausting jobs, I can honestly say that I'm proud of the work I've done at each of them. 

Which brings me to why this topic has been on my mind so much lately.  My working days are numbered.  At least, my working-outside-the-home days are numbered.  While I'm not opposed to doing some contractual work here and there, I will not be working full-time outside the home for at least a few years.  I've dreamed of the day when my job will be to raise an amazing little child full time, and that time is finally here. (YAY!)

But that doesn't mean I won't miss my work.  I've been extremely fortunate at my current job because I have worked on a variety of projects that have kept me humbled by my lack of knowledge and the sheer brilliance around me.  Not only that, but the icing on the cake is that my work family is such a loving group of people that have supported my husband and I when times have been tough.

A few weeks ago, I spent the week downtown at a workshop between my employer and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  I was proud to be part of a team working to write a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for a local threatened species, the Jollyville Plateau salamander.  Here's a photo one of my coworkers took of one of the little sallies.

These salamanders only live in northwest Austin, and while they are not on the endangered species list, they should be.  The reality is that too many species are becoming endangered for the Service to list them all in a timely manner, so my employer, the City, is taking a proactive measure to treat the salamander as an endangered species even though it is not. 

No city in this country has ever created a CCAA.  (They are usually done by environmental nonprofits.)  We will set an example for others to follow not only in our area, but all over the country.  As I sat in the workshop all week, I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to be a part of it.  I had a week of professional bliss.  A week when I honestly didn't feel the need to be paid because I was learning so much and was so eager to be a part of the team.  Weeks like that can carry me a long way.  Even though I'm back in the office doing the back end grunt work now, I'm still on Cloud 9.  It's probably a combination of really being professionally fulfilled right now and also knowing that I will miss this next year.  I'll be in a different line of work, but lucky for me, it will still fit my three requirements. 

NO!

Check out the new billboard on I-35 near Ennis.

Veggies Oh How I Missed You!

Megan without veggies = not good.  So I was really sad to discover that that is exactly what the first trimester didn't allow me to eat.  Morning Perpetual sickness set in several months ago, and is just starting to let up now.  Not only was I completely repulsed by the thought of eating a salad, but my body couldn't digest it.  Really.  The few times I forced myself I had to run to my Shiny White Friend. 

No, to all my meat-lovers friends' disappointment, I did NOT crave red meat or poultry.  Bleh, fat chance.  When my mom was pregnant with me, she had an Orange Julius and chili dog every day, so I think I got my fill in utero. 

It's amazing how you can listen to your body to understand what you need nutritionally.  The one thing I did seem to crave every day over the past three months was dairy - yogurt and pudding.  Which makes so much sense because baby's bones were being formed. 

Today I had a huge slab of green beans with my lunch, and not only did I want them, the actually tasted good!   The old me is back!

Riding the Rails

I got to work at the Convention Center this week, so I finally got to try out MetroRail as a commuter.  I was very pleased.  It didn't hurt that it saved me over an hour of commute time every day.  The only thing that would have made the journey even better would have been if I could have biked to the station, but this klutz is not allowed on a bike until baby is safely out of my body.

I'll just try to throw out a few practical tips in case any of you want to try it too.

• The ticket machines take credit/debit cards and cash (except $20s).  Be careful though if you use cash - the machine may give you a Electronic Change Card (to use on rather trips) rather than change.  The rather annoying catch in small print on the back is that ECCs expire 15 days after issue and can only be used at ticket vending machines (not on bus travel).  Crock.  I'd be okay with that if the machine warned me, but it didn't.
• The trains are very punctual, unlike CapMetro buses!  One morning it even came 3 minutes early.  Don't press your luck cause it's 30 minutes to the next train.
• Each time I rode the train it was probably about 80-90% full, and surprisingly people get on and get off at all of the stops (rather than a majority getting off downtown).  Bike racks were always full, but people had plenty of room to stand with their bikes near the doors.
• EVERYONE reads on the train.  It's like you've stepped in some beautiful alternate universe. 
• The train is really fast and quiet.  HOWEVER, the train's horn is pesky and loud.  Don't sit in the front of the first car if you want a quiet ride. 
• The route may not be perfect and all-inclusive yet, but it is a step in the right direction.  Try it out and support our new transportation option!  It's one of the best ways to support expanded service in the future.

Viva le lego!

It will soon be socially acceptable for me to play with Legos again.  And Lincoln Logs too - whoohoo!

Babies on the Brain * Babies on the Brain * Babies on the Brain

I guess I haven't officially said this on my blog, but Chris and I have begun a new adventure.  I'm pregnant!  Our little one will be here right around Christmas. 

In honor of the best thing in the whole world (and because pregnancy brain is in full effect and I can't concentrate on work for longer than 8 minutes), here are a few cute babies!

And They Didn't Even Invite Us to the Party.

Yesterday the walking sticks had a rendezvous on the door to my office.  Today, a spontaneous party of daddy long legs. 

I guess I know what I'll be dreaming about tonight...

It Must All Work Out Because They Aren't Going Extinct...

The animal kingdom is keeping me alert on this difficult Monday.  Check out these walking sticks.

Yes, there are two.  Look carefully.  One is on the window and the other is on the frame.  What's so cool about that?  The FEMALE is on the window and the MALE is on the frame.  I had no ideas that female walking sticks were SO HUGE in comparison to the males!

Here's a photo for size reference.

My 11-year-old buddy took this photo with my camera.  I love how it is obviously taken from a child's perspective - looking up at the big sky, demoting the skyscrapers and promoting the clouds. 

I also love this photo because that's My Town.  Even though the great majority of those buildings went up in recent years.  And those trees in front are in Zilker, one of the best parks that we are all fortunate to have equal access to. 

Last night my husband and doggies and I were walking around Lady Bird Lake, and we couldn't help but discuss how great it is to live in Austin and how great it is to be able to see it from that perspective.  And hundreds of tourists were seated all around, anxiously awaiting the bats' emergence from Congress Bridge.  As we walked our dogs across the bridge on a Thursday night, we felt like a two-person parade, with everyone seemingly enamored with our dogs and our way of life here in Austin.  It made me think back to my first real visit here in high school to check out UT with my family.  We did the exact same thing - sat out and waited for the bats - and I remember being very jealous of young people out on trail with their dogs, obvious Austin residents.  The culture here probably had more influence in my moving here than UT did, which is why I'm still so happy to be here. 

Make a Lonely Glove Happy Again

This is so adorable, and it looks easy enough that even I could make it.

Instructions are here (12M pdf file).

Yeehaw Be to the Lord

"Even the rugged seek the cross..."

Either I've been living under a rock, or y'all will be surprised by this too, pardners. 

Any of you belong to a Cowboy Church?  Or have a friend who is?

Didn't think so.  I passed Bar None Cowboy Church yesterday on a small state highway in East Texas and had to google it to understand just what it is. 

In their own words:

"There are no steeples, no stained glass and no padded pews, just a group of ordinary folks that care enough to get to know you and help encourage you in your walk with the Lord. The only finger pointing is at Jesus on the cross.  Cowboys, cowgirls, or anyone who enjoys the western culture in any way, even if you just like good old western movies or country music, will enjoy Bar None Cowboy Church. Simply put, Bar None Cowboy Church is a come-as-you-are, relaxed church atmosphere with faith-based ministry straight from the Bible.  We are committed to reaching the cowboy/western culture and those who love it for Jesus Christ." 

Turns out there are Cowboy Churches all over Texas and beyond!  There's a Texas Fellowship of Cowboy Churches.  And wouldn't you know, there is a Cowboy Church in Austin.  The Cowboy Church of the Hill Country's mission is to "round up and train people in our cowboy heritage community to be in the possie for Christ to make sure they are on that eternal trail ride in heaven."  This church held a bluegrass festival and fish fry last month that gave away free fish to the first 100 people "unless Jesus returned early and fed 5,000." 

I'm not religious, but this tickles me pink.  I guess it really all comes down to marketing, and in rural Texas this seems to do the trick.   Cowboy Churches also hold such festivities as chuck wagon races, bull riding competitions, roping, and barel racing.  Next time my Aussie friends come to visit, this will definitely make the list of crazy Texas stuff to see :)

 

Leave Your Fair Share

A new Panera opened outside of St. Louis, MO last week that's a little bit different from all the others.  It's a non-profit!  The shop's motto is "Take what you need, leave your fair share," and donations cover  food costs.  If this location is successful, Panera hopes to open similar non-profit restaurants in every region of the country that houses its for-profit restaurants. 

Check out the "Suggested Funding Levels" on the menu.

I'd like to think I'd pay my fair share, and hopefully the Missourans will too.   I'd love to see some of these in Texas!

Yum...

This is really gross, but certainly effective (for me at least).  I gave up caffeine several months ago, and I think I'll bookmark this video for any time I get a craving in the future.  I wonder if it will make a dent in soda sales in NYC.

Women in the World

My friend and former policy classmate's status message: 

Watching a documentary about women in the world who are forced to get married to strangers, raped by in-laws, or kidnapped for forced marriage.  It reminds me that I am obliged to pay back what I could take advantage of by becoming an intellectual and powerful woman to dedicate myself to social policy and practice.

I love this.  We all need to remember the power we were given simply by being born under our own personal circumstances.

Success

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.  This is to have succeeded.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Most Targeted Books

This just bothers me.  To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the most memorable and educational books I've ever read.  The Color Purple, The Catcher in the Rye, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower are also great.  Can't say I've read the others.

Click here to see an interactive version of this graphic. 

What a Life

One of my coworkers took this photo of a fawn on one of our Water Quality Protection Lands.  I look at it at least once every day.  It makes me happy :)

If the Earth were Only a Few Feet in Diameter

If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter, floating a few feet above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to marvel at it.  People would walk around it, marveling at its big pools of water, its little pools, and the water floating in between the pools.  People would marvel at the bumps on it and the holes in it, and they would marvel at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas.  The people would marvel at all the creatures walking around the surface of the ball and the creatures in the water.  The people would declare it precious because it was the only one, and they would protect it so that it would not be hurt.  The ball would be the greatest wonder known, and people would come to behold it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty, and to wonder at how it could be.  People would love it and defend it with their lives because they would somehow know that their lives, their own roundness, could be nothing without it, if the Earth were only a few feet in diameter.

Happy Earth Day!

This is an excerpt from a children's book by Joe Miller.  When I was a science teacher, this passage hung on my door every year.  I really love that children get it.  I love their natural curiosity.  I wish we could all stay in tune with our curiosity as adults.  Today is just a reminder of how incredibly fortunate we (and all species) are to live in such a beautiful, nourishing place.   

Also, Google's logo is gorgeous today.

Austin Adventure: Colorado River Canoeing via Webberville

I have a resolution to share more Austin & Texas adventures on my blog.  There are way too many great things to do in our city and state.  So here goes with Austin Adventure #1: Colorado River Canoeing via Webberville

Last weekend, one of my girlfriends had a birthday and we took a paddle down the Colorado.  No, we didn't go to Lady Bird Lake.  If you haven't already tried it this year, the fun is negated by the lines, traffic, and parking woes.  Plus, you're paddling in a circle.

Better idea:  head to Cook's Canoes in Webberville.

Webberville is a town of about 300 people about 10 miles east of Austin straight down MLK.  Cook's is run by a man named...Cook...but he was out of town last weekend.  So we met his cronies, who have enjoyed more than their share of  alcohol, pot, and sun over the past several decades.  Let's just say that they are more than half the adventure.  The flower bed outside their combo house/office is filled with hundreds of deflated soccer balls (assumed to be rescued from the river) and you can tell what they think of Austin from the sign below. 

The paddle is a rural one, with dozens of rope swings along the way.  There are several islands that are public land, so you can stop to have a picnic or even camp for a night or two.

Cook's charges $40 per canoe for the day.  This price includes a shuttle back to your car at the end of your trip. 

Dang Octopus

The octopus stole my video camera!  Oh how I love this.  And oh how it makes me miss scuba.

Treme

I don't often get excited about television, but The Wire was more than a TV show to me.  It was brilliant social commentary.  Set in Baltimore and supported by a cast of locals (many of whom hadn't acted before), it told the reality of life not only in Baltimore, but in our country as a whole.  Each season morphed around a few central social issues - politics, poverty, public education, drugs, ports and international trade, class divisions, human trafficking, the media and its effect on society, racism, and gentrification.  One of the writers, David Simon, wrote for the Baltimore Sun before creating the series, so there's truth to the storylines. 

So when I heard The Wire's creators had begun shooting a new series two years ago, I couldn't contain my enthusiasm.  Since then, I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Treme.

Treme is set in the New Orleans neighborhood of the same name a few months after Hurricane Katrina.  It follows the lives of mostly musicians, but people from all walks of life as they struggle to put the pieces back together after the hurricane.  As with The Wire, the producers cast many locals.  There are also well-known New Orleanians such as Kermit Ruffians and John Goodman.  (Elvis Costello also makes a guest appearance in the premiere!)

I don't have cable, but I found the premiere online and I'm very excited to see how the storylines unfold.  Many of my family members lost their homes during Katrina, and from their experiences, Treme seems to be doing a good job of hitting on the difficulties they faced.

Teabonics

I love this Flickr gallery of Tea Party signs with "creative spelling and grammar."   Here are a few good ones.

And I'm sorry, but you can't take back Amercia because it doesn't exist.

I wish I was still a teacher because my students would have loved these in Language Arts class.  This is why you stay in school, kids!

I Love You, Ladybugs, But You Better Keep Out of My Orifices

You're about to learn something about me that is a little cool, slightly sad, and really gross. 

I live with part of a ladybug inside my body.

From 1984.

Okay before you start imagining how it got in my body, let me explain.

I was an innocent four-year-old playing outside of my home in Arkansas and my lady friend flew into my ear.  Simple as that!  But then she kept flying...down my ear canal.

They look so sweet, don't they?  Wrong!  I'm more scared of ladybugs than snakes.  I spent the afternoon in the hospital with the doctor urging me not to move as he thrust the flexible forceps down my ear canal.  And, let's just say he was a little too forceful with his forceps and he flogged that little lady while she was in my ear.  And when he retrieved his work, it was only half our lady.  Leaving the other half with me, for the rest of my life.

I hate to think what her decayed body has turned into, but whatever it is, it gifted me with ear infections throughout my childhood.  And I'm pretty sure I'm going deaf in that ear.

But I learned more from Wikipedia today:

Human Impact

Ladybugs generally do not injure humans but are mainly a nuisance. However, recent studies suggest that ladybugs can cause some reactions, such as eye irritation or asthma. Dr. Linda Gilkeson, states "You bet those little critters can bite! They don't have any kind of venom or irritating saliva (like mosquitoes, black flies, etc.), but they are just big enough for us to feel it when they pinch our skin." ^[8] The ladybugs emit an acrid odor and can stain surfaces with their yellowish secretions; this defense reaction known as "reflex bleeding," which prevents predators, such as birds, from eating them. However, in a home, the fluid can stain walls and fabrics. "This substance actually is ladybug blood," says Tedders, a researcher from the United States Department of Agriculture. "It comes out the joints of the legs. "
 
Humm, I wonder how much ladybug blood is in my body.  Nice thought. 

So on to the reason I've been thinking about ladybugs today.  I wasn't aware some ladybug species that formerly thrived in the US are now becoming rare.  This is problematic because ladybugs are natural and effective predators of crop-damaging insects  Thus, scientists need help tracking several ladybug species, and quite brilliantly, they've enlisted kids!

Kids contributing to the Lost Ladybug Project simply find ladybugs, photograph them, and send it their photos with location information.  So far 6,000 ladybugs of 79 species have been counted through the project.

 Ladybug Sightings via Lost Ladybug Project

Local elementary kids do similar work finding and identifying archeological artifacts on my work's properties in southern Austin.  Love it!

Here's to your future, ladybugs...just keep out of those kiddos' ears!

Mantra

"What seem to us as bitter trials

are often blessings in disguise."

- Oscar Wilde