I wish you enough….

Just something inspirational to share with you today:
“I Wish You Enough
Recently, I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together at a regional airport. They had announced her departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, “I love you. I wish you enough.” She in turn said, “Daddy, our [...]

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How Do You Become a Shopping Mall Santa?

OMG….
just perusing Slate.com and came across a “recycled article” that is republished to make it a new article on Monday, December 17th called, “How to be a shopping-mall Santa”, which is indeed a very thorough article about Shopping Mall Santas.
It brought a smile to my face and a rush of memories as I had worked [...]

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Tired of Storytelling??? ;)

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Parent Alienation Syndrome – “Junk Science” says…

those at the Justice for Children program. 
“It is the position of Justice for Children that PAS is junk science.
“P.A.S. per se (not “parents lying about abuse allegations”) is not a syndrome.   People lie on the witness stand every day but that does not make it a syndrome.   Various credible studies have documented that the incidence [...]

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Reasons to be Thankful…

1.  I am alive and survived the 5th year after the death of my late husband!
2.  I have a beautiful daughter who has a loving hubby who both have a beautiful daughter (my first Granddaughter) born this year!
3.  I have parents who will share a 50th Wedding Anniversary this year!
4.  I have two adoring cats [...]

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While everything comes to a standstill during the holidays,

it is oftentimes that the social service industry is often at its busiest of times.
Pet sitters are needed for the pets while folks go on trips to visit relatives during the holidays.
Babysitters are needed so that the adults can go to their fabulously rocking, cheery holiday celebrations or just for some hassle free shopping.
Granny sitters [...]

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PBS Sprout – a New Jolly Green Giant???

No, I know.  Jolly Green Giant and Sprout are generally the animated characters associated with the line of vegetables that you see in your grocers’ aisles for many, many years and years throughout the past decades upon decades.
Today, though, while driving from home to a meeting this afternoon, I heard that they are advocating for [...]

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Boy Suspended for Drawing

So frustrating is the fear of the unknown.   I remember when I was mentoring a after school program in an Community Program in a poorer segment of Austin (not East Austin) and a young boy had drawn a much worse picture than this child who had been suspended.  While I was alarmed that a boy [...]

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Battered, but not Broken — Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October 1-31, 2007)

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Summer Ebbing Into Fall

Summer has been eventful for me…..
1. Biotechnology Program — I attended ACC’s fasttrack program this summer. A very intense program whereby we had 5-1/2 weeks of classes for 3 full days each week, then later had 5-1/2 weeks of nearly 40 hrs/wk internship at many Biotech type locations. Mine was held at the Texas Department [...]

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Mema

Well my daughter had her baby yesterday, but the day before they had the baby, they had text message calling me “Mema”. Looks like I am going to be called “Mema” when the granddaughter is old enough to say anything….
K
See more progress on: Pick a name for my Granddaughter to call me

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Sometimes, it is not for us to ask the reason why….

but, to just accept the why nots and proceed forward.
As much as we prepare for everything, we often find ourselves never truly prepared.
Take for example, today…
1. I decide to make it a day for my daughter by taking her to breakfast.
2. Then I gave her a choice of what to do [...]

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Something to remember about changing….

 
“I wanted to change the world.
But I have found that
the only thing one can be sure of changing
is oneself.”

 
- Aldous Huxley

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Wisdom per Hoover

“Wisdom consists not so much in knowing what to do in the ultimate as knowing what to do next.”
- Herbert Hoover

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Pro-Active Sex Offender Capture Measures?

I certainly hope so.  Texas has been aggressive against sites, such as MySpace.com, to provide them with the Sex Offenders on their sites, especially after having to sue them for their accountability after some children were attacked by sexual predators when they went to meet them in person.  I am sure that will only make [...]

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UPDATE: Emilio Gonzales

See the Austin American Statesman’s article, “Emilio’s short life likely to be long remembered: Terminally ill child’s case could influence laws and debate on end-of-life care”. I couldn’t have put it to words better myself.
I certainly do hope some laws do get to change. The thing is, it wasn’t just about spending [...]

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Baby Emilio – Futile Care Bill

 In following up on my Bits and Pieces posting, I had mentioned that Baby Emilio Gonzales’ Mother was fighting hard to keep Baby Emilio, at 17mos old, sustained on resuscitation equipment for just a little bit longer. On April 17th, the Court heard the matter and extended the hearing awaiting on other [...]

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Ten Most Popular Baby Names

The Social Security Administration has published their top 10 list (one for males and one for females) just in time for Mother’s Day:

MALES:  Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Ethan, Matthew, Daniel, Christopher, Andrew, Anthony and, finally, William!
FEMALES:  Emily, Emma, Madison, Isabella, Ava, Abigal, Olivia, Hannah, Sophia, and, finally, Samantha.  

I am not often interested in looking at theses lists [...]

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Lack of Warning to Residents of an Apartment Complex in Austin, TX, of an Alleged Sexual Assault

I can understand that there is a reason to be quiet about notification rather than send the residents into a panic; but, geez this apartment complex needs to exercise some sense. They are talking about an alleged sexual assault (just because it is alleged doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen; just means that the [...]

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Who Can Speak Better About the Power of Words….

better than Dr. Maya Angelou herself???  See the below YouTube where CBS interviews Dr. Maya Angelou on the subject of the power of words soon after the Imus blunder.  Perhaps, others should watch this as well to learn a little bit more about the Power of their Words and take their actions to heart to [...]

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More on Alex Baldwin…

Found this article on him and thought I would share it with you all, although, I am sure, that he would prefer all this media exposure to just go away and quiet down. The author certainly does make a good point in the end.
Published on April 29, 2007 by Ezine @rticles
Alex Baldwin Doesn’t Get [...]

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Alec Baldwin’s Blunder

Seems like a lot of folks are blundering fools these days.  Donald Trump and his spats with Rosie O’Donnell, Imus with his unwarranted remarks about a women’s basketball team, and now Alec Baldwin’s comments about his daughter!
We often speak frankly to our children and tell them what everyone else may walk on eggshells to tell [...]

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Media Influences

Who do you blame when your child pulls pranks and verges on the criminalistic side? Some will be quick to blame parents for allowing their children to listen to rap music, for instance. While some rap music can be alright, it is certainly not the norm of the rap culture who glorifies violence, [...]

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Pete Earley speaks out, “CRAZY: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness”

I have received in the mail today at home an invitation to attend a MH event with former Washington Post reporter, Pete Earley, speaking on CRAZY:  A FATHER’S SEARCH THROUGH AMERICA’S MENTAL HEALTH MADNESS, presented by NAMI Austin, in cooperation with The University of Texas School of Social Work.

This former Washington Post reporter, Pete Earley, [...]

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Jennifer Garner on Pregnancy

“When I was pregnant,
so many people warned me:
‘Your life is going to change!’
It sounded ominous.
Of course, having a baby
is a big change, but it’s
positive.  And I’m still me.”
~ Jennifer Garner

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Mother’s Day 2007!

As I am thumbing through and reading one of the last few articles in the May 2007 issue of Redbook, “the 5 hardest things about being a mom”, I am thinking to myself, “They have managed to narrow it down to just 5???  How can that be???”
First sentence reads, “Motherhood is a major [...]

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