FourDogMom

Balsamic Marinated Tofu

2012-02-14T12:31:00.001-06:00

Whole Foods has a tofu dish I really love, Balsamic Roasted Tofu. Lately however it has been hard to find and the taste isn't always consistent so I decided to try and make it myself. All I did was buy extra firm tofu, cut it into cubes, drain the water out of it and them marinate it in Balsamic vinegar and a little garlic. Whole Foods roasts theirs but I decided to put mine in a frying pan (no oil) and just let it simmer a bit. Mine is so much better than the WF version even though they add rosemary and roasted red peppers. I would have done that too but I didn't have any and it really doesn't need anything else. I made enough for 5 lunches with one block of tofu which cost me under 5 dollars so it's a real bargin too.

Aunt Vada

2012-02-06T12:41:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite things to do as a child was to visit my Aunt Vada and Uncle Robert in Raymondville. Aunt Vada always had lots of cats and kittens and I have always loved cats. Most were outdoor stray cats that she fed (much like I've always done) but she usually had at least one indoor cat and sometimes kittens. She also had a wonderful swingset in her backyard and lots of fruit trees so there was always plenty of fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice. Aunt Vada also introduced me to alternative medicine, probably inadvertently, when we drove out to the country to a little shop that had the kinds of stuff you only find in health food stores now. I remember seeing a book there about treating cancer with grape seed extract and I wondered if this could help my mother who had ovarian cancer. I also loved spending time with my Uncle Robert. He was a bowler and would often take me bowling with him. He also got me interested in coin collecting. Every night he would come home with rolls of pennies from the bank and we would look through them for wheat pennies. I still to this day look for and collect wheat pennies. I can still picture him sitting in his recliner in the family room smoking his cigar or pipe. I love the smell of cigars and pipes because of him. I wish I had a picture of him for this blog.

Aunt Vada at age 63

Aunt Vada with Eileen

Job Creation under Obama

2012-02-05T13:50:00.002-06:00

Happy Groundhog's Day

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

Here is a really, really old picture of me with the official Punxsutawney Phil statue in Punxsutawney, PA. J and I were in PA to see his family and the enjoy the beautiful fall colors and we stopped for lunch at the Hotel Punxsutawney.

Robie House

2012-01-21T08:19:00.000-06:00

I finally finished my Lego's Robie House, all 2,276 pieces. The roof comes off so that you can put little battery powered lights inside to illuminate the house.

Americans make up half of the world's richest 1%

2012-01-20T12:30:00.004-06:00

http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/04/news/economy/world_richest/index.htm

Poor Texas. Forrest Homer Simpson is Coming Back.

2012-01-20T12:18:00.001-06:00

I found this on Texas Kaos.
Poor Texas. Forrest Homer Simpson is Coming Back.

My Cousin Russell Dan

2012-01-15T17:20:00.003-06:00

Here are a few pictures of my cousin Russell Dan Herring. I don't remember ever meeting him or his family. The only memory I have is of 2 Christmas presents I received from his family when I was very young. One was a tiny make-up kit and the other was a homemade sock monkey made by his wife Barbara. Barbara and Russell Dan had 6 children, Kay, Beth Ann, Danny, David, Jennifer, and Kelly.

With my mother.

All the cousins.

With his wife Barbara.

With son Danny

Ginger and Her Kitty

2012-01-14T11:49:00.003-06:00

Although Ginger doesn't look too happy here, I think she really enjoys it when her kitty comes in for a visit.

My Cousin Eileen's Wedding

2012-01-08T09:55:00.003-06:00

My cousin Beverly, Eileen's sister, is on the right.

My mother made my dress.

Hard to tell from the pictures but the dress is a dark turquoise.

What a beautiful bride.

Eileen at age 14

When I was 3 or 4 I was asked to be a flower girl in my cousin Eileen's wedding to Jerry Paul Cobb. I don't remember too much about the wedding but I do remember that after I walked up the aisle I still had rose petals in my basket so I turned around and started going back down the aisle. Everyone in the church thought this was cute and I heard the story over and over again as a child.
Eileen and Jerry Paul have 3 children, Derek, Michael, and Jerri Lynn.

Rosie

2012-01-01T00:00:00.002-06:00

Rosie was adopted on this day in 1999. Here are some pictures from the first weekend she spent with us on John's farm in Anderson.

The whole pack.

She still can't sit up straight.

In John's hands.

With her favorite sister Ginger.

Falling Water

2011-12-30T10:19:00.005-06:00

I just finished this Lego set of Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water. I didn't even know Legos had an architectural series until I saw some in a catalog. This was so much fun I decided to order the larger (2,276 piece) Robie House set.

2011-12-30T10:16:00.003-06:00

Relaxing after a long hard day keeping the mice away.

How the Gingrich Stole Christmas

2011-12-22T07:49:00.001-06:00

How The Gingrich Stole Christmas narrated by Paul F. Tompkins from Paul F Tompkins

The Decider Having a Holly Jolly Christmas

2011-12-19T08:45:00.002-06:00

Contemplative Dogs

2011-12-18T11:06:00.000-06:00

More Christmas Pictures

2011-12-17T18:25:00.001-06:00

These pictures were taken in Houston, New Orleans, and Bryan, TX and are in no particular order.
The black and white cat is Dixie, who came with our house in New Orleans.
The little Emenee Organ was probably my favorite Christmas gift ever. I still have it and it still plays as well as the day I got it in 1959.

Cookie Day!

2011-12-14T08:39:00.005-06:00

Thanks to The Decider we are all experiencing a major sugar high in the cataloging department today.

2011-12-13T10:48:00.006-06:00

I went to P.F. Chang's on Friday night and ordered one of favorite things on the menu, the Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps. They didn't taste as good as usual but I figured it was me and didn't think anything more about it until I got my bill. The waiter had written down chicken instead of vegetarian. I asked him if they were indeed chicken and he said yes. He thought that's what I had ordered. I explained to him that I have been a vegetarian since 1989 and would never order chicken. The waiter felt horrible about the mix up and I wish now I hadn't said anything to him since there wasn't any way to fix it at that point. I'll probably never go back there though. I started going to P.F. Chang's because PETA recommended them. They have a large selection of vegan items and will substitute tofu for almost any other protein in most dishes if you ask.

Christmas (The Early Years)

2011-12-11T16:45:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from the LeGrand Family

2011-12-03T20:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Tamara!

2011-12-02T00:00:00.002-06:00

A few years ago I put all of the pictures I have of my daughter in albums and gave them to her. This is one of the few I have left and it's one of my favorites. It was taken in 1st grade.
If you read this Tam, remember you are supposed to send me the disc with all of the pictures.

Angels for Animals

2011-11-27T11:00:00.008-06:00

Rather than buying a tree for Christmas I decided to buy a dog house for an outside dog this year through PETA's "Angels for Animals Program."
To learn more about this program go to:

https://secure.peta.org/site/Donation2?df_id=6700&6700.donation=form1&set.custom.Campaign_Code=H11LECXXXXG&autologin=true

Pictures with Santa

2011-11-26T08:42:00.001-06:00

The first 7 pictures were taken at the Foley's in downtown Houston. Foley's always had the real Santa. The last 2 were taken in New Orleans. The snowman in the second to last picture is Mr. Bingle, the Christmas mascot for Maison Blanche. Anyone who grew up in New Orleans will remember the song: Jingle, jangle, jingle here comes Mr. Bingle with another message from Kris Kringle...

2011-11-25T08:32:00.000-06:00

Our beautiful, formerly feral kitty enjoying the good life indoors.

How we spent our Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T08:27:00.000-06:00

This is how Rosie and I spent our Thanksgiving. We were really thankful that our mom (fourdogmom) was invited over for dinner by some friends from our old neighborhood so we could get some much needed rest.
Ginger

Victoria and Raphael

2011-11-18T12:19:00.007-06:00

Here are 2 turkeys I'm sponsoring through The Farm Sanctuary. Their names are Victoria and Raphael.

To learn more about Farm Sanctuary and maybe sponsor one of their many farm animals go to their website: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/

Hood Brigade Celebration

2011-11-13T19:29:00.000-06:00

My grandfather, Arthur L. Huebner is the first person on the left. This picture was probably taken during the Bryan Centennial Celebration.

Huebner Family

2011-11-13T18:45:00.003-06:00

When my grandmother married A.L. Huebner my father acquired not only a terrific step-father but a really wonderful and colorful extended family. Although I don't know much about the family history I know the Huebners were a German family from Shiner, Texas. The Huebner name is listed in the Shriner newspaper several times dating back to the late 1800's.
Other than my grandfather, the other Huebners who were an important part of my life were Jo and Eddie Huebner. They had a beautiful old house in the Norhill section of the Heights in Houston decorated with beautiful Victorian furniture. Even though they never had children, their house was full of toys, especially at Christmas and they always welcomed all the neighborhood children and their families to their home during the holidays. I can still remember an electric train that circled their huge Christmas tree. Aunt Jo was a wonderful baker and cook and always had lots of homemade cookies and other goodies to share. They also had an old Victrola and would crank it up and listen to old favorites and dance. I have the Victrola now and it always reminds me of them and the love they had for each other.
Thankfully, my father wrote the names of all the Huebners on the back of these pictures before he died.

From left to right: Laura, A.L. Huebner, Mrs. Huebner, Mr. Huebner, Clara, Norman, Verna.

Mrs. Huebner

Mr. Huebner is the person in the middle behind the bar. According to a note by my father on the back, this picture is in the Texas Museum in San Antonio.

Jo (1906-1984) and Eddie Huebner (1903-1991)

A.L. and O.H. Huebner

Huebner brothers: Norman, Eddie, Albert, O.H.

Unidentified Huebner brothers.
This is such a great picture I had to include it even though I'm not sure who they are.

Bluecher Lodge No. 20

2011-11-13T18:35:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Rosie

2011-11-08T10:01:00.003-06:00

Rosie turned 12 yesterday. That's 64 in human years. We celebrated with mini-cupcakes from Whole Foods.

Chia Seeds

2011-10-21T12:31:00.006-05:00

Now that I've discovered how to use my DVR I've been recording the Dr. Oz show everyday.

A while back he was talking about how amazing chia seeds are so I've added them to my diet. I've been on a super anti-cancer diet for a few months now and have lost 15 lbs. too.

I found this on http://www.sharecare.com/

What an amazing seed with an amazingly long history of delivering on taste, health and performance for humans dating back to the Aztec Warriors! Chia seeds are truly nature's most powerful and delicious grain and besides really enjoying their taste, I found them to be a critical source of nutrients and energy during my day to day routine in the clinic or hospital or while out on missions as an Army physician. The seeds are perfect mixed into a smoothie, yogurt, on cereal or part of a bar. When I am in a hurry, I also mix several tablespoons of the seeds together in water, let sit for 5 minutes, add a touch of agave nectar or honey, and then grab a spoon and dig in! I call this “chia-meal” and it replaces my over the counter fiber supplements and I love it. The seeds are jam-packed with an array of disease-fighting and health-promoting nutrients. Chia is loaded with protein, very high in fiber, antioxidant content (they contain similar antioxidant power as blueberries!), and lots of water molecules which helps you stay hydrated when needing to perform your best and aids in digestion. They are also very high in an Omega-3 called ALA. Sources rich in ALA have been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. Note: Omega-3 ALA does not appear as powerful however as the other two dietary Omega-3s, EPA and DHA). To me, the Omega-3 ALA in chia though is just a small bonus on top of a ton of other nutrients. Chia seeds are also high in important minerals including calcium, phosphorous, and manganese that further help improve bone mineral density. There is something else interesting about chia seeds --the seeds dissolve inside your stomach and intestine to form a smooth, soft, gel-like substance that helps your body digest carbohydrates more efficiently before the glucose enters your bloodstream. This means a slower blood glucose and insulin rise, leading to better glucose stability and energy. This makes chia a “low glycemic index” food. Studies show that diabetics, who especially need to control their blood sugar, really benefit from adding chia to their diet. The unique combination of nutrients, great taste, energy profile, and physical properties of the chia seed make this a true (and proven) winner for endurance, bone mass, heart health, gastrointestinal health, and general wellness. As the Aztecs Warrior believed, chia seeds are part of my essential "nutritional armor" for internal cellular health and performance--Daniel T. Johnston.

Last night I put some in my blueberry smoothie but it made the smoothie too thick so I think I'll start adding them to oatmeal. I was able to find them at Whole Foods, raw and organic.

If you don't want to eat them you can always use them for this cute pug costume. Rosie would not be happy.

Ginger

2011-10-18T12:01:00.006-05:00

I almost became onedogmom this weekend when my sweet little Ginger ate a leaf from an oleander plant at my apt. complex. She has been at the vets office since yesterday morning and will probably have to stay at least another day. They have run lots of tests and it looks like she'll be ok but when I visited her yesterday she sure didn't look ok. I'm not even sure she knew I was there. Oleander is one of the most deadly plants for dogs and is often fatal. She threw up the leaf which may have saved her life.

Friday 10/21: Ginger came home Wednesday night. I stayed home yesterday to make sure she was ok. So far so good. This morning she was back to her old self. She has 3 medications she has to take 1 hour apart so we started at 5 am with the first, then one at 6 and the last at 7. The bill from my vet was over $1300 but well worth it. So glad I sold my house and have some money from that to cover dog emergencies.

Not So Feral Anymore

2011-10-11T12:30:00.003-05:00

Now that the weather is a little cooler I've started leaving the patio door open in the afternoons. The cats who were once very feral are getting friendlier and coming in. They all love Ginger and the male Siamese walks with us when we go on our evening walks. He also purrs when I feed and pet him. He is in the first picture and Cinza is in the second. I really need a name for him. Right now I just call him "Pretty Boy"

Family

2011-10-01T16:34:00.001-05:00

Bon Anniversaire Erin!

2011-10-01T16:27:00.006-05:00

The cute little girl in this picture is my niece Erin who is all grown up now and living in Madagascar.

2011-09-28T09:58:00.001-05:00

And More Owls

2011-09-26T07:51:00.004-05:00

Rice Owls (part 4)

2011-09-25T12:36:00.002-05:00

Tommy LaVergne took this picture of the 3 little owls on the Rice campus.

Rice Owls (part 3)

2011-09-25T12:28:00.003-05:00

Rice Owls (part 2)

2011-09-24T15:38:00.001-05:00

And then there were 2.

Rice Owls

2011-09-24T11:44:00.001-05:00

With the help of the circ staff, I found this little owl right outside of the Fondren Library this morning.

Ginger with her Cats

2011-09-24T11:43:00.004-05:00

Ginger loves our little cat family and they seem to like her too. She enjoys finishing up the cat food they leave on the plate and they like playing with her leash. When I open the door every morning they all rush in the apartment but only the male siamese lets me pet him.

Old Pug

2011-09-24T11:25:00.001-05:00

Ginger

2011-09-11T11:16:00.001-05:00

Last night the gray kitty I call Cinza wandered into our apartment and she and Ginger touched noses. That reminded me of this really cute picture of Ginger touching noses with a calf on John's farm in Anderson. Of course as soon as the calf's mother saw what was going on she charged and Ginger and I had to run to get out of her way. The farm where we spent so much time is in the middle of all the wild fires in Grimes County and the surrounding areas and I have no idea whether the house is still there or has burned down. I'm pretty sure the beautiful pond that Ginger and the other dogs used to swim in has dried up. We haven't had any rain in this part of Texas in months and have had record breaking temperatures.

2011-09-11T11:12:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture I took of New York from a plane as we were taking off after a trip in 1998 or 99. I hope to go back someday and see the 9/11 memorial site.

Fourdogmom the Tiger Mom

2011-09-05T09:08:00.000-05:00

I have always loved cats, especially big cats like the one in the 2nd picture so when I had the opportunity to actually be this close to one I jumped at it. My long time significant other, John, wasn't so happy about me doing this. He was afraid I would get mauled. I did it anyway and had a great time.

2011-09-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

My mother with her nieces Beverly and Eileen Herring and her nephew Russell Dan Herring.

2011-09-04T12:06:00.000-05:00

I've always loved this picture of my mother and me.

Student Runs Secret Banned Books Library from Locker

2011-09-03T10:35:00.002-05:00

Found this great story on Care2:

Student Runs Secret Banned Books Library from Locker
by Anna K.
September 2, 2011

A Catholic school student who identifies herself by the avatar name “Nekochan” started an unofficial library of banned books that she runs out of her locker at school. She began to lend books to her classmates when her school banned a long list of classic titles, including The Canterbury Tales, Paradise Lost and Animal Farm.

Concerned about getting in trouble for violating school rules, Nekochan wrote a letter to an online advice column to ask if it was “ok to run an illegal library” from her locker.

Nekochan wrote about the recent book ban: “I was absolutely appalled, because a huge number of the books were classics and others that are my favorites. One of my personal favorites, The Catcher in the Rye, was on the list, so I decided to bring it to school to see if I would really get in trouble. Well… I did but not too much. Then (surprise!) a boy in my English class asked if he could borrow the book because he heard it was very good AND it was banned! This happened a lot and my locker got to overflowing with banned books, so I decided to put the unoccupied locker next to me to a good use. I now have 62 books in that locker, about half of what was on the list.”

I understand the appeal of reading banned books because they are banned. When I was eleven, I bought a banned books poster at a school book fair and proceeded to read each of the titles on the poster, crossing each one out as I went. It still hangs on the wall of my childhood bedroom.

Books are banned for many reasons, but in a lot of cases, such as Nekochan’s, the complaint originates in religion. Amelia T.’s Care2 post discusses the case of a public school that banned books for “contradicting the Bible.” In that case, only one member of the school board had read all of the books under consideration for banishment. Books are often banned by school boards whose only knowledge of the books is a brief, out-of-context quotation.

Nekochan recognizes the risk that she could get in trouble for supplying her classmates with banned books, but she believes that she is in the right. “Before I started [the library], almost no kid at school but myself took an active interest in reading! Now not only are all the kids reading the banned books, but go out of their way to read anything they can get their hands on. So I’m doing a good thing, right?”

I hope that this brave student can keep her contraband library a secret from the authority figures at her school. The thrill of a “secret” library is surely driving her classmates to read the very books that their teachers and parents do not want them to have access to. Her violation of school policy is in the spirit of bigger and better things — literature, freedom and the eternal fight against censorship. Well done, Nekochan.

Staying Cool

2011-09-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

Sisters

2011-09-01T00:01:00.006-05:00

A very happy birthday to my sister!
(even if she doesn't read my blog)

Cinza and Her Kitten

2011-08-25T09:01:00.002-05:00

Beautiful Cats

2011-08-21T11:23:00.004-05:00

This is the prettiest of the strays. She is the little girl I had spayed a few weeks ago. If you look closely you can see the notch they took off of her left ear to indicate she has been fixed.
I have to take pictures from inside the patio door so the quality isn't great but you can still see what a beautiful seal point siamese kitten she is. Her mother is a tiger cat with white paws so she isn't a real siamese kitten but she and her brother could pass.

Here are the 2 siamese kittens when they were younger. The boy is a little fluffier than the girl. I haven't taken him in to be neutered yet.

The 2 siamese kittens are waiting for the gray kitty I call Cinza to finish eating before they will eat. Cinza has been fixed too.

UPDATE: I had the beautiful little boy siamese kitten neutered on Saturday.

Our Summer "Orphan"

2011-08-20T08:23:00.005-05:00

My sister and I used to joke about the summer our grandmother got an orphan for us. I'm sure it wasn't a joke to little girl who stayed with us for a week or so one summer while we were visiting our grandparents in Bryan. Her name was Pamela and she came from the Texas Baptist Children's Home in Round Rock, Texas and she wasn't really an orphan. Her family was probably in crisis and left the children at TBCH while they tried to resolve what ever issues they were having. I'm not sure why, but the TBCH must have farmed out some of the children to families thinking it would be nice for the children to have a vacation. I doubt if they could get away with something like that now without a home study but back then it was enough if you attended a Baptist church. Judging from the picture, Pamela was around my age and I remember having a good time playing with her.The main thing I remember though was when her parents came by to pick her up. She was so happy to see them that she started crying. Really, really crying. I didn't understand this at the time but looking back it's easy to imagine how frightened she must have been, first to be dropped off at an orphanage and then to be separated from her siblings when she was shipped off to a strange home for a few weeks. I think about her from time to time and wonder what happened to her and to her family. I'm so glad I found this picture of the 3 of us.

Feral Cats

2011-08-18T10:07:00.006-05:00

After trying for months I finally managed to get all of the female feral cats at my apartment complex spayed. I took the tiger kitty in yesterday to SNAP and she is recovering at home right now. I'm planning to trap the male Friday or Saturday and take him in on Saturday morning. There are also 2 kittens who are still a little too young so I'll wait a month or so for them.
SNAP is a great non-profit that does low cost spaying and neutering. I wouldn't have been able to do this for the 6 strays without their help. My vet wanted to charge me $623 for one female. SNAP charges $50. They also have a wellness clinic and several mobile spay/neuter vans in Houston and San Antonio. Here is a link to their site: http://www.snapus.org/

Cousins

2011-08-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of me and my sister with our cousins Russell Dan, Eileen, and Beverly Herring. It was taken in front of our house on Drummond. A few years later I would be the flower girl at Eileen's wedding to Jerry Paul Cobb.

Here I am again with my mother. I love her bangs and long dangly earrings.

Cotton Farmer

2011-08-13T09:02:00.002-05:00

A little known fact about me:
When I was 7 years old I was a successful cotton farmer. In the summer of 1960 while visiting my Aunt Vada and Uncle Robert in Raymondville, Texas, my uncle, who worked in a cotton gin, brought some cotton home to show me. I asked him if I could have the seeds to plant and even though all the adults told me I would never be able to grow cotton in my back yard in Houston, I persisted and grew the beautiful cotton plant seen in this picture.
My uncle also got me interested in coin collecting. Every night he would bring home a few rolls of pennies and we would look through them for wheat pennies. Back then they weren't so scarce so it wasn't unusual to find 3 or 4 in a roll of 50. I still to this day have a nice collection of pennies and always keep wheat pennies when I find one.

End of Summer

2011-08-11T11:57:00.003-05:00

My summer is coming to an end soon as Fondren Library will start regular hours this weekend. I've enjoyed my Sundays off and have finished a lot of projects I have wanted to do for a long time. My biggest accomplishment was a huge photo organization project. I'm happy to report that every single picture in my house is now organized in an album and all the newspaper clippings and mementos are in acid free envelopes in a binder. Since my blog is now mostly about family this really helps when I am looking for a particular picture.
I also organized my books and got rid of quite a few. Same with clothes. I'm hoping this will make my next move a little easier. I'm still looking for a condo to buy but haven't really found anything I love in my price range. I'm also considering moving to Austin in a few years but don't know how practical that is job wise.
My diet is finally on track. I went to a Dr. a few weeks ago and found out my thyroid wasn't functioning as well as it should. I've now been on some pills for a little over 2 weeks and have finally started losing weight. I'm sure I could lose more if I could start walking again with the dogs but with triple digit temperatures it's too hot right now even in the mornings.
I've given up coffee and almost all sugar. I still get a little caffeine and sugar in my Mango Acai White Tea (Honest Tea) that I have for lunch. My diet consists mostly of fresh fruits, fresh pressed vegetable juice, and tofu or beans. I'm 99% vegan and may never be 100% because I would like to be able to have an occasional cookie or maybe a little cheese on something when I eat out. Probably no more than once a month though. I'm also addicted to Annie's Organic Honey Wheat Pretzel Bunnies and honey isn't vegan. I try not to buy these too often and always end up sharing with the dogs because they love them too.
The pups are doing well and I'm trying to trap all the stray cats in the complex and have them spayed or neutered at SNAP (Spay Neuter Assistance Program). So far I have had one female cat done, the slate gray kitty I call Cinza. I believe there is a picture of her on my blog. She had been pregnant a few months ago but never got real big so I assumed she had miscarried when she showed up one day not pregnant. Last night an older kitten who obviously belongs to her showed so I guess she had him/her well hidden. Fortunately the kittens will go in the trap willingly for food. The tiger mother cat is the one I'm having trouble tricking into the trap.
I've stopped watching the news because it's too depressing. I now watch all the cooking shows and HGTV shows plus some shows on Bravo. I love Rocco's Dinner Party on Bravo, Chopped on The Food Network, Design Star on HGTV, and Food Network Star. I guess I'm getting old. This reminds me of my father watching the Weather Channel. I used to tease him about this. Now I've become him.
Houston is HOT. Water mains are bursting all over the city and it takes the city weeks to fix them. One just broke on my street on Sunday. Water rationing begins next week I think and we have all been asked to limit electrical use between 4 and 7 pm to avoid rolling blackouts. I usually turn the thermostat up to 80 when I get home so the AC doesn't come on and then turn it back down before I go to bed. The apartment doesn't get nearly as hot as my old house and my electric bill was only $107 this month. Pretty low considering what other people are paying.
I hope we get some rain soon and some relief from the heat.
Back to work.

Scoby

2011-08-06T08:00:00.002-05:00

Arthur L. Huebner was born on December 1, 1890 and married my grandmother Sarah Effie on December 31, 1922. His nickname was Dutch but I always called him Scoby. I have no idea where that name came from but that has always been his name to me. If you were an Aggie in the 1950's or 60's, possibly earlier than that, you probably had your hair cut by Scoby. He worked as a barber right across the street from A & M. I remember going there a few times and seeing all the Aggies with their very short haircuts, a requirement at the time I believe.
Scoby was a wonderful man from a very colorful Shiner, Texas family and a really terrific grandfather. He was also a good stepfather to my father and probably provided some much needed stability for him at the time.

These two pictures below were taken during the Bryan, Texas Centennial Celebration in the 1960's. The men were required to grow beards and the men and women were required to wear period costumes when they went downtown. I loved Scoby's beard and asked him to save the whiskers for me when he shaved them. I kept them for many years in an envelope in my jewelry chest.
Ninie and Scoby.

Here he is in front of his barber shop.

Scoby with my father.

2011-07-30T11:11:00.009-05:00

At the end of every school year at Mark Twain Elementary, there was a Western/Texas themed festival where everybody wore cowboy, cowgirl, or Indian costumes. Even though Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were my heroes I always loved Indians so my mother made this beautiful turquoise squaw girl dress for me to wear.

Here is another picture in color of the same dress.

I remember this dress so well. My mother had made a dress out of the same fabric for herself and I loved it and wanted one just like hers. She made this jumper for me out of the left over fabric. I wish I had a picture of the two of us in our matching dresses.
My mother was a wonderful seamstress and I always got lots of compliments on the clothes she made for me.

Faircloth Family

2011-07-23T15:35:00.006-05:00

I'm not sure who this family is or how they are related to Laura Jane Faircloth. On the back of the picture is "Mrs. H. E. Faircloth, Grand Saline, Tex."

Carnegie Public Library, Bryan, Texas

2011-07-17T15:48:00.005-05:00

Here is a little information about the Carnegie Library mentioned in my earlier blog about my grandmother:

"The Carnegie Library was founded in 1902 with a $10,000 gift from nationally recognized philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The Carnegie served the community until 1969 when the city opened the Bryan Public Library. Today, the renovated library houses the Carnegie Center of Brazos Valley History. Bryan's is the oldest existing Carnegie Library in Texas."

For more history see: http://www.bcslibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/carnegie_history.pdf

Ninie

2011-07-17T15:00:00.005-05:00

I've been thinking about my grandmother a lot lately probably because of all the old photographs and mementos of her I've run across while organizing family photos. Even though I didn't appreciate her when I was a child, I owe so much to her. This quote sums up up our relationship so well:

"What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And most importantly, cookies."

When I was a child I spent several weeks with her every summer at her big house in Bryan, TX. Our days were spent sewing, swimming, and going to the Carnegie Library in downtown Bryan. This is the only time I can ever remember being taken to a library and I remember how exciting it was going to story hour and then choosing books to check out. Her house wasn't air-conditioned so when it was really hot in the afternoons I would lie down in a bed on the sleeping porch, a room with 26 windows, and read. I have always loved books and reading and this was the only time in my childhood when I actually had enough to read. My reading was sometimes interrupted by the sound of a train coming. Her house was right on the railroad tracks and I loved going outside and waving to the conductor and the man in the caboose and counting the number of cars.

My grandmother was a wonderful seamstress and, along with my mother, taught me to sew. We spent a lot of time in the fabric stores in Bryan and one time she let me pick out some fabric and showed me how to make a crop top. I remember it was lavender gingham and I made most of it myself.

I also took swimming lessons or went swimming almost every day. On the way back from the pool we would stop at Dairy Queen for lunch and sometimes in the evening we would go out again for ice cream or a Purple Cow. AND...there was never a time when I visited her when she didn't have homemade chocolate chip cookies in her cookie jar. It was the first thing I looked for when I got there. So many wonderful memories.

Here is a little bit more about her:

Sarah Effie Meads was born in Kurten Texas in 1895, the youngest of 8 children, to William Joseph Meads and Laura Jane Faircloth Meads. She married Henry Fain LeGrand and they had one child, my father, William Henry LeGrand, in 1916. She divorced HFL and married Arthur L. Huebner in 1922 (more about him in another blog). She was very active in Central Baptist Church and the Eastern Star.

When I moved back to Texas from New Orleans, I moved in with my father for a few months to take care of her. She had broken a hip and needed help with everything. Although this was a difficult time for all of us I'm glad I had the opportunity to repay her for all the love and kindness she had always shown me, and to get to know her as an adult. She recovered from her broken hip and was able to move back to her beloved home in Bryan where she lived until she died in 1986 at 90 years of age.

About her name:

Her name was Sarah Effie and before I was born everyone called her "Miss Effie." At some point I started calling her Ninie and that name stuck.

School Days

2011-07-16T18:30:00.006-05:00

This is a picture of my mother and her classmates taken in 1927 in Robstown, TX. The two little girls in the matching striped sweaters are her twin cousins Eva and Iva Magee. My mother is sitting next to the twin holding the sign.

Here she is in 5th grade standing next to her teacher, also in Robstown.

This was taken in Falfurrias in 1932. My mother is in the 3rd row, 5th from the left. Notice the cute dog (class mascot?) in the front row.

2011-07-16T18:15:00.003-05:00

It's quite posible my great grandmother was the inspiration for the Granny Clampett character in the Beverly Hillbillies.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2011-07-09T16:37:00.008-05:00

My mom with friends.

Fain Family

2011-06-26T15:09:00.002-05:00

Laura Jane Faircloth Meads

2011-06-26T13:56:00.001-05:00

This obit of my great grandmother has a lot of information about the family.

Meads-Faircloth

2011-06-25T15:13:00.005-05:00

My great grandparents Laura Jane Faircloth Meads and William Joseph Meads.

Meads Family

2011-06-25T14:45:00.006-05:00

This is a picture of 6 of the 8 Meads children. They are the children of Laura Jane Faircloth and William Joseph Meads and are the siblings of my grandmother Sarah Effie Meads LeGrand Huebner.

In the photograph are:

Rena Evelena Meads Brower 1879-1967.
William Frank Meads, 1882-?
Ida Meads Evetts, 1885-?
Marjorie Alice Meads Zimmerman, 1888-1942.
Rufus Carroll Meads, 1890-?
Mattie Dell Meads Elliott, 1893-

Henry Fain LeGrand

2011-06-18T16:06:00.018-05:00

My grandfather Henry Fain LeGrand was the was the son of Dr. Peter G. LeGrand (1845-1890) and Petronia Olena Fain LeGrand (1854-1936) of Weatherford, TX. They married in 1870 and had 6 children:

Henry Fain (1872-1946)
Alma Lillian (1874-1909)
William (1876-?)
John (1879-?)
Mary Edna (1881-?)
Francis Cecil (1885-?)

Henry spent most of his life in Weatherford and like my father, worked for Gulf Oil.

My father never knew his father but my mother went to visit him when my father was in Kuwait and I have a letter he wrote to her about her visit saying how proud he was of his son. He died shortly after her visit while my father was stationed in Kuwait.

Perry vetoes texting-while-driving legislation

2011-06-17T18:20:00.005-05:00

OK. After saying I was going to focus on family, Governor Goodhair goes and does something so stupid it can't be ignored.

From the Houston Chronicle:

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry has vetoed a bill that would have outlawed sending or reading text messages while driving.

Lawmakers approved the bill last month, but Perry called it an "overreach" and "government effort to micromanage the behavior of adults."

It was one of 23 bills Perry vetoed on Friday, in addition to a handful of line item vetoes in the state budget.

Perry set the known record for vetoes by a Texas governor in 2001 with 83, according to the Texas Legislative Reference Library. That was shortly after he ascended to the governorship in December 2000, once fellow Republican George W. Bush resigned to become president.

Bush had far fewer vetoes during his tenure as governor. His highest total for a legislative session was 38 in 1997.

2011-06-17T17:14:00.009-05:00

This blog started out as an assignment for work. Over a period of a few months we were assigned 23 things to do on the web and then blog about what we learned. I'm not sure if I wanted to do this but since it was required, I did it and loved it. My blog has never had a real focus but in the last few weeks I've decided to focus on family. I'm trying to organize old family photos, memorabilia, and genealogical material and post some of this on my blog. My niece is doing a lot of genealogical work too and this has inspired and motivated me.

I may continue to throw in an occasional political rant or a cute dog picture or story but most of what I will be posting from now on will be about my family and our roots. I'm going to try and remember to label everything I post about family as "family" in addition to the names of the people in the posts.

My Dad

2011-06-13T11:57:00.034-05:00

For Father's Day this year I've decided to honor my dad, who died in 1998, by posting some pictures of him from his earliest years through adulthood, at work, and at play.

Here are some early pictures.

This picture shows him with his mother, Sarah Effie Meads Huebner and his aunts Ida and Rena. Even though you can't really see him very well, I've included this picture of him in the car. This may have been one of the first cars he had ever seen and it's easy to imagine his excitement at being able to sit in one.

My father was very proud of this picture. It was his first suit and he was probably feeling very grown up wearing it. You can see what a handsome young man he was.

At work.

A true engineer, he loved working in the oil industry and loved all things mechanical.

At Play.

The cute little baby in this picture is his granddaughter Erin. They are sitting on his porch at the house he built on Lake Livingston. When I say he built the house I mean he really built the house. He was the contractor and did most of the work himself. He probably enjoyed building the house as much as he did spending time there after it was finished. The other picture was taken in Mexico when we were on vacation.

Here are two more pictures I found. The first was taken in Florida at Parrot Jungle. In the other picture he is enjoying the company of his 3 grandchildren, Tamara, Emily and Erin.

This was taken after he received a promotion at Gulf Oil and they needed a picture of him for one of their publications.

2011-05-24T12:28:00.004-05:00

I've been on my plant based/99% vegan diet for about 2 months now. I feel better and think I may have lost some weight even though I haven't actually been weighing myself. I did buy a new scale on Sunday and might start keeping track. Weighing can be dangerous because if I don't lose any weight I can get discouraged and use that as an excuse to eat. Finding all vegan prepared foods can be tricky. You really need to look closely at all the labels on everything which isn't easy for a old person to do. I appreciate Amy's Frozen entrees because they state clearly on the box if it is vegan and I don't actually have to look through a long list of ingredients.
I'm continuing to have a fresh fruit smoothie every morning and a fresh vegetable juice several days a week.

Happy Birthday Bob Dylan

2011-05-24T11:57:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe Bob Dylan is 70 years old today. I can't remember the first time I ever heard him sing but at some point in my life he became my favorite singer/songwriter/artist. I don't know if I could come up with a favorite album or song and I don't associate any of his songs with events in my life like I do with other songs and albums by other artists. Strange that I can remember the first time I heard most Beatles songs and who I was with at the time but don't associate Dylan with anything or anyone. It's like his music was always present in my life.
If I had to pick a few favorite albums, I guess I would pick Bob Dylan at Budokan, Desire, Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks. I love the lyrics from Forever Young which seem a fitting birthday tribute.

"May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young."

My First Christmas

2011-05-21T08:35:00.004-05:00

This picture is of my sister and me with our great aunt Rena Brower. She was my grandmother's older sister on my father's side of the family. Her full name was Rena Evelena Meads Brower and she was born on January 27, 1879.

A Rapture Sign I'd Like To See

2011-05-20T22:56:00.000-05:00

Casualties From the War on Terror, 9/11, and the Invasion of Iraq

2011-05-09T11:45:00.002-05:00

Interesting graphic from http://www.prosebeforehos.com/government_employee/09/11/perspective-on-911-and-the-invasions-of-iraq-afghanistan/

My Maternal Grandparents

2011-05-08T13:10:00.006-05:00

Here are pictures of my maternal grandparents taken on their wedding day in 1908 and then 50 years later in 1958 for their 50th wedding anniversary. My grandmother's name was Mollie Ora Magee Wells and my grandfather's name was James Daniel Wells.
I have wonderful memories of the time I spent with them in the summer in their home in Robstown, Texas. My grandfather and I spent many hours playing checkers and dominos. He also let me come to court with him one time. He was the city judge and I sat behind the judge's bench with him while he presided over the court.

2011-05-08T12:21:00.000-05:00

Another picture of my dad, this time with my daughter, probably taken on his boat dock on Lake Livingston.

Family picture

2011-05-07T08:58:00.000-05:00

I don't have many pictures of my whole family but here is one I did manage to find.

Happy Birthday Dad!

2011-05-05T17:30:00.001-05:00

My dad would have been 95 on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo). This picture was taken on a trip a few years before he died when we went to Huatulco, Mexico. He loved water, especially the beautiful beaches in Mexico. Over the years we went on many trips together but I believe this was the last one.

Another Beatrice Hat

2011-05-01T07:37:00.001-05:00

OK. This one I kind of get. Monarch butterflies...the Monarchy.

Commoners vs. Royalty

2011-05-01T07:36:00.001-05:00

Score 1 for the commoners.

William's Chocolate Biscuit Cake

2011-04-29T09:40:00.010-05:00

To celebrate the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate, our own William, aka Mr. Bill or The Decider, made a delicious Chocolate Biscuit Cake. This is the same cake that is being served at the wedding today and was Prince William's favorite cake as a child. If you love dark chocolate you will love this cake. Here are some pictures and the official recipe.

CHOCOLATE BISCUIT CAKE
The royal family prefers McVitie's brand Rich Tea Biscuits for their chocolate biscuit cakes, but any firm butter cookie can be used in this intensely rich and chocolatey no-bake treat. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers; the cake gets better with time.
Start to finish: 3 1/2 hours (30 minutes active)
Servings: 12
For the cake:
7-ounce package butter tea biscuits (sold in the cookie aisle)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
16 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) bittersweet chocolate bits
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the glaze:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 ounces (about 1 cup) bittersweet chocolate
Coat a 7- or 8-inch round springform pan with cooking spray.
To make the cake, with your hands break up the biscuits into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces; you want chunks, not crumbs.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the cream, honey and butter. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes, or until bubbling. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla, then the crumbled biscuits. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, using the back of the spoon to smooth the top. Gently tap the pan on the counter to eliminate any air pockets.
Refrigerate for 3 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
Once the cake is chilled, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and cream. When the mixture reaches a boil, remove it from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until completely melted and smooth.
Carefully remove the sides from the springform pan (you may need to slide a paring knife around the inside upper edge to ensure the sides come away cleanly from the cake). Invert the cake onto a wire rack, then remove the bottom of the pan from the cake. Set the rack over parchment paper to catch drips.
Pour the glaze evenly over the cake, allowing it to drip down and completely cover the top and sides. Allow to firm up, then transfer to a serving plate. Refrigerate leftovers.

My Mother's Birthday

2011-04-17T13:44:00.004-05:00

Here is a picture of my mother who was born on April 17, 1918. She died on March 1, 1965. Today the dogs and I got up early and drove to Bryan to visit her grave. When J and I would go to Anderson every weekend I would visit the cemetery more often but now just go once or twice a year. To see more pictures or read more about her you can click on her name in the labels area.

The Library Card as a Pop-Culture Fiend's Ticket to Geek Paradise

2011-04-13T12:32:00.012-05:00

This essay by Linda Holmes is from NPR:

There's a big public library literally across the street from my bank and the supermarket where I most frequently pick up stuff like milk and paper towels. Across the street. As in: first I buy Diet Coke, then I dodge one SUV careening around the corner, and I'm there. And yet, until this weekend, I'd never been in it and I had no library card. I know. I've talked a bunch of times about the economics of e-book purchasing and paper book purchasing, about my love of paperback romance novels, and about how unattached I am to book ownership and the growth of my personal library, and somehow, I never crossed the street. After finally heading over to get signed up and then leaving on Saturday with the odd sense I tweeted about that they had let me walk out with six books and three DVDs for nothing and I felt like I'd committed a heist, I gave this some thought. Why, when there's such bitter frustration over pricing of all the things people actually buy, is library borrowing often only faintly heard about in noisy, angry discussions you can so often hear about "How do I stop getting broken on the rack by publishers of various kinds?" What kinds of hesitations stop this from happening? (Note: I know that for some of you, you've always been library hounds; I salute you. Don't feel marginalized. I'm speaking of those — whose numbers are strangely large — who, like me, just kinda ... stopped thinking about public libraries at some point.) Do they have what I want? Obviously, one of the issues is always going to be selection. I think when I envision libraries, I think about ... encyclopedias? Children's books? History? It's not that I don't know that they have new books and popular fiction, though you often don't see that stuff on display because it's out with lengthy waiting lists. But somehow, I don't think of the library as possessing the same books I buy for myself. I see it the way I saw it when I was a kid. I see it the way I saw it when I assumed that all books that didn't have pictures in them were dry and important. I have always associated the library with school and homework and (the horror) being quiet, not necessarily with fun. But on Saturday, I grabbed David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, which I checked out because (1) I've never read it; (2) I may not talk myself into it or be able to finish it and I definitely don't want it in my house staring judgmentally at me if I don't; (3) I want to give it a try; and (4) it wouldn't work as a Kindle book anyway because of the footnotes. Taking it out of the library is basically the only model under which I'm likely to try that particular book. I also found the last three books in a highly frivolous Nora Roberts romance series (oh, settle down) from which I'd already read the first. They'd cost $12.99 each if I bought them electronically. That's forty bucks to read three more books that are ... all very much the same book as the first book, but I kind of wanted to read them, because ... whatever, it was the weekend. It's relaxing. It's a series. Don't judge. Anyway, borrowing them long enough to read them (which takes, in total, maybe twelve hours for all three) cost me ... nothing out of pocket. So let's review: E-book pricing versus paperback pricing versus zero dollars (beyond what I pay in taxes to support the library, which I'm paying anyway) — for the rest of the set. It was not a very difficult question. I also picked up the Tom Shales history of Saturday Night Live, which I'm pretty sure I've read, or at least looked over, but there it was, and why not? I also love the gigantic tomes about etiquette that Judith Martin (that's Miss Manners to you) writes — she's hilarious and smart — and they had one of those, so I picked it up. That's six books that I genuinely wanted to read, at least three of which I probably would have blown money buying and then felt bad about. What condition is the stuff in? The same romance about physical books that leads some people to inhale of the pages as if they're breathing in knowledge itself leads some of those same people not to like books that are beat-up. And make no mistake: In my public library, I found many beat-up books. In particular, I found that all those cheap romance paperbacks were beaten, mangled, shaken and stirred. Not so that you couldn't read them, but just so you knew they'd been read a lot. Oddly, I found this ... comforting. I picked up some of those horribly abused books and felt like I was putting my hands on tangible populism. Those books are there because they're read, and it actually made kind of a good reminder that the library was trying to help, that the idea was to serve readers. Whether you like genre fiction or not, the people who read it read books and support libraries and bookstores, and the proof is right there in all those spines that are half-unreadable because they're creased in so many places. (Oh, and one other thing: If you read romance novels from the library, you will learn that while you might not fold down the pages to mark the ... well, the more risque sections, some people do. I found this, again, delightful. You naughty people who live in my county.) In short, you are indeed dealing with shared books, and they feel like shared books. It's not the same feeling as owning a book yourself and filling it exclusively with your own marginalia and placing your bookplate in it, but it has its own charms. What do I do if the selection doesn't turn out to be so great locally? Consider for a moment our new I Will If You Will Book Club selection, Neil Gaiman's The Sandman: Dream Country, which we'll get started on this week. As it happens, when I look it up in the online catalog, there are no copies at my branch. (Four copies across my library system are checked out; I dearly hope they are all to IWIYW readers.) But there are other copies at other branches, and right from my desk, I can ask my branch to get me one, and I can pick it up there. In other words "Dear Building Near Me: I want to read this book, and they have it at Building Not Near Me. Could you ask them to send it over, and then I'll pick it up on this particular day? Sincerely, Lazy N. Frugal." To which my library will say, electronically, "Dear Lazy: No problem! We look forward to seeing you." So in other words, depending on your system, there's an excellent chance that the selection is bigger than you think it is. Do I have to run back and forth all the time? The lending period at my library, for most stuff, is three weeks. And most things can be renewed online, up to a point. I mean ... they're trying to make it easy on you, they really are. Were you embarrassed when they saw you checking out romance novels? If it's been a while since you visited your library, you may be surprised to learn that many of them have automatic checkout with scanners, just like at the grocery store, so you don't have to show your books to anyone if you don't want to. Nora Roberts was my little secret. Well, not so much now, but you know. Do they have anything for me if I'm not so much a reader? I know you probably know that your library has DVDs. But somehow, in my mind, I envisioned a measly little table, like at a garage sale in the late '90s, with a few scattered, beat-up DVDs on it, all of which would be selected from the great list of ... things I don't care about. To my surprise, they have a nice fat shelf of movies. I was recently reading Wil Wheaton's beautiful piece about reuniting with the cast of Stand By Me and remembering River Phoenix, so when I saw Stand By Me on the shelf, I took that. I then realized that the documentaries (I love documentaries) were shelved with the books (weird, but understandable), so I went into the stacks again. There, I found Ken Burns' Baseball and — oh, joy — the fantastic King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters, a movie that I recently discovered, to my dismay, is not streaming on Netflix anymore, and which I hadn't seen in a couple of years. So there you have it: three movies and six books, all very much from the universe of stuff we talk about here on the blog anyway. No research papers, no homework, no garage-sale cast-offs. I was really surprised, at some level, when the detectors at the door didn't go off, even though I intellectually knew they wouldn't. What say you to e-readers and audiobook lovers? I'm glad you asked. I may have misspoken when I said on Saturday that my library had e-books I could read on my phone. It's not clear to me yet (watch the drama unfold in the comments!) whether I can actually do that. BUT! Some other readers can read them, and I can read on a PC, which isn't as bad a way to read as I used to think it was. (This is actually how I first discovered e-books, was reading on my PC before I owned a Kindle.) The e-book situation with libraries is in flux, you could say, as Lynn Neary recently reported. But it's not because your local library isn't trying. As for audiobooks, my library has those, too, and as with e-books, you can download them from your computer without even going to the library. You could actually be a thriving, happy library user without ever setting foot in my particular public library. The library is hermit-friendly! Is that it? It's ... not remotely. They had magazines, they did have encyclopedias and research materials, obviously, and basically, if you have a small child, they will do everything short of holding your kid by his feet and dipping him in fonts of wisdom. There's story time, there are tutoring rooms (which were in use when I was there), there's a book club (they're reading As I Lay Dying at the moment), and OH RIGHT, it's staffed with people who clearly would really like it if you came up and asked them questions about books or anything else. The point I'm trying to make is that as a pop-culture-adjacent person, you may think that public libraries are not particularly relevant to you. But I felt like since we've talked about movie pricing, e-book pricing, and a lot of other business models, it was only fair to bring to your attention my experience with this bizarre business model that's so crazy it just might work. [Note: It is a complete coincidence, you have my word, that I just figured out it's National Library Week. My finger purely accidentally landed on the pulse of library news.] [Copyright 2011 National Public Radio]

Rescue Chocolate

2011-04-11T12:45:00.000-05:00

I just found this really great organization, Rescue Chocolate http://www.rescuechocolate.com/ that makes vegan chocolate and donates 100% of their profits to animal rescue organizations. This month, because of Easter, all of their proceeds will go to the House Rescue Society http://rabbit.org/ HRS rescues rabbits from shelters and educates people about the care and behavior of rabbits. They have launched a campaign called "Make Mine Chocolate" to encourage people to buy chocolate rabbits instead of live rabbits for Easter.

The chocolate rabbit pictured is one of the many vegan chocolate items for sale through Rescue Chocolate.

Song of Peace

2011-04-07T13:04:00.002-05:00

Song of Peace
by George Bernard Shaw

Slaughtered to satisfy our appetites,
We never pause to wonder at our feasts,
If animals, like men, can possibly have rights.
We pray on Sundays that we may have light,
To guide our footsteps on the paths we tread.
We're sick of war, we do not want to fight,
The thought of it now fills our hearts with dread
And yet we gorge ourselves upon the dead.
Like carrion crows, we live and feed on meat,
Regardless of the suffering and pain
We cause by doing so. If thus we treat
Defenceless animals for sport and gain,
How can we hope in this world to attain
The PEACE we say we are so anxious for?
We pray for it, o'er hetacombs of slain,
To God, while outraging the moral law,
Thus cruelty begets its offspring - War.

My Diet

2011-04-05T12:02:00.008-05:00

I've been on my new vegan/plant-based diet for a few weeks now and it's going pretty well. Here is what I eat on a typical day:
Breakfast: A smoothie with fresh orange juice, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, a banana, and a scoop of Spirutein protein powder. Everything is organic, if available. I got the idea for doing a smoothie for breakfast from my favorite ex-president, Bill Clinton, who is also on a plant-based diet.
Lunch: A soy ham or turkey sandwich on Rudi's 7 grain bread with some greenery. Today I had Whole Foods vegan mock chicken salad with sprouts. Their mock chicken salad is to die for delicious and I would eat it everyday if I could. I also have a low sugar white or green tea, usually Honest Tea mango acai tea. Today I'm having Steaz lime pomegranate white tea.
Snacks: I allow myself 10 raw almonds a day as a snack and also fresh fruit. If I don't put a banana in the smoothie I will usually eat one around 10 am. I don't really love bananas but if they are not too ripe (a little on the green side) I am ok with one. If they are a little brown I put one in the smoothie.
Dinner: This is the meal I need to work on. I am content eating an Amy's frozen dinner every night but realize this is probably not the healthiest thing to do. This summer when I have Sunday's off I'm hoping to do a little experimenting in the kitchen, maybe even freezing a few things for dinner.
The thing I miss most on this diet is SALT. I'm really trying to eat less salt and I miss it. When I do buy Amy's dinners I try to buy the low-sodium ones but then I want to add salt (I don't). I also miss my Annie's Honey Wheat pretzels. I have no idea if I've lost any weight. I don't own a scale anymore. I probably haven't but I'm giving myself a year. I'm also planning to do more juice fasts. Last Friday I went out to eat with a friend. We went to Fendee's Mediterranean Grill on Westheimer and I had the very best falafel I've ever had. Good hummus too.
OOPS: Forgot to mention that I also have 1 cup of instant organic coffee in the morning with almond milk. I've tried giving up coffee before but I always go back. Sigh.

Juice Fast

2011-03-24T19:54:00.002-05:00

I'm on the 4th day of my juice fast. One more day to go then I'm going to start my healthier plant-based vegan diet. I really hope I can stick to it this time.

UPDATE: It's 9:00 pm Friday night and my 5 day juice fast is over! I won't eat anything until morning but I made it.

IMDB to MARC Converter

2011-03-24T19:33:00.006-05:00

Here's an interesting cataloging tool I found today that only a cataloging nerd would appreciate. You can find it here: http://amazon.libcat.org/cgi-bin/imdb2marc.pl? Just type in the name of a movie and it takes the information from the IMDB and converts it into a MARC record. I love the IMDB and have used it for years when cataloging DVDs and this tool makes it even more useful and fun.

2011-03-20T20:04:00.008-05:00

Tomorrow I'm going to try and start my vegan, or plant-based diet (again). Plant-based is so much nicer sounding than vegan. I just finished listening to the audio book Veganist by Kathy Freston and it convinced me this is the way to go. I don't expect to be 100% but will do my best. I'm also going to try and start this week with a juice fast. I used to do this all the time but haven't tried in awhile. I would like to make it through 5 days. It was a lot easier when my SO would get me a juice every night. Now I have to make my own. Luckily I have citrus juicer and a vegetable juicer.

UPDATE: It's almost 8 pm Monday and I've made it through the first day of my fast! I honestly didn't think I would make it yesterday when I was planning the fast so this is great. The first day is always the hardest for me. I also took the pups on 2 walks. One was at 6 this morning. The weather is totally awesome. I have all the windows open.

UPDATE: It's 8:20 pm Tuesday and I made it through another day. Spent 4 hours at the dentist too.

Wednesday Update: I made it through another day! Don't know how I used to stay on these fasts for more than 5 days though. I'll feel really good if I make it through tomorrow.

2011-03-17T11:14:00.000-05:00

Helping animals in Japan

2011-03-17T10:15:00.004-05:00

After seeing the video on Yahoo today about the dog who wouldn't leave his canine companion I decided to send a contribution to World Vets, a non-government organization that provides veterinary assistance in 25 countries and is currently helping out with animal rescue in Japan. Here is a link to their website if you would like to help: http://worldvets.org/

The good news is that these 2 dogs have been rescued.

Jane Goodall

2011-03-17T08:32:00.005-05:00

Last Wednesday I went to hear Jane Goodall speak at an event sponsored by the Progressive Forum and the Houston Zoo. It's been 50 years since JG first started observing and working with chimpanzies in what is now Tanzania's Gombe National Park. She spoke about all of the changes in the world in the last 50 years and how these chances have impacted animals, people, and the environment. My favorite part of the speech was when she talked about how she first became interested in animals and what a key role her mother played by encourgaging and supporting her. She also discussed her organization for young people, Roots and Shoots. The mission of Roots and Shoots is to "foster respect and compassion for all living things, to promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs and to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment."

The Republican War on Women

2011-02-19T08:44:00.000-06:00

I'm received this email from MoveOn today and thought it worth passing on:

Dear MoveOn member,

It might seem hyperbolic to say that Republicans have declared a war on women.

Sadly, it's not.

Just take a look at the top 10 shocking, crazy things Republicans have proposed in recent weeks. If you think this constitutes a war on women, please share this email far and wide—forward it, and post it on Facebook and Twitter.

I wish I could say these were the only examples of the Republican war on women. But it's just a sampling, and more is sure to come—unless we raise a ruckus and call them out. So please, share this email today.

Thanks,

Kat

Top 10 Shocking Attacks from the GOP War on Women

1) Republicans not only want to reduce women's access to abortion care, they're actually trying to redefine rape. After a major backlash, they promised to stop. But they haven't.

2) A state legislator in Georgia wants to change the legal term for victims of rape, stalking, and domestic violence to "accuser." But victims of other less gendered crimes, like burglary, would remain "victims."

3) In South Dakota, Republicans proposed a bill that could make it legal to murder a doctor who provides abortion care. (Yep, for real.)

4) Republicans want to cut nearly a billion dollars of food and other aid to low-income pregnant women, mothers, babies, and kids.

5) In Congress, Republicans have proposed a bill that would let hospitals allow a woman to die rather than perform an abortion necessary to save her life.

6) Maryland Republicans ended all county money for a low-income kids' preschool program. Why? No need, they said. Women should really be home with the kids, not out working.

7) And at the federal level, Republicans want to cut that same program, Head Start, by $1 billion. That means over 200,000 kids could lose their spots in preschool.

8) Two-thirds of the elderly poor are women, and Republicans are taking aim at them too. A spending bill would cut funding for employment services, meals, and housing for senior citizens.

9) Congress voted yesterday on a Republican amendment to cut all federal funding from Planned Parenthood health centers, one of the most trusted providers of basic health care and family planning in our country.

10) And if that wasn't enough, Republicans are pushing to eliminate all funds for the only federal family planning program. (For humans. But Republican Dan Burton has a bill to provide contraception for wild horses. You can't make this stuff up).

Please share this email today. Just click the links to post on Facebook and Twitter.

Sources:

1. "'Forcible Rape' Language Remains In Bill To Restrict Abortion Funding," The Huffington Post, February 9, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206084&id=26177-2318427-orN_Xax&t=6

"Extreme Abortion Coverage Ban Introduced," Center for American Progress, January 20, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205961&id=26177-2318427-orN_Xax&t=7

2. "Georgia State Lawmaker Seeks To Redefine Rape Victims As 'Accusers,'" The Huffington Post, February 4, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206007&id=26177-2318427-orN_Xax&t=8

3. "South Dakota bill would legalize killing abortion doctors," Salon, February 15, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206102&id=26177-2318427-orN_Xax&t=9

4. "House GOP Proposes Cuts to Scores of Sacred Cows," National Journal, February 9, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206103&id=26177-2318427-orN_Xax&t=10

5. "New GOP Bill Would Allow Hospitals To Let Women Die Instead Of Having An Abortion," Talking Points Memo, February 4, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=205974&id=26177-2318427-orN_Xax&t=11

6. "Republican Officials Cut Head Start Funding, Saying Women Should be Married and Home with Kids," Think Progress, February 16, 2011
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/16/gop-women-kids/

7. "Bye Bye, Big Bird. Hello, E. Coli," The New Republic, Feburary 12, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206104&id=26177-2318427-orN_Xax&t=12

8. "House GOP spending cuts will devastate women, families and economy," The Hill, February 16, 2011
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/144585-house-gop-spending-cuts-will-devastate-women-families-and-economy-

9. "House passes measure stripping Planned Parenthood funding," MSNBC, February 18,2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206122&id=26177-2318427-orN_Xax&t=13

"GOP Spending Plan: X-ing Out Title X Family Planning Funds," Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206105&id=26177-2318427-orN_Xax&t=14

10. Ibid.

Birth Control for Horses, Not for Women," Blog for Choice, February 17, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206106&id=26177-2318427-orN_Xax&t=15

Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to Kathleen Knox on February 19, 2011. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here. About Yahoo! Shortcuts
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2011-02-07T12:18:00.007-06:00

I read yesterday on the Huffington Post that bush has cancelled a trip to Switzerland after several groups threatened to protest his visit. Several human rights groups were also demanding his arrest because he has admitted to ordering torture. According to Reuters, Dominique Baettig, a right-wing member of the Swiss Parliament was also demanding his arrest. Of course bush denied that the criminal complaints had anything to do with the cancellation. I wish they hadn't warned him but just arrested him as soon as his plane landed. He should have been arrested and tried here but wasn't even though we are one of the 147 countries to have ratified the 1987 treaty banning torture.