Julie Pippert: Using My Words

On Sunday evening my family and I often watch a show called Big Ideas for a Small Planet . It's a Redford/Sundance initiative. I like it because it provides both problems and solutions; moreover, they are usually realistic, "I can do that!" solutions. Plus, it makes me hopeful. I think we all need to feel hopeful about the environment. If we feel hopeful, we don't feel powerless. If we don't feel powerless, we think there is something we can do, and every little bit helps. Last night's episode was called Pray (webisodes available here ), and was about the stewardship of the earth and faith. There were a variety of segments within the episode, but one in particular caught my attention: the destruction of reefs across the globe due to global warming, man's negligence, hostile environment and so on. Here's a little background about reefs: Coral Reefs are the oldest, most complex ecosystems on earth. They are home to more kinds of life than any other oce...

I've been reading as other bloggers had exciting, motivating, and informational meetings with politicians. Momocrats and other political bloggers have been excellent sources of information and opinions as we try to sort through a rather crowded field of candidates for the next major election. Written platforms, news articles, appearances in debates on television and so forth are all well and good, but there is something to be said for a more personal, face-to-face venue. I was fortunate enough to meet Hilary Clinton in Nashua, NH, and it gave me a better idea of who she is...that chance to be in person. Therefore, I was extremely pleased to get an invitation to lunch with Barack Obama in a private Houston home. Barack Obama is one of the greenest of the candidates and I can't decide if that's a pro or con. He certainly says some extremely intriguing things, although it seems lately his message has been a bit watered down, if consistent. I imagine Howard Dean is still fre...

Yesterday I once again spent quality time at Patience's elementary school. I've recently been fairly critical about district level decisions that I strongly believe negatively affect children. However, the good thing about spending time in the school with the teachers and children is that I get the chance to see how teachers creatively keep children engaged in learning and challenge them with great new lessons. In short, I get to see teachers succeed despite frequently not being enabled to do so or supported adequately. The kindergarten teachers are a fantastic group; I don't think, from what I've seen, that a child could get anything less than a really good one. They truly seem to get joy from the children. In addition to the teachers, the children spend quality time (once a week) with the music teacher, the art teacher and the coaches. One coach we know from gymnastics, where he taught a couple of Patience's classes. He's a tall young man, and seems patient an...

Blue Dog , by Patience , 2007 (Please do not reprint, use, or reproduce.) The other day we got a note home from school about the art program. We get notes from the school practically every day, promoting this or that cause, cajoling for volunteers, or asking for some sort of donation, but this one caught me. In our school district---which I consider to be a relatively wealthy district, with a high tax base and amazingly generous donations from individuals and the community---the school lacks (won't allocate?) the funds to provide the art teacher with the supplies she needs to teach our children about art. Art. A subject I consider essential. I come from a family of artists. I've created and sold art. For a while, it was my income. Luckily my husband provided one too or I might have starved, but that could also have been my lack of marketing ability (and motivation). Luckily my ancestors were craftier. When my great-grandmother became a single mother, she used her artistic talen...

Once upon a time, I scoffed at running. "Oh, la," said I, "I only run from trouble." Technically, you could say that my daily morning run is, in fact, from trouble. We are trying to avoid the tardy Patience will get. She's got three, and I'm already in the sights of the Attendance Office for our Egregious Offense of taking a family vacation during the school year (forgive me my ignorant assumption that I, the parent, got to make these sorts of decisions). Then we had a little trouble getting back in routine after our trip, and, well, that's when we racked up the three tardies. So. Once the worst of the hot weather allegedly broke (allegedly = I am still wearing tank top and shorts) I set this pretty hard and fast rule of No Driving, Our Feet Work Fine and We Care about our Planet Earth. Scheduled departure time: 7:45 a.m. School bell: 8:05 a.m. School tardy bell: 8:15 a.m. Actual departure time: "For goodness' sake GET DOWNSTAIRS NOW! I don'...

Happy at the neighborhood Spring Fling at the park. Just one of the fun community memories we have. When Slouching Mom interviewed me , one of her questions implied (asserted?) that I am frequently Hating on Houston. In my answer , I explained the incredibly rocky re-entry we had into Texas. Then I went on to share the positives, as requested. The biggest positive, as you probably gathered from that post, or maybe the big Halloween party post, or the many times I've posted about the good friends and neighbors I have here...is the community. When I named the topic for this week as a sort of homage to the people in California who've lost so much due to the fires, I paused to think about what I'd grieve deepest about had, for example, that hurricane hit us and washed away our town as the forecasts predicted. The answer was quick, and easy: I'd miss my community. When that hurricane was allegedly heading for us and the mandatory evacuation order came out, we began our prep...

My first year of college was a real eye-opener. Despite the flirt fests and round robin craziness in high school, I entered college relatively naive. Carrie, a sweet girl who was my age but about ten years ahead of me in sophistication, took me under her wing for a semester. She dropped out the following semester to become a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader. And nail the cover of Texas Monthly Magazine. But, before she left, Carrie rescued me from what you might call a reeling shock and potential disaster. Carrie was better than any anti-drug or sex education program in the world. She was practical, matter-of-fact and spent way more time telling me what to do rather than what not to do . As I mentioned previously , I believe that positive approaches of education are more efficacious than scare tactic, punitive, threatening, or negative approaches. Science and research back me up on this. Sexual abstinence messages carry even less benefit and even more risk than anti-drug abstinence messages....

Her: I think I'm losing my mind. It's on the symptom list: loses one's mind. It's happening. Him: How do you mean? Her: Have you noticed me forgetting a lot of things lately? And losing words? Losing people? Him: What's the symptom, the real symptom? Her: ( as if quoting medical text ) Loss of memory, inability to concentrate or focus... Him: You seem a little scattered but it's been busy. Her: No, okay on Friday, let me tell you, on Friday? My friend came up to me and thanked me for the note I sent her, told me it meant a lot to her. Him: Okay... Her: I did not remember writing a note! What note? Why did I write it? What did it say? Him: Was it just... Her: It was just a note that was clearly important to her! And I had no clue! I watched as all the meaning just leached out of that note. Because I could not remember ! Him: Did you ever get it? Her: Yes. It was so humiliating. She had to explain it to me. She had to tell me about the note I wrote t...

Things on the horizon... 1. Blogging Pledge Class of November October's Pledge Class was a great round-up of blogs! So I've decided to do it again---plus I got some late submissions that need a place to go. In case you missed the first anouncement , let me explain what this is. If you are a new blogger, undiscovered blogger, blogger who wants to reach a broader audience, or if you know a blogger like this...send me the information! I have a great list going already and will post that at the end of the month-ish (to give everyone time). These do not have to be newbie bloggers. I do want to promote the newbies as best I can, but also enjoy pointing people to great blogs other people know and think people ought to know about. So please free free to "nominate" a blog, as well as submit your own. To get listed simply email me at j pippert at g mail dot com with a subject line of Blogging Pledge Class-November, and include a brief synopsis of your blog and a link to your b...

So there I was working away at the computer, trying hard not to think that out of the quasi-intelligent posts I've run this week---such as "Blog Blast for Peace" and "Does the abstinence message for drug use work?" ---the Houston Chronicle decided to feature for this week my self-indulgent segue-to-review post about a boyfriend from over twenty years ago. (Hi Houstonians, thanks for continuing to tap in. And Dear Editor, I am not complaining. I'm grateful, immensely.) I thought a bit of music was in order while I worked, so I hit up YouTube, which is like crack for iPod deficient middle-aged women (which my loving husband assures me I am, the middle-aged part that is). I was enjoying a bit of Stevie Wonder (anyone want to go to his concert with me in December? I asked my husband but he was laughing too hard to reply beyond, "Are you freaking kidding me? Isn't he dead? Boy you really are a little old lady. Stevie Wonder ." And then he had to ...

Note: Today is the monthly announcement of Just Posts . There are four hostesses, but, I'm in a rush so will link to Mad , the first one who popped in my Reader. Go check it out ! Last weekend JSC (that's Johnson Space Center) hosted the 2007 Ballunar Festival . It's just one more super family event we have around here. Normally it's held in August, but since the entire summer will forever be known as the Terrible Three-Month Neverending Monsoon of 2007, the event was delayed until now, in November. Because I'm not some sort of masochist who enjoys steaming myself into a lobster in the "sultry" August air here, I far prefer the event in November and wish it was held at this time every year. (Dear Sponsors, I actually came this year and spent a lot of money because I was so enjoying myself in the cool weather. Signed, A Potential Loyal Customer.) There are more hot air balloons than you can imagine at this festival. It's got sky diving, astronauts, and...

Because of some information I got today about somebody else entirely, I felt compelled to check all available Google sources to ensure that there are no songs out there about Julies other than those by Bobby Sherman and Leo Kottke. It appears, happily, that I am homefree and even more happily, I discovered Julie Doiron. Snow Falls in November Me and My Friend You Canadians. You know you rock. Out loud. Copyright 2007 Julie Pippert Also blogging at: Using My Words Julie Pippert REVIEWS : Get a real opinion about BOOKS, MUSIC and MORE Julie Pippert RECOMMENDS : A real opinion about HELPFUL and TIME-SAVING products