One Hundred Things My Mother Taught Me A Million Times - Chapter 82

That's Becky Beaver behind the sign (left).  Join the "Seeing Red" and "Don't Mess With Texas Women's" campaign to restore basic preventive healthcare and family planning for women.

#82 – “Make sure you sit out in the sun to get your vitamin D, but don’t get the sun on your face.”

About a month ago I was in a meeting with a client, whose nonprofit serves people with intellectual/developmentally disabilities, and someone mentioned that at least one scientist studying autism thinks that mothers' vitamin D deficiency, resulting from admonitions  to stay out of the sun,  may be playing a part in the increase in children born with autism. At that moment, mom’s lesson #82 sparked into my mind.

I remember many occasions, after I was grown and married, when I would visit my mom and she would say, “Let’s go sit out in the sun. We need to get our vitamin D.” Or I would arrive at mom’s, and she would be sitting out in the sun - always the morning sun - surrounded by her beloved morning glories and reading The New York Times or The Dallas Morning News. Click on Read More Below...

There’s Jews in Texas? by Debra Weingarten - Winner of the 2011 Poetica Magazine Chapbook Contest

When I launched the Gals-Very Smart Gals, I knew Debra Weingarten would be a member by virtue of her birthright – her mother, and my friend, Ruthe, was a famous women’s historian. What I soon learned was that her membership would have less to do with her ancestry than her personal acuity. One has only to read Debra’s recently published book of poetry There’s Jews in Texas? to figure that out. You also know if you met her at my recent Gals-Very Smart Gals cocktail party. Many of the Very Smart Gals at the party commented on meeting interesting and delightful women. It is notable that many of them were talking about Debra (pictured below).

There’s Jews In Texas? is Debra's funny, fun and touching poetry about growing up Jewish in Dallas. What is possibly more important is that Debra’s poetry is about “being different,” which anyone can relate to – regardless of whether it’s religion, the color of your skin, or socio-economic status.  Nothing can tell you how poignant and endearing Debra’s poetry is better than Debra’s poetry. Here is one of my favorites:

Second Grade, Part One

In far North Dallas in the early 1960s,

At Thomas C. Gooch Elementary School

We sat in rows alphabetically by last name.

Mark Washington in front of Deborah Winegarten

And our locker assignment came in that order, too.

So when the only Jew, Me, was assigned

A locker with the only Negro, Him.

I naturally thought

They were putting the Negro

And the Jew together

Because we had to look out for one another.

And I’ve been trying to do that, ever since.

I also loved Debra’s poem about a man telling her she was going to burn in hell because she was Jewish. When Deborah ran home crying, her mother took Debra’s shoulders in her hands, looked her firmly in the eyes and said,

That’s okay, honey, don’t worry.

We’re Jewish.

We don’t believe in hell.

In the words of Rabbi Neil Blumofe, “Oy, Devoreh. A jewel in our shul…”

Click here to buy There’s Jews In Texas? or you can purchase it at BookWoman in Austin. 

You’ll re-read it again and again, as have I.

Holiday Family PJ Photos - Funny, Fun!

This year we decided to start a new family tradition. We would give all our children and grandchildren "Christmas" pajamas with their names on them, and challenge them to take a fun and clever family photo wearing their PJs. The family that took the most clever photo would win a cash prize. My husband I participated as well. I thought the kids came up with really fun photos!

Mine and Crouse's first, then the kids by order of birth.

Eldest son, Cuatro and his wife Lovie, and their son Quenten and daughter Khloe Noelke. They named this photo the "Ranch-Billies," and as you can see they are a gorgeous family ...  and  they're all "packin!"

Next is my daughter JoLene, her husband James, and their children Sydney, Will and Cassie. We had to put a little black-out on their booties to be able to show these! The writing on their booties says MERRY CHRISTMAS! Very clever, very funny.

Last, but far from least is my youngest son, Colt and his wife Heather, and daughters Gracie, Taylor, and baby Ember Elizabeth. Cute, cute, cute.

Moonwalking With Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer

I will never again see Claudia Schiffer’s name without instantly imagining her swimming in a vat of cottage cheese. I’ll let you ponder that while I tell you about Foer’s book Moonwalking With Einstein, which is about mnemonics (one of my favorite words).

Joshua Foer, a journalist in the process of researching “the smartest person in the world,” ends up at the US Memory Championships and discovers that people who can memorize the order of 27 decks of cards in an hour are not geniuses, but have learned and mastered a memory trick used primarily in memory competitions called “memory palaces.” Although it is very tempting to tell you how memory palaces work (believe me, they do), instead I suggest that you read Foer’s book, which is well worth the money, time and effort.

Foer ends up becoming fascinated with the memory competition world to the point that he seeks out and trains with a professional memory expert, then enters the US and International memory competition – all of which is pretty fascinating. Know what country is famous for their memory experts? Germany. Click On Read More Below...

The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern

I liked The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern, but I didn’t LOVE it. I wanted to; I really did. The cover made my eyes sparkle, and my imaginings of what a night circus might be made my heart go “bumpity bump.” In fact, my desire to love this book was so strong that hope carried me to the very end, although I was irritated and grumpy the entire trip. Why? Well, probably because I felt the story could have been, should have been, “more.”

First, the publisher’s book description, which I found entrancing:
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Reves, and it is only open at night.  But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway-a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the state for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love-a deep magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

I soon found out the publisher’s description promised more than the book would deliver.  Here’s what I liked. I liked the premise – a mysterious and very different circus that wondrously arrives in the night. I liked the promise – a battle between magical powers and star-crossed lovers. I liked the physical - the elaborate visuals woven by Morganstern. Click On Read More Below...