Last Day of Early Voting: Vote!!!

Give Texas kids a treat this Halloween:  vote for Democrats who will fund education!!

Nueces County Mobile Voting Locations: Halloween!

Kiko's Mexican Food Restaurant:  11am - 6pm
N.A.S. Commissary:   7:30am - 5pm
Garden Senior Center:  9am - 2pm
London ISD (Middle/High School):  8am - 4pm

Nueces County Mobile Early Voting Locations: October 30th

Behavioral Health Center of Nueces County:  10am - 5pm
DMC West Coleman Center: 9am - 5pm
Homewood Residence Retirement Center:  9am - 2pm
David Berlanga Community Center: 8am - 4pm.

Turn-Out Low: Go Vote!!

Early voting turn-out in Nueces County has been low.  Hidalgo County is frankly kicking our butts (what happens when the Lone Star Girl moves) for turn-out.  We need to catch up - represent, people!  Please vote today!

Nueces County Mobile Early Voting Locations October 29th

Christus Spohn Shoreline:  9am - 5pm
Texas A&M CC (O'Conner Building):  9am - 5pm
Harbor Place Retirement Center:  9am - 2pm
Driscoll ISD Cafetorium:  8am - 4pm
 

GI Bug Report: Corpus

Pediatrician's office says it is lasting 4-6 days.  Then laughed at me when my jaw dropped.  It does not seem to be a really terrible one for the older kids, though - just long and yucky.  Fun times.

Nueces County Mobile Early Voting Locations October 28th

CC Medical Center Doctors Regional:  9am - 5pm
DMC South - Center for Economic Development:  9m - 5pm
The Waterford at Corpus Christi:  9am - 2pm
Petronila ISD (Cafeteria):  8am - 4pm

Nueces County Mobile Early Voting Locations October 27th

Corpus Christi Medical Tower:  8am - 5pm
South Texas Lighthouse For The Blind: 9am - 5pm
Lindale Senior Center: 9am - 2pm
Lone Star Country Store:  9am - 5pm

Vote Lone Star Baby!

  
As part of earning their Inside Government badge, the Girl Scout troop took an after-hours tour of City Hall on Thursday night.  I think she looks kind of good in this chair, don't you? (Even with bunny ears!)

Pumpkin Patch

We did finally make it to the pumpkin patch last week.

 

Blockwalking For Battleground And Doing All The Things

I went block-walking this evening to spread the word about early voting.  I was feeling pretty useless at first because my neighborhood, where a Battleground organizer also lives, has been a real hotbed of organizing today and I feel guilty for just taking one short shift this evening and, previously, a very few whenever I could fit them in.  I have been in one of those times when I feel like my many roles keep me from satisfying the people involved in any one role - the family, work, friends, active citizens, the Girl Scout troop:  it just seems like there is always someone who has more time to give than I do in each scenario and I have a great capacity for guilt over this in each and every role.

While out walking, though, some former students of mine saw me and ran over and hugged me and were really happy to see me and their mom talked to me about voting and I remembered that, really, all of my roles are important.  And maybe it is the intersection of all of them in which my life is lived which makes my life useful - not the all that I cannot give to any one.  So I felt better. Even though my little one does not really feel well tonight and I am planning to make her go to school tomorrow anyway since she has no fever or vomiting or such and I feel guilty about that but also think it a slippery slope to do otherwise:  that role difficulty again.

Yesterday I ran errands and graded papers while facilitating a play date for my young one.  

I finished counting and submitting the Box Tops for her school today, too (still have to mail them this week). I knocked on over 30 doors to talk about early voting.

Called my mom and my brother.  Grocery shopped.  Read some of The Hobbit to my young one until she fell asleep. 

Some things.  Maybe not all the things, but some.

Nueces County Mobile Early Voting Locations, October 25th

Half Price Books:  11am - 5pm
Corpus Christi Athletic Club: 9am - 4pm
Sutherlands:  11am - 5pm
Robstown Community Center:  9am - 5pm

Nueces County Mobile Early Voting Locations, October 24

La Michoacana Bakery:  7am - 2pm
Hi Ho Restaurant:  6am - 2pm
Seniorcare Center Corpus Christi:   9am - 2pm
Driscoll ISD Cafetorium:  8am - 4pm

Nueces County Mobile Early Voting Locations, October 23

Christus Spohn South: 9am - 5pm
Sprouts Farmers Market:  8am - 5pm
Zavala Senior Center:  9am - 2pm
Petronila ISD (cafeteria): 8am- 4pm

Nueces County Mobile Early Voting Locations, October 22

CC Medical Center Bay Area:  9am - 5pm
Tower II:  8am - 4pm
Oveal Williams Senior Center:  9am - 2pm
David Berlanga Community Center: 8am - 4pm

Lone Star Ma Endorsement: Mary Helen Berlanga For County Judge

I will be voting to elect Mary Helen Berlanga for County Judge in Nueces County.  When she served on the Texas State Board of Education, she was one of the only members who opposed the draconian racist changes to our social studies textbooks.  As County Judge, she would not support shut-down of the hospital in our community that cares for the poor and for those with mental illnesses, though she might not be able to stop it given most of the rest of the Court (God Bless Oscar, again).  She would not support tax abates for companies that pollute our children's environment, either.  She cares about the people of Nueces County, not just the developers.

Nueces County Mobile Early Voting Locations, October 21st

All the early voting substations are still open from 8am - 5pm.  Here are today's mobile locations and times:

• Christus Spohn Memorial Hospital:  9am - 5pm
• CCAD:  7:30am - 5pm
• Trinity Towers:  9am - 2pm
• London ISD (Middle/High School):  8am - 4pm.

Nueces County Mobile Early Voting Locations October 20, 2014

Here are the day's mobile polling places and times on this gorgeous first day of early voting! Please vote!

YWCA: 9am - 5pm


One Shoreline Plaza:  9am - 5pm

Garden Estates Retirement Center:  9am - 2pm

Lonestar Country Store:  9am - 5pm.

Nueces County Early Voting Sub-Stations

Here is a list of the Nueces County early voting sub- stations:

• Nueces County Courthouse
• Corpus Christi Area Council For The Deaf
• Ethel Eyerly Senior Center
• Greenwood Senior Center
• Hilltop Community Center
• Island Foundation Seashore Learning Center
• Johnny S. Calderon County Building
• Nueces County Bishop Community Center
• Port Aransas Community Center
• School of Science And Technology
• Banquete ISD Admin. Building
•  Calallen ISD Admin. Building
• Corpus Christi City Hall
• Corpus Christi ISD Admin. Building
• Del Mar College Admin. Building
• Flour Bluff ISD Maintenance Building
• Robstown ISD Admin. Building
• Tuloso Midway ISD Admin. Building
• West Oso ISD Admin. Building.

Hours for early voting at these sub-stations are:

• Oct. 20-24:  8am - 5pm.
• Oct. 25th: 7am - 7pm.
• Oct. 26th:  12pm - 5pm.
• Oct. 27th - 31: 7am - 7pm.

Early Voting In Texas Starts Today!!!!!

Good Morning, Texas!

Early voting starts today!  Get out there and vote for public education and a Texas where everyone is valued!

 

Blockwalking For Battleground: Let's Get Out The Vote

Last night I went blockwalking to let folks in Corpus Christi know about early voting and to encourage them to get the vote out for Leticia and Wendy.  Today, I can only manage computer campaigning, but every bit helps!  Can you do one thing each day to get out the word about voting, Mamas?  One small thing each day from each of us is all it takes!

Remember The Voter Suppression Act When You Go To The Polls & Take Photo I.D.

In what I guess was an effort not to mix things up too close to election time, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Saturday that the Texas Voter ID law that was struck down will remain in effect for this election since it is so close.


According to VoteTexas.gov, here is an acceptable list of IDs under the law:

• Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
• Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
• Texas personal identification card issued by DPS
• Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS
• United States military identification card containing the person’s photograph
• United States citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph
• United States passport.

Note how gun licenses work, but student IDs issued by state universities do not.  Yeah, that was not an attempt to keep certain groups from voting at all, was it?  Naaahhh.

Be prepared and make sure your vote counts, Mamas!

Lone Star Ma Mama Action Alert: Early Voting Starts Tomorrow, Mamas!!!!

Early voting starts tomorrow in Texas, Mamas!  

We have to vote, vote, vote... for our children's education, for our daughters' freedoms and for a safe natural environment in the Lone Star State!

Will you do something for me today?  Will you commit to vote early?  Please post when you are voting in the comments!

Happy Murdering Indigenous Peoples Day ... Wait.

Why is this a federal holiday?

Great Children's Books For The Day of The Girl!

 Books About Strong Girl Characters

• A Chair for My Mother by Vera Williams
• The Tequila Worm By Viola Canales
• Madeline By Ludwig Bemelmans
• One Crazy Summer & P.S. Be Eleven By Rita Williams-Garcia
• The Ramona Books By Beverly Cleary
• Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
• Tatterhood and the Hobgoblins Retold by Lauren Mills
• The Betsy-Tacy Books By Maud Hart Lovelace
• Little Women By Louisa May Alcott
• The Anne of Green Gables Books By L.M. Montgomery
• Seven Brave Women by Betsy Hearne

Books About Herstory for Kids

• Cool Women: The Thinking Girl’s Guide to the Hippest Women in History By Pam Nelson
• Warriors Don't Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals
• The Ballot Box Battle By Emily Arnold McCully
• Dolores Huerta:  A Hero To Migrant Workers By Sarah E. Warren
• You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer By Shana Corey
• The Librarian of Basra  By Jeannette Winter
• Amelia and Eleanor Go For A Ride By Pam Munoz Ryan
• The Value of Friendship: The Story of Jane Addams By Ann Donegan Johnson
• Wangari's Trees of Peace By Jeannette Winter
• Rare Treasure: Mary Anning And Her Remarkable Discoveries By Don Brown
• Maria’s Comet By Deborah Hopkinson
• Almost Astronauts:  13 Women Who Dared To Dream By Tanya Lee Stone

Day of The Girl!

Today is the International Day of The Girl Child!   How fitting that we should just this week have had news of Malala Yousafzai winning the Nobel Peace Prize for her activism on behalf of education for girls!  Here is what the United Nations has to say about investing in girls:

"Empowerment of and investment in girls are key in breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full and effective enjoyment of their human rights”

-United Nations Resolution 66/170.

Here are some links to organizations and campaigns in which you can get involved in helping girls reach their full potential both here at home and n the wider world:

Ban Bossy:

http://banbossy.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dynbzMlCcw

Girl Scouts (The State of Girls Reports):

https://www.girlscouts.org/research/publications/stateofgirls/?utm_campaign=StateofGirls&utm_medium=Web&utm_source=GSHomePageBanner

 Girl Effect:

http://www.girleffect.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e8xgF0JtVg 

Girl Up:

http://www.girlup.org/

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts:

http://www.wagggs.org/en/home .


Do something for girls today.  For tomorrow.

U.S. District Court Holds SB 14, Texas Voter ID Law, Unconstitutional!!!!

Today's ruling from U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos:

“The Court holds that S.B. 14 creates an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote, has an impermissible discriminatory effect against Hispanics and African-Americans, and was imposed with an unconstitutional discriminatory purpose. The Court further holds that SB 14 constitutes an unconstitutional poll tax.”

In Corpus Christi, people!  Here, where we live!   Woo hoo!!!!

Last Day To Register To Vote!

Mamas!!!  If you are not registered to vote, today - Monday! -  is the last day that you can register to be in time to vote in the November election!  This election is so important for the education of our children and for the health of every Texan.  If you are not registered, please register today!!!!

The Strategies

As recently as last night, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with all the things I still needed to do this weekend and the total lack of a spot for any catching-up-on-sleep (or bills or BoxTops) at any possible point in the mix, but now I am feeling quite cheerful and pleasant about it all.  I love my plants.  I love my house.  I love my family and friends.  I love my life.

Chocolate-y coffee, Mamas.  Really.  

I realize that a lifestyle with actual sleep would be better, but when you can't get that, chocolate-y coffee can see you through.  At least, it works for me.  And it is totally legal and actually pretty good for you.  How great is that?

Fall Nightshade Garden

This fall, my container gardening is mostly nightshades.  In early September, I put in a bunch of little eggplant starts in the kiddie pool gardens which have yielded several delicious dinners, as well as a nice big chile pequin.  I planted a ghost pepper in its own pot and two biggish sungold cherry tomato plants in my tire"pots".  

I really think I have discovered the secret to a great cherry tomato yield, people - my recycled tire planters.  I have stacked two old tires, filled them up with potting soil and a medium tomato cage and dropped in the tomato plant.  I have a pair of these planters, with one tomato plant in each (4 tires total - two tomato plants total, in case that didn't make sense).  The tomatoes just keep growing and ripening and growing and ripening and growing and ripening - wow.

Off the theme, I also planted a bunch of purple basil, because you have to have basil.  And I added a big giant strawberry plant to the hanging garden and have a couple of little begonias I am also going to add to the hanging garden.

Most of what's left is the multitudes of mothers of thousands all over all my pots and yard.  There may actually be thousands.

Register To Vote Today (or Monday)!

The deadline to get registered to vote to be eligible to vote in the November election in Texas is Monday, Mamas!  The women and children of Texas need you to vote!  If mamas vote, we win!  If we don't vote, we get stuck with Abbott and Patrick who would then further defund our schools and restrict our access to haelth care.

If you are a Texan who is not yet registered to vote, or not yet registered to vote in the county in which you now reside and wish to vote, get registered today!  Monday at the very latest.  

This is very important, Mamas!  The women and children of Texas are counting on you!  Please register!!!!

 

#TexasDebates 2

The Lone Star Family watched the gubernatorial debate (on television) at home last night.  It is so clear that Greg Abbott neither understands how schools work or cares.  We need a governor who cares about education and will see it fully funded. Team Wendy!