Texas Senate Has Freaking Passed Campus Carry - House Votes Tomorrow - Call, Call, Call!!!!

The dangerous insanity of this bill is astounding!  Please call your State Representative tonight, right now, and leave them an eloquent and informative message about why they should vote Against SB 11 tomorrow. Call, call, call Mamas!

Hill Country Prayers

Prayers for everyone affected by flooding and storms in the Hill Country and all over Texas.  Prayers for safety for everyone.

Anaphylaxis Awareness Day

Today is Anaphylaxis Awareness Day.  A lot of my family's life is organized around avoiding anaphylaxis but, in many ways, we are also always dependent on the caution and awareness of others because we do not live in a world where we are not affected by the actions of others.  Go to the Food Allergy Research & Education Blog for more information on anaphylaxis.

Thank you for learning!

Feliz Dia de las Madres!

Happy Mother's Day, Mamas!  

I have seen a lot of trending media today tip-toeing very carefully around the feelings of non-mothers (?) as if a celebration of mothers diminishes those who make other choices or have other destinies.  I think it's a bit silly. There are all sorts of ways to be yourself and to contribute on this Earth - celebrating others does not denigrate you.

Mothers contribute so much and deserve to own those contributions like everyone deserves to own their contributions to this orbiting community of souls.  Also, honestly, no one but no one gets the kind of daily denigration and disrespect and blame that society deems reasonable to lay at the doors of mothers so we definitely deserve to celebrate! 

Have a lovely day. Own it and love and raise your voice!

 

Wednesdays with The Subversive Children's Book Club: Teachers

In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, this installment of Wednesdays with The Subversive Children's Book Club features a few fun books about teachers and students.  Enjoy!
 

• Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
• The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill
• Miss Nelson Is Missing by Harry Allard
• Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

National Teacher Appreciation Week

This is National Teacher Appreciation Week.  Today, May 5th, is also the day when, in 1925, John Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution to his students in Dayton, Tennessee. This week, let us honor all the brave teachers who fight for knowledge and progress in our classrooms and in the minds and hearts of our nations' greatest resource - our children.

Bernie Sanders for President!

Hey!  Bernie Sanders is running in the Democratic primary!  I was scared he was going to run as an independent and hand the election to a Republican who would dismantle the EPA and appoint a slew of anti-woman, anti-minority-voting Supreme Court Justices and I was getting kind of mad at him.  Him running as a Democrat is a whole different thing, though! He definitely has my primary vote!

R.I.P. Police Chief Floyd Simpson and CCISD Director Michael Torres

It is a sad week for the citizens of Corpus Christi. My prayers are with the families of these great men.

Struggling

These last few days, it is hard for me to keep up the rallying cry to mamas to go out and do something  - though certainly we need to keep doing it.

The news is just kind of overwhelming lately. Baltimore.  Nepal.  Our governor calling up troops because he is worried the feds are trying to steal our guns (dude - if you are not from Texas and haven't followed this story, it is not a joke).  A state representative from Tyler trying to make it the law of the land that women have to carry dead and dying fetuses to term whether they want to or not.  I love Bernie Sanders but am afraid he is going to get someone like Rand Paul elected. Ebola can apparently be transmitted through the semen of survivors for much longer than people knew.  All that sort of thing.

I am still calling my representatives and sending the e-mails and such, but could really use some good news or a period of peace.  Wouldn't that be nice?

But keep the faith, Mamas.  One foot in front of the other.  Together we march.