really?!?!

pretty much says it all!!

i just love amy poehler :)

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

world war ii memorial

my friend and i wondered over to the national mall last tuesday in dc so we could see the beautiful monuments & memorials at night. i had never seen the ww ii memorial and it was a touching, beautiful tribute to those heroes and our allies.

i found it particularly poignant and tender to see the sweet note from a child to one of our soldiers currently at war (bottom left).  the field of 4,000 stars (bottom right) honors more than 400,000 lives lost during the war - it was absolutely breathtaking, especially with the reflecting pool below.

such a wonderful experience to see this. 
i'd like to dedicate this post to my peepaw and grandpa who both fought in the war, and died before this memorial was ever built. i visited for you both, you would have been so honored!

hey! government! leave our teachers alone!!

yesterday, along with many katy isd teachers, my sister was laid off because of "budget cuts." she is a 9th grade biology teacher at morton ranch high school and was pulled out of class yesterday and told that at the end of the year she would no longer have a job. my sister is not only a wonderful, dedicated teacher, but she is also a single mother of two amazing little girls (as you know and have seen here :)), so i am pretty much taking this as a personal attack.

katy isd is a huge district in texas, where the superintendent alton frailey makes a stunning salary of $288,400!! at the beginning of this year he was given a $10k raise - teachers can't afford to feed their own children but somehow that made the budget cuts...wow.  parents, students, teachers and even concerned community members are stunned and shocked at the cuts and disgusted by the ability of the "higher ups" to do nothing - treating themselves to spa days and country club visits, driving in their luxury vehicles, completely ignoring the fact that the school district is falling apart, and doing absolutely nothing to combat it. who cares as long as they get paid, right? WRONG.

today, at 9 am, students at morton ranch organized a protest outside of the school.  many have signs and even some of my sister's students wore "keep osteen" t-shirts (that is amazing). what is more sobering, many of these students do not have stable parental figures in their lives and these teachers are all they've got. now they are taken away and the students will all but slide into oblivion that is increased class sizes, overworked and underpaid teachers, and the greed that keeps the machine going at the top.

i could not be more proud of these students taking a stand for something that really matters to them! using their voice will hopefully reach someone in charge and make a change.  if these kids are telling us that this isn't right, we need to listen - OPEN YOUR EYES AND EARS GOVERNMENT!!! this is the least of your problems...cause as you know, when the baby bear cub cries, the mama bear isn't far behind. we are coming for you. this isn't right and we won't back down.

ok dear readers, thanks for staying tuned during my soapbox moment today!!! hope you liked my little pink floyd nod as my title ;)

photos 

silence for japan

there is no way to express the sadness i feel for japan...any words i can come up with just don't seem to do the trick...there is also no way to fully understand what they are going through, but i will try to do my best. there are many ways to and show your support for japan, firstly going to www.forjapanwithlove.com 

in addition to monetary support, i will also be participating in the bloggers day of silence tomorrow, march 18th. hey, every little thing helps, right?? please consider taking the time to participate, and if you have the means, make a donation through for japan with love,  the red cross or save the children. (i'm sure there are many more, if you have any suggestions please comment and leave a link)

and to make sure our donations get to the people who need it, sign the petition to stop the delay of donations going to japan.

thanks to meagan for posting so i could participate!!

thanks so much my lovely friends!

have a safe, wonderful weekend

xoxo

dear veterans,

thank you for all you do and have done to keep our country safe and our freedoms within reach. thank you to the parents, wives, husbands and children of soldiers who have made the sacrifice. and thank you to all who support our troops even if you don't understand what it's all for. to my friends, family and those i've never met, your service means more than i could ever explain. and for those still fighting overseas, i want you to know i want nothing more than for all of you to return home safely.

i wish i could give you hugs and thank each of you for your service. but this will have to do...

xoxo

read about the yellow ribbon program.

(photo from our walk earlier this week)

election day

have you? be sure to get out and vote today - make your voice heard, no matter what side you're on!

(ps. i got the hipstamatic app on my new iphone and i'm addicted...so you guys are just gonna have to bear with me :))

victory for equal rights!

congratulations to california for stepping up against bigotry and standing up for equal rights by overturning proposition 8 today! the judge said the ban "fails to advance any rational basis" for the denial of a marriage license, and i wholeheartedly agree. way to go, hopefully the rest of the nation will follow suit.

it's discouraging to say the least to see such blatant homophobia in our society today. my heart goes out to all on the front lines of this fight, it is such an ugly one! bravo and to everyone else, don't give up the fight!!

oh and i just couldn't resist:

photos: one, two

sign the petition: cut BP's billions in federal contracts!

as you know, i steer clear mostly of politics and whatnot on this blog. but this, this is too much. this oil catastrophe in the gulf is beyond irritating and has become just sickening. being from the gulf coast and seeing it ripped apart because of irresponsible executives playing the blame game just rips my heart out. thankfully, i found this great link on mo pie, please for a petition to urge the EPA to cut federal contracts for BP.
from the petition's site:

BP continues to stonewall the American people about the growing Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf, even while the company is reaping millions of dollars in profits a day from its other federal leases.

shocking, don't you think?! while people on the gulf are suffering personally and in their businesses from this disaster, BP execs continue to avoid responsibility and reap benefits of being the big bad oil biz. not even to mention the immense effect this is having on the wildlife! it's tragic and outrageous! this needs to stop. please go here and sign the petition.

(photos from huffington post)

help for haiti

 last night was the first time i fully understood (to the best of my ability) the devastation in haiti, after watching the death and destruction unfold before our eyes on national television. it is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching to say the very least.  if you all can make any kind of contribution, even the smallest, it is needed.

if you are looking to donate and are not sure where to go, i've pulled information a friend sent me from the department of state:

How To Help: Red Cross | Mercy Corps
About the Author: Cheryl Mills serves as the Counselor and Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Earlier today, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck Haiti. Reports are still coming in, but it appears that many schools, hospitals and other buildings have collapsed, adding more suffering to an already impoverished nation, the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
Reports continue to pour in from all over and we are extending all our thoughts and prayers to those who have been affected.
As Secretary Clinton said earlier, the U.S. government will offer assistance to Haiti and others in the region in the form of civilian and military disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.
For those interesting in helping immediately, simply text “HAITI” to “90999″ and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill.
Or you can go online to organizations like the Red Cross and Mercy Corps Mercy Corpsto make a contribution to the disaster relief efforts.
The State Department Operations Center has set up the following number for Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747. We’ll provide more details and opportunities to help as we learn more. To stay up-to-date, follow us on state.gov.
From the Huffington Post Impact Page

•The American Red Cross is pledging an initial $200,000 to assist communities impacted by this earthquake. They expect to provide immediate needs for food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support. They are accepting donations through their International Response Fund.
•UNICEF has issued a statement that “Children are always the most vulnerable population in any natural disaster, and UNICEF is there for them.” UNICEF requests donations for relief for children in Haiti via their Haiti Earthquake Fund. You can also call 1-800-4UNICEF.
•Donate through Wyclef Jean’s foundation, Yele Haiti. Text “Yele” to 501501 and $5 will be charged to your phone bill and given to relief projects through the organization.
•Operation USA is appealing for donations of funds from the public and corporate donations in bulk of health care materials, water purification supplies and food supplements which it will ship to the region from its base in the Port of Los Angeles. Donate online at www.opusa.org, by phone at1-800-678-7255 or, by check made out to Operation USA, 3617 Hayden Ave, Suite A, Culver City, CA 90232.
•Ben Stiller’s Stillerstrong campaign will be temporarily diverting all donations to support the Haiti relief effort.
•Partners In Health reports its Port-au-Prince clinical director , Louise Ivers, has appealed for assistance: “Port-au-Prince is devastated, lot of deaths. SOS. SOS… Temporary field hospital by us at UNDP needs supplies, pain meds, bandages. Please help us.” Donate to their Haiti earthquake fund.
•Mercy Corps is sending a team of emergency responders to assess damage, and seek to fulfill immediate needs of quake survivors. The agency aided families after earthquakes in Peru in 2007, China and Pakistan in 2008, and Indonesia last year. Donate online, call 1-888-256-1900 or send checks to Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund; Dept NR; PO Box 2669; Portland, OR 97208.
•Direct Relief is committing up to $1 million in aid for the response and is coordinating with its other in-country partners and colleague organizations. Their partners in Haiti include Partners in Health, St. Damien Children’s Hospital, and the Visitation Hospital, which are particularly active in emergency response. Donate to Direct Relief online.
•Oxfam is rushing in teams from around the region to respond to the situation to provide clean water, shelter, sanitation and help people recover. Donate to Oxfam America online.
•International Medical Corps is assembling a team of first responders and resources to provide lifesaving medical care and other emergency services to survivors of the earthquake. Donate online.

also, amazing blogger naomi is donating all of the proceeds from her headbands to doctors without borders.  go here to order one (cute and socially responsible!).

although i don't think you need any additional reasoning, these photos from Operation USA are hauntingly beautiful and almost overwhelming.  and lastly, this story of an american survivor is the epitome of selfless inspiration. just think of how blessed and fortunate we all are, and what we can do to help, even if it isn't monetary, a prayer, spreading the word...these actions are all helpful.