Forecast/Hurricane Season Commentary/DVD wins another award

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Today is the last day of the 2008 hurricane season. Hurricane Season begins again on June 1, 2009. By the way, storms can develop in months outside of the 6 months (from June 1st through November 30th), but it is very rare.

A few weeks ago, I had a good time teasing our new Hurricane Director, Bill Read, that he is the reason it was so busy. In fact, six storms in a row hit the U.S.--Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike. And five of those hit the Gulf coast. All together, there were 8 hurricanes--five of those became major (Category 3 or higher). An average year has only 6 hurricanes with 2 becoming major.

There has been a lot of discussion about whether the use of the Saffir-Simpson scale (for hurricane ratings) should be revisited. What most people don't realize is that the scale also has columns for pressure and storm surge. If you look at the pressure, Ike was a Category 3. If you look at the storm surge, Ike was a Category 4. I'm talking about when it made landfall. Officially, it goes down as a Category 2 hurricane at landfall because the winds were 100 mph. And as you remember, it was a Category 2 for quite a while before it made landfall. Since the surge is what did the most damage, many critics are saying that most people did not realize the impact would be that of a Category 4 storm.

Of course, we can see in hindsight that the storm had a Category 4 storm surge. But, what I would suggest is that we use the storm surge levels predicted by the models and talk about the Saffir-Simpson category that corresponds to its forecasted impact at landfall--whether it be by wind or storm surge.

Bill Read was quoted in the Houston Chronicle today as being concerned about just doing away with the Saffir-Simpson scale since most people are used to it. According to the article, Gene Hafele, long time colleague of Bill Read and now the Meteorologist in Charge at the Houston/Galveston National Weather Service, would like to see the rating system changed. So stay tuned. And, I'll let you know if any changes are implemented.

Case in point--the Fujita-Pearson scale was revised to the Enhanced Fujita scale--the new scale more realistically correlates the amount of damage wrought by certain ranges of wind speed.

You thought it was windy in Houston today, it was even windier to the north of us. In fact there are several almost entire states with wind advisories. There is a threat of tornadoes this evening over the Florida panhandle.

Winter storm warnings/advisories/watches are in effect for parts of the Great Lakes states and northeast, the Appalachians, and the Rockies in Montana. It is very cold in the western Great Lakes states--highs there on Monday will be in the teens and 20s.

It is chilly in the Houston area and it will be in the 40s (maybe some upper 30s in outlying areas) early Monday. Still lots of sunshine but also breezy with highs only in the low 60s. So bundle up the kids before they head back to school. Tuesday will start cold--in the 30s and highs will be in the 70s. Looks for some showers Wednesday and possibly Thursday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
It is the end or el extremo, pronounced l x-TRAY-moh. Thank goodness, it is el extremo of the 2008 Hurricane Season.

We are super excited to announce that Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco has won another award--Top 15 Educational Product of 2008 from Homeschool.com--the largest homeschool Internet supply web site. Check out this congratulatory note:

Congratulations! Your product, Let’s Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco, has been selected as one of Homeschool.com’s Top 15 Educational Gifts of 2008. This means your product will be listed in Homeschool.com’s Gift Guide article next week, which will go out to our 75,000 opt-in subscribers. This article will also appear on the Homeschool.com homepage for a full year under the Articles headline and will be added to the Article Archives section of the Homeschool.com website indefinitely. You are to be commended on the quality and usefulness of your product, as well as its educational value.

So, now you really know which gift to purchase for the little ones on your list: our double award winning DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco. You can get it from our web site, www.frankandpaco.com or from www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
I don't have much else or time to write this evening as Sarah is anxious for my attention. She wants you to know that she loves chocolate.

Now, that's a sweet thought.

Have a great week everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weekend Forecast/Poll Results/New Poll

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Line of thunderstorms will push across the southeast U.S. through Sunday. There is a slight risk of severe storms (those producing large hail, high winds and/or tornadoes) in the panhandle of Florida and southern Georgia/Alabama today. Look for thunderstorms from the east coast all the way down to the northern Gulf coast today and storms in Florida on Friday.

Elsewhere, there are winter weather advisories in effect for the mountains of Colorado today.

Houston, the mugginess is gone. I was putting up Christmas lights late Friday and sweating--oh should I say more delicately, perspiring. We had the a/c on and everything. Well, we are back to comfortably cool mornings in the 40s and highs in the 60s for the next 2 days. Look for some lows in the 30s on Monday morning. Humidity will be low and there will be sunshine. So enjoy! Next chance for rain in Houston is around Thursday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
It is shopping or compra, pronounced cohm-PRAH. Compra is just crazy right after Thanksgiving.

So you still have some youngsters to buy for--here's something affordable and beneficial. Order our award winning DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco. You can get it from our web site, www.frankandpaco.com or from www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

By the way, if you want to really work on your Spanish, go to our web site, frankypaco.com. We are still getting the Spanish videos in place, but you can read everything in Spanish.

AND MORE
Our shopping poll has closed--55% of you are planning to spend less this holiday season than you did last year. 44% of you are planning to spend about the same amount. None of you are planning to spend more.

Our new poll was inspired by the shopping frenzy on Friday. Why do you think people have gotten so aggressive about shopping for deals?

Gas prices continue to fall--my friend Dave Gorham said he saw 125 at Highway 3 and Bay Area Blvd., but he thinks it was some kind of promotional deal because the station across the street was charging 165.

Well I saw Dave Schwarz on the Weather Channel on Friday. So, I went to weather.com and there was Cheryl Lemke right at the front with a recorded weathercast. And she, Dave, Eboni are still on the talent page. Maybe they are giving them some time before termination.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weekend Forecast/Giving Thanks

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Friday - Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for northernwestern and north central New Mexico as well as parts of southern Colorado. There will also be some snow showers around the Great Lakes, rain in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle area) and thunderstorms along the northwestern Gulf Coast and in Texas and Louisiana.

The coldest areas are north central U.S. (International Falls highs in the 20s) and northeast and Great Lakes States highs in the 30s.

Houston will enjoy another mild (and humid) day. Cold front moves through early Saturday. Expect a line of thunderstorms after 6 pm Friday. It will be cooler over the weekend but not cold.

SPANISH WORDS OF THE DAY
I am doing a few today because of Thanksgiving. These come courtesy of the amazing Spanish teacher Adriana Gutierrez.
turkey - pavo, pronounced PAH-voh
cornucopia - cuerno de la abundancia, pronounced CWHERE-no day lah ah-boon-dahn-SEE-ah
corn - maíz, pronunced may-EEZ

I hope your cuerno de la abundancia had a lot of maíz and a pavo on the side.

Be sure to check out Adriana's web site at http://myspanishlessons.com/.

Don't do it!!! Don't get out in that madness on Friday. Just count up the number of youngsters on your shopping list and get them our award winning DVD--once they start watching it, they'll sit tight for 30 minutes while their brains start racking up the cognitive benefits of early language learning. You can order Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from our web site, www.frankandpaco.com or from www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. Special note: I've got a really great deal going on teachers pay teachers: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/.

AND MORE
We weren't able to visit our families this Thanksgiving but Megan, Sarah, Gordy and I had a wonderful celebration together. As I looked around at each of them, I thanked God for putting each of them in my life--which is exactly what he did. The more I started counting my blessings, the more blessings I thought of to count.

I am so thankful Lord for all you have done for me. Please forgive me when I don't remember to say thank you. Let me not forget the story about the 10 lepers--how only one returned to Jesus to thank him for curing him of his leprosy. Let us not be like the other 9, but always remember to thank him each and every time we should.

My heart just overflows when I think about all the sacrifices my mom and dad made for us. They put all of their focus on raising us the way they thought God wanted them to. They put us in a private school, scraping every little penny they had. They prayed with us and made our whole family active in our faith community.

I am grateful for the teachers who went out of the way to cultivate my strengths. Thank you teachers for all you did for me.

I am grateful to my husband who treats me like a queen regardless of how unqueenlike I act. I am grateful that he has helped my family so much and treats everyone with so much respect.

I am grateful to Megan for making me laugh and being my first daughter...for those hugs that are worth all the riches in the world.

I am grateful for Sarah who lights up our lives. She is an angel on earth. I am grateful when she says "I love you Mom" just out of the blue. Those words I cherish more than any others.

I am grateful for all the doctors and nurses and medical personnel who have helped us, especially those who have helped us with Sarah. If not for them, we would not have found out about a dangerous renal problem Sarah was having and wouldn't have had such a productive surgery to correct the problem.

I am grateful for all the teachers and therapists who have worked with my daughters. You have done so much! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And of course, there is no way to say it all, but thank you God for all the gifts you give us each and every day.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Thanksgiving Weekend Forecast/Some Happy News

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Still plenty chilly across the northern tier of states and Thanksgiving Day will bring more of the same. Highs will be in the 30s in many locations. Look for snow across the Great Lakes States and in the Appalachians, northern New England and the Sierra Nevada of California. Flood watches and warnings continue for southern coastal California. The rest of the country is mild.

Houston will be mild and muggy with a few showers. A cold front moves through on Friday. There could be a few thunderstorms in the mix. Showers should ease up over the weekend and it will turn cooler.

SPANISH WORD THE DAY
This one comes courtesy of Spanish teacher Adriana Gutierrez--Thanksgiving Day is Día de Gracias, pronounced DEE-ah day grah-SEE-ahs. I hope everyone has a happy, yummy, and safe Día de Gracias. Be sure to check out Adriana's web site at http://myspanishlessons.com/.

It is now less than a month until Christmas. But never fear, you can order our award winning DVD 24/7 with no breaks for holidays. Give the youngsters in your world the gift of language and entertainment in one package--order Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco. If you order from our web site, www.frankandpaco.com, we guarantee shipping with 24 hours. You can also order from www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. Special note: I've got a really great deal going on teachers pay teachers: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/.

AND MORE
Don't forget to vote in our poll--only 2 days left to say how your spending for this holiday season will compare to your spending from last year.

We checked out Fun-Tiki today. It is different from Chuck-e-Cheese because it offers go carts and miniature golf. Like Chuck-e-Cheese, you are not required to buy food. It does not have tokens. You use a game care which you load up (like at Incredible Pizza). It is different from Incredible Pizza in that the go carts are and miniature golf are outside. I thought the miniatur golf course was very nice...very clean too. We had a good time. Some of the games were different from the other 2 spots. And, they even had a Ms. Pacman...brings back memories.

Last but definitely not least, some very happy news just in time for Thanksgiving...my cousin (whom I mentioned was in a horrible car accident) was released from the trauma center and allowed to return home today to her home in San Antonio. She still needs lots of prayers as she continues to work on her recovery and tries to get all of her memory back. Please continue to pray for all of the families involved.

Have a wonderful, fun-filled Thanksgiving everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Travel and Thanksgiving Forecast/Weather Channel Firings

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Little change from yesterday as far as trouble spots are concerned. There are various winter weather advisories and warnings across the northeast, Great Lakes and Appalachians as well as in the Sierra Nevada. Flood watches and warnings continue to be issued along the southern coast of California.

Some of the changes include some rain for Phoenix and strong onshore winds potentially causing coastal flooding for northern New England. It will be chilly for the northern 2 tiers of states with highs in the 40s and 30s (coldest around Great Lakes and the northeast).

Houston, you are in for another pleasant day...starting out chilly--in the 40s and ending up in the 70s. Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, will be muggy with a few showers during the 2nd half of the day. Look for rain on and off through Tuesday as a fairly persistent upper trough will keep us in a wet mid to upper level flow. It will be chilly on Sunday with highs in the 50s.

I haven't mentioned it, but there has been a persistent area of disturbed weather in the southwest Caribbean. It should start moving westward soon and that means there will be some very heavy rain for Nicaragua and Panama and probably Honduras.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
The word is zoo or zoo, pronounced zoo. Ha...too easy huh? How about zoology or zoología, pronounced zoo-low-HEE-ah. When I went to school, I studied meteorology, but I think it would be very interesting to study zoología.

You know it is easy to study something that you find interesting. And there is no doubt that kids find other languages fascinating and fun, especially when you present it to them like we do in our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco. If you order from our web site, www.frankandpaco.com, we guarantee shipping with 24 hours. You can also order from www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. Special note: I've got a really great deal going on teachers pay teachers: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/.

AND MORE
You may remember we mentioned our new English teaching version for Spanish speakers, Aprendamos Inglés con Frank y Paco. Well, I was getting these very strange characters around the é and then finally Amazon technical support emailed me that Amazon does not support such special characters. Well, that is so amazing, especially since they sell Spanish titles. I changed it to just a plain old e, but that really bothers me. Anyway, I don't think this is a very good venue for our new product. Does anyone have any suggestions for an on line store for Spanish consumers? Would appreciate any tips.

NBC has fired a bunch of The Weather Channel folks...2 on air ones I respected are Dave Schwarz and Cheryl Lemke. I loved Dave's story which was a lot like Robert Smith's. He worked his way to on camera from a very low level behind the scenes position. I also enjoyed his joking around. I just recently saw him at the annual National Weather Association meeting. And Cheryl was on The Weather Channel from the beginning. She had such a great, clear way of presenting the weather. What a shame! Special thanks to Dave Gorham for emailing me about this.

Sarah got to go to the zoo today while Mommy took care of some special chores. She and her friend had a great time at the petting zoo but apparently there was a chinchilla and Sarah wanted no part of petting that animal. I never saw a chincilla there. I'll make a point to search it out next visit. Wednesday should be another nice day for the zoo.

Correction: The new exhibit at The Children's Museum is Flow Works. I inadvertently called it Water Works--probably because Sarah got so wet there.

Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving week everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Thanksgiving Forecast/New Exhibit at Children's Museum

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
It was such a nice day in Houston! Yes...we had a very, very brief line of showers pass through in the morning. But then it was sunshine and a nice breeze!!!

It will not be a good travel day for the northeast, southern California or the southern Sierra Nevada on Tuesday. There are all kinds of winter weather type warnings and advisories from the Appalachians of West Virginia up into northern New England. There are also winter weather warnings in the southern Sierra Nevada. And there are flood warnings for the coastal sections of southern California. It will be cold on Tuesday for the northern plains and northeast with highs in the 30s. The northwest will be in the 40s and 50s. The southern states will be mild.

Houston's weather on Tuesday will be perfect for outdoor activities like the zoo. Lows will be in the 40s warming quickly to highs in the 70s. Don't forget the sunscreen. Wednesday will also be pleasant in Houston, although more humid. Look for mild temperatures on Thanksgiving Day with a few showers. Best chance for rain is Friday. But there could be rain on and off through the weekend before a decent cool down early in the coming week.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
The word is musuem or museo, pronounced moo-SAY-oh. The kids are off from school...so why not head to the museo.

Even when your kids are away from school, they can still be educated and entertained at the same time. Try our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco. If you order from our web site, www.frankandpaco.com, we guarantee shipping with 24 hours. You can also order from www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. Special note: I've got a really great deal going on teachers pay teachers: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/.

AND MORE
Sarah has no school this week although I know some schools won't get out until Wednesday. The Children's Museum of Houston is usually not open on Mondays. But during special weeks, they make an exception. So we headed there today. Just yesterday, they opened a new outdoor exhibit called Water Works. Sarah and her friend loved it and didn't want to leave. There is a lot of water projecting type equipment. Sarah's friend did not get wet, but Sarah sure did. So, have a change of clothes with you just in case. There are several new exhibits, including upstairs. They also had several chicken eggs which looked like they might hatch soon. That is my favorite thing to see there. And, I heard that Santa will be there on Friday. Also, in case you didn't know, there are many days of the week they are now open until 6 pm. I love that too!!!

Whatever you are doing this week, be safe and have fun!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Monday Forecast/Great Act at Renaissance/Thanksgiving Help

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
A warmup for much of the country as the weekend ends. But a new storm system with surface cold front will bring thunderstorms to east Texas and Louisiana on Monday. Meanwhile, there will be snow around the Great Lakes. Highs from the northern plains through the Great Lakes and the northeast will be in the 20s, 30s and 40s. It will be mild across the southeast and into the southwest.

Houston, look for thunderstorms during the first half of the day. Highs will be in the 70s, but it will start to cool down in the afternoon.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
The word is entertainment of entretenimiento, pronounced ehn-tray-tay-knee-me-EHN-tow. It is so much fun to see good entretenimiento.

Some people learn languages for the pure fun of it. But now, many parents are working hard to help their kids learn languages...you see they know about the benefits of early language learning. Some of these include increased growth of tissue in the part of the brain associated with language (especially for children under age 8), improved scores on standardized math and science tests, improved memory and even higher IQ. So, why not let them learn another language and be entertained at the same time. Get our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. Special note: I've got a really great deal going on teachers pay teachers: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/.

AND MORE
My friend, Leslie Williams Dennis is at it again. She has a wonderful article about a food pantry in Stafford that will be giving out hundreds of Thanksgiving meals this Tuesday. Here is the link:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/fortbend/news/6119364.html

Also, big pats on the back to St. Laurence parish in Sugar Land. They gave out $100,000 worth of Thanksgiving meals over the weekend.

We went to the Renaissance Festival Saturday. I hadn't been in about 15 years, and it was Sarah's 1st time, as well as my sister's. It has changed some in 15 years. There are more fantasy type characters walking around. We loved the juggling act by Mike and Louis. To learn more, go to theotherbrothers.net. Check out this clip from their site. They combine humor with really good juggling! We were on the edge of out seats. They also horse around a lot. Go to the end of the video for the best stuff.
http://www.theotherbrothers.net/promovideopage.html

Don't forget to answer our poll.
Have a great week!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Correction! Thanksgiving Day Forecast!

I don't know why...but I put the wrong temperatures for Houston's Thanksgiving Day forecast...it will be lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s. There will also be some rain.

Happy Weekend!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weekend Forecast/New Poll/Store Closings

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
It is a chilly Saturday for much of the nation...highs in the 20s and 30s for the northern states and much of the northeast and Appalachians. There will be snow showers in some Great Lakes locations and a cold rain in the Pacific Northwest.

For Houston, a cool but pleasant day with some clouds later. Look for showers on Sunday. Today's highs will be close to 60. High on Sunday will be in the 70s. Look for some rain on Monday as well. Thanksgiving Day lows will be in the 40s with highs in the 60s and some showers.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Today's word is grateful or agradecido, pronounced ah-grah-day-SEE-doh. For all of our blessings, we should be agradecido.

If you grew up in a home where more than one language was spoken, you should be grateful. You have reaped the benefits of improved cognition and cognitive performance as well as developed the correct pronunciation. But never fear monoligual households...you can expose your children to another language through our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
The results of our secretary of state poll are that 18% were for McCain, 72% for Hillary Clinton and 9% for Bill Richardson. In case you didn't hear, Obama did pick Hillary Clinton for this position. So, I guess many of you were on the same wavelength.

Our new poll has to do with holiday spending. How will your spending this year compare to last year's. Happy shopping and polling!

There are a lot of rumors about which stores are closing--you should know this before you buy gifts and gift cards: Here is the correct report from Snopes--the link provided by my friend Tom Ryan--thanks Tom! The article has a list of incorrect information that has been circulating. Go to the bottom to see what is correct.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/storeclosings.asp

Have a great weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weekend Forecast/Big Chill/Where the Teachers Shop/trees

HURRICANES AND MORE
BRRRRRRR!!!! A big chill is diving southward. Highs on Friday for much of the country will be in the 20s and 30s with windy conditions. There will be even be some highs only in the teens across the western Great Lakes. Look for snow to be a problem for the Great Lakes, Appalachians (as far south as Tennessee). There will also be snow in the higher elevations of the northern Rockies and the Cascades.

Houston will be chilly, blustery on Friday with lows in the 40s and highs in the 50s. Wind will make it feel 10 degrees cooler. Saturday will be warmer in the afternoon with light wind. Sunday, look for showers and mild temperatures. Thanksgiving Day still looks mild with a shower possible.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
The word is trees or los arboles, pronounced lowsssssss are-bowl-ES. Hurricane Ike damaged los arboles.

Los arboles is one of the terms we teach in our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. Remember, there are many benefits to early language learning including improved hypothesizing in science. You just need to cultivate your little Einstein.

AND MORE
When I contacted Scholastic about our DVD series, they told me about a neat web site called Teachers Pay Teachers. Historically, customers downloaded lesson plans etc. Just this week, they have started offering hard goods and our DVDs are available there. Be sure to tell all your teacher friends about the site. They might want to sell some of the fruits of their labors.
Here is the link: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/.

Gordy and I ate at the elementary school today with Sarah. We volunteer and help during lunch hours. But this time we ate with Sarah. They were having a special day for Thanksgiving. Well, I have to tell you it was very good and filling. I was actually "stuffed". And for $1.80 (that includes the drink), you just can't beat it. The kids lunches are $1.35 per day. You can hardly make a lunch for that amount. Remember it includes the drink. It's too bad everyone doesn't charge that little.

My brother in the Rio Grande Valley has a tree farm selling live oaks and Texas mountain laurels. I heard that the mayor of Houston wants to replace 1 million trees. So, I started calling some of the City of Houston registered vendors. There was definitely an interest in what my brother has.

Don't forget the poll closes in a day. So, vote now!

Happy Friday!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Thursday Forecast/ Blast of Chilly Air/First Colony Library Status

HURRICANES AND MORE
This new wave of cold air is taking folks breathe away,especially over the Northern Plains and Great Lakes. Highs will only be in the 20s for most of the northern states and the really cold air will be pushing as far south as Tennessee and Oklahoma. In fact, a new cold front will arrive in Houston Thursday evening, bringing a chilly, breezy day for Friday. But, lighter winds and less milder temperatures will return by Saturday midday.

For Houston, Thursday will start in the 50s and highs will be in the 70s.

Thursday, there will be snow over the northern plains, northern Rockies and Great Lakes states. Next best chance for rain in Houston will be Monday. Thursday (Thanksgiving) looks mild with a sprinkle possible.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Today's word is library or biblioteca, pronounced bee-blee-oh-TAY-cah. I love taking my daughter to the biblioteca.

The library is a wonderful place to look for Spanish books, CDs and even DVDs. But if you want something you can keep around--that the children can enjoy and review over and over--get them something entertaining and educational--our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/. Just think of it as an investment. Research shows that people who are fluent in more than one language end up earning more money.

AND MORE
We did head to the library today (after homework was finished of course). Sarah even got to bring along one her friends. I was reminiscing about a couple books I loved as a child. You see, we had our own little library in house with all kinds of wonderful books. We read them until they were tattered and just plain falling apart. Right Mom? Well, one book was about a girl who lost a red mitten and let everyone know that it was missing. People started coming from all over, each giving her family one red mitten. Before she knew it, she had mittens everywhere and not even a bit of drawer space to stuff them in. So, soon she publicized that people who were missing a mitten could come find it hanging on their clothesline.

The other book is about a little girl who has to get rid of some kittens. She goes door to door with her wagon filled with kittens and starts giving them away. Unfortunately for her mother, everyone gives her some kind of pet in return. She ends up coming home with a plethora of different pets including one loud obnoxious parrot. You can imagine her mother's reaction. Well, anyway, if anyone knows the names of those books or better yet, where I could get copies, please let me know.

Speaking of libraries, the First Colony Ft. Bend library is still closed but here is a new development as posted on the Fort Bend Library web site.
Significant repairs still must be made before First Colony Branch Library can re-open. Arrangements have been made to allow return of books and other materials at the First Colony Branch, on Monday - Friday, from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. No transactions other than returns may take place: fines cannot be paid, items cannot be immediately checked in, and no items can be checked out.
Wow...maybe I could have kept that one book longer. Tee hee! Anyway, a worker at the Sugar Land library, where we went today, told me that he was usually an employee at the First Colony location. He said that some of the employees were working at First Colony, but others had been sent to work at other Fort Bend library locations.

Well, here's hoping everything is fixed and returned to normal soon.

Don't forget to vote in my secretary of state of poll. It is open for 2 more days.

Have a wonderful Thursday everyone.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Wednesday Forecast/Non DVD Gift Idea/Being Sleepy

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Old man winter has settled in over the Great Lakes states. Highs from the northern plains to the northern Appalachians will be in the 20s and 30s. There are some ice warnings and snow advisories and winter storm warnings in the Great Lakes states and the Appalachians of West Virginia. Elsewhere around the country, more delightful weather.

Houston will enjoy another pretty day on Wednesday with lows in the 40s and highs near 70. Look for some clouds and maybe a shower later in the week and over the weekend. Best chance for rain isn't until the coming week.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
I'm sleepy tonight...so let's do I'm sleepy or tengo sueño, pronounce TAYN-go swenyo. Tengo sueño...I'm going to bed.

But first, finish off your holiday shopping for all those favorite little cousins, nieces and nephew. Research shows that early language learning allows for developing correct pronunciation for later in life. In fact, children are just geared to get that pronunciation down right from the get-go. So, get them something entertaining and educational--our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
Looking for a creative, long lasting, calorie free gift...give them a photo calendar. This is something we have been doing on both sides of my family for several years now. I take pictures of family all year long and then go to shutterfly.com. Right now, they have 20% off and free shipping. It is fun and easy to set up montages or single shots for each month of the year. You can put captions. Most importantly, you can set up a database of important dates/anniversaries and then use it again every year. These dates will be printed on the calendar. I love looking at the calendar photos all year long. It keeps my family close even though some of them are so far away.

You know you're getting old(er) when you fall asleep while reading a book with your daughter. Yes...she was still going strong as I dozed off. Ahhhh....youth. (Or could it just be that I am avoiding that mountain of laundry?) I didn't admit that!

Have a great Wednesday everyone.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tuesday Forecast/Update on Cousin

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
All is quiet in the the tropics.

Meanwhile, winter storm warnings and snow advisories are in effect for the northeast and northern Appalachians. Highs in that part of the country will be in the 20s, 30s, and 40s.

Houston's weather and the rest of the country will be dry and pleasant. In fact a reinforcing shot of dry air arrives Tuesday. Look for a few showers in Houston as early as Thursday. Best chance for rain will be Monday/Tuesday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
I would like to say family or familia, pronounced fah-mee-LEE-ah. There is nothing like familia when times are tough.

And this holiday season, you'll want to give something very special to those young ones in your family. So, get them something entertaining and educational. Enhance their cognitive development while teaching them Spanish through our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
Saw my cousin today (the one who had been injured in the car accident). She is working hard on her recovery and her family is by her side. One of the other passengers passed away last week (I only learned of it today). Please keep all of them and their families in your prayers.

Have a safe Tuesday everyone.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Thanksgiving Forecast/Benefits of Mint

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropics are quiet!!!

But, it is really feeling like winter in northern Minnesota...forecast high for International Falls is 19 on Monday....brrrrr!!! There will be snow form the western Great Lakes into the New England States and southward into the Appalachians. Highs will be in the 20s and 30s.

Rest of the country will enjoy sunshine and dry weather.

Houston will start in the upper 30s and end up with highs close to 70 on Monday. Humidity will stay low into Thursday with a gradual rise in temperatures as the week progresses. A couple showers will be possible over the weekend. Looks like a deep trough will swing some storms through Houston a week from Wednesday. That means Thursday will be cool, breezy and dry--kind of like Saturday was.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
This cooler weather has me thinking about roasting turkeys and gearing up for the entire holiday season. So, let's do holiday or día de fiesta, pronounced DEE-ah day fee-ES-tah. It's always fun to celebrate with family and friends on a día de fiesta.

Speaking of holidays, time to get going on that Christmas shopping. Get the kids something they'll love to watch while being educated. Language learning has a multitude of benefits including stimulating brain development. An easy way to start exposing your favorite little ones to another language is through our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
Friday evening, one of our party goers was Doris Rotzoll, who works for NASA's Space Flight Meteorology Group. Their job is to forecast the weather for all possible shuttle emergency landing spots right after lift off. She had to report to work at 2 am all week. After the successful launch early Friday, she still came all the way to our party on the other side of town. She looked sleepy before leaving so I gave her some minty gum to chew on the way home. Mint has been shown to help make you more alert. I was so proud of her for her important work and so grateful that she still joined us.

I am celebrating a bit today because I obtained my broadcast recertification from the National Weather Association. They have more requirements than ever to keep it going. Also, Sarah got a great report from her pediatrician about her lab results. Yay!!!

Have a great week everyone and don't forget to answer our new poll about the next secretary of state selection.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Sunday Forecast/Obama Poll Results/Secretary of State Poll

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Tropics are quiet.

It is a stormy night along the eastern seaboard. Peaceful conditions will return on Sunday with some wintry precipitation over the Great Lakes states. There is a heavy snow warning over extreme northern portions of Wisconsin.

Houston's blustery weather is ending. Look for sunshine and low humidity on Sunday. It will be a cold morning with temperatures in the 30s...a light freeze for outlying areas. Highs will be in the 60s. Weather will be very pleasant and dry through Wednesday...cool mornings, mild, sunny afternoons.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do windy or ventoso, pronounced vehn-TOW-sew. Because of the tight pressure gradient, it was a very ventoso day.

Research shows that children fully immersed in learning another language experience an increase in their IQ. Here is the synopsis:

...a study of IQ data collected over a 5-year period (kindergarten to Grade 4) on pupils in a French immersion program...and pupils in the regular English program. ....repeated measure analysis indicates that the immersion group had a higher IQ measure over the 5-yr period.

This comes from: Barik, H.C., & Sain, M. (1976). A longitudinal study of bilingual and cognitive development. International Journal of Psychology, 11(4), 251-263. from PsycINFO database.

An easy way to start exposing your favorite little ones to another language is through our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

Other ways are to check out Spanish videos from the library or watch Spanish language programming. Don't delay. Help them today!

AND MORE
Our poll asking how you think Obama has performed post election produced the following results:
62% yes, his performance is just right
25% yes he is doing fine but he might be wearing himself out
12% no

Now, I am excited to open a poll about Obama's selection for secretary of state. Vote for which person you think he should pick.

Had the opportunity to speak at a lovely luncheon courtesy of the American Association of University Women. These ladies were fascinating conversationalities, and I felt right at home immediately. I am grateful they invited me to join them.

Happy Sunday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weekend Forecast/Longaberger Facts/Wind Advisory

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Sorry this is so late...just finished with all the party related fun...I guess technically this is coming to you very early Saturday morning, but it is still Friday night to me.

Very strong cold front and associated deep trough is pushing through the eastern U.S. Cold air is diving southward from the western Great Lakes to the Ozarks. Highs will be in the 20s, 30s and 40s in this area with windy conditions. And there will be snow over the Great Lakes states. Look for thunderstorms, some possibly severe, along the eastern seaboard.

Houston weather will make us realize it is fall. Windy on Saturday...in fact there is a Wind Advisory in effect until 3 pm Saturday for the coastal counties. And all of the area is under a Fire Weather Watch because any fires which start could get out of control very quickly. Highs on Saturday and Sunday will only be in the 60s (wind chill on Saturday will make it feel like 50). Winds will be light on Sunday. Look for lots of sunshine both days. Looking for 30s Sunday morning...some freezing temperatures in outlying areas.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do cleanup as that is what I just did following the Longaberger party...in Spanish, limpiar, pronounced leem-pee-ARRRRR. The least fun of having a party is having to limpiar.

Kids don't always clean up their messes, but they love to learn. Their brains are made to learn multiple languages. So, get them a fun product which takes advantage of that...order our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
The Longaberger party was a blast! It was so good to see friends I haven't seen for a long time. The headquarters is in Ohio and looks like a basket. Seriously, I thought the photo was a fake as the building looks just like a basket, handles and all. It is 7 stories tall. I would really love to see that in person. The original Longaberger family had 12 children. Hopefully it was cheaper by the dozen for them.

Have a great weekend everyone! Two hands on the wheel when driving!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Friday Forecast/Saints/Longaberger Party

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Another area of disturbed weather is northeast of the Leeward Islands...some slow development is possible.

New cold front is pushing across the country this evening...some strong winds behind it with lots of wind warnings from the southern to northern Plains. Friday will be stormy from the Rio Grande Valley to New Orleans and up the eastern seaboard. There will be snow over the western Great Lakes states and the northern plains. And it will be cold there with highs only in the 30s.

Houston weather for Friday...mild with a few showers possible. Weekend will be dry, very comfortable and cooler. Saturday will be breezy...might be good kite flying weather.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
The word for today is assistance or ayuda, pronounced eye-YOU-dah. Sometimes, people need just a little ayuda.

The brains of children who are learning more than one language have been shown to be more dense in the area of language learning. You can provide your youngsters with that kind of helpful stimulation by watching our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco--order from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
I'm hosting a Longaberger party Friday evening at 7 pm. This is the modern day version of a tupperware party. Well, we are going to have a deliciously fun time. The theme is "Death by Chocolate" and I will have plenty of that. If you would like to come, email me at cecilia_sinclair@yahoo.com.

My reporter friend, Leslie Williams, has produce another excellent article. It is about people getting assistance obtaining the basics...food. I was very touched to read about a lady who was getting assistance. She is taking care of a sick mother, working and raising a child.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/fortbend/news/6108105.html

These are the saints on this earth. Another mother I know has 5 children, can't get more than a pittance of support from her ex-husband and one of the children has Smith-Magenis Syndrome, with many of its most severe characteristics. God bless these people...give them strength and may those around them be merciful and help them.

Happy Friday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Thursday Forecast/Chocolate Options/Burger King Benefits

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
For Houston, stationary front is hanging around on the coast. Until the next cold front arrives Friday afternoon, there is a slight chance for showers. It will be mild and a bit muggy on Thursday with highs in the 70s.

Much of the country will be wet on Thursday with showers and thunderstorms for the eastern states and wintry weather over the Rockies and extreme northern sections of the North Dakota and Minnesota and possibly Michigan.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
The word is chocolate...my favorite food. And it is a food, sort of. Anyway in Spanish it is still spelled chocolate, but it is pronounced cho-co-LAH-tay. I have some good news for all chocolate lovers.

There are many ways to expose your children to another language. One way is to send them to a country where the other language is spoken. I have a friend who sends who daughters to Colombia every summer. They stay with their grandparents, have a ball, and really learn Spanish. Obviously, most of us don't have such options. But you can still expose your little ones to another language. You could try our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco--order from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
Okay, here is the good news for chocolate lovers. Many of our favorite chocolate candies are being offered in dark chocolate form...like Hersheys kisses and there is even a variety park of semisweet to dark chocolate for those miniature candy bars. As you may have read, dark chocolate has anti-oxidants. I won't go into the fact that the fat content can get in the way. Basically the darker the better. Enjoy!

Until tonight, I had not been inside a Burger King for a very long time. Well, Sarah and I were in one tonight--her idea. They had a touch screen interactive game system and a WiFI room with at least one computer that actually worked. And there was no one in there. I was amazed. I think we will be be frequenting Burker King a lot more often.

Happy Thursday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Wednesday Forecast/Flood Threats/Rainfall Totals

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
A lot going on in the Houston area tonight...over the past 2 days, 5 to 6 inches of rain have fallen in Montgomery County/Northern Harris County. Sprink Creek is rising and minor flooding is expected...so there is a Flood Warning for that. All of the area is under a Flood Watch until Wednesday morning and several counties are under Urban and Small Flood Advisories as there is flooding occurring as I write this blog.

So please remember the rule of thumb--Turn Around Don't Drown (if you encounter a flooded roadway). Six inches of rushing water can sweep a person off their feet. One foot of rushing water can pick up and carry away a car.

Right now, there are slow moving lines of storms in the area and at least one Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued in Colorado County.

Wednesday, the rain will taper off in the morning in Houston. The models are backing off some on the return of less humid air. But it still looks like the rain will let up during the day. For the rest of the nation...it's 30s and 40s for the northern states with rain and snow over the Rockies and Pacific Northwest. Also, look for thunderstorms from the Rio Grande Valley northeastward into the Tennessee Valley.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
A warning is the most serious type of statement issued by the National Weather Service. It means that type of weather is imminent or happening. In Spanish, this would be advertencia, pronounced ahd-vair-ten-SEE-ah. When the advertencia was issued, the residents stayed in their homes, rather than venture out into the flood waters.

We are waiting to hear if we are award winners from homeschool.com. This is the largest retailer for homeschool education materials. They invited us to enter their contest for best holiday gifts (free of charge). When I asked them where they heard about our DVD, they said they heard from a homeschooler who just raved about our product. We'll know the results come December 1st. So, keep your fingers crossed. We already won the 2008 Dr. Toy Top 10 Educational Product award. So, what a perfect gift this DVD is! You can purchase copies of our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
At right is my list of favorite weather web sites. One that I think you all will find very useful is the Harris County Office of Emergency Management web site. Look for my item called Harris Co. Rainfall Map. There you can find out just how many inches fell for different periods of time.

I am sending out a special prayer request for my cousin who was in a terrible car accident. The good news is she has been moved from the ICU to a regular room. But she is in a lot of pain and her memory is not right. Two occupants of the car were killed. One other was also critically injured. The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, is okay with minor injuries. Please pray for all of them and their families...especially the driver.

Have a safe Wednesday everyone.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tuesday Forecast/Flood Threat/Sarah Scissorhands

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
What is left of Paloma is just northeast of Cuba. Redevelopment does not look likely because there is so much wind shear.

The big story in the states is the upper storm swirling over the central part of the country. A line of storms is spinning out and there is a tornado watch over north central Texas. Also there are winter weather advisories and warnings and freezing rain warnings in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota.

On Tuesday, there will be rain and snow over the northern and central plains. There will be thunderstorms southward to Houston. It is going to be a soggy couple of days in Houston. I would not be surprised if we have some flooding trouble...Wednesday looks like the wettest day of all. Humidity will be high...temperatures mild. Nice weekend coming our way...although Saturday will be breezy and cool--good for kite flying.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
The word of the day is haircut or corte de pelo, pronounced CORE-tay day PAY-low. When my hair is long, I schedule a corte de pelo.

If you want your children to learn another language and you want them to have the best pronunciation possible, they need to learn as children. Our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco, was created with the most accurate pronunciation possible--with a team of experts making sure every syllable was pronounced correctly. You can order our DVD from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
Well Sarah did it again. I had her working on some exercises with cutting. After giving her the assignment, I went into the kitchen. When I came back, I found long pieces of hair on the floor. Yep. She cut it. The first time was right at the beginnning of kindergarten when she cut her hair right in the front...a couple days before school pictures. Well Santa is going to ask Sarah what happened to her hair. It's not that bad...it's toward the back. What I don't understand is why there...it had to be hard to reach that one spot. I figure it will take about 5 months to grow back out. When I asked her why she did it, she said, "I don't know". Well that answer hasn't changed. Tee hee!

Have a great Tuesday!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Monday Forecast/Bee Picnic/Frank Caliendo

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Paloma is dieing over Cuba. The top has been lopped off by strong upper level winds. There is still a low level circulation. The National Hurricane Center has stopped issuing advisories. Forecast models indicate what is left will shift westward, but no intensification is suggested.

Deep trough begins digging into the nation's midsection on Monday. This means rain and snow in the higher elevations of the Rockies. Highs in the northern states will be in the 30s, 40s and 50s. Some rain and thunderstorms are possible from San Antonio to Oklahoma City.

In Houston, a few showers are possible on Monday. Look for the most active weather Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be more humid but still mild. Front moves through Wednesday afternoon or evening. Looks like the end of the week and the coming weekend will be very pleasant.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
The word is sting (as in a bee sting)--picadura, pronounced pee-kah-DOO-rah. The poor girl cried because the picadura hurt so much.

Spanish is a beautiful language. Even the word sting sounds more interesting and almost fun in Spanish--picadura. Well, children love to learn languages and they enjoy many intellectual benefits when they do--like higher scores on standardized tests in math and science. And on average, bilingual or multilingual folks earn more money as adults. So, invest in their future now...order our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco, a Dr. Toy Top 10 Educational Product for 2008. You can order it from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

AND MORE
At yesterday's picnic, there was an amazingly large number of bees flying around once we had opened drinks and food. They were easy to shoo away except for one poor little girl. One landed on her hand and when she touched it, it stung her right in the palm. I immediately pulled the stinger out with my fingernails. Fortunately, I had a first aid kit and some anesthesizing spray. It did seem to help...but I felt so sorry for the little girl. She was so brave! I'm glad she wasn't allergic.

Gordy and I love the comedian, Frank Caliendo. We got to see him a couple years ago when he came to Houston. After the show, I told him he does a good job, and he said "I'm trying". Now, he has a show on Tuesday night at 10 pm on TBS called Frank TV. It is a riot. Today, we finally got to watch what we recorded this last week. Frank did impressions of George W. Bush (excellent), John McCain and Tom Brokaw. He also has a team of actors who do impressions as well. There is one guy who does a pretty good Obama. Check out the link to the TBS site for him: http://www.tbs.com/shows/franktv/. They have clips and even entire episodes. Enjoy!

The poll has closed for evaluating Michelle Obama's dress from election night. 1/3 liked it while 2/3rds of respondents did not. Now, after watching the intensity of Obama's action following election night, I have posted a new poll. You can participate by clicking your response at the right.

Happy Monday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Sunday Forecast/Hurricane Paloma/Baylor College of Medicine helps parents

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
As I write this blog, Hurricane Paloma has made landfall on Cuba. Here is the latest from The National Hurricane Center.

AT APPROXIMATELY 620 PM EST...2320 UTC...HIGH-RESOLUTION GOES SATELLITE DATA AND A RECENT POSITION FIX FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT...PLUS SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AND RADAR DATA FROM CUBA...INDICATE THAT MAJOR HURRICANE PALOMA LIKELY MADE LANDFALL NEAR SANTA CRUZ DEL SUR CUBA AS A STRONG CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 125 MPH...200 KM/HR.

It already hammered the Cayman Islands. It also has the distinction of being the 2nd strongest Atlantic basin November hurricane on record.

After crossing Cuba, the forecast models take it different directions as it falls apart. But it shouldn't matter unless it stalls over land...which it doesn't look like it will do. For one thing, the upper part of the storm should be sheared away.

Sunday weather in Houston: another pleasant day with some clouds by late afternoon--a cool morning and a warm afternoon. Look for rain on and off starting Monday and continuing until Thursday. Then...another great weekend.

On Sunday, the northern half of the country will be chilly with highs in the 20s, 30s and 40s. There will be rain in the Pacific Northwest and intermountain region and some snow showers over the Great Lakes states.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
The word is tired--cansado or cansada, pronounced cahn-SAH-dough or cahn-SAH-dah. I am so cansada (a ending as I am female) after hosting our 5th annual Smith-Magenis Syndrome picnic.

And when you are tired, what is better than shopping from the comforts of home? Speaking of that, when you do your Christmas shopping, don't forget to order our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco, a Dr. Toy Top 10 Educational Product for 2008. You can order it from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
For five years, Gordy and I have hosted a picnic for families who have children with Smith-Magenis Syndrome. This is the syndrome our daughter Sarah has. For more information, see prisms.org. Anyway, every year, we see new faces. And this is truly a lifeline as the syndrome is so rare and it is validating and comforting to the families of these children to meet others who understand.

Last night, Baylor College of Medicine medical students had Parents Night Out. This is a night when parents of Smith-Magenis children can drop them off and go out and have a break. You see some of these children are so difficult that the parents can not find anyone to watch them. Special thanks to all of these folks and Dr. Lorraine Potocki and assistant Yolanda for volunteering your Friday night to do this once a year. It is so very appreciated.

Well, enjoy Sunday everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Saturday Forecast/Credit Card Scam/Hurricane Paloma

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Paloma is a Category 2 hurricane and will hit Cuba late Saturday, then move through the Bahamas and out into the open waters of the Atlantic.

Meanwhile, the north-central and Great Lakes region of the country will be dealing with wintery conditions--snow and highs in the 20s and 30s. Much of the south will enjoy dry weather. The Pacific Northwest will also be showery.

Houston weather will be chilly in the mornings and warm and dry in the afternoons...Saturday will be especially nice.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
I spoke to a Mom's group at Prince of Peace Catholic church this morning. They had child care...so it was very peaceful. Ha! Ha!

So our word for the day is babysitter or canguro, pronounced cahn-GOO-row. It is wonderful sometimes to have a babysitter.

Doing some Christmas shopping this weekend. Don't forget to order our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco, a Dr. Toy Top 10 Educational Product for 2008. You can order it from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
I have to fly as I am involved in a very personal and important event tonight...I'll have more on this tomorrow.

In the meantime, I want to tell you about a terrible credit card scam. Here are the details:


Snopes.com says this is true. To verify see this site:
http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp
This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want.Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & Master Card Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself.One of our employees was ca lled on Wednesday from 'VISA', and I was called on Thursday from 'Master Card'. The scam works like this: Caller: 'This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based inArizona ?'When you say 'No', the caller continues with, 'Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit wil l be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?'You say 'yes'. The caller continues - 'I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800 -VISA) and ask for Security.'You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. 'Do you need me to read it again?'Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, 'I need to verify you are in possession of your card'. He'll ask you to 'turn your card over and look for some numbers'. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, 'That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?' After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, 'Don't hesitate to call back if you do, and hangs up.You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card.Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a 'Jas on Richardson of Master Card' with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instruc ted by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.

Have a safe weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Friday Forecast/Hurricane Paloma/Cheap Gas

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Well, now I actually am going to talk about a hurricane--we have a hurricane named Paloma in the western Caribbean. See forecast track to right...forecast to become Category 3 (major) by Saturday as it heads toward Cuba. Looks like Cuba will get a direct hit and then it will move through the Bahamas and out into the open waters of the Atlantic.

In the Dakotas and western Minnesota, Blizzard and Winter Weather Warnings are in effect. There is a line of thunderstorms that moving along the cold front that is now pushing through southeast Texas. Look for storms on Friday from the Tennessee Valley southward to the Gulf coast states of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Houston, we were spared severe storms. The cold front has arrived and it will be a pleasantly cooler day on Friday. The weekend looks spectacular with sunshine, low humidity, cool morning and warm afternoons.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do poll or survey--encuesta, pronounced ehn-QUES-tah. Don't forget to answer my encuesta about whether you like Michelle Obama's election night dress.

On Friday morning, I am visiting a mom's group at Prince of Peace church. You see, I give talks about the benefits of early language learning and I also give a little information about weather. These moms know that they want what benefits their children most and they are interested in learning more about language learning benefits. There are so many to discuss like improved cognitive development. You can give your children this tool in a fun, entertaining form, our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco, a Dr. Toy Top 10 Educational Product for 2008. You can order it from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
I have a Southwest Rapids Reward credit card. I use it for everything possible. We usually get 2 free round trip tickets a year with it and considering Gordy's family is all up in Iowa, this really helps. This is such a great deal. And another neat thing is you can transfer a free ticket to anyone you want. We have used these to fly Megan different places.

What's the cheapest gas you've been able to find. I got some today at a Valero at Dulles and Lexington for 183.9. Let me know if you find it cheaper anywhere else.

I've got a lot of special extra activities in the works...more on that very soon.

Happy Friday!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Thursday Forecast/Michelle Obama's Dress

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Paloma--yes Virginia, looks like we will have a Paloma. Tropical Depression #17 is in the western Caribbean and will likely become Paloma in the next 24 hours. I put up the National Hurricane Center 5 day path forecast to the right. Notice that the cone of uncertainty does not ever include Florida. So it looks like Cuba and the Bahamas will have to deal with it--as a hurricane.

This evening there is a tornado watch and a severe thunderstorm watch from Oklahoma up to Iowa (respectively). It is ahead of a cold front which will move through Houston in the early morning hours on Friday. Look for a very muggy day on Thursday. Houston will get some showers and thunderstorms around Midnight (Thursday night into Friday morning). Thursday will be showery in the northwest, stormy from the midwest into Texas and there will also be a few showers in New England. Highs will only be in the 30s and 40s in the northern plains and northwest.

For Houston, look for more rain on Monday and Thursday (especially Thursday with a strong dip of cold air) in the coming week.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
It is dress or vestido, pronounced vehs-TEE-dough. Did you see Michelle Obama's vestido last night?

There is so much to remember as we get into this busier time of year. Hey, here's a reminder, you can improve memory of the youngsters you love (a benefit of early language learning) and get one thing off your busy list by buying our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco, a Dr. Toy Top 10 Educational Product for 2008. You can order it from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
Okay...5 of the poll responders think we should think about getting rid of the electoral college. No one thought we should leave it. Now, it is time for a new poll. Did you like Michelle Obama's dress last night? I know you are dieing to voice your opinion.

Have a terrific Thursday everyone.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Wednesday Forecast/Matt Lavine gets publicity from Ken Hoffman

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Big upper trough will dig southward into the central plains and cause wintry weather in the higher elevations and thunderstorms from Oklahoma to Dallas. Many locations across the Rockies and Intermountain region will have highs in the 30s and 40s.

In Houston, it will be a warm and muggy Wednesday with highs in the 80s. Look for some storms in Houston on Thursday evening as the next front ushers in a pleasant weekend. Look for another round of rain and even storms on Monday.

Polo in the Pacific has petered out. Now say that 5 times fast...good for the mouth muscles. In the western Caribbean, however, I think we will have a Paloma in a day or two. But it will move northward and then northeastward crossing Cuba and the Bahamas before heading into the Atlantic.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Surprise, it's president or presidente, pronounced preh-see-DEHN-tay. Looks like we have elected Obama as the new presidente.

I remember reading months ago that Obama thinks that children should be encouraged to learn more than one language. Well, you can make your own executive decision now and give your favorite youngsters the gift of language--buy them our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco, a Dr. Toy Top 10 Educational Product for 2008. You can order it from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
I've been watching the difference between the electoral vote count and the popular vote. Considering the disparity and what happened in 2000, I think a lot of folks are questioning the electoral college system of voting. Don't forget to voice your opinion by answering the poll at right.

Well, remember when we talked about Matt Lavine filling in at CW? He just concluded his last weekend there but not without getting the attention of Houston Chronicle columnist Ken Hoffman. I think it was the tights thing that grabbed him--see the article at
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/hoffman/6092611.html

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Election Day Forecast/Electoral College versus Popular Vote

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Say Marco (we said when that tiny stormed was in the southern Gulf of Mexico). Well, now there is Polo in the eastern Pacific--not theatening any land area and giving me something silly to say.

Election Day weather--some trouble spots around the nation. To the right is the National Weather Service's warning map. The pink areas are one of the toughest locations because that is where there could be treacherous driving due to wintery weather. Here is just one of the warnings:

A STRONG WINTER STORM WILL BRING 8 TO 16 INCHES OF SNOW...WITHLOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE...TO THE SAN JUAN...WEST ELK ANDSAWATCH MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS THE GRAND MESA. EXPECT SOUTHWEST WINDSTO INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH CREATINGWIDESPREAD AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. WINDS WILL SHIFTTO THE WEST AND DECREASE WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

The winter weather advisories (shown in blue) are also important but not as critical as the pink (warned) areas. There will be also be some showers and thunderstorms from D.C. to Norfolk to Charlotte, NC. It will be chilly or the northwest and intermountain region with highs in the 30s and 40s.

Houston weather looks great for voting...lows in the 50s and highs in the 80s. Look for a line of storms late Thursday into early Friday. Weekend looks nice and dry.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Can you believe I want to do election or eleccíon, pronounced ay-leck-SIOWN. Tomorrow is a big day, the eleccíon of a new president and others.

You can elect to help your children reap the many benefits of early language learning. Buy them our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco, a Dr. Toy Top 10 Educational Product for 2008. You can order it from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
We saw one today...one of those FEMA people. We were strolling down the path that runs along Oyster Creek and saw a man coming toward us with a safety vest on. When we got closer we asked him if he was inspecting the work which had been done to remove all the debris. He said very somberly but politely, "I'm with FEMA". And that was it and he passed us and kept on going. Maybe he was trying to say that he wasn't inspecting the debris removal. He is just some poor overworked FEMA guy who was taking a stroll to relax. I guess we'll never know. I had no idea that FEMA had anything to do with debris removal along a creek area.

The electoral college vs. the popular vote. Rarely does one not agree with the other. But as we all remember from the 2000 election...they can be at odds. In that election George W. Bush won with 271 electoral votes and a popular vote of 50,456,002 (47.9%). Al Gore had fewer electoral votes: 266 with a higher popular vote of 50,999,897 (48.4%).

Now, I'm a numbers kind of person and I like the idea of the popular vote deciding it. I think each vote should be exactly equal in value. The way it works now is that your state has so many electoral votes. Whatever way your state decides, the electors are "pledged" to represent the will of their state voters in December with their actual vote. Some states (not all) have laws which require the electors to do as the population of the state indicated through their vote.

The whole reason the electoral college came about was that during the early part of our country's history, states or areas with lean populations would not have enough to have any voice at all during an election. So, that is when the electoral votes were assigned. They didn't want the few largely populated areas deciding everything.

I personally think there is little need of this any more. But there are probably those from primarily agriculatural or lower populated starts who might disagree.

For more on the electoral college, see this link: http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepoliticalsystem/a/electcollege.htm

So, I'm putting up a poll--do you think the election should be based on popular vote--yes or no.

Happy voting everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Monday Forecast/Extreme Ironing/Dia de los Muertos

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
There is a new area of disturbed weather that has potential to develop in the extreme southern Caribbean. Will keep you posted, especially if we get a Paloma.

40s and 50s will be the highs for the northwest and New England on Monday. There will be rain out west, over the Great Lakes states and in Florida.

In Houston, getting more and more muggy this week...like a sauna by Thursday with very high humidity and mild to warm temperatures. Look for some rain, maybe thunderstorms late Thursday into early Friday. Get those shorts back out...because you will be wearing them this week--including to the polls on Tuesday. No weather trouble in Houston for voting.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Since it's been all about the time change today, let's do time or tiempo, pronounced tee-M-poh. How did you use your extra tiempo--don't know about you but I got through that mountain of laundry.

This afternoon at the park, I met a couple from Ethiopia speaking their native language to their sons. The mother told me that she asked her son some questions to see if he could distinguish between the 2 languages. She was amazed to find out that he could quite easily--there was no confusing or mixing them. Well, that is because the brain of a child is perfectly wired to compartmentalize and organize language structure. Study after study shows this. In fact, they can learn many languages without confusion. The young brain identifies patterns and sorts accordingly. So, help those little ones learn language in a fun way---buy them our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco, a Dr. Toy Top 10 Educational Product for 2008. You can order it from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
This information comes from an article provided by Adriana Gutierrez, Spanish teacher suprema. Today (November 2nd) is celebrated by Catholics in Mexico as Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos. It is a time of celebrating the memory of those who have died. Altars are set up with special cutout paper tablecloths--ofrendas. They make a special bread called pan de muerto (bread of the dead)...it is often laid in strips that look like bones and they eat sugar candy shaped like skulls. They make the favorite foods of the deceased and place them on the altar. Many believe that the dead will come that night and visit. They decorate sticks with marigolds--believed to be the flower of the dead and visit cemeteries singing songs and celebrating the memories of their loved ones. It is a time of rejoicing.

In the Catholic Church, November 2nd is known as All Soul's Day, a day to remember and pray for the dead--especially loved ones.

Well, I was reading one of Sarah's school take home magazines and they had a snippet (with a picture!) of farmers riding down a river in the shells of huge hollowed out pumpkins. Good grief, Charlie Brown, this is what happened to the Great Pumpkin and all of his buddies.

And this got me to thinking about other weird "sports" like extreme ironing. You are not seeing things...this is real! Check out this clip from youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olU947pcHeE

And there are organizations all over--here's one web site for you.
http://www.goextremeironing.com/

Now, you have a new hobby to take up.

Have a fun Monday! Don't get burned.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Sunday Forecast/Time Change/Suggestion for that Extra Hour

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Well, it was balmy today...sweating as I took down the Halloween decorations. But although it was feeling somewhat tropical, the tropics are still quiet.

Cool spots in the nation--northwest and northeast with highs Sunday in the 50s northwest and 30s and 40s northeast. Look for rain for the northwest and the western Great Lakes states and southern Florida (where there will be thunderstorms). Houston will continue its pattern of 50s in the morning and 80s in the afternoon. It will get more mild by mid-week. Look for a line of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday.

Spanish word for the day is November or Noviembre, pronounced no-vee-M-bray. I just love the month of Noviembre!

So, now you are definitely thinking about holiday shopping. So make it easy and affordable with the kids--buy them our award winning DVD, Volume 1 of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank and Paco, a Dr. Toy Top 10 Educational Product for 2008. You can order it from www.frankandpaco.com, www.venturaes.com, www.dololanguages.com, www.carlexonline.com,www.thecuriousmindstore.com, www.amazon.com, www.bestbuy.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
Well, hopefully you know that Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 am Sunday November 2nd. Turn your clocks back (fall back) one hour. And since you now have an extra hour, make good use of it. Change the batteries in your smoke detectors. We did that today.

My Google Adwords is still not fixed. Now they are telling me they shut down both of my accounts as I am violating the Terms and Conditions. But they are not telling me how. They just gave me a link to go look at the Terms and Conditions, which I did. And, I can't figure it out. This is so frustrating. Does anyone have an adword account that works? Help!!!

Happy Sunday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman