Weekend Weather/Tornado Safety/Income Tax Timing

WEATHER
Spoke to my father-in-law in Iowa and we were talking about what a crazy winter we have had. He said, "yeah, we got a little snow" this year. Talk about understatement. They are both in their 70s and they said this is the worst they have ever seen. Now they have many feet of snow and are worrying about flooding of their basements in the spring thaw. They've never had to deal with the melting of that much snow.

Jet Stream is above 2/3rds of the way down in the US with some waves that are moving though the southern states about onece every 3 days. It will continue to be chilly (highs in the 20s, 30s and 40s) across the northern 2/3rd with the south mostly enjoying 60s. On Friday, there will be some thunderstorms in the eastern Texas/southwest Louisiana and costal California. Look for some snow showers around Great Lakes and rain/snow mix for New York city and rain for DC.

Houston, we have been and will continue to be on a 3 day rain cycle for a while. It will rain Friday and then again on Monday and then again on the following Thursday. This is due in large part to our El Nino winter. Lows will be primarily in the 40s and 50s with highs in the 50s and 60s...looks like a pretty nice weekend shaping up..althought I think skies will cloud up again Sunday afternoon and there could be some showers by late in the day.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do safety or seguridad, pronounced say-goo-ree-DAHD. For some tips on tornado seguridad, see the AND MORE section.

Be sure to tell your friends and family that they can stop at their neighborhood store and buy our award winning Spanish DVDs for children...volumes one and two of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. We have won 3 awards including Dr. Toy's Top 10 Educational Product of 2008. You can also order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com

AND MORE
Severe Weather Awareness Week
This is Severe Weather Awareness week in southeast Texas and my topic of choice today is tornadoes. The best place to be is a basement, but since we don't have basements here, the next best place is inside a building, on the first floor, away from glass doors and windows. According to the National Weather Service, there are 137 tornadoes in Texas every year...more than any other state.

The following information is from the Houston National Weather Service web site:

In a home or business, go to the safest place, usually on the lowest floor of the building in a central room away from windows. Get under a sturdy piece of furniture.
Stay away from windows.
Get out of automobiles immediately! They will become flying debris in a tornado. Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car.
If caught outside, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression.
Abandon mobile homes. Even if tied down, they will offer no protection in a tornado.

To learn more about severa weather safety topics, go to this National Weather SErivce link.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/?n=severe_weather_awareness_tornadoes

POLLS
My poll on Lenten observance is closed. 36% said they pray more during Lent. 9% said they do extra volunteering. 18% said they read the Bible and reflect more and 18% said they attend church more. 54% said they give something up. 18% said they don't observe Lent and 0% said they do something besides this list. Multiple answers were allowed. Thankd to all who participated.

My new poll is about doing your income tax...do you get it done right away? I got the idea because my mother-in-law just turned her's in to her CPA today and I turned mine in yesterday. Maybe you file extensions or maybe you get it in right on time. Only one answer is alllowed. Thank in advance for particpiating.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

More Snow for Houston Area! Tue. 2/23

This is a special update because of the snow that is expected in the
Houston area and areas northward today (Tuesday into the evening).
If you want to drive north from Houston, be aware that there
will likely be heavy snow and that areas to the north of
Houston are under a WINTER STORM WARNING--there could be heavy
snow...accumulating as early as late afternoon as temperatures drop. My brother
who lives north of Austin has been getting snow already. For Houston,
there will be a rain/snow mix starting this afternoon. As temperatures
drop this evening, icey roads may develop and this could be a problem for
the morning commute on Wednesday. Heavy accumulations are not likely in the
Houston area due to warmer temperatures...main concern is icey roads for the Houston area overnight and early Wednesday. The following is the official advisory
from the National Weather Service.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS
AFTERNOON TO 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY...

AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN WILL DEVELOP LATER THIS MORNING...AND THEN
CHANGE OVER TO A RAIN AND SNOW MIX DURING THE AFTERNOON. MOST
LOCATIONS IN THE ADVISORY SHOULD EXPERIENCE RAIN AND SNOW MIXED
BEFORE 6 PM. WITH THE WARM GROUND IN PLACE...NO SIGNIFICANT SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON. DURING THE
EVENING SNOW MAY BEGIN TO STICK ON GRASSY AREAS AND CAR ROOFS.
THE RAIN AND SNOW MIX MAY CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW LATER THIS
EVENING OR AFTER MIDNIGHT. ANY ACCUMULATIONS DURING THE LATE
EVENING THROUGH 3 AM TIME FRAME SHOULD BE MAINLY UNDER ONE INCH
FROM INTERSTATE 10 NORTHWARD. SOME ELEVATED ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES
MAY BECOME ICY ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF AUSTIN...WALLER...
HARRIS...AND LIBERTY COUNTIES.

THIS IS A DEVELOPING WINTER WEATHER SITUATION AND IF TEMPERATURES
ARE SLIGHTLY COOLER OR SLIGHTLY WARMER THAN FORECAST COULD HAVE
TREMENDOUS IMPLICATIONS ON WHERE SNOW FALLS AND HOW MUCH WILL
ACCUMULATE.

Week's Weather/Lightning Safety/Gerald Ford's Birth Name

WEATHER
As I write this post late Sudnay evening, a cold front is moving across the central US. On Monday, there will be some thunderstorms over the southeast US and some over the desert Southwest. There will be some snow showers over the Great Lakes and in the Denver area. Highs will be in the 20s across the northern and central Plains and Rockies. 50s, 60s and/or 70s for the west coast, southern states and southeast states.

Houston, a cold front is arriving early Monday. It will still be mild with highs in the low 60s. But, look for rain and highs only in the 40s on Tuesday. Tuesday will be a tricky day for travel north of Houston. Looks like there will be some snow as far south as College Station but not as far north as Dallas. Dry air returns to Houston during the day on Wednesday. Look for more rain on Friday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do lightning as in bolt of lightning, relámpago, pronounced ray-LAM-pah-goh. How do stay as safe as possible when relámpago threatens. See the AND MORE section, to find out.

Coming soon to a Barnes & Noble near you....our award winning Spanish DVDs for children...volumes one and two of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. You can also order them from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com

AND MORE
LIGHTNING SAFETY
Today is the first day of Severe Weather Awareness Week in southeast Texas. Lightning has always fascinated me. It is extremely important to take the right steps when lightning threatens.

I like the 30/30 rule which works like this. When you see lightning, start counting. If you hear thunder, before reaching 30, you should seek shelter. The 2nd 30 stands for the 30 minutes you should stay in shelter after the last crack of thunder.

Want to know how close the lightning is...each 5 seconds you count from the time you see lightning to the time you hear thunder corresponds to 1 mile of distance.

Best place to be is indoors. If you can't be indoors, get into a vehicle and avoid touching anything metallic. If you can't get into a vehicle, get to a low point away from water and tall objects (like trees). If you are the tallest thing around, squat down on the balls of your feet. If you are indoors, don't get into a bath or shower and avoid touching appliances. Also, keep your distance from glass doors and windows in case a nearby lightning strike creates flying debris which could break glass.

To learn more about severe weather, go to the this link from the Houston National Weathe Service:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx/?n=severe_weather_awareness

3 Month Temperatures and Precipitation Outlooks
The Climate Prediction Center has released its latest 3 month temperature and precipitation outlooks. Temperatures are supposed to be below normal over the southeast US including the Houston area. Rain chances will be above normal for the southwest US. To see if your area is expecting above or below normal conditions or neutral conditions (plains white), see the figures at right.

President Gerald R. Ford's Birth Name
I learn so many fascinating things while helping Sarah with homework. For example, she is working on a project about an assigned president -- her's Gerald R. Ford. Well, I was absolutely fascinated to read in the book Gerald R. Ford our Thirty-Eight President by Sandra Francis, that he was born Leslie Lynch King Jr. Apparently, his birth father was not the nicest guy and Ford's mother left him when Ford was only 2 weeks old. Later, at a church social, Ford met Gerald R. Ford (Senior) and he married her and later adopted her son, Leslie. They were very close and later, people started calling Leslie, Gerald R. Ford, Jr. The stepdad eventually adopted him and later Leslie legally changed his name to Gerald R. Ford, Jr. Ford's mother had 3 more sons with her new husband.

Please keep my sick family members in your prayers. My aunt is improving but still in ICU. As you can imagine, that has not been a very pleasant experience for her or her family.

Have a great week everyone.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weekend Forecast/Observing Lent/Drought Update

WEATHER
20s, 30s and 40s for highs on Thurday from the northern plains to northeast. There will be a few snow showers over the Rockies, Great Lakes, and northern New England. Highs will be in the 50s, 60s, and 70s along the west coast and southern states.

Houston's outlying areas will have one more light freeze early Thursday and then a nice warmup into the 60s. Friday will bring lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s with higher humidity and more clouds. Saturday and more so, Sunday, there will be some showers. Lows will be in the 40s and 50s repectively with highs in the 60s to low 70s respectively. Rain wraps up early Monday and then look for some rain again as early as Wednesday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do bread or pan, pronounced PAHN. Do you eat healthy pan. Find out what types of healthy foods people are eating in the AND MORE section.

Remember last post, I told you that we had gotten the biggest order yet and the 6th order in 6 weeks from our distributor. Well, on Tuesday, we got a 7th order just as big as the 6th one. I called our distributor and he thinks that Barnes & Noble is putting it in all of their stores (instead of just a few). See what all the fuss is about. Order our award winning Spanish DVDs for children...volumes one and two of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com

AND MORE

My poll, on what healthy foods people eat, is closed. 55% said raw almonds, 33% said walnuts, 44% said edadame, 44% said broccoli, 66% said blueberries, 22% said sweet potatoes, 77% said whole grain breads, 55% said brown rice, 33% said organic foods, and 11% said other. More than one answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated.

My new poll is about Lent. What are you doing to observe it? Or do you observe it at all? More than one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating. I used to do something extra every Lent. But once I started teaching CCE to young grade school students, I thought it would be something they would appreciate if I gave up something yummy that I liked to eat. So, last year, I gave up chocolate. Oh my goodness. I had no idea how frequently I ate chocolate. It was a very long 40 days...let me tell you. I think I was even dreaming about chocolate toward the end. But you know what was really neat about it? It made me think of God and Jesus more? Guess that was the whole point. In case you didn't know, Lent is the 40 day period leading up to Easter. It says in the Bible that Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and he was greatly tempted by the Devil. But he did not give in. So, what am I doing this year? Well, you aren't really supposed to tell anyone. But if I remember, I will tell you at Easter.

I have 3 dear relatives who have endured ordeals with their health. First let me share some wonderful news. My cousin, Tina, has been released to her sister's home after many months in ICU. There were several times we thought we would lose her...she was so sick. She still has a lot more recuperating to do. But, at least she is home! My sister-in-law just had a thorough workup at Mayo for a possible cancerous golfball sized tumor. She does not have cancer and will be monitored. My brother is more relieved than words can say. And so is all of the family. The 3rd is a dear aunt who remains in ICU after an unexpected and quite complicated 9 hour heart surgery. She is getting a little stronger each day, but it has been quite an ordeal for the family (and her). Please keep all of these ladies and their families in your prayers.

Well, I told you my nephew is working as a valet. He told me that today a man felt really bad that he did not have money for a tip. So, he gave him something else, a $4 winning scratch off lottery ticket. Hey...that's worth more than most tips.

I finally updated the drought figures...look at Texas...almost no drought left! What a difference from last summer. Looks like Hawaii has the most severe drought with persistence to development expected. Alaska has some drought but there is no forecast available for the trend through April. In the continental US, there are several areas with drought in the west with some improvement for the more southern areas and new drought developing in the northern states. Ohio is also expected to develop some level of drought.

That's all for now. Have a great end of week and weekend!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Valentine's Forecast/My Experience Winter Olympics/Dates of Last Freeze

WEATHER
On this Saturday before Valentine's Day, 4 large areas in the mainland US are under Winter Weather Watches and/or Warnings (see figure at right). Highs on Sunday will be in the teens and 20s across the northern plains, Great Lakes and northeast. There will be some snow showers in the midwest and Great Lakes and some cold rain in the Pacific Northwest. Milder across the southern tier of states with highs in the 60s (70s for the desert Southwest) and some showers along the Gulf Coast.

On this Satuday afternoon in Houston, the sunshine has returned!!! Some clouds and even showers will return on Sunday as the next cold front approaches and passes. A nice warmup on Sunday with highs near 60 with morning temperatures in the low 40s. Then for Monday and Tuesday, lows in the low to middle 30s and highs in the 50s. Highs will be back up in the 60s Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with some showers end of the week. Cooler on Sunday. A bigger rain coming on the following Monday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do Olympic Games or Juegos Olímpicos, pronounced HWAY-gose Oh-LEEM-pee-cose. Are you planning to watch the Juegos Olímpicos. Find out about my own olympic "experience" in the AND MORE section.

We are so excited because our Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, Volume 2 has just been awarded the Family Choice Award for 2009. Here is the announcement they sent me:
Your product was featured in the January issue of the following magazines: Los Angeles Family, Santa Clarita Family, South Bay Family, San Gabriel Family, and Ventura Family.

Family Choice Award coverage is targeted directly to parents who seek the winners of these coveted awards as top recommendations for their buying decisions "from the source they trust most".

The Family Choice Awards was founded by the Family Magazine Group, America's largest free parenting publication, and is recognized as the premier resource for the very best in children's and parenting products and services.

I put their award seal at right. Also, our Volume 1 won the Dr. Toy Best Educatinal Product Award and Homeschool.com Best Educational Product Award.

My other big news is that on Friday, we got the biggest order yet and the 6th order in 6 weeks from our distributor. See what all the fuss is about. Order our award winning Spanish DVDs for children...volumes one and two of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com

AND MORE

It Really Has Been Unusually Cold and Wet in Houston
I did some checking and February has started out downright chilly...we're running an average of 6.5 degrees cooler than normal. So, far this month the average high has been 53.8 with the average low being 40.9. And so far this month, there has been 3.36" of rain...normally there should have been 1.32". So the month so far has been wetter and colder than normal.

January was also cooler than normal in Houston with temperatures running an average of 2.8 degrees below normal (average temperature was 49.0 degrees). January was actually drier than normal however with a 1.15" deficit.

December was colder than normal with temperatures 3.5 degrees below normal (average temperature of 50.2 degrees). And it was also wetter than normal with 5.44" of precipitation (a surplus of 1.75").

These data was taken from the National Weather Service web site.

Dates of Average Last Freeze in Houston
According to George W. Bomar's book, Texas Weather, the average last freeze for Houston Hobby is Feb. 18th (and from the National Weather Service the average date of last freeze for Bush Airport is Feb. 25). The Hobby airport number is based on data from 1961 to 1990. I don't have the year's for the Bush Airport number. In any event, remember that this is the average, so there have been half the years with freezes later than those dates. My rule of thumb is don't fertilize until around mid-March and avoid pruning dead wood until at least then.

Southeast Texas Gets 2nd Snowfall in One Season!
The following discussion was obtained from the Houston National Weather Service web site:
THE LAST TIME TWO SNOW EVENTS
OCCURRED IN THE SAME SEASON WAS BACK IN 1985. ACCUMULATING SNOW
FELL ON JANUARY 3 AND AGAIN ON JANUARY 12 1985. HERE ARE THE
SNOWFALL TOTALS FROM ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS FROM LAST NIGHTS SNOW EVENT:

COMMUNITY SNOWFALL

WECHES 3.5 INCHES
LATEXO 2.5 INCHES
MADISONVILLE 2.5 INCHES (PUBLIC)
MADISONVILLE 2.0 INCHES (CO-OP)
CROCKETT 2.0 INCHES
LOVELADY 2.0 INCHES
KENNARD 2.0 INCHES
W. GRAPELAND 1.7 INCHES
IOLA 1.0 INCHES
BRYAN 0.5 INCHES
TRINITY 0.5 INCHES
COL STATION 0.2 INCHES

Only Weather Museum in United States Looks Forward to Several Important Events
If you know any attorneys who are looking for continuing education credit, The Weather Museum will hold a Forensic Meteorology seminar from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm on March 30th at the University of St. Thomas. I'll have more on this as the date approaches.

Mark your calendar for Friday, April 30th when the 15th Annual Weather Museum Classic takes place at the Wildcat Golf Club. The tournament will benefit the educational programs for the museum. Shot gun start is 1:00 pm.

In October, the museum will host a national flood conference. This confernence has the sponsorship of The American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association--the main professional organizations for meteorologists. I'll have more on this as the date gets closer.

Luge Tragedy and My Own Bobsled Experience
The 2002 Winter Olympics were held at Park City, Utah. My family took a holiday there about 6 years ago and they had the olympic park open to visitors, offering a change to got down the bobsled track on bobsleds fitted with wheels. They packed us in 4 tight with a professional bobsledder at the front of the bobsled. We had to go through a safety briefing and wear helmets. The track wasn't as fast as one on snow, but by golly, it was fast enough. I think they said we would go down about 50 to 60 mph. Let me tell you, it was unforgettable, a very rough ride which only lasted about a minute, but seemed like it lasted 15 minutes. Our teeth rattled, our backs were racked and our heads knocked about as we raced down the mountain. I'm glad I did it, but considering the headache it gave me, I don't want to do it ever again. The professional we rode with was training for the next Olympics. Sorry, I don't remember his name. But, he told us that many bobsleddings end up with long term health problems due to the repeated jarring of their heads.

Seniors Making a Difference
Chronicle writer and buddy Leslie Williams sent me this link to an article she wrote recently. I loved hearing how the seniors at The Terrace in Sugar Land are making life better for others. Read all about it:
http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/02/seniors-show-heart-through-support-causes

Sarah's Class has Valentine Celebration
I got to help with Sarah's Valentine's class party on Friday. Sarah's friend Ashwini made homemade crafts for everyone in the class. She told me it took her 5 hours!!! One of the parents took the photo of Sarah and me at right. It really took me back seeing the excitement and joy on the kids' faces. What a fun time!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Rain, then sunshine/Please be an organ donor/Unpasteurized milk

WEATHER
Big buzz in Houston today as it started sleeting this afternoon. Temperatures were in the 40s, but by golly, those were ice pellets hitting my windshield (or at least some of the wet stuff was ice pellets). For counties, a few counties north of Houston, there will be sleet and even some snow. Around Houston, temperatures will stay warm enough to prevent ice on roads. It will be very chilly on Thursday with highs in the 40s and rain increasing in intensity as the day progresses. Rain tapers off Friday morning. There could be some breaks with sun on Friday afternoon. Saturday and Sunday will be milder with sunshine--especially Saturday. A brief overcast Sunday afternoon and then sunshine for the early part of the week.

Ridge will build over the western US the next few days. This will keep the wet stuff mainly over the eastern US. On Thursday, highs will be in the 20s over the northern plains and Great Lakes. There will 60s over the southwest US, Florida and south Texas. Wettest are will be Texas and Oklahoma.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do aunt or tia, pronounced TEE-ah. Find out about one of my very special aunts in the AND MORE section.

How do you stimulate the brain and have fun at the same time? Learn another language. Help your kids do just that by ordering our award winning Spanish DVDs for children...volumes one and two of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com

AND MORE
A dear friend of mine told me today that a lung function problem he had since childhood has pulled on his heart so much that the heart is only operating at 18%. He needs a lung and heart transplant but is just now getting on the waiting list...yet the doctors think he only has 1 to 5 years to live.

BECOME A DONOR! I have the sticker on my license and it is very easy to get from your DPS office. Also very important, tell your family that is what you wish. Know that your family will never be charged for the transplant costs. Stop the needless deaths of people waiting for donors. For more information, check out the following site:
http://organdonor.gov/donor/index.htm

Still doing a lot of reminiscing...a lot has to do with my nephew Taylor being here. I was thinking about my Aunt Shirley. I used to visit her family during the summers...often for weeks at a time. I was one of those "city folks". But, my heart was in the country. I loved running around barefoot, collecting eggs from the chickens, picking blackberries from the wild bushes along the back fence, riding Sam the horse bareback and drinking milk (unpasteurized) from the cows. By the way, that milk tastes very different from what you buy in the store.

Anyway, Aunt Shirley was a joy! She had a great sense of humor. I used to ask her why she didn't have a dishwasher and she would answer...I already have 4 dishwashers. When I asked where they were she would point at me and say "you, and her and her and her" (she was pointing at her 3 daughters after pointing at me. Then she would belt out a hearty laugh. We were up around 5 or 5:30 to do "the work" and that was taking care of the animals. Aunt Shirley whipped up these wonderful breakfasts--my favorite was the cream gravy with bits of sausage over biscuits. She packed up huge lunchboxes and sent her 3 boys off to work the farm. During the day, us girls took care of the chore of the day. She had one day devoted to washing clothes. For a long time, she had one of those ringer washers. One day was for going "up to town" to shop for groceries and run errands. My aunt and cousins got dressed up...in dresses! Then, there was alway "the work" at around 5:30 pm which was again taking care of the animals. There was always a wonderful dinner too and usually dessert. Then, Aunt Shirley would stay up until about 12:30 am sewing clothes for extra money on the side. She made outfits for entire dance drill teams and made many wedding dresses. She was extremely good at what she did. Of course when I look back on all of this, I marvel at how hard she worked every minute of every day and yet had a ready laugh that shook the rafters. She was a blast!

Well now, go give that special aunt a hug or phone call.

Stay warm everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

This Week's Weather/New Poll/What I Did During Super Bowl

WEATHER
Very cold start to the week over the northern Rockies and northern plains with highs in the teens. Snow from Denver into the Midwest and Great Lakes. Mild across southern California and Arizona, southern Texas and the Gulf coast states with highs in the 60s and/or 70s. 50s for the Pacific Northwest and 30s for the Northeast including New York, DC and Boston.

Houston, our Seattle winter continues! On Monday, we will have a milder day but look for some thunderstorms during the later part of the day and then chilly again on Tuesday with highs near 50. A light freeze early Wednesday and highs in the 40s and then more rain on Thursday and then rain again Sunday. Highs on Thursday and Friday will also only be in the 40s.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do advocado or aguacate, pronounced ah-gwah-CAH-tay. There's nothing as yummy for Super Bowl as good old guacomole made from aguacate. MMMMMM!

We got our 5th order in 5 weeks from our big distributor. Find out what the buzz is about. Order my award winning Spanish DVDs for children...volumes one and two of Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
Well the Super Bowl is on as I write this post and my husband just told me I am crazy to be writing a blog during the game. I told him don't worry, I am listening. Sarah is napping at the moment. So, I need to make the most of this time. In a few minutes, I'll be making some guacomole and grilling some steaks. The potatoes are baking in the oven. But, I am getting more and more into eating heathier foods. For one thing, I think you just feel better. And, I know it is better for the heart etc. We also take fish oil (and Sarah does too). So, my new poll is about healthy eating. Sorry if I left out your favorite healthy food. You can always leave a comment to share with others. More than one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

So, the poll about your favorite source of weather information is closed. 28% said this blog is their number one place to get weather...sorry I included that...just being silly...so thanks for humoring me. 28% said the Internet. 14% said a TV weathercast, or radio, or the National Weather Service. No one said newspapers, private forecasting service, own observation or other. Thanks to all who participating.

The winner of the John C. Freemen Weather Museum's contest for new favorite Texas animal to be our equivalent of Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog, was Alamo the steer. I got to take a picture with the big guy (see photo at right). He won over 5 other competitors including an armadillo and jack rabbit. Well, he had good news for us. He didn't see his shadow...so he wasn't scared and that means Winter is officially over. You know what, I don't think that big guy is scared of anything!!!

My sister sent the photo at right this week. It's my adorable nephews and niece Jared, Tyler and Riley enjoying an igloo they built in the Lake Tahoe, California area. They've had a ton of snow this year!!! Speaking of snow, my mother-in-law in Council Bluffs, IA said this is the snowiest winter they have ever had.

Well, I've been having a lot of nice chats with my nephew Taylor, age 20, who is staying with us for a while as he goes to school to become a diesel mechanic. He has really got me reminiscing, asking me lots of questions about growing up with his dad etc. We got to talking about computers and I remembered that when I was in high school, a club I was in called the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) saved our money and bought an Apple computer. This was back in 1981. It was such a big deal that the local news covered it...you know that we had a real computer there at our school. My wonderful Physics and Calculus teacher, Edwin Bates, set up a self study class for us to learn some programming, if I remember right, it was QBasic. Wow! Have we come a long way since then!!!

Hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl and the good eats!!! Have a great week everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Groundhog Gala Recap/Weekend Forecast

WEATHER
Winter Storm Warnings cover much of New Mexico this evening and there are watches and advisories for much of the south and southeast. Low pressure moving northward from south Texas is bringing moisture into the southern and central US and with cold temperatures in place, this means frozen precipitation.

On Thursday, there will be snow showers in the central and northern Plains, northern Rockies, Midwest and western Great Lakes. Coldest spot will be Maine with highs in the teens. There will be 20s and 30s for the northern tier of states except for the Pacific Northwest which will be in the 50s. Highs will be in the 60s and 70s Florida and 60s for southern California and Arizona. Central US will be chilly with highs in the 30s and 40s. Look for some rain in Gulf Coast states, Tennessee Valley and southeast.

On Thursday, Houston will have rain...especially early. It will be a cold day with highs in the 40s. Some sun peeks out on Friday and Saturday and then clouding up again on Sunday with rain returning Monday. Highs will be in the 50s through the weekend.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do dessert or postre, pronounced POHS-tray. The postre at the Groundhog Day Gala was unique and delicious...find out all about it in the AND MORE section.

I ran into a woman at the grocery store speaking Spanish and English to her children. We got to talking about the benefits of language learning and I told her, don't stop...you are helping your child's cognitive development so much. How do I know that? Well, I have read the research...study after study show benefits. Help your children develop an interest in another language. Order my special language videos for children...volumes one and two of DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
Went to The Groundhog Day Gala last night. The gala benefitted the education programs provided by The John C. Freeman Weather Museum. The event was held in the Crystal Ballroom at downtown's Rice Hotel. Carol Barndollar spearheaded a team of gala planners who threw the most lovely party I have ever attended. The centerpieces were amazing...yellow with a bit of black...a bouquet of flowers and then on a pole above it a small arrangement with a stuffed groundhog and a yellow umbrella. The food was to die for. The salad had a poached pear on a spring mix of lettuce with a delicious dressing. The main course was both beef and chicken...and both tender enough to cut with a fork, accompanied by asparagus, mashed potatoes and rolls. The dessert was the most amazing part of all. A triangular shaped cake with an umbrella made of white chocolate. Ooh la la. Guests were greeted by a musical medley performed by Cherish the Music (my mom and stepdad Gerry). Then, there was more live music following dinner. Special guests and honorees (weather heroes) included Dr. Steve Lyons, hurricane expert from The Weather Channel. His folks live here in the Houston area and his sister lives in Rockport. So, he was thrilled to not only get an award but also to spend time with his family. Other special guests included Gene Norman, Dr. Jim Siebert, John Dawson, Keith Monahan (see photo), Kristy Powers, Travis Herzog, and Anthony Yanez. Hope I didn't forget anyone. Another group of weather heroes was the 2nd grade teachers at The Kinkaid School for their special weather education program for 2nd graders. Gordy and I interviewed the teachers and students and created a video celebrating their accomplishments. The video played on a special plasma TV at the rear of the Crystal Ballroom. Guests also got to take fun photos in front of a chromakey wall (green screen) with the option of choosing different fun weather backgrounds. The most popular one was a tornado--fun poses with people posing as if they were terrified or running or getting blown about.

Well, it was back to business today. But I am so glad the gala was a success.

My nephew Taylor and I were discussing redundant phrases and he asked me...why to they call it a hot water heater. After all, it is simply a water heater. Hmmmm...

Don't forget to vote in the poll about your favorite place to get weather information. Poll closes on Thursday.

Stay dry everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

More rain coming/Claire Danes in Autism Role

WEATHER
As I write this post, there are some winter weather advisories and freezing rain advisories for Virginia and North Carolina. On Tuesday, there will be some thunderstorms along coastal Georgia and parts of Florida. There will also be some showers along the eastern seaboard. There will be some snow showers around the Great Lakes and some rain/snow over the Intermountain Region, Sierra Nevada and West Coast. Also, there will be a few showers in Texas. Cold spot will be western Great Lakes and northern plains with highs in the teens and 20s and northern Maine with highs only in the single digits. The southern tier of states will have highs in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Houston will be cool with lows in the 40s and highs in the upper 50s to 60. Skies will be mostly cloudy. There will also be some fog and low ceilings. Wednesday afternoon, rain returns and there will be rain into the first half of Thursday as the next cold front arrives. Thursday will be chilly with temperatures staying in tshe 40s all day. Then, look for chilly morning and cool afternoons (highs in the 50s to low 60s) through the weekend.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do determined or resuelto, pronounced ray-SWELL-toe. There is an excellent movie about a resuelto autistic woman (played by Claire Danes). See the And More section for details.

Had another order for DVDs from Amazon. Slowly but surely, it looks like our award winning DVD is catching on. Find out what you're missing. Order one of our videos...volumes one and two of DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from http://www.frankandpaco.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/. Our ESL (English as a Second Language) version can be found at http://www.frankypaco.com.

AND MORE
Attention all who are interested in Autism, Aspergers and PDD...Cheryl Sewell of the Arc of Fort Bend, sent me this info. about a special movie coming up Feb. 6th.

HBO's Temple Grandin Tells the Inspirational Story of Autism Advocate Who "Thinks in Pictures"

On February 6 at 8PM (ET/PT), HBO will premiere an original film based on the inspirational true story of Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes. Temple Grandin paints a picture of a young woman's perseverance and determination while struggling with the isolating challenges of autism. Temple is a highly successful doctor of animal sciences, a best-selling author, and an internationally renowned autism advocate. To support the autism community and celebrate the film, HBO and Barnes & Noble will host special displays with Temple's books and information related to autism and the HBO film in all 775 Barnes & Noble stores. HBO has also created a free, downloadable coloring book that tells Temple's story through illustrations created by artists with autism. You can download the coloring book through February 17 at bn.com/templegrandin and at HBO.com.

"I am not like other people. I think in pictures." --Temple Grandin

And now it is me...I have met so many people who have special needs children. It is amazing what some of these kids can do. They are all very special in their own way. I am so glad that more and more people are understanding and accepting.

Have a terrific Tuesday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman