Houston Friday Morning 4/30 Weather Update

Hello all -
Okay...here's the deal...big lid on thunderstorm development over most of Houston area...looks like the fun stuff will be north of Houston today. Still some rain around...but mostly just light stuff.

Upper trough will swing a "cold" front through early Sunday. There will be some showers and thunderstorms swinging through with it late Saturday into early Sunday. Right now, still not clear how long it will take the upper trough itself to move through. If it hangs to our west, we will have clouds and even some light rain on Sunday. If it gets going and pushes eastward, then our skies will clear on Sunday. Either way, humidity will be lower on Sunday. Yay! If it is cloudy Sunday, then highs will only be in the upper 70s. Otherwise with clearing skies, highs will reach upper 80s on Sunday.

Low humidity weather through Thursday with cool morning (50s starting Monday) and warm afternoons (mostly upper 80s).

Storms Returning to Houston area

Just a brief update this evening as I am preparing for a large celebration for Sarah's 1st Communion this weekend. Also, I am getting ready for Friday's (tomorrow's) Weather Classic at the Wildcat Golf Club (shotgun start 1 pm and I hope to see you there).

So, you can be sure I am really checking the weather carefully.

For Houston, very muggy and windy weather has returned. Upper disturbance will trigger some storms on Friday, potentially severe (mainly north of Houston). The timing will be during the afternoon.

Saturday there will likely be some more showers and thunderstorms as the next front approaches...I am thinking late Saturday into early Sunday. A weak cold front moves through but the final thrust of dry air does not arrive until Tuesday. Should be a lovely week after that. Afternoon highs will climb to near 90 late in the week.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Timing of Muggy Weather/Sea Salt v. Table Salt/Mother's Day Poll

WEATHER
Mid/upper level low is pushing eastward. Look for some showers and thunderstorms from the Tennessee Valley into the Mid-Atlantic. New storm system will bring showers and thunderstorms to the northwest today. Today, cool spots in the nation will be over New England and the Intermountatin Region and northern Rockies with highs in the 40s and 50s. Elsewhere, highs will be in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Houston, enjoy today and Wednesday because the dewpoints are going to shoot up fast starting Thursday. It will be extremely humid through at least Tuesday of the coming week--very sauna like. Lows will be in the low 70s with highs in the 80s starting Friday. It will be very breezy starting Thursday afternoon. Highs starting Saturday will be in the upper 80s. Can't rule out any 90 degree readings, but there will be a lot of cloud cover to mitigate. Regardless, it is going to be quite warm and muggy. Also, there is a chance for showers and thunderstorms Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Next round of lower humidity will arrive middle of the coming week.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do salt or sal, pronounced SAHL. What kind of SAHL do you use? Find out the difference between table salt and sea salt in the AND MORE section.

Children are inately adept at acquiring language. So, don't miss this window of opportunity. Start them out with my award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. They are on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can 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
Sea Salt vs. Regular Table Salt
Okay...so I'm feeling all smart when I go to the store and pick out a salt made with sea salt. I had heard it was lower in sodium (or so I thought). I even picked up one that had iodine in it...a vital nutrient. So, a few days later I decide to actually look at the label and see just how much lower the sodium content is. It's not!!! Was it the brand? So, I start looking around on the internet. I see a few discussions where they say sodium in sea salt is lower, but generally it is because of the coarser texture--which might make you want to eat less--thus lower sodium consumption. But actually, comparing equivalent weights, they are no different in sodium content. Because it is sea salt, there are some other trace nutrients that can change the flavor a bit--perhaps to your liking. I decided to settle on an article from the Mayo Clinic, a source I trust. So, here is the link:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sea-salt/AN01142

Bottom line, sea salt is not lower in sodium.

Poll Results and New Poll
My poll on natural disasters is closed. Which one frightened people the most? There was a tie with 37% of respondents picking earthquakes and 37% of respondents picking hurricanes. 12% picked tsunami or tornado outbreaks. 0% picked volcanoes, wildfires, mudslides or widespread flooding. Only one answer was permitted. Thanks to all who participated.

My new poll is about mother's (given that we are a week and a half away from Mother's day). Which characteristic about Mom do you cherish the most? Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Weather Museum Golf Tournament this Friday, April 30th at Wildcat at 1 pm
This Friday, the Weather Museum will have its annual golf tournament benefitting their education programs. Many local weather celebrities will be on hand to meet and greet and even play. I will be there before the shotgun start at 1 pm. Then at 4 pm, we'll go live with KSEV's 3 Amigos and if I'm really good, they might let me sit in for a few minutes. I got to do this 2 years ago and it was so much fun.
http://www.wxresearch.org/
There is a link to the golf tournament on that front page.

Have a terrific Tuesday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Severe Threat/Cecilia Goes Live 4-30/Cheerleading for Special Needs

WEATHER
Moderate potential for severe weather tonight and Saturday for the central US. On Thursday (up until 6 am today) there were 40 tornadoes from the panhandle of Texas into Colorado. This evening, there has been a report (so far) of 2 tornadoes and tennis ball sized hail near Cameron, Texas.

This all has to do with a storm system that will bring severe storms through north and eastern Texas tonight among other locations. On Saturday, the focal point for severe weather will be further east--Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas. But, surrounding states will also be at a slight risk for severe storms.

Houston, the rain will be over by 8 am Saturday and it will end up being a sunny and very pleasant weekend with lows in the 50s and highs in the 80s. Enjoy!

SPANISH WORD FOR THE DAY
Let's do cheerleader or porrista, pronounced pour-REE-stah. Do you know someone who has a special needs child. Find out how they can become a porrista in the AND MORE section.

Right now I am waiting for Sarah to finish her hip-hop class and I asked the parents of a nearby bilingual child for the word for cheerleader. Their 3 year daughter is fully bilingual and I am so happy for her because she will enjoy the advantages of learning more than one language--including improved cognitive development. You too can expose your children to more than one language. Order our award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. They are on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can 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
On Friday, April 30th, the Weather Museum will have its annual golf tournament benefitting their education programs. Many local weather celebrities will be on hand to meet and greet and even play. I will be there before the shotgun start at 1 pm. Then at 4 pm, we'll go live with KSEV's 3 Amigos and if I'm really good, they might let me sit in for a few minutes. I got to do this 2 years ago and it was so much fun...I used the picture from that live broadcast for my photo on Facebook. To learn more, here is the link:
http://www.wxresearch.org/
Just go to the bottom and click on the link for the golf tournament (and while you're there, check out all the other cool things going on at the weather museum.)

If you know someone who has a special needs child who would enjoy cheerleading, you might want to check out the following information, forwarded by Cheryl Sewell of the ARC of Fort Bend County.

My name is Jennifer Wells and I am one of the owners of STORM CHEER in Sugar Land. I was given your email information from Cindy Villarreal.

The reason for me contacting you is because we will be starting an INCLUSIVE Cheer team at our gym and were told by several people you were the one to contact to help us get the information out to the athletes and their parents.

Here is the information we have so far:
- We will be forming this team at the end of May, first of June.
- The athletes will practice one time per week (more than likely on Wednesday) for an hour and a half.
- The cost is $65.00 per month
- There will also be competition fees but I am not sure yet what those will be
- There is also a uniform for this team but the cost for this is minimal if anything at all

Each team member will be paired up with another one of our STORM athletes and will practice and compete together as one team.

We are VERY excited about this and would love any information or help trying to get the word out to help build this team. I will actually be one of the coaches for the team and will also be your point of contact if you think you will be able to help us.

I can also be reached on my cell phone at 281-808-7650 but email is the very BEST way to contact me.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give us on this! We really appreciate it!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Wells
STORM CHEER
www.stormcheer.com

It's me gain...I am definitely going to check into this for Sarah.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Brief Friday Morning Weather Update

Hello all -
I've have a longer post later today.

Just wanted to let you know that today in Houston, there will be some showers and possibly some thunderstorms--rain will end early Saturday (by 8 am). Then it looks like a beautiful weekend...sunshine and low humidity--highs in the low 80s and Sunday morning lows in the 50s. Enjoy!!!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Week's Weather/Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Impact/Satellite News

WEATHER
Very mild weather across the country on Monday with the cool spot being northern New England with highs in the 50s. Elsewhere, look for highs in the 60s, 70s and 80s. There will be some thunderstorms in Florida and along the Rockies and central plains and in the northwest. As I write this blog post this evening, there is a Winter Storm Watch for the Sierra Nevada.

Houston should be dry on Monday with lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s. Still...a lot of clouds hanging around...a few showers on Tuesday (still mild) and warmer for the middle of the week through the weekend with highs in the low 80s. Look for some showers on Thursday and Friday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do volcano or volcán, pronounce vohl-CAHN. What do you think of the Eyjafjallajökull volcán? See a complete discussion in the AND MORE section.

People who learn more than one language, one average, make more money as adults. Get going...help your children learn to love languages. Order our award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. They are on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can 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
Now let's see...a volcanic eruption and not so recently two serious earthquakes and of course who can forget all of the hurricanes. These natural disasters frighten us. But which one frightens you the most? Put in your vote in my new poll. Only onc answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

The ongoing eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland has the world's attention. As I called my niece Sophia to wish her a happy 6th birthday, she got busy telling me all about it. Yes. I would say she was quite concerned about it. I have been reading several blogs devoted to volcanic eruptions and it got me thinking about the El Chichón eruption back in 1982. (By the way, Chichón basically means the bump). I was in the Rio Grande Valley (extreme south Texas) at the time and we got a layer of ash from it, even though the eruptions occurred hundreds of miles to the south. It was a nuisance and made breathing difficult for many. I remember being quite astounded but also intrigued.

Now with the Iceland volcano's eruptions, there is much frustration due to cancelled air flights and thus interruption of vital commerce, political and personal activities. But you can be sure I am quite interested in the global impact. After reading up on several well-known volcanoes I learned that it really is not so much the ash that affects the global climate but the sulfur content and duration of eruptions. Volcanoes with higher sulfur content have been linked to a bigger decrease in global temperature. Sulfur based aerosols can get into the stratosphere, the stable layer above the troposphere, the layer closest to the earth and the one where the mixing and thus our weather occur. Because the stratosphere has temperatures which increase with height (i.e. it has the coolest air at the bottom and warmest at the top), there is very little mixing and so it takes a long time for particles to mix out of it--as long as three years. And thus, there is the impact of global cooling. Some volcanoes have been attributed with lowering global temperatures up to 1 degree Celcius. Now that may not seem like much, but there have historically been dramatically cool seasons following volcanic eruptions. Now, what about this time around? Well, I read with great interest Dr. Jeff Master's blog which you can find in The Weather Underground. He pointed out that all the volcanics which have been linked to large drops in global temperature have been volcanoes which have erupted in the tropics. It has to do with the atmospheric circulations at these southern latitudes versus those in northern latitudes. What has caught my attention more is what happened with another well known Icelandic eruption. I pulled the following excerpt from the NOVA website:

"In June 1783, a 16-mile-long fissure began opening up across the flanks of the Laki mountain ridge in southern Iceland. The fissure, marked by 300-foot cones of ash and debris, spewed out vast quantities of lava for months. Ultimately, about three and a half cubic miles of lava gushed from the fissure and spread across 200 square miles, burying farms and churches in the sparsely populated countryside. More lava poured onto Earth's surface than in any other eruption in recorded history. No one died directly from the lava flows, but the volcanic gases released at Laki had devastating consequences. A bizarre blue fog, made of sulfuric acid aerosols, hovered over Iceland for weeks and even wafted to Europe. Toxic gases and altered weather patterns caused the greatest famine in Iceland's history, known as the "Haze Famine."

I would expect that starvation would not be a repeat tragedy...given what I hope would be a huge outpouring of humanity.

On April 16th, the GOES 13 satellite took over for GOES 12. It will keep an eye on the Tropical Atlantic and eastern US, just in time for hurricane season. GOES 12 will now be deployed to monitor South America. GOES 11 stays in place over the western U.S. For the complete story from NOAA, here is the link:
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100414_goes13.html

The Dream League is playing ball(again)!. This is the 4th season and Sarah is loving it. On Saturday evening, FOX 26's Ned Hibberd did a special story about the league which offers special needs kids a chance to enjoy the fun and thrill of the game (in a low pressure environment). Here is the link to the script on the myfoxhouston.com web site. Great job Ned and photographer Raymond Ramirez.

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100418-baseball-no-rules-just-right

That story made my week and I hope you will have a great week too!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Will it Rain?/3 Month Temperature Outlooks/Work as a Pretend Patient

WEATHER
Cool spot on Saturday will be in the northeast and Great Lakes with highs in the 40s and 50s. There will be some showers in New England. The rest of the country will be in the 60s to 80s...with some thunderstorms across the Rockies and southern states.

Houston will be muggy with some showers and thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday. Right now, it is looking like Sunday will be wettest day, but I would have backup plans for outdoor activities for both days. Temperatures will be mild.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do patient or paciente, pronounced pah-see-EHN-tay. Did you know you can make money as a pretend paciente. See the AND MORE section to learn more.

Get your tools for summer entertainment lined and help your children learn to love languages. Order our award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. They are on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can 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

POLL RESULTS
My poll on income taxes is closed. 100% of respondents said they are getting a refund this year. No one said they are breaking even or paying this year. Only one answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated.

I'll have a new poll on my next post.

STANDARDIZED PATIENT WORK
One of my new neighbors works as a standardized patient. I had never heard of that job. So, I took the liberty of doing some research on it. She said she loves it because she has flexibility and she is a theater arts major. I found several links. The following one talks about jobs making $18 and even $20/hour. Check it out--maybe this would be a good job for you!!!
https://www.nbome-pe.org/spfaq/spfaq.htm#F7

3 MONTH TEMPERATURE/PRECIPITATION OUTLOOKS
I posted the new 3 months temperature and precipitation outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center. Temperature-wise, the central section of the country should have below normal temperatures (Houston area should have average) while the west and a portion of the east should have above normal temperatures. The central US and a spot in the northeast should have above normal precipitation.

EL NINO OUTLOOK AND IMPACT
The Climate Prediction Center's El Nino Southern Oscillation discussion says that the El Nino should continue through the spring and then phase to neutral for the summer. Here is what they had on their web site as far as impacts:

For the contiguous United States, potential El Niño impacts include above-average precipitation for the southeastern states, while above-average temperatures are most likely for the Pacific Northwest.

Have a great weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weather through Weekend/Movies for Autistic/Reading Twilight Eclipse and Beyond

WEATHER
On Tuesday, cool spot will be northern Rockies with highs in the 30s and 40s. In contrast. The central, southeast and southern US will have highs in the 70s and 80s. The northeast and west coast will be primarily in the 50s and 60s. There could be some severe storms in central South Dakota and Nebraska with showers and thunderstorms possible from the northern plains to extreme south Texas.

Houston will be mild with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s. Very little variability through the weekend with lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s and low 80s. There could be a few showers Wednesday or Thursday. P.S. Sorry about the rain early last Saturday. At least the rest of the weekend worked well for outdoor activities.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do scratch or arañar, pronounced ah-rah-NYARE. Ever wonder why dogs arañar the ground. See what I found out, in the AND MORE section.

Learning more than one language, especially at an early age, if very beneficial to cognitive function. Help your children learn to love languages. Order our award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. They are on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can 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
Allergen Update -- First the good news...tree pollen levels, reported this morning by the City of Houston Health Department Laboratory, were only heavy (as compared to extremely heavy...down to the 300s from levels in the 3000+ range just a week ago). The bad news is that grass pollens are now heavy. Remember, you can check the Monday through Friday levels, updated in the morning, by calling 713-247-5846.

Well I've been reading the 3rd in the Twilight series, Eclipse. No...I did not read Volumes 1 and 2 (much to the consternation of my step-daughter Megan). Yes. I am a very naughty girl. I'm one of those people who doesn't mess around. In fact, I am tempted to go get the 4th volume, Breaking Dawn, and just read the end so I'll know if I even want to bother with what is in between. But I will say this, it is fun to read. Bella and Edward though, really need to talk more...they get into trouble when they take too long to level with each other. And ewwwww....Edward is like almost 100...and Bella is 18...that dirty old man!!! Seriously, it is a good read.

So, I'm a glutton for punishment. I've taken on volunteering to do the decorations for the Earth Day performance at Sarah's school. I'm very proud as Sarah has a speaking part. But guess what? I'm the only one who volunteered to do that. Gee I wonder why? Everyone else was too smart!!! Ha! Ha! I know what I want to show...but I could use some creative input. Any suggestions?

Sarah and I have been walking a neighbor's 2 dogs and have been curious about why they scratch the ground. They dogs pee frequently as they go along and occasionally poo (don't worry I'm disposing of it) but they seem to be randomly scratching the grass. I read all kinds of sites about this and what I found is quite varied...even from the experts. I think I agree with the theory that there are sweat glands in their feet and that they are using that as yet another way to mark with their scent. Any thoughts?

A big thank you to Sherry Harlan for sending me this info. about a special movie viewing opportunity for folks with autistic children:
AMC Entertainment (AMC) and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly basis with the "Sensory Friendly Films" program.

In order to provide a more accepting and comfortable setting for this unique audience, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and the sound turned down, families will be able to bring in their own gluten-free, casein-free snacks, and no previews or advertisements will be shown before the movie. Additionally, audience members are welcome to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing - in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden®” policy will not be enforced unless the safety of the audience is questioned.

AMC First Colony 24
3301 Town Centre Blvd. South, Sugar Land, TX 77479

http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sensoryfilms

Now that is just neat! Thanks Sherry and thanks AMC!!!

Have a terrific Tuesday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weekend Weather/Drought Outlook/Income Tax Outcome

WEATHER
Fairly mild weather for most of the US this Saturday with the most common high being in the 70s. Cool spots will be the Rockies/northern plains and northeast with highs in the 40s and 50s. There could be a few storms over the Rockies, the Midwest, and deep south Texas.

Houston, if allergies aren't killing you, Saturday and Sunday will be quite pleasant with comfortable humidity levels, lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s. Next chance for rain is midweek...but it is not a big chance. Tree pollen allergan levels have been dropping but are still extremely heavy (most is oak pollen). So, take heart that the numbers are going down...should be getting better just about every day.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do refund or reembolso, pronounced ray-ehm-BOWL-sew. Are you getting a reembolso on your tax return. To answer, check out my new poll.

We are being picked up by Wonderscape Entertainment. They are going to approach companies not exclusive through our other 2 distributors. Find out what the excitement is all about! Help your children learn to love languages. Order our award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. They are on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can 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
I had some equipment issues this last week and also visiting family and of course, Easter activities. Sorry, I've been so long getting this post out. Hoping to get back to a more regular schedule now.

My poll on favorite Easter activity is closed. 50% said their favorite activity is the Easter service. 33% said they liked eating a special Easter meal the most. 16% said their favorite thing was eating Easter eggs (btw, we are still eating our Easter eggs--good thing Gordy likes egg salad....mmmmmmm). 0% said their favorite was ending Lenten efforts, egg hunts, eating candy, or wearing special Easter clothes. Only one answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated.

My new poll is about income taxes again. Are you getting a refund, paying, or breaking even? Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Well, I have enjoyed the end of my Lenten resolution to not eat chocolate. I picked this for the 2nd year in a row because I can discuss it with my young CCE students and they really get what a sacrifice that would be. Well, I am now back to my normal chocolate consumption. Someone just told me that it looks like I have lost weight. Maybe I should give up chocolate all the time. Ha! Fat chance!!!

On Easter Sunday, we headed to my niece Courtney's place in the country outside College Station. Courtney and her husband of less than a year were gracious hosts to a hoard of little ones. The Easter bunny had a bunch of older helpers. Yes I say older because the older grandkids did the hiding and they are now all young adults. Looking at my siblings who were there, I realized that the last 20 or so years have really flown by!!! That's why I enjoyed the following article from Leslie Williams. It is about Sugar Mill Elementary's plans to auction off items from a 25 year old time capsule, unearthed at their school. Some of the items inside include a President Reagan election remembrance and other things from that era. There are some recordings on cassette tapes, which they are planning to dub to a more permanent device. Thanks Leslie for the trip down memory lane.
http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/04/wow-has-it-been-25-years-already

I posted the new drought figures...first one shows the drought status and notice that most of the drought areas are out west with only 2 little spots in Texas. There aren't very many areas with severe drought. The 2nd figure is the outlook through June and most locations should hold steady or see an improvement.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Easter weekend forecast/Biggest Easter Egg Hunt

WEATHER
On Friday, cold front moving across the central US will bring some stormy weather to the nation's mid-section down to Texas. It will be mild to hot east of the front with highs in the 70s and 80s and even low 90s around D.C. Even as far north as Maine the mercury will sore into the 60s. In the southwest, look for highs in the 60s and 70s. There could be some snow flurries in south and north Dakota. Highs will be in the 40s and 50s for the northern plains, central plains, Rockies and northwest.

On Easter Sunday, looks like there will be some showers for the Pacific Northwest and a few for the Great Lakes. It will be mild to warm across most of the country with the warmest temperatures east of the Rockies to the eastern seaboard. It will be coolest over the Rockies.

On Friday, Houston will be breezy, mild and muggy with some showers and possible a thunderstorm in the afternoon or early evening. Cold front moves through early Saturday--with a drop in humidity which will make for a pleasant Saturday and Easter Sunday. Lows will be in the 50s and highs in the 80s both Saturday and Sunday. Humidity will be slightly higher with some clouds returning Sunday as winds increase from the south.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do color or color, pronounced coh-LORE. What is your favorite color of Easter egg?

Speaking of brightly colored things like Easter eggs, bright colors are very appealing to young children. That is one of the reasons children are so attracted to our award winning DVDs, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. They are on the shelf (in the education section) at Barnes & Noble stores or you can 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
My Aunt Awanda passed away Sunday night. She leaves behind 11 younger siblings, my Uncle Charles, her six children and their spouses and 20 grandchildren. Awanda Whitworth is well known in Houston for her mission work. She has worked for Catholic Charities and Casa Juan Diego among others. Her rosary and funeral were attended by family and friends including many Mary Knoll nuns. It was wonderful hearing about her life's work. I did not even know about many of her efforts. Even with so many close family members, she always had time to talk to me...for an hour at a time. She once gave me some advice which has helped me keep my volunteer efforts under control--"Charity begins at home". Please keep her family, especially her husband Charles, in your prayers. I miss her very much.

My poll on favorite teen personality is closed. 25% had Miley Cyrus as their favorite, 50% said their favorite was Selena Gomez and 25% said other. No one selected Demi Lovato, Miranda Cosgrove, Jeanette McCury, Zach and Cody, Justin Bieber, Emily Osment, Mitchell Musso, Jason Earles or Keke Palmer. Only one answer is allowed. Thanks to all who participated.

The new poll is about Easter...what is your favorite part of it? Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Planning a big Easter egg hunt? I got to wondering what the World Record Easter egg hunt was. It happened in Winter Haven Florida at Cypress Gardens with some 510,000 filled eggs (1000 of which had prizes--one was a scholarship to a 2 year community college). 9700 people participated. Here is the link to learn more:
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/adjudications/070401easteregg_hunt.aspx

Whether your egg hunt is big or small, may peace and joy be with you as we begin the Easter season.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman