Sunshine Schedule/Should Santa Bring a Puppy?

WEATHER
A chilly Wednesday on the way for the northern plains and Great Lakes states with highs in the single digits and teens. Meanwhile, southern California and Arizona and Florida will enjoy highs in the 70s (and even 80s for extreme southern Florida). Some rain in coastal Texas, southern Florida and along the west coast with snow showers over the northern Rockies and Intermountain Region.

Houston, hang on...the sunshine will return but it looks like we will have to wait until Friday when a backdoor shot of dry air arrives. Chilly the next 2 days with the clouds lingering (some showers are possible too). We'll be lucky if we break 50 on Wednesday. Weekend looks spectacular with lows in the 30s and 40s and highs in the low 60s and sunshine.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do puppy or cacharro, pronounced cah-CHOR-row. Don't forget to roll the rr. Someone very dear to me wants Santa to bring her a puppy for Christmas. See the AND MORE section for more.

Some exciting news...our DVD series (Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco) is getting a positive review in a widely read magazine...as soon as I get all of the details, I'll let you know.

Don't forget that I am running a holiday special on the DVDs Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Just send me an email to info@frankandpaco.com and enjoy the pre-Christmas special (through Dec. 22nd) to get our award winning volume 1 DVD or newly released volume 2 DVD of the Frank & Paco series for $10 (even--that includes the tax in Texas--outside of Texas it will be even lower than $10) and free shipping. I will send it to you and you can mail me a check or money order.

Or you can order via the following web sites for a higher amount: http://www.frankandpaco.com
, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/.

AND MORE
My poll on favorite classic Christmas shows is closed. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer won hands down with 100% of the vote. The other choices were Frosty the Snowman and Charlie Brown Christmas. Only one answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated.

The new poll is about Christmas spending. How much are you spending or are you spending at all? Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.

Okay...I need your advice. Sarah has written her letter to Santa and the only thing she wants is a puppy (a real one as she puts it). Sarah is 8 years old now. Do you think Santa should bring her one? We have a fenced in backyard but indoors there is a lot of carpet. Would appreciate your advice.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

When Sunshine Will Return/Christmas Outlook/Easy Holiday Baking Idea

WEATHER
Very cold in the northern plains and western Great Lakes states with higs in the single digits. Florida will be balmy with highs in the 80s. Some thunderstorms from Texas to South Carolina and the northern half of Florida. Snow for the Intermountain region and Sierra Nevada. 50s and 60s from southern California through Texas and into the eastern seaboard. Colder for the Pacific Northwest through the central US into the northeast with highs in the teens to 40s.

The weather has been quite Seattle like for central, southern and east Texas for days. The good news after a very drippy weekend, the coming weekend will be sunny and dry.

Houston, today will be cloudy and wet. In fact, there is a new cold front approaching that could bring a few thunderstorms (although severe ones are not expected) later this afternoon and overnight. Look for more fog tonight. Still some clouds and rain around into at least early Wednesday. But Thursday through the coming Monday should be sunny and dry with lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s. Today will be a bit milder with highs in the 60s. Tuesday and Wednesday will be cool with highs in the 50s.

Christmas Outlook for Houston--some rain and mild to muggy. (sorry...doesn't look like we are going to get that White Christmas you've been asking about). But, it is still a long way off. So, I will update again soon!

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do wet or mojado, pronounced mow-HA-dough. Boy has it been mojado in Houston lately.

Don't forget that I am running a holiday special on the DVDs Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Just send me an email to info@frankandpaco.com and enjoy the pre-Christmas special (through Dec. 22nd) to get our award winning volume 1 DVD or newly released volume 2 DVD of the Frank & Paco series for $10 (even--that includes the tax in Texas--outside of Texas it will be even lower than $10) and free shipping. I will send it to you and you can mail me a check or money order.

Or you can order via the following web sites for a higher amount: http://www.frankandpaco.com
, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/.

AND MORE
Here's a quick easy way to make your brownies holiday festive. I made my usual batch and then sprinkled green and red M & Ms on top before baking. Voila! Christmas brownies!

To all my Jewish friends, hope you are having a wonderful Hanukkah.

Have a great week everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Here Comes the Rain Again!/Worthwhile Christmas show/

WEATHER
Well you heard it here first...my father-in-law in Council Bluffs, Iowa has offered to send us some snow because they have more than enough of it. They were hit very hard by snow on Wednesday. My mother-in-law said there are huge drifts everywhere and just about everything including the schools, is closed down. She said it is the worst she has seen in a very long time (and she has lived up there all her life).

Well, as I write this blog tonight, there are Winter Storm Warning in effect for upstate NY, much of Michigan and out west, the Sierra Nevada and Cascades in the northwest. The coldest spot on Friday will be the northern plains and western Great Lakes and northern New England with highs in the single digits or teens. Look for some snow around the Great Lakes and northern New England and in the Rockies. There will be some rain and thunderstorms for east Texas and a part of Louisiana. Highs for most of the country will be in the 20s to 40s (warmest further south) with Miami area in the low 80s. Much of coastal California and southern Arizona will be in the 50s.

Houston, here comes the rain again. Timing of heaviest rain on Friday will be early afternoon to late evening. So there will likely be some rain around when you are picking up the kids from school. The National Weather Service has posted the following Hazardous Weather Outlook as low pressure is expected to develop in the western Gulf, catching stronger winds which could lead to coastal flooding:

A COASTAL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE
NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO ON FRIDAY. STRONG EASTERLY WINDS WILL
DEVELOP AS A RESULT AND ENHANCE TIDE LEVELS ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS
COAST. COASTAL FLOOD WATCHES AND WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED FOR
FRIDAY AND POSSIBLY SATURDAY MAINLY FOR THE COAST LINES OF
GALVESTON AND BRAZORIA COUNTIES INCLUDING BOLIVAR PENINSULA.
RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD MONITOR FORECASTS FOR ANY COASTAL
FLOOD WATCHES OR WARNINGS.

It will be a very chilly day on Friday with highs in the 40s in Houston...slightly warmer Saturday (highs in the 50s with rain tapering). Sunday will be partly sunny with some showers and mild with highs in the 70s. More rain and cooling Monday and then dry from Tuesday through Friday...sunny on those days!!!

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do true or verdadero, pronounced vair-dah-DARE-oh. Do you know the verdadero meaning of Christmas? Check out the AND MORE section to learn about a special show that teaches just that.

Don't forget that I am running a holiday special on the DVDs Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Just send me an email to info@frankandpaco.com and enjoy the pre-Christmas special (through Dec. 22nd) to get our award winning volume 1 DVD or newly released volume 2 DVD of the Frank & Paco series for $10 (even--that includes the tax in Texas--outside of Texas it will be even lower than $10) and free shipping. I will send it to you and you can mail me a check or money order.

Or you can order via the following web sites for a higher amount: http://www.frankandpaco.com
, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/.

AND MORE

Don't forget to answer my latest blog (3rd item down on the right). You can place your vote for favorite classic Christmas cartoon.

If you are looking for something heartwarming to do this Saturday or Sunday night, head to the First Colony Baptist Church (on First Colony Blvd. in Sugar Land). At 7 pm both nights, there will be a play about getting away from materialism and finding the true meaning of Christmas. Tickets are $5 to $15 with 20% of the sales going to charity. To learn more, check out this link courtesy of my buddy Leslie Williams, who wrote the article for The Houston Chronicle.
http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2009/12/church-musical-delivers-christmas-message

And if you are looking for something free (although you feel compelled to buy dinner), head to the Sugar Land Chik-Fil-A the next two Monday nights Dec. 14 and 21st). On the 14th there will be Santa cow with elves and on the 21st, there will be Santa family night.

Happy Friday everyone and don't forget your umbrella!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Blizzards blast many areas/New Poll/Need Your Donation

WEATHER

Old man winter has come calling early...the northern plains will be bitterly cold on Wednesday with highs in the single digits. A bit further east, there will be snow and wind with dangerous blizzard conditions. This evening as I write this post, my poor in-laws in the Omaha area are hunkered down with a Blizzard Warning...up to 14 inches of snow possible with high winds...very dangerous. Those Blizzard Warnings extend northward into Minnesota. On Wednesday, worst of it will be in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes states. Also look for some thunderstorms in the southeast and eastern OH/western PA. Cool and dry across much of the south with highs in the 40s and 50s. Some snow in northern New England and cold rain from Boston to DC. In the 50s along the west coast but dropping a lot just a short way to the east. Very cold also in the Pacific Northwest...talked to a friend in Seattle this morning and they were in the teens!



Houston, how about nice break from the moisture...even some sunshine? Cold front brings dry air early Wednesday. Highs on Wednesday will be in the 50s with a light freeze inland early Thursday. Rain returns on Friday. Looks like an ok weekend. Then another front arrives early in the coming week bringing us Chamber of Commerce weather for most of the week. Still too far out for Christmas...hope to have an outlook soon.



I have updated the Drought information and Texas' drought situation continues to improve with more improvement expected.



SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY

Let's do mold or moho, pronounced MOW-hoe. With all the wet weather, I now have some moho on some of my plants. Find out more in the AND MORE section.

Here's a gift idea that will be much appreciated and won't break the bank...I'm running on holiday special on the DVDs Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Just send me an email to info@frankandpaco.com and enjoy the pre-Christmas special (through Dec. 22nd) to get our award winning volume 1 DVD or newly released volume 2 DVD of the Frank & Paco series for $10 (even--that includes the tax in Texas--outside of Texas it will be even lower than $10) and free shipping. I will send it to you and you can mail me a check or money order.

Or you can order via the following web sites for a higher amount: http://www.frankandpaco.com
, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/.


AND MORE

Our poll on favorite Twilight movie is closed. 12% liked the first movie (Twilight) the best. 12% liked the 2nd movie (New Moon) the best. 37% had not seen either. And 37% had only seen one of the movies. Only one answer was allowed. Thanks to all who participated.



Our new poll is about favorite classic Christmas cartoons. Only one answer is allowed. Thanks in advance for participating.



So, I'm putting out some Christmas lights and get an up close look at my pittosporum bushes. They have that sooty mold all over them. I read up on this quite a bit and apparently wet weather is not their friend. In the past, I applied a fungicide with good results. But, I also read that this is not a good idea during wet weather. So, I guess I'll keep an eye on them and hope for a drying spell. I'm not too optimistic since we are in an El Nino winter. For more information about all matters pittosporum, see the following link:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep105



The Social Concerns folks at St. Laurence in Sugar Land really need your help. You see they help people from all over the Houston area and the need is very great. Maybe you have some things to donate that would help. Please see the following list from the director Tracy Schindler. (tschindler@stlaurence.org)

Urgent Need for Coats and Blankets!
Please consider cleaning out or at least dig through the closets and donate your gently used/CLEAN blankets and winter coats that are not being used. We have several clients in need of coats and substantial blankets bordering on quilts, bedspreads or comforters. Please forward this email to your friends and neighbors as we need as many as possible by Monday. Then we will continue to collect after that initial delivery.

Furniture Needs for several clients! Please consider also forwarding this request to others as well…I think we may have tapped the social concerns members by now…thank you for your help!! Tracy Schindler

Dresser
Bed side tables
Desk
Office chair
Recliners (2)
Coffee table
TV
Bookcase
Lamps
Microwave
Toaster
Blender
Sofa(s)
Beds (5)
Tables
Lamps
Dinette
Dressers




Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone.



Cecilia Sinclair

Wonder Weather Woman

Weather for the Week/Christmas Shows for Kids

WEATHER
For much of the country, Monday is going to be the coldest day so far this fall season with highs in the negative single digits in parts of Montana and single digits and teens in the northern plains. Warm spot will be southern Florida with highs in the 80s. Elsewhere, the southern tier of states will have highs in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Rest of the country will have highs in the 20s to 40s. Brrr! Look for rain/snow from the west coast to the Rockies and also snow in the Great Lakes. There will be rain along the northern Gulf coast.

On Monday, Houston will be cool with showers mainly early and highs in the 50s. Then, look for another round of rain early Tuesday with highs in the low 70s. It will be drier mid-week with some showers end of the week and then a dry weekend on the way. Lows will be in the 40s and 50s with highs primarily in the 60s through the coming weekend.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let's do favorite or favorita, pronounced fah-vor-EE-tah. Trying to locate your favorita Christmas shows for your kids. I've got a master list for you in the AND MORE section.

Here's a gift idea that will be much appreciated and won't break the bank...I'm running on holiday special on the DVDs Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco. Just send me an email to info@frankandpaco.com and enjoy the pre-Christmas special (through Dec. 22nd) to get our award winning volume 1 DVD or newly released volume 2 DVD of the Frank & Paco series for $10 (even--that includes the tax in Texas--outside of Texas it will be even lower than $10) and free shipping. I will send it to you and you can mail me a check or money order.

Or you can order via the following web sites for a higher amount: http://www.frankandpaco.com
, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.bestbuy.com, or http://www.ebay.com/.

AND MORE

Well, my 3 hibiscus bushes were so beautiful right before the snow and freeze. Now, they are gone until they bounce back this summer. Wah!!!! I'm wondering what this will do to my broccoli plants, sugar snap peas, and baby spinach. Only time will tell. But the snow was worth it. And, it didn't hang around and become a nuisance. I'll never forget that snow storm in December 1989. I had to fly to Austin that day. I knew we were probably going to have an ice storm. So, I headed to the airport extra, extra early. As I'm getting close to the airport, it starts raining. I knew it was about 27 degrees. I thought uh oh. I could see the car ahead of me start to fishtail almost immediately (the rain had turned to ice upon impact). I managed to limp off the freeway and ease my way along the feeder and back roads until I arrived. Then, they had to de-ice the plane. I returned later the same day to see all the snow. It was really neat.

My friend Tanya went to the trouble to search for all the titles and phrases associated with kids programming that she could think of. She said that she set her DVR to record them all. She suggested I share this list with you on my blog. Tanya...we parents thank you.

Traditional/Santa Themes:

Year Without A Santa (08 Dec 09)
The Year Without Santa (11 Dec 09)
Santa Clause Town (09 Dec 09)
Santa Clause is Coming to Town (10 Dec 09)
Twas the Night Before Christmas (08 Dec 09)
A Miser Brother Christmas (19 Dec 09)
Twice Upon A Christmas (19 Dec 09)
The Town Santa Forgot (20 Dec 09)
The Night before Christmas
The Little Drummer Boy (13 Dec 09)
Greatest Holiday Moments

Rudolph Themes:

Rudolph and the Misfit Toys (09 Dec 09)
Rudolph's Shiny New Year (10 Dec 09)
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (13 Dec 09)

Frosty Themes:

Frosty (12 Dec 09)
Frosty Returns (12 Dec 09)
Jack Frost (10 Dec 09)
The Legend of Frosty the Snowman (21 Dec 09)
Frosty's Winter Wonderland (13 Dec 09)


Specialty Themes:

The Polar Express
Pixar Short Films (18 Dec 09)
Scooby Doo Christmas (10 Dec 09)
A Garfield Christmas (09 Dec 09)
Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too (10 Dec 09)
Pinocchio's Christmas (13 Dec 09)
A Jetson Christmas Carol (13 Dec 09)
Mickey's Christmas Carol (16 Dec 09)
Flintstone Christmas (07 Dec 09)
Alvin and the Chipmunks – A Chipmunk Christmas
Shrek the Halls

I know it is hard this time of year to stop and remember the magic of the holidays...but please try. Watch a fun show with your kids...become a kid again. And don't forget about those special religious rituals. We are enjoying lighting our Advent wreath. Your kids won't remember most of the gifts they got, but they will remember these special times you shared with them. My Mom told me she has a friend who gives each kid only three gifts at Christmas. She tells them, Jesus got three gifts when the Three Kings visited. So, that is what you are getting. Something to consider.

Have a great week!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Houston Winter Weather Winding Down 4:30 pm Update

The snow is rapidly coming to an end (where it hasn't already stopped). Now, we're in for a night of freezing temperatures as skies rapidly clear. I can already see thinner and breaking clouds in Sugar Land area. But, remember, that there are many wet spots. So, be on the lookout for icey patches from now through mid-morning on Saturday.

Highs on Saturday will be in the low 50s with sunny skies. Clouds and showers return on Sunday. Lows will be near 40 with highs in the 60s.

Have a great weekend everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Houston Winter Weather Update - 12:20 pm

Was snowing moderately in downtown Houston until about 11:45 am...has let up...just some light sleet falling. But radar shows another band approaching from northwest...eta 2 pm.