Plan to be outside at moonrise on Saturday, March 19th. The moon will appear larger than at anytime since 1983! The video below explains why the moon will appear so large. If it isn’t cloudy, I plan on heading to a friends house, high on a hill in the country. Where will you view the Super Moon?
This is an excellent representation of the seismic activity around Japan up to, including, and after the 8.9 earthquake last week. (I really like the musical accompaniment)
You can help from afar via one of these organizations.
Today’s earthquake, and resulting tsunami, in Japan reminds us of a few important truths: we are but passengers on this spaceship; it’s a living ship; the skin we rest upon is alive, and ripples with activity.
I am reminded that my own lifetime is barely a breath in the long history of this planet. My cares and concerns are like sub-atomic particles. Gaia is old and large and operates under principles that, for all our human nattering, are immutable. That said, I pray for the communities affected by this.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Although The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is set in Texas, 1899, I saw a lot of myself in her…aways fun for a reader! Curious, outdoorsy, feeling pretty wretched about being a girl. Her grandfather, a devoted naturalist in his retirement years, takes her under his wing and stokes her mind with science and the exploration of the natural world.
Callie Vee, as she is called in her family, is an 11-almost-12-year old sadwiched between three older brothers and three younger brothers. Her mother, determined to transform Calpurnia into a proper young lady,forces piano practice, lessons in the kitchen, and entry of Callie Vee’s homecrafts into the County Fair. Calpurnia, on the other hand, would rather be exploring the local flora and fauna with her grandfather and entering her observations into her “Notebook.” She longs for a vision of her future that doesn’t involve cooking, cleaning, sewing, and starting it all over again the next day. When she and her grandfather discover a possible new species, they send their findings off to the Smithsonian Institution and wait for a response.
The language is clever. The characters are fun. Ms. Kelly deftly handles the culture shifts of a post-Civil War/Emmancipation era in rural Texas and makes the pursuit of scientific learning an attractive proposition…a plus for books with female leads. You may find yourself so busy rooting for young Calpurnia, that you’ll end up neglecting your own household chores!
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If you enjoyed Gaia as a sea otter in Gaia Girls Way of Water, please help California’s Sea Otters this Valentines Day!
California residents can contribute to the CA Sea Otter Fund via your state income tax. Just check the box! If you live outside California, consider adopting a sea otter through the Defenders of Wildlife Adoption Center.
It takes time, money and resources to protect keystone species like sea otters. Show your love for Gaia this Valentines Day!
From the Food Corps website: “The vision for FoodCorps is to recruit young adults for a yearlong term of public service in school food systems. Once stationed, FoodCorps members will build Farm to School supply chains, expand food system and nutrition education programs, and build and tend school food gardens.”
What a fantastic ways for older Gaia Girls and Gaia Guys to spend a year of service. The inaugural year is recruiting now! If you are 18 and older, have a high school diploma or GED, are a legal resident of the United States, a have not served two full-time terms in AmeriCorp…you could do this!
I debated long and hard whether or not to make uncontacted tribes part of the Gaia Girls Air Apparent story. After all, we know so little about them, it would be far too easy to mis-represent an entire people. I do know this: they have chosen a lifestyle that is much more in balance with Gaia than ours is. I have great respect for that. Please watch this short video and signt the petition at the end. Then, pass it along to ten friends who love Gaia too. Let’s speak on behalf of those that have no voice with the Peruvian government.
In 121 years, no woman has ever chaired a meeting of the Corning City Council. That changed Monday night when Gaia Girls author, Lee Welles took gavel in hand and ran the meeting. She’s happy to make history, but sad that more women don’t run for office. “It amazes me that more women don’t consider running for local office,” Lee said. “It is a great way to engage your community!” You can read more at The Leader’s website, or check out NBC Affiliate, WETM’s coverage below.
WELCOME 2011!
Yes, this is the year of Air Apparent! I never know if I should apologize or not for the book being so late. I’m sad so many people have had to wait. But, I’m happy you didn’t read the first version! Yuk. Enjoy this animated short, Fallen. Makes me think of air-girl! 
I’m looking forward to FLYIN’ in 2011!
This is wonderful speech. Chief Oren Lyons speaks about Climate Change at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN Headquarters in 2007. His words ring true.
“People have to change. Directions have to change. Values have to change. Otherwise…
There’s no mercy in nature. None. No Mercy. Nature has none. Has only law, only rule. You don’t abide the rule, you suffer the result.
And it’s just…no habeas corpus here.”
This is something I struggle with when writing Gaia Girls. We can’t “fight for the Earth,” until we are willing to tell a new story about what a means to be a person in 2010, 2011, 2015, 2020 etc. How are we going to be different 50 years from now? What are we willing to change to align ourselves with unchangable laws?
“Business as usual is over.”
