Turtle Days

One of the events everyone on South Padre Island looks forward to every year is "Turtle Days". Turtle Days officially begins when the first Kemp Ridley nest is found on the beach and the eggs are transported to a safe place where they can hatch. The flags are raised and calendars marked for a week of festivities.

Paragraphs is pleased that we have been able to become a part of this annual celebration. In May, we host the "Turtle Tea" and join in the fun as our Island ladies come dressed in their best hat and gloves, often created by the busy ladies at Craft Camp to sip the finest Earl Grey from dainty cups and saucers while eating tasty cucumber finger sandwiches and delicate macaroons. Island resident Nancy Marsden does a great job of planning and putting all these Shellebration events together.

All of the proceeds raised at Turtle Days events are donated to Sea Turtle Inc. the wonderful organization whose dedicated volunteers work tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured sea turtles, while educating the public, and assisting with conservation efforts for all marine species.

One successful fundraising program at Sea Turtle Inc., is the opportunity to Adopt-a-Nest. Volunteers and interns work together to locate the Kemp Ridley sea turtle nests, transport the eggs and relocate them to the corral where they are closely monitored for signs of hatching. Paragraphs adopted our first nest this year and it has been fun to wait for our nest to be found, and now we are eagerly anticipating news that our eggs have hatched and are ready to be released.

While we were excited about supporting Sea Turtle Inc., by adopting a Kemp Ridley nest, we thought there must be some way to leverage this donation into additional support for Sea Turtle, Inc.'s nesting program. So we started what we call our "nest egg" which is a fund we are setting aside for our adopted Nest #7.

Since May 6, when our nest of 77 eggs was found and moved to the corral, we have been putting a penny for every dollar spent at Paragraphs into our "nest" which sits on our counter. We will continue to donate this 1% of our sales to Sea Turtle Inc. until the hatchlings are released. While, we are pleased to make this donation, the really great part is that many of our customers have been adding to our nest egg and we are able to increase awareness of the turtle nesting program at the same time. When we started our little "nest egg" idea we had no idea how much additional support we would receive from our customers. The pocket full of odd change, a spare dollar here and there, it is amazing how generous people are.

The first turtle hatchlings were released Sunday morning, June 20 and so I know nest #7 will be ready to head into the Gulf of Mexico any day now. Griff and I will be the proud parents at beach access 4 cheering the little guys on their way.

Thank you to Sea Turtle Inc., for use of photos from their website.

To An Athlete Dying Young

A friend on Facebook just posted a quiz question asking for the title of and who wrote the poem which is used in the film "Out of Africa" and begins:

The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

I remember this verse and its beautiful imagery (especially when thinking of Robert Redford as Denys Finch-Hatten) when the poem is read by Meryl Streep as his eulogy.

Anyway, I have always loved "To An Athlete Dying Young" by AE Houseman. It speaks so clearly to the waste of a young life when lost before it's time. The remaining verses follow:

Today, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay,
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears:

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl's.

Books by Jennie Marlow

Jennie Marlow will be signing and discussing her books prior to the scheduled workshops on Thursday evening, July 8, 2010, at 7:00pm. For more about Jennie Marlow visit her website at JennieMarlow.com.

And for more information or to register for the workshops see my previous post.


100 Days of Wisdom: Inspiration from Spotted Eagle , Grandfather White Elk and White Buffalo

100 Days of Wisdom is a collection of powerful, inspiring quotations taken from the work of spirit guides, Spotted Eagle, Grandfather White Elk, and White Buffalo. Jennie Marlow’s guides challenge and motivate us to transform our perceptions of what is real, and to tackle life’s most persistent problems with willingness and determination. Presented in the style of a journal, the messages from Jennie Marlow’s guides are themed by subject in order to facilitate a process of discovery and meaningful change. This book contains 100 quotations, each presenting us with an opportunity to shift our perception of reality. This book can be used in a variety of ways—as a book of quotations selected at random, a daily journal, or as a process guide for individuals or groups. Each quotation provides the opening for a powerful spiritual inquiry.

Personal Magic: A Spotted Eagle and Grandfather White Elk Book

Spirit guides Spotted Eagle and Grandfather White Elk offer a compelling new model that allows us to embrace a reality not driven by fantasy or materialism, and that still affords us great freedom and peace of mind. They demonstrate how spiritual authenticity can give us access to our most powerful and intriguing possibilities. Personal Magic describes authenticity in real-world terms, as strengths and challenges, and as innate gifts and talents that we can employ in creating what fulfills our deepest desires for a joyful life. Personal Magic defines eight magic types. These magics express our uniquely human powers - the things that make us magical, creative, and able to build our lives on a foundation of what is real. This book offers fresh, no-nonsense insight into what human creative power is really all about, at the level of the individual, and how we might learn to dance with the uncertainties in the Universe that created us.

Jennie Marlow Booksigning and Workshops at Paragraphs

Do the keys to your success feel like a puzzle?

There are some vital things you may not know about how your emotional
and energetic systems work for you or against you. There is a way
forward, and it is all about returning to your authentic self, where your
power and potential lay waiting to be re-discovered.

FREE CHAT & BOOK-SIGNING at Paragraphs

THURS, JULY 8TH FROM 7PM TO 8PM

Emotional Mastery
WORKSHOP, SATURDAY, JULY 10TH
Self-Intelligence
WORKSHOP, SUNDAY, JULY 11TH
PRICE: $149 EACH
Register for both workshops by
June 15th for $199 & save 33%

Emotional Mastery WORKSHOP, SATURDAY, JULY 10TH
The truth is, we have all been conditioned to be inauthentic out of fear.
This conditioning creates the building blocks for a ‘not-self’ that is
making your choices and interacting on your behalf. You have a fear and
fantasy-based emotional system that governs how you react to others and
your world. Learn how to deal effectively with emotional triggers, fears
and destructive behavior patterns in yourself and others in Jennie
Marlow’s ground-breaking workshop, Emotional Mastery. In this
workshop, you will learn a simple, straight-forward system for using
your energy productively, no matter what uncertainties you face or what
is happening around you.

Self-Intelligence WORKSHOP, SUNDAY, JULY 11TH
Have you tried all sorts of success systems, only to find they don’t
deliver the promised results in your life? It may be that the strategies in
these systems will never work for you! Why? Because your design only
works when you are authentic, and your authenticity may operate quite
differently than it does for others. If you like astrology, you’re going to
love the Human Energy Design! Human Design combines Western
Astrology with the Eastern wisdom traditions of the I Ching and the
Hindu chakra system. It offers penetrating insight into how your energy
is uniquely designed exactly three months before your birth. Introduce
yourself to the real you and your personal success strategy in Self-
Intelligence, Jennie Marlow’s eye-opening introduction to the Human
Energy Design.

Jennie Marlow is an author, spiritual teacher and spirit-based
business consultant. A former Silicon Valley executive, she now
devotes her life to helping others achieve personal mastery. Her
behavioral and spiritual models for the Post-New-Age are used by a
growing number of therapists, coaches and consultants in personal
growth, psychology, leadership and business.

Private Consultations TUES &WEDS, JULY 13TH &14TH

Jennie will also be available for in-person or telephone consulations by
appointment. For more information, please call toll-free 866-270-3783 or
send an email to information@jenniemarlow.com.

ONLINE REGISTRATION:
www.jenniemarlow.com/SPI
CALL TOLL-FREE: 866-270-3783
OR CONTACT DR. SUSAN DUVE:
drsduve@duvewellnesscenter.com

The Passage - On sale today

“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.”

Texas History Book Featured at Book Signing

Arcadia Publishers, the premiere local history press, has published two titles which are a must for anyone who has an interest in the history of the Rio Grande Valley. Both books are filled with pictures from the archives of several local historical societies and private collections.

Join us at Paragraphs On Padre Boulevard, on Saturday June 12, 2010, for a book signing featuring San Benito and Charro Days in Brownsville, which are both part of the Arcadia Press, Images of America series.

There are two opportunities to meet those involved in publishing these books, first from 1 to 2 PM to have books signed and again, at 6 PM when there will be time for discussing the books, a short reading, and additional time for having books signed.

Refreshments will be provided.

Both sessions are free and open to the public.
No purchase is required to attend.

Book Description for "San Benito":
San Benito was built on the banks of a dry riverbed of the Rio Grande, called a resaca. Long ago, Coahuiltecan Indians made their home here, and Spanish land grant ranches flourished in the 1700s. The arrival of the railroad in 1904 brought a diverse group of pioneers from the Midwest in search of cheap and fertile land. These early settlers, together with descendents of Spanish colonizers, began an agricultural community. During his engineering surveys in 1903 for the proposed railroad connection to the rest of Texas, Sam Robertson realized the potential of the land. He envisioned an irrigation plan that would utilize the resacas to bring water from the Rio Grande and thus make arid ranch land into a garden. It was with this history and this dream that the little town of San Benito was created. San Benito is also home to entertainment--Conjunto Music began here--and it is the hometown of international singing star Freddy Fender and Olympic athlete Bobby Morrow.

Author Bio:
The San Benito Historical Society, founded in 1995, compiled this book with images from townspeople and from its own collection. The mission of the historical society is to chronicle, protect, and preserve the history and cultural heritage of San Benito.

Book Description for "Charro Days in Brownsville"
Brownsville, Texas, was established in 1850 on the banks of the Rio Grande. Every February since 1938, this thriving community of nearly 200,000 has joined its Mexican neighbor, Matamoros, to celebrate their shared cultural heritage. Charro Days burst upon the Rio Grande Valley scene in the depths of the Depression, bringing dances, parades, fireworks, boat races, and a rodeo to a dispirited populace. The celebration achieved instant success, followed by national recognition in magazines, radio, and television. Renowned dance bands and celebrities increased the enjoyment of revelers dressed in Charro costumes. As time passed, Charro Days evolved with the addition of events such as the Mr. Amigo presentation, which recognizes an outstanding Mexican, and the Sombrero Fest, which attracts a large number of attendees with its diverse entertainment.

Author Bio:
Anthony Knopp is an emeritus professor of history at the University of Texas at Brownsville and a former president of the Brownsville Historical Association. Manuel Medrano is also a professor of history at the University of Texas at Brownsville and a recognized expert on Mexican American history and culture. Priscilla Rodriguez is the executive director of the Brownsville Historical Association. Many of the photographs used in this history are from the archives of the Brownsville Historical Association.