Gish Picks: Week of May 19, 2010

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WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK?

There is an obesity epidemic in our country but thankfully the White House is taking charge of it, a problem Michelle Obama has admitted to struggling with and one that has captured over 20 percent of our nation’s kids. “Let’s Move” is a governmental Task Force studying this problem and they have outlined several strategies to cope with this epidemic, including getting good prenatal care; empowering parents and caregivers with simpler, more actionable messages about nutritional choices; providing healthy food in schools; improving access to healthy, affordable food; and getting children more physically active.

If this seems overwhelming, start with some simple steps today to ensure your child’s health: have them eat 3-5 servings of fruits or vegetables and exercise 30 minutes daily. Another easy thing to do is sign Jamie Oliver’s petition and join his “Food Revolution” to improve the quality of food in our schools. My son is in a study for the game Squire’s Quest and it seems to be encouraging him to be more aware of how often he eats fruits and vegetables and to be more assertive about getting them himself. He eats plenty, but often only with our coaxing! A simple trick we learned from the game is to leave fruits out on the counter within easy reach. Small things like that can make a big difference. I’m not a big fan of video games and we limit their use (and I know their use has contributed to obesity) but they’re not going away and one way to combat our kids’ health problems is to get them where they are. I'll let you know when the game is in stores if we still like it at the end of the study.

Summer’s almost here so start thinking now about how to make it a healthy one!

TEJANO HERITAGE AT THE HERITAGE SOCIETY

“Customs and Cultures: The Tejano Heritage” is this month’s Family Day at the Heritage Society, taking place this Sunday, May 23, 1-4pm. Kids will get to learn about the life of a nineteenth century Tejano while celebrating the culture of Tejano Texas and enjoying musical performances by Mariachi Pantera from Davis High School. There will also be folk art crafts and kids can create their own cattle brand.

This Family Day has been organized in conjunction with “A Tejano Son of Texas,” which will be on view through July 3. The exhibit tells the life story of legendary Texas Tejano Jose Policarpio "Polly" Rodriguez. The display begins at the start of his life in the state of Coahuila y Texas, Mexico and continues through Polly’s experiences as a young boy, a gunsmith and surveyor as well as addressing his military and Texas Ranger Service and his ranching and public office records. The exhibit concludes with a description of his years as a Methodist minister. Kids will get to participate in an exhibit hunt to find artifacts in the show.

“Customs and Cultures: The Tejano Heritage” is free and open to the public and refreshments will be available. There is complimentary parking behind the historic Kellum-Noble House; enter the lot from Allen Parkway inbound.

Polly Rodriguez with his children in Laredo

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and this year's theme is "Lighting the Past, Present, and Future." APAH Month is a nationwide event that was a week-long celebration dedicated in 1978 with a resolution that Jimmy Carter signed and, in 1990, George H.W. Bush expanded into a month. Houston is celebrating in a variety of ways, including two festivals that are both taking place this Saturday, May 22.

The first one is hosted by the Museum of Cultural Arts, Houston and is their second “Art of Culture” event, which will highlight Asian Pacific Heritage. They have organized a very cool “Art of Culture for Kids” workshop from 9am-noon that will engage children and their families in the process of creating works of art and crafts. There will be 4 workstations led by artists from various Asian Pacific American countries including Kay Nguyen, Masumi Katoaka, Ruqqayya Maudoodi, and Ann Johnson, who will be teaching crafts from shrink rings to origami. Anu Srivastav of the Hybrid Rhythms Bollywood Academy will teach children the body movements of Bollywood. The cost is $5/child. The “Art of Culture” starts up again in the evening at 5pm with events organized mostly for adults.

The local chapter of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association has organized their annual APAH Festival, “One World, May Cultures” which will take place also this Saturday from noon-8pm at Discovery Green. There will be entertainment, food, community organizations and an exciting children’s area. The opening ceremony at 1:30pm will include amazing acrobatic stunts and visually stunning costumes and movement by the Soaring Phoenix Lion Dragon Dance Association. Throughout the day and evening there will be various Asian dances, including those from China, Taiwan and Hawaii. The event is free and open to the public.

CHILDREN’S PERFORMANCE AT HOUSTON’S “FRINGE FESTIVAL”

The third annual “Houston Fringe Festival” is in town starting this weekend and, new this year, is including a children’s show as part of the lineup. The Festival was organized by Bootown, a Houston theatre company founded on the principle of fun and accessible theatre via a collaborative process. “Kelly, King of The Fairies” will be onstage at the Houston Met this Saturday, May 22 and Sunday, May 23 at 5pm. It’s a PG-rated story about a young fairy who wished he wasn't because he is always embarrassed. He has an embarrassing name, he has an embarrassing backpack, he has embarrassing parents and to top it all off...he's a fairy! Kelly wishes he could be an elf or anything else really as long as he isn't a fairy. However, when you live in the world of magic you have to be careful what you wish for because sometimes wishes do come true. The show runs about an hour and a half and is a wonderfully imaginative theatrical experience that should not be missed by children of all ages!

Tickets for the show and all Festival events are $7/each. A portion of the proceeds from the festival benefits the Museum of Cultural Arts, Houston, which provides community-based public art and programming.

THIS WEEK'S ATTRACTION...EDITH L. MOORE NATURE SANCTUARY. For more attractions, go to www.gishcreative.com/attractions.htm.

The Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary is an 18-acre wooded sanctuary along Rummel Creek in the Memorial area at 440 Winchester Drive. The Sanctuary has a restored log cabin that houses a variety of educational programs reaching out into Houston and surrounding areas and the Houston Audubon Society administrative offices. Edith L. Moore is open to the public 365 days a year from 7am-7pm (9pm in the summer) and is always free. They offer several programs for families and kids, including summer camps (many of which are already sold out), docent-led tours for field trips, the “Titmouse Club” for preschoolers and the “After School Nature Explorers Club” for K-5th graders, “Owl Prowls” on select evenings, and birthday parties. The Sanctuary is also an oasis for birders who regularly document sightings through Texas eBird. Dogs are discouraged but human walkers are always welcome. I love urban nature sites and the Edith L. Moore is one of the best in Houston.

BIKING TO WORK CAN BE SO FUN!

May is "National Bike Month" and the City of Houston is encouraging you to pump up your tires, get your bike map (which is available at Houston Public Libraries) and ride the trail, ride in your neighborhood, or ride to work. This Friday, May 21, is "Bike to Work Day" so the City is inviting everyone for a bike ride to City Hall from Memorial Park. Meet at 7am at the South Picnic Loop in Memorial Park (between the volleyball and softball fields) and the ride will begin at 7:30am and will end with a press conference on the steps of City Hall. Bike Barn will be at Memorial Park and City Hall to assist you and refreshments will be provided by Bike Barn, Corner Bakery, Shipley Do-nuts, Chick-fil-A, and Clif Bar. For more information, call 713.837.0003.

HOUSTONPBS WANTS TO HELP YOU STAY SMART.

In addition to being "Preservation Month," "Asian Pacific American Heritage Month," and "Bike Month," May is also "Education Month"! In honor of that, HoustonPBS is asking you to make a promise to watch educational programming on Channel 8. Make the promise to watch here and then watch with your friends, with your family or by yourself. The important thing is to watch – and then share. When you tell 8 people about this promise, HoustonPBS will send your family a yearly subscription to the interactive, preschool, learning website PBS Kids PLAY! (valued at $79).

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Sarah Gish Gish Creative 1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116 Houston, Texas 77057 phone/fax: 713.532.1173 email: sarah@gishcreative.com web: www.gishcreative.com and: www.thesummerbook.com and: www.saveourlandmarks.org © 2010 Sarah Gish Designed by West of the World