Gish Picks: Week of August 20, 2008


Welcome to this week's "Gish Picks", where I highlight family-oriented cultural events, products or services. Please note that I "highlight" these events, but I don't know if they are appropriate for your particular children, so choose wisely based on age, maturity and interests. I know many of you go to events based on GISH PICKS recommendations; PLEASE remember to tell the organization that you are there because of us. Word-of-mouth like yours helps our business to grow. In the same spirit, please also feel free to share GISH PICKS with friends and families. Do you have something you would like to promote on Gish Picks? Advertisers can promote family-friendly events, products or services to Houstonians all over the city and the surrounding area who are active parents, involved citizens and great shoppers. We love doing this community service and want to keep it free for our readers but in order to justify the hours spent researching, writing and designing this newsletter, we need advertising support. If you'd like to learn more, please click below. Now, GO FIND FUN!

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOUSTON 2008” STARTS AUGUST 21.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOUSTON 2008" is here from August 21-31 and is a celebration of our city’s founding on August 30, 1836 by brothers John Kirby Allen and Augustus Chapman Allen, with major funding from Augustus’ wife, Charlotte Allen. This event was organized by myself and my colleague, Jill Brooks and is a city-wide, community-based program that includes exhibits, lectures, and family activities.

The mission of “HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOUSTON 2008” is to elevate public awareness about the importance of preserving Houston’s historical and cultural heritage which will enhance the attitude, understanding and connection of all Houstonians to our city. The festivities kick off at the historic River Oaks Theatre this Thursday, August 21 and wind down with a "Family Day" on Saturday, August 30 at the Downtown Aquarium. The Aquarium will offer major discounts on exhibits (only $5/each) and day passes (only $10/each) for families on August 30 in honor of Houston’s founding on the same day in 1836.

Kids can learn about Houston’s history while enjoying activities provided by the Weather Museum, the Maritime Museum and other organizations. Sandra Lord of Discover Houston Tours will be offering complimentary historic tours of Market Square Park and will have “Discover Houston: A Self-Guided Tour of Allen’s Landing and Buffalo Bayou” available for purchase.

For more information and a complete list of events, call 713.532.1173 or log onto www.saveourlandmarks.org.

IT'S BABES ON BROADWAY, RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON.

The Pure Sound Youth Choir of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church presents its annual summer musical revue, "Babes on Broadway: I Got You, Babe(s)" in the Rotunda Theatre of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer (at Edloe). In the show, a talented ensemble takes the audience back in time to the 1960's, performing some of the greatest hits from that tumultuous decade. "Mr. Postman", "California Dreamin'", "It's My Party (and I'll Cry if I Want to)", "All You Need is Love", and of course, "I Got You, Babe" are just some of the many songs the young singers are preparing for their audiences.

Along with the great music, the show contains the usual zany fun with lots of laughter, as well as quiet moments of reflection. Written and directed by Steve McCurdy, "I Got You, Babe(s)" will be performed in the Rotunda Theatre on August 21, 22, and 23 at 7pm with matinees on Saturday and Sunday, August 23 and 24 at 2:30pm. There is no admission fee, but a free will "peace and love" offering will be taken. The doors open a half hour prior to showtime; come early for a good seat!

For more information, call 713.622.5710 or log onto www.stlukesmethodist.org.

ST. MARTIN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH PRESENTS ITS FINAL SUMMER ORGAN RECITAL.

This Friday, August 22 at 7:30pm, St. Martin’s Church is hosting John Potter, their Organ Scholar at the Church, as organ recitalist for the final concert in the "Gloria Dei Organ Concert Series" this summer. In "Summer Celebration of the Pipe Organ", Potter will perform works by Bach, Behnke, Boellmann, Karg-Elert, Langlais, Mendelssohn and Morricone. Mr. Potter is a recent graduate of J. Frank Dobie High School and an organ student of Dr. George Mims and has been accepted into The Juilliard School of Music in New York City this fall.

The Gloria Dei Organ at St. Martin’s was built by the Schoenstein Organ Company of San Francisco. Jack Bethards, Thomas Murray and George Mims were responsible for the design. The organ has four keyboards, a pedal board, eighty ranks of pipes, sixty-nine voices and 4,649 pipes. The organ was dedicated in September, 2004.

A solar powered digital organ will be on display and demonstrated during the reception following the concert. The solar powered digital organ was a project of students and teachers headed by Scott Graham and Mary Obenauf in the Pasadena Independent School District. The project was made possible through funding by British Petroleum. A free-will offering will be taken and a reception in Bagby Parish Hall will follow the concert.

For more information, call 713.621.3040 or log onto www.stmartinsepiscopal.org.

Gloria Dei Organ at St. Martin's Episcopal Church

BACK-TO-SCHOOL TIPS FOR PARENTS WHO TRUST THE E-CHART TOO MUCH.

Remember the E-Chart, that familiar, school-administered eye test that mothers have trusted for generations to help spot their kids' vision problems? Today's eye doctors say the E-Chart isn't enough and that the test misses 95% of the vision problems children experience.

"The E-Chart is a good place to start, but no parent should stop there," says David Lopez, O.D., a therapeutic optometrist and glaucoma specialist who serves as chairman of the board of Texas State Optical (TSO), a network of more than 100 doctor-owned eye care practices. The Snellen eye chart -- the clinical name for the ubiquitous black and white sign with the big E in the middle -- identifies only the most obvious problems, says Lopez. "The Snellen tool will point to children who can't read the blackboard, but there are many other things that it won't pick up." The consequence of not knowing, he says, can mean trouble. "Behavior problems arise and some kids withdraw socially. Others are misdiagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder."

Lopez says warning signs of eyesight problems include:

Squinting, excessive blinking, and frequent rubbing of the eyes

Short attention span

Reading frustration or avoidance

Frequent headaches

Poor hand-eye coordination or noticeable difficulty playing sports

Sitting close to the television or reading books close to the face

Turning their head sideways to look at objects

He offers parents these preventive tips:

SCHEDULE A REGULAR EYE EXAM FOR YOUR CHILDREN WITH AN EYE CARE PROFESSIONAL.

REVIEW YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH HISTORY.

PROTECT YOUR KIDS' EYES.

CHECK IN WITH THE TEACHER.

To find an eye doctor near you, log onto www.tso.com.

For more about my marketing company, Gish Creative, and the services we offer, please click here. You are on this list because I thought this e-newsletter would be helpful to you or because you signed up for it. However, if you want off this list, click here and you're a goner. Please feel free to tell your friends to subscribe by clicking here.

My goal is to serve as an information resource for Houston parents through my various endeavors, including:

GISH PICKS, which is online (www.thesummerbook.com/gishpicks_archive.html) and in print through the Houston Community Newspaper group (www.hcnonline.com);

THE SUMMER BOOK®: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS (www.thesummerbook.com) which comes out annually on March 1 and is sold at bookstores all over Houston, including Barnes and Noble and Borders; and

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS, PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS, AND ART PROGRAMS that cover topics such as summertime fun, passion-finding (for adults, children, and parents helping their children), marketing, historic preservation, art classes, and activism. All of these services can be tailored for any audience and budget.

The purpose of GISH PICKS is to help parents become aware of all the fun things they can do with their children in Houston and the surrounding area, so HAPPY TRAVELS! Please do give me feedback and ideas, as you are out there in the trenches also looking for interesting things for your family and I want to hear what you find. If you are having trouble getting to a website listed here, try hitting the “Ctrl” button and left-clicking on the web address, which should make it “live”.


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 © 2008 Sarah Gish Designed by West of the World