Pelicans and Christianity

Thanks to my niece Erica, here is a very interesting article related to Pelicans -- I had no idea!! The URL cannot fit into the comment section, so I am writing it as a separate post. Always interested in these sort of tidbits...thank you Erica and others!

"Why the Pelican?"

I've heard this question a lot of late. It seems many want to know my preferred and latest identifying symbol. I kept saying,"Check the blog for an answer to that question." Well, Dr. Mac always keeps her promises....

Prior to finishing my dissertation at the University of Texas at Austin (sorry FP Brewer), I began interviewing for a faculty position. I went to small, liberal arts type colleges, some medium colleges and even larger research universities. When I interviewed Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, I knew this was the right fit for what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to teach, provide service to the university and my community, and do some research. TAMU-CC fit the bill. It is an Hispanic Serving Institution, and one of my primary goals was that I wanted to help minority students succeed and graduate from college. Also, I wanted to teach future teachers -- they are our future in so many ways. After my interview day here, I had dinner at a great restaurant in downtown Corpus Christi. As I ate, I jotted down notes from the day. Good moments I wanted to remember, people I met, things to consider, etc. During this reflective time, I looked outside and saw beautiful Brown Pelicans. Scads of them! They were gorgeous!

After getting my job, I happily found that my office faced Corpus Christi bay -- we are literally an island at our university:

As I cross the bridge to come to work, I give thanks for the opportunities I have been given and pray that I will live my purpose. And, as I'm doing this, I often see the pelicans. I can see them from my office window. Yes indeed, I have replaced a front tire as I was so busy watching pelicans, I ran the car off the road! Why are they so special, you ask?


In 1970, the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) was listed as endangered. Poisened by the pesticide DDT, their egg shells thinned to the point of being crushed when the female would incubate her eggs. Because they were not able to produce young, the number of pelicans dropped to less than 100 birds during the years 1967-1974! Since DDT was banned in 1972, pelicans have made a steady comeback.

And comeback they have! These are awesome birds!The brown pelican weighs about 9 pounds and has a 6-foot wingspan. When feeding, pelicans soar in the air looking for fish near the surface of the water. When a fish is spotted, the pelican goes into a dive, plunging 30 to 60 feet bill-first into the water. The impact of hitting the water would kill an ordinary bird, but the pelican is equipped with air sacs just beneath the skin to cushion the blow. The loose skin on the underside of the bill extends to form a scoop net with an amazing capacity of 2.5 gallons!! The pelican drains the water from its pouch and tosses its head back to swallow the fish. They live up to 30 years or more. Young pelicans are fed for about 9 weeks. During this time, each nestling will eat about 150 pounds of fish!

I have lots of brown pelicans in my office - some given to me by friends and students. This is a favorite that JP gave me when I moved in here:
The statue is bronze, and it's name is Happy. You can see Happy in my third floor window, scanning the bay.

Corpus has been a great place for me - I love my job, I love the people here, I have some family here (daughter Annie and granddaughter Audrey) and the only thing missing is JP but we're working on that. For now, Dr. Mac is happy watching the pelicans and thinking that we are all capable of making a comeback and being successful at whatever we love to do.

Note: some information provided by Texas Parks and Wildlife. They are some great researchers and scientists!

Summertime in the Classroom

Above is first slide I put up on the overhead projector when I teach summer classes. I tell the students that the next four weeks will feel like a speeding train - they get kinda upset, but they're upperclassman so they know I'm telling the truth. I don't know who's got the worst deal in this madness we call summer school. I've been enrolled in summer classes as a student many times and know it's really hard to keep up, do well, and have some kind of break. Throw in taking care of family and maybe working a job and you've got a real case of overdo. Here we have two summer sections - I'm teaching both. As a professor, I guarantee you it's just as hard. I literally teach a week of regular semester class in one (three hour) class day --- science means having labs, so we do those too. And the grading. Oh, then there are regular work meetings and grants to work on and writing proposals and...you get the picture. It's really exhausting. We're getting kinda grumpy because next week is the last week -- and then we start another four week session the following week. A grumpy Dr. Mac and lots of grumpy students --- hang on. We're almost there! Keep up the great work!!!

Marathons and Prayer

Iwo Jima Monument - Starting Point for the Marine Corps Marathon

I love to run - but as I've become older and hate to admit it-- my running is slower and now I run/walk. That's okay -- I decided a long time ago I'd rather walk/run for the rest of my life than push it and risk not running or walking at all. I know too many people that tell me they can't run anymore. I don't ever want to say that. I've completed three marathons between 1999 and 2002. Since then, I've been running on and off, but have felt no real sense of commitment for it. Jen and I were going to do a marathon in 2005, but the Navy had other plans for her. It's hard to train in Fallujah. All that sand. This is the swimming pool she had there:

"Iraqi Country Club "- Jen at pool in Fallujah

Since moving to Corpus Christi in 2006, I found a great route in a residential neighborhood and Ella and me started running again - intermittently you understand. Then, Jen came home from her last tour in Iraq and suggested we do the Marine Corps Marathon in DC this year in October. We will run in memory of a very good friend of hers that was killed in Iraq. I met and knew Capt. Kevin Kryst very well. A Marine. A huge tragedy and tremendous loss. So I said, - "SURE! Why not?!" Ella and I have been out there regularly for almost two months now. Thanks to a great little knee brace and some common sense, I am doing the marathon training schedule. 3-5 miles a day, long runs on Fridays, adding a mile each week over 18 weeks... yeah. We're working up to a 21 mile Friday run. Not fun. This is south Texas you understand. Its HOT and the humidity rarely drops below 90%. Ella gets left behind on Fridays and I think she is glad. And after that - a full day of work! Ahhh yes. A cranky Dr. Mac on Friday's. God help me - I am going to do this.

I have learned to pray while running-- I pray at every mile and offer that mile up for someone or something in particular. A friend that has cancer and is having a double mastectomy following her chemotherapy -- my first mile (Deb...for you). For my friends and family - second mile. For my father Edwin - may he rest in peace- third mile. Get it? I have these items listed on an index card - when I run it's hard to remember certain things so I refer to my card often. I run and pray. It makes the time go by quickly...and my knee doesn't hurt.

October 26th 2008 - Jen will be there, John will be there, other people that Jen has invited. I will have my index card, and will be running. I pray I can finish. And my knee -- it's never felt better. I'm gonna do this. 26.2 miles on October 26th. Stay tuned!

Note: for those of you who are tempted to do a run and want to remain virtually injury free - whether its a mile, 5K, 10K, half- or full-marathon, I recommend Jeff Galloway's Book on Running. This is how I started many years ago and still use his recommendations!

Introductions

I've been asked on many occasions about my family and stuff. There's a lot to that story so I thought I'd start here

First (and in no particular order), we have my daughters and my granddaughter -- a picture of us:

Here's me, Jen, Annie and Audrey - my granddaughter.
Jen is a Lieutenant in the Navy - she graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2001 and is a helicopter pilot. She is currently stationed in San Diego and I love to go visit her! Annie, Audrey's proud Mom, is here and is in Texas A&M University Corpus Christi's nursing school. Annie is also working 2 jobs and being a great Mom while doing exceptionally well in school. Audrey, the light of my life, just turned 2 this past March. She calls me "Momma". We are trying for "Grandmomma" but Momma will do just fine for now. But, that's not all. Take a look at this: This is Jen and my son Scott - he's a Marine. He graduated from The Citadel last May and now is working in North Carolina. Isn't he handsome?

Both Jen and Scott have served time in Iraq - Jen two tours in the Navy, Scott as a Marine Engineer. Jen showing the 130 degree temp at Camp Fallujah where she was stationed. She stayed on board ship for her other tour - it was her floating shopping cart as they stopped at Taiwan, Singapore, Bahrain and other ports of call. Somehow, Jen always makes the best of everything. I'm very proud of her.
Scott out on a convoy. He wasn't allowed to tell me where he was. Marines can't talk much about what they do. I learned not to ask questions. I'm proud that my children served their country.

Ella is my running buddy - we hit the streets at 5 a.m. every day and leave some sweat behind.

Finally, there is John. He's a former high school sweetheart. We were together for nearly 3 years at that time. Here's our prom pic: Cool bow tie, huh! That picture was taken our senior year in high school - MANY years ago. He had more hair then. After high school, we went to separate colleges and lost contact. We got married (not to each other), had kids, divorced, found each other over 30 years later and reconnected. Funny how life has a way of coming full circle. Here we are at Thanksgiving in 2007:
Isn't he handsome??

I have a wonderful brother, Eric, who is STILL married to his high school sweetheart, Barbara. You can read more about him and his beer-making hobby on his blog listed at the right -- the Front Porch Brewery. He's hysterical. The other blog listed is about his daughter (my niece) Elizabeth and her husband Brett. They are parents of two VW's. Read all about it.

My father passed away nearly three months ago - you can read a tribute that we have started in his honor at the Edwin Phillips blogsite listed on the right.

I think that's enough for now. It's time to write about new things --- stay tuned!

The First One

This is my first (solo) blog. I've been cajoled, overly requested, nudged, pushed, pleaded, etc. by many people to do this. So, here we are. I'd like to begin by announcing a video that features some of the work that I do with my awesome students. I teach life science (biology and associated life sciences) and "how to teach science" to teachers in training at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi. Take a look at this URL: http://www.caller.com/news/2008/jun/18/super_sized_science/

You'll find a video (in the little box) and some photos of my students doing science with kids at the Boys and Girls Club in Corpus Christi. The theme, "Super-Sized Science" is of my choosing for this year. My students have to come up with an activity that explains and demonstrates the science of nutrition. They do these with kids and their parents, so it is important to make the activity flexible for young and old alike. For many, it is my future teachers' first time to interact with children prior to their student teaching experience. For all, it is the first, and probably ONLY time they will interact with parents. A win-win situation for all involved - especially me, because I get to sit back and watch my students teach. What a thrill! Summer semester only leaves time for one Family Science event per session. In the regular semester, we do THREE different ones - it's awesome!! Perhaps some day I will post a video of my student's reflections of this -- then they will be even MORE famous!! I am very proud of them!