Houston is waiting on Ike to arrive tonight, and waiting is never easy.

I went into work at 7am and worked until 11:30am, most of the office did not come in but I was pretty sure it would be easy money today. I was right, my phone did not ring once and I got a little work done.

IAH is closing at 2pm today to get all the planes out of here. Osama got the call at 11:30pm last night not to come in today or tomorrow. We enjoyed having the afternoon off together, something we never have unless one of us is on vacation or a hurricane is coming.

We have filled up plenty of containers with water and stocked up on lots of ice. We are eating everying we can from the freezer and refrigerator. It's a good thing that there wasn't much in either. If we lose power for any lenght of time, all of it will have to go. We have plenty of batteries (we hope), candles and matches. Plenty to read if we get bored. I am trying not to think of the heat, it can be pretty mise...

Notes taken while interviewing Mamie Eaves Paulson and her sister Bertie Eaves Dean on different occassions starting in 1976 - regarding the Paulson family. I have tried to put all the notes in a more orderly manner while not changing the information they gave.

I later found facts on census records, marriage records, death records and by contacting other sources in person, by phone and over the internet. I have put some of the additional facts here, but not all. I have the facts in a report on the Paulsons that I keep in the family history file.

Leonard Roy Paulson was the only child of the marriage of Mamie Eaves and Robert Lee Paulson. They referred to Robert Lee as R.L. R.L. had blue eyes, premature gray hair (had been dark brown when he was younger) and a high forehead. He was introduced to Mamie by her sister Lula & her husband Charles A. Willingham. Charles A.Willingham had a brother named Dave who was married to Nellie, R.L.'s sister. At this tim...

Houston, Texas – Birzeitis living in the Diaspora spent five days and nights of fun, entertainment, socializing and political discussions in a huge family reunion that was judged very successful by all attendees.

More than 600 Birzeitis and their friends gathered at the Intercontinental Hotel in Houston from Wednesday July 2 to Sunday July 6, 2008 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Birzeit Society.

The Convention high point was the announcement that the sponsorship campaign for the Convention has netted over $125,000 for the Birzeit Scholarship Endowment Fund. This was possible through the generosity of many Birzeitis and their friends who believe in the value of education for Palestinian students.

Birzeit Society National President, Mrs. Hilda Zahran Ishaq, congratulated the Convention Committee and its Chairman Mr. Musa Musallam for “a very enjoyable and successful convention”. She sent special thanks to the Texas Chapter and its members for hosting the Convention in their city. She said she has received raving reviews from all the attendees of how the convention was well organized and how much fun everyone had.”

Mr. Hani Kaileh, Board member and Chief Financial Officer echoed Hilda’s sentiments and said: “I think this Convention has set a new level in terms of the amount of money raised, attendance, richness of its program and the way it was planned where as all future conventions have to emulate.”

Mr. Haitham Aranki, Board member and President of the Southern California chapter, said “I just want to relay the Southern California chapter's greetings and congratulations to all on a job extremely well done in the 9th National Convention. It is our utmost appreciation for the Texas Chapter and all its members who deserve our thanks and appreciation. Texas Birzeiti people: “You are the best”.

The Convention program included a variety of events that appealed to all attendees, old and young alike.

The highlight of the Convention was the attendance of Archbishop Atallah Hanna, the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the prominent Christian figure from Jerusalem who shed light on the plight of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in a keynote speech at the Awards Banquet on Saturday. The Archbishop, who is a major proponent of Christian-Islamic dialogue and an eloquent advocate for the Palestinians and for the preservation of their rights in Jerusalem, has delivered a speech detailing accounts of the suffering and violations of human rights inflicted on the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.

The Convention also included a political panel on Saturday, July 5 which discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and examined the U.S. foreign policy in the region and the American media coverage of the conflict. The panelists included Archbishop Hanna and Ms. Alison Weir, founder of If Americans Knew, an organization that provides information on topics of importance that are substantially misreported or unreported in the US media.

On Saturday evening,a special reception was held for Convention sponsors who donated significant amount for the Birzeit Scholarship Endowment Fund. Throughout the evening, silent auctions and Palestinian products exhibit were displayed in the Hotel lobby.

The Awards Banquet began with the American and the Palestinian national anthems, followed by presenting a City of Houston Proclamation dedicating July 2-6, 2008 as Birzeit Day in Houston. The highlight of the evening was the keynote speech delivered by Jerusalem Archbishop Attalla Hanna, which was interrupted by several standing ovations.

Following that, a special video production about the 20th Anniversary of Birzeit Society was displayed on two giant screens. The 20 minutes video is a production of Birzeit Society featuring how the Society was established in 1978 and how it developed into a successful organization. It highlights the different projects and programs of the Society over the years.

The evening continued with a Palestinian dress show featuring embroidered costumes from different parts of Palestine. This was followed by Birzeiti Dabkeh and live music and dancing by singers Jabour and Hussam Abdulla.

On Sunday morning, a farewell breakfast was held at the hotel where everyone gathered to say goodbye to relatives and friends on the hope they will meet at the Tenth Birzeit Convention in 2010.

Birzeit Society invites you to join us at our Ninth National Convention in Houston, Texas on July 3rd ot July 6th, 2008. The Texas chapter of the Society will be hosting the Convention and welcoming fellow Birzeitis and their friends from all parts of the world.

This Convention will offer something for everyone with many new features not presented in previous conventions. It will provide you with an opportunity to visit Texas and its famous landmarks, such as NASA Space Center to explore outer space adventures, and a fun trip to Splash Town for young Birzeitis.

The Convention program will highlight keynote speakers and panelists to discuss the latest developments in our homeland Palestine and our hometown Birzeit.

Special entertainment events will be featured to please adults and children alike, including performances by famous Arab American comedians and singers. Throughout the convention days, adults will test their skills at playing poker, Tarneeb and Tawlet ...