Why Women Should Vote

I had this message passed on to me by way of email a few weeks ago. It's something we should all reflect on this day as we go and cast our vote.

WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE

This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers;they lived only 90 years ago.


Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote.

(Lucy Burns)
And by the end of the night, they were barely alive.
Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.

(Dora Lewis)
They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cell mate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women. Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote. For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it oolorless slop--was infested with worms.

(Alice Paul)
When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf
Woodrow Wilson and his cronies tryed to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. The doctored refused. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.
The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party -remember to vote.
History is being made.

Read more:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/tactics.html
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/brftime3.html

Sunday's "Your Life Story" entry No.9

What is your favorite season and why?

I don't know if I can say that I love one season more than the other because I really love the beginning of all the seasons, but if I had to narrow it down I would pick fall and spring. And if I had to narrow it down even further I would pick fall. My current location unfortunately doesn't really have much season change; especially in the fall. In southern California the fall's air doesn't cool down to a nice crisp temperature, it in fact warms up with the onslaught of the Santa Anna winds. October should be a time of unearthing the winter sweaters and the long pants but instead I'm still wearing my summer gear.

I grew up in Utah and lived in Boston for a short time and so I have such fond memories of the fall season. I loved the morning and the nights crisp air and the warmth of the afternoon sun. I loved reacquainting myself with my winter sweaters that sat dormant through the summer months and pulling on my knee high boots that sat tucked away in shoe boxes awaiting falls arrival. It is the most beautiful time of year in New England. When we lived in Boston I walked to work everyday and loved the sound of the crunch of fallen leaves beneath my feet and the feel of the cool wind as it bit the tip of my nose. The colors of the trees are brilliantly bright in New England. One weekend we drove up to New Hampshire with some friends and got a real taste of how just how spectacular the New England countryside was during this time of year. The whole road trip was one big perfect scene from a movie. It was breathtaking and it where my mind wanders during these hot and dry days of Southern California's fall.




"It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life." - P. D. James

Fun with Friends

The Marriotts came into town last week and we meet up at Lego Land. It was a great day; full of hugs, laughs and smiles.
Some friends come and go, but others you have for life.

Jack F, Kate, Thomas ,Andrew and Jack M
Weeee...Alice Caroline and mama Carrie.
Jack Jack
Check out Jack's face... now that's pure joy!
3 Towhead's
My boys
Arr Matey

I'm In

A few months ago-

My friend April told me about a trip she was taking to Thailand with a group of women. At the time I didn't know anything about the trip except that it sounded amazing and I will admit I was a little envious. Well over the last several months I have gotten to know one of girls who organized the trip. Her name is Emily Falconbridge. She's not only super talented, but she is one of the most genuine people I have ever meet. I knew if she had anything to do with the planning of the trip it must be great. Her friend Tara Whitney, who I am anxious to meet, is the other person who organized the trip.

Last Saturday-

April called me with news that they needed to fill a spot due to some tragic events happening to one of the ladies. (Her husband had a massive stroke and ended up passing away. I don't know this women but my heart goes out to her at this terribly sad time.) I of course wanted to go and so the long processes of praying, planning and pleading began. I don't think I have fully convinced Chris that leaving for a week with women I don't know, to a land far away, and spending x amount of dollars is reasonable, but he is an amazing husband and has found away to be supportive of me and my seemingly crazy desires. And for that I am soooo grateful. I really am a lucky girl. I leave on October 23rd for what I hope to be an extraordinarily enriching experience.

Sunday's "My Life Story" entry No. 8

Where was a special place you liked to play as a child.


Until recently my parents lived in the same house for over 30 years. 3308 North 350 East was the address my parents brought me home to from the hospital and where I grew up. Shortly after moving in my parents put in a sand pile and built a playhouse with swings. They planted a garden, an apple tree and a cherry tree. Like our family, the cherry tree grew to be a big and beautiful. It not only produced years of juicy red cherries but it endured many hours of climbing, jumping and swinging among it's branches. It was the perfect tree to play in. The branches were strong and sturdy; easy for a kid to maneuver through and it's limbs provided shade from the summer heat. My sisters and I would spend a few hours some days setting up house among it's lofty branches. Our bedroom on one branch, the kitchen on the other. We were really good at using our imaginations. It was also among those branches I mastered the skill of day dreaming.

A couple of years before my parents moved the cherry tree died and sadly had to be cut down. I told my mom it was a sign that it was time to move on. They kept a section of the trunk to remind them of the years of joys it provided to them and their children. The tree is long gone, but the memories it provided live on.

Spooky Lesson In Aperture Mode

I'm having a bit of cranky day. OK, I'll be honest a really cranky day. Anyway to help get my mind off my utter disappointment and my lack of indecision I picked up my camera. I thought today would be a good day to explore the options my camera has to offer other than auto. And to I turned my dial to 'A' and opened my user manual to page 42 and gave myself a little lesson on how to use the aperture mode on my camera. The manual listed 3 clear steps. Easy enough. Well, not exactly. I came out with a few good shots but thinking I could master this lesson in 20 minutes was a bit unrealistic. Unrealistic...I hate that word today!

Sunday's "My Life Story" entry No. 7

What do you do to relax?

Relax: (verb)

1. to spend time resting or doing things for pleasure, especially in contrast to or as a relief from the effort and stress of everyday life.

This form of relaxing doesn't happen every day like it should, but I am fairly good about indulging in some good old fashion selfish pleasure from time to time. I like to read books and get wisked away to someother place and time. I love to sleep until my body absolutely wants to get up. This may come as a surprise to some of you because I have said for years I don't like to sleep in, but it's because I feel guilty about the time wasted, but that is also why if I allow myself to sleep in it's a true pleasure. 1 I get more rest for my body and 2 I learn to let go of guilt and enjoy the moment. It's really nice if you don't have to ask for it, it's just given because your husband knows it would do you some good. I like to meander through Target with no list, kids or specified time of when must return. I like to run. This really is my drug of choice. It is one of the best ways to release tension and stress and the best part is you feel great the rest of the day. I try to run or workout 4-5 times a week. As far as finding relief from the everyday stress of life I think you just to need to simplify, simplify, simplify. Now if I could only put that into practice.

One of my favorite books.

2. to slacken something that is tensed or tight such as a muscle or a grip on something, or become looser, less tense, or less tight.

I bought myself a pilates mat workout a few months ago and wow; I love all the stretching and breathing. My muscles especially love it. They wish I would do pilates more often so they look lean and toned just like Gwyneth Paltrows muscles.

3. to make something such as a rule less strict or less severe, or become less strict.

Speaking of which, the height restriction rules at Lego Land are RIDICULOUS and does Subway really have to be so tight about how many olives go onto their sandwiches? I swear the guy counts how many he's putting on.

4. to become less anxious, hostile, defensive, or formal, or make somebody or something so

I find myself feeling anxious about things that most often out or my control. I try to remind myself to just 'let it go'. I am defensive about things I'm most often insecure about and so I try and change my focus.

5. to become less intense and concentrated, or make something less intense and concentrated

It's pretty hard sometimes to be less tense because I'm on the 'Hormonal Roller Coaster'. You know the one that has a few of highs of normal, several lows of insanity and lots of unexpected twists and turns of irritable and bloating. And the nightmare is I will have to wait years before I get off. Ahh

6. to weaken or remove the curl from hair, usually by chemical means

I realize when I speak about relaxing my hair I don't really have to 'relax' my hair like the sisters , but I do struggle with trying to weaken the frizz caused by the humidity. I happened upon a product a week ago that I am really liking. It's called Frizz Buster. I picked mine up at Walgreen's.

Wannabe Artist

This last weekend I went to a two day Anahata Katkin art workshop. I have only recently become acquainted with Anahata's work, but after meeting this amazing artist and watching her demonstrate her creative process I am a big fan. It was one of the best weekends I've had in long time. Doing any kind of art is for me uplifting and therapeutic. It was a wonderful experience for me and I loved the process. It was two full days of feeling excited, inspired, frustrated, excited, inspired, frustrated over and over, and in the end I felt proud of what I had accomplished. And although I am still a wannabe artist at heart I left with my nearly completed projects in hand with a great sense of renewal and happiness.

Anahata's finished demonstrations.



And the process begins.......



It was fun and messy; papers and paint everywhere. I couldn't keep track of my scissors. I wonder why?

"Go with the flow. Throw thinking out the door."-Anahata

And so that's what I tried to do; not think too hard. Maybe that's why I loved the process so much.



And the nearly completed pieces are ... "Lest We Forget".

And this one needs a bit more refining but I like where it's going. I'm going to title it, "Sans Puer", which means fearless in French.

Thanks Anahata for the inspiration and the free therapy.

Sunday's "My Life Story" entry No. 6

"Two Women Running on a Beach" by Pablo Picasso

Tell about a club or an organization to which you belong.

I currently belong to one club and one organization although there are many clubs and organizations I would like to belong; there's just not enough days in a week. The club I currently belong to is a group called the Racy Ladies, which by name alone sounds like something mildly indecent, but it's actually a running group. Racy Ladies was founded in 1974 by Sally Montruccio and is still going strong. It's made up of all different kinds of ladies who are committed to fitness and the well being of their children. (No scary gym care providers here.) The women are at all levels of ability. Some women have or are training for marathons, triathlons or other races and others are just trying to get in their workout for the day. We run anywhere from 5 to 8 hard horse trail miles. It's a sweaty workout! We run the horse tails along the exclusive Rancho Santa Fe golf course or around and through the sprawling estates of Rancho Santa Re and Olivenhain. I am so covetous of how big their lots are and how custom their houses appear. Ohhh... maybe one day.



The organization I belong to is one of I believe, the greatest organizations any women can belong to. That organization is the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Relief Society is the women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and it is one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world. Its purpose is to bring women and their families to Christ and to help them become their best selves.The motto of this organization is “Charity never faileth.” Its goal is to celebrate the very best that is womanhood and it honors homemaking, marriage and motherhood as divinely important roles for women at a time when most women who choose these roles find themselves devalued. Bonnie D. Parkin, a former Relief Society general president said, “We have been given an organization to build our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, to feel his love, and to extend that love to all. The Relief Society is that organization”. I am grateful to be apart of the Relief Society and grateful to how it has blessed my life.

Sunday's "My Life Story" entry No. 5

What activities, besides eating, went on at the kitchen table in the home in which you grew up?

I had a large family -10 in all! Big family = big kitchen table. We must have had a few different tables but the one we had the longest and the one I remember was the big farmhouse style blond oak table with matching chairs. We ate dinner almost every night around that table. My mom wasn't a gourmet cook by any means, but I still have fond memories of the meals she made for us. Something that always accompanied most dinners was a tall stack of sliced bread, homemade grape juice and a dish full of canned vegetables. (Unless is was summer and then we had sliced tomatoes fresh from the garden.) Our meals were simple but balanced. And what was passed along to me was not a recipe box full of fabulous meals, but rather the sense of obligation to gather together the family to eat, play, pray, study, and grow!

Our kitchen table really was the nucleus of our home and it endured many activities over the years: crafts, homework, Sunday journals, family night, boardgames, birthday parties, family celebrations, holiday gatherings, community and church meetings, dad's PPIs, and of course breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's amazing to think of all the many memories that take place centered around one piece of furniture-the kitchen table.


Lesson learned....It's the gathering not the meal that's most important and enduring.