Tuesday, October 2, 2012

October Daily Beautiful Women Thought ~ 10/1/2012


In honor of Beautiful Women Month...I wish to do something that most of us fail to do, honor myself, my mother (who has passed) and all the Beautiful Women who made me who I Am today...

May we be aware of our own accomplishments and contributions as women, mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, wives, partners and lovers...

But above everything else, because for those in our lives and mostly for our children...We were there...
Whether it was as a single parent or a whole team...
Through the good times and the challenges...
Through all our imperfections and the times we got it right...
Through all the fights, losing battles, hard won victories and best laid plans...
We did our best...We gave it our all...We fought against the system at all odds...
And we loved with a mighty Heart that is like none other in existence...

Let us then, honor ourselves and them now, while we may, when they are still with us on the earthly plane in this all too brief sojourn we call Life...

This posting is to my children...

May you always remember that this is how you were raised...
And may you never forget the One who taught it to you...

October Daily Beautiful Women Thought ~10/2/2012

OCTOBER IS BEAUTIFUL WOMEN MONTH!!!

To honor all the Beautiful Women out there, I will be sharing a posting every day throughout this month by, for and about the sacred, outrageous, intelligent, compassionate, loving, nurturing, courageous, wild, accomplished, phenomenal and amazing creature that is Woman!

Today's Beautiful Women Thought by Audrey Hepburn...

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others."
~ A.H.


Thursday, September 15, 2011

Bitchology by Unknown

 
   
When I stand up for myself and my beliefs, they call me a bitch.
When I stand up for those I love, they call me a bitch.
When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts or do things my own way, they call me a bitch.
Being a bitch means I won’t compromise what’s in my heart.
It means I live my life MY way.
It means I won’t allow anyone to step on me.
When I refuse to tolerate injustice and speak against it, I am defined as a bitch.
The same thing happens when I take time for myself instead of being everyone’s maid, or when I act a little selfish.
It means I have the courage and strength to allow myself to be who I truly am and won’t become anyone else’s idea of what they think I ‘should’ be.
I am outspoken, opinionated and determined.
I want what I want and there is nothing wrong with that!
So try to stomp on me, just try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me.
You won’t succeed. And if that makes me a bitch ,so be it.
I embrace the title and am proud to bear it.

B – Babe
I – In
T – Total
C – Control of
H – Herself
B = Beloved
I = Intelligent
T = Talented
C = Charming
H = Hell of a Woman
B = Beautiful
I = Individual
T = That
C = Can
H = Handle ‘anything’

Saturday, August 27, 2011

"No More Smalling up of Me" by Jean Wilson


No more meekly saying 'yes'
When my heart is screaming 'no'
No more taming of my feelings
So my power won't show
No more hiding my exuberance
From disapproving eyes
No more watering down myself
So my spirit won't rise

No more 'smalling up' of me
Pretending I am not here
No more running from the music
And the spotlight's glare
No more living in this prison
Barricaded by my fears
No more turning and retreating
In the face of new frontiers

Even as I am speaking
I am taking shape and form
Harnessing my powers
Like a gathering storm
There's no obstacle so bold
As to dare stand in my way
I am taking back my life
And I am doing it today.


Jean is a Jamaican writer, workshop leader and performance poet with a special interest in inspirational creative expression. No More 'Smalling Up' of Me is the title poem of her poetry book published by Ian Randle Publishers Ltd., Jamaica.


Monday, August 1, 2011

Voices of Women ~ Amelia Earhart ~ Birthday, July 24, 1897

Amelia Earhart


Today we celebrate the 115th Anniversary of the Birth Amelia Earhart...
Earthbound Blessings being sent to you in the Heavens, this day, Beloved One...

Born July 24, 1897, disappeared July 2, 1937, took off on last airplane trip June 1, 1937

Occupation: aviator

Known for: aviatrix, flyer, lecturer, writer -- setting records in aviation, and her 1937 disappearance in an attempt to fly around the world

Also known as: Amelia Mary Earhart Putnam
About Amelia Earhart:

Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison, Kansas. Her father was a lawyer for a railroad company, a job which required frequent moving, and so Amelia Earhart and her sister lived with grandparents until Amelia was 12. She then moved around with her parents for some years, until her father lost his job due to a drinking problem.

At age 20, Amelia Earhart, on a trip to Toronto, Canada, volunteered as a nurse's aide at a military hospital, part of the World War I war effort. She made several tries at studying medicine and she worked at other jobs including social work, but after she discovered flying, that became her passion.

Amelia Earhart's first flight was at an airshow with her father, which motivated her first to learn to fly -- her teacher was Neta Snook, the first woman instructor to graduate from the Curtiss School of Aviation.

Amelia Earhart then bought her own plane and began to set records, but sold the plane to drive East with her newly-divorced mother.

In 1926, magazine publisher George Putnam tapped Amelia Earhart to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic -- as a passenger. The pilot and navigator were both men. Amelia Earhart became an instant celebrity as a woman aviator, and began to give lectures and fly in shows, again setting records. In one notable incident, she flew First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt over Washington, D.C.

In 1931, George Putnam, now divorced, married Amelia Earhart. She flew solo across the Atlantic in 1932, and in 1935 became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the mainland. In 1935 she also set speed records traveling from Los Angeles to Mexico City, and from Mexico City to New York.
Purdue University hired Amelia Earhart as a faculty member to counsel female students on opportunities, and in 1937 Purdue gave Amelia Earhart a plane.

Amelia Earhart was determined to fly around the world. Replacing her first navigator with Fred Noonan, and after several false starts, Amelia Earhart began her round-the-world flight on June 1, 1937.

Near the end of the trip, Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan missed their expected landing on Howland Island in the Pacific, and their fate is still uncertain. Theories include crashing over the ocean, crashing on Howland Island or a nearby island without the ability to contact help, being shot down by the Japanese, or being captured or killed by the Japanese.

Amelia Earhart and Women's History:
Why did Amelia Earhart capture the imagination of the public? As a woman daring to do what few women -- or men -- had done, at a time when the organized women's movement had virtually disappeared, she represented a woman willing to break out of traditional roles.

QUOTES BY AMELIA EARHART

About her first airplane ride: "As soon as we left the ground, I knew I had to fly."

"Flying may not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price."

"After midnight the moon set and I was alone with the stars. I have often said that the lure of flying is the lure of beauty, and I need no other flight to convince me that the reason flyers fly, whether they know it or not, is the esthetic appeal of flying."

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it."

"I want to do something useful in the world."

"Please know that I am quite aware of the hazards. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others. [Last letter to her husband before her last flight.]"

"Women must pay for everything. They do get more glory than men for comparable feats. But, they also get more notoriety when they crash."

"The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will win fame and fortune."

"After all, times are changing and women need the critical stimulus of competition outside the home. A girl must nowaways believe completely in herself as an individual. She must realize at the outset that a woman must do the same job better than a man to get as much credit for it. She must be aware of the various discriminations, both legal and traditional, against women in the business world."

" ... now and then women should do for themselves what men have already done -- occasionally what men have not done -- thereby establishing themselves as persons, and perhaps encouraging other women toward greater independence of thought and action. Some such consideration was a contributing reason for my wanting to do what I so much wanted to do."

"My ambition is to have this wonderful gift produce practical results for the future of commercial flying and for the women who may want to fly tomorrow's planes."

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward."

"Never do things others can do and will do if there are things others cannot do or will not do."

"Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done."

"Anticipation, I suppose, sometimes exceeds realization.'

"Worry retards reaction and makes clear-cut decisions impossible."

"I would rather face a watery grave, than go on living as a fraud."
 

Sunday, July 31, 2011

"The Holy Bitch"

Thoughts On, About and by Women featuring Denise Linn




"I love my women friends. They comfort me during the hard times and celebrate with me during the splendid times. They are wonderful, passionate, compassionate and kind...and some of them are also occasionally considered "bitches". People have said to me, "Denise you are so nice, why do you have friends that act like bitches?". After hearing this comment, a number of times, I realized that I was subconsciously drawn to strong women who spoke their truth and weren't afraid to speak up for themselves....
The word "bitch" has an interesting history. It became a derogatory term in early Christendom because it was one of the most sacred titles of the goddess Artemis, who led a pack of hunting dogs. "Holy Bitches" were also found in ancient India as the revered Bitch Goddess Sarama, who led the Vedic dogs of death and rebirth...
I have grown to cherish cherish the word "bitch" and I even use an acronym for a woman who is "Being In Total Control of Herself".
Of course, there are nasty bitches, but the woman I'm describing is a "holy bitch." She is self assertive while at the same time maintaining her humor, dignity and grace. A holy bitch speaks for herself, yet she still has love, joy, and creativity in her life.
The greatest thing I learned from these friends is that you can communicate your truth clearly and compassionately without having to package it with a pink bow and "niceness."

~ Excerpted from "Secrets and Mysteries" by Denise Linn (This sub chapter entitled "Holy Bitch", is among one of my favorites in this book:)

Today's Featured Voices of Women ~ Joan Baez

TODAY'S FEATURED VOICES OF WOMEN ~ JOAN BAEZ




Women have often been key leaders in working for peace. Joan Baez is known for her pro-peace positions in the Vietnam era.

"My concern has always been for the people who are victimized, unable to speak for themselves and who need outside help." ~JB

Dates: January 9, 1941 -
Occupation: folksinger, activist
Known for: part of the 1960s folk revival; advocacy of peace and human rights
Also Known as: Joan Chandos Baez
About Joan Baez
Joan Baez was born in Staten Island, New York. Her father was a physicist, born in Mexico, and her mother of Scottish and English descent. She grew up in New York and California, and when her father took a faculty position in Massachusetts, she attended Boston University and began to sing in coffeehouses and small clubs. Bob Gibson invited her to attend the 1959 Newport Folk Festival where she was a hit.

Vanguard Records signed Baez and in 1960 her first album, Joan Baez, came out. Baez was known for her soprano voice, her haunting songs, and, until she cut it in 1968, her long black hair. Early in her career she performed with Bob Dylan, and they toured together in the 1970s.

Subjected to racial slurs and discrimination in her own childhood because of her Mexican heritage and features, Joan Baez became involved with a variety of social causes early in her career, including civil rights and nonviolence. She was sometimes jailed for her protests. Joan Baez married David Harris, a Vietnam draft protestor, in 1968, and he was in jail for most of the years of their marriage. They divorced in 1973, after having one child, Gabriel Earl.

In 1967, the Daughters of the American Revolution denied Joan Baez permission to perform at Constitution Hall, resonating with their famous denial of the same privilege to Marian Anderson.

Early in her career, Joan Baez stressed historical folk songs, adding political songs to her repertoire during the 1960s. Later, she added country songs and more mainstream popular music, though always including many songs with political messages. She supported such organizations as Amnesty International and Humanitas International. Joan Baez continues to speak and sing for peaceful solutions to violence in the Middle East and Latin America.