tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23414870781635600442024-03-16T00:08:40.980-07:00Debra BreneganDebra Brenegan is the author of "Shame the Devil," a historical novel based on the remarkable
and true story of the nineteenth-century novelist, journalist, and feminist Fanny Fern.Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-22743661068665608862015-06-08T11:55:00.000-07:002015-06-08T11:55:03.391-07:00Break<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69TcXsTQY-ux6rKVzQ7Csoco0vj7WqtKQ1z1fv_kqQB-2eYkjaqGvEkbX8uDPGlMTSpIQB4pgn7ZFcZPPHFo1et0tSlmuWkOr0v1CJ9mA1uRNTG_eEtc7iR_jdtUX8W19ww5Wrou8yshy/s1600/sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69TcXsTQY-ux6rKVzQ7Csoco0vj7WqtKQ1z1fv_kqQB-2eYkjaqGvEkbX8uDPGlMTSpIQB4pgn7ZFcZPPHFo1et0tSlmuWkOr0v1CJ9mA1uRNTG_eEtc7iR_jdtUX8W19ww5Wrou8yshy/s1600/sunset.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dear Readers,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Since it is summer and the the
living is easy (easier), I will take a break* from these regularly scheduled
blog posts until further notice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All the best,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Debra<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">*Break: interrupt (a continuity, sequence, or
course). "The blog broke the pattern of weekly postings."
synonyms: interrupt, disturb, interfere
with</span><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-28697912010418897992015-06-01T11:29:00.000-07:002015-06-01T11:29:35.435-07:00Summer foods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94ql8ySrks1eiA_pbmGX_XFcl5H9er_xz4DP1_EivfRmApreLh2LQHO-DqATgXnZyqSJ5J_rFlnGmFVA93UrdJs1zn2IeT4aPoyIuCmV8w3gUW-jGF1dZ3wCjTBP3chBxUqQvNranZRve/s1600/summer+food+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94ql8ySrks1eiA_pbmGX_XFcl5H9er_xz4DP1_EivfRmApreLh2LQHO-DqATgXnZyqSJ5J_rFlnGmFVA93UrdJs1zn2IeT4aPoyIuCmV8w3gUW-jGF1dZ3wCjTBP3chBxUqQvNranZRve/s320/summer+food+1.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
It's June! What's on your summer eating list?<br />
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Fruit? Pie?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisi0F48xecR8CN5pxxI7YzaTgLdQyLMEbARwQShWQEQ2VY1vCJIGIySUyVqIaGlW-9AAnm5OEhmQRdJRkGMWMQh7ZlIBL6_sgm6wJ3nH1XtUKTtISaYFTL9s-AktBBl0KZuoIPyPzUII_y/s1600/summer+food+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisi0F48xecR8CN5pxxI7YzaTgLdQyLMEbARwQShWQEQ2VY1vCJIGIySUyVqIaGlW-9AAnm5OEhmQRdJRkGMWMQh7ZlIBL6_sgm6wJ3nH1XtUKTtISaYFTL9s-AktBBl0KZuoIPyPzUII_y/s1600/summer+food+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVjMh7u2bs8HgjTJYuYYXJqdJjDx4k9_vKBR9Im9R5HOfnpvyDCGrSHfE5PzfJg_oUA8lxpEhyrXL4kZ5dzWknQ1BvI3sF1-WKd93ZXDB6FP5Efp2U3_JFUvlveBukhth_uoABBTbmW-E/s1600/summer+food+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVjMh7u2bs8HgjTJYuYYXJqdJjDx4k9_vKBR9Im9R5HOfnpvyDCGrSHfE5PzfJg_oUA8lxpEhyrXL4kZ5dzWknQ1BvI3sF1-WKd93ZXDB6FP5Efp2U3_JFUvlveBukhth_uoABBTbmW-E/s1600/summer+food+3.jpg" /></a>Heirloom tomatoes?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl94fNI_Zh91LwS9yu6sBAnztMt7K4sudBIYoGYPnJiA6XxNghyWn4Odu4xmNXIqPbjpgypaz4JUZSk07mWcHCA98WnjyPPwRj2jXAgvgaCjxQgJnF437Cjmu6lHnitZCHTJ_a0V84O284/s1600/summer+food+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl94fNI_Zh91LwS9yu6sBAnztMt7K4sudBIYoGYPnJiA6XxNghyWn4Odu4xmNXIqPbjpgypaz4JUZSk07mWcHCA98WnjyPPwRj2jXAgvgaCjxQgJnF437Cjmu6lHnitZCHTJ_a0V84O284/s320/summer+food+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lemonade? Brats?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjRiWsWE3XK0GubTKzaoKafUjk6rn1Cf7pTBsVwZy2hsPWwrXcOkcngABcpQn1sJQ6TXPFu-zv4owj3bgi5Vw250NNwdTW_TeuSrDfbhwGmVITgAVyHEk_EfR5EboBkiLs6AL8CalMnnW/s1600/summer+food+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjRiWsWE3XK0GubTKzaoKafUjk6rn1Cf7pTBsVwZy2hsPWwrXcOkcngABcpQn1sJQ6TXPFu-zv4owj3bgi5Vw250NNwdTW_TeuSrDfbhwGmVITgAVyHEk_EfR5EboBkiLs6AL8CalMnnW/s1600/summer+food+5.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNKhuGREHeWQNB1aFseCgsR8Anzmw7yl4Bs2KNWqI4fV0YCxI-jq3k7jDb4oCzK8YMSMBlEE1VJe856Qa5h-RfDxpciARb-3WERdjTJjVsYKs_nmd9Ug780SYaYJwt7H23hx_cYBTy8wj/s1600/summer+food+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNKhuGREHeWQNB1aFseCgsR8Anzmw7yl4Bs2KNWqI4fV0YCxI-jq3k7jDb4oCzK8YMSMBlEE1VJe856Qa5h-RfDxpciARb-3WERdjTJjVsYKs_nmd9Ug780SYaYJwt7H23hx_cYBTy8wj/s1600/summer+food+6.jpg" /></a>Basil?</div>
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Corn on the cob?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihT0g74HA0W63pphiqq1f63SZN_tGEdQYVH8vtshvsvimfWwcxSx70ANr6j3r3R7XNjWAKRnUSk8aAO7lIw91wSnORExWtiCMF29eFj1ZWQtMHk1BwSSKHfZxQUiC1jiweZmrfSbFSyLZi/s1600/summer+food+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihT0g74HA0W63pphiqq1f63SZN_tGEdQYVH8vtshvsvimfWwcxSx70ANr6j3r3R7XNjWAKRnUSk8aAO7lIw91wSnORExWtiCMF29eFj1ZWQtMHk1BwSSKHfZxQUiC1jiweZmrfSbFSyLZi/s1600/summer+food+7.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxFgFFFkA4e76CZ7rDgC8k5yVhNu148jSwO-6vBCIrgUXhPsDIINC52bsECL17Nh_InN_gt7mFhoPqMQB8HnDYdCJ-S0BVdiBs24Bq4UBWwLXK7UdWi8PvTrOBRFJrA3kszohKBhqiSH1/s1600/summer+food+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxFgFFFkA4e76CZ7rDgC8k5yVhNu148jSwO-6vBCIrgUXhPsDIINC52bsECL17Nh_InN_gt7mFhoPqMQB8HnDYdCJ-S0BVdiBs24Bq4UBWwLXK7UdWi8PvTrOBRFJrA3kszohKBhqiSH1/s1600/summer+food+8.jpg" /></a> Cotton candy?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5W4OW9MAK_2lRsTEEAPRYKY71UYcFhElCNT4GOt2jzfYQIH_O7U7iCKN7V9knRhLYYgIJbRLQj_drGAwocD739tu_BqWH4_zhYsbkGJaKIdwgGEQ3VP3wfHhvXSg7NB1fCwZhy-Niuoq/s1600/summer+food+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5W4OW9MAK_2lRsTEEAPRYKY71UYcFhElCNT4GOt2jzfYQIH_O7U7iCKN7V9knRhLYYgIJbRLQj_drGAwocD739tu_BqWH4_zhYsbkGJaKIdwgGEQ3VP3wfHhvXSg7NB1fCwZhy-Niuoq/s1600/summer+food+9.jpg" /></a>Burgers?</div>
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Or a French Rosé?</div>
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All I can say is, "Yes, please." What about you? Have I missed your favorite?</div>
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<br />Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-82968436160015688792015-05-26T09:02:00.000-07:002015-05-26T09:02:17.923-07:00Peace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAz1VOEDVRMgw1P4dvSd1sgAJcgKCXQ1VLbN78u0JcONIP1rG3Q7UZYFBoZOnu1Dm_LCihyphenhyphenzWbYUMB0bFcGSY4ssdXhtXO6pXsqrScl47NzVyJ2lKMTu7u6UpOsYSTD-kagCwi-3jdcYAS/s1600/peace+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAz1VOEDVRMgw1P4dvSd1sgAJcgKCXQ1VLbN78u0JcONIP1rG3Q7UZYFBoZOnu1Dm_LCihyphenhyphenzWbYUMB0bFcGSY4ssdXhtXO6pXsqrScl47NzVyJ2lKMTu7u6UpOsYSTD-kagCwi-3jdcYAS/s320/peace+sign.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Memorial Day, rightly, makes us
pause in gratitude and respect as we think about those who have given their
lives for our country. In fact, the day
makes us think about war and the system of warfare in general. Warfare has become the “normal” state of
existence, which, to me, is one of the greatest tragedies of our civilized world. Perhaps we could use this moment of
consciousness to shift attention to the idea that without war, we’d have no
need for national mourning let alone for a day set aside for such a sad purpose. Crazy thoughts, indeed! How would we ensure safety and security in a
violent world without war – or at least without the threat of it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Enter a new paradigm – peace. Informed peace. Peace meant to replace the militaristic systems that encourage war and ravage populations across time and
geography. Peace fostered and led by a
new sort of international leader – women.
The Institute for Inclusive Security lays out a women-centered
philosophy for </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">peace-building</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, one that is gaining momentum across continents as
more and more women refuse to stand by and watch their communities and families
destroyed by senseless warfare. Take a
peek at their ideas <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.inclusivesecurity.org/why-women/#.VWSSOs_BzGc" style="background-color: cyan;" target="_blank">here</a></span> and see what you think about their stated mission to "change the international security paradigm [because] s</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">ustainable peace is possible
only when those who shape policy include women and other affected groups in the
prevention and transformation of violent conflict."</span></div>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-5627233610940119922015-05-18T10:59:00.000-07:002015-05-18T10:59:52.092-07:00Flower Fun<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Spring makes flower freaks out of
the stodgiest of us. Who </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">doesn't</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> love
getting out and seeing these friendly dears pushing their ways out of the
ground to cheer us? But, can you name
your posies? Take a look at the virtual
garden </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">I've</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> planted for you and name the azaleas, bleeding hearts, bluebells, crocuses, daffodils, forget-me-nots, hyacinths, irises, lilacs, lilies of the
valley, peonies, and tulips. Too bad
these </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">aren't</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> scratch-and-sniff images!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-73455780114396834962015-05-14T09:08:00.000-07:002015-05-14T09:18:35.474-07:00Stairways to Heaven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In pursuit of quality titles for my summer reading list, I stumbled upon image after image of book staircases. Imagine! Given that the average staircase has 12 steps, as of today, my imaginary staircase would sport these titles (in alphabetical order): <i>Beloved, Jane Eyre, Lolita, The Age of Innocence, The Awakening, The Bell Jar, The Color Purple, The Great Gatsby, The Handmaid's Tale, The Joy Luck Club, The Scarlet Letter, </i>and <i>The Sound and the Fury</i>.<i> </i><br />
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If you really want to decorate your staircase thusly, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/VIPdecals?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a> is a site that promises to help you duplicate any book spine for just $12 a riser. <br />
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Which 12 books would you choose for your own stairway to heaven? <br />
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<br />Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-47102512985291396452015-05-04T09:59:00.000-07:002015-05-04T09:59:41.070-07:00CelebrateSome of us are celebrating spring, others are celebrating new jobs, new babies, new loves, or new homes. Here, for your reading pleasure, are ten quotes about the art of celebration. Which is your favorite today?<div>
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1. "Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can." <em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"> </span></em><em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">– Danny Kaye</span></em> </div>
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2. "The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it." <em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"> </span></em><em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">– Richard Bach</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">3. "There is no security in this life. There is only opportunity." </span></em><em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;"> </span></em><em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">– Douglas MacAurthur</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">4. "</span></em><em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">Life is what you
celebrate. All of it. Even its end.” – Joanne Harris</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">5.
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">6. "All of life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better." </span></em><em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">– </span></em><em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">Ralph Waldo Emerson"</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">7. </span><em style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">“Life is far too
important to be taken seriously.” – Oscar Wilde</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">8.
“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.”
– Gerard Way</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">9. </span></em><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">“Always leave enough time in your life to do something that
makes you happy, satisfied and joyous. That has more of an effect on economic
well-being than any other single factor.” – Paul Hawken</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">10. "Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words." </span><em><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-style: normal; padding: 0in;">– Plautus</span></em></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers!<br /><br /></td></tr>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-79216457489633761022015-04-27T12:07:00.000-07:002015-04-27T12:07:08.157-07:00Gender Benders<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What is gender, anyway? In the past few days alone, I stumbled upon some public and private evidence of people pondering this phenomenon. Of course there was the Bruce Jenner interview where he explained to Diane Sawyer that he "is a woman." I also noticed a book featured in the New York Times Book Review, "The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell," by William Klaber, which chronicles the real story of Miss Lobdell's mid-19th-century accounts of dressing like a man (much like Fanny Fern did in the same era). On a more private front, a dear friend of mine gleefully told me about a gender-bender camping trip he went on where males and females switched clothing for the weekend and then discussed why and how this affected them. Lastly, I heard from a childhood friend who was horrified that her son's elementary school was strongly attached to hosting father/daughter "princess" dances and mother/daughter bowling outings -- despite outcries of sexism and heterosexism. (My friend suggested that the dance be a princess/prince dance, but her suggestion was shut down due to "tradition.")<br />
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Seems like it's getting to be time to deeply discuss this socially-constructed category meant to define us . . . and limit us. Are times a'changing, my friends? Is it just me, or are there more instances calling for gender bending tolerance and revision both in the larger arena of the public media, and in the smaller arenas of our personal discussions? <br />
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<br />Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-7303693834649432102015-04-19T14:57:00.000-07:002015-04-19T14:57:53.113-07:00Cattle Day Care<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bpSMrO1ZIJ-FkpmRzLm6VN7x1wKtogjo0CaQTRwLkPoJQyinXhCTXWoa2w1lY9GmTpMrFkrxDKUxRZrQE3l5jDYGbmO10WXYBYzyzisnL7SMosX0gPSKHB2gcKsGCA8MmMl4FIrfuP2Y/s1600/cattle+day+care.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bpSMrO1ZIJ-FkpmRzLm6VN7x1wKtogjo0CaQTRwLkPoJQyinXhCTXWoa2w1lY9GmTpMrFkrxDKUxRZrQE3l5jDYGbmO10WXYBYzyzisnL7SMosX0gPSKHB2gcKsGCA8MmMl4FIrfuP2Y/s1600/cattle+day+care.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Driving along rural roads in Mid-Missouri this time of year, I am awed by one
of the world’s most pleasant sights – baby cows (which, from a distance, look like Chocolate
Labradors scampering around the fields). All the cattle mothers are out lately, enjoying the spring weather with
their very cute youngsters. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">When I first arrived in Missouri, I was amazed to hear that cattle
actually utilize a clever form of day care. One or two cattle moms stay in one part of the grazing field watching
over the herd’s calves. The other
females are free to go off and graze or to sun themselves in the grass, coming and
going to feed their littles as they please.
The mother cows rotate child-care duties so each cow gets a break, a
rest, and time to graze. Ingenious! And, too adorable for words. What behaviors in animals amaze you? </span></strong><br />
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<strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1mxAQoTjPmzowvNx8kWYuPg3h_XDusLI5_lxvPaMzVucFzN76wUO6QHiFsPOpL2f790Ll2kALWCDKSwZleCAtcs-Jl_NXKDfgT2rEtcwFt2iRLmPz8F51Oj_UmZ7PhZASm-3wRaPIaxo/s1600/cattle+day+care+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1mxAQoTjPmzowvNx8kWYuPg3h_XDusLI5_lxvPaMzVucFzN76wUO6QHiFsPOpL2f790Ll2kALWCDKSwZleCAtcs-Jl_NXKDfgT2rEtcwFt2iRLmPz8F51Oj_UmZ7PhZASm-3wRaPIaxo/s1600/cattle+day+care+2.jpg" /></a></strong></div>
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<strong><o:p></o:p></strong>Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-35000785876944948402015-04-12T09:06:00.000-07:002015-04-12T09:06:02.861-07:00Spring Thaw<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5-Va4TRa1wmKdUu_RmhJsE8C7oI72sMMT8n32_37kBme3mCNI4XvD_lG-gsxJgM0PLcyh5rhse_A3awt4dLazovH1Ip8UWIeDqGGkuYzYlImk-pS8qTVio_ilfZBFQAUaWlCITeMwTAa/s1600/embargo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5-Va4TRa1wmKdUu_RmhJsE8C7oI72sMMT8n32_37kBme3mCNI4XvD_lG-gsxJgM0PLcyh5rhse_A3awt4dLazovH1Ip8UWIeDqGGkuYzYlImk-pS8qTVio_ilfZBFQAUaWlCITeMwTAa/s1600/embargo.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Latuff, 2007</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When I went to Cuba in 2010 as part of an American
Association of University Women delegation, our group heard the same mantra
over and over from every group that met with us – “Please end the blockade.” We were to take this message (a message, I've come to agree with) back to anyone
who might listen. It was clear that the
U.S. trade embargo, enacted in 1959 after Fidel Castro and his brother Raul led
a revolution that toppled US-backed President Fulgencio Batista, had more than
served its purpose. The Castros, of course, went on to establish a
revolutionary socialist state with close ties to the Soviet Union, and the cold-war
U.S. was, understandably, on high alert, especially after the Cuban Missile
Crisis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But, as so many Cubans pointed out to us, 1959 is
ancient history in today’s geopolitical arena.
There are countries that pose much greater economic and political threats
to the U.S. than Cuba does, and we willingly trade and talk with them. Why the long-standing cold shoulder? It was more than punitive. People in Cuba were suffering, and not just
because they couldn’t buy new U.S. cars. Not only could no U.S. business trade with
Cuba, but the U.S. forbid any ship from any other country to dock in any Cuban
port before entering the U.S. Foreign
trade ships who did work with Cuba were forced into a charade of stopping at
another foreign port, however briefly, before entering U.S. waters in order to
keep on our good side. And Cubans paid
the price of this double docking duty.
Anyone who traded with them (and who wished also to trade with the U.S.)
had to charge them extra. What a lot of
rigmarole. Not to mention being overly
taxing to the current economy of this struggling country.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkTzXB36_riwHHRTxGWw6tPcKNYUk6ZSpthJghkV_v7ZyyYcKbPkXQmm1z6UbHh-rHsFtKp9jChcZOOkVOOi9bKqmLYuFXfKlU_3e_Ohp-ulD036b3ggwZbFwSbWVyCYg2CJKAE_lSobM/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkTzXB36_riwHHRTxGWw6tPcKNYUk6ZSpthJghkV_v7ZyyYcKbPkXQmm1z6UbHh-rHsFtKp9jChcZOOkVOOi9bKqmLYuFXfKlU_3e_Ohp-ulD036b3ggwZbFwSbWVyCYg2CJKAE_lSobM/s1600/025.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Havana, Cuba, 2010</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Here’s the good news. President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro met at the 7th Summit of the Americas in Panama City, Panama, and announced more progress toward the end of their differences. The meeting marked the first formal talks between the two countries' leaders in more than half a century, and both leaders expressed hope for, as President Obama put it, “a new relationship between our two countries." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Cuban President Raul, as expected, called for the lifting of the US economic blockade on Cuba and the country's removal from Washington's list of state sponsors of terrorism. The Obama administration is expected to remove Cuba from the terrorism list in the coming days, something Latin American and Caribbean leaders welcomed as healing for the region.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">The embargo, hopefully, will be the next item on Washington’s agenda. </span></div>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-91933928897576971132015-04-06T12:50:00.000-07:002015-04-06T12:50:35.580-07:00A Winner in My Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaijwimtDay5LqEwEX25yFNGAHxUbX2DCaKXWgAdlV2AWes9wpETirFjeGxgjIQw_msTF01B24trqd6BkXwJkpimwhaav9qKvY9QyENPVilTavWW_D7F8a7WugRZVT9DUYyz63lNonNHFp/s1600/All+the+Light+We+Cannot+See.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaijwimtDay5LqEwEX25yFNGAHxUbX2DCaKXWgAdlV2AWes9wpETirFjeGxgjIQw_msTF01B24trqd6BkXwJkpimwhaav9qKvY9QyENPVilTavWW_D7F8a7WugRZVT9DUYyz63lNonNHFp/s1600/All+the+Light+We+Cannot+See.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I woke up tired yesterday morning.
Happy, but tired. I’d stayed up much too late finishing a good book, and I know
you understand how much fun that can be. Which book, you ask? None other than
Anthony Doerr’s <i>All the Light We Cannot
See</i>, which rightfully placed as a 2014 National Book Award Finalist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What can I say about this marvel?
I was captivated from page one, although I was ready not to be. The story of a
blind girl. The story of a Nazi radio whiz. Show me, I thought, in deference to
living in the stubborn state of Missouri. Show me how to make that sort of
story, those sorts of characters, work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hats off to you, Mr. Doerr. Your
book has indeed impressed this writer. The book starts at a fast clip and
gallops along until the end. Short, tense, lovely chapters. Intriguing,
well-portrayed characters. A good dose of history, too – the book details the
post-D-day bombing of St.-Malo, France, and the beginning of the end of WWII. What’s
not to love? I suggest you delve into this wonder as soon as you can. Even if you
lose a little sleep, I bet you’ll be glad you did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-19544398424418894712015-03-29T12:13:00.001-07:002015-03-29T12:13:57.968-07:00Puppy Kisses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL7KJsUhp-sx9nZa0irErGw_RpIArx3gtMJWDpSSRG6mwI1eP1nQNpxHtm0wTWVjx-Q6nQAQuVGRv2qMv9hlwSu1Zpny2siGyCmZeBUL19E7_ku_WIW0H67gA2CyWhwlpCKMKXtfhxKek/s1600/dog+and+ice+cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKL7KJsUhp-sx9nZa0irErGw_RpIArx3gtMJWDpSSRG6mwI1eP1nQNpxHtm0wTWVjx-Q6nQAQuVGRv2qMv9hlwSu1Zpny2siGyCmZeBUL19E7_ku_WIW0H67gA2CyWhwlpCKMKXtfhxKek/s1600/dog+and+ice+cream.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Even though I’m definitely a cat
person, I like dogs, too. They’re loyal and playful, loving and spontaneous. But, aside
from puppy kisses, I have never been a fan of dog drool. Whether being sprayed
by a shaking dog’s slobber or licked as a friendly dog’s greeting, I almost
always have the same reaction – get me to a sink.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Don’t hate me for my
fastidiousness, though. It seems I could be compromising my health compared to the
likes of you who might share your ice cream cone with your favorite canine. Researchers
from the University of Arizona and the University of California-San Diego
suggest that canine saliva contains essential probiotics that can make
dog-owning families healthier than non-dog-owning (and, therefore, non-canine-saliva-exposed)
families. Apparently, a study is being readied to confirm these results, and to
better understand the link between contact with dog saliva and the reduction of
asthmatic, allergic and inflammatory symptoms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So, go ahead and enjoy those
puppy kisses. And, I will, too . . . while I wait and hope for a similar kitty-kiss
study.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-11932431369731789502015-03-23T09:28:00.000-07:002015-03-23T09:28:04.808-07:00Funny?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-Dv1SLfkLOk6e-zbTrAus5nVL1VQo6xQtPRlVGUND1xC0fA1BqPy6Xb2Eb2PyBm-ZZWlCY8eCKZeVakssJS-R6xEnkiZfB1cbM6dLWolpc_My_Vz6YRztNXfI7lFM7qTVhBoqSKdMf62/s1600/comic+Jacky+Fleming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-Dv1SLfkLOk6e-zbTrAus5nVL1VQo6xQtPRlVGUND1xC0fA1BqPy6Xb2Eb2PyBm-ZZWlCY8eCKZeVakssJS-R6xEnkiZfB1cbM6dLWolpc_My_Vz6YRztNXfI7lFM7qTVhBoqSKdMf62/s1600/comic+Jacky+Fleming.jpg" height="126" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By, Jacky Fleming</td></tr>
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To tickle your funny bone (or maybe to irritate it), I've gathered up a gaggle of feminist comics, by some amazingly creative artists, for your Monday musing. Which do you connect with most?<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By, Judy Horacek</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigs7aNOh1FAF32INECXXhvQGgCw9wZerbUImzVuaQmrX7AWeHxVffHNoGG6-AKmUT3VL7AhocDkZJHIfFdDkLC_bpgq-NtXl5CwdTXaZM6ymzXhrGXow9-3hnw2jw95hE_iEJaLUKnqZdk/s1600/comic+Tom+Gauld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigs7aNOh1FAF32INECXXhvQGgCw9wZerbUImzVuaQmrX7AWeHxVffHNoGG6-AKmUT3VL7AhocDkZJHIfFdDkLC_bpgq-NtXl5CwdTXaZM6ymzXhrGXow9-3hnw2jw95hE_iEJaLUKnqZdk/s1600/comic+Tom+Gauld.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By, Tom Gauld</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiYo_ZxNcNQ43TKfTkPTsXomZaJF-5JcmOprSRNNBraz_BYpUfEzliuhVzf_5kxOgaplvdWiecFevJOnjnEUam9VxFolMHllnkMVBjPcEEteLtfr43f47HxS_eFwXmQZWGn6JacdCrnVH/s1600/comics+Barry+Deutsch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiYo_ZxNcNQ43TKfTkPTsXomZaJF-5JcmOprSRNNBraz_BYpUfEzliuhVzf_5kxOgaplvdWiecFevJOnjnEUam9VxFolMHllnkMVBjPcEEteLtfr43f47HxS_eFwXmQZWGn6JacdCrnVH/s1600/comics+Barry+Deutsch.jpg" height="309" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By, Barry Deutsch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutKCWX-1qRuOhQvld4g22_OzdJ_uB1q5UbpYvqP8yRMaAhU7jSWaSUE_74KApOTnpI2d_URkmRsGt8kERYcuPD9z5l98kYYZso6KFk_wnSaBBgfIbjlC2JyGC7Nn0FE_m6yioPw9v9aC2/s1600/comics+corinne+mucha.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutKCWX-1qRuOhQvld4g22_OzdJ_uB1q5UbpYvqP8yRMaAhU7jSWaSUE_74KApOTnpI2d_URkmRsGt8kERYcuPD9z5l98kYYZso6KFk_wnSaBBgfIbjlC2JyGC7Nn0FE_m6yioPw9v9aC2/s1600/comics+corinne+mucha.png" height="124" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By, Corinne Mucha</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-24509511094805076252015-03-16T09:10:00.001-07:002015-03-16T09:10:44.166-07:00Likeagirl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBq2KCZz6OxCm7OR09ktUkdQqXidfoXZdGnZ7mQKR_r29dVNZZdYKuiHbzMSfBmGECWFFX6nzi9WnjEO35s1nA_BRtDv8gXOpwbRQHeAmQ0j40K7L43yElE8m3TxN71iIdFvV9vBwj9Yxv/s1600/likeagirl+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBq2KCZz6OxCm7OR09ktUkdQqXidfoXZdGnZ7mQKR_r29dVNZZdYKuiHbzMSfBmGECWFFX6nzi9WnjEO35s1nA_BRtDv8gXOpwbRQHeAmQ0j40K7L43yElE8m3TxN71iIdFvV9vBwj9Yxv/s1600/likeagirl+1.jpg" /></a></div>
I'm a little late in getting on this bandwagon, but I couldn't be more supportive of the recent #likeagirl campaign, started by <i>Always</i>, and exploding like fireworks all over social media. For years, to be told that one does anything "like a girl" was the gravest of insults. Why? Because the phrase supported the stereotype that girls do everything less-well than boys . . . simply because they are girls. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTPIEYN1C3towoNfafB7aTu3y9dRjIIFiafhmmEn_IrVio-pmyq9Uf2GLfsZn_KiHivJeuD2axXalZ3zrV5vxOeMnjfWjgsMHUqhc9R8WoL3QHCNVd7ImFlvXBAiXNmuKEy6nWg5QXkex/s1600/likeagirl+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTPIEYN1C3towoNfafB7aTu3y9dRjIIFiafhmmEn_IrVio-pmyq9Uf2GLfsZn_KiHivJeuD2axXalZ3zrV5vxOeMnjfWjgsMHUqhc9R8WoL3QHCNVd7ImFlvXBAiXNmuKEy6nWg5QXkex/s1600/likeagirl+2.jpg" /></a></div>
Check out this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">YouTube Video</span></a> that nicely explains this stereotype, and which gives us good role models and examples for changing society's ideas about gender roles, expectations and assumptions. Then, spread the word and help chip away at this common form of sexism.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbFgoph5GOluuR__EO5QXyDQVJuhu6nHwjGxeKQnpweD3WkQMXcDhZ72e7_hHZUf2pS1quFQLZaJEd28wEBl-DXFwxGPP5-vw3mc6XqzR66oHTJg9lu-M7IY7hbltrs7lFcgY0TH3Yorp/s1600/likeagirl+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbFgoph5GOluuR__EO5QXyDQVJuhu6nHwjGxeKQnpweD3WkQMXcDhZ72e7_hHZUf2pS1quFQLZaJEd28wEBl-DXFwxGPP5-vw3mc6XqzR66oHTJg9lu-M7IY7hbltrs7lFcgY0TH3Yorp/s1600/likeagirl+3.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-82847260611461051492015-03-08T18:26:00.000-07:002015-03-08T18:26:37.962-07:00Words of Wisdom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvCzdOiTyFBGcLYMxICFh96aDAQ-eQvpOHx2vft8YXZzp-X4FaTfuc6WOvIoDZoMhPBE9m7nY5EWUsk3NEecmhiARJ7U9yZWUSePnYDWTphQ7te_euX1CimbRUP4KoO0SEepzkRCmcp62/s1600/women+&+men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvCzdOiTyFBGcLYMxICFh96aDAQ-eQvpOHx2vft8YXZzp-X4FaTfuc6WOvIoDZoMhPBE9m7nY5EWUsk3NEecmhiARJ7U9yZWUSePnYDWTphQ7te_euX1CimbRUP4KoO0SEepzkRCmcp62/s1600/women+&+men.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Today, my friends, is International Women’s Day – the annual holiday to promote equal rights for women. While women have certainly come a long way (baby), there is still much work to be done to ensure that all women are treated as equals to men and that socialized gender inequality is addressed. In the spirit of the day, I offer sage wisdom from wise sages. <div>
Pick your favorite, please.<br /><br />1. “Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacity.” – Gandhi <br /><br />2. “The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world.” – Charles Malik <br /><br />3. “We've begun to raise daughters more like sons . . . but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.” – Gloria Steinem <br /><br />4. “Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.” – Eleanor Roosevelt<br /><br />AND “A woman is like a tea bag – you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt <br /><br />5. “The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race.” – Susan B. Anthony <br /><br />6. “Women have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of a man at twice its natural size.” – Virginia Woolf <br /><br />7. “Human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights.” – Hillary Clinton <br /><br />8. “I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.” – B. R. Ambedkar <br /><br />9. “The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand <br /><br />10. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.” – Alice Walker<br /><div>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-84580290848875681062015-03-03T11:22:00.001-08:002015-03-03T11:22:37.643-08:00Worth Quoting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglefLgvKFrf-Z7ilSjDBV2rxkueX32k3n0zRAuGHFm78mvD-GOLk_16G21KTso_J_y8eBZOUoMA-Op5qTtfs-2Wytd38D1V53-1GtqK4dKgS0CmsTMrSCgj6lbwljw68EcWDryuC6py_XA/s1600/parchment+&+quill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglefLgvKFrf-Z7ilSjDBV2rxkueX32k3n0zRAuGHFm78mvD-GOLk_16G21KTso_J_y8eBZOUoMA-Op5qTtfs-2Wytd38D1V53-1GtqK4dKgS0CmsTMrSCgj6lbwljw68EcWDryuC6py_XA/s1600/parchment+&+quill.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>A</i></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">nyone who knows me knows I’m a
sucker for a good quote. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Today, for your
reading pleasure, I present you with ten little wonders I’ve stumbled upon
lately.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Which one speaks to you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">1</span>. I would rather have a mind opened by wonder
than closed by belief. – Gerry Spence<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">2</span>. Money often costs too much. – Ralph Waldo Emerson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">3</span>. If you want others to be happy, practice
compassion; if you want to be happy, practice compassion. – The 14<sup>th</sup> Dalai Lama<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">4</span>. Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing
there is a field. I will meet you
there. – Rumi <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">5</span>. Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better
conditions. – Hafiz <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">6</span>. Say not, “I have found the truth,” but
rather, “I have found a truth.” – Kahlil Gibran<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">7</span>. Trying to satisfy one’s desires with
possessions is like trying to put out fire with straw. – Confucius <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">8</span>. The constant assertion of belief is an
indication of fear. – Jiddu Krishnamurti<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">9</span>. The winds of grace are always blowing, but it
is you who must raise your sails. – Rabindranath Tagore</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;">10</span>. What we plant in the soil of contemplation,
we shall reap in the harvest of action. – Meister Eckhart <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-64924621259366352732015-02-23T07:42:00.000-08:002015-02-23T07:42:42.547-08:00Props to Julianne Moore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julianne Moore in "Still Alice"</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don’t you just love Julianne Moore? Her portrayal of an Alzheimer’s sufferer in *<i>Still Alice</i> not only won her the best
actress Oscar, but helped millions of people better understand this devastating
disease and its effect on countless families. Many of us are watching or have
watched loved ones wrestle with Alzheimer’s and know the pain and frustration
involved in the sad process. In the film, Moore’s character, a superstar
linguistic professor, delivers a talk about her experience with early-onset
Alzheimer’s – particularly devastating to someone whose identity was wrapped up
tightly with her brain’s ability to function. In the talk she says, “I’m not
suffering. I’m struggling . . . struggling to be a part of things, to stay
connected to whom I was once.” To me,
that line best seems to sum up the experience of Alzheimer’s patients and
offers a clue about how we can more compassionately begin to understand the
disease from the inside. Struggling to be a part of things, to stay connected
to oneself. It’s all any of us really wants, isn’t it? That, and others’ compassion when we’re a
little “off.” So, today, I join many of
you in raising my glass in a lusty toast to Julianne Moore and everyone
involved in <i>Still Alice</i> for shining such an insightful light onto this
relevant issue. Cheers! And, Julianne, if you’re reading this (HA),
congratulations from one of your many fans.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">*<i>Still
Alice </i>was directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland is based on the
bestselling novel by Lisa Genova.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-87779174219942798892015-02-16T08:17:00.001-08:002015-02-16T08:17:29.686-08:00Snow Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpvL5QDlhtNCx0br8j1NLnOgdxGhaWgyPkIzHK5xSJ5rL9m3zJxaV4j0zlu4lfTmgKE1eltG3XWs_OTtM8nPlrdI3Wmtfj7L7AydNNoa_lp8x_p47erI71e8ScB0NR_F1KYjzbigXzODq/s1600/snow+day!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpvL5QDlhtNCx0br8j1NLnOgdxGhaWgyPkIzHK5xSJ5rL9m3zJxaV4j0zlu4lfTmgKE1eltG3XWs_OTtM8nPlrdI3Wmtfj7L7AydNNoa_lp8x_p47erI71e8ScB0NR_F1KYjzbigXzODq/s1600/snow+day!.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
It's a snow day here in Missouri!<br />
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There's something about snow days that bring out the kid in everyone -- a "free" day to spend shoveling, cooking, eating, playing. Even though I've shared this beauty before, I must share it again. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins nails the essence of a snow day in his poem bearing the same title. Enjoy!<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Snow Day</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">By Billy Collins</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">its white flag waving over everything,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">the landscape vanished,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">and beyond these windows</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">the government buildings smothered,<br />schools and libraries buried, the post office lost</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">under the noiseless drift,<br />the paths of trains softly blocked,<br />the world fallen under this falling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a while, I will put on some boots<br />and step out like someone walking in water,<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">and the dog will porpoise through the drifts,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">and I will shake a laden branch<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">sending a cold shower down on us both.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">But for now I am a willing prisoner in this house,<br />a sympathizer with the anarchic cause of snow.<br />I will make a pot of tea<br />and listen to the plastic radio on the counter,<br />as glad as anyone to hear the news</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">that the Kiddie Corner School is closed,<br />the Ding-Dong School, closed.<br />the All Aboard Children’s School, closed,<br />the Hi-Ho Nursery School, closed,<br />along with—some will be delighted to hear—</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">the Toadstool School, the Little School,<br />Little Sparrows Nursery School,<br />Little Stars Pre-School, Peas-and-Carrots Day School <br />the Tom Thumb Child Center, all closed,<br />and—clap your hands—the Peanuts Play School. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">So this is where the children hide all day,<br />These are the nests where they letter and draw,<br />where they put on their bright miniature jackets,<br />all darting and climbing and sliding,<br />all but the few girls whispering by the fence.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">And now I am listening hard<br />in the grandiose silence of the snow,<br />trying to hear what those three girls are plotting, <br />what riot is afoot,<br />which small queen is about to be brought down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Billy Collins, “Snow Day” from Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems (New York: Random House, 2001). Copyright © 2001 by Billy Collins.</span></div>
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Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-22012547654516292662015-02-09T13:48:00.000-08:002015-02-09T13:48:20.457-08:00Too cool.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoakcGZFEVf9aTDAtld4D3UoAtjyQbly8bas_ppj7BWo9sA1TeJ5HFeSAPUDf5MO2HPmJQ1ueXzD7-kymA7TxQacJiEhuqxkB6QEhsVZAcU6QNbNBpqefiK71HctZy8jpfsX-lr2IRF7v/s1600/mini+fridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoakcGZFEVf9aTDAtld4D3UoAtjyQbly8bas_ppj7BWo9sA1TeJ5HFeSAPUDf5MO2HPmJQ1ueXzD7-kymA7TxQacJiEhuqxkB6QEhsVZAcU6QNbNBpqefiK71HctZy8jpfsX-lr2IRF7v/s1600/mini+fridge.jpg" /></a></div>
You know how it goes – you’re researching legitimate things (in my case, a mini fridge that would be suitable for my office) and end up bamboozled by something else (in my case, this jaw-dropping über-cool {pun intended} French-door Refrigerator/Freezer. <br />
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Let’s just dream for a second. This baby, from the Samsung Chef Collection, sports 34 cubic feet of storage space. That means it can hold (hold onto your hat) 34 bags worth of groceries. It has an LED display on the door that lets you know the temperature inside, is lined with stainless steel panels to lock in the cold, offers zoned temperature and humidity control, and can produce chilled still or sparkling water at the touch of a button.<br />
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Yada yada you say. And, I agree. There are many lovely-such cool boxes in the world. But, take a look at that freezer down there. Yes, lookie! The French-door freezer has six drawers and six shelves, which, to my mind, makes me inclined to let the refrigerator tag along, if I were in the market for a new refrigerator/freezer (and not just an office-sized number). Such organizational potential! I can almost see my little containers of frozen pesto, frozen stock, and frozen pie crusts neatly arranged and cataloged. But, I really do not need a new refrigerator/freezer and have no intention of buying one anytime soon. But, I do wonder, friends, if any of you have such a freezer? And, if so, is it as cool as I think it would be? </div>
Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-50439418628887908072015-02-02T14:02:00.000-08:002015-02-02T14:02:45.836-08:00The Handwriting on the Wall about Handwriting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoOK9NG5x_62q9wHY5nSpjtYwsYQTsxm7Cr5bF_kwfqQvhNdNm5_cMx2X3aTX-ZuRU90QtWs2BXzNchgPhPIWIXoo1AhUt8_W1a71juiI1LMu5_fqfcDy3rqiihmEIaZ_qIlp0ir0Xq_8/s1600/Pencil+Position.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoOK9NG5x_62q9wHY5nSpjtYwsYQTsxm7Cr5bF_kwfqQvhNdNm5_cMx2X3aTX-ZuRU90QtWs2BXzNchgPhPIWIXoo1AhUt8_W1a71juiI1LMu5_fqfcDy3rqiihmEIaZ_qIlp0ir0Xq_8/s1600/Pencil+Position.png" height="107" width="320" /></a></div>
Is handwriting the new educational dinosaur? Finland seems to think so. As of 2016, in a nod, apparently, to the age of keyboarding, handwriting will no longer be taught in Finnish schools. Is handwriting important? Do children need to learn it? Take a peek at this fascinating (and short) article <a href="http://theconversation.com/how-much-does-handwriting-matter-36108" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">(click here)</span></a> by Misty Adoniou about the history, methods and madness of handwriting and handwriting education. Whether you're a leftie, a bottom-to-top letter-former, or an ALL-CAPS sort, you'll now have conversational fodder for anyone who points a judgmental pencil at you. Or will you?<br />
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<br />Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-31387211777157607342015-01-26T15:17:00.000-08:002015-01-26T15:17:02.785-08:00Riddle me this:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If broccoli is the new kale . . . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and 50 is the new 30 . . . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">and teff (an Ethiopian grain) is the new quinoa . . . </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChyphenhyphen-YRBcnOgAVQIHTEJ0pE66JR4kvP-SAHRvoIv4Z3hiotmzKaTiyx8KXCbf-QpQucyVWahOykP4hU5vpFmwD8Bl4PyOYovf4mS2FmJEtScZpY5E3AIavPZFwkBajGwUKJ7JOOJhjdOKS/s1600/teff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgChyphenhyphen-YRBcnOgAVQIHTEJ0pE66JR4kvP-SAHRvoIv4Z3hiotmzKaTiyx8KXCbf-QpQucyVWahOykP4hU5vpFmwD8Bl4PyOYovf4mS2FmJEtScZpY5E3AIavPZFwkBajGwUKJ7JOOJhjdOKS/s1600/teff.jpg" /></a>and "Orange is the New Black" . . . </span></div>
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Then, _________________ (in your opinion) is the new ___________________?<br />
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<br />Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-73049315302337060172015-01-19T07:15:00.002-08:002015-01-19T07:15:31.576-08:00Get the picture?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_u2MH3HUGcJFhNFmkOxVXgLl-KOhTdqwNcfQVqteN9Yk99b2i9xDSOO51lv-Vbq7U09gvG0rcR98LEXMIvVsluyo2B3seOwNBmhyphenhyphen1xdC9_P5Ft2j2iAkpHQYPINumqJs9I3GUnJ9M90Zz/s1600/tolerance+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_u2MH3HUGcJFhNFmkOxVXgLl-KOhTdqwNcfQVqteN9Yk99b2i9xDSOO51lv-Vbq7U09gvG0rcR98LEXMIvVsluyo2B3seOwNBmhyphenhyphen1xdC9_P5Ft2j2iAkpHQYPINumqJs9I3GUnJ9M90Zz/s1600/tolerance+1.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8IczDAb2dGLsHnGG6eyZBz21upcGs3w1wz4ASjxiG2kp-OnenSBOTiAhvZ6Cy5Xrf-oGAz5ueXPLE8kAQO7AS3Upx5UKbLPJGeND259P_9hndFUDssjnWjCcU6xK4Bvjc0sjQTBOhyphenhyphenXK/s1600/tolerance+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8IczDAb2dGLsHnGG6eyZBz21upcGs3w1wz4ASjxiG2kp-OnenSBOTiAhvZ6Cy5Xrf-oGAz5ueXPLE8kAQO7AS3Upx5UKbLPJGeND259P_9hndFUDssjnWjCcU6xK4Bvjc0sjQTBOhyphenhyphenXK/s1600/tolerance+3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-47043064296938155942015-01-12T15:36:00.000-08:002015-01-12T15:36:28.268-08:00Fictitious Dishes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Some of my favorite book scenes
involve characters sitting down to a meal.
Remember Leopold Bloom’s kidney breakfast in James Joyce’s <i>Ulysses</i>?
Or how about Esther Greenwood’s famous crab stuffed avocado lunch in
Sylvia Plath’s <i>The Bell Jar</i>? Don’t get me started on all of the apple pie,
ice cream, and coffee in Jack Kerouac’s <i>On
the Road</i>, or the decadent party bites featured in F. Scott Fitzgerals’s <i>The Great Gatsby</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dinah Fried put together a
spectacular book, <i>Fictitious Dishes: An Album of Literature’s Most Memorable Meals
</i>(HarperCollins), showcasing her own photos based on said famous meals. Fried, a designer, art director, and graduate
of Rhode Island School of Design, has done a glorious job of visually
representing these fictitious meals.
Check out the book’s website and pick your favorite among the sample
photos displayed on her page. Better
yet, order the book as part of your coffee table collection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My favorite? At least today, I’m salivating over Holden
Caulfield’s (<i>The Catcher in the Rye </i>by
J. D. Salinger) grilled cheese and malted milk lunch – well, mostly the malted
milk. What about you?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Click <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.fictitiousdishes.com/The-Photos" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a> </span>to check out photos of some fictitious dishes! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-82531343632990919192015-01-05T11:52:00.001-08:002015-01-05T11:52:27.260-08:00For the Artsy Foodie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzy0ujIdFv4fVxPka8KM5c6oOCWLUWNiNzWH0I51iBSi-mFyK_7vckctF10kGDCNr50GjoDxWp4WkyhhEWjlfuI9vqa7Gn8hmIe-YDMPggo1vUmMNH14olckb5VZ5IMZygkeTTWXwyvQ4/s1600/violet-kale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzy0ujIdFv4fVxPka8KM5c6oOCWLUWNiNzWH0I51iBSi-mFyK_7vckctF10kGDCNr50GjoDxWp4WkyhhEWjlfuI9vqa7Gn8hmIe-YDMPggo1vUmMNH14olckb5VZ5IMZygkeTTWXwyvQ4/s1600/violet-kale.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Talk about making you want to eat
your vegetables (and fruit). Vegan
photographer Amber Locke uses her artistry to celebrate her passion for
healthful eating. She captures the
natural beauty of vegetables and fruits in her stunning limited-edition
prints. This print, in particular, captured
my fancy – violet and white kale, papaya, limes, passion fruit, pomegranate,
clementines, black cherries, strawberries, kumquats, and cucumber. I may just serve you such a concoction if you
come over soon for lunch (although I certainly don’t promise to make it look
this pretty). Take a peek at some of
her other offerings on her blog</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> (<a href="http://www.ambaliving.com/" target="_blank">www.ambaliving.com</a>)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">and see what might inspire you. From artichokes to
zucchini, Locke has a visual feast for every taste. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Happy 2015!</span></div>
Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-2541557598318011872014-04-22T10:02:00.000-07:002014-04-22T10:05:54.152-07:00Happy Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpRQG7hoaqIF4pCijyUf5cvHGmQDl_m846ZL-O8EVyxDW8BjhfN66v1tDn9vqY3rog8PC5mo0Pn4-9OgxK6oMnZsUm5gOH-XTi46PzpKQOtPvYydoGt9KK-Trvz-R4BjyqFgaPBMFWhjV/s1600/earth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpRQG7hoaqIF4pCijyUf5cvHGmQDl_m846ZL-O8EVyxDW8BjhfN66v1tDn9vqY3rog8PC5mo0Pn4-9OgxK6oMnZsUm5gOH-XTi46PzpKQOtPvYydoGt9KK-Trvz-R4BjyqFgaPBMFWhjV/s1600/earth.jpg" /></a></div>
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Go outside. Now! Plant a tree. Water a flower. Breathe the fresh air. Gaze at the clouds. <br />
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Take care of our world.<br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy Earth Day</span></div>
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P.S. In honor of the upcoming <span style="color: black;">lovely</span> weather, I am taking a break from blogging. See you in September. </div>
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<br />Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341487078163560044.post-37784279406793221872014-04-17T07:35:00.001-07:002014-04-17T07:35:30.298-07:00Today is the Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8i_063nQDCrLqjobFD837IpbCA13az5VBicddIF3Nd7W76bIrAMR6meFQNjhdkbk3N-zfaIyYH0m8pb6eeY_PoowiZ_vSjbqgDCdvCGQEqzp4ofTFFbWrTz9tIGGunDMel5gntKxhn03R/s1600/today.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8i_063nQDCrLqjobFD837IpbCA13az5VBicddIF3Nd7W76bIrAMR6meFQNjhdkbk3N-zfaIyYH0m8pb6eeY_PoowiZ_vSjbqgDCdvCGQEqzp4ofTFFbWrTz9tIGGunDMel5gntKxhn03R/s1600/today.jpg" height="120" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Today, for you, are some of my favorite quotes about living in the moment. Which one is your favorite?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What day is it?" It's today,"
squeaked Piglet. My favorite day," said Pooh.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– A.A. Milne<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Write it on your heart that every day is the
best day in the year.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">― Ralph Waldo Emerson</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Forever is composed of nows.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">― Emily Dickinson</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Happiness, not in another place but this
place...not for another hour, but this hour.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">― Walt Whitman</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Be present in all things and thankful for
all things.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">― Maya Angelou</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Life is a preparation for the future; and
the best preparation for the future is to live as if there were none.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">― Albert Einstein</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Learn from yesterday, live for today, look
to tomorrow, rest this afternoon.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">― Charles M. Schulz, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charlie Brown's Little Book of Wisdom</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em></em></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You must live in the present, launch yourself
on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">― Henry David Thoreau</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Dost
thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made
of.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">― Benjamin Franklin</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Look at everything always as though you were
seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled
with glory.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">― Betty Smith, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em></em></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
Debrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04461118873891208168noreply@blogger.com0