My Pets: The Joys of My Life

I love my pets. They are a wonderful source of enjoyment. The antics they pull and the things they get into are hysterical at times. Sometimes it isn't funny at all and an injury has to be taken care. It is then when you realize just how much your pet means to you. You see, they aren't just some "dumb" animal like a few people may think. No, my pet (and the pets of many others) are family members. They are my "other" children whom I take care of, love, and cherish. Yep, they are my joy and love and they give me unconditional love back. We have 5 babies. Two dogs and three cats. Each and every one of them is unique and special in their own way. Their personalities are distinct and they are completely in control of the house. That's right! They control and own us; we do not own them. Each one chose their favorite human and spend a great deal of time with that one. However, they do give love to the other humans in the house as well. My daughter is the pet of two male cats. They love her and dote on her. The one even disciplines her if she utters a, hmmm, shall we say a naughty word. How he knows the difference is amazing, but he is right there for her when ever she needs him. That's why we were so worried when he became injured after playing with the other male. He wound up at the Vets 3 times last week and he is finally on the mend. Seeing him in so much pain and taking care of him this past week was a sharp reminder of just how important he and the others are to us. Thankfully, he is getting better and is jumping on and off my daughter's bed. It's great to see him coming back to full health and strength.

Now the newest member is young Mikael. He is incredibly mischeivious, but this is due to his only being 5 months old. Mikael is into everything. He has climbed the living room drapes; he has clawed a bottle of Coke; he runs behind the sofas and flys across their backs; he attacks toes and feet when we are asleep; and he jumps and tumbles with the other ones as well. Mikael, is a reminder of what it is to be young and new to the world for he is intensely curious and watches everything. The most comical thing he has done was flushing the toilet and then racing away from it at full speed. Yes, he flushes toilets...like I said, he's curious! He has also gained the nickname "Goat" due to his eating everything in sight; and "Spawn of Satan" due to his devilish antics. He didn't always have it so good. My daughter found him under her car during a rain storm. He was tiny, scared, cold, wet, and hungry. He was screaming so loudly my daughter went out to find him...Mikael came to her and has been with us since. We've always wondered where he came from but nobody ever claimed him. He is our love and joy for he brought sunshine to us on a rainy day.

Padme is an amazing cat. She is our oldest cat and is going to be 10 years old this year. She hippity hops around and is small and compact. Padme gives love to all of us, and is highly independent. She and Vader are a loving couple (yes, all of our pets are "fixed") and she tolerates young Mikael (well, sort of). She did a back flip this morning off a wall and raced through the house. She may be the oldest of the 3 cats, but she is still very playful and full of mischief. A sweet girl with a big heart and a loud purr who loves to cuddle up, but only when she wants to!

Now, the pups are a world all their own. Loyal, loving, playful, and protective; they fill our home with the yips and barks of happiness and of protection. They are both companions to us and to each other; backing one another up when "battling" with the cats. They are hilarious and full of fun. They smile at us, laugh, and romp around the house with complete freedom. They frolic outside and chase toads and lizards. Full of love, they show their joy of seeing us when we come home with plenty of wet kisses, barks, yips, tail wagging and thumping!

Yep, our babies control us. They shower us with love, companionship, antics, and joy. They give much and take little. They are distinct, separate, and full of their own personalities and quirks. Yet, there are those who deem them nothing but a dumb animal. Others consider them less worthy and trivial. These wonderful companions are thought to be souless as well. To put it bluntly, animals were given to humanity in order for us to be stewards of them; not to exploit them. They are our hope and bring us resources for needs. Yes, the animal kingdom is important to humanity; after all are we really anything more than animals ourselves? How many times do we call someone an animal as though to degrade them? I wonder if the truth is, we humans are the animals, and are the real beasts of the world. It is a question I ponder from time to time why humanity seems on a collision course with destroying the very beings we need in order to survive. Yes, the five that we share our home with are members of our family. We share our loves, happiness, sadness, and joy with one another. We listen and hear each other and have learned to understand the language of all our children. This is my home and family. I hope that yours is just as wonderful and joyfull as mine.

It Must Be October

Maybe I'm jumping the start, but October is a wonderful month for so many reasons. I hope you enjoy this poem and begin the pleasures of October.

It Must Be October The harvest moon hangs round and high It dodges clouds high in the sky The stars wink down their love and mirth The Autumn seasons is giving birth Oh it must be October The leaves of red bright gold and brown To Mother earth come tumbling down The breezy nights the ghostly sights The eerie spooky far off sounds Are signs that its October The pumpkin yellow big and round Are carried by costumed clumsy clowns Its Halloween lets celebrate Come one come all and don't be late We know now its October We'll roast and toast some luscious food For apples we'll be bobbin While tales are told around the fire Of timely ghosts and goblins Oh how we love October The moon has grown pale The stars have grown dim Our Halloween party is over With a hi-de-ho homeward we'll go What a delightful month October Pearl N. Sorrels

What If Monsters Are Real

"What if all the monsters were real". I love that line...Bella says this in "Twilight" and I remember that I stopped reading and thought about it. What if all the monsters ARE real. It actually something to think about. Let's talk about werewolves. Do they really exist? Maybe not in the way you think...I was talking about this with my daughter the other day. I think they are real. Okay, no I'm not some sort of clown who is believing in fairy tales. However, fairy tales do have some truth to them; they've just been enhanced with fabrications in order to get their point across. Now, back to werewolves. Yes, I believe werewolves exist. I think that in the past, individuals with certain types of mental illnesses may have been labeled werewolves due to the changes in themselves. Think about it. How would uneducated people describe someone who is bipolar, or some other mental illness? It was a way in which the people could understand the change from "normal" to an individual who attacks others for no apparent reason. I'm not putting down mental illness, I suffer from depression and anxiety myself. My daughter suffers from severe depression and social conduct disorder. She calls herself a "werewolf", and she hates it when that side of her breaks through. So, maybe that is what a werewolf was, an individual who suffered from mental illness, and if we look at history, we see that the villages where "werewolf" attacks took place, hunted the individual down...not to help, but to kill. Think I'm making this up? In Medieval France, 30,000 people found themselves being called "werewolves" from 1520 to 1630. They were captured, interrogated, tortured, and whether they confessed or not; burnt on the stake. So, I guess there were a lot of scared peasants running around and that is just in France. By the way, there are still cases of lycanthropy today....many are found to have abnormal brain chemicals. Hence, my idea of a werewolf being real is based upon fact. Alright, now, you are going to ask, how about a vampire? My daughter asked me that one. Here's my answer: What does a vampire represent? Vampires are seductors, sexually explicit, drink blood, and are called the undead. Okay, got it....well, back in ancient times there are tales concerning vampires. However, I'm going to concentrate on the ones from Bram Stroker's "Dracula". First of all, during the time period of the 13th to the 20th century an individual who was known to be extremely sexually active was accorded one of two thoughts. A male would have been viewed as a seductor or "Don Juan". He would have been invited to all the social gatherings, not because of his conquests but of society wanting to have a look at him and perhaps, tempt him with a beauty. Now, on the other hand, a woman who was known to be a seductress, would have been ridiculed, by those of her own gender. She would have been "dead" socially. Hence, the idea of the undead. Now the drinking of blood...well, there are those who do have a compulsion to drink blood...but in the way I am looking a vampirism, a nice burgundy or red wine would definitely give the appearance of blood....there are many other thoughts on that issue, but I think you understand what I am saying. This is why I believe that vampires have been around for a long time. Now, who's next? My daughter brought up everyone's favorites, zombies! My thoughts, well a zombie is a mindless husk who obeys the orders of the master...kind of like a Tea Party member. Okay, that was nasty I admit...just joking, I've heard a lot of nasty things about Democrats lately, so I just had to have a little fun. However, I am adament that a zombie is a person who follows the crowd and is driven by mindless obediance. Any way, that's my thought on the subject of zombies. So, are monsters real? I think so! If you think up any other monsters, let me know. I would love to talk to you about them! By the way, October is coming...

Contact: Signal heard

Suppose just for the moment that somewhere on Earth a signal is being heard. That's right a signal. A scientist has heard something;something that had never been received before. That scientist contacts others and these other scientists tune their instruments into the same coordinates. They too, hear that same signal. Excitement runs rampant as they collect data from the signal and correlate its direction. They begin working on deciphering the signal; discovering that it is based upon mathematical design. What then? For those who have watched the 1997 film, Contact, starring Jody Foster you already know this tale. If you've read Carl Sagan's novel of the same title you know it as well. The actions are pretty much realistic as to what humanity would do if a signal was heard from space. Military would want to take control and be placed on alert. Extreme religious zealots would do everything in their power to make sure contact with aliens would not occur. Politicians would argue over how to use the message and capitalists would do everything the could to make profit from it. But there is one particular scenario I find very interesting. You see, only one human can take the journey in the machine that the countries of the world build together. That's right; out of the 7,041,653,526 individuals on this Earth only one can journey to where the signal comes from. How in the world do you decide? Well, in the story a committee is compiled and then a list of 10 candidates is made. Still think about that figure. 10 out of over 7 billion people. Here's the interesting question which was asked to Jody Foster's character : "Do you believe in God"? That's the question that will guide the committee to make its decision. Seems rather strange doesn't it? The candidates for this experience are asked if they are spiritual. Why? Was my first reaction. It may be yours ad well. Why would believing in a God or being spiritual have any bearing on this quest? Then I realized the answer just before it was revealed in the film. 95% of the Earth's human population have some spiritual or faith. That leaves only 5% who sk not. For many sending someone with no faith is akin to ignoring the reactions of melting ice cream in a cone. Yet, it is this question which haunts me. How could you choose a representative from all the different religions...but this is what must be remembered.it wasn't what religion; it was are you spiritual? That makes it a esteeming factor. I won't give out any more about the film; but I do leave one thought; if this scenario were true, who would you want to go on the journey? What qualifications would you seek for the person who would represent all of Earth to beings of another world? Its quite a thought isn't it?

One of THOSE Days

You ever have one of those days? You know what I'm talking about. A day where no matter what you do it goes wrong. Yeah, one of those days. That's what I had today. A day where I wish I had crawled back into bed and stayed there with the covers over my head. It was a day where I woke up in a mood which forebade bad tidings and it just went completely down hill from that moment on. That's the way some days are, you have to deal with it even though every neutron and ion within your body is screaming to high tail it back to your favorite spot and remain there curled up until the swells of the turbulent sea stop batting you around. Yeah, one of THOSE days. Where chaos seems to reign supreme and you are in the middle of it. Where in the world do those days come from? Do we create them in our subconscious? Like I said, I woke up in a mood which was not coesive to a happy day. Nope, I was in the mood to tear someone to pieces. Yet, not really, I was just in a bad mood and it seemed to get worse as the day went on. So, where do they come from? These days which we all dread. How can waking up, put someone in a bad mood? Something to think about, but not to dwell on. Oh yeah, my night? A great deal better than my day. It turned around and the sea has calmed. The night is filled with happiness,relaxation, and peace....What's the dif? My own frame of mind...that's where those days come from....at least mine do...they come from me....I finally got tired of being grumpy and bickering, and decided to spin my night from my day. A quiet time of writing, a time of reading, a time of listening to smooth jazz....The day - it's gone. A memory....The night? Just as chaos fled from the day, so to did the forebading leave my mind. Just as the sun and light give illumination, so to did my thoughts give me sight. Now as the moon rises and darkness covers the land as a blanket; so too, does my mind react to the stumulus of quiet and peace which the night brings me.... Yeah, one of those days! Thank God it's over and I am moving forward again on my journey of exploration of the mind.

It's Your Fault!!!!! No, It's Mine!

Lately there has been a great deal of anger released due to the elections which are less than 45 days away. Bitterness, hatred, and frustration has been fueled by the words from politicians, media,and let's face it, extremists from all sides. Words, speeches, and rhetoric have been twisted in order for allegations and mudswinging to be tossed about; and we, the people are the ones who must distingush the difference between truth and fallacy. So, that is what is what has been happening. The past 3 presidential elections have been filled with this anger and it is spilling over into every segment of our lives. From our religious beliefs, to civil rights, to immigration laws, to voter displacement, and even into the school house with teachers being blamed for so many of the wrongs people feel have been done to them. We argue over every item that is brought forward and spend our time venting to others about our slights. We even talk friends into battling for us; instead of handling our own disagreements in an adult manner. We blame the government, the teachers, the politicians, the police, and religion for everything. It's our neighbors fault, or the senior's faults, or the young people's faults; everyone else is at fault. Notice who isn't at fault? Yeah, that's right, it is never our own fault about anything. I really hate to say it, but yes, it's our own fault. It's my fault, it's your fault. It's time to take responsibility for what each one of us has down. It was my own greed, that helped create this mess. It was my own pride which helped overlook my mistakes. I stood by and turned my head away, when someone who needed help cried out for it. Why, because, I was better. Yeah, when we get right down to it, we do not want to admit that we were wrong...I didn't want to admit I was wrong. I was better....To the Christians this should be something that we know is wrong. Jesus taught it time and time again.... Luke 18:9 The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector 9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” See! This parable is so true to what I am thinking about today. How many of us do this? I have and still do much to my dismay! Truth is looking us straight in the face and we run from it with our tails tucked in. It isn't religions fault at all... it's humanity's interpretation of spiritual works which is at fault....Again, we take the words and twist them in order for them to coincide with our own personal views and ideals. Extremists do this in all faiths; but lately in this country, it seems as though Christians are forcing their beliefs and ideals on other Americans who do not believe as they. Remember, not all Christians believe the same...there are many of us, who do not condone the use of condemnation of others; nor do we believe in establishing a state religion based on Christianity. No, it isn't religions fault...Nor is it the teachers' or academia's fault...Nope, teachers, schools, colleges, etc. are not at fault. They do the best they can with what little we give them. Are there individuals who should not be teaching? Yes! But that is not every teacher out there! Do you work with individuals who may not be competent for the position they are in? What happens? Are you all at fault? I doubt it. We need to look at the individual, not the group. Plus, how about the teachers complaints? How many of us would do what they do? They deal with issues, we do not even have the foggiest idea about. When was the last time you tried to teach a classroom of 30 or more kids? Think it's easy? Think again, better yet, try it out, I bet you will change your tune! Now, when it comes to the kids, let's think about the fault there. Yes, the kids have some responsibility in their actions and inactions. They really do, and so do their parents. You got it! Each one of we parents are responsible for what our children do. Not the teachers, not the education field, not the religions, we parents are! The same is true for everything I mentioned above! Even the government! WE the people are responsible for what occurs there! What? You are screaming! It's the politicians fault! To one extent it is, but the truth of the matter is, we voted the politicians into office. We are the ones who must be held responsible and then we must hold our politicians responsible for inactivity! We do that by participating in government, through voting, through correspondence, through our own activity in being kept up to date as to what is occurring. Yep! It's the same thing throughout everything we howl about and blame others for. Sorry, but its our own individual fault for we remained quiet and didn't take action when we should have. This is the last time I will write on this subject. Instead, I'm going to become active and become a part of my community. No, I'm no better than anyone else...I'm the same and so are you. We CAN make a difference, but it means accepting responsiblilty and taking action. There is hope and it comes from within....it comes from each one of us...stop the blaming and get in there! It's time to move forward!

"A Plague on Both Your Houses"!

"A plague on both your houses"! So screams Mercutio as he falls dead in front of Romeo who accidently caused Mercutio's death, by coming in between Mercutio and Tybalt as they fought. The rage of Romeo is evident as he races after Tybalt to avenge his friend's death. Ahh, the plays of William Shakespeare and the drama,adventure, and tragedy this particular one provides. Imagine what this would have been like in the 1500s when it was first performed in Elizabethan England. Too see it performed in that time would have been incredible. The line that Mercutio screamed would have made perfectly good sense to the audience. The Black Death had devastated Europe from 1340-1400. The plague would have been remembered by all, who survived it; just as we today remember the polio and tuberculosis scares of the 20th century. Yet, the play, "Romeo and Juliet", is usually known for the romance and tragedy of the two young lovers. They caught our attention and are mimicked or performed all over the world. Yes, it is a wonderful drama that William gave to us. Of even more significance is the fact that this was one of Shakespeare's early plays and was first performed around 1597. Just think, this is a piece of work that has survived the ravages of time for 415 years! I wonder how many of today's works would last that long. However, that is in the future and the future is an unknown quantity. That is a lesson that Romeo and Juliet learned quite thoroughly. Maybe it is one of the many teachings Shakespeare wanted us to see. The future is one item which we cannot control. It bothers us beyond belief. We make plans with friends and family in the future. We save funds for the future. We look to future events with pleasure and dislike. We do everything we can to control the future; but we really do not achieve that goal. Yes, most of the time things go according to the way we want them to, but at what cost. Like Romeo and Juliet, we plan for love and happiness; yet, life is filled with trials which can destroy the joy we have worked for. The two young lovers lost at everything; gaining only a few precious moments to share with one another. Mercutio's curse consumed the two as it was their two houses which he screamed about. A plague was on both the houses. In the same was, a plague can be laid on all of us for our contentment in never filled. We like the Capulets and Montegues engage in fights and battles as we gossip and spread rumors about others. We bicker and argue among our own families; instead of accepting one another. Yes, we are more alike the people of the 16th century than we wish to accept. We need to learn the same lessons and realize the senselessness of warring with one another over some ridiculous slight that we feel has been given. At the end of the play, Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, and Mercutio are all dead. The houses of the families, the Capulets and the Montagues, have lost their young, their hopes, their dreams, and are instead joined together in mourning and lost; rather than in the love and happiness that would have been theirs with Romeo's and Juliet's marriage. Here, the future has been changed gravely and the world as they knew it was gone forever. The future is there beyond our view, it is cloudy, chaotic, always in motion. Today, we are here, able to stop the bitterness, the anger, the hatred, the jealousy. Mercutio's curse could continue or it could be ended if only we treated each other the way we profess we do. I know I going to do this; I hope others will join with me. No, I'm not planning on doing this in the future; I'm doing it now....with love, compassion, and consideration.

The Path of Chance

As we walk the path of our journey we are given many obstacles to overcome. In like manner we are also the recipients of multiple opportunities. How often do we turn our backs on these chances due to our fear of what the future could bring? We are overcome with the thought of failure, ridicule, loss, and the whisperings from friends concerning our age, health, or some other variable. Sometimes we fear success for others may change their perceptions toward us. For some reason we forget the gains we would achieve from going for the opportunities! The experience, the knowledge, the abilities, and the chance to partake in something new and exciting! Age should never be a reason for

not taking a chance! Did my ancestor, William and Mary Brewster allow their ages to stop them from boarding the Mayflower and beginning a new life in an unknown world? NO! Mary Brewster was over 50 years old when arrived in the new world! She and William took the opportunity to leave behind everything and everyone they knew in order to have a life of freedom! This is the ancestry I am descended from. Individuals who took the chance and found themselves rather than always playing it safe! Life is what we make it and we are the ones who determine our journeys. This determination depends on our handling of both obstacles and opportunities. We take control of our own destinies. We can either grow or remain where we are. Which path will you take? The one of least resistance or the one which brings you the most growth? I know my path - now go and find yours! SLIGO GLEN: WALKING OUT OF SILENCE (excerpt) ...So that you suddenly realized you were given the complete and utter gift of your own transparency, the revelation of your own exact boundary with the world. The frontier between silence and speech exactly the line you must cross to give yourself while saving yourself, the gleam in your heart and your eye, another sun rising, the old memories alive after a long night of absence and the world again suddenly worth risking, worth seeing, worth innocence, worth everything. -david whyte

The World I See

Sometimes we need to sit back and realize that there is a big world and that we are just an extremely small part of it. That's why I wanted to share this poem which is by my favorite Russian writer, Ardent Tarkovsky. I hope you enjoy it and the photo I chose from weheartit.com.

Ignatyevo Forest The last leaves' embers in total immolation Rise into the sky; this whole forest Seethes with irritation, just as we did That last year we lived together. The path you take's reflected in our tear-filled eyes, As bushes are reflected in the murky flood-lands. Don't be difficult, don't touch, don't threaten, Don't offend the forest silence by the Volga. You can hear the old life breathing: Clumps of mushrooms growing in damp grass -Though gnawed to the very core by slugs, They still inflame the skin. All our past is like a threat -Look, I'm coming, watch, I'll kill you! The sky shivers and holds a maple, like a rose, -May it burn still stronger - right into your eyes.

The "Rashomon "Effect

The US Ambassador to Libya has been killed along with 3 other staffers of the embassy. Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, appears at a press conference shaming the present administrations lack of response. He emphasises an apology instead that the White House has perceived to have been made. A nation and its leaders both Republican and Democrat respond with stunned exclaims at Romney's tone and expression. A photo circulates showing a smirk on his face as he leaves the podium. His words offer no respect to the 4 dead; nor does he acknowledge that 10 Libyans were killed ad well- trying to protect the Embassy and its staff from extremists. Romney's own leading party members condemn his inflammatory rhetoric. Even the world is astonished at the deaths in Libya and at Romney's speech. Republican s and Democrats both warn of responding quickly and rashly at what occurred. The need for silence during a threat to American ambassadors and their staffs is necessary in order to handle the situation quietly, quickly, and without further loss of life. Romney has placed a new agenda before that ; his desire for the presidency and power has overshadowed the goals of foreign policy and diplomacy. Moreover, his lack of respect to those who have been killed seems cold and unsympathetic. However, lets say that we see things from his point of view. I watched a movie in my "Media in Society " class that really affected me. "Rashomon " is a 1950 Japanese crime drama directed by Akira Kurosawa. It concerns the murderer of a man. So what does this have to do with Romney? Simple the movie looked at the murderer from everyone's point of view. From the man arrested to the wife of the one killed to believe it or not the dead man's perception as well. Each one had a totally different view on the crime. Yet, they were all there witnessing the same exact event! Maybe Romney really did see the events occurring in Libya and the US response to it in the way he ascribes too! We all have different perceptions and our own unique responses to situations. Unfortunatly, Romney comes across as a callous, power hungry man who has no clue as to what to do in a critical event in the world. That is what is wrong. Romney's image has been tarnished not only Ny leading representatives of the Republican and Democrat parties, but also by many people in the United States and the world as well. There are many in the US who see a military strike to be immediate and necessary,but to what extent? Who would be the target? This is when calm and intelligence must prevail. The Ambassador and his fellow staffers were killed by angry extremists. The extremists killed their own fellow citizens who were protecting the embassy and staff. The Ambassador had worked with the people of Libya du

ring last year's revolution against the controlling dictatorship. So where am I going with this? Simple, isn't it wiser and smarter to go after those who killed the Ambassador, his staff, and those who were protecting them? But you see that is my point of view. There are those who wouldn't agree. Yet, I do believe that those killed should be given and shown the respect they deserve from the citizens of the United States and its leaders. This is what Romney did not show or give. In reality his remarks were those of an individual in desire of power rather than a candidate for president. This isn't just my viewpoint, many leaders of this country feel this way as welll. However, we have to see events as Romney does for his perception is very important as we the people head to our election booths and vote. I pray that reason, calmness, and intelligence is elected over emotional, antagonistic, powermongers.

Somthing In The Air

There is something in the air.

A feeling of change. It weaves and wafts its way through the air, the sky, the waves of the ocean, and the motion of stars. It is a touch of coolness; a taste of sweetness ; a scent of spices; and the sight of a position change of the sun. Yes, a change is coming and each day we move closer to its purpose. A new beginning! A new season! A joy of relief from the stagnant humid heat of summer! An aviance of gatherings and the warmth of friendships is foretold as the sun lowers itself earlier into the western horizon. Imaginings of the storyteller races to find the tales that will be shared in the glow of companions and the sweet taste of apples in a mug of cider! Behind us the past fades into memories of youth and childhood. In front of us the essence of growth and celebration which comes with rest and relaxation! A cinnamon donut - a cup of cocoa - friends to share with the glow of hope and rebirth! There's something in the air and we are all a part of it; to enjoy or ignore. Me, I'm going to enjoy the sweet, fun times of Autumn! Autumn is my favorite time of the year. Its the beginning of colors and cooler temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere. Autumn is filled with memories and fun. Enjoy the promise it brings and the delight of children as they jump into leaf piles. The following poem is by Robert Frost and with it is an image that takes me back to my childhood and the farm I lived on. Enjoy! The Cow In Apple-Time by Robert Frost Something inspires the only cow of late To make no more of a wall than an open gate, And think no more of wall-builders than fools. Her face is flecked with pomace and she drools A cider syrup. Having tasted fruit, She scorns a pasture withering to the root. She runs from tree to tree where lie and sweeten. The windfalls spiked with stubble and worm-eaten. She leaves them bitten when she has to fly. She bellows on a knoll against the sky. Her udder shrivels and the milk goes dry.

The Journey: 09-11-2001 Day Of Remembrance

The Journey: 09-11-2011 Day Of Remembrance: Today is Tuesday, September 11,2012. Exactly eleven years ago I received a phone call from my sister telling me that a plane had crashed in...

09-11-2011 Day Of Remembrance

Today is Tuesday, September 11,2012. Exactly eleven years ago I received a phone call from my sister telling me that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center Towers in New York City. I turned on the news and found myself watching in horror as a second plane went into the remaining tower. From that point on I watched horrified at the scenes being played out on the news. A third plane crashing into the Pentagon in Washington, DC - a fourth stopped from its destination of the White House by the passengers; but it too, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania killing everyone on board. Over 3,000 people killed in the most horrendous act of terrorism in modern American history. On this day, Americans are gathering together to remember the victims of this attack. We put our differences aside and find ourselves looking at the past; and we should. Yet, we also need to look at our present and the future. Eleven years ago we were a country that was divided. We were bickering over who actually won the presidential election. The truth is we were acting like children. Then a disaster occurred. We stopped and stood in silence as the reality of the attack was forced into our minds. Over and over we watched the planes slam into the World Trade Centers, the Pentagon, and that field in Pennsylvania. Over and over we listened to the conversations that took place between those who died and the loved ones they left behind. Many of us know exactly where we were and what we were doing when the events unfolded before our bewildered eyes. Suddenly it didn't matter who was president. We gathered together, joining in our sorrow of the lives taken that day. The moms, dads, grampas, grammas, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. We called them all Americans who died that day- even though they included individuals from every country of the world. The world mourned with us as well and we turned together as one to the one person who could give us some sort of reason or explaination. That's right we turned to our president. All arguing ended as we listened to President George W Bush as he took charge and brought us through the nightmare we found ourselves in. Was he perfect? No, but how many of us are. At that moment and time he was what we needed and we took. The world became astonished for we Americans put aside our differences and became one. We stood tall and worked hard at overcoming the shock we had suffered. We rose and as one moved to finding a path toward healing and helping one another. We stood together proud and strong holding true to our American Dream and beliefs. Now, today let us gather again to remember the loss, but let us also remember that when we put aside our differences we are an even stronger country. Let us stop the bickering and the raging and ranting of us versus them. Let us gather together and work to build a more America which is true to its goals of being a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people. All the people. Just ad the terrorist attack eleven years ago did not discriminate the dead let us not discriminate the living. May God bless you all. And may you all remember the sacrifice of that day and of the sacrifices that have been made since that day.!

How We Got Rid of Bloody Corsets

I read this article and wanted to share it with all of you. We've come a long way, let's make sure we don't allow ourselves to be forced backwards! How We Got Rid of the Bloody Corsets by Anngel Delaney 1887, Wimbledon's Centre Court: England's Lottie Dod races from baseline to net. Lunging, she returns her opponent's serve and, in the process, marks her place in tennis history as the youngest ever player to win a Wimbledon title. Dod, 15 years old, overwhelmed her more senior, more experienced opponents, and stunned spectators when she used the overhead smash and volley - the first time such techniques were employed in women's tennis. In between matches, Dod and her co-competitors retired to the dressing room to free themselves of their floor-length skirts and petticoats, peel off their stockings and unhitch their bloodied corsets. As they endeavored to twist, turn and lunge on the courts, the women were repeatedly stabbed by the metal and whalebone stays of these cumbersome garments, which encased them from tits to tush. The corsets were so injurious that a special bar was installed above a stove in the locker room on which the contraptions could be hung to dry Pity the poor player who forgot to bring a change of outfit: she was forced to wrap her body in the blood stiffened garment for yet another match. Not surprisingly, in outfits such as these, the pace of women's tennis, even at Wimbledon, was only as fierce as fashion dictates allowed. Regardless of the players' athletic efforts or skills, competitive matches more often resembled sedate garden parties. Sportive for the era, women basketball players took to the hardcourt in 1913 wearing bloomers, midi- blouses and tennis shoes. - From Spring 1998 issue It's hard for today's female athlete, raised on technically engineered sportswear designed to maximize performance and comfort, to imagine that women competed in garments so restrictive and damaging, or that tennis was once quite literally a blood sport for women. As you work out on your gym's StairMaster wearing formfitting Lycra shorts, run a 5-K in shoes pumped full of "gel" or "air," or hike with equipment perfectly proportioned for a woman's frame, consider our grandmothers' or great-grandmothers' generations. Sportive women of those eras were obliged to play basketball in full-length frocks, ride horses sit ting dangerously sidesaddle, and trudge up mountains or through tropical rain forests wearing high-fashion bustles and boots. All these outfits were de rigueur for one's reputation, yet they were more suitable for drawing room teas than exploring the great outdoors. Through the ages, adventurous and athletic women have had to struggle not only with the harsh elements and a variety of adversaries, but also their clothing. Yet they competed for Olympic medals and traversed unknown regions, simultaneously defying death and natural fibers. Despite sartorial limitations and the lack of such modern-day essentials as Gore-Tex, polypropylene, plastic or nylon, our sporting female predecessors still went off to explore "Darkest Africa" and climb hazardous mountain peaks. Mercifully, times and equipment have changed, but then so have perceptions about women and their bodies. The idealized female form was once fleshily full and thus the epitome of fecundity, which was considered a woman's most important characteristic. Today a woman's body is more likely to be toned. We are no longer urged to cover ourselves from head to toe for the sake of propriety and our oh, so precious reputations. On the contrary, females who participate in sports are encouraged to shed as much clothing as safety will allow. These days, we wax lyrical and at length about the titanium in our bicycle components, the water-repellent qualities of our outer shells, and the ability of our undergarments to wick perspiration away from our bodies. Where women's sporting attire was formerly an athletic handicap, now - from our designed-for aquatic-speed swimsuits to our sports bras - a woman's active wear is meant to promote rather than hinder her performance and her prowess. From Lottie Dod's era, it took more than 50 years of play at Wimbledon before women felt they could appear on court sans those lethal corsets or with their legs bared. Mayl Sutton, an American, was I barred from Centre Court at Wimbledon in 1905 because her forearms were exposed and her tennis dress revealed a "flash of ankle." She lowered her hemline, lengthened her sleeves and returned to win the singles title that year. Finally, in 1933, American Alice Marble broke through the "no skin" barrier at Wimbledon by wearing shorts. She shocked the public and the press, but delighted other female players. The decorous and often dangerous garb of these early competitors shows how pervasive a society's values can be in the face of good health and reason, to say nothing of the desire to win. Dress was intended to convey and reinforce severe Victorian standards of propriety - this was a time, after all, when one didn't dare to mention any human body part in polite society, and even the legs of pianos were hidden under "modesty skirts." Women were weighted down by gowns that contained as much as 20-30 yards of fabric and that were worn over an additional five to ten petticoats. Ninteenth-century female fashion dictated ridiculously tiny 18-inch waists. Women laboring to breathe in their too-tight corsets suffered swooning attacks so frequently that special "fainting couches" were strategically placed for the purpose. Such fainting attacks helped reinforce the stereotype of a frail and helpless creature unsuited to the rigors of sport. The medical opinion of the day - that physical activity of the sporting kind would damage a woman's reproductive organs - also held sway Yet despite all the social, moral and physical restrictions of the last century, a number of wealthy and adventurous women left their cloistered homes to literally explore the world. French countess Henriette d'Angeville was the first woman to climb 15,771 ft. Mont Blanc in 1838, and she did so wearing an ankle length skirt. Frightfully British and utterly proper Mary Kingsley, who explored west Africa in the 1890s, believed that one had no right to be seen there in clothes one would be ashamed to wear in public in England. As she traveled through parts of the continent few Europeans had ever ventured into she was daily bedecked in white blouses with high, ruffled, necklines and long sleeves, and heavy floor-length skirts of black serge-wool. For Kingsley, maintaining correct standards rather than promoting comfort, was key. She also slept in her tall lace- up boots because when they were soaked, as they frequently were, they would shrink overnight and become unbearably tight. We can snicker at the "there'll-always-be-an England" image she must have made, but Kingsley claimed her Victorian wardrobe once saved her life. Traipsing through the jungle on one occasion, she fell into a 15 ft. big-game trap, and her massive skirt and multiple petticoats saved her from being impaled on the 12-inch ebony spikes at the bottom of the pit. Lost to history, of course, is whether she fell into the trap in the first place because of her highly impractical outfit. Historians have suggested that explorers and colonialists - and in those days they were often one and the same - clung to their European styles of dress, no matter how unsuitable they were for the climate or terrain, because the clothes were comforting in their familiarity as well as symbolic of foreign power in the newly subjugated states. Whatever the reasons, they must have been compelling to keep women like Kingsley swaddled by their fashions as they waded through leech filled swamps or rivers, often up to their necks in water, or hiked through the tropical sun. But perhaps it was simply misguided vanity. Over the years, women athletes began to modify their dress when they encountered adverse physical conditions. American mountaineer Annie Peck, a fashion pioneer, bravely ditched her skirts, petticoats and corsets when she headed for Switzerland's Matterhom mountain in 1895. She climbed the 14,690 ft. peak wearing an outfit that was very liberated for the era: canvas knickerbockers, puttees - strips of cloth wrapped around the legs, a forerunner of women's leggings - heavy wool sweaters, a felt hat and a woolen ski mask. As women explorers were circumnavigating the globe in the late nineteenth century, back home the bicycle was becoming popular. Said Susan B. Anthony: "Bicycles did more to emancipate women than anything else in the world." Unfortunately for women cyclists, the emancipation from cumbersome clothing was less than immediate. To make bike-riding less treacherous, elastic loops - the precursors of toe clips - were attached to the bottom of skirts so women could hoop them over their feet. Tiny lead weights were also sewn into hems to prevent the fabric from becoming entangled in gears and wheels. By the end of the century, vast bloomers became acceptable as a wiser choice. As sports for women gradually became less restrictive, so too did women's lives. Female athletes not only modified dress codes for women, they also changed attitudes about what "the weaker sex" was capable of achieving. And gender politics was not far behind. Annie Peck combined mountaineering with feminist goals when she unfurled a "Votes For Women" banner on the summit of Mt. Coropuna in Peru. And while not every sportswoman has considered herself a feminist, the accomplishments of female athletes have made them empowering role models - women who have gone beyond the limits imposed by society. Annie Peck conquered the Matterhorn in 1895 in this mountain climbing outfit of her own design, a more liberating style than previously used. - From Spring 1998 issue The abandonment of corsets and petticoats, the rise of hemlines, and the acceptance of pants for women all had their beginnings in costumes that began in women's sportswear. By 1926, British Vogue was proclaiming: "Sport has more to do than anything else with the evolution of the modern mode." Just as tennis outfits influenced styles on and off the court, so too did the sweater filter into mainstream fashion via golf The adoption of these new sporty styles called for a sporty figure to match. Zaftig women began to slim down, as legs and arms were bared and torsos newly outlined. The one-piece, revealing swimsuit replaced the sack-like, woolen bathing costumes of yesteryear. Acceptance and even idealization of the athletic female body in the early part of this century led to what has been called the Golden Age of Sport. Women's swimming debuted at the Olympics in 1912. hi 1926 Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel and did it faster than any man. Five years later Aviator Phoebe Omlie won the first National Air Race between men and women. And in 1934 Babe Didrickson pitched a full inning against the Brooklyn Dodgers. (Over the years a handful of women have played in men's pro leagues, but never for very long.) Post-WWII, as women became more competitive and serious about sporting pursuits, concerns arose that they were becoming "unladylike and masculine." A backlash occurred, with hysterical charges of lesbianism in sports. After all, went the claims, female athletes who exhibit tenacity, toughness and competitiveness are displaying specifically masculine characteristics. These fears of a new, threateningly "butch" woman athlete seemed to require sporting attire that was blatantly feminine. Women's sportswear was manufactured only in pastel colors, and tennis underpants were adorned with tiers of ruffles more suitable for the rear ends of real infants. As part of this retrograde trend, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League added charm school to spring training, teaching players how to walk, sit and talk in a 'ladylike" manner. Team players were responsible for maintaining "feminine" propriety during competition, and fines were imposed on those who transgressed the strict rules regarding hair styles, dress and behavior off the field. At the same time, athletic clothing and equipment improved drastically. Nylon, first developed in 1938 and used by the military in WWII, suddenly became the fabric of the moment in active wear. Lightweight nylon backpacks with aluminum frames replaced the poorly designed, heavy canvas and wooden models. As a result more women took up hiking. In the 1950s and '60s, the female athlete temporarily took a backseat to the highly domestic image of June Cleaver and the shapely, yet not in shape, "ideal" body of Marilyn Monroe. Fashion reversed itself again a decade later. The sporting image became prized once again when the passage of Title IX in 1972 led to increasing numbers of women and girls participating in athletics. Within a few years, the "Me Generation" appeared and women joined men in taking up jogging, aerobics and Ming weights in search of the "body beautiful." Though more women became physically active, they lacked high-end sporting gear designed especially for their body sizes. Those who were serious about sports had no choice but to buy or borrow equipment and clothes that were designed for men. Looking like kids in their big brothers' cast-offs, they rolled up the overly long sleeves, swamped their torsos in male parkas and wore men's hiking shoes - which caused painful blistering because they were too wide in the heel, says Andrea Gabbard, a senior editor at Outdoor Retailer Magazine, who also tests and evaluates women's sporting gear for fitness magazines. (In fact, not until the late 1980s did hiking boots sized to women's feet become readily available.) A decade ago, manufacturers finally took note of the ever increasing numbers of women participating in sports and began to develop specialized women's sportswear and equipment. Initially, this represented little more than paying lip service to form and ignoring function. The only real difference was a wider choice of colors, since the "new" garments were simply smaller versions of men's designs. The first sports bra was based on the idea of two jock straps sewn together, a fitting reflection perhaps, of how men viewed women's needs. And it wasn't until 1987, when 42 percent of all runners were female, that the first women's running shoe came on the market. In the 1990's sports manufacturers began to invest time and money in developing designs based on a woman's physique. "In the last three years, women's lines have taken off," says Robyn Hall, design director for Columbia Sportswear. "We've sold twice as much as we anticipated." This is not surprising since, according to the U.S. Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, women now spend more money on sportswear than do men. Women's sports apparel accounts for 40 percent of purchases, compared to 36 percent for men and 24 percent for children. And women pay more per item than men do, reports Maria Stefan, executive director of the SGMA. This, of course, is not good news, but simple industry sexism, stemming from the same unwritten law that decrees a woman's dry-cleaning and haircuts must cost more than a man's. Lottie Dod and Mary Kingsley might be scandalized by our modern sportswear, but they would also be a great deal safer and a lot more comfortable. Today's women know they can go the distance, and they are no longer held back by what they wear. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anngel Delaney writes about sports when not participating in them. She is a recreational long-distance runner and cyclist. Thank you to Anngel Delaney for such an educational and interesting as well as inspiring article~

Sunday

It's Sunday. A rainy, thunder and lightning,grey sky day. Its beautiful! A great day to be curled up on the loveseat, reading a book,a cup of coffee nearby, a cat to absent mindedly stroke,and a dog lying on the rug beside me. My daughter playing a video game, saving that world from darkspawns and dragons. My husband relaxing in his reclined, reading as well. Every so often one of us makes a comment, glances out the window to watch the storm as it rages around us, and shares a line from our books or game. An image of contentment and domestic tranquility. Yes, this is our Sunday so far- until the football games begin- then the fun really begins. The New England Patriots are our family favorites. They play the Titans today; a good game hopefully! The pizza and wings will arrive and we will enjoy them. The cheers and groans that we will explode with will be heard as our team moves forward and backwards from the plays they run. A beer or two drank or Smirnoff Ice. The dance of victory at the end of the game or the sadness if defeat (its the Pats so we know victory is ours). A family tradition enjoyed and savored- until next Sunday arrives. That's what is coming. Right now, a good book, the cat, the dog, curled up on the loveseat, and the storm raging around us. We are content and tranquil on this Sunday of rain, thunder, and lightning. Photo by Rona-Kellor deviantart. .

From Here and Back Again: A Quest for the Right Politics

I've been quiet again about a certain topic. Yes, the politics and speeches of the RNC and DNC have been met by silence. If you're wondering why; there is a very good answer. I have been angry. VERY ANGRY! As David Banner tells people before he turns into the Hulk; "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry". No, you wouldn't like it and neither do I. When angry people rant and rave spewing forth their anger which has transformed into hate to all who are unlucky to be around. So I have remained silent until I could speak without falling into the frothing rapids of venom. So, now I am ready to speak, but not in the way you might think. Instead, this a quest; from here and back again, to quote Bilbo Baggins. Yes, it is a search to explain my thoughts of today's political atmosphere. To begin with; how did I reach my views? Well, it all began in 1966. Yep, 1966. I was 6 years old. You're thinking isn't that a little young to be formulating political ideals? Au contraire! Its the best time! The young mind is pliable,full of questions, and not yet silenced by traditions or social indoctrinaon. Yes, the young are there for the taking! Sounds rather discouraging. Yet, it is the truth from a "certain point of view" (thanks Obi-wan, Star Wars: A New Hope). So what occurred in 1966 to begin developing my views? Star Trek aired. A new type of show. Kind of a outerspace Western with a bit of difference . YES! A great deal of differences. The senior staff was mostly male, but a woman was a part of it. Yeah, a woman who could take command, was an officer, and could kick asa when needed. She didn't just sit there and be pretty and sexy- no, she corrected the men when they were wrong about something, she offered thoughts on situations, she controlled communications, and put her life on the line. But what there's more! She was African American! Wow! Now that was awesome! She broke through the barriers of race and gender! Women could be more than what I had seen before. Yep, Star Trek showed me a world of respect, service, compassion, and friendship! It also taught me the foolishness of prejudice, hate, and ignorance. This fascinating science fiction program demonstrated the needs and concerns of environmental issues, civil rights, education, and most importantly understanding and again respect. That's right! Respect and understanding. This is what brought me to my political beliefs. I admit, I didn't really pay much attention when I became of age to vote. I was a Republican. Then I sat down, listened to my stepfather's explanation of the two parties; then did my own research. I switched parties quickly! I've been a Democrat for 32 years now. The Republican platform had never been a part of my thoughts. No! I find the Republicans, especially those who are a part of the extreme right, to be purveyors of white male supremacy. They disrespect any who do not hold to their religious beliefs and use whatever means are available to create a national religion as well as promoting hares toward those the deem inferior. The Republicans praise God while worshipping power and money/wealth. It is not the Constitution they wish to preserve. No, its their stature in society they defend and in doing so actually reject the Constitution and the words of Jesus Christ which they claim to believe. This is why I am a Democrat. No Democrats are not perfect. We make mistakes, but at least I and many like me can admit it. Democrats are for the people - all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, and religious belief. I am for civil rights to all Americans and to the preservation of keeping our borders open while others wish to close them and deny immigrants the same rights and chances that our own ancestors had. I stand with Democrats that all have the right to affordable health care, that women have control over their own bodies- not the Republican extremists, and that all Americans have the right to marry whomever they love. Yes, this is who and what I am. An individual who nurtured a belief in respect and understanding. Something I learned from Star Trek and built upon as I learner, expanded my horizons and realized that the world and universe was filled with a diversity that went beyond my Anglo-Saxon ancestry. This is why I have been silent. I found the RNC to be filled with a hate toward Democrats which is unbelievable. I simmered in anger as a CNN camera woman was humiliated and degraded by individuals who were a part of the RNC. I howled with disbelief when Ann Romney articulated that women whispered their whatevers in the night and if we listened dealt hard we could hear them. Obviously I do not fall into that category for the whole neighborhood probably hears me. I read and listened with disbelief to the lies, trumped up allegations and increasing aggression of the speakers and vicepresidential hopeful ; and wondered how anyone could listen to this without being filled with revulsion. Where were the issues? What about the economy's, foreign policy, and domestic policy? We have became a nation of us versus them and as any Star Wars fan knows only the Sith (the darkside) speaks in such absolutes! (Again thanks Obi-wan, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith) . As the RNC faded out and the DNC burst in; some of this same rhetoric continued. The name calling, the hatred, and aggression. Yesterday though, something changed. Starting with Michele Obama's speech Tuesday night- hope, respect, and compassion filled the air. It overcame the poison that had spread through the country and suddenly a sense of American strength and togetherness is filling a country that has been ravaged by the well shall we call them whet they are? The promoters of discord and hate: what some individuals call the American Taliban and others distinguish them as the most well known anathema of Facists or Nazis. Yes, hope springs anew. No, the Democrats are not perfect by any means. But there is a better chance for respect, compassion, and understanding with the Democrats than the Republicans. And to all the Republican Christians out there; yes, Democrats are believers as well. So much of believing that we stand by the US Constitution and its First Amendment which guarantees freedom of religion and freedom from government intervention into our beliefs! Not just for Christian Americans but for ALL Americans! So, now I've opened up and broken my silence. I have gone from here and back again. I'm not filled with anger and I didn't turn into the Hulk! Nope instead I am one person who can make a difference and I will, by voting.

A Woman's Childhood Journey in Finding a Role in America

I watched the movie, Snow White and the Huntsman, yesterday and found myself wondering where were all the kick asa princesses when I was young? Obviously they were not around in the nineteen sixties! No the princesses I grew up with depended on men to save them from the wicked queen. Yes a handsome prince would ride in on his white stallion, deliver the evil queen her death blow, and ride off into the sunset with the princess in his arms to live together in holy matrimony. They had a wonderful life together with no more problems or heartaches! Yep! That is what I grew up with. It wasn't just in Disney Fairy Tales either. The reality is this is what was portrayed to the young girls of the middle decades of the twentieth century in every bit of media that was available to us. From television shows to movies to books to magazines and even in music, girls were subjected to the inculcation of the female role in America. This was in contrast to what was perceived during World War II when women were needed to take over positions that men had held traditionally in order to promote the war effort. Yes, during the war years women built the machines of war, packed ammunition, and flew fighters and bombers to their destinations in England. Women were taxi drivers, baseball players, managers, bankers, police officers, firefighters, steel workers, farmers, and factory workrrs; as well as, the normal female jobs of nurses, secretaries, teachers, wives, and mothers. The American Woman showed how versatile she was by doing all of these traditional male roles. Then it changed and the baby boomer generation of pliable young minds was indoctrinated with the image of the ideal female as being passive, unable to do anything do to lack of intelligence, and needing a male to save them from evil doers and themselves. Yes, we were spoon fed this ideology from birth. It filled our minds every moment of the day from the television shows we watched to the books we read and even in the music we listened to. Television shows like "Bonanza", "Gunsmoke", "Father Knows Best", and "The Brady Bunch" taught us well on where women should be in society. In Bonanza they weren't even a part of the main characters! "Gunsmoke was filled with all males except for Miss Kitty who owned the saloon, was a prostitute/madams, rich, and had to be rescued by Marshall Dillon all the time! "Father Knows Best" told us immediately where women stood and it wasn't with knowledge! Nope, only good old dad had the brains. Then came "The Brady Bunch", yep, mom stayed at home and had a live in maid who did the cooking and the cleaning while the "lady of the house " went to parties and charity organization. Dad was the provided all the money and got cool working vacations to Hawaii! How come my dad didn't do that for me is whet was heard from us! Or how about why couldn't we have a live in maid who was as cool as Alice was on the show? Lets face it we were normal families who dealt with reality! But then again to Ann Romney this is what we are suppose to be! Somewhere or other I got thecshaft cause I have never known anyone like the women in those shows. So this leads us to our books we read! Remember our readers? Sally wore a dress and helped mom cook while Jack (or whatever his name was) ran, jumped, and had a lot of fun! How about our history and social studies books? The only women mentioned in them were Pocahontas, Sacajawea, and Betsy Ross. Two of them were Native Americans who helped white males and the former was a white female who sewed the American with great care! If any other women were mentioned I must have forgotten them since we didn't talk about them much! Story books? "Stone Soup" a favorite had three male soldiers teaching a town compassion and sharing. "Tom Sawyer", another favorite, male characters who had a lot of fun. We girls did have Becky who gave us a bit of hope! "Brave New World? Whatca laugh. Male oriented, women given some authority over their bodies and reproduction, but on the whole another tale of a woman who is considered a whore for not taking care of herself with birth control and winds up pregnant and ostracized from society! The males are ridiculed as well for being different. The same old story, just a different time period. How about music? The same. From "My boyfriend's back" and "These boots are made for walking" women are seen as either needing rescue to being a whore and bitch! Yep these were the images I grew up with! What's scathe is this is what some in America want us to be! God help us from these Medieval people! Women still have a long way to go but ag least now we Canberra who we were meant to be and our daughters can find themselves looking at images of real women who have exceeded the limitations the media and society tried to force on us: the baby boomers!