Gals Graze

You’d have thought we were saving the world Wednesday when MariBen Ramsey, Michaelanne Hurst and Lulu Flores and I met for lunch - and perhaps we were!   
(Pictred left to right - MariBen Ramsey, Michaelanne Hurst and Lulu Flores)

I swear there’s just some chemistry that happens when women that don’t know each other very well, but who are all smart gals, get together and there’s no real agenda. I wouldn’t be surprised if the paint started to soon peel off the walls at that corner table at Cipollina Restaurant,  from the sheer power thrown off by the gals that I lunch with there. 

MariBen Ramsey, who has been Vice President and General Counsel/Grant Director at the Austin Community Foundation since 1995 cracked us up with her stories of how many times the Austin Community Foundation has moved – always chasing the free rental space.

Since Lulu Flores, attorney and former Assistant Director for Intergovernmental Affairs of the Railroad Commission, is the current President of the National Women’s Political Caucus, we inevitable got into a spirited discussion of the recent elections. I am the former President of the Texas Women's Political Caucus so I was particularly interested in a very controversial issue – whether women’s political organizations should endorse male candidates. The National Caucus has just determined to enforce a previously allowed infraction of its basic charter, the endorsement of male candidates by state and local affiliates. MariBen, Lulu and I have been around long enough to have seen how this issue can inspire unbridled passion in women – on both sides of the issue. May sound simple, but it's not.

Michaelanne Hurst, Executive Director of Communities for Recovery, which provides volunteer peer support services for persons suffering from alcoholism, chemical addiction and an addiction/mental disorder combo, listened intently to the political stories, and then made a wonderful statement. She said that as the mother of a three-year-old daughter, she has a renewed interest in equality for women. 

I believe we all left feeling inspired by the intelligence of our gender, and fueled to tackle another day! Thanks to MariBen, Lulu and Michaelanne for reminding me again, why I am so glad that I am a woman.

SueAnn

One Hundred Things My Mother Taught Me A Million Times - Chapter 29

#29 – “Old towels make great dishtowels when they get thin and ragged.  Old dishtowels make great dishrags when they get thin and full of holes.  Old dishrags should be used for working on cars and washing machines when they get too thin for washing dishes.  Never throw away old towels.”

The above lesson that my mom taught me a million times could be a little confusing without some interpretation – or perhaps a glossary:
The towel in question is that with which you dry your body after a bath or shower, or rather “dab” your body, which helps preserve those oh-so-precious natural oils that we so assiduously scrub off.
A dishtowel is that with which you dry dishes, if you live in the stone age and don’t have a dishwasher that dries them for you.
 A dishrag, not to be confused with the dishtowel, is that with which you wash your dishes. Again, this is assuming that you have neither a dishwasher nor the ScotchBrite Heavy Duty Sponge Scrubbers, which I prefer, but which my daughter claims are a harbinger of deadly and nasty germs.
A rag  is so lowly it doesn’t even rank a name, but that being said, we all need them. I’ll bet you have rags! I have rags. We all got rags.

So, the evolution of the towel, according to Willie (mom), is bath towel to dishtowel to dishrag, to something with which someone (not me), would use to wash their car or work on their washing machine. I honestly don’t recall the last time I worked on my washing machine.

This maximum utilization of the bath towel from birth to death is but one other example of the frugality and lack of  what we’ll call “squeamishness” that are the hallmarks of mom’s existence. You’ve heard me mention before the “natural resistance” bred into the Wade family genetics. The basis of which being, always make sure you're "dirtier" than the threatening germs. Our germs will kick your germs butts! Click on Read More  - I'm getting to the point quickly - I promise ...

INTERNATIONAL WOMAN'S DAY EVENT - THURSDAY, MARCH 4

Some of you may recall my rave review of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s book “Half the Sky” in my Dec. 23 blog post. Well, I want to make you aware of an International Woman’s Day event/movie, inspired by the book, that is being featured at various theaters across the country, Thursday night, March 4, 7:30 pm - Featuring musical performances, celebrity commentary and the world premiere of “Woineshet,” a short film by Academy Award® winner Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone. Also with appearances from, India.Arie, Maria Bello, Diane Birch, Michael Franti, Dr. Helene Gayle, Angelique Kidjo, Nicholas Kristof, Marisa Tomei, Sarah, Duchess of York and others. Here’s the link for additional info, including the other locations for the screening.
http://www.ncm.com/Fathom/OriginalPrograms/event/Half_The_Sky.aspx
Please check it out. If it is as inspiring as “Half the Sky” it will be fabulous!
SueAnn