Tag: Microblog Mondays

Women | Words and Art I

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Did you see the Google Doodle on International Women’s Day? The doodle featured a collection of inspiring quotes by women beautifully illustrated by [other] women. It’s a pretty impressive collection, and I want the prints!

Fortunately, my bestie–from now on referred to as “the prophet”–anticipated this and sent me a beautiful collection of 12 woman-centered postcards. I finally took time to scan them, so I decided to share them on the blog in three installments.

I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own. And I am not free as long as one person of Color remains chained. Nor is anyone of you. –Audre Lorde, “The Uses of Anger,” National Women’s Studies Association Conference, 1981

Artist: Daiana Ruiz

Many of us recall when #45 described his opponent, Hillary Clinton, as a nasty woman. He intended it as an insult, but his remark–steeped in misogyny–invited a world of women to “stay nasty.”

The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day; a movement is only people moving. –Gloria Steinem

I believe that telling our stories, first to ourselves and then to one another and the world, is a revolutionary act. It is an act that can be met with hostility, exclusion, and violence. It can also lead to love, understanding, transcendence, and community. I hope that my being real with you will help empower you to step into who you are and encourage you to share yourself with those around you.  –Janet Mock, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More

The postcards are part of The Future Is Female, a 2019 calendar package published by Workman Publishing. The calendar is a rallying call to women–inspiring “a year of activism, unity, and sisterhood.” A portion of the proceeds from the calendar sales will be donated to Girls Write Now, a nonprofit organization “that mentors underserved young women and helps them find their voices through the power of writing and community.”

I hope you’re inspired by the words and art.

Stay tuned. I plan to write posts featuring the remaining eight postcards some time this week.

March on…

A Perfect Gift

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Today began with grace. For the first time in six years, I woke up without the significance of the date weighing heavily on my heart. Though, this time last year, I could not imagine that I’d be mourning the the loss of another sister, I also did not imagine that we would welcome my sister Karlette’s first grandchild into the world.

Our Little Angel

And it is her beautiful presence that brightens today and gives a bit more of Karlette back to us.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. –James 1:17a

Women’s History Month: Let’s Love Each Other Fiercely

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The best kinds of friendships are fierce lady friendships, where you aggressively believe in each other, defend each other, and believe the other deserves the world.

My amazing bestie, Aleta, sent me an almost equally amazing “I AM WOMAN” package just in time for Women’s History Month (WHM), and I’m looking forward to sharing a particular set of woman-centered art she included [later, when I feel like tackling the scanning].

Of course, I love all the goodies she included, but the affirming note she enclosed gave me life and an idea for WHM:

This note is a tiny reminder of how awesome a friend, mother, wife, professor, mentor, intellectual powerhouse, and fierce human being you are. Keep living, growing, believing, and pushing for more. It’s promised you!

Her note lit a fire because it came just when I needed that “tiny reminder” of my fierceness. I want to “pay it forward” to others, so along with [or in addition to] the few dozen International Women’s Day postcards I send, I’m going to send similar notes and postcards to many of the women in my life.

Women take a lot of “stuff” from all directions. It can sap our strength and our self-image, so it’s nice to be affirmed and reminded of how truly awesome we are.

Why don’t you join me? Send a quick, encouraging note to the women in your life. All it takes is a few words and a postage stamp.

If all the girls were taught
how to love each other fiercely
instead of
how to compete with each other
and hate their own bodies,
what a different
and beautiful world
we would live in

–Nikita Gill–

Love Mail!

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“In My Heart,” by Rachel of Fia’s Designs

Can you believe February is almost over? Didn’t 2019 begin just yesterday?! I’m not sure what the rest of the week will bring, so I thought I’d better share the love mail I found in my mailbox before the remaining days of the month slip away.

From Christine B, my ever faithful penfriend, a heart-shaped cactus:

Cactus Heart, Photo by Christine B.

From another Love Notes friend, Suzette R, an edited photograph with the words “Be Mine” in a beautiful cursive font.

“Be Mine,” Photo by Suzette R.

From yet another Love Notes friend, Eileen V, a special postcard in which she “transformed” the flowers into sunflowers just for me.

“Sunflower Love,” Watercolored by Eileen V

An adorable card from my great-niece, who just turned one last week! She made this with a “little help” from her mommy, Tiffany:

“Love, Love, Love!” Made by Tiff and Lu

She also included a picture of herself. She’s grown quite a bit since her debut on the blog last June.

Isn’t she adorable? I think my wardrobe needs a pair of glittery red, heart-shaped glasses.

The card positioned at the top of the post was also part of my mailbox love this month. The artist, Rachel of Fia’s Designs, sent the card as a “thank you” for subscribing to her mailing list and as an incentive to send more snail mail. Usually, I don’t need an incentive, but it’s been a bit of a challenge getting snail mail out this year.  Maybe, this cutie will get me started again.

You can find Rachel:

Wishing you a lovely week… ❤

 

Silly Haiku: Angry Footless Men?

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My son and I were having a conversation recently that reminded me of the “visual haiku” he and his classmates wrote when I took them on an outing last year. Of course, I had to provide an example for them. What do I do when I have to write a haiku “on the spot” for a bunch of sixth graders? I write a silly haiku based on a photo of pansies, of course!

Angry footless men
Glare when I pause for a look
Or, are they…puppies

–Chandra Lynn, Spring 2018–

In a Certain Light | Ty 4 Thoughts

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“In a Certain Light,” iPhone Photo by Tyhara Rain

What if we already are
Who we’ve been dying to become
In certain light I can plainly see
A reflection of magnificence
Hidden in you
Maybe even in me
“Four,” Sleeping At Last

Today’s post features an image by my multitalented teaching assistant, Tyhara Rain. She found and captured this beauty on one of our escapes from the office. She featured the image and quote in a blog post a month ago. With her permission, I’m sharing here. Visit Tyhara’s blog, Ty 4 Thoughts,  to read about her experience with the leaf. She’s new to the blogosphere, so maybe, your visit will encourage her to post a little more frequently.