Information on other "save the date" events such as WREI/AND Women in the Military Conference, California Women Veteran's Conference, 2011 National Training Summit on Women Veteranscan be found here.
***************** WOOF: Women Only Over FiftyAmazon
WOOF applauds the National Council of Women’s Organizations' Letter to President Calling for Meeting on Budget, Asking That Women be Included in Deficit Talks.
In the fall of 1998, the National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO) formed an Older Women's Economic Security Task Force to address the critical issue of Social Security reform and to help policy makers understand women's stake in this crucial issue.
The Task Force has worked with all NCWO members to carry out a public education campaign to reach women across the country and to urge them to let their representatives and candidates know their views on Social Security reform.
Task Force members are working to ensure the program's continued solvency and to improve Social Security for women by putting benefit improvement back on the public agenda. The Task Force also works with a coalition of organizations including labor unions, senior groups, youth advocates, public policy organizations, disability rights groups and civil rights organizations who oppose the privatization of Social Security.
When I first saw mention ofCarole Carson’s story, it spoke directly to my heart, or was that my stomach? Whichever, I knew this was a book I had to read. Would I get great tips on finally losing that 10 pounds I’ve tried to shed for about 20 years? Would Carson’s story inspire me to get more exercise?
Right on both counts! From Fat To Fit (Turn yourself into a weapon of MASS REDUCTION) is an easy to follow guide for losing those unwanted post-menopawsal pounds. The first part of the book follows Carson through 16 weeks to discovering better eating habits and learning to exercise. From an overweight, not-so-healthy 50+ woman, we learn her method for losing 40 pounds, just in time for her 60th birthday!
She describes herself as a reluctant journalist when the publisher of her hometown paper asks if she will chronicle her journey. I cringe with the author as she deals with seeing her picture splashed on the front page of the newspaper – complete with tape measure revealing an expanded waistline.
But, humiliation soon turns to support when friends and new acquaintances cheer her bravery and her determination to lose weight.
The rest of the book deals with overcoming obstacles such as injury, and learning to balance her new regimen of finding time to exercise and continuing to eat healthy.
This touching "memoir will warm the hearts of dog lovers everywhere; Slugger is the heart and soul of the book, and his dedication,devotion, and love make him an unforgettable character. . . . will appeal equally to readers interested in coping or helping others cope with disabilities. . . This stirring, inspirational story will appeal to teen dog lovers, too.”
“This is the true story of author Leigh Brill and her trained service dog, Slugger. With Slugger's help, Brill, though struggling with cerebral palsy, was able to complete college and earn a masters degree. Now a counselor and motivational speaker, Brill tells how Slugger's help and friendship changed her life.”
Leigh Brill Bio:
I was born in North Carolina and raised in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Growing up amid the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I developed a love of nature along with a passion for writing. I left the valley in 1988 to study at Roanoke College. In spite of the challenges posed by my congenital cerebral palsy, I graduated with honors.
With my first service dog, Slugger, by my side, I went on to obtain a Master’s degree in Counseling from James Madison University. I worked for several years as a therapist in community agencies and then for Ronald McDonald House Charities before deciding to embrace my writing career in earnest.
Now in the company of both my second service dog Kenda, and her working successor, Pato I am writing my next book; Miranda and Charlie and the Great Cupcake Caper is the first in a series of fictional juvenile stories featuring an energetic kid-detective and her service dog.
My thoughts:
I have to admit to knowing very little about the training and duties of service dogs, but after reading A Dog Named Slugger, I've received a valued education on the trials of those who rely on the performance of these wonderful animals.
From the author's, sometimes, heartbreaking childhood, to the discovery that she could find true companionship and independence with Slugger by her side, this book captures every emotion.
I was heartened to read that, although these dogs maintain a "working relationship" with their partners, they are also allowed to have fun and just be dogs. The sock game that Brill and Slugger played is a perfect example.
I look forward to reading Leigh Brill's new juvenile series, beginning with Miranda and Charlie and the Great Cupcake Caper.
WOOF ran across this little historical tribute toAPRONSand thought it would be a fun way to honor Mother’s Day …
Back in the day, the principal use of a woman’s apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids..
And when the weather was cold a woman wrapped it around her arms
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, a woman walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.
REMEMBER:
There was a time a woman set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Today her granddaughter sets hers on the window sill to thaw.
Wouldn't folks go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron?
We don't think anyone ever caught anything from an apron - but love...
******************* For more stories honoring women, Buy WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty
***** (Five Star Rating) Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI)
******************************* "Mid-life still means you have about half of it to go. "Women Only Over 50: Who Are Still Puppies at Heart" is targeted at the middle-aged woman who is faced with several new challenges but still wants to live their lives to the fullest. Wrinkles, the departure of children, weight gain, and so much more is discussed with wit and wisdom, making "Women Only Over 50" an ideal gift to oneself or a beloved WOOFer." *******************************
"You have to start by changing the story you tell yourself about getting older...The minute you say to yourself, 'Time is everything, and I'm going to make sure that time is used the way I dream it should be used,' then you've got a whole different story."—Diane Sawyer
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"Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical." —Sophia Loren
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