{ Volume Xxiv, Number 4 } July & August 2009

{ Volume XXIV, Number 4 } July & August 2009

A Publication of the Women’s Community Center of San Luis Obispo County

FREE ADMISSION

August 8th 2009 10am - 5pm Mission Plaza, SLO

Featuring

Live Music, Handcrafted Items & Kidz Zone!

Painting by Elise Beavers

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WCC Move

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Motherhood

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Day With Creative Women Details

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Creative Women

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Voices Around the Table:

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Transitioning Your Community

Promoting Equality

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Women’sPress

Women’s Press | July & August 2009 | [email protected]

Courtney’s Quill Well, summer has officially begun, and we seem to be in the midst of perfect summer weather! I love the longer days, the warmer evenings, and the overflowing local produce stocked at every local farmers market. And, of course, this is always the time of the year for me to catch up on the stack of novels growing more quickly than my own children! Oh how I love summer! Besides the time to read and cook, summer also brings one of the most fun events to our town. Day with Creative Women takes place on August 8, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Mission Plaza. This event celebrates women artists from a variety of genres and mediums. There is a place for children to play, for vendors to sell their crafts and artwork, and for everyone to dance to the wonderful musical artists who send amazing tunes throughout the entire plaza! I have enjoyed this festival for the past five years, and yet, did you know that this is the 35th anniversary of the festival? Wow. Congratulations to the Women’s Community Center for putting on such a fantastic event every year. This issue follows with Day with Creative Women, as this is our creative issue. Please look on page 4 for all the wonderful poems we received. We truly have some talented women in our community, and I am so proud and happy to publish some of their amazing personal thoughts and poems. Bravo to all of our amazing artists. Finally, I urge you to spend a little time volunteering for Women’s Press. We are in desperate need of some help, and I promise you the work is minimal. If you are at all interested, please contact us at [email protected]. So, enjoy your summer and all the goodness that comes with this time of year, and I hope to see you at Day with Creative Women!

Courtney

YOU CAN HELP CREATE THE BEST NEWSPAPER ON THE CENTRAL COAST!

Drum Circle Magic Part Seven:

Rhythmic Enlightenment Welcome back to the circle. If you have been following this column, we have taken a journey together into the various aspects of rhythm. These explorations have included the universal, emotional, personal, heart beat, communicative, and intuitive aspects of drumming. Some of you may see a pattern. Contemplating the format to use in beginning this series, I was drawn to the human chakra system as a mode for discussing the essentials, as this is the basis of our energetic presence. In keeping with this template, we have arrived at our connection to the Divine. Our brains are separated into two hemispheres, the left and right, responsible for logic and creativity, respectively. These halves take turns, lasting about 30 minutes

to 3 hours playing the dominant role. Not only are we switching sides, we are often generating many separate wave patterns, at varying frequencies, on either side. Our conscious thoughts are supported by three major types of brain waves: Beta, the outward, logical, analytical speech mode; Alpha, a slower, more relaxed, creative state; and Theta, the most profound and dreamlike, interfacing conscious and unconscious thought. Theta is the frequency of advanced learning and physical and emotional healing, but is very hard to maintain, usually leading quickly into Delta, the pattern of sleep. At any given time several conscious frequencies, even possibly the same but out of sync, may be taking place within the brain.

Correction from Last Issue

Cover Artist Ashley Wertheimer

About This Issue’s Cover Artist

Elise Beavers Elise Beavers is a third year student in the Communication Design program at California State University Chico, studying Graphic Design. Originally from Moraga, California, she has studied fine art for over ten years and is currently working to build her portfolio to advance within her program. She hopes to establish herself in the Graphic Design industry, with a focus on advertising and package design.

Last issue’s cover artist bio for Ashley Wertheimer was inaccurate. We sincerely apologize for this mistake. The title for the cover art was “Waiting.” In her own words:

To have a deeper experience, the trick is to sync both sides of the brain to the same frequency, known as hemispheric synchronization, preferably in Alpha or Theta. Hemispheric synchronization in Theta creates a state of consciousness during which much greater integration is possible. We become insightful, access intuition and creativity easily, experience spontaneous healing, and more directly perceive our connection to the Divine. Chanting, dancing, spinning, meditating, from the beginning of human existence, we have sought to achieve this blissful, indescribable, transformational state of grace otherwise known as transcendental consciousness, and extend it for as long as possible. As covered in earlier articles, sound very effectively produces entrainment, making trance inducing drumming one of the easiest ways to synchronize and maintain Theta waves. This was the major role of the ancient Priestesses, it is the Shaman’s Way, the Path of the Sufi, the Mystic Heart and the ultimate purpose of drumming. Even if you are only planning to have a little fun with your drum (and there is nothing wrong with that!), you should be aware of this aspect. It is the source of cultural reverence, the incredible persistence of the practice in the face of persecution, and the feeling of oneness within a circle. You hold a powerful tool for increased health, well-being, and spiritual insight. How far you take it is up to you. So play and grow and until next time, keep the beat! My piece “Waiting” belongs to a body of work that focuses on a moment of crisis. Interested in manmade disaster, such as nuclear, and its ability to match the destructive forces of nature, this piece creates my own vision of the catastrophic moment before the two powers collide. The theme of manmade order and nature has carried over into my final year as an art and design major at Cal Poly, now focusing on royal European gardens and the taming of the natural world. Using water fountains as my subject matter, my recent work explores the liquidity of paint, specifically the manner in which it breaks down a form creating tension between figure and ground. “Waiting” was shown in January at Traditional Tattoo as part of my first solo show. I’m graduating in June as a fifth year senior Art and Design major at Cal Poly. I lived in Italy and studied art for a year, an amazing experience that has changed my life forever. After I fulfill my desire to travel abroad again, I hope to continue on to grad school in the near future.

Women’s Community Center Board

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Angie King, President Sonia Paz Baron-Vine Robin Rinzler

see the callout on page 14. 6000 free copies distributed in SLO County. Subscriptions available. MAILING ADDRESS: Women’s Press Women’s Community Center PO Box 13659 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 805.544.9313 Managing Editor: Courtney Brogno [email protected] Layout & Design: Benjamin Lawless [email protected] Advertising Team: Renee Sante, Kathleen Deragon & Benjamin Lawless

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Articles, essays, opinion pieces, letters, artwork, poetry wanted & appreciated. The Women’s Press reserves the right to edit all submissions for content, clarity & length. Contact [email protected] or call 805-544-9313. Submissions will also be placed online. The opinions expressed in the Women’s Press are those of the authors & do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Women’s Community Center. The Women’s Community Center does not necessarily endorse products or services advertised in the Women’s Press.

Contributors

MaryAine Cherry Jeanie Greensfelder Laura Grace Judythe Guarnera Hilda Heifetz Lisa Pimental Johnson Lisa Jouet Angie King Evelyn Adams Barbara Atkinson Cassandra Carlson MaryAine Cherry Kathleen Deragon Bailey Drechsler Anne Dunbar Cynthia Fatzinger Ani Garrick Angela Henderson Margaret Hennessy Jane Hill Susan Howe

Heather Mendel Jen Mowad Berta Parrish Adele Sommers Jill Turnbow Jacqueline Turner Andrea Zeller

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July & August 2009 | www.womenspress-slo.org | Women’s Press

Timeless Insights from “The E-Myth Manager” by Adele Sommers Whether you’re in a large organization or a small business startup, a few elusive questions you may be pondering are: “Are we there yet?” “Are are people happy and committed enough to stay, learn, and grow with us, while contributing 110% of their talents to our success?” “Are we creating conditions that will help people feel valued while they contribute remarkably and directly to our mission and goals?” “What would it look like when everyone is engaged in a focused, concerted, and deeply rewarding effort to produce worldclass products and services?” Michael E. Gerber offers timeless insights into this ongoing journey in The E-Myth Manager: Why Most Managers Aren’t Effective and What to Do About It. Gerber proposes a way to innovate, quantify, and orchestrate the results you wish to see, which includes the following advice: 1) Responsibility: Recognize that everyone in the organization shoulders the responsibility for identifying the best way to solve problems and achieve desired results. As a group, aim for “discovering the very best methods, processes, and systems for producing results that will make everyone in the organization, and everyone depending upon it, extremely successful” (p. 130). 2) Goal setting: Provide all personnel with a way to “set their own benchmarks, personal and organizational, and then help them in every way you can” to realize those goals. Give people access to up-to-date information on results and ask them to ana-

lyze and share daily what they are learning about improving their individual and group performances (p. 132-33). 3) Generating revenue: Encourage every person in the organization to think like an entrepreneur and operate like a personal revenue center. Provide insight into organizational cash flows and involve everyone in the subject of money: “how it works, where it goes, how much is left, how it’s spent, and how much everyone gets at the end of the day” (p. 144). 4) Expectations: Set unusual (but not unreasonable) expectations, such as asking all staff members to tell the truth as they see it regarding the organization, despite how difficult it may be because of prior upbringing and conditioning. Request their commitment to being fully present each day and to nurturing a desire to learn. Ask them to continually discover what works, what doesn’t work, and why. If something isn’t working, aim to discover increasingly better ways of doing it (p. 202-04). These snapshots of organizational culture suggest a need for transparency; for leaders modeling the behaviors and roles they want their personnel to emulate; for shared learning, continuous improvement, observing cause and effect, and personal responsibility; and for measuring and monitoring results. Adele Sommers, Ph.D. is a business performance consultant who helps entrepreneurs align their life passions with their business purpose. She also guides organizations through “tactical tune-ups” and “strategic makeovers” in individual or group sessions. Contact her today for a free initial consultation at Adele@ LearnShareProsper.com, or 805-462-2199.

Women’s Community Center Moves to New Location “Wow, I didn’t remember we had all these posters and signs.” “Gee, where did this old notebook come from.” That and other similar comments were heard as we cleared out the old space, including the upstairs storage room, for our move. For those of you who don’t come into the Center, but only come to our activities or read about us in the Women’s Press, this news may come as a shock – but the Women’s Community Center has moved!! As of June 1, 2009, the Women’s Community Center of San Luis Obispo County has re-located from the Goodwill Building, 880 Industrial Way, to our new location at 4251 South Higuera Street, in San Luis Obispo. We got the word in April that we might have to move if Goodwill received a big grant permitting them to provide direct client services – and they did! While this was great news for the people Goodwill serves, it was bad news for the non-profits who had been part of the “family” at their building. “While we were sad to leave the congenial collaboration of other non-profits in the Goodwill Building,” said Angie King, president of the Board of Directors, “we are very happy with the new space. We expect to grow our relationships with our new neighbors in our new location.” WCC’s new quarters, inside the San Luis Obispo Business Center, makes available to the organization more space for program activities, including the on-going legal clinic and divorce seminars. There are conference rooms for our divorce clinic and for other

public meetings we sponsor. The San Luis Business Center provides all the business amenities, including Internet access, copy machines, storage space, and a receptionist! The move culminated a month’s search, led by Robin Rinzler of the Board with numerous volunteers. “WCC depends on volunteers for our activities,” said Robin, “and it was very gratifying that so many people stepped up to help us find just the right place to move.” WCC had several options, but we couldn’t find just the “right fit” and at a price we could afford until we saw this space. We are now officially moved in, and our posters and signs and notebooks are all put away in drawers and cupboards. The Women’s Press materials are there, too. Come see us at our new location. It’s at the T intersection where Los Osos Valley Road meets South Higuera Street. You can’t miss it! In fact, we are telling people signed up for the divorce clinic that they will run smack into the building if they don’t make that turn off LOVR! And because we didn’t have a new address for a while, when we were searching for the new office space, the board decided we needed a PO Box. Especially with Day with Creative Women coming up, we didn’t want to miss any of the vendor applications as they came in. Please note our new mailing address is PO Box 13659, San Luis Obispo CA 93406. If you notice anything with our old address on it, please call and let us know so we can have it changed. The phone number is still the same.

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Chanting a Buddhist Chant to Add Some Balance

Painting by Anne Barga

by June Beck Looking back to analyze appearances of the Sacred Feminine in his-story keeps my head over my shoulder. How can I keep my focus forward, embracing balance instead? I can chant! Some see Buddhism as dominated by masculine energy, but meditation has always depended on openness. According to Buddhist Anne Cushman, author of Enlightenment for Idiots, the Sacred Feminine values “the interpersonal aspect of practice; the intimate aspect of practice; the qualities of unwinding and opening rather than dominating and controlling.” Even if some men who practiced Buddhism have reflected the gender discrimination of their time, the practice itself has embraced the sacred energies of both the masculine and the feminine. Every day Tibetan Buddhists, including the Dalai Lama, recite chants to 21 goddesses. Closer to home, a statue of Prajna Paramita sits next to the Buddha on the altar at Spirit Rock, a Buddhist retreat center near San Francisco. I chant The Green Tara Mantra because she represents spontaneous, fearless action, action that arises from compassion. YouTube “Green Tara Mantra” and you will hear Her chant: Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha. Chant the Green Tara Mantra to experience an intimate interpersonal connection with the Sacred Feminine. As the music of

the psyche engages the body, breath, and mind, chanting opens the heart. When I practice regularly, issues become easier to analyze and transform. Bad moods, for instance, lose that mysterious quality. With clarity, I know what is on my mind instead of having to act out scavenger hunts, adding drama and creating suffering, which affects not only me. But that’s not all. Recent studies in how the brain works reinforce the value of chanting. According to George Lakoff, professor of cognitive and linguistic science at Berkeley, recent studies show what we think creates neural circuits—ruts for our minds to slip into. Chanting the Green Goddess Mantra can deconstruct the socio-cultural notion that God stands alone as masculine and Goddess, only as other than God. The trick lies in the creation of new circuits. Knowing what we know about the brain, we can see that chanting the Green Goddess Mantra is a useful tool, connecting the Sacred Feminine to creator, to power, to strength – creating a Sacred Feminine groove for our minds to slip into all day. In this way, we might move ourselves into a new world, a world in which both the masculine and the feminine are seen as integral parts of the whole. Chant with me and others on the first Wednesday of every month at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Los Osos (on Los Osos Valley Road) at 5pm.        

The new WCC offices at 4251 South Higuera Street, in San Luis Obispo

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CreativeWomen

Arthur By Dorothy Segovia I am in my robe and cute red flip-flops from Spain, searching half-heartedly for a dog named Arthur. He is black and not mine. I thought I saw him sneaking through his front yard, head down, furtively glancing about. Though I can’t pick him out of a line up, I’ve met Arthur twice. Both times I was pushing his head out of my crotch while his buddy Cesar, the grey German Shepard, tried to barrel out the front door, not caring that I was in the way, and probably preferring that I was. I am the voice that Cesar recognizes as trying to stop his 24-hour barking cycles – a useless and ineffective dog whisperer. I peek through the round hole in the fence hoping to see that Arthur is actually there, but only Cesar lunges at the wooden barrier. If I do find Arthur, I’ll have to block the entrance with my body long enough to shove Arthur in and slam the gate shut. Now I want to go home. Home to my television and tea, where my barking, messy feelings are safely tucked behind my high, chain link fence. I turn in time to see a black shape slinking across the street several blocks away. Being a non-dog owner, I shrug and climb the stairs to my studio. I am on my way to call Daphne at work to tell her that I’m almost certain that Arthur is loose.

R.I.P. By Kathy Bond Goodbye to rural Harford and Cecil Counties. Maryland roads that proved a maze, that challenged us to get around. Great people, but nothing’s next door. Route 40 and I-95 became part of our lingo. Different stores, Food Lion, Happy Harry’s Pharmacy. Coffee and the Cecil Whig from Royal Farms, or cross tracks and inhale fumes—nobody walks in these parts. Tall, sandstone-colored new library—formerly, one room over City Hall, opposite the MARC station. We met soccer moms, nuns from school, old friends, and family, in Angie’s hospital room. Help included nurses, social workers, counselors, a financial planner, an attorney, and a tax preparer who all gave peace of mind in different ways. Studio 432 features recycled art made by Trashy Women. The owner, a survivor, recognized the pink-ribboned group’s karmic energy. It also provided a refuge on those lonely, long winter days.

Women’s Press | July & August 2009 | [email protected]

A Pocket Memory By Jeannie Greensfelder I joined my father as he got ready for work. Before trampolines, I jumped on the bed  and came to life, laughing with him.   Pop, dressed in his gray, tweed suit, slipped his watch into his vest, swung his tie around his neck and with magic twists and turns of his arms, tucked it into place.   Each morning I begged to go with him. His eyes sparkled. He’d smile and sing, “I’ll carry you in my pocket, Sweetie.”   I imagined fitting into his hand and then into his pocket, ready to dance on his desk. The ritual completed, off we set, me to first grade, him to the office.   Several years later he died. No longer jumping, lying on my bed, I feared I’d forget our time together until I heard his lilting whisper, “Carry my memory with you. Keep me in your pocket, Sweetie.”

Post-Traumatic Peach By Anne R. Allen I found a bruised, forgotten peach beneath fall apples in a bowl. Craving one last taste of summer, I bit between its wounds into flesh so succulent I bit again, and twice again— juice running down my chin until my teeth sank into hidden rot that ringed its stony core. I washed juice from my face, hands, breast— sickened by my own peach-lust. But oh, my unforgotten love, I’ve never tasted fruit so sweet!

Photo by B. Lawless

Angie’s Last Moments By Kathy Bond Due for medications at 8 p.m.— Tylenol and Phenobarbitol suppositories— to sedate, and prevent seizures, our daughter-in-law feels Angie probably thought—and felt— “Oh, Sweet Jesus, take me now,” and rightly so. She’d suffered seven years of a dreadful disease, and at the end, we all wanted to see her comfortable, peaceful, and rested. A runner a lot of her life, her legs moved restlessly—and often— in her hospital bed. “Pain,” the nurses said. She seemed less agitated at home in her final days, and responded to her children’s voices. She’d had Last Rites that afternoon and left under a dark blue velvet cloak of silver stars.

Her Old Kentucky Home By Jeannie Greensfelder After a road trip to Florida my brother drove my mother and me through Kentucky to seek her teensy home town. At fifteen, an angry adolescent, I wanted to get back home to my friends.   So many stops, so many inquiries to learn she sought a ghost town. When an old couple recalled her clan, she was as home as she was going to get.   A bit later my mother yelled, “Stop here!” I pouted and couldn’t care less while she stood in a field alone, staring, breathing, sniffing the air, just wasting my time.   I remember her often in that stance.  long to know the memories never shared, and wonder what she felt that summer day.   Six years later she died, left a clue in her safe deposit box: a marriage annulment from 1910—her nine year old sister, the witness; my mother, the bride at thirteen.

Due to the author’s wishes, we are not placing this poem for view on our website. To see the poem that is printed here, please pick up a physical copy of this issue.

Kindled By Jeannie Greensfelder Ready for tea I turn on the gas burner. Staring at its tidy, twenty-eight blue points, I glimpse the twig fire of my forebears.   I imagine amazing them with my stove, running water, packaged food, and wonder how long till they’d be stressed like me.   I would ask them to teach me the night sky, help launch my circadian rhythms, and shake me till I come to my senses.

Sweet Lawrence By Sonia Paz-Baron When she was born her mom was too young and unmarried So it was decided by the elders in her family that she was to be raised by her uncle and aunt who were childless She grew up knowing that her real mom had been called “aunty” She had no sisters or brothers and was kept indoors and quiet She had a talent for sports but was not allowed to participate She was betrothed very young to an older man who was in her family’s eyes a good catch. And so, sweet Lawrence, with her green eyes and golden hair walked down the isle looking pretty and agreed to everyone’s requests but her own... Not twenty years old yet, she gave birth to a beautiful little girl, she was happy but her husband said, we will try again for a boy... Obediently she complied and produced the expected boy, who she loved and brought much joy to her family. But sweet Lawrence had a special love for her little girl, and when they were alone Lawrence’s creativity flourished, and she made up magical stories told under the starry sky, these stories took them to a fantasy world where they could be anything they wanted, singers, artists, poets, writers, dancers, and so sweet Lawrence taught her little girl who grew up fiercely strong and independent, creative and talented. Years have passed and Sweet Lawrence has white hair, her green eyes have a tinge of blue.. And she writes still, magical stories to pass to her great granddaughters.... Time has changed her, she is now assertive and feisty... she drives and organizes other women from her era..she is a leader

CreativeWomen

July & August 2009 | www.womenspress-slo.org | Women’s Press

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What If I Fail? By Inglis Carre’-Dellard, M.F.A.

Hooked on Artist Trading Cards by Yvonne Helms I’ve been scrapbooking for years, and I routinely surf the net looking for new and exciting ideas to try. During my many searches, I kept noticing sites dedicated to Artist Trading Cards or ATCs. Not knowing what these were, but assuming that it was similar to some sort of scrapbooking activity, I eventually clicked on one of them. And I’ve b e e n addicted ever since! ATCs are,

without a doubt, one of the best art discoveries I’ve ever made. Artist Trading Cards are individual works of art that are traded between artists. The only rules for these cards are their size, 2.5” x 3.5”, the same as commercial trading cards, and that they are always traded, never sold. Most ATC artists begin with a stock card base, or similar product, and they usually sign and date the back. But the front of the card, the actual artwork, can be made out of anything and in any media. Some ATCs are painted or hand-drawn, others are collage pieces, some might be made from fabric. When it comes to creating ATCs, the sky’s the limit and anything goes. Once the cards are made, the trading can commence. There is a real sense of instant accomplishment that comes from sharing your little masterpieces with others and receiving someone else’s in return. I’ve been trading my cards at a couple of web-

sites for the last few years (http://www.atcsforall.com is my favorite), but what I really wanted was to find other local ATC artists to trade with. Sadly to sad, at first I wasn’t able to locate anyone who knew about them, so I took it upon myself to introduce ATCs to the county’s many talented artists. Last year I started a Yahoo group, SLO Co. ATC Traders. We now have 35 members and it has been a very busy year for us indeed. The members of SLO Co. ATC Traders are always looking for fun projects to get involved with. We’ve traded in worldw i d e swaps, entered our cards in the Mid-State Fair and had some of our ATCs published in a full-color picture book. One of our youngest members, an 11 year old girl from Santa Margarita, was even interviewed for an online ezine article. Our latest endeavor is a month-long exhibit we’ll be hosting in October at Barnes & Noble Booksellers on Marsh Street. There will be over 100 Artist Trading Cards on display, so please feel free to stop by anytime and check them out. We also have monthly meetings, which are open to the public. So far, everything I’ve done regarding Artist Trading Cards has been one pleasant experience after another. The ATC community is incredibly supportive and friendly. The is nothing pretentious or reticent about ATC artists - just honest, heartfelt comraderie from like-minded individuals willing to help each other succeed in accomplishing their artist goals. Trust me on this one: If you start making ATCs today, you’ll find a world of fun waiting for you tomorrow! For more information about SLO Co. ATC Traders, please go to: http://groups. yahoo.com/group/SLOCoATCTraders

Fear of failure can strike at any time in the creative process. “What if this new direction turns out to be a dead end?” “What if I can’t resolve this composition problem?” “This project was a success, but will I be able to keep this up?” If we step back and consider the problem from a little distance, we can see that fear strikes hardest when we are focusing too much on the product, rather than the process. The product is the surface expression of our creative journey and also a sign pointing out future possible directions for our work. It is not the end of the journey. At the beginning of our journey, when we make the first mark on the canvas or write the first word of a story, the possibilities for how the piece develops seem endless. As we continue to build our project, the possible outcomes decrease in number as one by one the earlier possibilities drop away. As the piece develops, new paths beckon, we choose among them, and others continue to drop away. At the end of the project the work becomes its own unique self. What is driven in the beginning by imagination and inspiration is governed more in its later stages by the craft of working in your medium and your knowledge and experience of your materials. The working life of an artist follows a similar continuum. The wildly variable or extremely timid work of the student smooths out as she gains more experience. She develops procedures and routines that work for her, and are compatible with her temperament and artistic vision. The midcareer and veteran artist has mastered a range of techniques and routines that allow her to more easily interpret the promptings of imagination.

If a work isn’t going well, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the original impulse was flawed. It is often possible to back up and reconsider previous choices by changing areas to reopen some possibilities. Some media are more forgiving and flexible than others. An accident can result in a complete change of direction for a project that will lead the way into exciting new territory. If a series of projects seems to have gone astray, some change in your routine or surroundings could be responsible. Did you discard a tried and true approach when one or two small changes would have sparked your work up without a major reinvention? Have you started painting in the afternoon instead of the morning or vice-versa? Have you traded your usual cup of herb tea for an espresso? Are you distracted by family problems? Any of these factors can have an effect on your process. Often, an exaggerated quest for perfection will cause us to judge good works too harshly. Since art is made by humans, every work will have flaws and inconsistencies reflective of human imperfections. Let’s remember that a truly creative encounter is a beach walk of discovery that will yield new insights to those who are courageous enough to experiment. Experimentation always includes the possibility of failure (call it a learning experience). Don’t let the occasional misstep pull you down into the quicksand of depression and selfdoubt. Dance joyfully with your muse in the sparkling foam of the sea of creativity! Inglis Carre’-Dellard, M.F.A. is a Los Osos artist and teacher whose nature inspired oil paintings are the product of an intuitive encounter with the unknown. Her teaching style emphasizes individuality and self expression in a nurturing environment. For more information, e-mail her at [email protected]

Boundaries By Barbara Atkinson Be for peace, for justice, for truth, for love, and against nothing and no one. For many of us, especially those with a highly sensitive nature, boundaries can be an issue. Energetically speaking, solutions are offered such as surrounding yourself with light or other imaginary barriers of intent. Maybe they work for some, but they never worked for me. The fact is the true and lasting answer to honoring your boundaries is total self-love and acceptance. Often this comes in stages and can take a bit of time. When we let ourselves alone and stop comparing and judging ourselves; when we accept our foibles now (even if we intend to improve); when, with forgiveness, we allow ourselves to be imperfect; when we cut ourselves as much slack as we do others; when we are grateful and allow “what is” right now; self-love and its boundaries come naturally. That’s the spiritual journey – pure and simple. “Barbara! How can I accept what is when it may be awful, when I hate it?” You accept it all because that’s the way it is right now. This acceptance includes accepting how you feel -- accepting yourself while you feel the situation is awful. All your ranting and railings against it won’t change a thing; you’re just expending

wasted energy. It’s a reaction to a situation or behavior; it’s not a response, and there is a difference. Reaction is resistance against something, which is struggle. (That’s what war is, and even if there is a victor, there has been terrible loss and sacrifice on all sides.) When you allow what is and accept whatever is in your path right now, you’re not struggling or warring against yourself. Rather, you’re in a place of loving kindness with yourself and so with life. That love throws off light that is self-healing. When you respond to something, you’re coming from that place of acceptance: you’re accepting the situation, yourself, and the other people involved, and from this place of self-love, you automatically come to the best resolution. You have acknowledged and honored your boundaries and you radiate that light.

A Spiritual Journey By Wendell Berry And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our feet, and learn to be at home.

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Motherhood

Women’s Press | July & August 2009 | [email protected]

Attached Parenting The Children’s Bookshelf By Lisa Pimental Johnson

Principle #2 By Lisa Jouet The second principle of Feeding with Love and Respect is one which logically follows birth. What was unexpected for me was how quickly it started. Attachment parenting, with regards to feeding, starts as soon as the baby first breastfeeds. I soon realized I did not want to feed my sweet baby on any sort of schedule. I felt her wants were her needs at her stage of development. Sometimes this meant she wanted to nurse every hour in the afternoon! I never minded though, for I felt so special and grateful that my body was making milk for her. She loved to breastfeed and was growing like a little weed. Eventually, more time would pass in between nursing sessions, and she would even take a bottle of breast milk from my husband or her grandmother. This was important for us, as I am a mother who also works outside the home. As we approached the time for her to start solids, we gave her pureed sweet yams

and after a week or so, she nibbled on steamed, cooled broccoli. Feeding with love and respect means we eat together as a family and feed our daughter what we are eating. Now that she is two years old, this has helped simplify our mealtimes and has encouraged us to eat well as a good example. I have also learned to let her choose how much she wants to eat and to pay attention to what she eats over the course of a week, not one day. Many parents go crazy, like I did, when they see how little their toddler eats each day. It took at least a year of reading and talking to some educated friends that I finally let my daughter eat without cajoling, coaching, or any sort of running commentary. Imagine how awful it would be if we had someone doing that to us at every meal? My husband and I feel so good about how things are going with the way our daughter eats. I know I feel better trusting my daughter to eat from the healthy choices we give her.

Society for the Self-Absorbed By Jen Mowad With video camera rolling, I have documented my youngest daughter’s first steps over the past week or so. I also have digital pictures of the same events which I can send out in a slideshow via a photo sharing website, and ones taken on my cell phone which can be sent to family member’s cell phones. I have logged the date of those first steps in her digital baby book, along with other humorous and memorable tidbits about her life at this stage. Of course I also updated my blog with both video and pictures. I think the only thing missing is an update to my Facebook page, and since I’m at it, I should join Twitter so I can update her walking status to my friends on there as well. Oh, and how could I forget to post it to the message board of my mom’s group, so all my close and not-so-close mom friends are aware of her latest milestone? Reflecting on the most recent accomplishment of my daughter, I am recognizing just how much attention is focused on our children. Yes, the first years are a thrilling time for both parent and child; watching them grow and develop is exhilarating and fulfilling for every mom and dad and it makes you want to shout from the rooftops with the pride that is brimming over for your child. And I imagine parents have experienced similar feelings of pride for their children for thousands of years, as cavemen boasted of their sons’ first hunting sessions and medieval women delightedly helped their daughters birth their first babies. From the moment a child is born, a parent feels an enormous responsibility for the success of that child and when that

child experiences success, we somehow feel responsible for that as well. Yet, all this attention makes me wonder how our children will develop when such focus and interest is given to their every little word, act, or deed. When I view friend’s blogs, I enjoy reading the latest quirky comments spouted by a curious toddler or watching the goofy dance of a vivacious little tot. But lately I’ve begun to wonder what happens when these children grow up and become aware of the attention they have received almost daily via blogs, e-mails, video, pictures, and social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace? Will this generation be so consumed with themselves that they won’t develop the necessary empathy and respect needed to be positive, productive society members? Will technology continue to develop ways for them to communicate with others, yet not truly connect? Will they become so selfabsorbed that having a “community” only satisfies their need to communicate about themselves and will they comprehend that there is value in connecting and sharing with others? As I move into unprecedented parenting territory with technology as an ever-present part of our daily life, I am committed to utilizing what makes our family’s life easier and what contributes to our quality of life. However, I am also committed to limiting the use of technology when it comes to monitoring and sharing my children’s eating habits, sleeping patterns, and bowel movements. I’m sure my “community” will thank me for that, as will my children some day.

Can you sense it? Energy is sizzling off school children’s skins. Can you smell the aroma of sunscreen in the air? Can you hear the jingle of the ice cream truck on your street? Already the dreamy, goofy smiles of summer are plastered on everyone’s faces! These books will be fun summer reading and might lead to a few adventures too. In the story, That’s Good! That’s Bad! by Margery Cuyler, one little boy’s adventures began at the zoo when his parents presented him with a shiny red balloon. As the shiny red balloon lifts him high in the air, his zoo animal escapades begins from the back of a hippopotamus, swinging on a snake’s tail, getting slurped up in an elephant’s trunk, and getting licked by a big, pink, lion’s tongue. The illustrations by David Catrow are vibrant, richly colored cartoons that hilariously depict the boy’s alternating terror and relief. “A good one to boot!” describes this wildly engaging pirate story. How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long is a voyage set on the high seas with buried treasure, sea chanteys, pirate curses, and throwing food across the table along with manners. Jeremy Jacob, a young boy in the story, happily embraces his new pirate life. He teaches his new pirate friends how to play soccer on board the ship, and they teach him how to pick his teeth with chicken bones. All is happiness in a good stinky pirate way until he discovers what they don’t do...

David Shannon’s illustrations are full of saturated color, detail, and buckets brimming with whimsy. It will almost convince you life is better on a pirate ship with Captain Braid Beard. The next book is mentioned in fondness of the little girl with purple ribbons in her pigtails, who in the bookstore, read out loud the book, Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman, to her captivated audience of adults. Sitting crosslegged, Sponge Bob tennis shoes tucked underneath her on the carpeted floor, she read and giggled through the book while pointing to all the colorful animals. It’s a story of an escaped gorilla who manages to “borrow” the keys of the zoo one long summer night. As the friendly zoo keeper makes his rounds closing the zoo and bidding the animals good night, the gorilla is quietly opening all the animal cages. The animals end up following the zoo keeper through the zoo, eventually ending up at his house. As the tired zoo keeper falls into bed, the animals settle down in his bedroom for sleep. The zoo keeper’s wife wakes up to the cacophony of snoring and takes matters into her own hands! At the end of reading us the story, the little girl in purple ribbon pigtails kissed them all “night-night” on the page. It was hard not to dive to the floor to buy that slightly used book, but her mother silently added it to her purchases. The rest of the adults took that memory home with them!

Honoring Your Needs By Barbara Atkinson When I begin to talk about meeting your own needs, many women automatically find a feeling of selfishness crop up in their minds. Most of us by nature are giving and nurturing beings. Culturally, that has expanded to an ideal of the self-sacrificing wife and mother; historically we have been the unpaid volunteers keeping many organizations afloat. All this until we burn out and wonder why. Meeting your own needs isn’t about not being helpful or kind. It’s about responsibility to the Self. Your responsibility lies with meeting and honoring your own needs with loving kindness and not acquiescing to what you think are another’s needs or only doing what others want you to do. A familiar illustration of this occurs on an airplane: the airline personnel tells everyone about the use of the overhead oxygen mask, instructing parents to first put the mask on themselves and then their child. (You’re no good to anyone if you pass out before you can assist them.) It’s not that your needs supersede another’s needs or that you turn your back on your innate kindness. Rather, when you respond by extending that innate kindness to yourself and honoring your needs, you will find that your response is what’s best for everyone involved, even if that doesn’t seem evident at the time. (This isn’t an excuse for ego to “get its way”; rather it’s a

response to loving the Self enough to listen to its needs.) Look at it this way: if you’re an employer looking for a specific set of skills in an employee, you’re going to do what’s best for you and your business. If someone doesn’t have the skill level you need, but you succumb to feeling sorry for them, via a perceived need of theirs or a sob-story, and then hire them for that reason, you and your business are in trouble. Eventually, you’ll be faced with having to let them go, and what a bigger mess that will create for everyone involved. It’s also true that those who apply for the position and don’t get hired may feel their needs haven’t been met and may blame you. When you meet your needs at the seeming expense of another, trust that there is a higher purpose at work. In the years that follow, these individuals may look back on this perceived failure, and realize it was the best thing that could have happened at the time. Like the employer, you are charged to meet your own needs, to honor your Self. Trusting Life is the wisdom of allowing, and not assuming you know what is best for anyone or anything else; that’s the job of Spirit. Just like you, other people have their own relationship with All There Is, their life lessons, and their own responsibility to Self. The only way to proceed, then, is to honor your own needs trusting all is well and will be well.

Voices

July & August 2009 | www.womenspress-slo.org | Women’s Press

7

Come Over to My Pad By Molly Kight

How can women promote their equality without being seen as radical? Dorothy Segovia I  best promote  my equality by assuming and then acting like I am equal. This has to do with confidence and ownership. I also had to work with my anger. When discussing issues, because I want the other person to hear me, I make sure my emotional energy is clear before entering into the conversation.  Barbara Atkinson I think the way “for women to promote their equality without being seen as radical” is not to worry about how you’ll be perceived.  No matter how strong or mild you proceed in this promotion, there will always be those who criticize your opinion or action. Some might even think you radical when you consider your response to be very moderate; it’s all a matter of perception and that varies from person to person.  To me, the way to proceed is with loving kindness—honoring what is true for you and which speaks to justice and equality for all peoples regardless of gender, race, creed or sexual orientation. It’s the winning way. Anne R. Allen I’m not sure there’s anything a woman can do to avoid being called “radical” by a right wing blowhard, except maybe offer him a b.j. while simultaneously leading an anti-choice rally, cooking his favorite meal, and giving birth. And of course she’d have to support him and his drug habit. So maybe it isn’t such a bad label. That said, I think feminists have often sabotaged ourselves by letting bullies with their own personal agendas hijack the movement. An example: recently a woman doctor asked me to picture a peaceful beach while I went through a scary and brutally painful medical procedure. Trying to lighten my own anxiety, I joked that I was picturing some hot guys on that beach. The doctor and her nurse turned on me with icy fury, saying that some women weren’t attracted to men, and I should visualize with “equal opportunity.” I’m not making this up. Those women weren’t just “radical,” they were narcissistic, clueless, and bullying. We need to learn the difference.

Sonia Paz Baron-Vine Just by acting like regular adults, without justifying or becoming confrontational we have earned after all, the equal right to give our opinions, make our decisions, and be assertive without being afraid. Just by being the wonderful creatures mother earth made us to be...full of light and power. Bailey Drechsler What’s wrong with being seen as radical?  I say, when it comes to promoting equality, radical measures are sometimes required.  What’s that quote about women making history?  “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”  Cheers to  our radical foremothers! Sadie Johann Serve homemade brownies with your discussion about a revolution! Denise Gibbons Be strong, independent, fair, and loving. You do not need to shove down people’s throats how “equal” woman are, you just need to believe it yourself and live like that everyday. Angie King My first off-the-cuff reaction is why shouldn’t we be seen as radical?  Didn’t Gloria Steinem define “feminism”  as the “radical notion that women are people”?  emphasis on radical. I think some people are threatened when we just act equal (and therefore, radical) and they see only the part that is “different” from their preconceived notion of how women are supposed to behave, and they can’t or don’t see the equality part. I’d say, just keep on being yourself. They’ll figure it out eventually.

Next issue question: Life, work, children, friends, spouses, free time: How do you do it all? E-mail responses to [email protected]

We’ve Come Undun! By Jackie Turner Are you stressed out? Feeling unglued? How many of your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members are ‘coming undun’? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is… far too many! Maybe this will cheer you up! What do we have to worry about? Just: unemployment; the stock market; the state of the economy and the national debt; the threat of terrorism; the real estate market; the health-care crisis; the wars in Iraq/Afghanistan and possible wars in Korea, Iran, etc.; global warming; our perishing rain forests and wildlife; national and international drug problems; prison overcrowding; dwindling funds for educators, education, libraries, social services; homelessness and poverty; poverty of spirit; Social Security; child, animal, elder abuse and neglect; the overworked/underpaid employed; minimum wage/part-time employed; single parent families/combined families struggling to get along; cancer; swine flu pandemic;

corporate greed; unsavory and unethical politicians; stolen pensions; gangs and violence; rising gas prices; unhappy, unhealthy and unrewarded soldiers returning home to a mess … and so on and so forth. This is my partial list … now you can add your own, if you wish. Then there is the single issue nonsense —gay marriage (let everyone have the pleasure of this foolishness); pro-choice (it’s personal choice! If you don’t like it, don’t do it!); Creationism (are they kidding about this?); Sarah Palin and Sarah Palin’s daughters (who really cares?); the Obama White House dog (did they really get it from the animal shelter?). Haven’t we seen enough of this crap? Next time you hear of a co-worker going ‘postal’, or a plane crash due to human error, or a family member involved in a domestic violence situation, or someone living with their family in a car, don’t ask why. You know! Thank you for listening. I can be reached at [email protected]

Last evening, I spied my husband wistfully staring into one of my bathroom drawers, still stuffed with various feminine hygiene products. “Ahem…” I cleared my throat. He looked hazy. “What are you doing?” I wanted to know. “Oh nothing,” he sighed, “Just remembering the good old days.” I miss those days too: a little cramp here, some zits along my jaw line, and breasts more tender than a slow-cooked hen—all the while being controlled by Lucifer himself. Good times, good times… Nowadays, when I am having a good day, it usually consists of trying (unsuccessfully) to put on fake eyelashes, ignoring my scale, and not dropping an iron skillet on my step-son’s head. A good day means only having hot flashes every other hour, and using only one Kleenex to wipe away tears after opening an email photo of a fuzzy kitten sitting in a bowl of spaghetti. On a bad day I spin my head around 360° and vomit beef barely soup. I just went to Costco yesterday and there is already no milk left, and Frosted Wheat shreds are sprinkled on my formerly clean counters. On a day like this, my husband will call me about a dozen times on his way home to gauge my mood. If he senses the tide turning for the worst, he’ll find something to do outside, like watch the grass grow. I have seen him go to bed as early as 6pm to avoid confrontation with the Hormonal Hellion. An avid couch potato, my sweetheart knows that on a night like this, the only thing he will be watching is the Bitch Network, with my 850 channels and HD (Highly Demented) picture. This is my life after my “hystericalectomy.” Hysteria (noun): 1. An uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear, often characterized by irrationality, laughter, weeping, etc. 2. a psychoneurotic disorder characterized by violent emotional outbreaks, disturbances of sensory and motor functions and various abnormal effects due to autosuggestion. The term originates with the Greek term, hysterikos. This medical condition, particular to women, was thought to be caused by disturbances of the uterus, hystera in Greek. The term hysteria was coined by Hippocrates, who thought that suffocation and madness arose in women whose uteri had become too light and dry from lack of sexual intercourse. Oh, I see, Hippo, if women don’t have enough sex, they dry up and go crazy. Who knew that Hippocrates was the originator of pornography? Go soak your head in olive oil and put on an itchy, wool toga, Hippocratic Oaf. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I unceremoniously threw my feminine assortment into a plastic Rite-Aid bag: mini-pads (for lighter days), panty-liners (I am not sure exactly what those are supposed to do), pads with wings and dry weave (sounds like a bird and her nest), thong liners and tampons. By the time I was done loading the bag, it occurred to me that I was about to throw out $200 of battened, quilted, and rolled up cotton. What was I thinking? Tossing “The Fabric of Our Lives” was unAmerican, not to mention eco-unfriendly. I just couldn’t do it. In a brilliant epiphany, I called my friend Trina and said, “Hey Treen, You still have your uterus, right?” There was a long pause and then a tentative, “Yeah, why? Did you want to borrow it?” “No, Silly,” I rambled, “I was cleaning out my tampon drawer today and thought of you.” Another cessation, and Trina says, “Let me get this straight. You thought of me

when you cleaned out your tampon drawer? Maybe you should get hormone replacement therapy and call me back another time?” she advised. I hung up and looked for a noose. Being the hysterical woman I am, I tend to turn to humor to push me through a day that has already started out confusing and somewhat humiliating. I searched for the label-maker in the cupboard amongst placemats, spilled Skin-So-Soft, obsolete cell phone cords, and a dog brush full of cat hair-- go figure. It took me 15 minutes to find it because I remembered it as a red machine, when in fact, it was blue. Though I hadn’t utilized it in about two years, it was fully loaded with label tape: a good sign that I interpreted as encouragement to go forward with my plan. I began to type in frenzy, as if I were texting a friend to tell her I saw Cher go into JackIn-the-Box. I pushed the Tic-Tac-sized “print” button, heard Wall-E sounds, and pulled the “cut” lever. I snickered as I fumbled with the adhesive and paper separation. I got my bag of pads n’ ‘pons and greeted it. “hi gene,” I giggled at my witticism. I dumped the bag on the dining room table like a bucket of clams. I sorted the items by style and use, commencing with an ultra absorbent, Milano cookie-shaped pad. “if you are looking for wings -go to KFC,” I adhered to the rip strip on the back and looked for my bag of Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Milanos. I chuckled and punched in another clever quip, printed and peeled. “eat, bleed, and be mary.” I was entertained and queasy at the same time. Next, “keepin’ the cotton industry alive!” In these economic times, we have to support our agrarians. Still smirking, I busied myself, therapeutically working through years of feminine angst. Here I was, a grown woman, pasting labels to feminine paraphernalia in place of doing my taxes. Still feeling empathy for those who must use, I offered, “check out our website www.chocolateondemand.com for a valuable coupon.” A clever peel to reveal idea, “and the oscar goes to…” A panty-liner got this somewhat tacky script: “if you put this deodorant liner near your ear, you shouldn’t smell the ocean.” I began to laugh so hard, I cried and piddled a little in my pants. Darn it, I could have used that panty liner. “Is your patience as thin as this pad?” I nodded an emphatic “yes” and added it to the pile building shoulder high. I bundled everything with a rubber band from last night’s asparagus and made one more “crotchety” comment, “if you are reading this, you probably are not pregnant.” Progressing, I picked up the pizza slice shaped, thong pads: I don’t know why I purchased those in the first place. When I was having ‘that time of the month,’ the last thing I was concerned with was panty lines. Feeling like a pond cadaver from an episode of CSI is not going to inspire me to wear white, snug Daisy Dukes. Along the same lines of thinking, why not order a double decaf espresso with sugar free vanilla and then add whipped topping. What is the point? That’s my point, thong pads are assinine. (Some pun!) I advise, “narrow end faces back.” I perkily chirped to no-one in particular, “I know a funny one…does this pad make my butt look fat?” Oh, I knew that would be a side splitter. I continued labeling the wedgies and secured them into a bouquetlike bunch with another rubber band. Folks at home, sing with me, “Roll out the tampons, roll out the tampons of fun.” After putting two ‘pons aside for future nose bleeds, I began with, “TNT. This tam-

Continued in MY PAD, p. 14

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Body&Soul

Women’s Press | July & August 2009 | [email protected]

By Berta Parrish

Unsung Heroine

Anneka Scranton doesn’t have to read The Purpose Driven Life because she could have written it. She has dedicated her vocation and avocation to increasing peace and justice at the community and international levels. No small task! But Anneka, who celebrates the small wins, is not discouraged; she keeps extending her efforts from regional initiatives to global movements. She describes the purpose that drives her life as, “I always try to find common ground and connection. People are searching for something more profound, something greater than themselves. When we get past our differences, we can create together what we want to see in the world.” Anneka’s educational experiences provide the perfect foundation for practicing what she preaches. After earning a Ph.D. in public organization, she was an Assistant Clinical Professor at USC’s Graduate School of Social Work for nearly fifteen years, training people in community organizing, planning, and administration. While in LA, she also served on the Liberty Hill Foundation board, a social justice foundation that supports change, not charity, by funding grassroots projects that mitigate poverty and injustice. After retiring from teaching and moving to Los Osos, this social activist didn’t let grass grow under her feet. As co-founder of the Central Coast Clergy and Laity for Justice, Anneka is currently building bridges within many of the local faith-based organizations. Relying on the power of the Spirit, these leaders from various religious traditions promote compassion, generosity, and respect for diversity by focusing on economic justice, human/civil rights, environmental justice, and peace/non-violence.

Anneka Scranton Forging Common Ground

By Laura Grace

I cannot do without something which is greater than I, which is my life—the power to create. —Vincent Van Gogh Summer is a time of growth, maturity, abundance, and creativity. Creative selfexpression allows us to connect with the wisdom and desires of our souls. It enables us to deepen our self-understanding and promote healing. It also serves as prayer, drawing us closer to our Creator and our own divinity. As co-creators, it takes a great deal of strength to be a conscious co-creator. Every day, we are given a chance to express ourselves to share an inspired idea which brings some comfort and healing to our community, and the world. It’s as if the Universe is claiming: “I place before you a brand new day. Create with your heart and your soul, and make it the best day of your life. This is my deepest gift to you.” Created in the image and after the likeness of our Creator, we don’t get a choice about whether we will be creative, but we can choose what we create. Our thoughts are powerful beyond measure, and we are capable of creating whatever is in our souls via myriad forms: singing, sculpting, building a business, cultivating a loving relationship. The list goes on and on. Each and every day, every situation provides us with an opportunity to express our deepest selves. As we give birth to the divine spark that is within our souls, we open to the great and abundant lives for which we are created. In my own life, I’ve witnessed how much healing occurs and how much joy I experience when I expose my deepest and authentic self. This can happen while painting, cooking, penning a heartfelt article for Women’s Press, or, as the Spiritual Leader of the Circle of Spiritual Enlightenment,

According to Anneka, it is “more strategic to bring congregational leaders together, to use pre-formed organizations for positive social change.” This deep conviction in all aspects of human rights unifies her volunteer efforts, such as helping the homeless as a Friend of Prado Day Center, educating the public as a frequent instructor for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and advocating for a Human Rights Commission for SLO County. Convinced about the power of women to affect change, Anneka has become very active in the Global Fund for Women, a nonprofit foundation that advances women’s rights worldwide. It raises funds for women-led organizations that promote the economic security, health, safety, education and leadership of women and girls. Serving as a site visitor to current and potential grant recipients is extremely rewarding. “When I see how the grantees endure life threatening situations yet struggle for something better, I gain hope.” Furthermore, she adds, “those who suffer so deeply yet remain committed to social justice inspire me to never give in or give up.” We all struggle with balancing our distress over the world’s endless conflicts and our efforts for internal harmony. Is it possible to be an involved activist and a centered person? Will Keepin, founder of the Satyana Institute, believes that “activism without spirituality is blind and spirituality without activism is lame. What we need now is a new form of spiritual activism that combines both spiritual and social transformation.” We need people like Anneka who rely on the Ground of All Being to forge common ground to resolve today’s momentous issues.

Giving Birth to Your

Divine Creativity

developing an uplifting and meaningful service. It’s less about what I create or how I create, but rather, that I express my soul. As you embark on expressing your soul through your creativity, some questions to ask yourself include: 1) If we are all meant to be co-creators, what is my role? 2) What nurtures my soul? 3) When do I feel most alive? 4) What activities provide me with the greatest amount of comfort and healing? 5) What do I most want to share with others and how might it positively impact my community, the planet? Become aware of your feelings and notice when you feel inspired. The Divine spark within you speaks to you through your heart and soul, so notice the times when you are experiencing joy, aliveness,

and increased energy. Truly, we are the universe inventing itself. And that intelligent, alive, and conscious force is looking through your eyes, working through your hands, walking on your feet. Martha Graham, the great American dancer and choreographer, summed it up eloquently when she once stated, “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action; and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. You must keep that channel open. It is not for you to determine how good it is, or how valuable, or how it compares with other expressions. It is for you to keep it yours, clearly and directly.”

May peace and joy be yours as you express yourself through your divine creativity! Laura V. Grace is the Spiritual Leader for the Circle of Spiritual Enlightenment in San Luis Obispo (www.spiritualcircle.org), an interfaith spiritual community. Laura is also a teacher and spiritual director, and a member of Spiritual Directors International. A syndicated columnist for more than twenty publications, Laura has penned 200 articles on spiritual growth and is the author of the books Gifts of the Soul and The Intimate Soul.

DayWithCreativeWomen

July & August 2009 | www.womenspress-slo.org | Women’s Press

Performances 10:00 Poetry in Motion with Delia Horwitz

Day With Creative Women Saturday, August 8, 2009 Mission Plaza, 10am-5pm

Short expressive dances to music and lyrics from Delia Horwitz’s poetry collection, Letters From My Future Self: Musings of a Midlife Seeker. Choreography and partner dance with Kristina Bennett. Delia Horwitz is a professional facilitator and leadership consultant as well as a dancer, and shares her whimsical rhymes as an inspiration for navigating through life’s challenges. Kristina Bennett creates and directs local interactive theatre projects and is part of the SLO ecstatic and contact improv dance communities. Kristina can be reached at (805) 540-1942, [email protected]. Delia can be reached at (805) 215-3717, www.rhymesbyrequest.com.

9

2:00 Nu Monet In early 2008, composer, arranger, and pianist Jim Barnett joined classically trained singer Deanna Delore to form piano/voice duo Nu Monet. Inspired by the artist Claude Monet’s unique approach to art, the two chose the name Nu Monet to reflect their unique approach to music. Nu Monet performances span a wide variety of musical genres, including tunes from the American songbook, show tunes, jazz standards, folk ballads, and arias from operas. Nu Monet is rapidly gaining recognition on the California Central Coast, driven by the duo’s superb musicianship and professionalism. The two blend their instrumental and vocal talents in an engaging mix that demonstrates not only their virtuosity but also their sheer love of the music they perform. Recordings of Nu Monet performances are available online at www.NuMonet.com

12:00 Cafe Musique with Brynn Albanese The 35th annual Day With Creative Women Arts and Crafts Festival takes place on Saturday, August 8, 2009 in Mission Plaza, downtown San Luis Obispo from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Day with Creative Women provides an opportunity for women artists and artisans to display their talents and sell their wares. This event has graced the Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo on the second Saturday in August for the last 35 years. Sponsored by the Women’s Community Center of San Luis Obispo County, this event is an excellent opportunity to experience the many local and statewide talents of the women artists. If you create art or hand-crafted items, you are invited to display and sell your works. Non-profit organizations are invited to provide the community with information about their services. Booths are still available but are disappearing fast! If you want to be part of this event, call the Women’s Community Center now at 5449313. Day with Creative Women celebrates women’s creativity with music and entertainment, arts and crafts for display and

sale, delicious food, and children’s activities, and is a fundraising event to benefit the Women’s Community Center of San Luis Obispo County, dedicated to the empowerment of women. For more information, check the website http://www.wccslo.org/, call 805.544-9313, or email wccslo@gmail. com. This year’s event will provide an atmosphere where families can come to view and purchase quality hand-made arts and crafts, have a meal or snack in a relaxed atmosphere, and immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of the many local entertainers. So far, the entertainment line up includes: the close harmony singing group, Adelines; Higher Moves (African dance and drums); the extraordinary combo, Cafe` Musique; the return of Bonnie Richan with her Fun Flutes; NuMonet; Chick Tuesday; and ending the day with the Mowtowners and the Wall of Women! Funds realized from Day with Creative Women help support the programs of the Women’s Community Center. Applications are available on-line at DWCW2009@aol. com or by calling the Center at 544-9313.

Hailing from the Central Coast of California, Café Musique presents a musical collage of waltz, tango, gypsy, and folk. Their unique sound is defined by the beautiful and driving composition of violin, accordion, bass, guitar and percussion, along with equally compelling vocals that are reminiscent of music from previous eras. Their first CD, “The Dancer”, was met by rave reviews. Glen Starkey, music critic for San Luis Obispo’s independent weekly New Times said it best - “The debut album of Café Musique is wicked good! I seriously can’t say enough good things about this album, which demonstrates a level of musicianship and an emotional impact rarely found. This is a must have recording for fans of Gypsy Folk!”

1:00 Flute Fun A group of women who love to play all kinds of flutes! Who are they? Maybe one is your doctor; maybe one is your child’s math teacher; maybe one is your next door neighbor, or the person you see walking a dog in the morning. This group of creative women is going to delight you with music you may know, but perform it with a distinctive sound you probably haven’t heard before.

Clare B. Lowery L.Ac. Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Diet, Exercise and Lifestyle Guidance San Luis ObiSpa 4115 Vachell Lane San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 805-541-6772

SAN LUIS OBISPO

Near Downtown Deluxe Continental Breakfast Pool & Spa Fitness Room Guest Laundry Suites

2050 Garfield Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Toll Free: 800.544.7250 805.549.9911 Fax: 805.546.0734 SUPPORTERS OF WOMEN IN BUSINESS!

Also Appearing: Central Coast Celebration Chorus The award winning Central Coast Celebration Chorus is part of an international organization of women singers dedicated to the joy of performing exciting four part harmony, while fostering an environment of personal growth and musical excellence! They are an extraordinary group of women who gather in celebration of the artform known as barbershop music! Directed by Dani Avalos Prigge, they can be heard throughout the year, singing for civic and charitable organizations, private groups, churches, community events, and fundraisers.

3:00 Chick Tuesday with Buffy Duran

4:00 The Motowners The Motowners are a local Cayucos Group who love their music. They play for private parties, weddings and festivals. When the Motowners play, they usually have 3 to 5 female singers (known as the Wall of Women). Cheryl Aiona is the lead singer, a Hawaiian who grew up in the Bay Area with her very powerful natural contralto. Romi West is our golden angel who not only sings beautifully she also plays bass. Helen Edwards is a local artist and jeweler with a rhythmic voice that truly stands out in a crowd. They are backed up by Doug Frederickson (lead guitar and backup vocals), Frank West (guitar, keyboards and vocals), Randy Crozier (Cayucos born and bred and one killer bass player), Dave Ottenberg (mandolin, harmonicas and vocals).

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LocalPerspectives

Women’s Press | July & August 2009 | [email protected]

Barbara Radovich: WCC Logo Artist By Megan Drabinski Barbara Radovich started pursuing her passion for art when she took time off from her career to raise her daughters.  While taking classes at Cuesta College, Barbara met Barry Franz, an art professor and great inspiration to her.  It was then that Barbara really found her niche within the art world for bronze sculptures.  In addition to sculpting, Barbara also paints and draws.  Around this time Barbara also learned of the Women’s Community Center competition for their new logo.  Barbara’s winning logo of the dancing women can be seen at Women’s Community Center still today, as well as displayed at the Center’s sponsored events, such as the Day of Creative Women in the Plaza.  When Barbara’s daughters left for college, she decided she needed something more, so she started to pursue a teaching credential.  Barbara wanted to teach Art History, so she proposed the class to Atascadero High School, who did not currently offer the course.  The administrators were not sure the students had interest in such a course, so Barbara made and administered a survey to the student body.  Barbara got a very positive response and a part-time position at the high school for when she finished her credential.

Barbara now spends her time teaching Art History and Studio Art.  At first the job was stressful, but Barbara views teaching as a fun challenge and her new creative outlet.  When asked about her goals for teaching, Barbara said, “I really want to inspire my students to not be intimidated to go into museums and to explore art without hesitation.” Many of Barbara’s students have had very little exposure to art and she wants to provide them with a basis of knowledge, and in turn a desire to travel and see the famous pieces that they learn about.  She believes that a great deal can be learned from traveling and to inspire students to see the pieces that they learn about is a great accomplishment. Barbara has accomplished many of her life goals, including raising two beautiful, self-confident, and determined young women.  She has also had her art displayed at the Art Center and had a booth at the Day of Creative Women in the Plaza where she sold some of her pieces.  In the future, she does not want to focus on marketing or showing her art, but building pieces for her new house and for her family.  She also wants to travel to see many of the great works that she teaches about in her Art History class.  Barbara is happy to be able to teach art and instill her passion into her students. 

Creativity: My Soul By Judythe Guarnera “Creativity is about making a life—making music, sewing clothes, making meals, writing songs… writing a poem… letting the world know that we are thinking of them and that we love them.” This is how Judy Collins defined creativity in her book, “Morning, Noon, and Night.” “I’m moving to the coast. Do you want to come with me?” I telephoned my husband with these words as I stared out at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. We both loved the ocean, and spending a week in San Francisco was feeding that love. I was attending a Leadership Training put on by the Corporation for National Service for its employees. I was the Program Director for the Foster Grandparent Program, one of the three Senior Corps Programs. My service area was Fresno, California, which didn’t have any claim to being a coastal area. My husband’s instant “Sure!” delighted me, especially since I hadn’t given him any details. He did ask what prompted my decision. I told him that one of our assignments was to define our personal vision of what we wanted to accomplish in life. The premise was that, until we could identify our own vision, we would have trouble defining the vision of our programs to our staff, volunteers, and community members. The ocean, ever since I moved to California, defines me. As the ocean swells, its power fills me with creativity and energy. As it recedes, peacefulness fills my soul. It nurtures my soul, my body, my mind. Aware of this need, I knew that the ocean would be part of my future. I didn’t realize that it would happen so quickly. My creativity and ability to plan and execute details made that vision a reality. I acknowledge that my need to interact and communicate with others must be nourished almost daily. The leadership conference created an atmosphere for me to acknowledge that recognizing problems and creating solutions was also a critical part of my life.

Early in my career, I noticed that there were people who had creative ideas, but no ability to bring them to fruition. During that brief period, I assumed the role of “doer.” I took the creator’s ideas and managed all the details, so that the vision could be achieved. That was marginally satisfying, but I soon realized that my greatest sense of fulfillment came when I was the one to create the idea, design the solution, and execute the details to make it happen. As I assumed different responsibilities, I learned to delegate the details to others, if need be. This was where vision was important. If my vision was clear, I could convey it to the detail person. In a book I once read about mindfulness, the author suggested that, if we let our imagination guide us to see the infinite possibilities in everything, we will find solutions to the problems that surround us. Imagine a two year-old locking herself in the bathroom. Encouraging the toddler to turn the lock proves ineffective. The toddler is screaming, Mom doesn’t know if she is hurt in some way, and Dad took off with the toolkit in his car. Looking around her in a mindful, creative way, Mom grabs a nail file and is able to trigger the mechanism that turns the lock. She rescues the toddler, who appears frightened, but not injured. If the parent of that child was not a creative soul, the child might spend hours in the bathroom until the firemen come to the rescue. But the creative parent finds something close at hand, whether it is designed to spring locks on bathroom doors or not. Judy Collins closed her book with a poem entitled “Prayer for the Creative Life.” I have found inspiration in that poem and will close my essay with a few lines from it. …“Bless my uncertainty with curiosity… Let my heart be open, my mind clear… Let me be simple but precise.. Let me feel confident and eager… Show me the path…

Transitioning to a more local, human, and nourishing future By Kathleen Deragon If you are interested in making the following vision a reality or to find out more, contact one of the persons or go to one of the websites listed at the end of this article. Turns out you didn’t need to worry about losing half of your savings in 2008’s economic downturn. Your future’s security, which you initially felt was at risk, was secure after all, just not in the way you thought it would be. It wasn’t money in the bank that ultimately provided you security; it was the communication and interaction with other people in your area of the county who, with you, created community interactions that provided for your basic needs and altered your views of what you thought you needed —what security really is. No need to worry about $12 a gallon gas when local electric buses, powered by the sun, can take you most places you want to go. A bicycle, co-owned car, or car pools get you to the places the buses don’t run. You don’t need to go far to shop, having chosen to patronize local merchants. Oh, and there’s that bullet train up and down the coast and into the Valley gets you to family, friends, and destinations out of town. You are never hungry even if grocery shelves carry food beyond your budget because you have a patio and front yard garden—or maybe a plot in a community garden. Local farm stands provide what you don’t grow yourself. Neighbors get together to harvest, can, and dehydrate food and distribute enough for all to live through the winter. You are untouched by high energy prices for heating and cooling and unworried about the climate extremes that seem unavoidable. Solar panels provide the energy you need and you’re getting credits for the surplus you provide to the grid. You got subsidized for energy efficient changes in your home.

Forced into doing with less, you soon realized that you could actually manage with less. As you repair and re-used “stuff” you had, you learned new skills, swapped skills, and got creative. You learned to sew some of your own clothes, repaired favorite ones, and acquired “new” ones at the local thrift store or clothes swap each summer and fall. At “reskilling” events you have learned—or taught others—how to garden, use natural remedies for health problems, make natural cleaning and cosmetic products, do minor household repairs, and much more. What you can’t afford to buy with US currency, you can buy with local currency. The people who live nearby are not strangers; you know and interact with them regularly. You share some of your home appliances, have regular potlucks, celebrate holidays with street parties, exchange pet and child care; car pool to events out of the neighborhood. You know that if you get ill and need a ride to the doctor, some dinner, or just some companionship, that someone will be there for you.

North County Bob Banner - [email protected] Jim Cole - [email protected]

South County June Cochran - [email protected] Kathleen Deragon - [email protected]

SLO Paula Vigneault - [email protected] Pam Stein - [email protected]

Coastal Liana Forest - [email protected] www.transitioncalifornia.ning.com www.transitiontowns.org www.transitionus.org

Nurturing Your Life’s Playground By Jeanie Greensfelder In a creativity class, I learned to walk in a new place to get fresh ideas. When I did that I came upon a playground that became a metaphor for my life’s journey: the jungle gym represented exercise, the see-saw became a reminder to check on the balance in my life, the swing embodied pleasure, the merry-go-round symbolized the happy reliability of meditation, the climbing wall signified my current challenges, chalk on pavement suggested creative efforts, and imagining new equipment stood for the fun of ideas and research. Each morning we receive a 24-hour allowance that we spend, and it’s so easy to be a spendthrift. I made a visual picture of my life’s playground as a reminder to check on how I’m spending my time. I ask the questions: What am I doing for me (body and spirit)? For my friends and family? For my writing work? For the community? You might like to check in on your playground. Are your routines merry? Could

you be stuck in a rut, going round and round? Are you getting exercise and having fun with it? What brings you pleasure? Are you up or down or somewhat balanced in your activities? Have you got a compelling project that excites you? Do take a walk through Mission Plaza on August 8, Creative Women’s Day, to stimulate fresh ideas. Investing some of your allowance on how you spend your time will yield rewards.

Body&Soul

July & August 2009 | www.womenspress-slo.org | Women’s Press

Spirituality Matters

Casino Spirituality

Cultivating Soulful Self Care By Heather Mendel The words of the Desiderata, purportedly written several hundred years ago and found in a church in Baltimore, remind us: Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the Universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you consider God to be. With all it’s sham and drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. As we look around us, it is only with an innate optimism and unswerving faith that we can hold this vision. As the slumbering giant of the Eastern hemisphere awakens to the promise of all that consumerism can bring, the West looks at the emptiness that consumerism leaves in the soul and seeks answers to life’s questions in the wisdom of the East. As Nature is despoiled to the point of suffocation, we are all finally forced to look at our place in the Universe and ask those embarrassing questions about what we individually are doing to help and what we are doing to hinder the realigning balance that is so out of kilter.  We think we know so much! Science has provided incredible insights about the working of the natural world and gifted us with a corporate machine that clogs our world with plastics and aluminum, and then infests our bodies with parabens and other chemicals that we can’t pronounce that poison our bodies and we wonder at the number of cancer–related illnesses, numbers of children with being diagnosed with autism—all in the greediest, most consumerist nation on the planet.  As Americans, as women, how do we find any sense of balance and soulful ways to live our lives? Just as the crew in any airplane instructs: In the event of any

emergency, “please place one over your own face before trying to assist another,” Audre Lorde reminds us too that caring for ourselves is not self-indulgence, it is self –preservation. Hillel stated: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? John O’Donohue, mystic poet, has some fascinating ideas about living soulfully: “The more I’ve been thinking about this, the more it seems to me actually is that the visible world is the first shoreline of the invisible world. And the same way I believe with the body and the soul. That actually... the body is in the soul, not the soul just in the body. And that in some way the poignancy of being a human being is that you are the place where the invisible becomes visible and expressive in some way.” Our scientific bias has blinded us to what indigenous people all over the world knew and know that nature – rocks, plants, animals, the stars, planets, and universe-is alive with a consciousness, different but equal in all ways to our own. When we go out each morning, silently and listening, in O’Donohue’s words with “an open heart and a watchful reverence,” we are amazed at what we can learn. Being aware of the vitality of nature and her cycles connects us into the rhythm of the universe. If we consciously attend to this energy we start to open to life in anew way in which the following can enhance the soulful quality of our days.   Reading O’Donohue is taking the oxygen mask he offers. Heather Mendel’s website’s are • www.dancinginthefootstepsofeve.com • www.wordartist.com  • sacredfemininematters.blogspot.com

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Part 1

By MaryAine Cherry Sunday in Reno at the Grand Sierra: I ventured through the crowds, flashing lights, and noise to the Grand Theatre to attend the ’Transform Your Life’ Conference with Marianne Williamson, Rabbi Shmuley, and Dannion Brinkley. They talked about life, love, and the hereafter. Marianne encouraged us to get off our butts and grow up and realize this is not a dress rehearsal. We’re doing it and our ‘collective we’ have things to do and do now. Take responsibility for the things you can change. Feeding the children is paramount in her message. The Rabbi talked about sex. Yeah, he talked about sex and the dying of it. We have overexposed ourselves and marriages and relationships are suffering from not being ‘enoughism’. Our collective self esteem is hurting. The richest nation has self esteem issues because we aren’t successful enough or pretty enough and then it gets worse. You can make a list of what is wrong with us. You can start making it right again by looking within and noticing how precious you are. Anyone that works daily and keeps at it should be considered a hero. Dannion has died three times and has been on the other side and seen that which you only get to see when you die. He says, ‘you don’t die’, ever. You meet yourself and review what you did to everyone else from their perspective, as if you were them. Whoa, that makes me want to do better now. It does matter what we do and what we don’t quite get around to doing. You are greeted by your loved ones and then one wonders what you were thinking when you chose or were chosen to be in this human body. The point of this conference was to wake up spiritually. I received this affirmation for the teaching that I offer. I talk a lot about trusting your feelings and trusting your inner voice and guess what, it’s my job. I’m a cheerleader for the self. How cool is that? I came to do what I love doing. I’m in the right job. You can be too. If you don’t know how, I’ll help you find out. We are here to realize that we are doing what we came to do and to be nicer and more loving to:

Yourself. Stop the negative self talk and accept you are a brave, chosen, beautiful being that was made perfectly to be here and have joy in this human (hands of God) experience. I like the way Dannion Brinkley said human = hands of God. Maybe you believe and maybe you have another name for All That Is. It’s ok. The Creator is all the same and loves our imagination. Love is the most important feeling. Express it, say it, tell people, show it, be love. We are created in perfection. We are more than our job, bank account, possessions. Find joy in what you do and the rest will follow. If you are poor and have joy, it’s good. If you are overweight and have joy, it’s good. If you are rich and have joy, it’s good. Be grateful and write it down to remind yourself when you forget. Practice enjoying yourself. Do something you love everyday. Love what you are doing because you can. Love finishing it and doing something you think you really love. I really believe when we accept ourselves exactly as we are, joy follows and life lines up to support the spirit and the experiences we have as humans. We can have fun! Speak up, volunteer, and help out. The giving brings so much love into life that the giver actually ends up receiving more from the time given. Paying it forward. If you love your freedom, thank a veteran; he/she gave their heart and soul to give us a country that is free. There are thousands of veterans dying alone, forgotten by us. Call me about The Twilight Brigade hospice training coming August 29-30. Be the change you wish to see. Gandhi I almost forgot to tell you. The casino employees were asking what we were doing in there. They could feel the place was lighter, the energy higher than usua,l and they wanted to know about it. We were happy and we weren’t drinking. We were glowing with good, loving, warm feelings. We are the change when we share our light and love. Beautiful Blessings, MaryAine MaryAine Cherry, Inner Transformation Self Development Guide helping people release limitations, inspire them to reach for their goals and believe it’s possible. www.return2joy. com [email protected]

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NOWNews

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Women’s Press | July & August 2009 | [email protected]

National Organization for Women The purpose of NOW is to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society NOW !

Reflections on the Death of George Tiller

Coordinator’s Corner By Angie King This month we have a lot of information from the NOW state conference and a page full of commentary following Dr. George Tiller’s murder at the end of May, so I will keep this short. The main thing you need to know is that our meeting location has changed. We are still meeting at the GALA center, but they moved into their own building on Palm Street, and we will continue to hold our meetings at their new location. So, the meeting in July and from then forward will be at the GALA center, 1060 Palm Street, in SLO. That’s directly across from the courthouse on Palm, and we hope to see more of you come to our meetings. We have a lot of ideas; in fact at the last meeting we couldn’t stop throwing out great ideas for actions, for ways to change the dialogue about women, for petitions and letter writing campaigns, for marches and rallies. The problem is, there are only a few of us who come each month to the meeting to plan these events, and we are reluctant to commit resources when we don’t know how many of you out there support our activities. Please come see us at the new location 1060 Palm St. and let us know you are there and willing to help. In regard to Women’s Equality Day, we decided to use the money we have spent in the past producing a public event to which (again) only the dedicated come, for a wider distribution. We will pay for an ad in the print media to publicize the need for and contributions of women’s suffrage and hope you will help us by contributing to the cost. Tell your friends; mention it in your other groups and gatherings; $5 isn’t much to you but a lot of $5 buys a BIG ad! Aren’t we worth it? Yes, we are!

Just when we thought things would change, with Obama and the Democrats able to thwart most, if not all, of the right wing’s attempts to destroy our right to choose, by among other tactics advocating shooting anyone who didn’t agree with them, Dr. Tiller gets shot (allegedly) by a man known to hate and willing to take extreme action to eliminate the object of his hatred. Oddly, the groups that advocate violence against abortion care workers are not classified as “terrorist” groups. Yet their purpose is to terrorize people into getting out of abortion care. The murder of George Tiller—and on the steps of his church, no less—is a tragedy of Greek proportions. It becomes a symbol for the level of malevolence and vitriol still eddying around under the surface in our “new democracy of enlightenment,” which is agesold and which fuels the Sunni-Shia wars, as one example. But what’s worse is our country’s reaction to the violence. Predictably the left-of-center and moderates are calling for dialogue and common ground, while the right wing continues to say he got what he deserved and abortionists kill babies. Where will it end? Roeder didn’t act alone. Yes, in the sense no one else drove with him to the church and no one else had a gun, but it’s unlikely that he had no help. For instance, the phone number of an Operation Rescue leader was taped to the dash of his car. He would never have felt safe to act out his violence-filled hatred if not for the constant yammering on the Right of how awful anyone is who believes in a woman’s autonomy over her own body. Because after all, that’s what it really is, the sense of powerlessness at the loss of control over another—in this case, men losing control over women. Not every male feels that way, obviously. And it is not just men who are driven to extremes by the thought of men losing power over women. But that’s not my point today. The point is, the culture we now live in has deteriorated to such an extent that the majority who do not believe in vigilantism, who do not believe in physically striking out at others who disagree with them

Women’s Equality Day

August 26 Let the Whole Community Know! August 26th marks the day the 36th state legislature ratified the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, making it official: all women have the right to vote. Beginning in the 1840’s as a whisper among women abolitionists and temperance supporters, women took the tactics and strategies developed in those fights and used them to advocate for suffrage for themselves. However, it took 72 years from the First Women’s Right Convention in Seneca Falls, in 1848, until that date in 1920 for our goal to be realized. In the 88 years since, women have made a huge difference in the shape of our culture. Beginning immediately after passage, in that first election in 1920, women overwhelmingly voted for social changes and ran for office in record numbers not matched until recently. Since 1971 August 26th has been cele-

brated as Women’s Equality Day, a chance for us to remind ourselves of the power of the ballot. A chance to celebrate the changes in our society brought about by the influence of women voters. And it is also a chance for us to reflect on what women can do and must continue to do for the future. This year, instead of a public event, NOW is sponsoring an ad in the Tribune and the New Times to publicize the importance of the contributions made by women as a result of our voting power. We encourage our supporters to help us defray that cost. How much we receive in donations will determine how big an ad we can purchase. Let’s make it a full size page!! We are certainly worth it! Send contributions, large and small, to NOW, PO Box 1306, SLO 93406, “women’s day ad” in the memo line.

on an issue, have become powerless to stop the minority who do. Didn’t the Germans have this problem 60 years ago? Martin Niemöller was a German pastor and theologian whose poem is well-known, frequently quoted, and is a popular model for describing the dangers of political apathy: “In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew; And then... they came for me... And by that time there was no one left to speak up.”

(The following is a comment in response to the Reflections on Dr. Tiller article. For safety reasons, the author wishes to remain anonymous.) There is no middle ground between prochoice and anti-choice. The middle ground consists of those who believe abortion is wrong and not having one, and those who think it is a responsible parenting decision to have one when appropriate. Dr Tiller used to say “women are morally and intellectually and spiritually capable of struggling with complex ethical issues and coming to the appropriate decision for themselves and their families.” Anti-choice people disagree with this fundamental premise. So many programs have tried to deal with the issue of ‘both sides’ and ‘middle ground’ by having on these vitriolic anti abortion fanatics. More useful would be to have some in-depth discussion of why women end up needing late term abortions: #1 Raped, didn’t know she was pregnant #2 Raped under date rape drug, didn’t know she had had intercourse, didn’t think she could be pregnant #3 Irregular menses/obese/athlete/very young didn’t know she was pregnant #4 inadequate sex education, didn’t know she was pregnant #5 terrified of parental response, denied to herself that she was pregnant #6 pregnancy tests repeatedly gave a false negative #7 health care worker didn’t test for pregnancy #8 no health care worker available #9 no abortion care provider available #10 didn’t have enough money for early abortion, and as she tried to scrape it together, the pregnancy got more and more advanced #11 drug/alcohol problems during pregnancy, didn’t realize she was pregnant #12 late diagnosis of fetal anomaly #13 OB didn’t do the right tests at the right time #14 Test results were misread #15 Test results were lost #16 OB delayed giving test results #17 Fetus has anomaly that can’t be diagnosed early #18 Test results were misrepresented or misinterpreted to patient.

NOW Chapter # CA 565 PO Box 1306, SLO, CA 93406 SLONOW @ kcbx.net http://groups.myspace.com/~slonow

Calendar July 2: • Civil Rights Act signed into law, 1964 • Amelia Earhart’s plane is lost in the Pacific Ocean, 1937 July 4: • In Baltimore, where she is the only printer, Mary Katherine Goddard publishes the Declaration of Independence, 1777. July 9: • birthday, June Jordan, poet, civil rights worker, 1936 July 15: • Jocelyn Burnell discovered pulsars, 1943, for which her supervisor received Nobel Prize in physics July 18: • Geraldine Ferraro nominated vice president, Democratic Party, 1984 July 19: • first Women’s Rights Convention, Seneca Falls, NY 1848 July 21: wJuly 21: • birthday, Janet Reno, 1938 July 24: • birthday, Bella Abzug, 1920 July 29: • birthday of Jacqueline Onassis, 1929; established White House Historical Association, 1994 August 3: • birthday, Maggie Kuhn, founder Grey Panthers, 1905 August 6: • anniversary of Hiroshima; Women’s Peace Day August 6: • Voting Rights Act outlaws literacy tests; suffrage finally extended to African American women, 1965 August 7: • birthday of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, labor organizer, helped found ACLU, 1890 August 8: • Day with Creative Women, Mission Plaza Apr 10: • birthday, Dolores Huerta, 1930; cofounder United Farm Workers August 13: • birthday, Lucy Stone, pioneer for women’s rights, 1818; kept her own name at marriage August 18: • NOW regular meeting, 6 PM August 23: • Fannie Farmer opens Boston cooking school, introducing standard measurements for recipes, 1902 August 26: • Women’s Equality Day August 28: • Martin Luther King, Jr’s March on Washington, “I have a Dream” speech, 1963

NOWNews

July & August 2009 | www.womenspress-slo.org | Women’s Press

Women’s Community Center Family Law Action Committee Our mission is: • TO maintain an accessible center to collect and exchange information of interest and concern to women • TO organize and facilitate workshops, clinics, seminars, classes, and support groups on subjects of interest and need • TO engage in and facilitate interaction among local, state, and national agencies and organizations working to benefit women

Call for Volunteers Hear ye, hear ye! The Women’s Community Center is looking for a few volunteers to help with several projects. We could use some help with general office duties and to monitor family court proceedings (Court Watch).

Dealing With Divorce 3rd Wednesday of each month – 7 PM Upcoming: July 15, August 19 & September 16 Talk with other women who have been there, done that in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. $10 donation

Self-Represented Litigants’ Clinic 4th Tuesday of each month – 5:30 PM Upcoming: July 28, August 25 & September 22 Get family law advice from local attorneys and/or paralegals. Reservations required. $40 donation Call 788-2491 for information

An Open Letter to 21 Million Women By B.J. Isaacson-Jones ( 1988 ) Submitted by Susan Robinson, M.D. Where are you? For over 16 years we have provided you with choices Painful choices I remember I sometimes cried with you. Choices, nevertheless, when you were desperate. Remember how we protected your privacy and treated you with dignity and respect when you were famous had been brought to us in shackles with an armed guard, or were terrified that you would run into one of your students? I remember each of you. Our clinic was firebombed. Do you recall? Exhausted and terrified we had been up all night. We rerouted you to another clinic because you wanted an abortion that day. Where are you? Priding ourselves on providing abortions for those who cannot pay, we have spent vmillions of dollars that we never really had caring for you. We wanted to give a choice. I also gave you cab fare and money for dinner from my own pocket. Have you forgotten? I remember you cried and asked me how you could carry this pregnancy to term when you were abusing the children you had, were having an affair, tested positive for AIDS, could not handle another, were raped by your mother’s boyfriend,

pregnant by your father and shocked and torn apart when your very much wanted and loved fetus was found to be severely deformed. Your mother picketed our clinic regularly. We brought you in after dark. Have you mustered the courage to tell her that you are pro-choice? You are. Aren’t you? I recall shielding your shaking body, guiding you and your husband through the picket lines. They screamed adoption, not abortion! You wondered how you could explain your choice to your young children. You broke our hearts. You had just celebrated your twelfth birthday when you came to us. You clutched your teddy bear, sucked your thumb and cried out for your mom who asked you why you had gotten yourself pregnant. You replied that you just wanted to be grown. You’re twenty today. Where are you? I pretend I don’t know you in the market, at social gatherings and on the street. I told you I would. After your procedure you told me that you would fight for reproductive choices (parenthood, adoption, and abortion) for your mother, daughters, and grandchildren. You will... won’t you? I have no regrets. I care about each and every one of you and treasure all that you’ve taught me. But I’m angry. I can’t do this alone. I’m not asking you to speak about your abortion, but You need to speak out and you need to speak out now. Where are you?

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US Supreme Court Opening By Angie King As with all political news, by the time this article sees the light of press, everything might have changed, but, as of now, hearings are scheduled for July 13 about the nomination of Federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court bench to replace David Souter. Hopefully, we all know by now her life story: of Puerto Rican immigrant parents, early life in the “barrios” of New York City, rising through merit, scholarships to Princeton and Yale Law School, where she excelled as editor of the law review. She has been public servant her whole career, beginning as a prosecutor in Manhattan. In 1992, Republican President George H. W. Bush appointed Sotomayor to the District Court for the Southern District of New York. Later, in 1998, President Bill Clinton nominated her to the 2nd Circuit, where she was confirmed with bipartisan support in a 67-29 vote. So why is the GOP throwing up all the sand in her face: there isn’t enough time to go through her cases (she has authored about 400 opinions in her present position); she is biased because she’s Latina; we don’t know if she’s healthy enough (she has diabetes), etc. However, they approved of her only 11 years ago. What’s changed? The main argument seems to be that she is not a “constitutional originalist” like Roberts, Scalia, and Thomas. Conservatives attack her for describing the role appellate justices have in forming policy, which they claim is akin to an endorsement of “judicial activism.” But as legal scholars have noted, while Congress makes the law, the law is not always clear. And in clarifying those laws, the courts make policy. Eric Freedman, a law professor at Hofstra University, was dismissive of this emerging conservative

NOW News California NOW held its state convention at the end of May, and our chapter sent 3 delegates. What follows is a summary of the activities of that wonderful weekend and reflections on the workshops. NOW Launches Expanded Media Hall of Shame: No longer focused solely on political media, the new expanded Media Hall Of Shame (located at www.now.org) questions the appropriateness of a Sponge Bob “square butts” Burger King ad and asks you to vote on the “Misogyny Meter” how offensive you find Gordon Liddy’s comments about Judge Sotomayor menstruating. Support the Healthy Families Act: About 40 percent of private sector employees do not get a single paid sick day; many of these employees work in healthcare, food service, and other jobs where they are the most prone to spread an illness but cannot afford to take time off to recover or to take time off to care for a sick child. The Healthy Families Act would guarantee seven paid sick days per year for workers at businesses with 15 or more employees. These days could be used to recover from an illness, care for a sick child or family member, or seek services to recover from domestic violence. For more information, check out www.now.org or www.momsrising.org Remembering Dr. Tiller: For over 20 years Dr. George Tiller provided reproductive health care and abortion services to women and their families. On May 31, 2009 he was murdered in his church. NARAL Pro-choice America has started a website (www.remembertiller.com) where you can sign your name in remembrance

talking point, and said, “It is thoroughly uncontroversial to anyone other than a determined demagogue.” Sotomayor’s record on cultural issues is thin. Her Second Circuit cases dealt with constitutional law, complex procedural matters, lawsuits involving complicated business organizations. But, quite notably, her sole opinion regarding abortion was in line with the anti-abortion movement’s position. The one decision she wrote on this issue, Center for Reproductive Law and Policy v. Bush, 304 F.3d 183 (2d Cir. 2002,) concerned the Mexico City Policy, which President Obama recently overturned and which prohibits sending taxpayer dollars to groups that promote and perform abortions in other nations. Writing for the Second Circuit, Judge Sotomayor upheld the Mexico City Policy, but the significance of the decision “may be minimal because the issue was largely controlled by the Second Circuit’s earlier opinion in a similar challenge to the policy,” according to an antiabortion website. Yet, in that decision she also rejected claims that the policy violated the Equal Protection Clause. That said, pro-choice groups hailed her nomination, with Planned Parenthood declaring that she “understands the importance of ensuring that our Supreme Court justices respect precedent while also protecting our civil liberties.” Elevation of Judge Sotomayor would be to everyone’s benefit. She has a great understanding of the Constitution – and its limits – and of the real world affected by the court’s interpretations of law, and her presence would help tilt the court back towards the center. The right felt outraged when Roosevelt “packed the court” with his philosophical adherents for a political advantage; they should recognize how strong the resentment is against Bush doing the same. It’s time for a change. and give a donation in memoriam. Another website, IamDrTiller.com, allows doctors who provide (or intend to provide) abortion services to post stories about their practices and lives to show solidarity with Dr. Tiller. Since 1993, 8 clinic workers have been murdered in the United States. Since 1977 more than 5,800 acts of violence against abortion providers have been reported. See the separate article about Dr. Tiller and the poem submitted by our speaker from the 2009 Roe v. Wade celebration. From the NOW State Conference in Berkley, which took place May 30 and 31 Workshop - “Media, Body Image and Self Esteem” by Lynne Levine The NOW State Conference presented three workshops, and I attended the one entitled “Media, Body Image and Self Esteem.” This was a workshop designed and presented by a representative of “About Face”, an organization that shows women and girls how marketers and media makers exploit their emotions in order to sell products. “About Face” equips us with the tools we need to understand and resist harmful media messages that effect their self-esteem and body image through three programs: Education Into Action - media literacy workshop, the About Fact.org web site, and Take Action groups “About Face” primarily serves girls and women of ages 13-30 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Workshop: Homophobia in Athletics by Leslyn Keith The scheduled speaker for this workshop was unable to attend, so it was instead led by Linda Joplin, past California NOW president. Linda is a CA NOW Board

Continued in NOW NEWS, p. 14

14

CommunityBulletins

Bulletins Women Seniors Invest in Cambria Four artists - three women and a man have opened a new co-op gallery on Main Street in Cambria. The Painted Lily Gallery was seeded with social security rebates received by the three women who are all seniors. They opened for business on May 8 with a grand opening on May 23. Come visit us! gallery hours: 10 AM to 5 PM daily except Tuesday 2026 Main St., Cambria, located in front of Lily’s Coffee House and next to The Garden Shed in east Cambria

Women and Money As women, we have been socialized to defer decisions about money to the men in our lives and even now, talking about how to make money is taboo for many women.  So why do we give up our power and the ability to take care of ourselves?  Join us to for a discussion about things we do wrong with money, things we do right and how to get where we want to be at the next “After 5 Business Connection” meeting on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009, from 5:15 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Ciao Bella Trattoria, Morro Bay. The meeting, which includes dinner, is $30.00 for Members and $40.00 Non-Members. Contact: Jacky Lopez 805-439-1013

Beads and Bling “BEADS & BLING: A Jewelry Sale to Benefit Breast Cancer Survivors” to be held at Edna Valley Vineyard on Thursday evening, July 9, from 5-8 pm.   There is no fee to attend, we’ll serve lovely gourmet food, and there will be live music and a nohost bar with Edna Valley wines.   We hope to have more than 100 women attending, like a girls’ night out!

Hospice for Veterans   Too many people are dying alone. The dying, as a group, whose membership cuts across all racial, religious, ethnic, and socio-

NOW NEWS Continued from p. 13 Advisor on athletic equity and has been monitoring school athletic program compliance with Title 9 for over 15 years. Title 9 requires athletic opportunities, funding, and scholarships at schools that receive public funds to be within 5% of the proportion of female to male athletes. Linda gave an update on several complaints that were blocked by the Bush administration. We hope to have better compliance with the law with this new administration. We also had a roundtable discussion of issues facing the LGBT community in athletics and how the homophobic culture in many athletic departments affects the participation of women and girls in sports. Historically, if you were a female physical education teacher, it was assumed you were gay. Many athletically inclined girls were also painted with the same brush. The stigma of being gay, and the homophobic atmosphere, kept down participation of women and girls in sports. Interestingly, there is a much more positive image of female athletes than of male athletes in the media currently. Male athletes are much more likely to appear in the media for steroid use, domestic abuse, or other violations of the law than are female athletes, who are celebrated for their achievements. Workshop: Safe Cosmetics with Teens Turning Green by Pat Renshaw Host: Genevieve Roja of the National Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and the Breast Cancer Fund.

economic lines, are one of our most unrecognized and under-served minorities. As people reach the end of life, they are often ignored, discounted, and treated as children or, even worse, as objects. This intensive 20-hour workshop is designed to teach people how to provide comfort and support to the dying and their family members. It is appropriate for lay volunteers, as well as medical and mental health professionals. Veterans are encouraged to attend.      Typically, the course runs from Friday evening through Sunday. Arrive at 6:30 n. Friday night, starts at 7:00pm to 10:00pm; Saturday, 10:00am to 10:00pm; Sunday, 10:00am to 5:30pm. Participants who attend the entire 20-hours are given a Certificate of Completion at the end of the training. Training is scheduled for Aug, 28, 29th and 30th at a location in San Luis Obispo, CA. Call now if you are interested. Please get your registration fee of $75.00 in by Aug. 1st.  Local contact: MaryAine Cherry, daughter of Donald J. Curtis CWOII RET. deceased 2008

Art and Poetry: How to Inspire Your Students 

Camp Ocean Pines offers this unique workshop from July 31-August 2, 2009. This workshop will teach you how to inspire your students by bringing visual art and poetry into your classroom. This class will help your students as they explore the connections between color and poetry through hands-on exploration of the foundations of mechanics of color, acrylic painting techniques, and the work of artists such as Matisse, Klee, and Miro. Register online www.campoceanpines.org or call 805.927.0254

Searching for Soul Author Bobbe Tyler of Cambria writes a story with in-depth commentary, framing each chapter as a response to one of seventeen questions appended to the book for reference. Jumping into the depths of her own personal journey for answers, the author explores familial men-

What exactly is in that wrinkle cream, lotion and make up you are putting on you skin? What are the dangers of toxic and cancer causing agents that are standard ingredients in many over the counter cosmetics? Teens Turning Green decided to find out. This small group of teenage women began a national movement to investigate toxic exposures from the products that are targeted to teens. They began educating peers and the community about healthy lifestyle choices. They came up with the Dirty Thirty list of chemicals to avoid in skin, cosmetics, and personal care products, including: aluminum zirconium, benzyl acetate, benzalkonium chloride just to name a few. (for a complete list go to teensturninggreen.org) They also have a list of Eco-conscious beauty and personal care products. Alaffia, Burt’s Bees, Dr. Bronner’s, Jason. And also being good business women they came up with their own product line: Teens Turning Green. They informed us that many of these chemicals are also banned in many foreign countries. Companies use the same procedure to make their products but add the toxic chemicals to one’s made in the United States. The reason…only 10% of beauty products are tested for health concerns in the US. Many of these products are linked to breast cancer. The fact that the FDA does not regulate these products because they are not food let’s in a toxic soup of hormone changing, breast carcinogens’ and lead contaminants, which are directly applied to our skin, eye, and lips. This is just what is used for adults.

Women’s Press | July & August 2009 | [email protected]

tal illness, divorce, addiction, times of neardespair, the “God” question and other matters.A book signing event for Tyler’s book,  “Searching for Soul: A Survivor’s Guide” is  scheduled  for Saturday, August 22, from 11 a.m. to 2:00 p.m (or later) at The Painted Lily Gallery, 2026 Main Street in Cambria’s East Village. Please do confirm this date a week beforehand by contacting Lucia  Cappachione at the Gallery, (805) 927-5747, or by e-mail,  luciacapa@ aol.com.

Free Energy Balancing The Global Alliance for Balance and Healing is offering free energy balancing sessions on Saturday, July 18 from 11:00am to 4:00pm. The free clinic will be held at Sierra Vista Hospital in the Auditorium, 1010 Murray Avenue, San Luis Obispo. Parking is best in the outpatient parking lot (on the west side and then go through the second entrance sliding glass doors). Once you enter the doors, turn right and then left into the auditorium. No appointment is necessary. All are welcome. Visit www.globalalliance.ws or call 805438-4347 to learn about energy balancing or other offerings from the Global Alliance for Balance and Healing.

Women’s Empowerment Group The Women’s Empowerment Group is a group of women who meet on the 1st and 3rd Monday of  each month, promptly at 6:30 p.m. to explore change and growth for oneself, build assertiveness and confidence, overcome self-sabotage and honor feminine beauty through the safe and loving support of real women. We spend approximately three hours connecting, processing, supporting, listening, and honoring each other, helping each woman who chooses to work to get to wherever she wants to go. Each circle has a specific facilitator to guide and direct the circle. 265 Prado Rd San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-7312 Phone: 805.544.4636

Think about that baby lotion that you are applying to your precious one. For the health of all contact: Teens Turning Green, Environmental Justice, and Toxins in School Environment to get more information on what you can use and what you can do to inform yourself and your daughters. Beauty is more then skin deep. Guest Speaker: Latifa Lyles, by Lynne Levine For me the highlight of the NOW State Conference was meeting and hearing the Guest Speaker, Latifa Lyles. She is now the National NOW Vice-President, the group’s youngest ever National officer. She is 29 years old and is now a candidate for President of National NOW. She presently serves as National spokesperson on issues ranging from reproductive rights to Social Security. She is a passionate young AfroAmerican feminist—an activist who, as National President, would make the voice of NOW heard everywhere! Guest Speaker: Nancy Skinner, by Pat Renshaw In November 2008, Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) was elected to represent the Bay Area’s 14th Assembly District. The district includes Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Kensington, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, and parts of Oakland and El Sobrante. On May 30th Ms. Skinner spoke at the California NOW State Conference about the dispute within the legislature on how to balance the budget. She spoke of the frustration she feels in witnessing cuts to the most needy in our society. Education,

Opportunity to Volunteer! Women’s Press is desperate for volunteers in San Luis Obispo and North County! We need a few people to committ to distributing papers in designated areas. This is a job that requires you to pick up papers at the WCC in San Luis Obispo and then distribute them in designated places in your area. You will need to restock papers usually twice a month (or more, depending on how popular the location is). It’s such a rewarding job: you get to distribute WP to your community, you get to meet local merchants, and you are helping a great organization. We are also looking for someone with a van/truck/large automobile to pick up Women’s Press at Cal Poly and deliver the papers to the WCC. This is a volunteer job that needs to be done only once every two months! That’s only 6 times a year!!! Please let Courtney Brogno know if you are interested by emailing [email protected]

MY PAD Continued from p. 7 pon will explode in 5 seconds.” There were more brainy stickers where that came from, “diploma inside.” Why not some quality control information, “carefully inspected by count dracula.” Oooh, that one was sick. Mu-hu-wahaha! Last but not least,“you have just won a chance to compete on ‘american midol!’” Simon Cowell would crawl away, whimpering while performing Hari-kari. The front door swung open and in walked my teenage step-son. One look at my pile on the table, and he high tailed it to his room, intent on avoiding my genius at work. I knew it was time to put away the bag, yet I was still inspired. So I will have to string you along until the next installment of hormonal ravings. Stay tuned for Songs, Stories, and Holiday Favorites of the hormonally deranged- same HD channel.

health care, and social programs are all on the chopping block. She also talked about the fact that a 2/3’s vote is needed to pass a budget. Getting that amount of people to agree on anything can be a tremendous feat. One thing she was sure of is there is hope. The momentum is here. Now what can we do? Write, write, write, and Run, run, run. Write to your representatives, your governor, your president. Then run for a seat. Locally and nationally. This is the perfect time to throw your hat in the ring. Now is the time to make a difference. California NOW Board of Directors Meeting, by Leslyn Keith The Board of Directors has quarterly meetings, one of which is usually in conjunction with the State Conference. As this was an election conference, the newly elected officers presided over the meeting. Normal business was conducted, including reports from the Treasurer, Legislative Advisory Committee, and other issue committee reports. Of interest to NOW members and other feminists is a special event planned for the 40th anniversary of Woodstock to be held at Golden Gate Park on Oct. 25, 2009 called the West Fest. California NOW will be sponsoring a stage and will receive proceeds from the sale of West Fest CDs. Additionally, California NOW will be partnering with a feminist wine club who will be donating 50% of their profits to NOW. Unfortunately, the meeting was disrupted when we were informed of the horrific murder of Dr. George Tiller. Several board members present were friends of his.

Resources

July & August 2009 | www.womenspress-slo.org | Women’s Press

ABUSE

Adults Molested as Children Support Group (AMAC) Rape Survivors Support Group, SLO Support Group for Sexual Assault Survivors

Project Lifesaver

Planned Parenthood

Safe and Sober Support Group

Stroke Support Group

548.0909 www.projectlifesaverofslo.org 473.6507

545.8888

St. Barnabas (Depression/Divorce/Grief)

781.6406

Talk/Listen - Emotional support

(inc. domestic violence support groups) 461.1338

Transformations Counseling Center

Center for Alternatives to Domestic Violence

489.2990 www.stbarnabas.ag.org

North County Women’s Shelter & Resource Center,

489.5481

SARP (Sexual Assault Recovery & Prevention)

545.8888 or 800.656.HOPE (4673) Women’s Shelter Program of SLO

781.6401 www.womensshelterslo.org

ADDICTIONS AA Meeting

541.3211

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)

498.2176 Al-Anon

534.9204

Cambria Connection (12 step support)

927.1654

Casa Solana

Women’s Recovery Home 481.8555 Chemical Dependency intensive outpatient program

Free monthly workshops 541.7908

GAY & LESBIAN

Gay and Lesbian Alliance of the Central Coast

541.4252

PFLAG.Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays

438.3889

SOL (Single Older Lesbians)

Mostly socializing! Call 474.9405

HOSPICE

Hospice of SLO County, AIDS Bereavement Group

544.2266 and 434.1164

Hospice Partners of the Central Coast

782.8608

788.2643

Narcotics Anonymous

549.7730 and 800.549.7730 Overeaters Anonymous

541.3164

SCA, SLAA & SAA (Sex, Love & Romance Addictions)

461.6084

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly)

929.1789 www.tops.org Women for Sobriety

534.1101

Women’s Healthcare Specialists

544.4883

Code Pink

Commission on Status of Women

545.8412; Dawn Williams

Democratic Women United

541.4252

League of Women Voters

543.2220

NOW (National Organization for Women)

www.kcbx.net/~slonow/ [email protected]

READERS/WRITERS Adult Literacy

541-4219

Creative Writing Group

748-2676; contact Gloria Nightwriters

549.9656; contact Shirley Powell

Cal Poly Foundation

http://SinC-CCC.blogspot.com

Cal Poly University

Adult Day Care

Sisters in Crime

Jobline 756.7107 www.calpolyfoundation.org

SENIORS

http://calpolyjobs.org 756.1533

489.8894 (Arroyo Grande); 434.2081 (Templeton); 927.4290 (Cambria)

Cuesta College

http://www.cuesta.edu Jobline 546.3127 The Creekside Career Center

788.2600 or 237.3014 www.slocareers.org Department of Rehabilitation

549.3361

215.536.8026 www.womenforsobriety.org

CHILDREN & FAMILIES

Private Industry Council (PIC)

546.3755 www.bbrn.org

Women’s Support/Therapy v (general)

AARP

Mission Community Services Corporation Women’s Business Partners

Birth and Baby Resource Center

544.2266 (SLO)

www.slocodepink.org [email protected]

546.1178 www.ceahow.org 781.4275

Caregivers of Stroke Survivors

800.540.2227

JOBS/CAREERS

Drug & Alcohol Services

471.8102 (SLO)

POLITICAL

541-9113

Compulsive Eaters Anonymous, H.O.W. Concept

SLO 549.9446

FINANCE/BUSINESS

Consumer Credit Counseling Services

595.1357 www.mcscorp.org www.jobhunt.org 788.2601

Adult Protective Services

781.1790

Computerooters:

Computer help: 489.6230

Department of Social Services:

In-Home Support 781.1790 Nursing help for the terminally ill 781.5540

Elder and Dependent Adult Advocacy and Outreach – Victim Witness Assistance Center

781-5821

Elder Law, Geraldine E. Champion, Attorney

Childcare Resource Connection

LEGAL

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

544.6334 [email protected]

Foster Grandparents.Senior Companions

781.5821

Senior Ballroom Dance club

788.3418

Senior Peer Counseling

541.2272 or 800.727.2272

“A child’s voice in Court in SLO County” 541.6542 Children’s Services Network

781.1847

First 5: Children & Families Commission

781.4058; ask for Susan Hughs

Homeschooling in SLO County (HSC)

462.0726; ask for Barbara

La Clinica De Tolosa 238.5334 La Leche League

489.9128

Core Mediation Services

473.4747

District Attorney’s Office – Victim Witness Center

782.9200

Family Law Facilitator

489.5481 [email protected]

Lawyers Referral Services/Legal Aid Alternative

788.2099

Free, trained in.home counseling for 60+ 547.7025 ext. 15

Pro Per Divorce Workshop

544.9313

SPIRITUAL

Circle of Spiritual Enlightenment

Senior Legal Services

543.5140

541.1963; www.spiritualcircle.org

Awakening Interfaith Spiritual Community

544.4355 and 466.3444

ALS Support Group (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)

Meditation Monday evenings 7-8 pm Open to all. 772-0306 awakeninginterfaith.org

473. 2548

Alzheimer’s Support

RC liturgy with womanpriest 546.8672

Migrant Childcare Program

MEDICAL SUPPORT/SERVICES

MOMS Club of South SLO county

227.4785 or 674.4162

Hungry Hearts Spiritual Community

Partnership for Children

547.3830, 534.9234 (SLO/Los Osos) 888.488.6555

Meditation Group

541.8666; ask for Beth

Real F.A.C.T.S. (Forum on Abused Children)

American Cancer Society

Mondays, 7:30–8:30 PM; 772.0306 New Beginnings Church

Every Sunday, Coalesce Bookstore, MB

Social Services

San Luis Obispo 543.1481, 238.9657 Templeton 434.3051

Support for Kids Coping with Domestic Violence

541.9113

WOMEN’S CENTERS/SHELTERS

892.5556

781-3993

460.9016 781.1600

473.6507

EMERGENCY/CRISIS Hotline

www.slohotline.org 800.549.8989

Sexual & Rape Prevention (SARP)

545.8888 or 800.656.HOPE (4673)

Temporary Restraining Order & Victim Witness Program 781.5821

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

A.D.A.P.T. (Aid in Divorce Adjustment Problems Today)

543.0388

Alzheimer/Dementia Resource Center

434.2081 or 534.9234 or 888.488.6555

CALL–Concerned Agoraphobics Learning to Live

543.3764

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA)

542.0577 (SLO) 481.5093 (Grover Beach) 927.1654 (Cambria) 466.8600 (North County)

Self-Realization Fellowship

Anorexia Nervosa & Bulimia Support Group

Sunday Services 995-1599

Arthritis Foundation

Homeless Shelter

Cancer/ Breast Cancer Support Groups

543.1481 ext. 3 for information

Caregivers of Aging Parents

543.7969

Celiac Disease Support Group

226.9893

Endometriosis Association

www.endometriosisassn.org

Enhancement, Inc. (for breast cancer survivors)

771.8640 www.enhancementinc.com EOC Health Services Clinics

no or low cost reproductive health services 544.2478 (SLO); 489.4026 (Arroyo Grande) Healthworks of the Central Coast

No or low cost reproductive health services 542.0900 Hearst Cancer Resource Center

15

Housing Authority

543.4478

North County Women’s Resource Center, Shelter

461.1338

Prado Day Center (for the homeless)

786.0617 www.pradodaycenter.org Women’s Community Center, SLO

544.9313

Women’s Shelter Program of SLO

549.8989 (crises), 781.6401 (business) www.womensshelterslo.org

OTHER WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS Altrusa International, Inc.

481.1039; Cici Wynn, President

American Association of University Women

781-0922 Karen www.aauw.org

Community Counseling Center

542.6269

Dealing With Divorce

3rd Thursday, SLO, 7 -9 pm 464-0564

Depresson and Bipolar Support Alliance Group

785.0132

Divorce Discussion Group

2nd Monday, 4-5 pm, 782-9300

Central Coast Peace and Environmental Council

466.7226 (Atascadero/Templeton) 481.7424 (Arroyo Grande) 541.8633 (SLO)

Compassion & Choices (or Final Exit)

Camping Women

440.2723 www.campingwomen.org

543.7969

IC Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome

544.9313

Long-term Care Ombudsman Services of SLO County

927.3703

Lymphedema Education & Support Group

OTHER GROUPS & GATHERINGS

489.2990, [email protected]

Parkinson’s Support Groups

544.3399 or 783.2383

Eating Disorders Support Group

546-3774; free, meets weekly in SLO

Hadassah.SLO

543.9452

800.247.7421 or 489-5481

Please send additions, corrections or deletions to: [email protected] or leave a message at the WCC: 805.544.9313. Last update 7/1/09.

... looking for a spiritual change? The Circle of Spiritual Enlightenment is an interfaith community dedicated to celebrating diversity and honoring the spirit that connects all things.

Spiritual Leader: Laura V. Grace Sunday Services 10:00am

Please join us for meditation at 9:30am each Sunday before the service Sunday School Provided: Educational and Fun 1500 Lizzie St., Room J-2, Adult School, San Luis Obispo

For more info: 805.541.1963 Website: www.spiritualcircle.org E-Mail: [email protected]

Please join us for a celebration of expanding consciousness and love.

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