March-April 2009 - Women's Press

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2 Women’sPress Courtney’s Quill The recent rain has seemed to rejuvenate my spirit as I watch our community turn green and flourish. And maybe it’s the rain, but lately I’ve been feeling rather earthy, which is a difficult feeling to explain, but the other day, I told my friend that I felt like rolling in the mud just to be closer to nature. While my comment did garner an odd look from her, it was incredibly true. I’ve been craving the outdoors, and so despite the rainy weather, I’ve been taking long walks, hiking up our beautiful mountains, and getting some sand in between my toes. This is all, I’ve decided, an attempt to become more centered in spirit and quieter in mind—something that nature teaches us on a daily basis. And I think this is what spring is all about. As winter ends (oh wait…did we have a winter this year?) and spring approaches, we typically clean out our houses and get organized, but I find this the perfect time to also clean my mind of distractions and become a bit quieter in my daily thoughts. And in doing so, I will try to fill my mind with thoughts of gratitude, which is something that this issue of Women’s Press does as well. March is Women’s History Month, and we devoted a section in the paper to celebrating inspirational women. If you know someone who is an inspiration to you, say a silent thank you for this person. Could you imagine how different you might be if not for her influence? This month we also look forward to LUNAFEST! The event takes place on March 7th at the SLO Library. For the small cost of $8, please join us as we watch short films by, for, and about women. The event has been circled on my calendar for a month now, and I just can’t wait to feel the kinetic energy in the room as we watch, learn, and explore filmmaking at its finest. Finally, I encourage you to send us your thoughts and comments about our humble paper. In our next issue, we will have a local perspectives section celebrating Mother’s Day. Though this holiday is often viewed as “hallmark-y”, I challenge you to go beyond the obvious. In such a critical economic time, when so many of my friends and family are currently without employment, I have been inspired and moved to see communities of women come together to help each other. And so I think of mothers as not just women who have born children, but of women who have taught, encouraged, helped, lead, and supported, and really been the foundation for which all has been built upon. Send in your articles, letters, poems, and anything else you might think of about this topic. We would love to share your stories, furthering our commitment to you and those in the community. Courtney MAILING ADDRESS: Wo m e n’s Pre s s Women’s Community Center 880 Industrial Way San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 805.544.9313 Managing Editor: Courtney Brogno womenspress.slo@gmail.com Layout & Design: Benjamin Lawless ben@penciledin.com Photographer: Lynda Roeller Distribution Manager: Charlene Huggins Advertising Team: Beverly Cohen, Carol Dawn, Kathleen Deragon & Benjamin Lawless Submissions Welcomed! 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 womenspress.slo@gmail.com or call 805-544-9313. The opinions expressed in the Wo m e n’s Pre s s 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 Wo m e n’s Pre s s. What’s in a Name By Hilda Heifetz I’ve been saving a clipping from our local newspaper about a woodcarver who donated to our nearby park a sign showing his version of a ‘crane.” This was in tribute to what he believed was this bird’s habitat. Well…we have diligent and informed bird watchers in this area (Morro Bay, California is a bird refuge). There was an immediate outcry by them to let the woodcarver know that cranes don’t live here…but great, white EGRETS do! I can sympathize with the artist’s discomfort. As a matter of fact, several years before when I first moved to Morro Bay, I was raving to my new neighbors about my numerous encounters with the beautiful white cranes. They lost no time correcting me, that I must be referring to egrets. Their indignation made my mistake seem like a major offense against all egrets and that I was obliged to make amends. To write (right) the wrong, a poem emerged which seemed to allay my guilt and then was filed away. Somehow the woodcarver’s gaffe inspired me to bring out my poem and go public. For better or verse, I share my original: About the Cover Artist Anne Barga Anne Barga’s paintings have been described as containing a balance between spontaneity and control, emotion and thought. Her paintings are nature-based blends of abstraction and representation. Anne says “Everyone’s daily life is a series of emotions, thoughts, and impressions. I think, dream, and imagine colors and shapes to represent these sensations. My goal is to create art that is beautiful and that has wit and intelligence and humor. I hope my work inspires a natural high.” This painting, Green Buddha (Tara), was commissioned for Anne’s friend who is exploring Buddhist teachings. Tara, the Protectress, is known in many cultures as the ever accessible, all encompassing Great Mother. She is the embodiment of the highest qualities of wisdom, compassion, and power. Swift to reach out to all those in need, her 21 aspects reflect humanity’s radiant potential. Please see www.annebarga.com for more of Anne’s art. 5000 free copies distributed in SLO County. Subscriptions available. Beverly Engel Jeanie Greensfelder Ali Hatcher Hilda Heifetz Charlene Huggins Laura Grace 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 Contributors Volunteers Owed To An Egret… An Apology I send my regrets To all egrets If I caused you pain By calling you “crane.” (It took more than I knew To identify you!) It is lots of trouble To have a bird double Who looks much the same But is different in name? I won’t be a botcher again Upsetting bird watchers again And I’ll never forget You’re known as “egret”! Dear bird, this ode to you is owed to you. Now, I cannot leave this confession without including my reflections following this experience. Having a predisposition to see the sublime in the ridiculous and vice versa, I also find my tongue likes to be in my cheek but also needs to wag with great seriousness. It was inevitable that I would ponder: “What’s in a name?” Even before I was introduced to William Shakespeare’s “he who steals my good name, steals that which does not enrich him, but makes me poor indeed” –even before that, I was shocked to learn that our Native Americans were not consulted about what they wanted to be called, but were named “Indians” by misguided explorers who thought they had landed in India! I have also learned that in the mysticism of the Kabala, a person’s name contains his destiny. In human beings the name seems to become the “self,” so that my friend, when asked who she is, promptly answered “Sarah!” Even more extreme that Shakespeare, to whom the loss of a good name is only impoverishing, taking Sarah’s name away could deprive her of her very existence. Do we go so far, as in the case of the egret, as to believe his life depends on correctly identifying him? Have I become ridiculous? The carver as well as the rhymester, meaning no harm, have been treated to the world of distinctions and differences. And the egret, by ANY other name, is still a beautiful bird and unimpressed by name calling. Dianne Legro Heather Mendel Berta Parrish Adele Sommers Jill Turnbow Jacqueline Turner Andrea Zeller Roberta Youtan Kay Shirley Kirkes Mar Elizabeth McGregor Mary Norby Sonia Paz Baron-Vine Barbara Perry Anne Quinn Robin Rinzler Lynda Roeller Renee Sante Dawn Williams Karen Wood Women’s Press | March & April 2009 | womenspress.slo@gmail.com ADVERTISING RATES f o r publication-r e a d y a d s: Business card: $50/one issue 4" X 5": $100/one issue Quarter page: $140/one issue Half page: $215/one issue Full page: $375/one issue Letter to George, the Night Before By Judith Bernstein Note: I grew up in the house that George Putnam and Amelia Earhart lived in (Rye, NY), first in a “menage a trois” when he was married and she single, and later when he divorced his wife to marry her. So I have always been fascinated by the story of her life. She was a true ‘free spirit’ and wrote a letter to George the night before her marriage setting out some conditions, and letting him know he could still opt out. I imagined this letter in a poetic form. It’s the bite of marriage that I fear, markings left by teeth, a dog collar ‘round my neck (where once a silk scarf flowed) that say I have an owner. G.P., til now you’ve called me by my name, Amelia Earhart. Let that not change once we are wed. Our union’s not in names, nor written on a parchment scroll, nor sanctified by minister or state. Just as in passion’s moment we forget ourselves, mingling our sounds and smells, then reluctantly pull apart, taking back once more those places that were briefly bound, just so in marriage let us treasure times that bind, but also time apart. And sometimes sitting in my room alone, I forget for few moments I’m at home, and adjust my goggles at La Guardia field, reliving that delicious fear that leaves my arm pits wet, and then the rush of rising upward through the air then leveling off and floating with the currents. I may stay aloft past dark, then land for dinner. The clink of silver, the taking in of food and wine, the flight of words across the table feed our spirits as the meat our bones. Then let us drink a toast to marriage, regretting nothing we have left behind, celebrating what we bring together Wo m e n’s Co m m u n i t y Center Bo a r d Angie King, President Sonia Paz Baron-Vine Robin Rinzler $250/year (6 issues) $500/year (6 issues) $600/year (6 issues) $1075/year (6 issues) $1875/year (6 issues) Workshop Listings $35 an issue 3.5” x 2” logo $10 extra Business Profile: (Logo, Photo & 250 words) $149/Issue Co l o r Ad s: Ad d 25% Ad De s i g n/La yo u t a va i l a b l e a t a n a d d i t i o n a l c h a r g e Publication-r e a d y d e f i n e d a s h i g h-r e s o l u t i o n (m i n i m u m 300 d p i) digital f i l e s in o n e o f t h e following f o r m a t s : .t i f, .a i, .p s d, .p d f, .j p g, o r .e p s
March & April 2009 | www.womenspress-slo.org | Women’s Press Motherhood 3 The Children’s Bookshelf By Lisa Pimentel Johnson “Molly Lou Melon stood just taller than her dog and was the shortest girl in the first grade. She didn’t mind. Her grandma told her, ‘Walk proudly as you can and the world will look up to you.’” Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, teaches us many life lessons: how to deal with being short, clumsy, not “magazine pretty,” and having a “voice that sounds like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor.” In this climate of adjusted parenting, it is her grandmother that steers Molly Lou through the rough waters of bully’s at school and self image issues. Using the sage advice of her grandmother, she walks proud, smiles big, and sings loudly in daily life. Both parents and children need to embrace the simple lessons taught in this delightful book. Parenting By Lisa Jouet My husband and I decided to try to get pregnant about 5 years ago, and we are now the proud 40-something parents of an active 2 ½ year old. Each day we are faced with myriad decisions regarding our child. At first, we read every book, magazine, and internet article we could get our hands on, beginning with pregnancy and birth. During my searches, I also met other parents trying to parent in the same instinctive, bonded, and positive way that we were. These other parents called their philosophy “Attachment Parenting.” The term is credited to a physician, Dr. William Sears. If you go to AP websites, eight principles are listed. They are; • Prepare for Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting • Feed with Love and Respect • Respond with Sensitivity • Use Nurturing Touch • Ensure Safe Sleep, Physically and Emotionally • Provide Consistent and Loving Care • Practice Positive Discipline • Strive for Balance in Personal and Family Life My upbringing had many of these principles, but certainly not all of them. I am glad I knew so many people who were willing to share their pregnancy, birth, and parenting stories. Everything I learned pointed me toward the goal of having a healthy pregnancy and an unmedicated birth. The path I started down with this first principle created a domino effect. As time has marched on, I try to embrace these prin- Midwifery Today By Edana Hall In the State of California, women have many choices on where, with whom, and how they will birth their children. Seemingly, much of the population is unaware that there are options that exist outside of the standard obstetric, medically-based model of care. In fact, there is a distinctively different model of care that addresses the individual needs of normal, healthy birthing women and their families; that approaches “Holy Frijoles,” cries the cutest, personality packed, Siamese cat ever written in children’s literature. His mother calls him, “Mr. Kitten Britches, Mr. Fuzzy Pants, Mr Fluffernutter, or Mr. Cocopugs.” Even if you don’t particularly like cats, Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner is a story about a rambunctious kitty with an overactive imagination that will win your mind and heart with a swipe of his black and white paw. He is El Skippito, wielding a sword to save a roving band of Chihuahuas from a gigantic bumblebeeto. This mission involves lots of beans: black beans, baked beans, kidney beans, and jelly beans. Add some made up words like bangito, crashito, popito or friskito, and you have instant smiles. The drawings are engaging as well: colorful, “funeeto,” and whimsical. “Holy Guacamole,” every child should have this book! ciples every day. I make little mistakes just like everyone else, but I try to learn from them, listen to my instincts, and move on without regrets. For example, when it is time for our toddler to go to sleep, we go through our tooth brushing routine, read a few books, and turn out the light. One of us lies down with her in her bed until she falls asleep. Occasionally, I am annoyed when she does not fall asleep quickly, but I keep in mind that I want her to feel loved, safe, and secure. Before I slip away, I look I see her peaceful, sleeping face, and I feel so much happiness and love. More importantly, I feel I am doing the right thing for our daughter. If she wakes up during the night, we don’t make a big deal of it, and she finishes her night or morning in our bed. She sleeps through the night more often than not and wakes up in a very sunny mood. The most difficult task for me is positive discipline. When my child acts out, I find I am often at a loss, even for words. I was raised with a more authoritarian style of parenting, and according to my parents, I was as an easy-going child who did not often disobey. So here I am with an active, confident, and at times moody 2 year old who throws things at me when she is angry. My husband and I, however, choose clear and loving communication. We give her options and she chooses her path. Attached parenting is nothing more than parenting in the way history and time has proven to be most effective. Please join me over the next year, as I explore and explain each of Attached parenting’s eight principles. I believe that both you and your child(ren) will be enlightened and enriched. pregnancy and birth as normal, physiologic processes; that encourages women and their families to become informed, educated, and responsible for their health and health care. These standards are the hallmarks of The Midwifery Model of Care as practiced by today’s Licensed Midwives. Today’s Licensed Midwife has completed a didactic training course from an accredited college, has secured adequate clinical experience through apprenticeships or hands-on training, and has passed the State Continued in Midwifery, pg 5 Children are highly entertained with body functions and can wax poetic for hours about one burp, one hiccup, or even rectal flatulence! In the book, Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray, it’s totally about a dog that produces the smelliest, most disgusting farts all morning, noon, and night. The children in the story love this dog in spite of his gas, but after trying different methods to cure the problem, the parents are ready to get fresh air in the house and take the dog to the pound. Luckily, Walter’s gas problem saves the day in a unique way, and the whole family learns to live with him and his special aroma. The illustrations are especially artistic and will make you want to study it in depth. Children will love all the farting in this book, and you probably will get some “demonstrations” of that particular talent every time this book is read! Give, Sustain, Save: Breast Milk By Jennifer Kaplan Salma Hayek recently made international news when she breastfed a malnourished African baby (in the Sierra Leone Region) while she was on a goodwill ambassador tour with UNICEF. Sierra Leone has the highest infant mortality rate in the world with many babies dying because their mothers are being forced to stop breastfeeding their children. Folklore and myths in Sierra Leone encourage many mothers to stop breastfeeding their infants within the first few months after birth because of pressure from their husbands. Tradition holds, in some areas, that it is not acceptable to have sexual relations with breast feeding women. It is also widely believed in this West African country that breast feeding does not provide enough food for a baby, and that colostrum, or first milk, is actually poisonous. These inaccuracies and stigma attached to breastfeeding has led to catastrophic events in this region. In an effort to encourage and educate the women there to breastfeed, Salma Hayek offered a sick baby boy her own breast milk. He hungrily accepted. Not only can we women give birth, but we are able to sustain life through our breast milk, and now, as Salma Hayek has shown, we can also save lives with the milk we can provide to babies. Give, sustain, save. Breastmilk is nature’s perfect food for babies. A woman’s body is designed to initiate breastfeeding minutes after giving birth, and babies are born with the innate knowledge of seeking out the breast and suckling. Breast milk is so vital to our children that the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and WHO (World Health Organization) recommend nursing our young for a minimum of one year, and they suggest that two year breastfed babies reap the most benefits. The babies of Sierra Leone could thrive if they were breastfed. Furthermore, according to world renowned Pediatrician and author, Dr. Sears, the benefits of breastfeeding and breast milk include not only an innate bonding between mother and child, but also germ-fighting and health-promoting ingredients. These help protect babies against all kinds of infections, common and not-so-common. Breast milk also contains unique brain-building nutrients that cannot be manufactured or bought. Breastfeeding promotes the right chemistry between Just a Moment By Kalila Volkov Waiting for my carpool kids to spill noisily in (leaving tracks of sand) expecting the girlish giggles and stories from the halls of eighth grade I sit and ponder the name of the bird on the wire with a white spot high on its chest Fortunate am I to have these days where I can steal a twenty-minute rest breathing deeply where I can quietly watch my nature friends; contemplate new recipes; read poems; have an extended chat with my distant brother or sit among my ripening tomatoes Getting quieter still retraining my body to move more slowly to perch and gaze around me like the little bird mother and baby by stimulating a woman’s body to produce prolactin and oxytocin, hormones that give mothering a boost. So breastfeeding is good for the mother and the child. And here, in the United States, where we have so much, women all across the nation choose to forgo breastfeeding because it can be time consuming, painful at times, and can even ruin the look of a breast. Though there are some women who have physical problems and cannot breast feed, the majority of women not breastfeeding made a conscious decision not to. And though some women must return to work, science and nature has come together beautifully in the form of a breast pump, allowing women to pump their milk throughout the day, so babies may still have nature’s perfect food in the form of a bottle. To think that babies world wide are dying without breast milk, and here in the United States, women let their milk go, is sad. Salma Hayek might have given this newborn a fighting chance, but he needs more than one feeding. We do not yet know if this baby survived or if another woman or his mother resumed breastfeeding him. What we do know is that the stigma of breastfeeding in the African nation has been reduced. The myths are being questioned by mothers, and their maternal instincts to nurture and feed their children are being restored. The fathers might listen to the physicians who are urging the women to keep their babies alive by feeding them. It took Salma Hayek to reach out and feed a hungry baby, to share her breast milk, and to nurture a child to squash these myths. She was able to do more in that simple altruistic action than all the literature and education the WHO has been trying to get across to the people of Sierra Leone. Salma Hayek was simply, being a mother. Photo by Anna i Adria
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March-April 2009 - Women's Press

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