The Oregon Women's Report - Women's News from Oregon

Submitted by Kay Helbling

We’ve come a long way from our first letter of communication.

Weblogs, IM, Facebooks, and Twitter—all have gained prominence in connecting with the world and within our nuclear families. Much can be said against the shortcuts to language, the horrors of what it does to spelling, and its impersonal approach to staying in touch. But, after all is said, it is here, so I say we make the best of it.

After someone sent me an email with the letters “lol” as a part of the text, I knew I had joined the ranks of the illiterate. I quickly looked up its meaning and found that someone was actually “laughing out loud” over something I’d said. Hey, this might be fun.

This ad should be pulled from every internet site.  Making wide-sweeping statements like “Thin lips are ugly on anyone” is an offense.   If you see it, send a complaint email.

By Sharon Lacey,
Portland Comedian
www.sharonlaceycomedy.com
www.myspace.com/sharonlacey

[By popular demand we are running the five part series as one complete article so you can better share it with friends.  Please email this heart warming story] 

I’m a comedian.  When I was given the opportunity to go to Iraq to entertain the troops, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to be able to put it on my resume’. I wanted to travel. I wanted adventure.  I was going for all the wrong reasons. I went to Iraq with ignorant, naïve opinions that I had held for all of my adult life.  I came home a changed person.  This is my diary.

DAY ONE: I’m at Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C.  I have a seven hour layover here after the five hour flight from Seattle.  Plenty of time to talk to the soldiers who, like me, are waiting for the flight to Kuwait.  I show my itinerary to the group of Marines sitting near me.

Chantelle K. Dockter,
MA, Licensed Professional Counselor
Associate of CCCOW,

Question: What is the difference between “shame” and “guilt”, or are they the same thing?

Answer: When working with my clients, I find that the terms “shame” and “guilt” are generally used interchangeably. They are not the same. It is important to recognize the difference between the two in order to effectively deal with the byproducts that each can bring.

Marie Dorion, a reluctant “first lady”
By Naomi Inman

I’m fascinated with women in history who unwittingly pioneer the way for generations of women to follow.  They are an elite class of “first ladies” and always the first woman to trod, traipse and trudge her way through some unknown territory. It seems this form of greatness is mostly unwelcome and always thrust upon them.  Such is our first lady of the Oregon Trail, Madame Marie Dorion.  A young Iowa Indian and a very reluctant recruit, Marie never planned on becoming an Oregon legend—and the only woman—on the Astoria Overland Expedition of 1811-1812.  But her hubby signed her up, and her fierce will to survive, followed by her feminine grace gave Marie a unique place in Oregon history as the Madonna of the Oregon Trail.  She was the first woman and mother to travel the route that would become the Oregon Trail.  She gave birth to the first known child with Caucasian blood to be born in the Oregon country.

Weekend National Womens Health News Focus:

FRIDAY, May 8 (HealthDay News) — The number of confirmed or suspected cases of swine flu in the United States was approaching 1,900, federal health officials said late Thursday, with most new cases now caused by person-to-person transmission and not some link to Mexico, as was the case when the outbreak began nearly two weeks ago.

By Jean Tracy, NW Author
KidsDiscuss.com, Parent Newsletter

Do bullies call your child names? Does he come home crying? Look inside to find out how you can strengthen his character and deal with bullies. Anna Julia Cooper once said, “Bullies are always cowards at heart and may be credited with a pretty safe instinct in scenting their prey.

Let’s say your Weston, age 8, frequently comes home in tears. The neighborhood bullies call him “baby, wimp, stupid,” and other names we can’t mention. Weston always reacts with tears.

Submitted by Kay Helbling

My friend Rita’s grandmother, Della Cone McLean, was nominated for Oregon’s Mother of the Year back in the early 1900’s. Now over 100 years later, the title is still recognized with honor. Not for plunging necklines or long legs, but for their purpose driven lives.

Della was said to be strong and interesting, with joys that were simple. Even though she was very humble, there was no doubt she was the matriarch of the family.

As Rita shared pieces of Della’s life and character with me, I was touched by the profound pride she had in her as a woman. I wondered if the Mothers of the Year’s to follow shared the same determination and commitments.

By Erika Weisensee

These days, living green is not only good for the planet, but fashionable, too. We are constantly reminded about the size of our carbon footprints. Messages to reduce, reuse and recycle are everywhere. There is a lot of pressure to live green, but adopting a few habits that positively impact the planet is not as difficult as it seems. In fact, if we all conserve more and change a few habits, we can collectively make a big difference. And, while we are helping the earth, we can also save some money.

Here are some easy ways to be a bit greener:

Olivia C. Rossi, RN, MSN, ACSM
Your Personal Trainer

Okay.  You’ve heard about taking your kid to work day.  I hereby propose that you make it a habit to “Take Your Doggie Bag to Lunch or Dinner” whenever you go out to eat!  Buy a stack of those Glad Microwavable dishes and pack some in your purse or “carry-in baggage” next time you visit your favorite restaurant.  When your plate arrives DO NOT BE SHY!  Scoop up your leftovers before they become a temptation.  Pack them safely away in your little “Doggie Bag” or dish and eat the rest—slowly–and you will have lunch or dinner for tomorrow.   You will also leave the restaurant feeling that you had a good time and that you didn’t leave feeling “stuffed.”

by Cathy Rae Smith
Founder of Culture Magazine

The 1957 film Funny Face features Fred Astaire as a fashion photographer who discovers a bookshop clerk, played by Audrey Hepburn, as the new face for his high fashion shots. This results from editor in chief of a Vogue-like magazine, played by Kay Thompson, lamenting that the issue layouts are boring. She exuberantly proclaims that they need to find something exciting and new – down with the drab, out with the ordinary, think pink!

This seems a metaphor for spring in so many facets. Now is a time of renewal, a time to shed the old cloaks that shielded us from the dark and cold and emerge into a new, lighter manner of being. The weight of fabrics gets lighter as do the color palette.

Weekend National Health News Focus:

Below are three articles

1. Drink a Little Wine, Live a Little Longer
2. Autism Tied to Older Moms, Breech Birth
3. FDA Mandates New Warnings for Botox

By Jean Tracy, NW Author
KidsDiscuss.com, Parent Newsletter

Our last blog included 3 common discipline problems. Amy left her new bike in the rain. Jake kept losing his homework, and Jessica lost her lunch money again.  These careless kid problems cause parent problems too. Besides feeling angry, consider the inconvenience to you. You saved and saved for Amy’s bike. Jake’s teacher wants to know if he’s really doing his homework. Jessica expects you to leave work and bring her a hamburger and shake.  If any of these problems fit your family, you have discipline choices. Consider the logical consequences below: