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

Kindle Fire — Writing Contest!!!
-Previous published essays welcomed!-

Oregon Women’s Report is giving away a new Kindle Fire eReader (7″ color display screen w/WiFi) as part of our “Inspiration” Writing Contest. The Kindle Fire was just released last October and is the hottest eReader on the market. The Kindle Fire gives you free online cloud storage and access to Amazon’s 19 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines & books.

Previous published material accepted: Includes book, magazine & blog excerpts from the author.

Subject Focus “Inspiration”: We are seeking non-fiction submissions that are inspirational, courageous, memorable or enlightening. It can be about precious family moments, life lessons, advice given, life changing events, stories of friendship, role models, personal inspirations or motivations for you or someone you know. If you have never taken the time to write about someone who made a difference in your life – now may be the perfect time.

by Sandy Coughlin
The Reluctant Entertainer

Why Not . . . Revel in Being a Woman?
by Shannon Ables
Simply Luxurious Life

Did you know?

By Evergreen,
Oregon writer

Jared Townsley of Tigard (Age 32) was a Mt. Hood climber who fell down a cliff and died. Jared’s body was recovered this month. This was among the final photos from his camera recovered from his possessions. His family released the picture along with thanks for all those involved in the search. It seems from the last photo that Jared was surrounded by incredible beauty — something that we can easily take for granted in life, in nature around us and our friends. More from KGW here.

by Kelli Warner
KMTR-TV Morning News anchor
Springfield, OR

It’s another big weekend for Hollywood and on a personal level, quite an accomplished weekend for me.

This Sunday, I will watch the Academy Awards having actually, for the first time, done my homework.

Call it an impulse decision, a crazy whim, or a calculated personal challenge. Whatever it was, my co-anchor, Marc, and I announced on-air to our viewers that we would commit to watching all the movies nominated for a “Best Picture” Oscar.

All nine. (silence)

By Erika Weisensee
Milwaukie mom & writer

A few months ago, I wrote for this website about the growth of my family by adoption. It was eight months ago that my husband Alex and I traveled to China to bring home our son Henry. He was just two and the journey to meet and bring him home was amazing, exhausting, and unlike any other travel or any other time in our lives. The past eight months have been fun and tiring, happy and stressful— all wrapped in one.

To anticipate a question we have received a lot: Yes, people do adopt boys from China. Far more girls are given up in China, but some boys are, too. We told our adoption agency that we were open to a child of either gender, and we were told that we would be matched more quickly because of that. We also learned that far more families in our program—a program for children with correctable medical needs—asked for girls, so that families open to boys were very much needed.

by Elisha Joyce
Rebel Grain

This week on twitter I was reminded of a this great quote:

We are walking billboards. If we are overweight and out of shape, lack vitality and enthusiasm, we are telling the world on our billboard, “I don’t care.” On the other hand, if you take care of your body by giving it proper nutrition and exercise, you will exude vitality and enthusiasm. Your sign will read, “I have pride, I have discipline, I take care of this God-given body, it’s my moral obligation.”

-Jack Lallane, from his book Revitalize Your Life: Improve Your Looks, Your Health & Your Sex Life.

Growing up in a bodybuilding house this idea that we are “walking billboards” was always top of mind. Why? Because people are watching. Yes, whether we like it or not, others are watching our “example.”  How we talk, how we dress, how we look, where we go, what we do – it all says something about what takes priority in our heart.

Cherry Pie Day
by Cupcake Kisses N Crumbs

This is our 2012 Poet Prize winner of our Valentine’s Contest

Song of the Heart
By Lora Lafayette
Portland, Oregon

I feel you like freedom from sorrow.
Your name is scorched in my existence.
I carry you when you matter most.
And sing at the smallness of discretion.
I live the music you are to me.
I want to share your air –
Breath coming in serendipitous bursts.

We are bound in bands of humour.
We are significant in each other.
We perspire in frequently habitual lyrics.
And gaze into perfectly formed smiles.
Our union is remarkable and true
And wills matched never forgetful.
We are roses and lilies,
And worship in synchronized spells.
We quell the smallest trepidation of resource,
.And outlast the unfurnished longing.

I sing to you, love.
I take your song as me.

– Silver Prize Winner (2/2) for our “Love” Writing Contest.
– Winners are being featured all this week.

Billie Reynolds
King City, Oregon

Because there were no available jobs in the early 1950’s, we moved to Oregon. Our two-year- old son, my husband and I rented our Arizona house then rode on a Greyhound bus for 33 hours to Oregon. Bill’s knowledge of the new resins that he gained at the Goodyear plant making experimental “p-tubes for fighter jets” made him just the guy for a plant which manufactured glass-resin boats.

We stayed with his parents for the first few months, then were able to rent a little place with floors so slanted the mop water at the high end ran down to the low end.

– Silver Prize Winner (1 of 2) for our “Love” Writing Contest.
– Winners are being featured all this week.

By Emily King,
Portland
Author of several Children’s books
.

When it comes to flowery speech or emotional expression, my husband, Dave, is a man of few words. That was one of the first things I learned about him when we married forty-three years ago.

One of the next things I discovered is that Dave has little use for rosebushes. He had no second thoughts about yanking out mature plants to widen the driveway when we purchased our home. To him, roses represent hours of pruning and spraying, mulching and fertilizing. As far as he’s concerned, a lawn mower and hedge trimmers are all you need for the perfect garden.

– Gold Prize Winner (3 of 3) for our “Love” Writing Contest.
– Winners are being featured all this week.

 Jen Rouse,
Albany Oregon
Free-lance writer
The Short Years Blog

When I was a kid, my dad made blueberry waffles every Sunday morning. While mom got my sister and I all dressed and combed and pretty for church, he would mix up batter and cook batch after batch on the ancient waffle maker, the one my parents got for a wedding present in 1974. He would mix together blueberries and sugar and cornstarch, heat them until they were the perfect sweet, syrupy concoction, and we’d all sit down for a morning feast before heading off to church together.

I don’t remember anything in particular that anyone said at those Sunday morning breakfasts, but I remember being there, Mom and Dad and Cheryl and I, together around the table every week.

– Gold Prize Winner (2 of 3) for our Valentine’s “Love” Writing Contest.
– Winners will be announced all week.

By Ann McArthur,
Bend, Oregon

You’d think after more than thirty years of marriage, I would have known better. But my intentions had been so good, so innocent and noble. Before you judge me a complete idiot, though, think back to the worst Valentine’s Day gift you’ve ever given. Perhaps our gifts have something in common.

I wanted to communicate to my husband how much I loved him. A few weeks before Valentine’s Day, I hit on the idea of surprising him by shoveling the sidewalk, clearing the snow off our 4-Runner, and scraping all the windows. When he went to work, my husband wouldn’t have to wade through snow or spend time in the biting cold cleaning his vehicle. It would be my gift to him, my secret valentine.

– Gold Prize Winner (1 of 3) for Women’s Report Valentine’s “Love” Writing Contest.
– Winners will be announced all week.

An Unlikely Romance
Evelyn Donnell, La Grande
Poet since Childhood

Dr. Ed was a giant of man, although he stood only 5’2” in his stocking feet. Youngest son of Irish/English immigrants, when he entered a family of six strapping boys, all the tall genes were used up. His older brothers over-shadowed him. But Ed was born for kingship and mighty deeds. He was a singer of Irish ballads, an admirer of tall, stately women, a lover of the healing arts of his day; and good apple pie laced with fine brandy. He couldn’t resist a challenge!

Here is a beautiful news story about a small idea shared among women friends and now has turned into a national trend. It involves eating together at home, with friends, while helping fellow women in third world countries. Great idea. Can Oregon be next?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Evergreen,
Oregon writer

Here are some of the best pics from the famous Awkward photo series.  I picked those related to love and romance.  Tell me if you agree.

Table Tennis Proving Therapeutic to People with Parkinson’s
KMTR-TV Morning News anchor
Springfield, OR

When I hear the words “ping pong” I immediately think of the game I played with my friend in her family’s rec room when we were in grade school.  Playing it was so much fun as a 5^th grader, but this week, I got schooled on the game.  And now, I’m even more interested in it than I was back then.  My lesson this week came from Frank Bertrand, a Springfield man who uses ping pong as therapy against a condition he battles every day.

By Erika Weisensee
Milwaukie writing mom

I have taught college writing and communication classes for six years. Before I started teaching, I thought of teaching as a challenging yet rewarding career. It is both of those things. What has surprised me most about my work is the attachment I can feel for a particular class and the sadness I sometimes feel when a course ends. But that is the nature of teaching—you teach them and you set them free.

Every class is different, yet I have come to know this generation of college students fairly well. Guess what? I really, really like them. Society has dubbed them¬—them being my students and some 50 million other Americans between the ages of 18 and 29—the “Millennial” generation, also know as Gen Y.

by Olivia Rossi, RN, MSN, ACSM
Your Personal Trainer

“. . . and the pursuit of happiness.” So it was declared and so it was written.

How do you pursue your happiness? Have you ever thought about making it a project? That’s what Gretchen Rubin did when she decided to dedicate a year to her own pursuit of happiness. And so it was written, The Happiness Project. It’s a small book packed with ideas, suggestions and resolutions—her resolutions with a blueprint to craft your own. An excerpt from her opening paragraph sets the stage:

A “happiness project” is an approach to changing your life. First, it is the
preparation stage, when you identify what brings you joy, satisfaction, and
engagement . . . Second is the making of resolutions, when you identify the
concrete actions that will boost your happiness.

This is a good time of year to resolve, review and renew. You may have already started some resolutions or perhaps you still have some on-going from last year. A resolution is a change and every change takes time. Make one change at a time and give yourself time to do it.

Last year I wrote an article about “Moving Out of a Funk.” I told you about my “two bucket theory of life;” my “stress” bucket and my “peace of mind” bucket. It fits right in with the “Happiness Project” idea. My “peace of mind” bucket is my “happiness” bucket. Deleting items from my “stress” bucket adds to my “peace of mind” or “happiness” bucket.

I’d like to leave you with an acronym I came up with for five of my resolutions for this year. I plan to make them part of my own happiness project. The acronym is PEACE:

P is for “Play”
I resolve to add a little play to each day. On my way home from my run today I stopped at a park and played on the swing for a minute.

E is for “Enlighten”
I resolve to learn something new . . . I started by reading “The Happiness Project.”

A is for “Activate”
I resolve to continue to activate my body and my brain. I’ve gone back to ice skating! I grew up skating at Berkeley Iceland.

C is for “Change”
It’s time for a new hair-do! I may even change the way I sign off once in awhile—a friend at work calls me Liv.

E is for “Encourage”
I resolve to encourage others in their pursuit of happiness and peace of mind by sending cards of support the old-fashioned way, via snail mail.

The pursuit of happiness is a journey. Take one step at a time. I encourage you to read “The Happiness Project” and come up with your own resolutions. Make it a journey, make it a project, enjoy it . . .

Love,
Liv . . . and be happy!

Olivia Rossi, RN, MSN
Certified Clinical Exercise Specialist, ACSM
Certified Personal Trainer, ACSM

Image: Copyright Charles Schultz “Peanuts”

Building Character with Goals and 3 Simple Questions
by Jean Tracy MSS
Kids Discuss.com 

A great way to build character in kids is through goal setting. But how? Bob Proctor, the great author and motivational speaker, offers 3 essential questions. Before learning about the questions let’s find out the importance of positive goals.

Why Parents Need to Teach Positive Goal Setting

Children must see goals clearly because, like all of us, they move toward their pictures. If their pictures portray failure, they will fail. This is where you come in. Teach them to form positive pictures with clear goals.