Joni + Diana

A little music for your Tuesday: 

Good news at the Béguinage!

E's got a one-year job, L's got funding.  Hallelujah!  Pass the cheap champagne.

Mother's Day

At my church several years ago, some well-meaning passed out carnations to all the mothers in the pews on Mother's Day.  Most Sundays, I am one of only two or three single people in church, and on that day, I was the only woman who didn't have a flower.  I was stopped as I was leaving, given a flower, and when I said, "oh!  I don't have children!" was told, "that's ok.  You will someday!" 

I haven't been back on Mother's Day since. 

And so, pastoral types, if you get a minute before next Sunday, do give this a look. 

Writers and women writers

Every so often, I have a conversation with someone, usually a well-meaning man of above-average intelligence, about whether or not sexism is A Real Thing in 2013.  Yes, yes, it is.  And for today's example, I bring you wikipedia.  Go ahead and read it all.

 When sex is an important identifier only for women, not for men, that's sexism, folks. When women are systematically moved from the category "writer" to the category "woman writer," while men get to keep being called "writer" instead of "man writer," that's sexism too. 

A real béguine

There's a marvelous obituary in The Economist for Marcella Pattyn, the last living béguine, who died April 14 at age 92.

Read it all.

...and a little Cole Porter

Well kids, we haven't said a single thing about Cole Porter yet on this blog. Terrible. Not living up to the subtitle of the blog. Hold us accountable already, will ya?

That said, have this:




Happy Monday!

An Experiment in Self-Image

Dear All,

It is perhaps time for a positive reflection. A facebook friend who counsels college-aged women brought this experiment to everyone's attention this morning. It is a 6-ish minute video, but ladies: it is well worth the time. In it, Dove conducts a fascinating experiment with several women to get them to reflect in a novel way on their perceptions of themselves. The results are surprising, lovely, and deeply convicting.

So have a look during your next coffee break-- I challenge you.