It Must Be The Tiara...

One of the themes I stress as I teach US History is the role of women throughout history. In the beginning, women (like Abigail Adams) admonished their husbands to "remember the ladies" when they were forming the government of the new nation.  John Adams, of course, ignored Abigail and there was little she could do... other than make him pay for it at home.  Wives have a tendency to let their unhappiness show when they are ignored afterall... Women did not have a voice... yet.  This was way before Hillary or Palin. Our value had not been truly discovered and understood.

Today, we have female politicians fighting to change the world around them.  We have mothers researching to find the cure for their child's disease or to unlock the key with their child's learning disability.  We have stay-at-home moms teaching their children that they are the sole center of the universe and we have mother who work outside the home teaching their children that they are the most important part of the universe even if they are gone part of the time. Women can and do accomplish everything today.

Why is this my blog this morning? Simple.  Females around the world yesterday stopped in our tracks to watch Kate Middleton walk down the center aisle of Westminster Abbey and marry her prince.  The fairy tale that so many of us was reared on played out before our eyes, and so many of us simply stopped.  How many of you said to yourself, even silently, "oh... I want to marry a prince." or "oh... I want to be a princess?" We, as a gender, have came so far, accomplished so much, made incredible leaps and bounds, and we still want the fairy tale.  Me too.  Meee too.. I think it is the tiara. Maybe, we all want to wear jewels in our hair and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are special.  We are special!

When school let out yesterday, a small group of teachers met in the media center of my school for a royal wedding reception.  We had cake and punch; we wore paper tiaras and watched the recap of the wedding on the large screen.  We critiqued the dress ~ understated and elegant.  We talked about what we had read and heard about each participant in the affair ~ what the lipreaders had said William and Kate had said during the ceremony.  We all agreed that we dislike Camilla immensely and think Kate is beautiful. Then, the women gathered went home to their real life princes. Sometimes life truly is a fairy tale..

I was reminded of the best part of today's women though when I stopped for gas on my way home.  Two teenaged girls dressed in their uniforms for Powderpuff Flag Football were pumping gas beside me. They were headed to participate in the annual game where the same girls who oohed and aahed over the royal wedding would run, block, and aggressively grab flags off their opponents. Girls today are not confined to any one stereotype.  They can be romantic, girly, and tomboy-ish... They can be themselves... with or without a tiara.

I Have No Gift For YOU... Pa rum pum pum pum...

Today is the start of Lent.  I have observed Lent since I was in college eating in the dining hall with my Catholic friends.  While I am not Catholic, I observe the forty days as a way to celebrate the sacrifice that Jesus willingly made for us all.  I have given up ice cream.  I have made the dreadful mistake of giving up reading for pleasure - that may have been the longest forty days of my life since reading to me is like air.  Last year, I gave up all bread which was incredibly hard since everything in the South is breaded.  This year, I prayed about what to give up, what sacrifice could I make to honor our Savior... and I was told to ADD something rather than subtract. Really?  My life is hectic.  My life is full.  My plate spills over most days.  Why would I add more?  God knows what He is doing though. He told me to write about the part of my life that comes now... the part that I am struggling to accept, the part I am afraid to face, the part where I become me again. So, I am blogging for Lent. 

Growing up, The Little Drummer Boy was my favorite Christmas songs.  I'll admit that I liked the pa rum pum pum pum refrain, but I also like the whole message of giving what you had to celebrate the Lord.  I cannot play the drum; it is not a talent I was given. I can write though, so pa rum pum pum pum. Here is my blog for Lent.

What will I write about???  Well, I haven't got that far yet.  It's about me trying to figure it all out and focusing on the positive.  I need your help if I am going to figure out how to live alone and create a full life after Taylor (my one and only child) enlists in the Marines.  It is the Seinfeld of blogs. It's about nothing and everything.  It's about life and that alone should offer 40 days worth of material.

I have no idea how to blog, of course...  I am not claiming to have anything of great value to say. I simply feel compelled to write daily during Lent.  I read blogs.  I follow a daily fashion blog called The Bombshell Beauty blog (Bombshellbeauty.blogspot.com).  In it, Sara Bartlett from St Paul, MN posts what she wears daily along with witty comments.  She's plus-sized, looks great, and loves fashion. It's cool to see what Sara is wearing and get ideas about fashion, so maybe I'll do a little of that... I have a Facebook friend who blogs about the adventures of her newborn daughter, and a friend from high school who is a professional blogger (FriedOkra4me.blogspot.com).  They blog about their lives as moms, so why not a blog about a mom letting go. Of course, there is the movie Julie and Julia and about the lady who blogs while she tests every recipe in The Joy of Cooking. Maybe I'll throw in a few recipes along the way.  I don't cook often, but I make a few things amazingly well. Maybe I'll do restaurant reviews or book reviews because I absolutely love to read. Yes, my friends, this will be the completely random blog.  Life is made up of a gazillion different things.  Why shouldn't my blog be?