At our blog, we pride ourselves on being authors who write
intelligent, strong, positive heroines. As a group of bloggers, we work to
support each other in our publishing careers. When you are around these types of women, you forget that
not all women are treated in the same manner. Three stories this week make that
issue abundantly clear.
First, Disney faced a maelstrom of criticism with their
choice to give Merida, from the movie Brave, a makeover.
Original Merida
"Makeover" Merida
Second, H&M rolled out their summer campaign featuring a
model more in line with the average American woman, only to face comments that
she’s too fat and she needs to lose weight.
Finally, an Oklahoma City Thunder NBA cheerleader, was
called out on a blog post, written by a woman, for being “too chunky.” The
passive aggressive nature of the post is a thin veil for its meanness. The blogger thinks the cheerleader is beautiful, but she's just "discussing what men like." Did this
post even need to be written?
The lack of sisterhood is disturbing and it’s very
pervasive. Even on something like reality competitions where the American
public votes, most of the winners turn out to be “attractive” boys, the magnet
for the tween/teen girls who tend to vote. While watching Good Morning America
on Friday, where they were discussing this week’s Dancing with the Stars finale,
an anchor mentioned she thought the lone male left standing would win because young
girls are the ones “who vote.” On shows like Survivor, where alliances are
important, you rarely see women align together, even when they have the numbers
on their side.
Am I the lone “conspiracist,” foil hat and all, for seeing a
link between these stories? Or am I a seeing a problem where none exists?
I made this breakfast for my granddaughter (who is twelve), and had my daughter, and her family over to share.
This is simple, easy even. Trust me. Even if you are scared of yeast, try it and see.
Invite people to Sunday brunch. Don’t tell them you’re gonna knock their socks off.
The night before, do this:
Take 2 cups of milk and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on high. It should be really hot when you take it out.
Throw ¾ of a stick of butter and let it melt in the milk.
When the milk has cooled off (ten minutes or so, especially if you stir it occasionally) take a ½ cup warm water (warm to the inside of your wrist), put in 3 Tablespoons sugar and a package of yeast.
Wait five minutes for it to get bubbly looking.
In your largest mixing bowl, pour in yeast mixture and milk, use mixer to blend.
Add:
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
¾ Cup of sugar and enough all-purpose flour (King Arthur’s is good) to make a soft dough.It should look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy would look if he was smushed into your largest mixing bowl.
Beat for five minutes.
That’s it. Put some plastic wrap on it, stick it in the refrigerator, and be prepared to amaze everyone (including yourself).
Now comes the fun part. Right before your guests get there, dust your counter top with a lot of flour. Take your dough out of the refrigerator.
It will have risen and the texture will be very different than before. These are all good things.
Take that puppy out of its bowl and slap it on the floured surface, roll it out, dip your cutter in flour, and cut it. You can use two different sized cookie cutters or buy a handy dandy doughnut cutter like I have.
Try to space them as close together as possible. Don’t move them, let them sit where they are as you cut them. If some dough gets caught in the cutter, place it as close to the others as possible, and remember to keep dipping the cutter in flour before each cut.
When done, put damp paper towels over your dough, and leave it alone for at least a half hour, longer is okay, but not over an hour.
I have a large, oblong electric frying pan I use to cook
these. You can use anything you like, and any liquid vegetable oil you want.
You need the oil to be at least two inches deep.Before everyone is ready to eat, heat your
oil to 365 degrees (a fairly hot temp will cook these in less than a minute),
and get your crew together. You need one
person to bring doughnuts from the counter to the oil, another to flip doughnuts
in the oil, and yet another to shake it in a PAPER BAG (trust me on this, don’t
use plastic) with a box of confectioner’s sugar emptied into it. The cooked
doughnuts go from hot oil to paper
bag, covered in confectioner’s sugar (you can do a bunch at once) and put on a
platter.
You need someone very
reliable, perhaps someone who owes you money, which you can remind them of
before you get them to guard the doughnuts that are done, until the rest of
your breakfast is ready.
There is nothing better in the world. Seriously, you’ve
never had a doughnut before, not really. Trust me on this.
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Elvy Howard shares more of her love of cooking in her debut novel, Love on a Half Shell. It is available in print and e-book at Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com, and other online retailers .
Love on a Half Shell Three parts love, two parts grit...the perfect recipe to save a family.
Hi! Denise Golinowski here with this month's edition of Myth Perceptions. The final stop on the Shapeshifters World Tour brings us home from Europe to explore the myth of the Navajo Skinwalker.
Skinwalkers are Navajo witches who have chosen evil instead of healing. It is said Native Americans are reluctant to talk about the skinwalker myth, perhaps for fear of retribution. The information I read revealed that a witch can only become a skinwalker through murdering a family member. The power gained enables them to change shape and use the powers of the animal. The most frequently listed forms are that of coyote, wolf, fox, crow, or owl.
If a person is foolish enough to stare into the eyes of a Skinwalkers they could lose control of their body and will. Skinwalkers seek to frighten, kill, maim, or control others. They have no other desire. They can take most any form they choose and are said to lure people away from safety using the voices and/or appearance of loved ones. Legend says that the only way to kill a skinwalker is with a bullet dipped in white ash or by saying their full name before shooting them. The majority of articles I discovered on the web repeat the same basic information with little about motivation or intent. The one clear picture is that a skinwalker has no goal except power. The saying "power corrupts" certainly appears to apply; these witches lose or surrender their humanity in pursuit of the power of the skinwalker. Of all the shapeshifters I've presented and researched for the Shapeshifters World Tour, the skinwalkers are the most disturbing for me. They were certainly a unsettling ending to the tour, but perhaps the cautionary tale contained within their mythos is a useful one. Power is a seductive and destructive mistress. Well, it's been a winding road, but the Shapeshifters World Tour has reached it's final stop. I hope that it's been entertaining and informative. I know I've learned quite a lot, and I've also "unlearned" a lot of what I'd expected when first setting out on this tour. The biggest take-away for me is the realization that most of the shapeshifter myths I'd been taught were not about humans shifting into animals, but more often of mythical creatures shifting into humans. What does it say about our ancestors or ourselves that we would think divine or magical creatures would find being human so very attractive? Of course, the intent isn't always benign, but there is a touch of ego in there, don't you think? I haven't decided where Myth Perceptions is going to be headed next month, so all I can ask is that you come back to check and see. Please feel free to leave me your thoughts about Skinwalkers or about the Shapeshifter World Tour in general. Or just say hello. NEWS FLASH: Friday's the day! Collector's Item will be released by The Wild Rose Press for all eformats on May 17th. Yeppers, Release Day is almost upon us and I'm going to be celebrating with a Virtual Release Day Party! Speaking of ego, there will be a lot of tweeting and posting about the world of Collector's Item, but there will also be prizes. Drop by Golinowski's Gambol or Denise Golinowski/Author on fb to find out more.
My dreams sometimes haunt me; and often when I watch the news, or read what is happening in the world around me, I am saddened by the sheer destruction that man-kind is capable of, but then, a glimmer of hope appears. My dreams are others' nightmares, filled with death, destruction and a descent into the deepest of graves.
Today's post is different. I don't want to focus on the monsters. Today I wish only to recall this moment of love, of beauty and of being able to still wish goodness upon this world.
I couldn't help what came out, as I pondered the idea of motherhood.
Motherhood changes a woman, not only physically but also mentally. Instead of worrying about ourselves, we become more family oriented; leaving the ratchet behavior behind, growing up and taking responsibility for the one(s) that we brought forth into this world. Now, I speak from a place of growth, for not all females have truly become women, understanding what it means to be a mother, but let me give you my humble opinion.
A mother is one that will go without to make sure her children have what they need. She will stretch a dollar to make it worth ten, providing all of the necessities for her child, protecting her child from harm like a lioness, and fierce in the face of danger or threat. It is here where the mother becomes the strongest of fighters; the best of negotiators and the mightiest of heroes.
A mother will always have the ear to listen to their child, comfort them during times of illness, discomfort or pain. She will tend to her child as a gardener, planting seeds of good seeds. For, what you put into a child, that is what you get out of it.
A mother is a fine-tuned machine, able to operate under the highest of stress, and while accomplishing the things on her to-do list, she will always have time for a wonderful hug, and butterfly kisses. Mothers are the gatekeepers to what our children become. We are the backbone of the family, able to make the world better by sharing a simple smile.
When I look at my mother, I can only hope one day to be as strong as she is; for even now, when I need to be comforted, I turn to the woman that has always been there and who continues to accompany me in this wonderful journey.
This weekend, instead of focusing on the toxicity that the news can sometimes focus on, let's focus on the heroes in our lives and start be thanking our mothers.
May your Mother's Day be profoundly blessed and filled with utter joy!
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If you are in the Richmond, VA area, please stop by Regency Square Mall on Saturday, May 11 from 10-4, where Tina Glasneck will be hosting the Celebrate with a Book Author Book Signing and Reading. There will be a variety of genres present. To learn more about this event, please visit: www.celebratewithabook.com
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Tina Glasneck enjoys looking on the darker side of things, and still finding a glimmer of hope. When she is not creating worlds, she can be found multi-tasking. To learn more about Tina, and to stay up-to-date on her works, please connect with her at www.TinaGlasneck.com or on facebook at www.facebook.com/TinaGlasneck
In honor of Mother’s Day coming up this Sunday, I thought I
might write about the masters of mind games: our moms, and the roles they play
in our lives. It’s a theme that authors and movie-makers have capitalized on
since man first started telling stories—books like Christine Crawford’s “Mommie
Dearest,” which told of the abuse she suffered from her mother, Hollywood
superstar Joan Crawford.(Ironically,
Crawford played a divorced mother desperate for her child’s love and approval
in “Mildred Pierce,” Warner Bros., 1945.) “Mom” is often a significant
character in fiction as well, for both adults and children.
Then I started thinking about those children’s stories and the
famous moms in children’s literature who are missing, like Bambi’s mother, and Ariel’s
mother (“The Little Mermaid,” Walt Disney Pictures, 1989). Littlefoot’s mother
(“The Land Before Time,” Universal Studios, 1988) actually dies on screen! In
case you forgot, here’s the clip, which, to this day, makes me well up.
I remember watching this and other animated movies when my
children were small, my arms around them, as I waited for the part where I
knew…I KNEW they’d kill off the poor mother. I’d cry out, “Why? Why did you
kill the mother?!” and I’d sob as my children (boys) giggled at my grief.“It’s just a movie, Mommy!” they’d say,
scrambling to escape my ever-tightening clasp.
And that’s not even touching on the dead mothers who are
replaced by wicked stepmothers. Anyone remember poor Hansel and Gretel whose
stepmother banishes them into the woods to be eaten by some witch, who just
happens to eat children!? Then of
course there’s Cinderella, Snow White…
Good grief, it never ends, all these kids’ stories featuring
dead and dying mothers. What’s that about?
It’s about that universal mother connection. As of this
writing, no human (that I know of) has been birthed via an artificial womb. We
all have mothers, whether or not they’re still with us, whether or not we
are/were close, and that universal connection makes for great story-telling.
Mothers evoke the greatest emotions, often conflicting,
because the strongest emotions elicit the most extreme responses : love/hatred,
joy/despair. (If you’re a mother or mother figure and have survived raising
your children through their teen years,you’ll understand that reference to hatred <grin>.)
References to mothers fill our modern-day lexicon: soccer
moms, stage mothers, full-time mom, working mom, mama’s boy, even MILFs!
I don’t believe any of us can separate ourselves from our
mothers on an emotional level. We see them differently as we progress through
life—life-giver, caregiver, pain in the backside, friend maybe, and if we’re
lucky enough to follow them into their elder years, sometimes they become the recipients
of our care. When they pass on (over, away…whatever term of death you prefer),
we all lose something on an emotional level, and possibly even a cellular level.
So I understand the need of the story-teller to bank on that
universal truth, but I really wish Hollywood would take a hiatus from killing
off the moms for a little while. I mean, couldn’t the mom be on a nice, long
extended spa vacation (even if it’s a euphemism for a padded cell)? Wouldn’t it
make an even happier ending for the mom to show up unexpectedly for the wedding
with Prince Charming?
Come on, Hollywood, give moms a break!
____________________________
Leah writes stories of romance and suspense, and the
enduring power of love. She blogs monthly here with her friends at Words,
Women, Wisdom about mind games. Her latest story, Christmas Dance, explores the
mysteries of love, marriage and parenthood.
We are the wordsmiths, the makers of words which form our reality, thus, I have made it a word. (Look at me getting all philosophical at 9:30 in the morning.)
Allow me to veer from my usual topic of books, movies, movies, books to talk about just books... and just one book... and on the heels of Alexa's fabulous post that reminds us all to take time to rejuvenate... one particular book that will be born post "Rejuv-i-lation Weekend".
I throw down the gauntlet. (I would never dream of throwing down a gauntlet in challenge to you. Your gauntlet would get all dirty, so no gauntlet throwing at you.) I'm throwing down the gauntlet at myself. You see, life here is crazy, as I am sure it is for everyone, but I'm suffering my own ridiculous brand of self-imposed crazy which entails family, homeschooling, home renovations, pressure to complete aforementioned home renovations by the end of the month, (self-imposed pressure), AND the pressure to complete another book on "schedule". Again, this is a self-imposed schedule. (Publish or Perish.)
So I hereby declare this weekend "Rejuv-i-lation Weekend"!!!
This is the weekend during which I house sit for a friend, locking myself into her lovely mountain top home, and I write a book, (actually, only half of a book), in FIVE DAYS!!!! Do what? Yes, you read that right. I propose completing a partially written book - to write a fresh 120 pages - join that to the existing 100 pages, fix all the badness happening there in the saggy middle, and crank out this little yelpy puppy.
So there will be no books, movies, movies, books for me this weekend. There's just one book... and me... in a cabin atop a mountain... and one cat... and a book signing thrown in there in the middle....
If you'd like to get a feel for how "Rejuv-i-lation Weekend" is going, feel free to come by the booksigning at Cascades Library in Potomac Falls, VA. It's all going down this Saturday... and if you like, we can chat books, movies, movies, books... and rejuv-i-lation.
Today’s post is just a little late in getting to you, but I
promise I have a good reason. We’re in the best part of the spring right now
(although I’m a little tired of having to wear a jacket in the morning), and I
needed to recharge with a renewal ritual. People out there are putting up big
money for fancy spa renewal rituals, but you don’t need any of that. You can
indulge in your very own renewal ritual with very little preparation, just like
I do every year.
The most important thing you need is solitude. I mention it
first because for some of you, it will be hardest to come by. But the point of
the ritual is to recharge your batteries and rebuild your stores of essential
energy. You are not going to be able to do that if you’re dealing with other
people.
Solitude doesn’t have to be difficult, though. You’ve really
got two options. You can make sure no one bothers you by telling them not to
bother you – and then backing it up by not rewarding them with your attention
when they bother you. Or you can devise some way to remove others from the home
by making some other location more attractive. Sending people to the movies is
a good idea. Send them to a movie that starts roughly an hour after they leave
the house. That should leave lots of time for what we’re doing here.
Once you’re alone, it’s time to run a bath. Even if your
weather is actually appropriate for spring, I encourage warm water, since you’re
going to be spending a good bit of time in there. While the water is running,
hit it with your favorite bath additives. The Internet is rife – rife, I tell
you! – with ideas for which fragrances will best suit your needs. I myself am
hip deep in bath-related gifts. I will not need to purchase a bath additive for
many years.
Make yourself a nice spa beverage. One of my favorites is
from the Wynn in Las Vegas. Muddle a bit of cucumber with some lime juice in
the bottom of your glass, add just a bit of simple syrup and then fill the
glass with ginger ale. Depending on your ginger ale, you may not want the
syrup. Alternately, a sliver of ginger muddled before the cucumber works if you
substitute syrup and club soda for the ginger ale. The Wynn offers a cocktail version of this beverage, but I like the virgin edition. Brings back nice,
hangover-free memories, and the cucumber makes it very refreshing.
Warm bath? Check. Solitude? Got it. Beverage? All ready. Now
what?
Maybe nothing. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with just
hanging out in your hard-won bath. Enjoy, my friend.
If you don’t get solitude often, though, I suggest putting
it to work for you. Meditate. If your mind wanders terribly during traditional meditation,
try a working meditation with a beauty treatment. I keep a salt scrub on the
edge of the tub for this very purpose. Rubbing a salt scrub into your skin
forces you to concentrate on yourself. Focus on how it feels as it scrapes away
everything old, leaving behind something fresh and new. Enjoy the scent. My
favorite part is watching the salt melt away in the water. Be careful, though.
Salt scrubs with oil leave the tub very slick!
Now that all is said and done, slowly rejoin the so-called
real world as you towel off. Cap everything off with a nice, soothing lotion
and maybe a fresh coat of polish on the old toenails. The nail polish is a
sneaky trick, really. While it’s drying, your mobility is limited, so everyone
will have to get it themselves for a while. (You're welcome.)
What are you all doing to renew? Let me know in the
comments.
**Alexa Day brings a touch of sexy to your everyday world on the first Wednesday of every month. When she's not researching her monthly column, she's working on the follow-up to her first novel, ILLICIT IMPULSE, which is now available wherever e-books are sold. In the meantime, you can catch up to her on Facebook, Twitter, or on her blog, although lately she only seems able to manage one of those three venues.
