Woman Warrior: The Every Woman

It's been a long time since I've done one of my Woman Warrior features. I'd like to start the new new year by featuring The Every Woman: the woman carrying groceries with the aching back, the single mom earning a paycheck, the woman working a full time job and caring for her elderly mother. . . These women of the world are heroes everyday, but you never hear about them. They are truly phenomenal women.

Phenomenal Woman
by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Woman Warrior: Sojourner Truth

A Brief History
Sojourner Truth was born a slave in 1797; she was bought and sold a number of times before gaining her freedom when New York emancipated slaves in 1827. Throughout her life, Truth was a dedicated abolitionist and suffragist. Upon learning of the illegal sale of her 5 year old son, she took the issue to court and became the first black woman to go to court against a white man and win the case, and thus her son. She worked alongside the likes of Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglass, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony. During the Civil War, she helped recruit black troops for the Union Army. In 1865, while working at the Freedman's Hospital (set up to treat former slaves) in Washington, Truth rode in the streetcars to help force their desegregation. In 1870, Truth tried to secure land grants from the federal government to former slaves, a project she pursued for seven years without success. While in Washington, D.C., she had a meeting with President Ulysses S. Grant in the White House and years earlier she had met with President Abraham Lincoln. In 1872, she returned to Battle Creek and tried to vote in the presidential election, but was turned away at the polling place.

Ain't I A Woman?
In 1851, Truth attended the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in Akron, OH where she delivered her famous speech Ain't I a Woman, a slogan she adopted from one of the most famous abolitionist images, that of a kneeling female slave with the caption "Am I Not a Woman and a Sister?"

AIN'T I A WOMAN?

by Sojourner Truth

Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [member of audience whispers, "intellect"] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.

After more than a dozen years of campaigning, lobbying and fundraising, a bust of Sojourner Truth was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol. Fittingly it now stands in Emancipation Hall, but it is expected to be moved to a place of special honor in the Rotunda.

Learn more about this amazing woman at the Library of Congress.

Woman Warrior: Ada Lovelace

It's been way too long since I've done a Woman Warrior post and it's mind boggling to me how I missed Ada Lovelace Day yesterday. Actually, I know how it happened, I was thrilled to distraction with the sponsorship announcement that I had to make for the 3 Day. My Woman Warrior posts feature incredible and inspiring women who have made a difference in our world.

Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace was born on 10th December 1815, the only child of Lord Byron and his wife, Annabella. Born Augusta Ada Byron, but now known simply as Ada Lovelace, she wrote the world’s first computer programmes for the Analytical Engine, a general-purpose machine that Charles Babbage had invented.

Ada had been taught mathematics from a very young age by her mother and met Babbage in 1833. Ten years later she translated Luigi Menabrea’s memoir on Babbage’s Analytical Engine, appending notes that included a method for calculating Bernoulli numbers with the machine – the first computer programme. The calculations were never carried out, as the machine was never built. She also wrote the very first description of a computer and of software.

Understanding that computers could do a lot more than just crunch numbers, Ada suggested that the Analytical Engine “might compose elaborate and scientific pieces of music of any degree of complexity or extent.” She never had the chance to fully explore the possibilities of either Babbage’s inventions or her own understanding of computing. She died, aged only 36, on 27th November 1852, of cancer and bloodletting by her physicians.

Yesterday was Ada Lovelace Day which is an international day of blogging to celebrate the achievements of women in technology and science. For more information on Ada and some other amazing women in this field, be sure to check out the Ada Lovelace Day Website.

Special 3 Day Announcement!

I have just been bursting at the seams to tell you about a special fundraising opportunity that has so beautifully fallen into place! The majority of my blog followers have been around since before I registered for the 3 Day but for those of you fairly new around here: I am the maillesmith of Athena's Armoury. I create chain maille which was originally invented to be used as armor (picture King Arthur) by knights and warriors. It's only in recent years that the art of chain maille has been adapted to be used as protective clothing, sculpture, jewelry, and many other practical and beautiful purposes. I mainly focus on jewelry, but have also been known to dabble in armor, housewares, bags, and pet accessories.

One particular femailler and business owner that I've admired through the past few years that I've been making chain maille is the insanely talented Rebeca Mojica of Blue Buddha Boutique. Rebeca launched Blue Buddha Boutique out of her spare bedroom in 2003; today B3 has grown to a staff of six full and part time employees, with interns and guest contributors. Her designs include the stunning Poseidon's Embrace (left, on Rebeca) and her signature Quantum Rose. Her projects have been featured in Chain Mail Jewelry, an instructional book by Lark Publishing and Step by Step Wire Jewelry magazine. Her work has appeared on CLTV and in The Chicago Tribune and The New York Times. She's also in the process of writing her own chain maille instructional book.

Not just a talented artist, Rebeca is also an amazing business woman. She is responsible for updating the website, developing new kits and instructions, writing the newsletter, bookkeeping, managing employees, researching vendors, and anything else that may come up! Rebeca is definitely one strong warrior woman.

Blue Buddha Boutique prides themselves on their meticulous attention to detail, unparalleled customer support, and a passion for what they do. B3 offers finished pieces of chain maille as well as classes, and the supplies you need once you get hooked from their classes.

The Blue Buddha Boutique is committed to making the world a better place, and has supported many organizations in the past including:

• Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum
• AIDS/Lifecycle
• Airsources (proceeds benefit Pulmonary Fibrosis research)
Albany Park Chamber of Commerce

• Anti-Cruelty Society
• Chiaravalle Montessori School
• Chicago Tap Theatre
• Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis
• Gan Shalom Early Childhood Education Center
• Lillstreet Art Center
• Parker For Adults: Day and Evening Courses
• pulmonary fibrosis foundation
• SHAC 7

And now, I'm thrilled to announce that Rebeca has agreed to sponsor my fundraising efforts for the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure!! The 3 Day is using the song Pink Warrior by Candy Coburn as their theme song (or maybe rally song! or fight song!) this year. My warrior woman roots inspired me to combine my love of the defensive art of chain maille in the fight against breast cancer.

The Pink Warrior Chain Maille Collection will be created using pink anodized aluminum jump rings donated from Blue Buddha Boutique!

Rebeca's generosity will allow ALL PROCEEDS from the sale of items from the Pink Warrior Collection to go straight to my fund raising efforts. I hope to have some items in the shop starting next week but will be sure to announce when they are available.

Be sure to check out Blue Buddha Boutique and support this amazing woman and her business.

Woman Warrior: Alice Ramsey

Today, was like any other day: my alarm went off, I got ready for work, I got in my truck... and then nothing. My truck didn't start. The same thing happened the other day, but I was kind of just hoping that the battery just got run down. I took out the battery charger (again), but this time it didn't hold a charge. Despite the fact that I was just sitting in my driveway, I called AAA. The technician was there in less than an hour and... get this... it was a woman!! You know that I was thrilled to see a woman working in a field that is dominated by men.

That got me to thinking about my woman warrior series and women who have made strides in the automobile industry. A little bit of looking around led me to Alice Ramsey. In a time when women still didn't have the right to vote and were far from independent, Alice Ramsey was the first woman to drive across the United States. It was 1909 and she was 22 years old. She drove a dark-green, four-cylinder, 30-horsepower 1909 Maxwell DA, a touring car with two bench seats and a removable pantasote roof. The highest speed it reached: 42 miles per hour. At this time, it was typical to see women travel short distances, but a cross-country trip had been tried only a handful of times and never accomplished. Only six years had passed since Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson’s 1903 drive marked the first male cross-country success.


We take some things for granted with our cars today: at that time, the sheer physical triumph of survival of a cross country trip was impressive. Though the Maxwell-Briscoe Company published an ad stating that the group (Ramsey traveled with her two sisters-in law and a friend) traveled “without a particle of car trouble,” this was far from the truth. Ramsey had fixed at least one tire blowout and had called for a mechanic to repair a coil in Syracuse, waiting near their car as someone in the crowd cried “Get a horse!” as Ramsey would recall. In the Midwest, the car ran out of gas. The women had forgotten to check the tank, a process that required the driver and her seatmate to leave the car, remove the front seat cushion, and stick a ruler into the Maxwell’s specially fitted 20-gallon fuel tank. The next day, moving through mud in low gear overworked the car, and the transmission needed water. There was no extra on board, so her two sisters-in-law proved their mettle by using their toothbrush and toiletries holders—made of cut-glass and sterling silver—to transport water ounce by ounce from road-side ditches to the radiator. Some potholed, muddy roads proved practically impassable for the tread-less tires. It was slow-moving and, in one case, no-moving: the women slept beside an overflowed creek until the water receded enough that they could ford it.

Because the automobile industry was yet in its infancy, America’s roads were not yet designed for long-distance driving. For navigation, Ramsey relied on the Blue Book series of automotive guides, which gave directions using landmarks. But sometimes the route changed faster than the books. The women struggled to find a “yellow house and barn” at which they were supposed to turn left; a horse-loyal farmer had deliberately foiled drivers by repainting in green. Worse, there were no books for regions west of the Mississippi River. The Maxwell took worn routes, at crossroads following the telegraph poles “with the greatest number of wires,” according to Ramsey. On certain days, the Maxwell-Briscoe Company hired pilot cars familiar with the area to lead them. Even so, the party sometimes hit a dead end at a mine or sandpit and had to backtrack for miles.

Finally, on August 7, 1909, and they had made it. In total, the trip had taken 59 days and covered 3,800 miles from New York to California.

After her brief bout with fame, Ramsey returned to New Jersey by train, where she resumed a relatively low-key profile raising two children. She continued her cross-country drives, losing count after her thirtieth. In 1960, the Automobile Manufacturers Association named her their “First Lady of Automotive Travel” for her trek across a “trackless land.” The next year Ramsey published Veil, Duster, and Tire Iron, a chronicle of the 1909 trip. She later drove five of the six passes of the Swiss Alps, giving up the last under doctor’s orders regarding her pacemaker. Ramsey died in 1983.

It's crazy for me to think that even today, in our forward thinking society, there are some women that don't even know how to fill up their gas tank, that simply look at their engine and get intimidated. And then you look back at a brave, pioneer like Alice Ramsey... I don't know about you, but it makes me want to get greasy and learn about the inside of my truck.

Simple Joy Sunday

Finding the simple joys each week...

Despite being slightly perturbed that my truck didn't start this week, it turned into a simple joy when I saw the technician that AAA sent: it was a woman! Being the woman warrior that I am, I am always thrilled to see women working in fields that are dominated by men. She inspired this Woman Warrior blog post.

Scott and I have this thing: we love to go to the movies, but we hate dealing with the insane crowds on the weekends. We've started going on the Monday night after opening weekend instead. It's perfect: there's usually hardly anyone there! So, on Monday night after work we went out. I *found* a gift card on the street a few months back to Maggiano's (an Italian restaurant), so we went there for dinner: for free! Then, we hit the Imax theater in St. Pete to see Iron Man. I highly recommend it, it was a lot of fun (definitely check out the first one, too). It was so gorgeous out after the movie, that we stopped as the local beer garden for a drink. They had some great blues music playing, there was a warm, gentle breeze, the beer was cold, and the greenery in the garden was beautiful. It was such a nice evening!!

I had yet another thoroughly enjoyable evening last night! Scott went off to play games with his friends leaving me to my own devices at home with the cat. I made some green iced tea with lemongrass and mint from my herb garden -- it so refreshing and tasty. I sat outside on the lanai reading my book and eating seaweed salad and sushi. Then Jack the cat and I came back inside to crash on the couch and get caught up on The Tudors. It was such a nice way to spend the night.

As always, check out more Simple Joy Sundays over at Cool Zebras. What were some of your joys this week?

Woman Warrior: Victoria Woodhull

During Women's History Month (March), I featured a few women who made an impact in our world: whether by pursuing women's right to vote, progressing women's economic independence, or simply by living outside the box that patriarchal society put them in. There are so many of these women warriors who have inspired a change in our world, that I have decided to continue the features beyond Women's History Month. I hope you find these stories, profiles, quotes, features, and pictures as inspiring as I do.

Today, we face the very real possibility of our very first female president. Hillary Rodham Clinton is not, however, the first woman to run for the presidency: there have been 16 contenders before her. The first was Victoria Woodhull.

She was known for her work supporting women's rights, free love, and labor reforms. Her first "first", however, was as a broker: Victoria and her sister were the first female Wall Street brokers. It was their work as newspaper editors, however, that gave Victoria a chance to start addressing issues close to her: women's suffrage, short skirts, spiritualism, free love, vegetarianism, and licensed prostitution. The paper is now known primarily for printing the first English version of Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto in it's December 30, 1871 edition.

Also in 1871, suffrage leaders Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Isabella Beecher Hooker heard her address the House Judiciary Committee. Woodhull argued that women already had the right to vote - all they had to do was use it - since the 14th and 15th Amendments granted that right to all citizens. They applauded her statement: "women are the equals of men before the law, and are equal in all their rights." Woodhull catapulted to the leadership circle of the suffrage movement with her first public appearance as a woman's rights advocate. Although her Constitutional argument was not original, she focused unprecedented public attention on suffrage. Following Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Woodhull was the second woman to petition Congress in person.

Woodhull was nominated for President of the United States by the newly formed Equal Rights Party on May 10, 1872, at Apollo Hall, New York City. Her nomination was ratified at convention on June 6, 1872. Former slave Frederick Douglass was nominated for Vice President. Although the first woman to run for President, some critics argue the legality of her run citing one of the following reasons:

-The government declined to print her name on the ballot.
This criticism is not valid as the government wasn't responsible for printing ballots.
-She was under the constitutionally mandated age of 35.
This is the most cited criticism in the 20th and 21st centuries, but was hardly noticed in the 19th. There also is no legal primary evidence that Woodhull was born in 1838. Ohio did not require the registration of births until 1867.
-She didn't receive any electoral and/or popular votes.
While it's true that Woodhull received no electoral votes, there's evidence that Woodhull did receive popular votes that weren't counted.
-Women couldn't legally vote until August 1920.
Although it's true that most women couldn't legally vote until 1920, some women did legally vote and hold public office prior to 1920. Some believe that when the 19th amendment passed giving women the right to vote, it implicitly gave women the right to run for President.
-She was a woman.
This was the most cited legal impediment in the 19th century. Some of Woodhull's contemporaries believed that because she was a woman she was not a citizen and, therefore, not entitled to vote. Since the Constitution required that the President be a citizen, she would also be excluded from holding the office of President. Others believed women were citizens, but that the states had the right to limit the franchise to males only. Some Woodhull supporters believed that even if Woodhull couldn't vote legally, that wouldn't have excluded her from running for public office. United States law has its roots in English common law, and under English common law, there was an established precedence of women holding public office.

It wasn't just her gender that made Woodhull's campaign notable; her association with Frederick Douglass stirred up controversy about the mixing of race and fears of miscegenation.

On Saturday, November 2, just days before the presidential election, US Federal Marshals arrested Woodhull, her husband Colonel Blood, and her sister Tennie C. Claflin for sending obscene material through the mail: she published an article in their newspaper in order to highlight what she saw as a sexual double-standard between men and women. The event incited worthy questions about censorship and government persecution, but also prevented Victoria from attempting to vote during the 1872 presidential elections due to her incarceration. Woodhull attempted to secure nominations for the presidency again in 1884 and 1892.

Here we are over 130 years later and women are still trying for the highest office in our nation. Instead of debating Victoria on the issues, her opponents attacked her personally. If Hillary didn't have to deal with critics shouting "iron my shirt" or condemning her for sounding like she is 'scolding', imagine the lively debates we would have. We've come a long way, but we sure have further to go.

Woman Warrior: Joan of Arc - A Hero's Tribute

Monday, May 30th is celebrated as the Feast of Joan of Arc.  In truth, this is the day in 1431 that she was burned at the stake for witchcraft.  At the age of 17, she believed that she heard the voice of God call upon her to act.  And act she did.  She raised an army and overcame the British invasion of France in 15 months time.  Instead of celebrating her as a hero, the French bishops labelled her a "heretic, apostate, idolater" and they burned her.  But, Pope Benedict XV canonized her a saint nearly 500 years later on May 16, 1920 so it's all good.  No harm done, right?

Joan of Arc Chain Maille Millais Art Necklace by Mermaiden Creations

Joan of Arc is a shield maiden in it's truest form, a warrior woman, a battle maiden, and perhaps one of the strongest women in history.  She put on her armor and picked up her sword not for glory, but in defense and for love of her country, her people, and her God.  She was a 17 year old girl in 1431.  If you ask common society, she should have been wearing a dress, sewing, cooking, making babies, or any other "women's work" that they deemed fit.  Joan had plans of her own.  She listened to her intuition, was brave, and never wavered from what she knew she had to do to save her country.  She was questioned and tortured and yet remained fearless in her belief.

May 30th, the day Joan was burned at the stake, was the day that she was condemned for being a strong, fearless woman.  Take today to honor her as a hero, not just to her country but to womankind.  Decide today to be fearless, to be courageous, to stand up for what you believe in.  Listen to the voice (for Joan, it was God; for you it might be intuition) inside you to do what you you know is right, what you believe in, what your passion tells you to do.  Believe in yourself and your convictions.  Be a Hero.

The Pink Warrior Chain Maille Collection

About a month ago I had made a very special announcement about my fundraising for the 3 Day: the insanely talented mailler Rebeca Mojica of Blue Buddha Boutique agreed to provide me with literally thousands of pink jump rings. This was an amazing sponsorship for me because I've admired Rebeca and her work for a very long time so I'm thrilled to be able to work with her, but also because her generosity will allow me to donate ALL proceeds from the sale of items in the Pink Warrior Chain Maille Collection to Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure!

This year, the 3 Day is using the song Pink Warrior by Candy Coburn as their theme song. The warrior woman in me was inspired to combine my passion to find a cure with my love of chain maille (the armor of warriors past). My goal with Athena's Armoury is to equip your inner warrior with chain maille to bring out your strength and confidence. Whether you are undergoing chemo, have won the battle, are supporting a loved one, know someone who has lost the fight, or are standing up to have your voice heard... you have the heart of a warrior.


I'm thrilled to share with you the beginnings of the collection. There will be a few pieces in the collection that will be remade after they sell, but there will also be many one of a kind items that once they sell they are gone. It's important to me to include these unique items as a reminder that every situation and every person dealing with breast cancer is unique and have their own battle to face. There are many more pieces coming in the future; including more jewelry and accessories, but also housewares like candle holders and dream catchers.


All items are available in both Athena's Armoury on Etsy as well as Artfire.


And if you haven't checked it out yet, don't miss my handmade raffle benefiting the 3 Day! All you have to do is check out all of the amazing goodies that have been donated, buy tickets (aka: make a donation), and then let me know about it. Easy peasy.

The 3 Day: Week Six Progress Report

Training
Well, last Monday I went back to New Balance and my buddy Ken wasn't there. The woman that wound up helping me said that they only have one other shoe that has more cushioning than the one I already had. It didn't work. I wound up returning what I had and going to Fit2Run. They had me in easily six different shoes. The only pair that felt like they might work, they didn't have in my size. I walked away with nothing, feeling very frustrated, and in pain. I never in a million years would have thought that finding proper fitting, comfortable shoes would be the hardest part of doing the 3 Day.

I decided to give my feet a bit of a break this past week in case I did do something to them and instead spent some time cross training. I focused on doing Pilates to build up my core and leg strength; and yoga to stretch and strengthen everything. One day, I did venture a very short walk that was less than a mile: my feet were hurting. Thing is, for all I know this is a normal part of my feet getting used to endurance training.

I was talking to my mom and she told me a story about when I was a kid being fit for shoes. Apparently, even then I was a hard walker or, as I like to say, I walked with a purpose then, too. I'm going to start walking again this week with a pair of sneakers that are in my closet that I find comfortable. I'm going to start small and only do a mile at a time. Maybe I did too much, too soon.

Scott had suggested checking out the new Sketchers Shape Ups. I hadn't thought it would be a good idea because I'm not looking to get a workout out of my training walks per se (they supposedly really work your core & lower body), but rather something supportive that will keep me walking for up to 20 miles per day. I was also concerned about feeling secure on them since they do add some height and I don't want to worry about rolling an ankle. But I was just talking with one of the guys at work who is seriously accident prone and is on his feet almost the whole day and he highly recommends them. I'm seriously starting to reconsider. Any feedback is much appreciated.


Fundraising
The amount of people that offered to donate items for my raffle blew me away! I thought that if I was lucky, I'd get maybe ten or a dozen... I have 25 individual (some items are in sets) and amazing pieces!! I'm going to work on getting everything organized this week and hope to have the raffle live by Monday, April 12, 2010. I will, of course, post here about it so make sure you come back and visit or subscribe to my blog so you don't miss it! And tell your friends about it, too. Thanks! I hope the turnout for tickets is as good as the item donations!!

In the midst of organizing my raffle, I also contacted a couple of farmer's markets about setting up a booth or table with all of my fundraising goodies. I haven't heard back from them yet, though.

My third fundraising project of the week was to get some pictures of the first few pieces from my Pink Warrior Chain Maille Collection. I succeeded in getting the pictures, but unfortunately that's as far as I got. This week was really busy at work and also at home as I was getting the house ready for my mom's visit. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get this stuff listed yet, but felt a little better when I found out that I already have one of my co-workers interested in one of my Pink Warrior bracelets.

This week's extra special surprise donation came from a woman that I knew when I was still touring shows. She was my presenter in a few different cities, so we actually got a chance to get to know each other. I haven't spoken to this woman in about eight years and she was kind enough to make a donation to support me and to support the cause. Warm fuzzies.

Mileage to date on training walks: 41
Goal: $2,300
Achieved: $1,120 or 49%
Remaining: $1,180
Countdown: 208 days until the event!

If you're enjoying keeping track of my progress, please consider supporting me in my effort to eradicate breast cancer. No amount is too little or too much. Thank you!!

Woman Warrior: Joan of Arc

May 30 was the feast day of Saint Joan. Julie, of Mermaiden Creations on Etsy wrote a magnificent blog post in her honor. I highly recommend checking it out and learning more about this determined, courageous, and confident woman.

An insane work schedule and visit from mom took over my life for the last couple of weeks, but things are finally slowing down. I desperately need a day off to regroup, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen until Friday. In other news, my little betta fish that had the tumor like lump on his head has gone to the fishy afterlife.

Currently Reading: My Life in France by Julia Child

I love to read, but lately it usually winds up only being for a little while before going to bed at night.  I tend to read historical or fantastical fiction with strong women characters.  I loved The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George, The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, and The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon among many, many others.  Recently, however, I found myself drawn to memoirs.  I read and loved Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and also rather enjoyed Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  And yes, I read them both before seeing the movie versions (loved the movie version of Julie & Julia, btw).  After hearing this, a friend loaned me her copy of Julia Child's My Life in France.

I am about halfway through and just cannot get into it.  The two other memoirs that I read recently, read very much like a story. They were engaging and very easy to get drawn in.  My Life in France seems more like little snippets or memories.  I really cannot account to you what I've read so far because, I'm guessing, there doesn't seem to be a through line.  Nothing connecting the events together.  I'm also having a problem with the fact that I don't understand French nor am I intimately familiar with the streets of Paris.  She uses the French names for the dishes that she's cooking or eating, so even though it makes sense for her to do that, I have no way of salivating after it.  She also uses a French turn of phrase on occasion to make a little funny.  Needless to say, I don't get the joke.  I appreciate the love she bears to the city, but in referencing the streets as much as she does makes it feel like she should really be talking to someone at least a little familiar with the area whereas I'm just lost.

I do think it's interesting that a woman that didn't know how to boil an egg (that may be a bit of an exaggeration) found her calling in the culinary arts.  She found her passion and completely immersed herself in it.  I am inspired by her absolute drive and determination: it took years for Mastering the Art of French Cooking to be published.  And then she broke through even more barriers to have her own cooking show on TV.  Would we have the kitchen shows of today if Julia didn't start it all??

I will probably finish the book just so I can read the rest of her tale in her own words.  After all, she too is a Woman Warrior in her own right for her achievements.  

I actually have a hard time putting a book down even if I don't like it.  I guess I kind of always hope it will get better.  Or maybe it's the part of me that likes to finish things.  What about you?  Do you commit to finishing books that you're not into or do you just feel like it's a waste of time & put it to the side?  What are you reading right now?

The 3 Day: Week Nine Progress Report

It's a long one: I've got a lot to share with you!

Training
I had my followup visit with the doctor and feel a little more reassured that plantar fasciitis really is what I have. I was questioning the diagnosis because my symptoms are so vastly different than what I've heard from so many other people. My problem is really in my arch and what he explained to me is that the plantar fascia ligment really is the only thing in the arch that could cause the pain that I experienced. Apparently, I'm not normal since everyone else's pain is in the heel. I guess it's all about the mechanics of how I'm built and how I walk. It seems that this is a condition that I may have had previously, but it just got aggravated & inflamed from overtraining (if 9-16 miles per week was overtraining, I wonder what's going to happen when I start doing 30-40 miles per week) and unsupportive shoes (thanks a lot New Balance).

For the time being, I'm still following the icing, splint, stretching, anti-inflammatory, resting routine... at least for another couple of weeks until my next visit with him. He prescribed a semi-custom orthotic to see how my feet respond to it before we go all out and order the custom orthotic. I really hope that the one I have now fits the bill! It cost handsomely and the custom one will cost even more. In addition, the one I have right now is just big enough that I really need to go buy some new shoes so that my feet aren't cramped. Apparently, if I have to get a custom orthotic I will have to get yet another new pair of shoes for it to fit into. Sigh... I hope after the inflammation goes away, I can wear some shoes other than sneakers...

The crazy thing about all of this is that my feet have felt worse this week than they did before I went to see him (and before they were taped up!). Ah, well... I can only imagine it's because they are being stretched so often. Here's to hoping that they start to feel a bit more normal soon.

Even though I can't go walking, I've decided that I can at least continue to stretch and strengthen with my yoga and pilates. I think that the yoga can only help at this point and I think that the pilates is going to be a huge benefit for strengthening my core for the event. I do hope that the inflammation calms down soon: training officially starts mid-May!

A woman that lives less than two miles away from me contacted me through the 3 Day's share list to see if we can do some training walks together since we live so close. She sounds like a nice lady & I'm looking forward to doing some walking with her, but I had to tell her that I'm holding off on any more training until I see the doctor again. Needless to say, she totally understood.


Fundraising
People are still offering to donate goods to my raffle! I'm so thankful for the generosity of the handmade community, but I've had to stick with the beginning of the raffle as my cut off date for item contributions. I have 23 amazing artists contributing $600 worth of products and am now working on selling tickets (aka getting donations). The handmade raffle has already raised $80 to find a cure & there's still three weeks left! I'm hoping to do a couple more markets or tables outside stores in that time, too, but more on the market later. It's just $5 for your chance to win one of these amazing goodies, so please check it out!

The lovely ladies at The Herb Society allowed me to set up my fundraising goodies at the meeting this week. It wasn't a huge success, but I walked away with $15 more towards the 3 Day than I had before the meeting. I also got to talk to one woman who has participated in the event and another who's considering doing it. It was also nice to be able to set up my goods in a fairly casual setting before doing the market on Friday.

The Tampa Downtown Market was a lot of work both getting ready for it and doing it, but it was also a lot of fun. I spent countless hours printing out breast cancer awareness literature, being crafty with banners and signs, figuring out my table set up, etc. So the time spent preparing for it isn't necessarily commensurate with what I raised but I have to say that I really enjoyed it!


I had quite a few sales of the Pink Ribbon Accessories that I got specifically for events like this. You can also get a little sneak peek of the Pink Warrior Chain Maille Collection that I've been working on in this photo. I'm hoping to have the beginnings of the collection listed for sale online this week.


I also had two raffles going: one was the handmade raffle and I also had another to see Cats at the Straz Center in Tampa. The handmade raffle was quite popular with many people wanting to buy the items outright!


I have to give a big old thanks to the Tampa Downtown Market who actually donated the space for me to use for my fundraising tent! They were also nice enough to include a blurb about me and what I'm doing in their weekly newsletter. One woman came to my tent to support me after reading that blurb. Every little bit helps and it does not go unnoticed!

I also am SO grateful to Scott who is by far my #1 supporter. After working crazy hours for the past couple of weeks, he could have slept in Friday morning, but instead he was up with me at 6:00am loading the truck for the market. He helped me set up the tent, ran back and forth to get the truck, made sure that I had something to eat, covered the table so I could run to the bathroom, and was just my overall rock.


When all was said and done, my tent at the market raised $119 to go straight to my fundraising for the 3 Day for breast cancer research and breast health programs!

Including the cash that I raised at the Herb Society and the market this week, I've surpassed 75% of my goal!! I had hoped to get to the 75% milestone by the time training starts simply because I knew that with what's been going on with my feet I was going to have to stay focused. I'm just thrilled that I was able to meet that goal! That got me to thinking about where all of the money has come from. Turns out that the majority of the money that I've raised to date has been from letters, Facebook, and word of mouth. Here's an approximate breakdown of where my donations have come from so far:

$1,390 Letters, Facebook, word of mouth
$55 twitter
$120 raffles (handmade & show tickets)
$60 pink ribbon accessories
$10 silicone bracelets

My goals for the 3 Day this week will include attempting to get a couple more market dates & finally listing my Pink Warrior Collection!!!

Mileage to date on training walks: 41
Goal: $2,300
Achieved: $1,754 or 76%
Remaining: $546
Countdown: 187 days until the event!

If you're enjoying keeping track of my progress, please consider supporting me in my effort to eradicate breast cancer. No amount is too little or too much. Thank you!!

Don't forget to check out my raffle benefitting the 3 Day!

Friday Finds - Women's Equality Day

Women's Equality Day was on August 26, but in the flurry of being busy at work, hating work, and being home trying not to think about work I was totally sidetracked and didn't have an opportunity to highlight it. For this week's Friday Finds, I'd like to highlight a few special women who broke through barriers.

Susan B. Anthony by Paul Chung

For more on Susan B. Anthony, check out my Women's History Month feature on her here.

Marie Curie Historic Date Stamp Necklace -- Two Time Nobel Prize Winner by Poto + Cabengo

I love this artist's description of Marie Curie: "Marie Curie didn't just climb over sexist road blocks, she was like a wrecking ball demolishing assumptions about women and their skills and intelligence." Read more about her in the item description.

Victoria Woodhull Hand Stenciled Shirt by KM Stitchery

For some more info on Victoria Woodhull, check out my Woman Warrior post about her here.

Simple Joy Sunday

Okay, this is only week two that I'm doing Simple Joy Sunday and I nearly forgot about it! Sheesh. Make sure you check out other Simple Joy Sunday's over at Cool Zebras.

1. I've only recently just started working out again and I've been having a hard time keeping a regular schedule for it since I work such odd hours sometimes. (Yes, I know that sounds very much like an excuse.) But the few times this week that I did cardio in particular, it kicked my ass but I felt so great afterwards. Maybe a little sore, but I noticed how much healthier and more alive it's making me feel. Talk about something great for motivation.

2. I didn't think about this until halfway into the first week of March, but March is Women's History Month. I love that. I am continually inspired and touched by so many women and their accomplishments and deeds. My Woman Warrior blog posts were actually inspired by this month and the amazing women it honors. The fierce independent nature, strength, intellect, power of will and so many other attributes that so many women possess is a constant source of inspiration for much of the chain maille I make, too.

3. We sprung ahead one hour for Daylight Savings Time today. Of course neither Scott nor I remembered until late this morning nearly making him late for work, but I digress. I love it when we spring ahead because that extra hour of daylight makes all the difference in the world after I come home from a long day at work. I savor sunlight, so even to bask in it for a few minutes at the end of the day recharges and refuels me and helps me shed any office ickies. It's energizing and uplifting and I love it.


4. I started teaching myself a new skill today: embroidery. I won a blog contest hosted by Julie from Sew It's For You a while back and she included an embroidery pattern envelope from Sublime Stitching as part of the prize. I'm planning on using the kit she gave me to make some tea towels (for me and for part of my mom's birthday present), but in the meantime I'm practicing. I got a cheapie kit from Michael's clearance section that included the transfers, hoop, needle, and some embroidery floss. Since I fancy myself a beach bum, I started practicing with a pair of flip flops. I can see where I need to improve, but I'm learning! I love learning new skills and I love how meditative this embroidery thing is. Thanks for inspiring me to try something new Julie!

Blog / flickr Mosaic Game

Blog Game
Originally uploaded by Athena's Armoury

Thanks to my friend Cat over at The Green Cat blog, I discovered this fun little game. Because I love flickr, here we go:

The Game:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image. (Like Cat, I can be a bit of a rebel, too, so I also used whatever page I waned--so there!)
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Labs Mosaic Maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Janine
2. What is your favorite food? Italian (duh)
3. What high school did you go to? Farmingdale
4. What is your favorite color? blue (used to be purple, then black, now. . .)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Harrison Ford
6. Favorite drink? mmmm. . . beer (well, that's the fave 'drink' drink, I also love water, tea, coffee)
7. Dream vacation? Italy (or just about any beach)
8. Favorite dessert? rainbow cookies!!
9. What you want to be when you grow up? This is tough as my career path continues to evolve. I think I'm going to take a cue from Cat on this one: Happy.
10. What do you love most in life? Freedom
11. One Word to describe you. Here's two: Woman Warrior.
12. Your flickr name: Athena's Armoury

Who Are You? Who? Who? Who? (I love The Who)

A thread on the Etsy forums yesterday inspired me to really think about my shop's identity. The original thread post offered three questions to contemplate:
1. Who are you?
2. What do you do?
3. Why is that important?

First of all, I just loved reading through the responses and getting to know people, but I also loved just how much it made me think.

"Who are you?"
Most people answered with their name and their shop's name. But I felt like it was important to not only establish what my shop and I are called, but also a little something that explains who I am. My response:
"I am a strong, independent, take no sass woman who loves metal. Also known as Janine, the maillesmith behind Athena's Armoury."

"What do you do?"
I thought this was pretty self explanatory and just listed away:
"I make all manner of chain maille: jewelry, bags, armour, belts, wallet chains, candle holders, dream catchers, bikinis, clothing, just about anything I can dream up and figure out how to do."

"Why is that important?"
It's obvious to me why it would be important for me to create, but what interested me about this question is why it would be important to my customers that I do what I do. I realize that in business, it's important to know your customer base, but it's more than just knowing who would be interested in your product. Being able to identify what your product is by how it makes someone feel, the purpose of your product, all helps you identify your product, identify your customers, and therefore better market your product. I realized all of this before, but I don't know if I ever truly thought about it.
For example, I make chain maille. Obviously, people into scifi, fantasy, SCA, Ren Faires, etc. would be into it. That's a pretty broad spectrum and doesn't help me create a brand identity. But the more I thought about it, the more I tried to think about what I hoped people would feel owning one of my pieces:
"It's important to me because I have a drive not just to create, but also to be immersed in both art and history. To be able to make something beautiful out of something totally unexpected like the weaves once used for armour is extremely satisfying.
But I also hope that my customers get a sense of strength and confidence from what I create, particularly the jewelry, clothing, and armour items. I think that maille is a very bold art form and I'd like to think that my customers feel like a warrior goddess when they wear it."

I hope that my work helps people feel like a Warrior Goddess or a Knight in Shining Armour. How all of this translates into marketing and promotion, I haven't figured out yet, but it is inspiring nonetheless!

CHAINED Virtual Book Tour Stop

I have so much to catch all of you up on!! I want to tell you all about the 3 Day (which was in all honesty, one of the most amazing experiences of my life!), some spiffy new packaging for Athena's Armoury, as well as the additional of herbal goodness to the shop. But all of that will have to wait.

Some of you maillers & jewelry makers may have heard of a new book that has been released. It's called CHAINED and it's by Rebeca Mojica of Blue Buddha Boutique fame. (You may remember that one of my major fundraising campaigns for the 3 Day was my Pink Warrior line of chain maille. Rebeca is the extremely generous woman that donated the 1,000's of pink jump rings so that all proceeds of Pink Warrior sales could go straight to my fundraising.) I received my autographed copy of CHAINED recently and it's gorgeous!! There are projects in there for beginners as well as experienced maillers and Rebeca has got a talent for making it easily accessible to all.


Rebeca will be taking CHAINED on the road, if you're lucky enough to be in one of the areas she's visiting. For the rest of us, she'll be doing a few virtual book tour stops and Athena's Armoury is honored to host one of them! Make a date to join us for Rebeca's virtual book tour right here on Friday, December 17. Rebeca will be talking to us about her success as an entrepreneur and philanthropist and will take a few of your questions as well. If you're interested in asking a question during the Audience Q&A portion of the event, just leave it in the comments below by Tuesday, December 14. I can't guarantee that we'll get to all questions due to time limitations, but we'll do the best we can.

Be sure to follow CHAINED on Facebook & twitter to get all of the latest updates and join the notification list to find out about several contests available to members only.

I'm really looking forward to spending some time chatting with Rebeca and hope you join us!!

The 3 Day: Week Twelve Progress Report

On Tuesday, I went to a Super Clinic. We heard from one woman who is a five year survivor: this year she's doing her 7th & 8th 3 Day walks. She partially credits her survival to Susan G. Komen: one of the treatments that she received was actually discovered thanks to grants from Komen. We also heard from another woman about some fundraising ideas. And last, the owner of the store gave us some insights to proper shoes & socks for the event. There's a lot I didn't know about shoes and I found it fascinating considering what I'm going through with my feet. If you're doing the walk and there's a clinic going on near you, I highly encourage you to check it out! You will gain so much insight from it, get properly fit for shoes, and be able to ask experienced walkers and professional shoe people questions.


Training
I knew my official training start date was coming up, but I thought it was actually another couple of weeks away. Needless to say, imagine my shock when I realized that my training actually starts the week of the 17th... this current week. I had a bit of a freak out, to say the least.

At my last doctor appointment, he said that since I'm wearing the orthotic I don't need to get a $200 pair of shoes but that I also couldn't go super cheap either. I had tried on some fairly inexpensive Saucony's recently and liked them, but that store didn't have my size. For some bizarre reason, the pair that I ordered online didn't feel anything like the ones in the store. I was stumped. So, I figured it would probably be a good idea to try to get fit by professionals. Again. I did get fit at the clinic, but I was really hesitant to buy them simply because of everything I had been through with shoes and my feet to date. The girl told me to take them home and try them for a week and if they didn't work to just bring them back. Okay, so I tried them the next day and was in pain. I tried to bring them back and the store wouldn't let me return them. They only offer exchanges or store credit. The girl knew exactly what was going on with my feet and told me that I could return them and now I'm stuck with store credit that I can't use. Needless to say, I'm pissed. That's American Running Company in Dunedin, FL.

Getting back to that painful walk... I spent probably a good 15-20 minutes stretching before I even left and then when I did, I took it really slow. I was in pain somewhere around half a mile. I came home and cried. I was so upset and frustrated. Kristen over at Kristen Walks wrote a great blog post about the real goals of the 3 Day: to raise as much money as possible and to raise awareness. That helped put things into perspective for me: I am nearly at my fundraising minimum goal (and am hoping to surpass it!) and I have been out in the public and raising awareness every chance I get. Yeah, I'm frustrated that I got injured and I'm really disappointed that I may not be able to do the walk, but I have made a difference and I need to remember that.

In order to be proactive about my feet, I went to my physical therapy evaluation this week. Turns out that the therapist that I saw has done the walk three times already and said that she doesn't see any reason why I won't be able to do it. I nearly cried, I was so happy. She even invited me to join her team. She sent me home with some homework: stretching & strengthening exercises. When I go back this week, she said that she's going to work me and have me walking by the weekend. I have no doubt that this journey to recovery will be a challenge but I think that may be part of what the 3 Day experience is for me. This is a chance for me to step up and show my mettle.


Fundraising
On Friday, I announced the prize winners for my 3 Day handmade raffle. I just want to say again how grateful I am to all of my sponsors who contributed their time and talent (and promotion!) as well as to all of the donors who gave so generously to such a good cause!

I sold a scale maille piece from my Pink Warrior Chain Maille Collection (available on Etsy or Artfire; ALL proceeds to benefit Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure) before it was even listed online! I sold it to a co-worker. Another $25 to fight breast cancer! Woohoo!

I think I forgot to mention this last week, but I broke the $2,000 milestone in my fundraising!! I had hoped to be at 75% of my goal by the time training started so that I could focus on that, but I surpassed my hopes! I'm currently at 89% of my goal with only $251 left to raise!

Mileage to date on training walks: 42
Goal: $2,300
Achieved: $2,049 or 89%
Remaining: $251
Countdown: 166 days until the event!

If you're enjoying keeping track of my progress, please consider supporting me in my effort to eradicate breast cancer. No amount is too little or too much. Thank you!!

The 3 Day: Week Eight Progress Report

Training
Well, I finally got a chance to go see a podiatrist on Friday. Turns out that I have plantar fasciitis which is an inflammation of the ligament on the bottom of the foot that runs from the heel toward the toes. I'm wondering if maybe we caught it early or if my case isn't that bad because the symptoms don't sound as bad as they are in other people I've spoken to: I don't have knee or back pain, the first few steps in the morning don't hurt, I'm not constantly in excruciating pain. In fact, after a week of not being on my feet, they seemed to be feeling better. It wasn't until after the doctor's visit when they taped my feet up that I was in pain again. Go figure. Anyway, I've been religiously following orders of icing my feet, wearing the splint, and taking anti-inflammatories. Now, that the tape is off, I'll add some regular stretching to the routine. I go back for a follow up visit at the end of this week: he wants to check the progress and I'll find out then if my insurance will cover orthotics. I'm concerned that it won't: I really don't know if I'll be able to afford them alone, but I may not have a choice.

One friend swears by a daily yoga practice (including down dog) and I must say that I would favor this (I do yoga already, I just don't have a daily practice). There are anti-inflammatory herbs that I may take after the drug regimin the doctor has me on is finished. I'm following doctor's orders because I don't know a lot about this right now and I have to deal with it promptly, but the more I learn the more comfortable I feel dealing with it wholistically. Which, of course, I would prefer, but aside from the anti-inflammatory drugs it's all stuff I would do anyway.

This is something that I have to deal with as soon as possible because my training officially starts in one month. I must admit that I'm actually quite upset about the situation. And I just don't understand how it happened. I've always been active, so why did this happen all of a sudden? I was really letting it get to me over the weekend, but then I remembered that I still have my hair. Dealing with some foot discomfort (and I am dealing with it) seems a small price to pay in comparison to the reason why I'm doing it. I will not let this stop me and I will continue to work towards ending the fight against breast cancer.


Fundraising
My first official fundraising event for the 3 Day kicked off this past week! Some truly amazing artists and crafters donated $600 work of gorgeous handmade items to be raffled off to benefit my fundraising! There really is a little bit of everything including artwork, jewelry, plushies, sculpture, and wallhangings. And believe me when I tell you, the work truly is spectacular!! The raffle is being hosted right here on my blog, so please take a moment to check it out. And if you're local to the Tampa Bay area, you'll also have the chance to check out the goods in person...

Which leads me to my next bit of exciting news: The Tampa Downtown Market is going to let me set up a tent for my 3 Day fundraising! I'm going to have all of my pink ribbon accessories, my Pink Warrior Collection, the handmade raffle, a raffle for theatre tickets to two different shows, and of course breast cancer awareness literature. I'm also considering making some pink ribbon sugar cookies and having some pink lemonade. I've been very busy this week getting crafty: I made raffle ticket jars and a huge donation jar; I also made a banner that says "Fight Like a Girl" and has some pink boxing gloves. I made a trip to Staples and had a couple of signs made that look like this:


When I picked up the posters, the girl behind the counter handed me a note from another customer that saw the signs. Apparently, this woman walked in the 3 Day in the past but will be unable to do so this year. She wants to help out in some way, so she offered to either host a wine tasting event or to privde the wine for an event. You just never know when you're going to find someone that wants to help. Amazing, huh?

Mileage to date on training walks: 41
Goal: $2,300
Achieved: $1,545 or 67%
Remaining: $755
Countdown: 194 days until the event!

If you're enjoying keeping track of my progress, please consider supporting me in my effort to eradicate breast cancer. No amount is too little or too much. Thank you!!

Don't forget to check out my raffle benefitting the 3 Day!