13 Indispensable Women April 9, 2009

Imagine the life of these 13 earth-changing women. I bet their everyday lives mirror/ed ours. Now imagine life without the energy and contributions of these 13 women. The power of one is a real force for each of us to think about as we go about our seemingly ordinary days.

1) Dr. Hattie Alexander – discovered the cure for bacterial meningitis

2) Dr. Virginia Apgar – developed a numerical evaluation of newborn babies’ vital signs that can alert doctors to the need for special attention

3) Josephine Cochrane – invented the first mechanical dishwasher

4) Fannie Merritt Farmer – published the first cookbook to have recipes that were easy to replicate due to the inclusion of measured amounts for all ingredients.

5) Lillian Moller Gilbreth – invented step-to-open trash cans and refrigerators with shelves in the doors.

6) Mary Phelps Jacobs – patented the design for the first modern bra, made of handkerchiefs, ribbon, and cord (sounds like something from Victoria’s Secret

7)  Alice Lakey – led the campaign that led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act.

FYI: Before the act, “Habit-forming drugs such as cocaine were not illegal so long as they were labeled with their contents. “Pure Food and Drug Act. (2009, April 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:16, April 9, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pure_Food_and_Drug_Act&oldid=281638398

Candy Lightner – founded MADD (mothers against drunk driving)

9) Belva Ann Lockwood – responsible for law guaranteeing equal pay for equal work in federal jobs

10) Lucy Terry Prince – once enslaved, she was the first woman to address the Supreme Court where she successfully defended a land claim -

11) Margaret Sanger – established the Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau

12) Martha Woostein – a physician and investigator in pediatric pathology

13) Dr. Rachelle Yarros – established the second birth control clinic in the US in Chicago

Primary Source: The Timetable of Women’s History: A Chronology of the Most Important People and Events in Women’s History

13 things I don’t understand … May 15, 2008

Here’s a list of 13 things I can’t quite wrap my mind around. If you have a grip even a slippery understanding of any of the following please post a note to enlighten me. I’ll be forever grateful to you.

1. if it’s the “Thursday 13” why do so many people post on Wednesday?

2. Why do some wine’s give me a perfect buzz while others give me a headache?

3. Why can’t dogs age like humans so they can be with us longer?

4. Why are so many people now allergic to peanuts?

5. Why do so many people care about the lives of celebrities? If google searches and magazine covers are any indication there are millions of people who spend a great deal of their waking hours obsessing about the lives of people they don’t know. Why?

6. How can something I love (bread) be bad for me? (I need to adhere to a gluten-free diet.)

7. Why is my daughter STILL in France even though her semester abroad is over?!!

8. Why haven’t I won the lottery yet.

9. Why can’t we get food to the people who need it? I don’t understand the lopsidedness of the world.

10. Why can I remember events that happens 10 years ago but sometimes can’t recall what I did yesterday?

11. How could anyone dislike the color Brown? it’s so perfect and versatile – especially as a skin color.

12. How can my dog hear me drop a single corn chip on the floor in the kitchen when she is on the other side of the house?

13. How can tuna fish and avocado with blue chips taste so good? It doesn’t really sound so nice.

I’m just wondering …

13 letter words to describe Gwendolyn Kelly May 1, 2008

“Next week’s theme: Next week is alphabet week. Choose a letter of the alphabet and write thirteen words that describe you that begin with that letter. Be creative and have fun!”

volume 10 for 1 May

I choose “G” for Gwendolyn

1. I am a granddaughter. Hester and Julia were my grandmothers.

2. I study and practice grantsmanship.

3. I’m old enough to have grandchildren. Thankfully, I don’t have any.

4. I’m not gymnastically inclined. I like to keep both my feet on solid ground.

5. I’m good at guesstimating because I’m intuitive.

6. I have fibroids. A fairly common gynecological condition.

7. I want to be a groundbreaker. Now what field should I elevate to new heights??

8. I dislike grandstanding. It’s often an indication of insecurities.

9. I’m a slow writer. I often blame it on my obsessive need to be grammatically correct.

10. I think gobbledygooks is a very descriptive word.

11. I have a half finished novel about a groundskeeper named Keeper Seabrooks.

12. I feel intense gratification when I complete a project.

13. Lately I’ve been feeling a strong gravitational pull from my studio.

Do you need spirituality information? Ask Yourself for Guidance – explore the 13-letter word Introspective Oracle.

13 place I’ve been April 24, 2008

volumne 9: thursday 24 April

I like having a focus. There are so many possible things to write about that having a focused suggested theme is like getting a mind massage; relaxing. The funny thing about this week’s theme “13 places you’ve been and what you liked about it” is that I don’t travel much. Still I’ve been 13 places so here they are with a bit of commentary – not so helpful if you’re looking for travel tips – very useful for the official Thursday 13 goal of <a href=”http://www.multipurposewoman.com”>getting to know me</a>.

1. Eastover, South Carolina is officially my mother’s hometown. I say officially because as a child she traveled the country because my grandfather was in the military. Why would people who are not from Eastover and/or who don’t have family there want to go there? Well, they’d most likely want to go to nearby Columbia, SC. Anyway, starting the list with Eastover got me started. My initial reaction was, “I haven’t been anywhere”.

2. Coco Key, Bahamas is a private island owned by Royal Carribean cruise lines. It’s a perfect little, surreal place. When you go on a Royal Carribean cruise there’s a day when the big ship sits out at sea and they ferry you over to the island and you just chill – I went many years ago and what I still remember are the seagulls and the steel drum music. The water is beautiful so snorkeling is one pastime to engage in. People played sand volleyball, lounged, of course there was a big cookout.

3. New York, NY is a foodie heaven. Besides just being with friends and walking all over the place what I enjoy about New York is that you can have a different type of food for every meal for days.

4. Hedgebrook Writer’s Retreat, Whigby Island, WA is a haven for women writers. I went there in 1998 and stayed in Oak Cottage for 2 weeks. I long to go back for at least a month, 2 would be better. There were so many things about Hedgebrook that makes it worth recommending (if you can get accepted). A seemingly small touch that made a major impression on me – for lunch the chef brings you a basket with freshly prepared food. Imagine it; you’re in your picturesque cottage working away on your labour of love and there’s a tap at the door. You open it and there’s a beautiful, smiling person there with food – not just any food – organic, chef created, nutritious food artistic presented just in the nick of time. Every woman should have a Hedgebrook experience. Oh, and the women I met there!!

5. Seattle, WA doesn’t need me to recommend it. I took a Tickle test and it said that Seattle is THE perfect place for me to live. I’d like to test that theory.

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<img src=”http://www.awltovhc.com/2g66r6Az42ORXVSVTWOQPTRTYRS” alt=”" border=”0″/></a>

6. Fort Jackson, SC is where I did basic training after I joined the Army Reserve. I think everyone should experience basic training – “why” is for another post). Anyway, Fort Jackson has some beautiful spots for running, hiking, camping, and just being.

7. Las Vegas, NV is Las Vegas. Again, it’s been years and years since I was there. I took the Greyhound for crazy, stupid reasons that I won’t go into here. That story’s more than a post – it could be a novella – but it’s not all that interesting. So why go to Las Vegas? To do something new and potentially sinful of course.

8. Chicago, IL is one of my favorite places despite the wind and chill that’s there for too much of the year. I went once (again on a bus) in May and had to buy a coat. I like the Navy Pier art show that occurs every May. I also like staying downtown and just walking around.

9. Bahamas (on cruise) actually I should have said, “any big cruise ship”. I’ve been on short cruises with Royal Carribean and Carnival. I love the ships. Carnival ships are big floating art galleries and it’s just relaxing. Unfortunately I’ve lately been reading a bit about the larger picture of the industry and that can be saddening. But as long as you stay uninformed about some things and just enjoy the surface you’ll be okay. It’s like food – the more you know about the industry the more you’ll consider going vegan and organic.

10. Danville, Ky is home of Centre College. It’s a beautiful little campus and a top notch school.

11. Dallas, Tx is scary big. The thing that surprised me when I was there (again a long time ago) is that a lot of men actually had big cowboy hats on AND even though it was warm, women were wearing fur coats. I was there with a college group and we were visiting the apparel mart and related sites. We went to a hotel called the Anatole – we couldn’t have been staying there so it must have been about looking. We also visited a place called the Lone Star Ballroom (I think) . That was fun.

12. San Francisco, CA is where I walked in the Nike Women’s Marathon to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. That was in 2004. That was the last time I flew and the first time I’d flown in a long time. I wasn’t there long and I forgot to go on a Monk tour. Between my fear of flying and walking the marathon I totally forgot that I wanted to do that. Did the normal tourist stuff with a group. The city had a good feel to it.

13. Disney World, FL is a place my sister wants us all to visit as a family. My mother took us when I was about 15. It seemed like a job – all the walking, and standing in line, etc, etc. It was expensive. I was cognizant of that even at 15. I remember some of it favorably and looking at the site I found some things that could make it worth a return trip. My niece is fun to take anywhere so it could be worth doing. I’d read the <a href=”http://mpwoman63.dwinsider.hop.clickbank.net/” target=”_top”>Ultimate Disney World Saving Guide</a> and other insider info first.

Truth be told, my favorite kind of traveling is by book …

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13 things I accomplished today April 3, 2008

I totally forgot about last Thursday, even thoughSandy reminded me first thing in the morning.
Anyway, I’ll add to this list throughout the day until it reaches the magic number 13.

1. decided once and for all to buy an I-phone (I’ll fund it with some extra work money that suddenly came my way.)
2. balanced my checking account
3. called about an issue with a credit card and had a long, drawn out conversation with “William” (my first ESL experience of the day).
4. read some reviews of the iPhone as a PDA replacement and 1/2 changed my mind (I seriously need a PDA, an IPOD would be nice but not essential to my life) – maybe I need a blackberry
5. called the bank and talked with Bonita about a check fee for a service that was quoted as “free”. She put the money back into my account.
6. hung out at the Speed Musuem’s Art Learning Center with a photographer
7. got lunch from J. Gumbo’s
8. took my mother to the airport to start her trip to France
9. spent 3 hours on the phone with Travelocity trying to fix my mother’s lost flight reservation
10. paid the mortgage at a grocery store banking center – it has way better hours then the branch close to my house, it’s even open on Sundays!
11. watched High School Musical 2 (why? it was cute and kind of relaxing). Vanessa Anne Hudgens looks so much like a kid it’s hard to believe reports that she’s gone the vamp route
12. brought wine and printer ink at the same place – the ink cost 4 1/2 times as much as the wine
13. made a batch of my million dollar granola (I’ll have to make an entry about the recipe)

old thought revival: Millionaire Mondays, Wealthy Wednesdays, Financial Fridays.

Call Their Names: Presidential Facts for Women’s History Month March 17, 2008

How much do you know about First Ladies?

Show mature women what you know and/or learn something new for women’s history month.

Eight U.S. Presidents had 13 letter names.

Can you name their wives?

Well, can you at least unscramble their names then match them up? Here’s the Printable Trivia Questions.

freebies to help you uncover these fun presidential facts:

#1 Take the multiple choice version of this test at Tickle.
#2 Capital letters indicate the first and last initial.
#3 One of the 8 presidents had 2 wives.
#4 One of the presidents never married (and “Never Married” is the phrase to unscramble).

First Ladies 1 soeoalcRlnnDhe 2 egStmiMhatrra 3 aNvierMerred 4 dllCezriacEaM 5 uantJilDe 6 ExnAonsell 7 hElatdGit 8 unreyoLH 9 lhmnaeyRTa

The Presidents 1 ridaoRNihnMcx 2 dnnhoe norJsAw 3 ryycaroZlaahT 4 ennmhaBJcasau 5 Wd ilooWornwos 6 vHeHt ereoborr 7 nGyslastUerSs 8 JkncenArasdow

Multipurpose-Woman thanks SuperKids for doing the hard word for the letter unscramble.

Check yourself. Here’s the answer sheet.

Joined Thursday Thirteen February 9, 2008

Thirteen Things about Gwendolyn L. Kelly MultiPurpose-Woman dot com is my website. Visit it! I collect inspirational quotes I’m a 40-something year old scorpio – born November 2, 1963. I believe in free will astrology, numerology, and the tarot I have a 20 year old daughter in college I’m a feminist artist fiber is my primary medium I love to learn so I constantly explore new hobbies I want to write novels when I grown up I’m interested in creating free online games and board games I’m always seeking spirituality information *I believe mature women website owners should bind together and take back the search terms “woman” and “women” from the porn sites. It’s sad that you can’t search for woman, women, or female anything without being bombarded with scummy, useless content. I don’t like to fly so I don’t travel much I love to read

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