A giant THANK YOU



Happy New Year

2008 is too close and I’m still enjoying the holiday. Many parties to go to, friends to talk to for the seasonal catch up and a flurry of busyness to complete those works in progress before 2007 ends fill these last days.

Let me take the time to say THANK YOU for your support for the Smart Woman’s Club. Your notes, calls and thoughts bring me great happiness and excitement. I so appreciate the time you take from your busy day to let me know what’s going on. Please keep it up.

For you may 2008 to be the best year you’ve ever had. Although it’s inevitable that curves will come your way my wish is that they turn into rainbows like this one seen over the Atlantic Ocean.

It followed one of those violent summer thunder storms. You know the kind that are sudden downpours and send you for the closest cover and drenched anyway.

Storms, curves and the like are always followed by calm, well deserved and appreciated.

You are most appreciated.



WHAT A WEEK THAT WAS!

This past week (Sept 2- 8) was probably the most amazing week I’ve experienced in this journey called life.

Sunday, Sept. 2 was my birthday …a BIG one. At a picnic I was presented with a cake with “Happy Birthday Smokie” in blue on white icing. It was also adorned with BIG blue roses and the usual green leaves. That was a first on a white cake with blue roses! That was followed by the Happy Birthday song which sounded more like a funeral dirge. All the hugs and laughs told me I was very much alive!

My friend Babs took me to dinner. We don’t talk or see each other like we used to. It was really special to be with her and talk girl talk. It was a reminder that friends are most important.

On Thursday night I passed Haagen Dazs on the way to a meeting. You know what happened. During the meeting Haagen Dazs was on my mind. I couldn’t wait for the meeting to end and get an ice cream cone. The meeting finally ended. Would you believe that the ice cream store was closed?!

Not to be foiled on the way home I took the route that passed Baskin-Robins. My mouth is really watering now. As I approached the store I noticed the store and sign weren’t lit up. It’s about 9:15 pm and prime time for it to be open. “Guess I’m not supposed to get ice cream tonight” I say sadly. Then I notice flashing blue lights and many police cars around the store. Something was amiss for sure.

On the 11 PM news I learned why. The store had been robbed and the robber was shot!

This is the spooky part. If I hadn’t spent time moaning about Haagen Dazs being closed with friends, I’d probably could’ve been at the Baskin Robins store about robbery time. I say Thank God for small favors like delays.

On Friday to celebrate my birthday my daughter Kat took me to see Hairspray. It’s pure entertainment and a real toe tapper. It’s set in the 60’s, about the time I was in high school. The funny old cars were too familiar. The music I knew intimately. I even tried to have big hair and certainly used more than my share of super duper sticky hair spray to hold my straight locks as big as possible.

In one scene Nicole Kidman is putting on a hot pink brocade dress with a matching coat. It was really fancy. Actually it was beautiful.

I wore a dress exactly like it to lots of debutante parties my second year of college! And my daughter wore it on Halloween some years later!

Yes indeed, what a week it was.

Labor Day without labor

Labor Day weekend is closer than I want. It's the last hoorah of the summer ... that time when life is different.

Summer's my favorite season. It's about a freedom ... from routines like school and endless networking events and meetings that fill the calendar. There's a lightness in the air - even in scorching heat. Foods are different - fresh vegetables right out of the garden, veggie stands on street corners, hard crabs to pick on newspapers. Scorching heat means wearing fewer clothes. Pass a swimming pool and listen to the squeals of children as they jump and splash in the water.

You can probably find me at my 'waterfront' office ... up to my waist in the pool with my work papers spread on the deck. You get the idea how much I love summer.
Summer's end is near for this year with Labor Day.

Labor Day is strictly American. The federal government started it in 1882 from a desire the Central Labor Union had for a day off for the "working man". It wasn't too long ago that most businesses were closed that day, even gas stations and theatres.

Now it's business as usual. Sales are everywhere. Back to school shopping and new back packs fill carts. Family and friends gather to play, relax, travel, and have their last fling before getting back to fall and its routine.

Labor sounds arduous, hard, and downright unpleasant. Labor Day is coming.

So here's an idea. Being open minded is a trait of smart women so read on.

What would a laborless Labor Day look like? Is it even possible? The things we do because we love to do them can take labor right out of the picture. Here are some radical thoughts on a laborless Labor Day.

The blackberry gets left on the desk. Do for a whole day what brings you pleasure and makes your heart sing. Plant yourself in a cozy chair and read that book you bought too long ago. Take the easel in the pasture and paint all day. Spend the day with friends and family. Go to a place you haven't been before. Talk to friends you've been meaning to call.

With your open mind what would your laborless Labor Day look like?

The Smart Woman's Club would love to celebrate your laborless Labor Day with our members. Just let me know your comments, plans and ideas on a Labor Day without labor. Send them to smokie@smartwomansclub.com or put them on here on our blog.

Smart women make smart choices. Have a fun, safe Labor Day holiday.

There was news.

Last night there was news that brought back memories.

When I was in college at VCU, all the pictures of China were dreamy. There was always a haze over everything, making it a magical place that maybe Disney created. The mountains were tall with a river curving through them and a moon hanging romantically at just the right place. It was a mystical place like no other.

Those pictures flooded my memory as I looked at artists' renderings of the same mystical scenes when I was in China in 2005. On the small cruise ship going down the Yanghtze River every view from the windows and top deck was covered with that same filmy haze. It was like wearing foggy lenses. For 3 days I went down the river, passing ferries, coal barges and funny looking boats. Modern cities loomed on the top of ridges, replacing the villages where people lived for generations. Locks near the Three Gorges Dam, an engineering marvel, facilitated getting to the next port.

I felt like I was in one of those filmy pictures! Being a romantic at heart, it did look dreamy and romantic. The truth is that it was anything but dreamy and romantic. It was air pollution!

The water itself was green and looked good to my untrained eye. Knowing that the air was dirty and knowing that there are few, if any, environmental controls on businesses there, I guessed the river was probably dirty, too.

The news last night was about the Yahngtze River. My ears perked up only to hear more news. The river is so dirty that it is deemed to cause cancer! Cancerous was the word used.

How can something that looks so romantic be so toxic? It is the source of water for tons of people! The news made me sad.

An extreme makeover requires a new mirror!

Today is a really big day. A big project is complete and ready for prime time! Find it at http://thewomaninthemirror.com.

Over a year ago I accepted a challenge to write about the woman in the mirror... who, not what, I saw when I looked in the mirror. It sounded easy. Have you ever looked at your reflection to see more than your hair color or to put on your makeup? To see your soul, your essence?

I have to tell you that the unplucked eyebrows, chin hairs and facial creases were all I saw for several months. Certainly room for a makeover there. Just a few thoughts were jotted down lest I forget them and nothing else came. Then I saw what was possible on the web and I knew where the project could go. But I needed to finish writing the woman in the mirror.

One sleepless night I gave in to nudgings from above. Literally I sat in front of a mirror with pen and paper to write what came, not expecting much. And I was in a huff to get it over with, too, so I could go back to bed. Would you believe that one glance at my bitchy reflection and the words came so quickly that I couldn't write fast enough. The woman in the mirror took over. She showed up fully and totally engaged as if to say "Honey, I'm in charge. Get over your huff." And the project took on its own life, much to my surprise.

Morgan Sobel wrote the music with an acoustic guitar after reading the words. Photos taken on travels were selected to fit the text and music. The flash movie was done!

And now it's on the web, bringing a respite to harried women. It's your private movie, your mini vacation to restore you and your soul. It's there to remind you that you are a magnificent creature, doing fabulous things. And you're not alone. There is always a presence bigger than you to help.

Go to http://www.thewomaninthemirror.com for your extreme makeover. Remember your girl firends. They want a makeover too so pass the link to them.

Today is really a big day. The Woman in the Mirror has arrived.

Happy 400th Anniversary, America!

HAPPY 400TH ANNIVERSARY, AMERICA!
The mayor of Hamilton Bermuda kissed my hand! It all started for the adventure. It was Saturday, May 12, a lovely humid day like we get in Richmond, with plans to pay bills and plant flowers bought last week.
Pictures in the morning paper of the 400th anniversary celebration in Jamestown caught my eye. It’s just 60 miles away – an easy 1 hour drive. Plus Bruce Hornsby is performing at 6:30! A quick website search with info and directions and I was in! Several phone calls to friends to share the adventure were fruitless. Quickly plants and bills were done and I was off.
It really was an easy drive to the lot to get my ticket and catch the shuttle to the biggest, oldest anniversary I’ll ever attend. As I boarded big yellow school bus driven by Miss Pierce, I stopped while a mother wrote her cell phone number on her 5 yr. old daughter’s hand. A 30 minute ride delivered me to the park.
The Jamestown Festival Park is large and very well done. Signs are everywhere as is security. My folding chair didn’t pass security so on the table in security it went to be left behind. My industrial backpack and camera, recovered from their trek through Africa, did get pass security.
Now I’m in the festival. The park is huge, the pace is easy, the language is English and dollars are changed 1 for 1 for scrip, the only currency that gets food and brews. This is too easy.
Exhibits are everywhere. Numerous activities are plentiful for all ages. My walk-about took me to the VIP area where I saw a church friend. He introduces me to a tall handsome black man wearing Bermuda shorts, high socks and navy blazer. It’s J. Michael ( I forget his last name), the mayor of Hamilton, Bermuda. And that’s how I was kissed by the mayor from Bermuda. I’ll add he has great legs, too.
A native American Indian taco (how native is a taco?) snack later and more wandering took me to a large tent where 5 guys are in kilts. They have great legs, too. Be still my heart. Rain poured from the threatening skies as I sat under cover and looked at the great scenery all the while tapping my foot to the rhythm of their Irish jigs.
The skies dry and it’s Bruce time. He opened with the National Anthem – piano only. He was magnificent. He really loves his work – his eyes sparkle and he and his Noisemakers jam at each note. One of my favs was “With a big stick he’s swinging at the dirt”. All golfers understand that one. The drummer, guitarists, saxophonist….all of them have a blast. It’s contagious because the audience caught it too. Even the sour ladies, sitting in front of me, wearing bad sequin ball caps and yellow name tags identifying them as part of Sunshine Tours caught the fun and smiled a time or two.
As luck would have it, Billy, a young man from Richmond, sat next to me. We were kindred spirits. We clapped, high-fived, hollered, laughed and loved every note and word together.
Ricky Skaggs was just as good as Bruce. The fiddles and bluegrass were wonderful. Many big screens were around so seeing the stage was very easy and the camera shots were excellent. Naturally some artistic one I captured. Too soon it was time to leave.
A short walk to the shuttle was just right to stretch. My beach chair that failed security was right where I left it! Happy day!
Again luck would have it that the big screens were visible from the shuttle stop so I saw Chaka Khan too.
What a party! Happy 400th Anniversary, America!

P. S. Math was never my forte in school. However, if 2007 is the 400th anniversary of the settling in Jamestown in 1607, does that mean that the Pilgrims hadn’t even thought about leaving their mother country? Again, I say, Happy 400th Anniversary, America.

Tragedy at Tech

The events of April 16 at Virginia Tech have shaken me to my bones and soul. It was just a few years ago that my beautiful daughter was left with her important belongings in her dorm room at West A J.
Her joy at beginning this new chapter in her life as a college freshman overshadowed my sadness (it's a mother thing with their babies) as she left the nest and security of home. Her roommate situation wasn't the best that first year. She learned to cope and made fast and solid life-long friends. That was only 1 way her education was more than academic. On a Parents Weekend, while waiting to meet her in the lobby at West A J, I glanced down the hall to see her boyfriend emerge from her dorm room. So my education continued.
Her graduation was a glorious finale to all of the experiences and education that make up college. Virginia Tech had done its job of preparing her for the big real world.
There were times of great celebration and times of angst and concern. But never was there concern for her physical safety from other students. We both grew during those Tech years to be forever changed by another life passage.
Today everyone at Virginia Tech is experiencing something never experienced before...an event that is unfathomable. The cruel crazy real world showed up, touching and forever changing Virginia Tech and people around the world. School officials continue to lead in spite of their grief and shock. Too many lives have been turned upside down and shattered. Information is fragmented at best. Attempts to make reason out of the shootings are futile at best. To blame, to find fault is natural and fills the air waves. As a client said "Today we're all Hokies whether we went to school there or not. "
My prayers are for comfort for the hurting, healing for those harmed and injured, safety for all and an understanding that transcends the insanity of April 16. May the healing begin.
from Kenya March 18

It's Sunday morning about 9 am in Nairobi. It's a leisurely morning with checkout at 1 pm before we start home. Time for an extra cup of tea and a dip in the outdoor pool. Arrived yesterday afternoon and drove in what I thought was rush hour traffic....it was just Saturday traffic. Eunice, our guide for this part of the trip, said in our briefing to go out only in reputable taxis known to the hotel, stay on main roads, don't walk around the street by the hotel and never go out by yourself. I'v read that Nairobi has the largest slum in the world - 3,000,000 people. What a visitor welcome! Can't get into my blog to make an entry or check my email. Oh well. So goes technology.

This trip is been amazing, almost surreal at times. The safari was breath taking. Rode on dirt roads for 9 days with the top of the truck open so there was plenty of air and sun and jokes and fabulous food. The driver guides were the best. They are highly educated about wildlife and flora. They are also patient and answer the same question many times because we're all talking and no one hears the answer at the same time.

The morning we were in Norongoro Crater (seems like a long time ago now) someone spotted an object so far way it looked like a dot even with binoculars. It moved and the driver Embize saw the horn and announced it was a rhino. It continued to move as we sat and watched. This animal mozies along munching on grass. Now more trucks are parking by us. Talk about drawing a crowd. The guys in the truck wanted to go...after 30 minutes the rhino was no closer. Embize said just wait. Lo and behold, with 15 trucks filled with spectators by us, that ole rhino cruised in front of our truck! The guides couldn't believe it and neither could we!!!!!!!!

And that's how this adventure started!

Driving around the crater was when we learned a few swahilli words. It's basically a phonetic language with really cool words. The drivers were very patient with me and worked with me to say them properly. My fav is hakuna matata with emphasis on the 2nd syllable. Means no problem.

I've never seen such poverty in my life. The hotels we're in are a good relief from it. People walk everywhere carrying all sorts of things in their hands, on their heads or on any wheeled vehicle they have. The major cities have a few paved roads. The other roads are dirt and very bumpy with ruts, holes, rocks on them that jiggle and jostle you. They call it the African massage.

Each day someone is responsible for keeping a journal of the days happenings. It's compiled so each of us has a diary of the trip to keep. My day was the day we were setting out for our first long drive from a hotel to the bush for 3 days of camping in the Serenghetti at Ndutu. My plan was to write as we drove to put in culture, new words, describe the landscape, etc. We're bumping along for miles. I asked Kent, the outfitter we worked through, when we got to the main road, thinking it was paved. Ha ha! The dirt road we were on was as good as it got!!!!!!!!!

Since a zoo has been my reference for seeing African animals, to see the animals roaming and intermingling with each other was wonderful. Looking right I'd see wildebeasts with zebras (they hang together because the wildebeasts don't see well but hear well and the zebra see well and don't hear so well) and on the left a giraffe or 2 are munching on leaves in a tree. A lake was loaded with flamingos and hippos snoozed and froliced there. The birds are very colorful. European storks are everywhere. The drivers said the Europeans come here to see the storks.

Watched a lionness stalk and catch her lunch which many tourists don't get to see. Some were upset and the rest of us were cheering and so excited we almost wet our pants. And we got up and were out by 6 am to see this! Too great to describe.

On the gorilla hikes I saw huge silverbacks. The young were close enough to touch and very funny as they froliced and played. Even saw 1 silverback catch a quickie!

The camera has had a workout. My suitcase is yellow and it's the only yellow suitcase I've seen in 6 airports and everyone knows my bag. It's taking on a safari look like me. We're heading home today on a 9 pm flight to Amsterdam.

As I write this I'm in the business center in the Nairobi Safari Club - a tourist hotel - and the cost is 10 Kenyan shillings per 10 minutes which is about $1.66. Am listening to a radio station play music from the 80's and taking requests in English. Sounds like I'm listening to lite 98 at home. In the airport US gospel and John Denver music was playing! A nice piece of home.

Language hasn't been a problem as English is a second language taught in schools in these countries. The few Swahilli words I know come in handy to get me through the rough spots.

I could go on forever. So much to tell.
from Rwanda, March 16

Well, getting on the internet is the hardest thing and the biggest adventure I've had since I got to the contintnent of Africa. The info comes up in French, which I don't read, and all kinds of other wierd things are going on. Anyway, I'm in Kigali, Rwanda now. The first time I've had internet access when I was around to use it. But customer service is another story for a later time. Today I was surrounded by gorillas. What an experience to see them and be as curious about them as they were about me. And that's another story as well. The internet is going off so must go. More later.
Smart women SUPPORT each other, seeking to lift each other up rather than to bring someone down. Smart women know that the end result is that we are ALL better off for it!
from Tena Krouse
Smart women know who their friends are and seek others to fulfill their dreams and aspirations. In doing so they help make the dreams and goals of other smart women come true. Smart women know what they want and how to get it. from Dianna Morely
Smart women also do what they love to do, what makes their heart sing, even if it gives them the crazies getting ready to do what they love. Travel to new places makes my heart sing so on March 3 my sights and luggage (I hope) are going to Africa for several weeks. When I can, I'll post entries here.

My international travel is done with 14 friends who share the same adventurous spirit. As I write this 6 of these cool friends are climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. And we think winter is cold here in Richmond! Their stories will be amazing. I'm amazed they're doing it. I went on one weekend training hike with them and thought I would die. They are a rugged team.

Smart women are a little crazy to lots of people as they listen to their heart songs. And some live vicariously through smart women, too. What do you think?

Smart Women Are ?

Smart women make decisions. Smart women know what they want. You know you're smart. But what really is a smart woman? Let's define what characterizes "Smart Women". Share your point of view.