Hello, I'm rushing around as the ambassador of all things festive and good for family, friends and businesses, but wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to click through the Amazon widget at the side bar of this blog site when ordering through Amazon.com. A percentage of every purchase made goes towards funding education for girls aged 11-13. So far, we have been able to support a young woman's secondary education in Africa. We have mighty goals, and a long way to go to reach 11 girls in 11 countries, but I like to think of it as exercise.....every bit helps, and the more you do, the more it helps. Fa la la la la. xo, A
Drizzle. The dreary, bone cold rain coupled with the tough gut topics I write about just makes me want to snuggle up with comfort. Hot tea and cookies, talking with my besties or reading a great book is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon.
Just in time for cold weather and holiday gifting, teapot cozies (see etsy at side bar). Thank you talented Mom and Aunt for creating these lovely tea pot warmers.
Here's a great idea! Why don't you pair your cozy with a box of Smith Tea, made right here in the Pac NW. If you can't decide which one to try, I suggest no. 67 Meadow. I call it the haute couture of chamomile blends. It's extremely delicious, fragrant and pretty. Please tell them I sent you if you visit their shop or purchase on line.
Proceeds from cozy sales go to raising awareness of domestic human trafficking and promoting girls education worldwide.
Thanks for looking. Drop me a note if you have questions or want to have tea, A
"It is a moral failure that 200 million girls woke up today and didn't go to school."*
I've thought a lot about this since I scribbled it in my notebook as I watched Half the Sky last year.
Like many who live in a western culture, we are inclined to build wealth. Whether it be spiritual, personal or material (more! Now! MORE!) we are inundated with opportunities to become richer. If you are lucky enough to read, you are wealthier than most of the world. Wealth lies in literacy. If you can read, you can learn. If every girl had the opportunity to achieve literacy, we would see a drastic reduction in poverty, violence, forced prostitution, crime, and overpopulation. I see it as a snowball effect..... soft, delicate little snowflakes growing stronger into a fierce white out blizzard.
On my side bar you will find a link to Amazon. If you read every day, infrequently, or like to give books as gifts, please consider ordering through this link. Amazon will reward me with a small percentage of the sale and I will forward proceeds to programs that advance human rights for girls worldwide. Currently, we are focusing on the Kenya Keys scholarship program and Mei-Mei Ellerman's personal campaign to raise money for the Polaris project, a non-profit dedicated to eradicate modern day human slavery.
Yesterday, while still in jet lag mode, and further challenged by Spring Break non-routine, I asked Daughter, "What day is it? It's Wednesday, right?" She gently rolled her eyes, "Yesssss. It's Wednesday." I love this age!!!!
Later that evening, Daughter left her American Idol viewing post (which is located beyond the closed french doors because when closed they drown out the sound of it all) to sit with me on our LR sofa and ask, "Mama, what are your dreams?" I put down my book. I mean, like right away, not, "Hold on. I'll be with you in a sec." We launched into a full on discussion about dreams, goals, attainability of said dreams and goals, education, foreign language, candy, summer plans, what things "cost," nail polish, education (again), our dog Fenway, "The Catcher in the Rye," followed by "To Kill a Mockingbird," and finally, what song she will choose for optionals if she moves to level 7 next season. She stayed on the sofa. Even when the American Idol theme song sang. I looked at her with overwhelming love and appreciation.
So, tonight, when I watched the trailer for Girl Rising, I couldn't help but feel that quirk of coincidence (personal to each of us, I mean, coincidence in itself can only be defined within our own experiences) when only hours earlier Daughter and I talked about our dreams.*
When Skinny Love (!) played as the trailer song I just about fell out of my chair....it's one of my favorite songs ever. Talk about double coincidence!!
*She's lucky, like me. We were born into privilege and access to education. Millions aren't. But, it's changing. I hope you all get to see the movie.
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