Jeffersonian Dinner #2 opening question

Can't guarantee a rainbow at dinner, but looks like we'll have cloudy skies.

Hello wonderful women!
As our Jeffersonian Dinner is quickly approaching,  I thought I would send an update about the event.

Our dinner discussing rape culture* will be held in my "newish to me" West Hills home.  I am pretty sure everyone knows about the location, but just in case I am confirming.  The address is on your invitation and the date confirmed with all of you.  Please message me if you need any logistics info.  I'm so excited to share another evening of stimulating conversation, excellent food and company.

So the opening question.  From all the research and discussions I've had on this issue, narrowing it to one opening question has been crazy difficult for me.   So, I consulted a few professionals for advice.  Rape culture is such a multi-faceted topic that crosses into so many areas that we will start with:  How do you define rape culture?  I hope from there to delve into discussion of how it's present in subtle ways that we may not even notice or feel compelled to do something about.  But we will see where our discussion takes us!!

*Please note: since we are discussing a sensitive topic I want to make sure everyone knows the evening will be a safe forum to speak freely (or not speak much at all!) and all comments will remain anonymous.  Because so many people want to join this conversation even though they cannot be at the dinner,  I will write a follow up post.  I'll check in with all of you about what I can include and certainly will not use names.

A couple more details:
Two questions have come up a few times in conversation about the dinner series:  Why a Jeffersonian Dinner and not a pay per plate dinner?  How to you connect development with a hosted dinner?

The dinner's purpose is to engage a diverse group of thinkers in a lively discussion about a topic over delicious food.  The purpose is not to actively fundraise.  I haven't partnered (yet) with a non-profit  for this evening.  As always, a portion of fundraising events and sales from my etsy shop (deactivated until Saturday's pop up shop is over) benefit charities focusing on girls' education worldwide.

Warmest regards,

A

Dinner's opening question and a short video to watch before Friday night.

Hello!
For those of you who can't make the dinner Friday night, but want to be part of the conversation and the solution to ending the cycle of poverty for girls, I'm posting the opening question and a short 3:04 video to watch.

"Has one person made a difference in your education?  If so, who was that person and what did they do for you?"

One person can make a difference.
x,
A

It's a dinner party with a twist!

Wickersham Roundtable Dinner series 2014-2015.

Over the next 9 months I will be hosting 3 separate Jeffersonian Dinners (see side bar pages to get a detailed explanation of the dinner) in my historic NW Portland home. The dinners are intended to encourage stimulating, thought provoking conversations about issues women and girls face today.  Each dinner will highlight a different non-profit organization and touch upon different, yet inextricably intertwined topics.  There is no cost to come to the dinners.  Nor are there any formal presentations or obligations or requests for donations.  The only prerequisites are that you are interested in discussing the topic and enjoy eating delicious food prepared by a professional chef!

Dinner #1:  September 26, 2014 to highlight Kenya Keys.

Discussion: Ending the cycle of poverty for girls.

A portion of this dinner is generously sponsored by Linnea Osterberg, Photographer.

Dinner #2:  mid-Jan to mid-Feb (date and non-profit partner TBD).

Discussion:  The issue of rape culture in our society.

Dinner #3:  mid-May to mid-June 2015 (date and non-profit partner TBD).

Discussion:  How we interface with the homeless in our community and what we are teaching our children about this issue.

I invite you to join the google group at the sidebar, subscribe via email, or send me an email at eleven2thirteen@gmail.com to keep informed of dinner dates, discussions, and non-profit partners.  I promise you won't get a ton of email or notifications in your inbox.   I'd just like to keep track of who is interested in invitations to which dinner, and the subjects we are discussing so I don't miss sending out a formal invitation to an interested guest!

Feel free to forward this to your friends or family who may be interested!
Thanks for reading.
x,
A

The fine print:  Because The Wickersham Roundtable Dinner series is not a traditional fundraising event (no tickets are sold, no items are auctioned off), we are always looking for corporate sponsors or personal donations to help offset the costs.  Donations made to the series will be tax deductible to the extent of the law.  Please note:  currently, we have partnered with Kenya Keys for Dinner #1, so any donations for that dinner should me made directly to them.  If you are passionate about another dinner topic and want to contribute, I will be updating this site with non profit partners as they are confirmed.

Feel free to contact me with any questions about sponsorship!

  

Transparency.

Transparency is such a hot topic right now in government, business, personal development, non profit organizations, and window sales (ha!).  Given the surge in awareness of open and honest business activity, I'm writing this post to enhance the transparency my projects.  Most of my supporters tell me, "I know you so I know you will do good with the donation I'm giving."  I love that trust and apply it to my daily actions.  But in this post,  I'm taking that trust a step further to inform supporters who aren't around me all the time,  or who may not know what projects I'm working on and where their efforts and financial donations are going.  If you're a new reader and want to become involved in any of these projects, send me an email and we'll get started!

A little timeline:

Water project partnership with Kenya Keys.
I started this project in fall 2008 as a chance to bring clean drinking water to a community in Africa.  Girls didn't go to school because they spent hours searching for water to drink, cook and bathe in.  Once I met the founders of Kenya Keys, we worked together to find the best fit for achieving clean water and helping girls stay in school.  With your efforts and donations, in 2011, Kenya Keys was able to build a sanitary water system in a secondary school dormitory which houses up to 80 girls!

Trafficking project.
Co-founded TORO  in 2012 with Margot Stewart.   Our goal was to bring awareness to the issue of domestic human trafficking and provide people with resources to get more information.  11% of our profits went to the Polaris Project, specifically Mei-Mei Ellerman's personal campaign.  We've taken a pause from this project but you can access some of the resources if you visit the site.

I printed up small awareness fliers that I continue to leave in hotel rooms, restaurant bathrooms, and airplane magazines all over the world when I'm traveling.  I've also been known to leave them in library books (shhh!).  I think it's a great way to inform people about this issue in a loud whisper and provide the resource line if someone needs to use it.  Let me know if you'd like to be a part of this project and I'll mail you some fliers.

Social justice/human rights/advocacy work.
I continue to be involved with local agencies in the Portland area addressing women's rights.  I work with survivors, write grants for special projects, serve on development committees, and work on creative projects all geared towards advancing women's and girls' socio-economic standing.

Wickersham Roundtables.
I'm hosting a series of Jeffersonian dinner parties (Fall 2014-Spring 2015) in my historic downtown Portland condominium.  The first dinner is planned for late September.  Dinner guests will engage in a roundtable discussion about working towards ending the cycle of poverty for girls.
More about this project later.  This post is getting a little long…..

Happy warm weather everyone.
x,
A

Surrounding oneself with beauty.

Zodiac signs:  The parts we agree with are heartily adhered, and the parts we disdain are tucked away in back pockets to check when it's time for laundry.
Taurus love to be surrounded by beauty:

Here's to beauty in my life.
x,
A

It's a little like exercise....

Happy Holidays!!

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

Let's drink tea and talk about happy things...

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

Photo credit:  www.etsy.com/uk/shop/JenRoffePrint?ref=si_shop.  Thank you Jen!

Read every day.

"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.

*Quote from John Reed, the director and founder of Room to Read.
Excerpt from Half the Sky PBS documentary.

What are your dreams?

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.

Sweet dreams.
x,
A

Welcome meet season 2013!

4th all around at Colorado Springs.  She's enjoying every minute!

1st place beam at Seattle Invitational.  My iPhone ran out of space 1/2 way through the routine.

And then...I furiously tried to open space for the bars.......and got *almost all of it.  :/

2nd all around Seattle Invitational!!   Intrinsic loveliness and hard work wrapped up in a double handspring, back tuck, with a gorgeous smile.
x,
A

Rome puts people in a good mood.

You can nap while  you work.

It's not rocket science.

I woke up this morning thinking about Ticonderoga #2 pencils and who decides what item(s) will be the monthly special at Office Depot.  Weird!  But then again, not really.  Sometimes my dreams inspire, sometimes they frighten, and sometimes they are drenched in folly.  The dreams that count are the ones that stick with me longer than the first cup of coffee.  I try to analyze them as only an unprofessional interpreter can do!

Analysis:

Just back from a business trip to NYC and Washington.  While in Washington, I took an international grant writing course.  During my research for funding the water project and the human rights project (web content not live yet)  I came across this video.

I spend a lot of time thinking abut how to make this a reality.  How, if girls in the US and around the world had equal access to education like boys, inevitably we would live in a lovelier world.
No wonder I dream of sharp pencils.
x,
A

Educate Girls

Just back from a business trip to NYC and DC.  In Washington, I had the chance to take an international grant writing course.  I came across this during my funding research today.  It pulled at my heartstrings.

Only a few more weeks away...

When I am in Paris next month, I am going to try and have lunch here.  At this very lovely looking table.

Chairs look a little tough, but I love all the books and just the way it looks.

Not lovely. At. All.

Dear B.O.,
Not all Americans who are "wealthy"(earn over 250k/year) are stingy.  Some "wealthy" Americans pay roughly 35% of net income on student loans because they were entrepreneurs and put themselves through many years of college and received doctorates so that they could live their "American Dream."  They did not believe they were "entitled."  They studied hard, worked hard through college and continue to do so today.
I am not suggesting you have failed as our leader, but please stop pitting the haves against the have nots.  This is what I hear when you address the nation.  I agree there are injustices in our country, but families who earn over your benchmark income are not the enemy.
Oh, and when that "underprivileged person" gets his/her medical degree thanks to you being President,  do you think she/he is entitled to a 250k salary?  He/she will need it to pay those student loans off (not to mention he/she is not allowed any tax deductions on the interest....because she/he makes too much money).
Sincerely,
A registered voter who rarely has political feedback nor has decided who will get her vote.

What we naturally want.

She writes really well.  I want to write like her.  Instead, I fantasize about Fritos.  Whenever she posts about something I'm doing or thinking too, I get a surge of lovely.  This entry stimulates careful consideration:
What we naturally want.
On a totally separate note:  We made savory crêpes for dinner.  Daughter thought they were better than the crêperie on Rue Mouffetard.

This isn't the crêperie, but it's the fruit market at the base of Rue Mouffetard.

Gearing up for Paris this fall with mom.  They say if you dream in the language you're fluent.  Bonne nuit, sucre rêve(s).
x,
A

There is good and happiness everywhere if you just look for it.

I'm reading Half the Sky.  It's heartbreaking, agonizing, and makes me angry.  I can't even get through more than about 20 pages or a chapter in one sitting.  It's too much to take in.

So.....when I saw a post from Megan Wilcken, it lightened my mood and reminded me of the good we can find if we just look for it.

"I love this video! Here's what the artist had to say about it:

Whenever I see and hear reports of Africa in the media, more often than not, they seem to regularly convey war, poverty, and economic strife. I believe that generally we get what we look for, so I decided to look for and highlight the beauty of the land, the zestful enthusiasm for life in the brothers and sisters, and the innocent youthful joy of the children.  Guess what? We found it!"

August 13 is a good day.

Today is Fenway's birthday.  He is four.  Now if he would just start acting his age.  Pretty please.
Today is also #18 for H and me.

1994

18 is porcelain.  I found this lamp in Boston last April.....it's made of, yes (!) porcelain (well, close enough to call it OK).   We're buying it.  It's going to look lovely on the antique library table we have on lay-a-way (!) at Frederick Squire.

We're having a good time.  I woke up today all puffy and tousled and told H, "Happy Anniversary.  It had to be you."

x,

A

Summer living at the lake

and it's easy!!!

When I'm not counting 1,2,3 (so daughter can jump into the water on 3) or video taping her routines on the diving board, I'm busy working on company stuff, CFAC water project, and a new, exciting project with one of my besties (not at the point of open discussion yet.....but gonna be lovely!). Please, if you aren't already a follower, take a moment to become one over at my CFAC blog.  It will help when I give statistics for my funding requests. Have a lovely day.  You deserve it! x, A

"Investment in girls education....

may be the highest return investment in the developing world."  Lawrence Summers, Chief Executive-World Bank.

The water project still needs support and donations.  If you would like to help bring clean water to the girls dormitory,  send me a message.  Any creative idea will be considered.  I've updated my etsy site with a few new items and have a few more coming.  Check early and often!!

We are still counting on numerous, small donations to reach our goal of $10,000 ($7500 to go!).   Recently,  I've branched out into professional fundraising:  grant writing and corporate sponsorships.  If any readers have tips or suggestions, please send them my way.
Below is a link updating you on the Samburu Girls Dormitory.

http://www.kenyakeys.org/Area/Projects.aspx

Thanks for reading!