Wednesday's Women No. 39

Pattee and I talked last year about joining a gypsy caravan. You see Pattee is a vagabond and loves to travel. I love to jump on and off things so I decided to join her.

Sonia had joined and made us a trio and now kj has also joined and made us a foursome. Pattee knows that I am never cooking but I will read the tarot cards to make us some money.

Pattee will make me lobster and garlic butter and all kinds of specialty dishes so I won’t have to eat hard cheesies all day.

Sonia has made me a screaming banshee doll and I think she should be in charge of making voodoo dolls and love potions as they go hand in hand quite often as the couple ‘love and hate’.

kj will make a perfect pickpocket as I don’t think people will see that coming. She can be really nice and say ‘hey what’s happening and then just slip her hand in their pocket.’ We should be able to keep a good supply of lobster just off of her takings.

I thought you might like a little peek at us over the next week.




















Pattee will do all the cooking and will help us outrun the authorities.



















I will read the tarot and the palm and charge people a small fortune.



















Sonia will make voodoo dolls and love potions.
















kj will do all the pick-pocketing as if there were no tomorrow.

Wednesday's Women No. 37

The pitter-patter of little feet scampering around the upstairs bedroom belonged to none other than the youngest child of Bridget and Emil Swan. She was a precious child was Baby-Chick.

Baby-Chick’s odd behaviour wasn’t something that developed overnight. You see she was always a little off even as a child. Her Nanny thinks she can pinpoint exactly when this occurred (and she would be right). It was during the bedtime reading of ‘The Little Red Hen.’

You see Baby-Chick knew that her family’s last name was Swan and that a swan was a type of bird. Knowing as well that her name was Baby-Chick she just assumed that she would grow up to be some kind of bird. Since ‘The Little Red Hen’ was Baby-Chick’s favourite book, she decided right then and there that she would be nothing in this life if she herself was not a red hen.

When Baby-Chick appeared at the Thanksgiving Day dinner table dressed in her finery her formidable grandmother had had enough and actually slapped her granddaughter across the face. At this time, even Nanny wanted to slap her as she knew that she would be the one held accountable for Baby-Chicks choice of clothing.

Grandmother had it, she was past up to her eyebrows in letting the spoiled youngest daughter of the Swan’s continue this charade of being a red hen.

Baby-Chick was very close to her mother and her father was protective of her. But even they thought the outfit picked out to wear for the evening meal was a tad too much.

Wednesday's Women No. 36

I lay down and thought of what I was teaching my daughter and I knew that no matter what; I had to get out.

I thought of my past and what brought me to this point in my life. I thought of the childhood home I grew up in and how I knew then that mine would not be like that. I knew that I would never ever live like that. Or at least that is what I thought I knew.

As the unsaid thoughts pummeled my chest I knew that I should never have believed him. I knew deep inside that I was brave enough and that, it in fact did hurt me more than it hurt him.

It is a terrible day, actually it is a terrible life when you know that because of how you were raised and because of what you believed about yourself you became less than who you would have been because of fear. And worse your children have now got that enemy in their heads too.

I have made mistakes but I will not make anymore. I should have done it alone and now I will. I was not strong enough then, but I am strong enough now.

My dear friend Sophia reminded me that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month and so I wrote the above piece for Wednesday’s Women hoping that maybe it will touch a cord somewhere for someone.

The following signs of abuse have been taken from Sophia’s blog at http://bluechairdiary.blogspot.com/2009/10/did-you-know-that-october-is-national.html :

Signs of abuse:

Criticize or put down.

Ignore or put down your opinions and/or accomplishments.

Controlling.

Blames you and everyone else for their abusive behaviour.

Accepts no fault.

Has unrealistic expectations.

Physically harms you and/or your children (hit, punch, kick, slap, etc.)

Calls you names and/or curses your and/or your children.

Extremely moody – Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde.

Please sign up for my giveaway on my October 20th post.

Wednesday's Woman No. 35

I come from the prairie sky. Be thankful that I have been here.

Look around you and see what there is to see. Things are buried but they are not dead.

Hold your head high. Be proud of who you are.

We are not the first people they wanted to destroy and we won’t be the last.

Look, look up to the prairie sky; look out, look out on the prairie landscape; remind yourself of who you are and be proud.

Wednesday's Women No. 34

Where was I? Why no where, I just kept moving my legs.

What did I see? Why nothing, I never once lifted my eyes.

Who was I with? Why no one, I have an inner circle of only one.

When did I go there? Why I can’t even remember, I can’t tell the difference between day and night.

Why can’t I describe anything? Why because I was so busy looking at my list of things to do that I failed to notice any life around me at all.

*artwork by Marcus Stone

Wednesday's Women No. 33

Olie was taught never to talk about the things that did not bring praise to the Lord. She was under the assumption that like Jesus, she too must sacrifice herself for the sins of the world.

Olie was the kind of girl that everyone said was a good girl. In fact, Olie was the kind of girl that you could do anything to and she would know never to speak of it.

Olie believed that one day she would be saved. Olie believed that with all of her heart.

Every day I hope that Olie will speak, that Olie will unlearn what she has been taught, that Olie will in fact talk, so that she will indeed be saved.

Wednesday's Women No. 32

What are you looking at?

*artwork by Alice Neel

Wednesday's Women No. 31

Katra has always had the ability to see things in colour.

*artwork by Pamela Desrosiers

Wednesday's Women No. 30

I am a tale as old as time. Some call me Mother Nature and others call me the great Earth Mother or Mother Earth. It really doesn’t matter what you call me, what matters is how you treat me.

Some say I come from the clouds while others say I come from the Earth itself. What does it matter? What difference does it make?

I am the Mother of life and at my breast you all feed. I nourish the plants which in turn nourish all living things whether in the seas, in the air, or on the earth.

I have never forgotten you, why have you forgotten me? I weep for you, why do you not weep for me?

*artwork by David M. Bowers

Wednesday's Women No. 29

When I talk nobody listens.

When I sing nobody dances.

When I am most my true self nobody knows me.

So I don’t speak;
nor do I sing;
and I certainly know better than to be my true self.

Wednesday's Women No. 28

You think I look ridiculous? I know I am ridiculous. A caricature you say? Yeah, I guess I can see that.

But the times were different back then. This was what a woman strived to be. This is what the army promised my husband that he could expect. This is what I was led to believe was my job.

Sometimes I was even happy. Not necessarily here. Here I am just pretending to be happy. I wore yellow because I knew even then that the colour yellow was supposed to lift a person’s spirits.

I am glad I have this picture of myself because it brings the day right back to me. This is the day that I was pictured in our local paper as the epitome of what a man should come home to at the end of a hard day of work. A day that he never would have thought of sharing with me; as he believed I could never understand.

So because we didn’t really speak I learned to read the signs.

For example I knew he didn’t like noise when he walked in the house. So I learnt how to minimize it. Yes, it is true you can minimize noise, even the noise that children make can be minimized when their father gets home, especially if they too know how to read the signs.

What I especially remember about this day is how you can be made to feel like you matter to people and feel quite happy about it all, even when you know that it is only a temporary illusion. That the face you are putting on for the camera isn’t necessarily the real face of your soul.

And then to feel on that same day not more then three hours after feeling like you were something that it could turn around and you could be left feeling that you are nothing.

My husband came home from work but I was a little too happy with myself and I had forgotten to read the signs. I had forgotten to listen to the secret language. I was happy to see him of course. I greeted him with a warm smile and showed him my desire to please him but I talked a little bit too much about my day and I forgot to keep the kids quiet.

I forgot that he likes silence when he comes home and while I was going on about my day I reached for his hand and he held mine; a little too tightly. I heard the unspoken language in his grip.

Wednesday's Woman No. 27

I am on my sixth lover and even though I am more than satisfied with the sixth, I can’t but feel that seven may be even better. Seven may be the trick. Seven might be the answer; after all isn’t seven the luckiest of lucky numbers?

I feel that as far as love goes I am in a constant state of rehearsal.

I bat my eyelashes, he nods his head. I smile; he asks me what’s up. And before you know it, I wonder if I should leave the lover I’m with and attach to a new one.

Sexual experimentation is a big part of what is going on with me right now.

Wish me luck.

Wednesday's Women No. 26

Esme Echo was the most beautiful girl in her town. She was also the most feared.

The fact that Esme’s eyes were two different colours was not the reason she was feared. The two different coloured eyes just added to Esme’s beauty. The reason she was feared had nothing to do with her eyes.

Esme was feared because of her ears. You see Esme was able to hear when a lie was spoken. She heard the words and could not help but call out the lie. She didn’t want to do this; it was her genetic makeup.

An example of Esme’s behaviour and why she was feared could go like this.

A woman speaking to her husband might say ‘I will never leave you.’ And Esme overhearing would yell ‘LIE.’ So of course right away the husband would know the truth as Esme was never wrong.

*artwork by Kathy Hare

Wednesday's Women No. 25

Because I think 25 is kind of a special number I am going to make every 25th Wednesday's Women about me. I will be Wednesday's Women No. 25, No. 50, No. 75, etc.

I will always be in my mothering years, the years where I have invested most of my being.

When I had my first daughter Angelique, I made a commitment to myself that no matter what; I was going to root myself. I was going to be the tree of life that she would cling too.

I went on to have more children; another daughter Nadalene and a son Nathan and it rooted me even more. I vowed that the tree they clung too would stand the test of time. It would sway in the wind, but it would not break.

My husband Wahid helped me build the nest that would be the center of my being. And though sometimes the branches were bare we hardly noticed.

With the two big trees in front of the house and the swallows flying around to bless us all, we are happy.

Together we have made memories that have sprung like flowers that are circling my head.

*artwork by Stefano Vitale

Wednesday's Women No. 24

My name is April and I feel like such a fool.

It was my birthday on Saturday and the celebrations haven’t really stopped.

My son phoned me earlier today to come over for lunch and when I did there were other people there too. I noticed a birthday banner and that the other people in the room were wearing birthday hats. My son slipped a hat on me and they got me to make a wish and blow out the candles.

I was seriously bursting with pride, thinking I am too much; my ego has never been so high. I must be too good and too kind and too great. I almost believe that I am the second coming. Otherwise why would everyone want to celebrate for so long?

I just started to cut the cake when they all yelled ‘April Fools’.

*artwork by Linda Olafsdottir

Wednesday's Women No. 23

It can be difficult when what you see does not match with what the people around you see. It can be difficult when what you say does not match with what the people around you hear. It can be difficult when what you hear does not match with what the people around you speak.

Since adolescence I have felt as though I am walking alone.

It can be difficult when you understand the passion of the people around you but they do not understand your passion. It can be difficult when you understand the love of the people around you but they do not understand your love. It can be difficult when you understand the reality of the people around you but they do not understand your reality.

Since adolescence I have felt as though I was missing the beat.

It can be difficult when what you see is the way to peace but the people around you see never-ending wars. It can be difficult when what you say is life is always worth it but the people around you hear life is not worth it. It can be difficult when what you hear is come in but the people around you say get out.

Since adolescence I have felt as though anything is possible.

It can be difficult when your passion is to truly listen to others but the people around you only want to hear themselves. It can be difficult when you see love passed from soul to soul but the people around you only see that their ego has been slighted. It can be difficult when you see in someone’s reality that they are hurting but the people around you only want to keep their reality buried.

Since adolescence I have felt as though the world will one day be all it is meant to be.

*artwork by Yangge Robin

Wednesday's Women No. 22

My name is Madame Estelle and I run a class for boys and girls in my home every other Wednesday.

I am sure you have heard of IQ and EQ, while I would like to present the world with PQ.

As you can tell by this photo of me that I have excellent posture. Now please don’t think I would have a whole Q devoted just to posture. Within that PQ is manners, posture, etiquette, how to deal with doormen, and of course how to tilt your nose ever so slightly upward.

You see PQ is a very delicate (like all things I participate in) state.

I of course will never discuss money, which is so gauche. I will put it as delicately (as mentioned above) as possible, if you have to ask how much, then you cannot afford to have your children participate in my classes.

I am selling to parents exactly what they want their children to represent to the world, the same thing in fact that they mock.

Wednesday's Women No. 21

I fell asleep this morning to a dream of my younger self. My young self at the age of 11 before I had breasts and at a time when I still believed I could do anything. No one had put the brakes on my activities at this point.

I was an Amazon who jumped out of trees at wild horses. I wore a mask like Zorro and a cape like Batman and I insisted that they be red like the colour of life. I wielded a sword like Kublai Khan and had a bow and a quiver of arrows like every other fairy archer. No one saw me as anything other than a beautiful child.

I was to be my own person. Just as young and free as I always had been but something got in the way of that. Something that others saw, that I did not yet see, something that didn’t matter to me but mattered to them.

My breasts appeared at the young age of 12 and it changed me in the eyes of others. I went from a girl who could jump out of trees to a woman who had to sit with her legs crossed on a chair. From fun and free to prim and proper all within one year.

I learned at 12 how the division of the sexes worked. How girls could be seen as a thing, an object, someone else’s fantasy, while boys were still allowed childhood invisibility.

I realized even at 12 that it was unfair that I now had to be someone other than who I really was, while the boys around me were still encouraged to be whoever they wanted to be. I was stymied just because I had grown breasts.

I promised myself that when and if I ever had children that if I had daughters they would be allowed to be whoever they wanted to be. And that the minute anyone tried to make them feel like objects and change their reality, I would jump out of trees at wild horses and remind them of the possibility of who they could be.

Wednesday's Women No. 20

&*&&* ^&**& *&(&(

Oh, no thank you, I am just resting. I usually make it to this spot to have a little sit-down.

&*&*( %^%% (*()

Sorry, I am a little hard of hearing; I’m not sure what you said dear.

&*&*( %^%% (*()

Just off to get my weekly shop. No, I don’t pick up much, just some scones and tea.

&*(_((*& %$%#&* *(*&(&( _)(*&*&&%$$

Well if you are sure you don’t mind and you are going there anyway. These old bones just aren’t what they use to be.

*(&^^*^* *(&*%$&*(()

But you won’t be finished your shopping by then, I am sure of it.

*(&*^^099 *(&*^^%^%

Well that would be wonderful and maybe if you don’t mind I will pick up some milk too.

*&^%@###%++_)

Thank you so much for the ride to the store and home dear, that was very thoughtful of you.

**&%##@$!!@$

Oh yes, I have five children, all adults now of course. I also have 11 grandchildren; they also have children of their own. But you know they are all so busy these days, everyone seems to work.

((**)^^%%*)))9 )(*(&*^^&^&*00 0)(8876757 %%$#&*(((&*(

I do talk to them every week, but I don’t want to be a burden. I know they would do anything for me. Anything.

Wednesday's Women No. 19

We are all so happy. Someone that is dear to us will be arriving on a jet plane in four more days.

It is so unlike me to be so happy for other people. But this special person, this wonderful sister is coming back from the land of sun to rejoin us here in the land of snow.