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Belly dancing
– Stephen King
This is so true, but publishing it is a different story.
Full spring calendar link
Spring editorial/marketing calendar ready through June
By Emma Palova
EW Emma’s Writings
The full editorial/marketing calendar is on the company site Emma Blogs, LLC on http://emmablogsllc.wordpress.com
The last event in March is the local Lowell Expo on March 28th at the Lowell High School from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The calendar gives you a preview of stories and themes coming from the end of March through June. It is not set in stone, I always make it as flexible and versatile as possible.
It also gives an idea for marketing around the themes relevant to each month. It doesn’t exclude anything.
That’s the beauty of the Internet compared to print media; the speed and the versatility, as well as the turnover of stories. You can make it weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually depending on your blog and business.
I prefer quarterly because it gives enough leeway yet it helps stay on track and up with tasks. The calendar also depends on the frequency of your postings and the format of them.
Overall, it is worth spending time working on it rather than haphazardly writing about anything at hand. The calendar also organizes your overall strategy and thoughts into more manageable segments.
Copyright (c) 2015 Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Editorial calendar spring
Check out the new editorial calendar for spring from the end of March through June on Emma Blogs, LLC. The calendar has listings of events and activities in the area from Expos to festivals, and customer appreciation days.
Earth Day on April 22
The new site with the editorial calendar and newsletter is the company Emma Blogs, LLC site on http://emmablogsllc.wordpress.com
Copyright (c) 2015. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Spring equinox
Spring sojourns
By Emma Palova
EW Emma’s Writings
Lowell, MI- Watch for a story on spring sojourns in Venice, Florida on the Gulf Coast, locally in Michigan, and globally in Europe.
Today, March 20th, is the spring equinox. It is called equinox because the length of day and night are nearly equal.
It is also the day of the total and partial solar eclipses depending on location, according to timeanddate.com
The first day of spring is traditionally associated with many customs like Easter and Passover. It is also a time for new beginnings and new life. Thus the symbol of the rabbit, a lamb and eggs.
In many Christian cultures, Easter eggs are synonymous with Easter. Also known as Paschal eggs, these are usually decorated chicken eggs that symbolize fertility and rebirth. They can be quite exquisite, and in many cases are considered an art.
Many Easter related events feature the Easter egg as the central theme. Traditional games like egg hunts, where colorful Easter eggs are hidden for children to find, egg rolling, where eggs are rolled down a hill, and egg dancing, where eggs are laid on the floor and people dance while trying to not damage them are held all around the world.
related links http://www.timeanddate.com
Copyright (c) 2015. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Happy Saint Pat’s
Saint Pat’s Day
This is one of my favorite writing themes. And that is Czech names in the calendar. Each day is dedicated to a different name. Of course some are more popular than others. Probably the most widely celebrated name day is March 19th which is Joseph’s/Josephine’s day.
Since Joseph is a very popular name in Czech, everybody celebrates much like Saint Pat’s here in the USA. It doesn’t mean that the day is an official holiday, but it is very similar to huge Saint Pat’s celebrations in Chicago and Canada.
And even though they don’t color their rivers green or march in parades, March 19th is still a big deal. Usually women bake for the day, and plum brandy known as slivovice flows freely, even at work.
The men sit in pubs and other public hospitality establishments. Other names like Emma have been incorporated into the Czech calendar from other countries. The name Emma originates in France.
A lot of names come from Russia like Sasha or Sergej or from other surrounding countries like Poland and Germany.
In many cases, there are more than one name dedicated to each day because of the influence from the Western countries. There are cards for each name day. That’s a lot of cards.
Among the most popular modern names for men are Jakub and Luke, even though it keeps changing constantly. For women I have yet to find out. But it also could be Katerina and Marta.
Also each church has a patron saint. The most popular ones are Saint Mary’s. They have their own feast celebrations such as Saint Mary’s in Stipa that celebrates the feast on September 12th which is Mary’s day.
The communities celebrate the patron saints with wakes, carnivals and fairs. Different carnival companies come to towns, and the feast is preceded by a dance.
Locally, in Parnell there is Saint Pat’s Church that celebrates the feast last weekend in June. It is a major fundraiser for Saint Pat’s School.
It usually features a polka band on Sundays and chicken dinners. The dinners are very popular, and people come from all over. The parish women bake desserts, and there is a display of old cars, 50:50 raffle and cards on Friday and Saturday nights.
Of course there is a beer tent and an auction. The patron feasts are important to all the parishes as a way to celebrate the saint.
For more info go to stpatrickparnell.org
Copyright (c) Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
News from artist Kathleen Mooney
Note: Kathleen Mooney is a Lowell-based abstract artist and a member of the International Society of Experimental artists. Her work is striking and inspiring both in subject and format. She has had many solo exhibits in West Michigan and beyond. Mooney also teaches art classes. Check out her personal story in the archives and on page About local entrepreneurs and artists.
Her recent work has been inspired by Gee’s Bend quilting tradition. I featured her abstract painting in most of the IW Inspiring Women series for its high quality and technique.
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IW- Mary Dailey Brown
Inspiring Women at home and around the world
Note: This is the seventh installment in a feature series about Inspiring Women. It is dedicated to all women who are trying to make a difference and better other people’s lives, as well as their own.
In putting together this feature series, I was inspired by several moments in life that in particular stand out.
No.1 A dedication of a Relax, mind, body & soul book by Barbara Heller from my son Jake: “I dedicate this to my inspiring and motivational mother.” Kuba
No. 2 While on a story before Mother’s Day, I dropped in at Ace Bernard Hardware to talk about the prizes with owner Charlie Bernard. We talked also about the Lowell Area Chamber and its director Liz Baker. “You know what I like about Liz, she keeps re-inventing herself,” Bernard said.
No. 3 Again on a story for the International Women’s Day I talked to Sow Hope president Mary Dailey Brown. “If you want to make a difference in this world, seriously consider helping impoverished women. Helping women is the key to unlocking poverty.”
No. 4 At a parents teacher conference at Cherry Creek Elementary in Lowell in mid 1990s: “Mrs. Pala, we do not give up,” teacher Karen Latva said.
Rockford woman sows hope for women of Third World countries
Name: Mary Dailey Brown
Occupation: President of SowHope.org
GVSU non-profit management
Residence: Rockford
Husband: Douglas, two sons Alex & John
Hobbies & interests: golf, photography, video editing, getting together with friends
By Emma Palova
EW Emma’s Writings
Rockford, MI- “If you want to make a difference in this world, seriously consider helping impoverished women. Helping women is the key to unlocking poverty,” said SowHope president Mary Dailey Brown.
There are hundreds of organizations helping children in the world, but minimum of those that help women get out of poverty.
Brown is working on several projects in Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. These include a birthing clinic in Uganda, a micro-project in Congo, projects in India and Pakistan including vocational training and literacy programs in Nigeria and Kenya.
In order to start the SowHope organization, Brown sold the family inheritance farm in 2006. As she traveled around the Third World countries, she noticed the plight of women in Ethiopia.
“I noticed the imbalance of responsibilities,” she said. “Women do all the work, while men get out to the squares, chat and play games. Half of the world lives on less than $2 a day. One seventh of the world lives on less than a $1 a day.”
Brown said that women are suffering disproportionately to men.
“They’re up before sunrise,” she said. “Carrying wood, water, babies, growing food for the families. They use their own strength. Eighty percent of farmers are women, and 80 percent of food is produced by these farmers.”
So, what do men do?
“They run the government,” she said. “They drive all the vehicles, they handle and run the markets. They sit around the village squares, drink tea, smoke hookahs and play board games.”
Brown uses a translator and she visits with people who are already helping others.
“We provide funds for them,” she said.
SowHope spends about $1.5 million on program costs and the organization has so far impacted directly 46,000 women.
Among the programs are: micro loans to start busineses,, birthing clinics and literacy classes by local teachers.
Many women have been raped and abused.
“We provide emotional care,” Brown said, “and training centers for the villages. We find local leaders and we have 100 teams in 30 countries.”
The success behind these projects is that SowHope already use capabilities in place.
“When we go there as Westerners, we’re imposing our ideas on the people,” Brown said.
She used an example of a female gynecologist in Cairo who goes out and educates women about sex.
“Sex is taboo in these countries,” Brown said. “You don’t talk about sex.”
The doctor gynecologist gives talks at churches.
“It’s very freeing and liberating for them,” Brown said. “A five minute lecture can change centuries of practice.”
The mission of SowHope is to empower the women and to identify their leaders, to give them resources like buying a knitting machine.
The women also face risk from terrorists. Brown spend the week in Nigeria, before the girls were kidnapped.
“Every night we were terrified,” she said. “It was the most terrifying week in my life. The only way to survive is to run.”
SowHope does have a system of criteria in place.
“It depends a lot on relationships and recommendations who we trust,” she said.
There are people like Josephine who helps AIDS widows.
“It’s the most efficient system,” Brown said. “They do the development work.”
What motivates Brown?
“It is the original sense of injustice,” she said.
Did she ever wanted to quit?
“Yes, but my husband told me go into the basement and tell these women why this is so hard for you to do,” he said.
Brown realized that the women were full of dignity and grateful for what SowHope does.
“We want to do holistic care,” she said. “Focus on the basic needs of the women. We want to make it so simple that people can copy us. Women in general are no recipients of sympathy.”
It took three years to get the organization going and to make it sustainable.
And who is Brown’s role model?
“My husband, he is the visionary,” she said. “He helps me stay focused and positive, and not to be discouraged.”
Brown says that the biggest lesson she has learned, is that helping women is the key to unlocking poverty.
Mary Dailey Brown-the woman behind the superwoman
1-What do you do for yourself?
Mary: I want to be a good leader and an inspirational speaker. I also have fund Fridays with Doug and friends.
2- What kind of tips do you have for other women?
Mary: It’s incredibly rewarding what I do. I have feelings of embarrassment that I have struggled. There’s nothing else I’d want to do.
3-What are your plans?
Mary: We would like to expand into other countries, and raise more revenues. We would like to open up affiliate offices around the world.
If you want to donate online contact Mary at SowHope.org
Featured photo by Kathleen Mooney has been inspired by Gee’s Bend quilting tradition. See her story in the archives.
Copyright © 2015 Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
IW-Lynn Mason
Happy International Women’s Day to all women from the EW team on Emma Blogs, LLC.
The featured image is from SowHope.org whose mission is to help women of the Third World countries in order to fight poverty. Watch for a story on SowHope president Mary Dailey Brown of Grand Rapids. Brown travels to African countries to empower women to help themselves with provided funds and through education.
Inspiring Women at home and around the world
Note: This is the sixth installment in a feature series about Inspiring Women. It is dedicated to all women who are trying to make a difference and better other people’s lives, as well as their own.
In putting together this feature series, I was inspired by several moments in life that in particular stand out.
No.1 A dedication of a Relax, mind, body & soul book by Barbara Heller from my son Jake: “I dedicate this to my inspiring and motivational mother.” Kuba
No. 2 While on a story before Mother’s Day, I dropped in at Ace Bernard Hardware to talk about the prizes with owner Charlie Bernard. We talked also about the Lowell Area Chamber and its director Liz Baker. “You know what I like about Liz, she keeps re-inventing herself,” Bernard said.
No. 3 Again on a story for the International Women’s Day I talked to Sow Hope president Mary Dailey Brown. “If you want to make a difference in this world, seriously consider helping impoverished women. Helping women is the key to unlocking poverty.”
No. 4 At a parents teacher conference at Cherry Creek Elementary in Lowell in mid 1990s: “Mrs. Pala, we do not give up,” teacher Karen Latva said.
Belding woman works to fix injustice in education & in society
Name: Lynn Mason Occupation: retired teacher, former Ionia County commissioner, 2014 candidate for state representative
Residence: Otisco Township
Family: husband Frank, two grown sons Marty & Richard, two grandchildren Payton and Jackson, daughter-in-law Jamie
Hobbies & interests: reading, gardening, biking, walking, kayaking and other outdoor activities
By Emma Palova
EW Emma’s Writings
Belding, MI – As a retired teacher from a rural school, Lynn Mason has always been concerned about injustice, whether in education or social. But, Mason never left it to just being concerned. She got her handle on politics through her involvement with the Michigan Education Association (MEA) at both the state and national levels while teaching at the Belding Area Schools. She bargained contracts for 20 years. “When I see injustice or need, I try to make it better,” she said. “It hasn’t always been easy.”
Ambitious, adventurous, people- oriented with leadership skills, Mason is mainly motivated if someone says you can’t do something. “That’s my number one motivation,” she said. As a former Ionia county commissioner with a majority of Republican population, Mason got involved in the Ionia County Democratic Party. She is now the chair of the Ionia County Democratic Party. Mason was still teaching when she got elected to the Ionia County Commission Board, and she was re-elected three times.
She served a total of eight years, until she had to give up her seat to run for the 86th District in the Michigan State House. “I ran unopposed for the third commissioner term,” she said. “I consider that a compliment.”
And even though she didn’t win the state representative seat, Mason gained a huge following.
“I got people interested in politics, they were positive for the cause,” she said. “We had great conversations. It doesn’t make me a loser. So many good things came out of it.” And nothing will stop her from running again for the state representative seat in 2016.
Mason is working on broadening her platform beyond education. “I don’t like boredom,” she said. “I need some sort of challenge and to have my hands in something.”
She most certainly does have her hands in a lot of things. Other than chairing the Ionia Democratic Party, building up the membership and raising money, Mason is the president of the local chapter of Delta, Kappa, and Gamma society of female professional educators who put on educational related events.
The most recent one was in Greenville and at the Ellis School in Belding. The group performed a play for first graders about friendship and diversity. Mason is also on the Belding Labor Day Committee and would like to get involved with the Belding Chamber of Commerce. She is the chairperson for Substance Use Disorder Advisory Committee known as SUDAC. “I have a community service focus,” she said.
In response to how does she approach large projects such as campaigning, Mason said, “I lay a foundation and everything comes through with what I have done. I needed a campaign manager and people with experience. So, I asked for a campaign manager, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it alone.”
Mason’s inspiration is her athletic background. She played tennis and golf on boy’s teams because there were no girl’s teams. Her role model is definitely Eleanor Roosevelt.
On the theme of challenges in life, Mason said the biggest challenge was parenting and overall family life. Growing up on three meals a day, Mason knew she wouldn’t be able to do that as a teacher, MEA negotiator, a wife and a mother.
“You can’t do it all,” she said. “It’s okay to have tuna or grilled cheese sandwich. You will survive on peanut butter. That way it’s less pressure.”
And even though Mason is very independent, there were three women in her life that played a big role. They were her mother, mother-in-law and mother equivalent,
“I’ve learned different things from each one of them,” she said. “My mother was proud of me and propelled me.” On the other hand, mother-in-law was a retired teacher and saw injustices in education.
“She used me as a conduit, but she pushed me and encouraged me,” Mason said. Mother equivalent (father’s second wife) taught her about violence encounters. Mason has always worked hard herself and taught the same to the students. “People notice if you work hard,” she said. “Good will always come to those who work hard, not always quickly but you have to take the high road.”
Her biggest fear is irrelevance. Her biggest pride is being a retired teacher of 30 years. “I never want to be irrelevant,” she said. “I am not scared of public speaking. I am pretty brave.” In face of adversity, Mason said she works through it with friends and through relationships, and biking. “I ride my bike hard until I have a solution,” she said.
On the issue of women’s equality with men in the USA. “No, we don’t have equality yet,” she said. “When you look at the wage difference and at the makeup of those in the state and federal legislature, it becomes obvious. However, I am hopeful that more women will gain the confidence to overcome the obstacles and start going for more positions typically presumed to be a man’s job. Then there will be more equity.”
Lynn Mason, the woman behind the superwoman.
1-What makes you feel good about yourself? Lynn: When I accomplish a project.
2-How about secrets, do you have any secrets? Lynn: I have secrets. Everybody has. If you reveal them, you must have a trust relationship. I approach it cautiously: how is it going to affect someone else?
3-Any tips and advice for other women? Lynn: Be true to yourself. You don’t have to be perfect. Try something new.
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