Category: Women

My Finnish Grandmother Was a Copper Country Woman

At the beginning of the twentieth century my grandmother immigrated to a mining town in Upper Michigan, from Finland. She married a copper miner in the Copper Country. Long after my grandmother passed away I learned about the miner’s strike and a disaster that killed 73 people, most of them children, most of them Finnish.… Continue reading My Finnish Grandmother Was a Copper Country Woman

The March for Life and the President

Over the years I have attended the March for Life in Palatine and in Chicago. I have paid attention to social media accounts of the March for Life in Washington D.C. Despite the thousands of young adults and families who have turned out year after year, the coverage by the main stream media has been… Continue reading The March for Life and the President

Seven Gutsy Women

Our pastor has begun a series of messages from the book of Exodus and he pointed out the strong women mentioned in the first two chapters of this book. When the Egyptian King decreed that the Hebrew midwives should kill all Hebrew male babies Shiprah and Puah did not obey the decree. But the midwives… Continue reading Seven Gutsy Women

Breathe, Pant, Blow

Pregnancy

The Lamaze method of birth has been known for breathing patterns that help a woman to relax and keep pace with labor contractions. I taught breathing patterns to my students. Some women reported that they used the technique during labor. Others said the hospital procedures interfered with their ability to maintain paced breathing. When I… Continue reading Breathe, Pant, Blow

The Healer’s Daughter: My Review

When I think of the Civil War I am saddened by the great battle between the states and the huge loss of life. I am glad that the slaves were finally free. I have never thought much about the years after, the Reconstruction. What happened to the slaves that were freed from the plantations? After… Continue reading The Healer’s Daughter: My Review

Reproductive Health Act: A Life and Death Law in Illinois

When the Supreme Court issued the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, no one could imagine that 45 years later the number of lives terminated in the United States would be 61 million. Some believed that marriages would be better, women would be happier. Has that happened? Last Friday the Illinois legislature passed the Reproductive… Continue reading Reproductive Health Act: A Life and Death Law in Illinois

Personhood, Women’s Roles and Herbal Infusions

Rosemary flower

Most evenings I spend some time reading. Here are a few of the books I am enjoying. A friend of mine loaned me the book, Love Thy Body, by Nancy Pearcey. Ms. Pearcey addresses many of the controversial issues in our culture.  She begins by discussing personhood. Some view human beings as simply biological organisms… Continue reading Personhood, Women’s Roles and Herbal Infusions

Women & Children at Botanica

When we visited Botanica, the Wichita Gardens, I especially enjoyed the focus on women and children. There is a children’s garden area where they can water plants. The children can walk through monster trees and climb the stairs to a fairy house. The peonies, roses, irises and clematis were in bloom. Throughout the gardens sculptures… Continue reading Women & Children at Botanica

Learning from History

Recently I read the novel, Saving Amelie, by Cathy Gohlke. It is historical fiction set in Nazi Germany. The story involves twin girls who were the subjects of medical experimentation. The story was riveting. I didn’t know that there actually was a doctor (gynecologist) who was working on a vaccine that could surreptitiously cause infertility.… Continue reading Learning from History