Having just lost the whole post I wrote, I shall now try to rewrite it; I may fail.
Reason 1: It is the 100th International Women's Day, a day always celebrated by my mother, Jessie, the old Suffragette, who worked so hard to get the women's vote and yet was never allowed to become a V.P. at Norge, the company she did everything but run completely, yet had to sign a patent release, and was paid only $1.00 for each patent she designed. During her lifetime we women were paid only 65¢ for each $1.00 men earned. We have done a bit better since, and now earn at least 75¢ for the man's $1.00. Hopefully by the time my granddaughter is grown, we might get up to the equal status. I am proud to say that Callie was tested in her fourth grade class and is in the top two percentile of students in the U.S. Jessie would be so proud of you Callie, and impressed.
Charlie Rose had a discussion of Women's Day with three women, Tina Brown, now the editor of Newsweek, the head of Women 4 Women, and Diana Powell, who searches out women to back with small businesses for Goldman Sachs (not my favorite co.). They talked about the fact that women must be treated as equals in all countries across the world, and that they should become equal to men at the bargaining table... and certainly be part of any war or peace discussion in all countries. That is it: EQUALITY in all things. EQUAL women at the table with an EQUAL vote.
The second thing about this day is: Mardi Gras in New Orleans, all of Louisiana and in many other places on earth. I was happy to see on the news that New Orleans was full of people celebrating their biggest holiday. N.O. needs the tourists and they need to be remembered, I'm so glad they are having a good Mardi Gras. And I hope Whitney and Mike have a good time in their little LA town and good weather... at least I haven't heard any news about hurricanes or any more tornados. So next comes Lent. Does anyone even acknowledge Lent anymore? Ah, remember Roman C. school and fish, fish, fish? So Happy Mardi Gras tout le monde... hope you all caught lots of beads and had fun. I merely had a glass of wine with dinner and toasted all the celebrants. I often wonder if Father Pauli and Father Mickey, the only Roman Catholic priests I've ever loved, really believe in God or just treated the whole thing as a good job and retired happy.
