If You Have ever had an Orgasm you should be Outraged

     Who hasn’t had the glorious experience of your first orgasm? Heck who hasn’t had multiple orgasms in their lifetime? Whether you’re in a healthy relationship or exploring your own sexuality, it can be one of the best experiences for any woman.
     It’s a gift that women here in the United States and Europe take for granted. We are a culture drawn to pleasure with sexual dynamos such as Pamela Sue Anderson, Madonna, and Mylie Cyrus. We have learned to love and expect to find pleasure in the bedroom with our partner.
     Women have fought their way to having the right to vote, the right to fair wages, anti-discrimination on hiring preferences, and maternity leave. In the 60’s women burned their bra’s to let the world know we mattered. It was historically a turning point for all women in this country. We found our voice!
     Think about that, what we take for granted as our right. We expect men to be respectful and to treat us fairly yet we dont seem to know what is going on in our own back yard. So how can any woman remain silent, when other women suffer? How do we turn a blind eye to female castration? Here are a few facts for you to mull over this is a real issue.

This practice is done so women do not have
pleasure & remain chaste.

          Religious views on female genital mutilation (FGM) vary even within the same religious tradition. FGM is found only within and adjacent to Muslim communities,[1] but the practice predates Islam. [2] The only Jewish group known to have practiced it are the Beta Israel of Ethiopia.[3] There is no unequivocal link between religion and prevalence.[4]

     It is generally accepted that there is no close link between the practice and religious belief. Despite this, there is a widespread view in several countries, particularly in Mali, Eritrea, Mauritania, Guinea and Egypt, that FGM is a religious requirement.¹

“girls at risk of being sent back to their family’s origin country to undergo FGM—a practice widely known as “vacation cutting”—or having a traditional midwife or cutter sent to perform FGM in the U.S.  

Globally, around 130 million women and girls are living with the effects from FGM and around 3 million undergo the procedure annually, according to theUnited Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The practice, known to be performed in 29 countries and usually at the hands of midwives or physicians, involves cutting the external female genitalia for non-medical reasongirls at risk of being sent back to their family’s origin country to undergo FGM—a practice widely known as “vacation cutting”—or having a traditional midwife or cutter sent to perform FGM in the U.S. “²

     Please believe me when I say this isn’t an anti-Muslim piece it’s about women. In fact, in our history circumcision was performed on some young girls by their pediatricians at the parent’s request as freightening as that may seem.
     If we as women aren’t outraged over this practice, then we don’t deserve the freedoms our female ancestors fought so hard to gain for us. It is easy to sit in a polite corner and pretend that bad things aren’t going on, but the truth is they are and do.
     With surprising regularity, this is a cultural issue that needs to stop. I can think of no parent who would mutilate their daughter in such a way. Ironically this practice does still go on right here in our country.
     Why because there is a wall of silence within the Muslim community that won’t speak out. A segment that has no desire to allow their children to become Americanized.  Many are afraid that they will be judged by the actions of those with such radical views. In this country, that is a form of child abuse. It is immoral just as much as steralizing a person with disabilities. So why are we silent? Why do we as women refuse to open our mouths and call for justice for these young women and children who can't? Why wont we get involved to stop the problem?

Some additional links for further information on this subject

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation
2. http://www.newsweek.com/fgm-rates-have-doubled-us-2004-304773
3. http://www.equalitynow.org/sites/default/files/EN_FAQ_FGM_in_US.pdf

Fifty Shades of Sexy

You did what??

Fifty Shades of  Sexy

           Step One in Going Grey

I have to admit I was a little nervous when I went to my hairdresser Melanie at Bangs Salon to come up with a plan to go grey. I’ve always admired women who proudly wore their hair of  snowy white or grey. They are striking and extremely interesting and I find myself seeing more and more of them. So as I approach fifty within the next two years, I am learning to embrace my greyness. Baby steps..

My hair is colored a dark red, so transforming in this instance involves highlighting strips of my hair to make it a less shocking change. For me, she used a golden blonde highlight that took very well. Yes, technically it is still coloring your hair but it is also allowing the grey to grow out and transition. Total time was about an hour and a half. The result was very pleasing and garnered multiple compliments from friends and co-workers alike. For myself, I love it! I’ve found a freedom in this new change and coloring that is refreshing and bold.

     What it all comes down to is being comfortable with who you are and where you happen to be in life.
      I know some women feel a need to hold on to who they were, but life is far more interesting when you allow yourself to become who you are meant to be.


I hope you will come back for step two in this series. Embrace it, love it.

Grey can be hot and sexy. 

Not Your Fifty Shades of Grey

One Shade 
Going 
Grey


For over 20 years, I have either self-colored or professionally had my hair colored. I've always had the red highlights in my hair, mixed in with the blonde, brown and gold. In fact back in the 80’s when it seemed like everyone wanted to be a blonde my hair would turn red. My thoughts at the time were why fight it, so I decided to color my hair and become a full-time red head.

     I've always considered it an early warning system for people not smart enough to realize they would get it back tenfold if they started. I enjoyed being a redhead; it suited my coloring and personality. There seems to be a naturally assumed feistiness that goes with being a redhead. So you might be asking why I would want to change my color now and go grey. Really, grey?
    At 48, my hair is grey, and a big part of being comfortable with who you are is embracing those changes in your life. I’m not that woman who desperately clutches onto the illusions of the past. Nor do I feel threatened by my greyness. Haven’t you heard grey is the new sexy. Actress like Sharon Stone, Jamie Lee Curtis embrace their grey hair.
     For the next several months while I am going through the process called lightening where grey and lighter colors are introduced into your hair color as your natural color grows out. I will keep you updated on the process.
     When I was looking for a graceful way to transition back to my now natural hair color there were articles and end results but nothing showing the process. So please do follow along with me as I go through this and hopefully we can find some answers together.
    I will make sure to include photos, facts, the good, the bad, and ugly about the process and how well it works. Embrace your grey, there is nothing that says you cannot be sexy and have grey hair color.
Work it girl, own it!  

Calling All Women Pay it Forward

     Why should we care about other women?  How, we see each other is important. Sometimes it can be even wrong or unfair. Women have a tendency to put other women into categories, not unlike the ones we often accuse men of putting us in. It’s a habit we need to break.
      One of the things that has always puzzled me is that we know historically women have been repressed, discriminated against, used and held up to unrealistic ideals both by men and society. There are stories, about strong women throughout history, women of courage, strength, and honor who gave of themselves. Going back to even biblical times women made a tremendous difference in history yet received little or no credit.
     As women, I think we fail each other miserably at times.  We judge each other on appearance, whom we are with, and even how much our income is.  Frankly when we do this we let each other down. Who can honestly say that they have never heard another woman snipe and make biting comments regarding someone else who is unaware? For myself, I find when someone is like that I have to wonder just what they have to say about me when I am not around. Are they as equally biting and hurtful?

     Men, on the other hand, can be just as bitchy yet they cling to an invisible brotherhood code of don’t ask don’t tell. Can I get a copy of the brotherhood code book? I’m sure it would make an interesting and enlightening read.
That “guy code” doesn’t exist among women. It should! Here is a simple truth, if women banded together talked to each other honestly about things we would see we are all basically the same. In your twenties you’re tied up in how you look, your career, and who you’re going to marry. By your thirties if you’re married it’s about family, appearance, and getting ahead.
When you hit your forties things start to change. Unless you’re one of those women trapped into trying to hold on to twenty of course.
     For the rest of us, we begin to relax, at forty. If you're married or not you’re too tired by life to worry about the small stuff. We begin to look inside ourselves to find the answers. The good news is most of us do; we find ourselves. There is a confidence that a woman have as she gets older.  I believe in part it comes from learning to truly love yourself as a person. That doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels and just worry about our own interests. Sharing that positive outlook, that secret self we have found with our younger female friends and children is important. As women, we need to stand together teach each other what it means to be a woman in today’s world.
     The clock is going to continue to tick, despite our best intentions. As older women, we set an example. It’s our responsibility to teach younger women that we should, in fact, be a sisterhood of many. All the time not just when it comes to things like cancer or abuse.

     The choices we make today on how we treat each other will affect our daughters and their daughters.  Women are police officers, soldiers, doctors, and entrepreneurs. We are not afraid to work for what we want. By standing together, truly supporting each other and getting involved we can each make a difference.
     If you’re the kind of person who would stop to rescue a puppy you saw left on the side of the road then this message is for you. This Christmas rescue another woman. If it’s a bag of groceries, babysitting to give someone a break, or even a cup of coffee so you can listen while they talk, just do it. Give one day a month to helping other women who are in need of help.
Calling all women it’s time to pay it forward. Surprise a woman you know or even don’t know with a helping hand. Do something out of your comfort zone for another woman, and you may just be surprised how it makes you feel.

Women for Women International
Women Helping Battered Women
Oprah's Womans Orginization