Jin Xing, Women's History Month

March 19, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Today's post is a completely amazing story. One of my favorites thus far. Jin Xing, born August 13, 1967 in Shenyang, Liaonin is a Chinese ballerina, modern dancer, choreographer, actress, and owner of the contemporary dance company Shanghai Jin Xing Dance Theatre. She is the host of the Chinese television show The Jin Xing Show. She can speak Chinese, English, Korean, Italian and French. Jin was the first transgender woman in China to receive the government's approval to undergo a sex change, and she is also one of the first few transgender women to be officially recognized as a woman by the Chinese government. She is a married mother to three adopted children and is apparently worth almost $2 billion dollars. Hollywood Reporter is a bit of a silly rag but they have a great article and interview with her here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/…/meet-oprah-china-who-hap…

Other sources:

CNN.com

Huffington Post

Alice Coachman, The First African-American Woman to Win Gold

March 19, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Alice Coachman (November 9, 1923 – July 14, 2014 Albany Georgia) was the first African-American woman to win a gold in the Olympic Games in 1948 (high jump competition) and the only American woman to medal at all that year. She bested her opponent (the favorite to win) with only one jump. Because she was a woman and a person of color she was not allowed to use sports facilities and would train barefoot on dirt roads. She won 25 National titles before retiring at the age of 25. She stopped at the peak of her career as she had accomplished everything she wanted to achieve. When she arrived in England for the games she was shocked to discover she had many fans there due to the racism she experienced in the south in America. Upon retuning after the games she was given a party by Count Basie and met President Truman. But when she went home it was another story.

Coachman was treated almost as a nonperson on her homecoming to Albany, Ga., forced to use a side door of the auditorium where she was being honored. The mayor refused to shake her hand. She would receive gifts and flowers anonymously because people were afraid of the repercussions of being proud of a woman of color. She spent most of her life in education, speaking for youth programs and founded the Alice Coachman Foundation for helping former Olympic athletes with problems in their lives. Read more about this amazing and very humble human: Alice Coachman

Sources:

NY Times

Wikipedia External Links List

Bio.com

Georgina-Djuka Tesla, Women's History Month

March 16, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Georgina-Djuka Tesla (born Djuka Mandic, 1822 - April 4,1892) was born in Tomingaj, Croatia. You may have heard of her son. What you might not know however is: When her mother went blind at 16, Duka as she was known, raised and cared for her 7 younger siblings. She was illiterate but could memorize and recite Serbian epic poetry. She invented many labor saving devices and tools to run their family's farm and was a gifted craftsperson most especially in embroidery. A bag Tesla carried his whole life that she made him is on display in Belgrade. She had five children and Tesla credited his mother for his own inventiveness and believed her to possess a special intuitiveness that helped him and many others throughout their lives. He was quoted as saying, “My mother was an inventor of the first order ……she invented and constructed all kinds of tools and devices and wove the finest designs from thread.” He believed that she would have done even more with her life if women had been given the same access to education and resources as men. Read more about her life here: http://www.bio-orthodoxy.com/…/georgina-djuka-tesla-1822-18…

Dolores Huerta, Women's History Month

March 15, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Dolores Huerta has worked to improve social and economic conditions for farm workers and to fight discrimination. To further her cause, she created the Agricultural Workers Association (AWA) in 1960 and co-founded what would become the United Farm Workers (UFW). Huerta stepped down from the UFW in 1999, but she continues her efforts to improve the lives of workers, immigrants and women. Born in New Mexico in April 10, 1930, Huerta co-founded the nation’s largest farm workers union and was the first woman in U.S. history to organize and lobby on behalf of migrant workers.

On September 16, 1988 Huerta was distributing brochures to a crowd outside San Francisco’s Union Square hotel, where the then Vice President George Bush was making a speech. When police came to break up the crowd, Huerta endured a hail of blows from a police baton. Her injuries included six broken ribs and a pulverized spleen. She required more than a dozen blood transfusions.

She has been the recipient of many awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom.

A link to her foundation: http://doloreshuerta.org/dolores-huerta/

An additional link to a brief time-line on the History of Women in the Labor Movement. On the United Healthcare Workers site: http://www.seiu-uhw.org/archives/20663

From March 9th: Rebecca Lee Crumpler, Women's History Month

March 15, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

On the anniversary of her death let us remember Rebecca Lee Crumpler the first African-American Female Physician. Born in 1831, Rebecca Lee went to medical school at a time when women of color were often denied access to even the most basic level of education. She may have been drawn to the medical profession from watching her aunt -who raised her- provide care for neighbors and others in need. By the 1850s, Crumpler had followed her aunt’s lead, becoming a nurse in Massachusetts. She went on to enroll at the New England Female Medical College in Boston.

After earning her medical degree (which there was apparent reluctance to give her her earned degree) in 1864, Crumpler started out practicing in Boston. She moved south to Richmond, Virginia, after the end of the Civil War to provide much needed care for freed slaves. She later returned to Boston where she wrote A Book of Medical Discourses, a two-volume work on health care based on her experiences as a doctor. Read more here: http://www.blackpast.org/…/crumpler-rebecca-davis-lee-1831-… Including that there is now a society in her honor that helps young African-American women pursue careers in the medical field.

Sources:

Wikipedia External Link List

Info on Pinterest

blackpast.org

Yma Sumac, Peruvian Icon Women's History Month

March 15, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chavarri del Castillo was born in Cajamarca, Peru, September 13, 1922. She grew up in Peru—in a family she described as being descended from the Incan emperor Atahualpa (the government eventually supported this to be true)—and began performing in Lima before moving to the United States in 1946 where she embarked upon a singing career as Yma Sumac.

Her vocal range spanned four octaves and is rumored to have been up to five. She appeared in a Broadway Musical in 1951 and in films.

Her album Voice of Xtabay quickly sold 500,000 copies, and was No. 1 on Variety’s best-seller list at the end of 1950, surpassing albums by Bing Crosby and Ethel Merman, she would fetch $25,000 a performance in Las Vegas (at the time an unheard of number).

She was awarded the Order of the Sun by the Peruvian government in 2006. Performer Dita Von Teese cites her as a muse frequently. She passed away in LA at the age of 86. *It was impossible to pick a photo of her as they are all beautiful. Visit her website here: Yma Sumac News

Sources:

bio.com

NYtimes.com

Fay Presto! Women's History Month (getting caught up)

March 14, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Fay Presto is a British trans woman who is known as a magician and a member of The Inner Magic Circle(there are only 300 members of the society which is the highest level of magic in the world).

This is the stage name of Letitia Winter born Oliver Winter May 17, 1948.

Skilled in the difficult art of close-up magic, Presto won the title of The Magic Circle Close-up Magician of the Year 2012. (BTW the Magic Circle only used to allow men in-1991). Fay Presto has performed at her ongoing show in London's West End for over 15 years having started working in local restaurants. She is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ youth as well as a supporter of Dreamflight (similar to Make a Wish Foundation). She has performed for many celebrities and oh NBD the Queen of England 5 times. *I want to write a biography of this person!!!! Visit her website here: Fay Presto

Emmy Noether, Women's History Month

March 14, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Amalie Emmy Noether 23 March 1882 – 14 April 1935 was a German mathematician known for her landmark contributions to abstract algebra and theoretical physics.

Those who have studied her theorem believe it to be the backbone of modern physics.

She struggled with getting recognition because she was female and Jewish. She was given an "unofficial associate professorship" only to lose it because she was Jewish at the rise of Nazi power and as such, she fled to the US to work. She published papers under male names in order to get them out.

She was described by Pavel Alexandrov, Albert Einstein, Jean Dieudonné, Hermann Weyl, and Norbert Wiener as the most important woman in the history of mathematics.

As one of the leading mathematicians of her time, she developed the theories of rings, fields, and algebras. In physics, Noether's theorem explains the connection between symmetry and conservation laws. I find myself wondering for approximately the one millionth time if we had spent less time on prejudice, how much further along would the human race be at this point in history? Read more here: Emmy Noether

Sources:

NY Times

Wikipedia External Link List

Smithsonian Magazine

Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton, Women's History Month

March 13, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

María Amparo Ruiz de Burton (1832–1895) was the first female Mexican American writer to publish two novels in English in the United States, and while they both feature romances between Mexicans and Americans (she married a white solider which caused a great deal of strife for her), the narratives denounce U.S. colonialism and Anglo-American racism. She was also the first published Mexican American writer after the war with Mexico (1846-1848), English was her third language after Spanish and French. For a time her work was lost but is since being studied and is believed to be one of the precursors to the Chicano Literature movement. (She also put together the Don Quixote de la Mancha: A Comedy in Five Acts: Taken From Cervantes’ Novel of That Name 1876)
You can purchase one of her books here: Who Would Have Thought It?

Sources: 19th Century Literature

Germ Magazine

Wikipedia External Links List

Adelaide Herrmann, The Queen of Magic

March 10, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Adelaide Herrmann (1853–1932) was a well-known American magician and vaudeville performer billed as "the Queen of Magic." She was married to Alexander Herrmann, another magician. They performed together until his death at such time she worked with another family member. As that did not work out she re-invented the show and went out on her own.

Adelaide was one of the few magicians to perform the notorious Bullet Catch stunt, which had been an infrequent feature of her husband's act. It was said that, because of the potentially dangerous trick's reputation (it had previously killed 12 men), she couldn't bear to watch her husband perform this act.

However, on January 19, 1897, a month after his passing, she stood in his place in front of a large firing squad at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Surviving publicity material describes her as catching six bullets fired at her by local militiamen.

It is thought she is the only woman in the world that had performed this stunt at the time.

She performed well into her 70's before passing away at 79.

Women's History Month

March 7, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

I've been looking up extraordinary women this Women's History Month and sharing them on my personal Facebook page. A few days later it has occurred to me to share them here as well!

Patsy Takemoto Mink December 6, 1927 – September 28, 2002 was an American politician from the U.S. state of Hawaii. Mink was a third generation Japanese American and member of the Democratic Party. She also was the Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.

Mink was the first non-white woman and the first Asian American woman elected to Congress. She was the first woman elected to Congress from the state of Hawaii, and became the first Asian American to seek the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party in the 1972 election, where she stood in the Oregon primary as an anti-war candidate. From 1978 to 1981 Mink served as the president of Americans for Democratic Action.

Mink served in the U.S. House of Representatives for a total of 12 terms, representing Hawaii's first and second congressional districts. While in Congress she was noted for co-authoring the Title IX Amendment of the Higher Education Act (which states that you cannot discriminate for financial assistance or educational opportunities-if you're a woman who went to college, there's a good chance you have her to thank for it, she was turned down by every medical school she applied to). She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously but the page on the White House site has been removed. A link to her Foundation.

Sources:

NOW

The Patsy Mink Foundation

Wikipedia external links

Refining My Shop

March 7, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

As I am working to prepare for Geek Craft Expo I've been checking out new ways to display the things I make:

I'm really loving my new card backs from Homegrown Gems. She made me exactly what I asked for and I am waiting on an even more special grouping......woohoo....more soon....

The Bear and The Nightingale

February 21, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is not a new story necessarily.
Girl is the outcast of a family. Mother dies, father marries new and awful stepmother. Girl is strong-willed and "impossible." Stepmother resents any attention she gets over her own daughter. Vampires, sirens, demons, a hypocritical and awful priest who uses religion to do terrible things. Ignorant peasant community, the word witch is thrown around a lot. Becoming allies with something that is supposed to be evil. You know the story.
What makes this book remarkable is the delivery.
It is beautifully written and uniquely crafted. Using old words and ideas in a modern way but still telling a fairy tale from the past. And one rooted in Russia's rich and deep folklore.
Vasya, our heroine, is easy to root for as is her siblings. Including her half-sister despite the wedge the stepmother tries to drive between them. You can clearly picture the land, the winter and what it feels like to see the summer light. The author gives voices to some of the animals which adds an extra layer to the story. The horses in particular with their indifference and skeptical help remind me a lot of the cat in Coraline.
Moscow is now a larger than life city but to read what it used to appear as to people is compelling and fascinating. The author clearly spent time studying Russia's past.
I really enjoyed this story and had a very hard time setting it aside in the couple of days I read it. I am looking forward to Vasya's next adventure with the Frost Demon.

View all my reviews

Red Rock Canyon

February 19, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

The new year is in full swing and I am trying to keep my head above water in many ways right now as I have a lot going on. I want to finally get on a regular posting schedule here for one thing. But it hasn't worked out. I just never know what is going to happen in a day lately.

Since it is a new year and that means new travel plans that I've finally really begun making (actual tickets and stuff), I tend to start going through my previous years travel photos. Which means I am going to be telling you stuff I did. More of it I suppose I should say as I have shared some already. I am a big and small travel person. I pretty much love all trips and no matter how tiny a place is I research every thing I can find about it. I find what makes it unique and go for it. Every place has something if you're willing to look.

One of those things was visiting Red Rock Canyon. I go to Las Vegas a fair amount.(Look here for some food ideas. There's more too. Just search my food tag or Adventure tag!) I am always looking for new things to do there not just be on the strip. As a non-gambling Las Vegas patron the not casino related parts of being there are what I am interested in: food, shows, shopping, the weird, random attractions that make up the hotels.

This time I adventured away from the strip by visiting the Hoover Dam (coming soon) and Red Rock Canyon. You can do both in one day if you like or you can make Red Rock Canyon and the surrounding area a full outdoor adventure. You'll find more information on the visitor site.

If you can't go the whole day there is an approx. hour long drive around the main part of the canyon just to see to it. I did this combined with stopping for shorter adventures and photos. When I was there (July) it was beyond hot (115 degrees) and as a fair skinned person I tend to melt. I met out my time in the extreme heat so as not to pass out or get sick. Weather is weather and if you're gonna base your life around going to places only where the weather is perfect, well you're not going to be visiting many places or leaving the house much.

The desert is beautiful in it's own way. Given the choice I go for the forest. But there is the allure of going somewhere that seems to be fairly lifeless on the surface but is filled with critters great and small if you look close enough. One thing Nevada is especially good for as you move away from the cities is raptors. You can see some of the amazing flying birds our world has to offer. California condors, vultures, hawks. And of course, the mountains are beautiful and formidable. Here is some snap shots from my trip. See you soon!

MN Wine Bucket List

February 9, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

In my continuing quest to visit all the wineries in Minnesota I didn't do so well in 2016. I only visited two this passed year and I'm thinking that must be remedied this year. Here's a little bit about the two I did visit. I really enjoyed the blueberry wine in particular at North Ridge Winery. It tasted just like pie filling and I loved it. The couple bottles of it I brought home did not last very long.

North Ridge is a pretty new winery and when I was there had only been open for about 10 months. It'll be a bit over year at this point. One of the owners we spoke with was very personable and open to answering all questions. He also did not mind letting us try whatever we liked. North Ridge additionally had a cider on tap. The next best wine I thought was the Raspberry Explosion which went great with dark chocolate. Raspberry is always a pretty good bet for going with dark chocolate. Sometimes the Raspberry wines are a bit too syrupy for my taste but this one managed to find the balance that keeps it from seeming more like cough syrup. I know it's not acceptable but I love fruit wines with the exception of Blue Loon at Sovereign Estate Winery which is more of a floral aroma and I really enjoyed it a great deal. The light, airy almost romantic scent in floral flavorings is hands down my favorite in liquors, wines and aperitifs.

Some snaps of North Ridge Winery:

The second winery I explored last year was Crow River Winery. Now this is a big place and established as an entertainment venue and wedding venue as well. There is food served in the tasting room and the staff was beyond attentive, taking care of our table as well as giving us an informed and not over wrought tour of the facility. I have to mention that I really enjoyed that everything has crows printed on it because I love the carrions. The one wine for me that stood out here was the cranberry wine. I brought that one home. Cranberries are widely available in the Midwest with them being grown in this part of the country. It was not too shabby of a way to spend a rainy day. Also, as a side note, this is the first place that I saw a fully automated bottling machine. That was interesting to me as most of the other places are at least partially hand bottled.

Here are some pictures from the day:

Ella Cerulean's Instagram Account

February 7, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Come follow Ella Cerulean's Instagram account and see how she views the world.

GeekCraft Expo

February 7, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

I've been working on pieces for my next show in Madison, Wisconsin at the end of March GeekCraft Expo. I had such a great time last year so I'm pretty excited to be going back. Plus, I'll have my third book for sale!

Take a look at what I've been working on so far....

Oneiric Morning of Orchidology Observations Both Odd and Opulent.

January 30, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

I do so love orchids and they do not love me. My home is not conducive to the life of an orchid and I have certainly tried to make that the case but have failed in my attempts. I like to visit orchids however. Sometimes I get to see them natively but more often than not I see them in exhibits such as the one at Como Conservatory this passed weekend. Here is a place where there are people who are good with orchids giving out lots of helpful information. Me, I'm just gonna share some pictures of the beauties.

A Few Favorites Memories from 2016

January 19, 2017 Trimid Dew Lanns

Looking back on 2016 I picked a few things from the year I really enjoyed. I haven't written about all these things yet nor does this cover everything I thought was good about the year but here are a few cool things:

I started the year off in Costa Rica for a couple of weeks. I wrote about it a lot since it was such an amazing place. Here's one post: Costa Rica and a picture of me zip lining over the jungle.

Not too long after that I went to Houston for a wedding and was thrilled to go somewhere I had always wanted to visit as a kid: Johnson Space Center

Then there was my favorite art show from the year at Rogue Buddha Gallery: Rachel Girard's Dolls.

I had my first craft show in March in Madison, Wisconsin. It was wonderful. Geek Craft Expo.

I published my first e-book which spent a day at #1 on Amazon. You can buy it here.

I attended a few events hosted by the MN Historical Society and really got a kick out of them. You can read about some of them here.

I attended my first World Con. Which included a visit to some beautiful places in KC, MO. I will be writing more about them soon but here's a snap from the art museum.

I visited Las Vegas again. Seems to be a main stay in my travel. Wrote about the incredible food. Also took a day trip to the Hoover Dam and Red Rock Canyon as I've wanted to go there for sometime as I am working on crossing off all these iconic American places on my travel list.