Wangari Maathai was born in Kenya in 1940—when girls were not supposed to be educated. Fortunately, her father decided to send her to boarding school when she was 11. Four years later, she started high school. It was a big deal for a girl in Kenya, and the local shoemaker made Wangari her first pair […]
Weeds are flowers too?!
by resolutewoman on June 21, 2022 in friends, kindness, Uncategorized
I have some friends who have political opinions I don’t agree with, friends who can be a bit disagreeable, sometimes a bit cranky or unkind. They aren’t perfect. And, they may not be wonderful. However, once I got to know them and understand their circumstances, I realized that they are interesting, complicated people. They are […]
My Texas peach
by resolutewoman on June 16, 2022 in celebrations, food, happiness, Uncategorized
It’s summer in Texas, and we’re all complaining about the weather. However, this morning I ate yogurt with a delicious Texas peach. It was a splendid meal! I agree with Arlene Francis, “Life is the best party I’ve ever been invited to.” –Joy
One word frees us
by resolutewoman on May 26, 2022 in change, hope, love, Uncategorized
A friend sent me a card with a quote from Sophocles: “One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. That word is love.” –Joy
The situation now
by resolutewoman on May 10, 2022 in health, sexism, Uncategorized
Nearly 60 percent of women in this country—about 40 million—live in states that are “hostile to abortion rights,” according to the Guttmacher Institute. That’s the situation now, reports Ms. Magazine in its winter 2022 issue. If the Supreme Court abandons Roe v. Wade, 26 states are certain or likely to ban abortion.
Get angry
by resolutewoman on April 30, 2022 in change, courage, resolute-women, Uncategorized
Our anger is positive—if it leads to action. “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off,” the activist and author Gloria Steinem once said. –Joy
Be tenacious
by resolutewoman on April 28, 2022 in courage, hope, resolute-women, Uncategorized
Don’t give up! “We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves,” Marie Curie, the Nobel Prize winning physicist and chemist, once said.
We can go forward again
by resolutewoman on April 26, 2022 in change, hope, Uncategorized
The world seems dreary. It is easy to feel despair. However, the author Margaret Atwood advises us to hang onto hope. Atwood likes to point out that the world has seen worse pandemics and worse political turmoil. “People wring their hands in despair when we have things happen that we consider going backward,” she says. […]
Behave yourself?!
by resolutewoman on April 23, 2022 in advice, resolute-women, Uncategorized
I behave myself most of the time. However, I appreciate these words from author Margaret Atwood. “If you don’t think of yourself as an august person, you don’t have to behave yourself,” Atwood says. I found this quote in the March 11, 2022, issue of The Week. –Joy
Hope and love
by resolutewoman on April 16, 2022 in hope, love, Uncategorized
With these words, Pete Seeger sang of hope and love. Oh, had I a golden thread And a needle so fineI would weave a magic spellOf rainbow design… In it, I would weave the courage Of women giving birth And in it I would weave the innocenceOf the children of all the earthChildren of all […]
What’s this site about?
We wrote our book and we’re writing our blog because we were frustrated. We were frustrated with experts who try to tell people how to lose weight, raise their children and improve their marriages—and be a success—in 10 easy steps. In three weeks. In one book.
Our self-help book and blog are for grownups—for women who know that there are no easy answers to life’s complex problems—that finding solutions requires some self-knowledge and self-searching and hard work.
We want to help women discover their own answers and live with them as their guide. We want to help you and other women Help Yourself!
We write about making changes and also about many other issues important to women, including families, friends, work and food.