- THE LIFE OF A WOMAN

:)MARCH 14TH.

I was thinking of this as a topic. Life of a woman, whether it is our own life as a women with the special problems that women face, re: through hormonal , and all the factors that we face with moods, child birth, menopause.

Just life as a woman can be a challenge.

I know in my brief time at the assembly, this topic was almost taboo, you didnt talk about things that affect women even in gesting.

Well women are one half of the population in the world, and our problems and cycles are geniune. I believe in the power of sharing to find support and encouragement.

SO this post will be for women, I was going to call it women only, but there are husbands, brothers, sons, who are exposed to our unique world every day.

I dont know if you want to air some of your feminine areas in public, but you never know how sharing can be of a big help to others.

Remember God has made us this way, and by women helping women in all aspect of life, can be beneficial to us, to others, and to the men who doesnt quite understand what is going on.

I will start:
Feminine Hygienic products, and television ads. and the claims they make.
while showing a barbie doll figure.

I am peri menopausal, and the cycle of hormones are irradic at the best of times.
I also have bladder control problems with age, size, and having experience child birth.
After all I am 48, but my experience although I have to go through, doesnt make it any easier.

Sometimes I though that God had a cruel sense of humour, A woman going through the symptoms of peri menopause at the same time having a teenage daughter going through the hormones of being a teenage girl. Sometimes with all the hormones raging around this house, maybe it was a good thing the only male in the area was the cat and he was fixed.

Maybe this is not the topic to talk about.

OKAY LADIES ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS????

Lenore

I received the enclosed submission to this thread via message. I think is has a valid aspect of the roles of women. Including our feminine side and our masculine side. Each gender has both sides.
Whether the sensitivity is active or ignored can help in understanding both .
I have edited this letter so that it is idea of the message is there to think about and share, and not the person.
I said this was for women only, but men can share if they choose to. This is a safe place to discuss things that can be private. Anyone who experience childbirth, or goes to male doctor for their yearly examinations, nothing is private. Especially with all the commercials on television exposing what was once called 'your little friend'. Some friend.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

About your new women's thread: I love the idea, and I may post there eventually, but if I did so now it would probably scare off the few women brave enough to discuss themselves

But I want to tell you something that you may want to discuss to draw some of them into conversation:

Many men will not discuss their "feminine side." They consider it "unmanly" and fear mockery from their peers. I wonder if women feel the same about their "masculine" qualities? Many people seem to think that having a mechanical aptitude or a good business mind, being well organized or loving sports are not feminine qualities.

We have three daughters who played organized sports, one of who was a welder for several years and is now a career soldier. Our son is in many ways more sensitive and empathetic than at least two of his sisters.

In fact, .........and my roles are reversed from the "norm." I am often more sensitive & cry easier than she. She hates to shop, while I could shop until the money is gone every day. I am the decorator for our home. But ....... has been a tower of strength for me when I have been to weak to go on.

You may save this note & use it in the future if you want to, or just use my thoughts as a springboard for your own ideas to get the sisters involved...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Other topic you can consider to share is "Mammograms, Paps, Childbirths, Hormonals, Being Alone, anything that affects us Women. Sometimes we feel we are alone in all of things that are happening, yet we may experience our own circumstances alone, we dont have to be alone as we go through it.

HOW ABOUT THOSE HOT FLASHES? In the middle of winter, you are in shorts and T's, and running out side with your bare feet in the snow............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I HOPE YOU SISTERS [or brothers who understand women in their lifes] WOULD FEEL FREE TO DISCUSS WOMEN ISSUES IN THEIR LIFES.

March 22:

Lets approach this from a different angle.

Who is your favourite Bible female character?
Why?
What was so important, what did she do, and how did she affect you ?

Discuss different bible females.

JOSHUA: chapter 2:[NCV}
Joshua son of Nun secretly sent out two spies from Acacia. Joshua said to them. "God and look at the land. Look closely at the city of Jerico." SO the men went to Jerico. They went to the house of a prostitute, and stayed there. This woman's name was Rahab.

Who was Rahab?
What was her accomplishments in Joshua 2?
What was her reward?
WHo did she marry?
Can you name the lineage and where that lineage ends up to be?

What lessons can we learn from the live of Rahab , and that can be applied for our own lifes?

:)March 30th:

Today is my cat Percy's 4th birthday!!

Today I was thinking of COMFORT FOOD!.

What is the most favourite food, you must have, when you are stressed, unhappy, frustrated, or you just WANT IT!.

For me , its just food.
But my all time comfort food is CHOCOLATE. There really isnt a CHOCOLATE that I havent meet that I havent liked.

My favourite chocolate is the white chocolate. One time you could only get it at Easter with the white rabbits, but now most chocolate bars, comes in the white chocolate variety.

For a chocolate bar, I like the Carmilk, anything with carmel. I will try every new chocolate bar that comes out.
For an extra treat it is Rolo Ice Cream that is must be a special treat as a gallon of this ice cream is expensive.
There is a Dairy Queen about a 45 minute walk from my place. I must be willing to walk there and have my DQ treat, then walk home again which will be another 45 minutes.
At the DQ I like Rich Milk Shakes mostly chocolate. Blizzards are nice too.

I dont keep these comfort foods in the house, and since most time I do not have the money. I will go for the peanut butter & jam sandwiches. But if I h ave the money, and if I am really desperate, I will go an walk the 10 minutes to the store to get those comfort food.
Even if it is a bag of cookies. I wont keep cookies in the house, because I will eat the whole bag in one sitting. Now dont get me started about Tim Horton's , the double fudged chocolate doughnuts. When they make homemade macademan nut and white chocolate chip cookies, and there were only !.99 for 6 of them. They are my all time favourite cookie.

Okay, any one else willing to admit their comfort food.

Lenore

Did someone say "comfort food"?

Vanilla milkshakes are #1, but not the cheap fast-food shakes. It's something of a cross between a vanilla malt and a regular shake that has something extra in it, like a little maple or something. I'll have to find out what it is. :)

Real whipping cream comes next, whipped at home.

Next is Suzy Q's, pack of two. I've gone out at 10 pm already just to get these with the last dollar in the house.

Oreos are next, the whole bag. (I never buy them anymore. I just eat them at someone else's home. Same principle as quitting smoking but bumming them from any other smoker)

White chocolate works, too.

Favorite snack foods are white chocolate and a family recipe for egg-less butter (real) cookies, and cheese curls (the cheap brands or the lumpy cheezelets)

You had to ask........ ;D I hope I'm not still thinking about these in the morning. ;D

Fortunately I don't have much of a sweet tooth. So I'm not a chocolate fanatic,
or a person who eats a lot of candy. Unfortunately, I absolutely love one of those
big hamburgers that those private establishments make, with a huge slice of tomato,
a thick slice of onion and gobs of lettuce on top. But I can't just eat that---I have to
have a large bag of Onion Rings, so greasy the bag they are in is actually wet. While
I'm eating it I feel very comfortable, but afterwards I'm so stuffed that the comfort
food I've craved has made me very uncomfortable--it's a vicious cycle.

--Joe

:)March 31st:

Thanks guys for your admittance to your taste of comfort foods.

I was also thinking that this thread can be a place to exchange receipies , I called it a life of a woman, because I wanted a place to be a support area for the women to be able to talk frank and honest about anything. I guess it is the old 'DONT AIR YOUR DIRTY LAUNDRY IN PUBLIC SYNDROME' aspect.

The receipie I would like to share to day is my homemade PITA BREAD.

HOME MADE PITA BREAD:
____________________

3/4 cup of warm to hot water in a large bowl
add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
Add an envelope of yeast{1 teaspoon}
Let bubble for about 5 minutes
Stir

Add 2 cups of flour [1/2 cup at a time] Stirring vigorously each time.

Turn on to a floured[or a greased] board
Knead for about 10 minutes until elastic in texture.

Divide into 12 piece
Roll out the pieces in to a circle of 1/8 inch thick
Back in a 500 degree oven for 5 minutes[WATCH CAREFULLY]
[[It will depend how thick you roll it whether you have pockets or just flat bread]]

Alternative uses:
HOT DOG ROLL UPS:
-Divide into 12 piece. Roll out, add weiner and 1/4 of a cheese slice
Roll weiner up. Put on a greased cookie sheet
Bake for 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

DINNER ROLLS:
Divide into 12 pieces put into a greased muffin tin.
Let rise in a warm area for about 1 hour
Bake for 15 minutes in a 350 oven

STICKY BUNS:
Roll out the entire dough into large rectangle
Butter the dough
Add Brown Sugar,
Sprinkle with Cinnamon
Add a large sprinkling of raisin and nuts{optional}
Roll into a right roll.
Cut into even pieces
Put on a greased cookie sheet
Bake for 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Can be used for pizza dough, covering for a pot pie,
Explore you may find other uses.

Most time it takes about 30 m inutes from start to finish.

April 2nd:

There is another thread on Cosmetic Surgery.

Women and the aging process.

Do you women find that there is a double standard, when it comes to appearances.?

If a man has a little grey hair, he is dignified, while a women with grey hair is just getting old.
If a man has some weight on him, he is accepted , more than a women who is obese.

If a man works with weight and changes the fat content of there body to muscle , he is big and strong and manly.
While a women who works with weights , has to be careful not to build too much muscle, as not to look to butch, and lose their femininity.

Although there is a reverse.

Like a woman who has long flowing hair is beautiful, while a man who has long flowing hair.

What do you think of that?
How do you view a man who has long flowing hair, or ties it into a pony tail?

What about grey hair? Should it be long.

Should men wear earrings?
How many earrings on a ear, or other body parts is too much?

What about tattoos?

Life of a woman has so many decisions, so many hats to fill, so many job desciptions.
It is a wonder that the life of a woman can be stressful.

Opinions please.

Lenore

an e-mail from our oldest daughter-- seemed fitting for this thread:

SOMEBODY SAID

Somebody said that a child is carried in its mother's womb for nine months.
Somebody does not know that a child is carried in its mother's heart forever.

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby.
Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, normal is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct.
Somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring.
Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said if you're a "good" mother, your child will "turn out good."
Somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.

Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices.
Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother.
Somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math.

Somebody said you can't love the fifth child as much as you love the first.
Somebody doesn't have five children.

Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books.
Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery.
Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten.

Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back.
Somebody never organized seven giggling Brownies to sell cookies.

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married.
Somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home.
Somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her.
Somebody isn't a mother.

All kids are gifted; some just open their packages earlier than others.[/b]

APRIL 24TH

On Friday I was at the CMHC: Doing a Gourment Cooking Class

We made BRIE EN CROUTE

After it was made, the group was like vultures eating it. It was so DELICIOUS AND ADDICTIVE.

Enjoy it.

BRIE EN CROUTE

INGREDIENTS
1 Round brie cheese [450 grams]
3 tablespoons of BUCKWHEAT HONEY
½ cup of butter or margarine
3-5 cloves of garlic finely chopped
½ cup of pecans halves
1 puff pastry
1 Baguette

Preheat oven at 400 degree F.
Roll out puff pastry ,
Put brie cheese inside pastry
Fold pastry over brie
Put into hot oven for 30 minutes
Remove from oven
Sprinkle pecans around brie
Put back into oven for 5 mins.

Mix together honey, margarine and chopped garlic
Melt and pour decorative on plate
Put Brie En Croute on top of mixture.

CAUTION BRIE IS HOT!!!!!
Wait 10-15 minutes
Serve with toasted slices baguette
Or crackers.

TOAST BAGUETTE
Slice and buttered
And toast for 5 minutes in 500 degree oven.

...got this e-mail today & thought it fitting for this thread:

>A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, observing his wife turning back
>and forth, looking at herself in the mirror. Since her birthday was not far
>off he asked what she'd like to have for her Birthday. I'd like to be six
>again, she replied, still looking in the mirror.
>
>On the morning of her birthday, he arose early, made her a nice big bowl of
>Lucky Charms, and then took her to Six Flags theme park. What a day! He put
>her on every ride in the park: the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the
>Screaming Monster Roller Coaster, everything there was.
>
>Five hours later they staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling
>and her stomach felt upside down. He then took her to a McDonald's where he
>ordered her a Happy Meal with extra fries and a chocolate shake. Then it
>was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop, and her favorite candy, M&M's.
>
>What a fabulous adventure! Finally she wobbled home with her husband and
>collapsed into bed exhausted. He leaned over his wife with a big smile and
>lovingly asked, "Well Dear, what was it like being six again?"
>
>Her eyes slowly opened and her expression suddenly changed. "I meant my
>dress size, you idiot!"

>The moral of the story: Even when a man is listening, he is gonna get it
>wrong.

*sigh* ::) al

MAY 2

Life of a woman can be so hard at times, cant it.

Between menopause, and bladder incontinence, osteoarthritis pain, chronic depression that never goes away, financial worries, guilt over failures that you preceive as a failure.
Children leaving home in a not pleasant atmosphere.

Fractured disfunctional families.

Oh what a worry, it a wonder we dont all cave into despair.

Then when we seek help, and become of that community involved in your recovery program.
You try to get fit, physically, emotionally, and spiritually,

Comes along a man, who questions and gets you doubting all over again.

Between the highs and lows of lifes, a woman looking for alittle support, encouragement and understanding.

An along comes a man who pulls the rug from under you.

Between sexual molestation, wife abuse, and even being physically abused by your children, and and emotionally abused by a employer.
Between suicide attempts and worthlessness that you have listen to all your life.

When you try to make an attempt to get a foot hold in life, to say hey I am worth and able to contribute something, no matter how small that some is.

ALong comes a man to pushing you under with his thumb.

Well if I am getting in a ranting and raving type of mode, I am probably am.
But we females according the man, is an emotional creature, who needs to be ordered around.

Well I say to the man, who needs you.

: LENORE May 02, 2005, 04:49:09 PM

Hi Lenore,

If you have not truly "listened" to what "the man" is attempting to communicate, then you are just as guilty of doing what you would not want "the man" to do to you. You could just as easily brush it off with "who needs the man", but in actual fact God has allowed you to experience this, so is there anything you can learn from it besides "who needs you"??

You friend in Christ,
Marcia

: LENORE May 02, 2005, 05:57:38 PM

May 2nd:

Your right Marcia:

I apologize, I was letting bitterness invade my spirit, and that is wrong to do.

Sorry:

Lenore

One of the things that is supposed to happen in a healthy Christian community is growth.
It just so happens that this is not always a painless experience, so don't feel badly about your initial reaction to being challenged in this way. I think it is healthy.
I do think it is very important to clearly dilineate between disagreeing with someone's stated position, and impugning that person's character.
I am not saying that making judgments about someone's character is always wrong, but no intelligent person does it lightly or glibly.
While I have never personally met Brent, I have had enough interaction with him to have concluded that he is a person of integrity. We do not always agree, but I have no doubt that he is a man of honour.
This of course is just my opinion.

Your most useful lesson from all this in not going to come by way of conversation on the BB.
I find it is really helpful in situations like this to sit down and as objectively as possible identify what about the circumstance it was that roused my ire.

The next and more important thing is to ask, is any of what annoyed me important, relevant, or true?

Finally and most importantly, is my reponse to it appropriate?

I went through something like this recently after my youngest daughter damaged some very expensive equipment. It taught me something about myself that was a bit unsettling...something that needed to change.
Hang in there Lenore. We care.
Verne

: al Hartman May 02, 2005, 08:14:28 PM

Equally important is WHO you are asking. Both prayer and reflection (meditation) are essential to arriving at a correct answer...

I think you are spirtualising the process unncessarily. What I am talking about is useful and effective even for non-Christians. The key thing is that we have to have enough integrity to be honest with ourselves.
The sad truth is, every single one of us knows far worse things about ourselves than others do.
This harsh reality will really affect the way one responds to unkind things said by others; even when they are untrue.
Verne

: tenderhearted May 23, 2005, 09:29:22 AM

I find the example of Debra very encouraging .
God uses strong women , whether they were from the line of Israel or not.
Even in Luke, Jesus had/has a special heart for women.

You certainly aren't like Deborah, Tenderhearted.

She was courageous, used her real name, and didn't rely on others for "support."

You, on the other hand, post under a false name, and can't speak directly to anything at all. If I were you, I wouldn't say how encouraged I was with Deborah, when I am so totally unlike her.

Why don't you just quit your little posting game and say what you want to say and attach your name to it?

That's what Deborah would do.

Brent

July 15th:

Since the C-38 passed to allow Gays the right to Marry.

And there was a editorial article in our local paper, by a woman editor, who said that Canadians should be proud C-38. ""Three cheers for 'the land of the free""""
Her article started off by ""CONGRATULATIONS CANADA

She continue to say

""People who say they are defending the Bible, threatening to commit one of the worse sins imaginable, It doesnt figure"{ this was in response to some of the death threats that some of our MP's got who were in favour of the Bill.

"""Most of society is doubtless growing to accept homosexuality . And it is about time."""

""Lead by the Catholics, some churches refuse to budge on the issue, and that is their right""
However, dwindling numbers in the pews may someday clue someone in to the fact that while spirituality and religion are vital, so is acceptance, equality and love.

...............................
Our pastor encouraged the members of the congregation to write to this editor.
Which I did of course, I noticed this week, that there was a little blurb, saying that they got so many responses to this editorial, that they could only print one. It wasnt even from somebody that lives within the town. It was from a neighbouring town.

I keep wondering about Joan of Ark, Helen of Troy, and of course the Judge Deborah,
maybe we need strong women today, to stand up and voice their opinions more.

I remember 10 years ago, an older member of the church, blamed the declined of the values within the community and the church on the WOmen RIghts Movements.
Women Lib. was an evil in her eyes. Yet there has been so many strides in equality, but others sees it as going to far, where women want every job that were once consider a man's responsibility including the pulpit.

What is your opinions, has Women Lib Movement created the way and open the path for the Gay Pride Movement thus with nations granting legal rights to Gays to Marry, or Prostitutes to legally do their "Job"", or legalized Marijuana uses for Medical purposes,
With this further erode morals of society where child pornography becomes legal, just because those who want that right, can organized and cry Rights.

Maybe the questions of the Bible that so many have voiced. Why is God continuing to allow this to go on, that evil seems to be getting the rewards, and the good people seemed to be getting the punishment.?

Just one woman voice and thinking outloud.

Lenore

November 3rd

Just finished my second course at the CMHC called TIME TO GROW.

It is a self esteem course, but also learning to Communicate Better, to help prevent misunderstanding, and to listen and respond better when someone is talking to us.
I learned a few lesson during this time, that when you are in conflict with someone close, that all lesson can go out the window, if the other person hasnt taken the course and is misinterpreting what you are trying to say.
In one of the weekly lesson was this poem:

THE BEAUTY OF A WOMAN
IS NOT IN THE CLOTHES SHE WEARS,
THE FIGURE THAT SHE CARRIES,
OR THE WAY SHE COMBS HER HAIR.

THE BEAUTY OF A WOMAN MUST BE SEEN FROM IN HER EYES,
BECAUSE THAT IS THE DOORWAY TO HER HEART,
THE PLACE WHERE LOVE RESIDES.

THE BEAUTY OF A WOMAN IS NOT IN A FACIAL MOLE,
BUT TRUE BEAUTY IN A WOMAN,
IS REFLECTED IN HER SOUL.

IT IS THE C ARING THAT SHE LOVINGLY GIVES,
THE PASSION THAT SHE SHOWS,
AND THE BEAUTY OF A WOMAN,
WITH PASSING YEARS - ONLY GROWS!

AssemblyBoard

General Discussion => Any and All Topics => : lenore March 14, 2005, 08:11:23 PM