heart

Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:00:00 +0000

How could the title of this book not hook you? Power. Women. Heart. So, maybe I was biased from the beginning. Honestly, I was hoping that the book would be “all that.” It was.

By page fifteen, not having gotten past the editor’s introduction, I was pulsing with energy. I was ready to get my lazy butt up off the couch and pitch in. I was jonesing for my old “activist” days when I used to join in pro-choice marches and volunteer with the NW AIDS Foundation handing out condoms on the streets of Seattle.

Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart is a collection of essays that were originally presented as lectures to attendees of the annual Bioneers conferences. Nina Simons, the editor and a co-founder of Bioneers, describes it as “a nonprofit educational organization that highlights breakthrough solutions for restoring people and planet.” These essays cover a vast range of topics from truly knowing one’s self to finding your inner leader to mentoring, partnering, and imagining innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems as women see them. Some of the authors are household names such as Alice Walker and Julia Butterfly Hill, and others are simply women who are spending their energies learning from and teaching others to live authentically and purposefully. They will undoubtedly be household names in their own right soon.

Each and every essay contained in Moonrise is inspiring, touching, and revitalizing to the reader. Not all of the authors are women, but each and every one of them celebrates the unique gifts that women bring to the world in the form of their vision and perspective as caring, compassionate individuals who have found ways to rise above feelings of powerlessness and living in the minority to honor their communities, societies, and, indeed, the entire planet.

There are humorous tales of women fumbling their way through, led only by their instincts and their resolve to make a difference, painful stories of loss, and everything in between. This book truly offers something for everyone and I, for one, have decided to take the bait. If there are this many strong female voices out there clamoring for a change in the way we approach our collective challenges, it’s the least I can do to join in the march.

Written by: Kari O’Driscoll, August 12th 2010

Heart and Soul

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:20:00 +0000

By Maeve Binchy

Knopf

As much as I'm addicted to hard news and biography, Maeve Binchy's novels are my guilty pleasure. If you're into this genre (think chick lit with substance) you won't be disappointed with Heart and Soul, the Irish novelist's latest book. Set in (where else?) Dublin, the book chronicles a year in the life of employees and patients of a new heart clinic.

Scrambling both for clinic funds and a smoother personal life, protagonist Clara Casey, a cardiologist, is one of Binchy's most feminist characters to date. She is also a well-drawn and likable one: successful but humble, compassionate yet hard as nails when she needs to be. Casey has given herself a year to succeed at what was at first an unwanted job, after being passed over for a more prestigious position. In the meantime, she hopes to sort out her difficult adult daughters, her nearly-ex-husband, and a budding romance with a boring man.

This book is actually full of strong, independent female characters of all ages, ranging from the young, hopeful immigrant who is hired to do chores at the office to the foreign language teacher who is skeptical about her husband's treatments at the clinic.

Fans will be delighted to see characters from several of Binchy's other books (Scarlet Feather, Quentins, Nights of Rain and Stars, Whitethorn Woods) return alongside new ones that are equally well-drawn. Then there's the delightful backdrop of Irish neighborhoods so cozy and intimate that everyone seems to know everyone.

Spoiler alert: My only gripe reading Heart and Soul is that Binchy, in her constant quest to reward her characters with happiness, sets the stage for a romantic dalliance with a couple of people who spend most of the book at each other's throats. And out of nowhere, they're dancing and he's asking her out? Hello!

Other than that, this is a fast read and a sweet escape from the daily grind. If you like Maeve, you will love this one.

Written by: M.L. Madison, June 3rd 2009

Anatomical Heart Necklace

admin — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:56:00 +0000

By Niku of The Ephemeral Mailbox Museum

I was messing around on [Etsy.com](http://etsy.com/" target="_blank) when I stumbled upon this lovely and unusual [anatomical heart necklace](http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15164609" target="_blank). I’m not much of a consumer, so I thought my desire would prove to be nothing but a passing fancy. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about this piece and didn’t stop wanting it. I finally decided that $10 (plus a $2.50 shipping fee) was a small price to pay for such a striking piece of hand crafted jewelry.

The heart itself is 1.25 x .75 inches, made of acrylic, and sealed for protection. Once I was able to take a good look at the heart, I realized that it seems to be made from shrunken plastic, what we called Shrinky Dinks when I was a kid. Cool! The design on the heart is very detailed and (from what I remember of freshmen biology class), anatomically correct. It is red in color and is both beautiful and realistic enough to perhaps make the weak of stomach a little queasy.

At my request, the artist added three beads between the heart and the chain to pretty the whole thing up a bit. I certainly appreciate her willingness to go an extra step to satisfy me. I think the beads (a small, faceted purple one; a larger round red one, and a medium round black one) help soften the look.

The heart dangles from a standard silver ball chain. The fifteen-inch length keeps the necklace from hanging too low; it’s not quite as tight as a choker, but has a similar look. Of course, the chain could easily be shortened with jewelry tools for a closer fit. I appreciate the tough look of the ball chain, which keeps this piece from looking too delicate or frilly.

Overall, I enjoy the balance of the design. It’s both raw and whimsical, delicate but strong. I like that it suggests the work of Frida Kahlo and the tradition of Mexican milagros. I wear the piece almost every day, and so far it’s held up wonderfully. None of the parts have broken or fallen off, even though I tend to be rough on my jewelry. I need sturdy things that stay intact while I’m running around, living my life. This necklace is both well made and attractive, and I feel happy whenever I have it on.

Written by: Chantel C. Guidry, November 4th 2008