by Roxanne -

Copper Falls Camping

Recently I went camping for a weekend up at Copper Falls National Park in northern Wisconsin. Sleeping on the ground in a tent is my rare chance to wake up, warm in a down sleeping bag and see this above my head in the morning –

A bit of rain later the first morning moved on.

Nights were cool, but the days were warmer and perfect for hours of hiking around the canyons, waterfalls and trails.

Evenings found us gathered around the fire for sharing, stories and food. Magnificent meals seemingly appeared out of nowhere. We ate curried chicken salad, roast beef wraps, peanutbutter chocolate bars, two kinds of bundt cake, steaming chili, corn bread, chicken pasta alfredo, crisp fresh salad, omelettes for breakfast along with Greek yogurt, granola, fruit and snacks. These women know how to eat well while they camp!

To the wonderful women of Spooner who gather every year – you are welcoming, inclusive and generous – inviting other women into this experience and extending your friendship. Thank you!

You may also like Walking by the Lake and Canoeing Anyone?

 

 

by Roxanne -

Fall Feast

We really enjoy simple, flavorful cooking. When DH came home with four, fat artichokes – there was nothing else to do but grab a lemon, call our friends J & J and enjoy the feast!

DH added crispy cinnamon & garlic potatoes. Our friends added thinly sliced cucumber with feta, rounding out this vegetarian meal.

Photo J. Favia
Photo J. Favia
Photo J. Favia

Here is the Artichoke & Lemon recipe and the Cinnamon Roasted Potatoes recipe.

You may also like Brussels Anyone? and Leek Soup & Persimmons.

by Roxanne -

Walking by the Lake

We often go walking by this lake near our house. Now in late summer, the brilliant greens of early summer have given way to the olive tones of autumn. Today DH took pictures for you to enjoy.

Sometimes we can find peace in a place.

 

by Roxanne -

Resisting Patriarchy

Resisting patriarchy. Some ways that both women and men can resist patriarchy:

Political action to end world slavery of women and girls.

Work to change the legal system so that “equality” doesn’t mean treating women the same as men. Women have different needs than men, especially with regard to pregnancy and children. Those needs must be accounted for.

Work to provide support networks for prostitutes – the victims of enslavement typically since childhood – and arrest the perpetrators, the johns and pimps.

Mandate that both women and men must take time off for family care so women are no longer penalized at work for caring for children or parents.

Learn how, even with affirmative action, huge wealth continues to be unfairly transferred from women to men at work. Seek to end practices of nepotism and collusion that allow this.

Support women-owned businesses and services whenever possible.

Be accurate in speech. Insist on gender inclusive language; humankind (instead of “mankind”), women and men (not simply “men”), mail carrier (not “mailman”), etc.

Speak accurately about things as they really are. For example, acknowledge that prostitutes are the victims – not the criminals – in illegal prostitution.

Acknowledge that fear for their safety means that anywhere in the U.S., women alone are not safe – after dark or during the day. Attackers are men.

Re-train women and girls not to blindly hand over their authority or trust to men in positions of authority – whether they are doctors, teachers, pastors, etc.

Most of all, education – especially for women and girls who are often denied psychological, emotional and monetary support for college in this country and basic education in other countries. Education is a human right.

What other ways? Tell us what works for you.

by Roxanne -

Patriarchy is Violent

Lately I’ve been thinking about patriarchy. It is so embedded in our culture that we don’t consider the level of violence required to maintain it in our corporate, educational, governmental and religious institutions. Oppressing half the population (women) requires constant, ongoing violence.

Many feel that because of the advances women have made over the past 40 years – patriarchy is no longer an issue. Think again. Who had authority and power in government, educational and religious institutions 40 years ago? Mainly men. Now, who has power today? Mainly men. Nothing has changed. Today you can count the number of women CEOs in the Fortune 500 companies on one hand. Shocking considering women have been working in corporate management for over 40 years. Patriarchy is alive and well and deeply entrenched in boardrooms, on the golf course, and in “good ‘ole boys” networks.

How is the violence of patriarchy perpetrated? This violence can be physical. Thousands of women are raped, beaten and killed each year just in the U.S. alone. Nobel prize winner Amartya Sen has calculated that at least 100 million women are missing in the world’s population. As Catharine MacKinnon notes, “This is violence – genocide – on a massive scale” against women by men.

But the violence against women and girls happens in other ways too. Violence can be emotional, psychological and spiritual. This kind of violence, while not visible physically, can be much more damaging and long lasting. This kind of violence is soul-killing.

And what about the men and women who promote patriarchy? Are they violent too? Just because they may be parents, employees, political leaders, corporate leaders, educators or pastors doesn’t exempt them from colluding with, being culpable for and committing the violence of keeping men in power. No matter how charming or nice they appear on the outside, those who collude with the status quo of patriarchy in families, schools, business or churches are definitely not nice where it counts – on the inside.

I recently read this quote from Upton Sinclair,

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on not understanding it.”