by Roxanne -

100 Years of International Women’s Day


Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. Learn more about celebrating 100 years of women’s achievments here.

Tragically, today too many women around the world still can not vote, open bank accounts, study or get advanced education, do work of their choice, marry the person of their choice or live a life different from their culture’s expectations with dignity. Too many women are still stoned for adultery (as if men don’t participate), killed at birth for not being male, or treated as family servants and slaves. In too many places rape is still seen as something that women bring on themselves, rather than as a crime of violence, power, violation and abuse.

Read Lisa Shannon’s powerful and moving book, A Thousand Sisters documenting the treatment of women in the Congo, for example.

Throughout most of human history (until the last century) women have been considered property – owned by men. That is still true in many places today. In the United States, these same conditions have only been alleviated for women within the last century. I am keenly aware that only within the last twenty years would I have been allowed to attend a Catholic seminary in order to receive my M.Div. degree.

But huge changes have come in my lifetime. In the United States, since the 1960’s, women can now open bank accounts without their husbands or fathers co-signing. Their confidential medical files are no longer shared on their husbands’ requests. While the glass ceiling exists, more women continue moving into positions of authority in business and in politics. Meanwhile, men are becoming more involved in family life. Bringing balance to both genders is good for families and for society.

Women comprise more than half the world’s population. What is good for women is ultimately good for their children, their families, their communities and the world.

by Roxanne -

Lox, Stock and Bagel

Last Sunday my husband prepared toasted bagels with cream cheese, thinly sliced salmon, sliced sweet onion and – wait – capers! It was divine.

It was snowing outside so we decided to have a lazy morning lounging in bed, reading the New York Times online, drinking coffee and enjoying crunchy bagels. It was heaven.

Celebrating the Sabbath should definitely include OpEd pages, book reviews, steaming hot coffee and fun conversation. How much better can it get?

Well it actually did get better. The next day we had mouthwatering buckwheat banana pancakes for breakfast. You can see them here. He does know his way around the kitchen.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . .

by Roxanne -

Romantic Dining Area Before & After

So why shouldn’t I give the same romantic treatment to our dining area as I did to the bedroom? Afterall, this is the space where we share food and wine with friends, conversations over espresso, and dinners for just the two of us.

We have moved our dining table around the townhouse. Sometimes it is placed near the server, but not always. It has been next to the fireplace – this was very romantic. It has also been near the living room window which was lovely on warm summer nights. Last year we took it down and used my desk as both a work place and a dining table when necessary. With my desk now in the bedroom, the dining table is currently under the chandelier where you actually might expect it 😉

But what to do now??? Romance calls for layers, varied textures and a punch of unexpected color. So that’s what I attempted to do here.

Here’s the uninspiring before photo from two years ago:

Photo R. Meshar

Here’s the more romantic after:

Photo R. Meshar

Again, I only used what we already had. I anchored the space with the server. It also provides a platform for adding additional textures and color in the glass bowls, metal lamp and picture frame. The lamp adds another level of lighting which also warms the space. Adding layers of textures such as metal, glass and flowing fabric along with a punch of color makes it much more romantic and inviting. The space just seems more lively – but not cluttered.

What do you think?

Soon I will post on the bathroom re-do, before and after. Stay tuned . . .

You may also like Romantic Bedroom Before & After.

by Roxanne -

Home Prices Free-Fall

Welcome to the month of March and the middle of the home buying season. Having spent most of my adult life working in the marketing world I learned a few things. One of the things I learned is that the large population group called the “Baby Boomers” is like a pig in a python. They are so large (up to 76 million) that they dramatically affect products for every stage of life they move through. This includes housing.

You can read the details of why home prices will continue to free-fall here. Or you can consider that as the Boomers retire and downsize, the demographic group behind them is much smaller, earns far less and isn’t as interested in living in a large home in the suburbs.

Marketing forecasters have noted that young homeowners prefer urban living in order to develop richer relationships and social networks. A strong social network is an important asset in a high unemployment economy. Urban locations also have greater access to those jobs that are available as well as public transportation. Cars are a big expense today that not everyone can afford. Long suburban commutes take up time that young couples are not as willing to give up as their parents were.

In the end younger homeowners focus on developing relationships over acquiring “stuff” or square footage. This is a survival strategy as much as a lifestyle choice. But I think it’s a good one.

Not surprisingly, many retired Boomers often prefer urban areas for some of the same reasons, plus the added benefit of easy access to high quality healthcare.

In addition there is the general overall trend toward much smaller, easier living spaces (read more here, here and here).

Added to this is the nightmare title/foreclosure problems that exist with MERS (40% of mortgaged homes). It’s difficult to buy or sell if no one knows who owns the title.

Then we have the Too-Big-To-Fail banks’ total lack of interest in cooperating with consumers through loan modifications, but instead, a preference for foreclosures whenever possible. Why? Because these banks never experienced the consequences of their unethical and risky mortgage loan practices. Not only were bank executives never prosecuted, investors were actually made whole from all losses through the Republican-Democrat taxpayer bail-out. Can you say “good ‘ole boy network?”

Of course this was VERY expensive (trillions of dollars) and we, as taxpayers, will have to reduce our national spending to pay for it. One way this might happen is by the recently proposed elimination of the home mortgage tax deduction. Reduction in social security, medicare and education funding are other targets – not to mention any and all social safety nets for those in crisis – mainly women & children.

Longer term, this means big banks are highly motivated to continue selling risky mortgages, foreclose and resell any and all properties for as long as possible. No need to modify loans or stop shady loan practices. Where are the foreclosure fees or resale profits in that? Meanwhile, we the taxpayers, have already reimbursed them for failed mortgages – even as many of us are evicted from our homes. The rest of us are apparently in the wrong business! (Post Script added 3-2-11: But resigning ourselves to this outcome of events is not inevitable, only one choice, as Yves Smith writes about here.)

NET: This huge over-supply of super cheap homes will last decades.

This timely article provides another glimpse of the current state of the housing market.

All in all, you can readily see why suburban home prices will continue to drop, drop, drop for a LONG time.

So what will happen to all those 3 bdrm/2 bath McMansions? We haven’t seen anything yet.

You may also like Financial & Economic Crisis an Accident? and Why the Rich Get Richer.