Oct 31st

Born this day in 1874, Ms. Rose was a pioneer in nutrition. With a Ph D from Yale in physiological chemistry. Ms. Rose established a department of nutrition and developed nutrition education programs for public schools and all this while teaching at Teachers College, Columbia from 1909-40. Many publications include but are not limited to: "The Standard Foundations of Nutrition" 1927; "How to Plan Meals in Wartime" 1917; "Some Food Facts to Help the Housewife in Feeding the Family" 1918;
and my favorite title: "Economical Diet and Cookery in Time of Emergency" Thank you Mary. And Happy Halloween! Candy is good for you, right? Irony. Can't make this stuff up.

Oct 27th

Born this day in 1940, Maxine Hong Kingston, author and is currently Professor Emeritus
at University of California. A Chinese American writer, awarded the National Book Critics
Award for Nonfiction in 1976 for "The Woman Warrior". Arrested in 2003, for crossing a police line while protesting the Iraq War in Washington,D.C. Her latest book, "The Fifth Book of Peace". I recommend reading and watching Bill Moyer's 2007 PBS interview with Ms. Kingston. For the past 15 years Kingston has been working with veterans of WW II, Vietnam and Iraq wars to help them overcome the horrors of war. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05252007/profile.html
I must add another book to Ms. Kingston's credit, Maxine Hong Kingston's Broken Book of Life: An Intertextual Study of the Woman Warrior and China Men (Hardcover)released Nov. 3rd, 2011.


Born this day in 1872, Emily Post, known for her writings on social manners. Ms. Post's first book published in 1922 ""Etiquette, in Society, in Business in Politics, and at Home."
It was a best seller in 1922 and continues to be as popular today as it was in 1922. In 1931, Ms. Post aired her opinions on her own radio show. Also 1931, Ms. Post began her newspaper column. In 1946, Ms. Post created "The Emily Post Institute." The current spokes woman is Ms. Peggy Post, Emily Post's great-grand-daughter-in-law.

Oct 25th

On this day in 1782, Robert Shurtleff was
honorably discharged from the Continental
Army when it was found that he was indeed
Ms.Deborah Samson. A tall, blonde, female-
school teacher who joined in Massachetts on
May 20th of the same year. Reason? A
love of adventure and very patriotic.

On this day in 1939, nylon stockings were
first sold in the United States.

Happy Birthday, Anne Tyler! A writer
whose art of storytelling reveals a
celebration of human nature in gently
heartbraking, and humourous way.
Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her
novel, "Breathing Lessons" in 1989.
Other novels include: "The Accidental
Tourist", "The Patchwork Planet" and
her latest , "Digging to America".

This blog is my repeat from 2006, would not change a word.

Oct 24th

On this day and the 23rd in 1850, the First National Women's Rights Convention,took place in Worcester, Massachusetts. This convention was the follow up to the Secca Falls Convention 1848. In May of 1850, after a Anti-Slavery meeting in Boston, Mass. an announcement asked any who were interested in help planning the Women's Rights's Convention stay behind and meet. Two men and nine women stayed behind. They decided to gather signatures and if they had enough they would hold the convention in October. The her-story of the National Women's Rights's Conventions were held every year in October in several northern states until the Civil War. After the Civil War, the National Women's Rights Convention gathered in back in New York.
And as Elizabeth Cady Staton put it:

"If serfdom, peasantry, and slavery have shattered kingdoms, deluged continents with blood, scattered republics like dust before the wind, and rent our own Union asunder, what kind of a government, think you, American statesmen, you can build, with the mothers of the race crouching at your feet...?

On this day in 1901: Anna Edson Taylor,"... went over Niagara Falls in a barrel, the first person to survive such a stunt." And I say of course a woman survived!

Oct 22nd

Born this day in 1845, Sarah Bernhardt, the greatest actress ever! Or so it seemed in Bernhardt's lifetime. There are so many tales about Sarah Bernhardt's personal life and her wildly successful career maybe it is true. The photos above are an indication of her presence. She played Hamlet, she played Cleopatra; and even after her right leg was amputated she still filled the theatre houses around the world. The voice, Bernhardt's voice was magical. So happy birthday, Sarah.