March 1st

The month of March celebrates WOMAN. March 1st was the Matronalia Feriae Festival of ancient Rome which honored all women. From the female slaves who were given the day off to the lady of the house receiving gifts from her husband and children. This day also celebrated the goddess Juno Lucine of childbirth" Juno who brings children into the Light." Women visited Juno's temple to perform rituals which have been lost to time. But, women wore their hair down and loose and there could be no knots or twists in their clothing or wear belts?
March 8th is International Woman's Day.(see March 8th)

February 29th

On this day (that only comes every four years) in 1940, Hattie McDonald won the Oscar for Best Supporting Female Actor for her character, Mamie in the film, "Gone With the Wind". Ms. McDonald was the first African American to win an Oscar.

Born this day in 1736, Ann Lee or Mother Ann Lee, the founder and leader of the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, or the Shakers. Called Shakers for their religious dance while praying.

February 28th

Born this day in 1797, Mary Lyon, who in 1837 founded Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. Ms. Lyon began her teaching career at the age of seventeen, when she was invited to teach summer school in Shelbunrne Falls,Massachusettes. Ms. Lyon used her income to further her education by learning new teaching methods.
In 1834, Lyon decided to stop teaching raise funds for a woman's seminary accessible to young women of "modest means." Traveling throughout the New England area with her green velvet purse. Lyon raised the funds necessary and the school kept costs down by relying on church groups making quilts for the students and everyone helped with the up keep of the school.
One of Mount Holyoke's more famous students was Emily Dickenson, who attended for one year in 1847. The Seminary was also interested in their student's religious life. They were divided into three groups, those who proclaimed Christ, those who were hopeful and those who were hopeless in their relationship with Christ, Ms. Dickenson was among the hopeless.
Mary Lyon was a woman who believed in women capable of higher learning at a time when it was generally considered a waste of time. Mary Lyon died April 5th,1849. Lyon vision is Mount Holyoke College today. The school honors their founder each year on her birthday.

Febuary 27th

Hello readers, I have been missing. I had surgery January 23rd, my left knee replaced! I thought I would be able run this blog while in recovery- no. So, I am back and doing great! My bionic knee is amazing. If you are faced with this surgery- DO IT.


Born this day in 1850, Laura Howe Richards, author who wrote for both the old and young, and daughter of very famous good deed doers of the 19th century. Richards was the first woman to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in the category of biography; the subject just happened to her Mother, Julia Ward Howe! Whose known for writing, The Battle Hymn of the Republic Laura's father Samuel Gridley Howe, main founder of the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School for the Blind and Mute. One of their most famous student Laura Bridgman-(see day Dec. 21st 2010) Richards was her name sake.

Laura Richards wrote over 90 books in her lifetime and many remained in print well after her death. And Richards is the first American and woman to successfully write nonsense Tirra Lirra: Rhymes Old and New.
Eletelephony
Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant-
No! No! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone-
(Dear me! I am not certain quite
That even now I've got it right.)

Howe'er it was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk;
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephee-
(I fear I'd better drop the song
Of elephop and telephong!)

Born this day in 1818, Emma Marwedel, educator, pioneer in early childhood education, introducing kindergarten to the United States.

January 22nd

Born this day in 1858, Beatrice Potter Webb, an economist, sociologist and an advocate for change for the poor and working class of Great Britain in the 19th and early 20th century. Webb's work is responsible for laws that helped change the conditions of the plight in the slums of the poor and working class. Beatrice married Sidney James Webb, who also shared in her vision of changing the conditions of the poor. Together, their research and publications educated and truly created a better world those whose economic needs that were so misunderstood. Webb's first published The Cooperative Movement in Great Britain before meeting her husband. The Webb's founded, "The London School of Economics and Political Science in 1895. Edith Abbott who took one of the Webb's classes titled it "Methods of Social Investigation". Together they also published The History of Trade Unionism and Industrial Democracy Beatrice Potter was a woman who was born to great wealth and privilege. But choose to use her means to make the Halls of Justice understand the problems of those with no voice at all. And we all deserve a voice and to make a better place for all.

On this day in 1881, Cleopatra's Needle was erected in New York City's Central Park.