1) Pile of school supplies folks have donated that our club is collecting.

2) Non-perishable food items for us to stock the pantry for Ronald McDonald house.

3) Scrapbooking items for a craft show in October. We are making post it note holders and lots of other fun stuff. I have got to get cracking on the ivy bowl snowmen we plan to sell.

We are also gearing up for Pigs N Peaches Barbecue. Our club is planning to sell barbecue plates this year on Saturday of the competition. This is our first year to sell, so I am very nervous but very optimistic.

Tuesday night is our club meeting and we will be getting together to make peach muffins to sell as well. Will let you know how it goes. Would love to hear helpful hints from folks that have sold at these kind of events before.

Blog at you soon!

We had been trying to set up a special membership event to celebrate our members who have been with us over 25 years but it did not happen in time while Gayle was feeling well.  At our May meeting though,  our First VP/Membership Chairman bestowed the GFWC 25 year pins to the ladies who have been with Federation atleast 25 years – I think most have been a great deal more years. 

We decided one last thing would be fitting – We bought mini tiaras and presented them to each of the 25 year members and then to each of the members of the club.  We wanted to cherish and honor Gayle’s memory.  I had seen this quote “Give me a nice tiara & I can save the world!” on some napkins and bought them to have in our room at convention.  I think it holds true to Gayle’s spirit as well.

We truly had a Steel Magnolias moment for us in the club.  I am hoping we can carry that through all year

Here are some pics

When I got home from convention – I learned that a club member had passed away.  The last few years she has been battling cancer.  I believe she was with me in spirit at convention.  I had picked up some party napkins that said “Give me a nice tiara & I can save the world!”.  At her 65th B-day party she got 2 tiaras and LOVED them.  At her service the family gave out a poem from Gayle and asked us to remember her spunk and sparkle.  At the top of the paper was stamped tiara with glitter.  The Junior Conference just put out a cookbook at state convention – as we were reading through friends and I kept noting on the ones Gayle had contributed.  While we knew it was only a matter of time – no one knew that her passing would be on that weekend.  I will always remember Miss Gayle’s spunk and sparkle!!!!!

You might be a federated woman… Super Federated are in bold.

If you know the exact number of shopping opportuities from your house to the location of state convention

You are super federated – if you can stop at each one and make a purchase and NOT be late to the first official meeting.

If you ever spray painted an object gold or silver and used it as a trophy.

If you have ever said “Give me a hot glue gun, paint and wood and I can MAKE anything.”

If you are always looking to copy tablescapes for centerpiece ideas for district and state functions.

If you have ever said “No – is not in my vocabulary”

If you have ever had an intervention because you volunteer too much.

If your husband has  federation functions dates committed to memory and knows exactly where you are headed be it club, district or state level activities.

You have ever determined the exact number of ways chicken and green beans can be served at a state or district function.

You are on the constant lookout for gifts that remind you of current or past president’s symbols to buy.

You are super, if you have ever bought items for FUTURE president’s symbols.

If you have ever BEDAZZLED something for presentation at a state function

I would love to see others – I know we could have a million of these.  I need someone artistic to draw a GFWC super heroine (sp?)

Hope you LOL

As I come up with these – I will keep adding.

If your dining room table doubles as command central for months on end.

You figure out how to make your club project super by incorporating your company and take it up a notch ( in the words of Emeril “BAM!”

Your coworkers and friends have ever refferred to you as the wikipedia of charities (had that happen)

If you keep a notebook around you so when you think of  good project – you write it down, so you will not forget.

With the arrival of Spring, we are about a week away from Spring district meeting and a month a way from state convention.  I am very excited for both.

Our district meeting theme is Spring is in bloom.  So everyone is encouraged to wear florals or a corsage to celebrate Spring. 

The first Spring district meeting I presided over as district president, I decided to throw some fun into it, since it is our time to give out citations and silver awards at the district level.  Our theme was Hollywood Awards.  Had a great time.  We had a red carpet for folks to walk on when they picked up their award, a cardboard cutout of an Oscaresque statue to have pics taken with, and our own papparazi.  Our head tables had sunglasses to keep their eyes shaded from the camera flashes (HAHA)

I would love to hear other creative ideas!!!

April’s book is The Book Thief. We are thinking our May book may be The Lace Readers. If anyone has read these books would appreciate your opinion.

The book I began reading after The Glass Castle was/is Kiss My Tiara – How to Rule the World as a Smart-Mouth Goddess. It will get you laughing!!!

I know we have all been hit hard these last 6 months and even before.  But I believe that change is just around the corner.  It will not be coming from a Democrat or Republican, nor President Obama nor US Senator or Congressman.  It is coming from God.  It is Spring – showing us that we will work our way out of the winter blues.  Georgia was sunny and in the mid-upper 70’s this weekend.  The forsythia just exploded.  We have so many cherry trees and bradford pears busting out in blooms.  The grass is greening.  My jonquils have hit their peak inFeb and my tulips are spreading their leaves saying “Me next!!!  It’s my turn next to bloom!”  Just a week before we had snow

Two years ago, our club went and saw Respect – The Musical when it was in Atlanta.  LOVED IT!!!  It is based on a book from Vanderbilt professor, Dr. Dorothy Marcic which chronicled popular music and the roles of women from 1900- present.  I just checked on the site and they are in Philadelphia, Orlando and Colorado.  The site is www.respectmusicaljourney.com.  We loved the play so much that we went back with more friends.  You will be dancing in your seats.  If you get the right crowd – you will be dancing in the aisles.  It is that GREAT!!  The play asks what would your soundtrack be.  So that got me to thinking and I asked my friends for the song that puts a little pep in their step or helps get them motivated.  Yes it may sound like we are channeling an old episode of Ally McBeal – but so what.  I got back great songs from my friends and family and actually made them into my own mix cd (what used to be our mix tapes growing up).  The CD was in my cd player on the way to work – so I am jazzed up ready to take on anything.  I had so much fun going through my cds and buying a new one – just in case I did not have a particular song.  I call it my EMPOWER CD and it is always close by to help me remind me to be all that I can be.

Here is what my cd has on it -

1.  This One’s for the Girls – Martina McBride

2. I Hope You Dance – Lee Anne Womack.  This is my Mom’s choice – Love it!!!!!

3.  Wings Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler

4.  In My Daughter’s Eyes – Martina McBride

5.  You Better Think – Aretha Franklin

6.  I am Woman  – Helen Reddy.

7. I  Will Stand Back Up – Sugarland

8.  Yes We Can Can – Pointer Sisters  – Love the line  “Do respect to the women of the world – Remember you all had mothers:.

9.  I Have Been Blessed – Martina McBride

10.  Respect (of course) – Aretha Franklin

11.  Women Are Doin’ It For Themselves – Aretha Franklin and Annie Lennox

These are just a few on my cd.  I also love a great many of the songs by Sugarland.  Also there are so many songs from Martina McBride that can lift you up.  When I am down – I HAVE to play “When God-Fearing Women Get the Blues”.  I just love the chorus

When God fearin’ women get the blues
There ain’t no slap down a tellin what they’re gonna do
Run around yellin
I’ve got a mustang it’ll do 80
You don’t have to be my baby
I stirred my last batch of gravy
You don’t have to be my, be my, be my baby

Sugarland has some great lyric – I love the ones that says “With some good red wine and my brand new shoes I am going to dance a blue streak around my living room”

I would love to know what song makes you feel empowered.

I think I said I would share more ideas on the craft stuff that a group of us do.  So I amd sharing.  These are just a few.  Would love to hear other ideas for fun crafts

I know that I am naively optimistic when I am reading.  If I am reading a book that is dealing with grave issues such as abuse and neglect – I want to know that in the end that something good will come of the process.  This book had a mixed bag but it was a good book -it was intriguing and thought provoking.  I have been discussing the book with anyone that will listen in trying to wrap my head around events.  But I am off today to a store nearby to find some “Chick Lit” to get my head out of this blue cloud that it has been since I began this book.  I would be interested in any book suggestions for light reading that anyone has to give.

Some of the books that I have enjoyed reading in the “Chick Lit” category

1. Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews.  I love all her books actually

2. Body Movers by Stefanie Bond (Atlanta writer)

3. Being Dead is No Excuse – The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral.  The author is Gayden Metcalfe and  she is from the Mississsippi/Arkansas/Louisianna area (I think – it has been a while since I read it).  It holds true no matter where you from in the South or if you Baptist, Methodist or Pentecostal – you will know that it rings so true.  You will also be checking out your pantry to see if you have the same things on stock.  It has recipes in it.

2008 was a crazy year for me.  Besides God’s grace, the love of my family and friends, what saved my sanity was crafting.  It helps me get rid of the stress and helps me to use the other side of my brain after a long day at work.

I used to have not a creative bone in my body.  I have 2 friends in federation that if you give them paint brush, hot glue gun or anything craftwise – watch out because they will make something spectacular.  I am in awe of what they can do.  Same with a some of my friends in my club.  We began in 2007 in getting together one night a week.  We would do our own individual projects or teach each other a new project.  I have learned so much in these 2 years about my creativity. 

Here are just a few of the things we have done.  Most of these are towel cakes but will post more soon. 

It is never too late to discover the inner crafter in yourself

Our club only has 24 members so I am constantly amazed and how much we can get done in one year. 

Now that reporting is behind us,  I must have a recess from that part of the mind.  Several of us, must use the other side of the brain and work on our creativity.  We frankly have become addicted to crafts.  We have been making post it note holders, bookmarks and diaper cakes.  LOVE making the diaper cakes. 

One of our most recent diaper cakes

We started these for friends and then expanded into towel cakes as a fundraiser.  We have also done them for the Battered Women’s Shelter to give a woman when she leaves the shelter.  There are countless ways to create them.  But this allows us to do clubwork but keep those creative juices flowing.

Mom got back involved with federation work back in the 90’s.  Again, I was right by her side helping with projects that I joined officially in 1998.  If you had told me at that time that I would be so involved with volunteer work that I would become District President in less than 10 years – I would have said “NO WAY”.    But I did it; right there with my Mom to see me installed and serve my two years. 

In 2008, we both had to cut back on some of our commitments at the state level of federation, but we are staunchly both committed to what makes GFWC and GaFWC great.  Having to make that decision to step down was heart wrenching – because we do not back away from our commitments.  But this was must – but we hope to be back diving into the state activities very soon.  In this economy, we need more volunteers than ever dedicated to service at every level.

Thanks Mom for giving me a great life lesson of federation!