A CLEAR TREND III

A CLEAR TREND III

A fairy tale story of a modern woman is the story of Grace Kelly, born November 12, 1929.  She left a career as actress to become Princess when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco.  In September 1982 she died in an automobile accident.  She was Catholic and very elegant, did good works and used her riches and beauty to serve.  Many people wanted her to be named a Saint.  There was much glamour and contradiction in her life.

Another image of a fairy tale life was Princess Diana who was born July 1, 1961.  This fashion-type queen could raise millions for charity just by her appearance.  Before she married she worked as a nanny and even a maid for her sister and sister's friends.  She was an assistant kindergarten teacher.  Her lineage and privilege was high, but she was basically prepared to marry in a high position.  She died in a controversial high speed crash in a Paris tunnel on August 31, 1998 with her companion Dodi Fayed and drunk driver; Henri Paul, as they were chased by Paparazzi.

Of course, we are all familiar with Christina Fernandez Kirchner.  Her politics may be debated, but she has taken great strides and has many supporters.

No matter how much closer to equal rights women have gotten, the male is still dominant.  The female is still known to be subordinate.  Many women in the world are placed in extremely submissive positions.

There is an invisible problem of violence in many male-female relationships, which is physical and often worse, psychological.  There are not many official statistics, and the attitude is that the home is one's own business.  Violence can be very subtle.

In the Anglo Saxon World women have become prominent as detective story writers.  Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie and Ruth Rendall are examples.  In these writings, Radical Feminism is sometimes taken to extremes.  Lesbianism is often portrayed.  Female singers abound, and often take a rebellious stance.

Hopefully, the bulk of modern women and men are learning that they no longer have to compete, and that they can live cooperatively, share the workload, responsibilities and also the benefits.  Extreme attitudes are not good.

There are also extreme cases where women are not so patient and many attempt to become excessively independent instead of finding the solutions to be able to live together in harmony.  Without a doubt, balance is needed. 

There is a common expression in English, "You can't live with 'em and you can't live without 'em"!  Men are confused about how to be, and Women are often frustrated about it, imitating men instead of forming new and better ways of existence.

The Great Teacher gives us the solution:

It is Communion, and also Conversion.

What is Communion?

Communion is to "get very close to someone or something by (sharing) exchanging feelings and thoughts". 

Conversion is “to change, switch”.

Consummate - "Complete, perfect, complete in every way".

It is my personal belief that the answer to the question, “Who is the most powerful woman in the World”? ... is..

The woman who is closest to God in Spirit.  I also believe that there are many such women, presently living and working in the World, perhaps not noticed, and that the needed conversion of humanity will come, more than any other way, through this very powerful source!

A CLEAR TREND II (to be continued).

A CLEAR TREND II

One of the most outstanding women of our times is Mother Theresa of Calcutta.  She brought with her a message of love.  Her work demonstrates true conviction.  She took action through service, and won the Nobel Prize in 1979.  She objected, but accepted the prize on behalf of the "poorest of the poor". 

She was Albanian.  Her original name was Agnes Gonaha Bojaxhiu.  In 1948 she became a citizen of India.  At age 18 she attended a religious order in Ireland, and received her spiritual training in Dublin, Ireland and Darjeeling, India.  She took the name Teresa in 193l, after a Saint, and taught in Calcutta for 20 years.  Then she received a call to attend the poor in the streets in 1946.  Two years later Pope Pious XII gave her permission to share her life with the poor. 

She established an order called Missionaries of Charity.  The original work was with children teaching them to read.

In 1950 she began to care for lepers.  Pope Paul VI put her order under the Papacy and gave authorization to expand to other countries.  She created centers around the world to assist lepers, elderly, the blind and people with AIDS.  She also opened schools and homes for the poor and abandoned children.

Another important woman nowadays is Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton who was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 26, 1947.  She has two younger brothers and comes from a close knit family.  She has a commitment to family, work and service.  She is a Methodist and was a girl scout as a child.  She met Bill Clinton at Yale Universty and married in 1975.  Her daughter, Chesea, was born in 1980.

Hillary is a lawyer by profession.  The people of Arkansas named her Woman of the Year in 1984.  When Bill Clinton took office he was concerned about Health Care and asked her to chair the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. 

In 1996 "It Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us", her book, was published and since 1995 she has written for a weekly Column "Talking it Over". 

In the White House, with Bill Clinton, she hosted two conferences on children:

1.  The White House Conference on Early Childhood Development and Learning, and

2.  The White House Conference on Child Care.

She has worked to reform the foster care system.

She occupied the place of good will ambassador for the U.S. during visits abroad.  Her message is human rights, health care and economic empowerment of women.  She used to oversee special events at the White House, loves art, especially sculpture.

Hillary has had to suffer many troubles and has overcome many obstacles in personal and International crisis.

She has also been elected Senator, and was the 67^th Secretary of State, under Obama.

A woman who has probably had more attention than any other is Marilyn Monroe.  Her famous face has been seen and posted all over the world.  Her real name was Norma Jean Mortenson and she was born in Los Angeles.  She was raised as Norma Jean Baker of a mother who was a film splicer, Gladys Monroe Baker.  Gladys' second marriage to Mortenson ended before Norma Jean's birth.  Gladys Baker was diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic and Norma Jean had an unstable upbringing.

Norma Jean became a model by an army photographer at a factory job and then enrolled in a three month modeling course.   Her first husband was James Dogherty, an aircraft factory worker who she married in 1942, and later divorced.

In 1946 she signed with Fox for $75 a week, changed her name to be more appropriate for an actress, and became a "Fox Girl".  At first she had small parts and periods of unemployment. She worked hard to progess in studies and made much effort to succeed.

Her career had a turn for the better when Johnny Hyda became her agent.  She did the Asphalt Jungle and All about Eve in 1950.  She played an inexperienced woman in the company of worldly older men.

She became a manufactured sex queen.  By 1953 with a heavy publicity campaign and ten more pictures behind her she had become famous.

She married Joe Di Maggio in 1954 and got divorced the same year.

¨Bus Stop¨ was from 1956 and “Some Like it Hot”, came out in 1959.  In 1956 she married Arthur Miller, the playwright, and tried to get pregnant.  She lost two children. 

She suffered great mental and emotional disturbances, but fought against it in order to work.  In 1961 she did the ¨Misfits¨, written by her husband.  It provided her deepest and most complex screen role.  They divorced in 196l and that same year she was hospitalized in a clinic for mental patients.  In 1962 she died a mysterious death in her home in Los Angeles from an overdose.  She was later connected to the Kennedys, but it was never clear what kind or how much of a relationship she had with (apparently) both John and Bobby. 

Marilyn Monroe is a symbol.  Her situation showed the exploitation of sexuality and commercialism in the mass media and the marketing of women as sexual icon.  As an example of that marketing, Andy Warhol produced "Orange Marilyn” in 1964, which sold for $17.3 Million in 1998.

Marilyn was a homeless waif who needed to both give and receive a certain particular kind of tenderness.  Her image encircled the globe and dominated an era.

A CLEAR TREND (to be continued)

A CLEAR TREND         BEGAN:  MAY 22, 1999

One precursor to the women's movement was Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902).  She was a central figure in the struggle for equal rights for American women.  She organized the first women's rights convention in the summer of 1848.  It was a small but important step towards legal equal rights for women.  She began her speech with a humorous dismissal of the fear that women would want to start dressing in a less feminine manner.  Then she focused quickly on the illogical categorization of women as less than full citizens.

Another forerunner to the movement was Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906).  She was a prominent figure in the struggle to legalize women's right to vote in the United States.  She traveled the Nation to promote women's right to vote.

Some questions we can consider at this point are:

1)  What woman do you admire and why?

2)  What is your opinion about the position of modern- day women, (especially in the workforce and politics, and also regarding care of children)?

3)  How do modern-day women relate to men and vice versa?

     What about women's conditions in different parts of the World?

4)  What is the difference between today’s women and women from the last Century?

Women first voted in New Zealand in 1893.  In Argentina the law of suffrage was passed in 1947 and they first voted in 1951.  They still can't vote in Kuwait and Arabia.

In this Century, one of the first woman to occupy an important place in politics was Isabel II, Queen of England.  She was in the throne for more than 44 years.  The queen still has many duties and is well respected.

Indira Gandhi was prime minister in India two times:

                 between 1966 and 1977

                 and 1980 to 1984 when she was assassinated.

Golda Meir was Prime Minister of Israel between 1969 and 1974 and has a long history of politics in Israel.  She was a grandmother, worked hard and had no live-in servants.  She helped to secure funds from other countries to form Israel.

Meanwhile, Margaret Thatcher was a leader in Great Britain between 1979 and 1990.  She was known as the "Woman of Steel".  She was known for her efforts to conduct the destinies of a European country.

Argentina was the first modern country to have a woman President, Maria Estela (Isabel) Martinez de Peron, between 1974 and 1967 when she was ousted by a military coup.

Benazir Bhutto was prime minister in Pakistan in 1982 which was quite a feat in a country of great religious and cultural masculine domination.

President Corazon Aquino was the first woman President in Asia in the Filipine Islands.  Kim Cambell was Prime Minister in Canada from 1993-1996.

An important figure was Madeline Korbel Albright, Secretary of State in the United States since January, 1997.  She was a first in the history of the U.S. Diplomats once nicknamed her "half bright".  She was born in 1937 in ex Checoslavaquia.  When she was young her family escaped from the Nazis and she is a long time friend of Hillary Clinton which is how Bill Clinton discovered her.  She often wore pins or brooches adequate to a particular situation being dealt with.  For example, the Lebanese once were calling her a witch and she wore a broom pin. 

There is a clear trend:  More women in power.  What does this mean and how does it affect politics and life in general?  According to Jane de Hart, a specialist in the subject, “the style of women is different.  It is less authoritarian.  They tend to work more towards negotiation and concession.  They get into politics to change things - not for power”.

POEMS ESPECIALLY FOR GRANDCHILDREN-No. 3 PAINTING OF THE PLACITA

PAINTING OF THE PLACITA

(April 15, 2013)

It is a moment that passes by,

We can’t hold onto it, as much as we try.

The stillness calls us to some greater task,

“The purpose of it all”, being what we ask.

Time is a mere sensation;

Our unique thoughts a whole creation.

Many cars pass by with a rumble;

People in the park chat and mumble.

Shoppers wander about; the trees continue to grow.

A happy dog chases a stick some kids throw.

This fleeting scene passes by.

No one even notices how fast the times fly.

                                      By: Karla

Poem by Emily Matthews

POEMS ESPECIALLY FOR GRANDCHILDREN (No. 2)

I have fond memories of when my Day used to give us a whopping ten cents as allowance as a kid, in the late 50’s!  It all seemed so important to me.  I wrote this poem last year, four days after Zoe’s 10^th birthday!

September 28, 2012

ALLOWANCE

How much is all the pain worth?

How much does it cost to paint the sky?

What value has the perfect picture?

Or how costly is a pious, white lie?

The words that make a poem, lived, felt, experienced…

Are all held within until they are expressed.

The touches of the Artist upon the palette of life,

The value of each breath, the value won through great determination and strife!

How to find what it takes, or the time, to write or paint, or feel,

Those inner expressions

That are what is truly what is so real!

                                       By: Karla

POEMS ESPECIALLY FOR GRANDCHILDREN!

POEMS ESPECIALLY FOR GRANDCHILDREN

This is a collection of poems especially dedicated to my granddaughter, Zoe, for her birthday on

September 24^th! 
Sometimes, living at a distance makes it difficult to get a present to someone, so I hope she enjoys a few poems!  I also believe some things are better in the original language and should not be translated!  

I began to write this poem on January 20, 2013, and finished it today.  So happy greetings to my brother, Shawn’s, son, Ethan, whose birthday is on January 20^th!

“Don’t know much about”…

EQUATION

Humanity has put forth a great effort, with much reason.

It is with practice that man has learned to plant in the right season.

The fish is caught after a long wait,

Having used the best and correct bait.

What use is much money to those of much age?

Injustice on the law books!

Just turn the page!

There is a higher justice to any set law,

And a ready mercy for the worst flaw.

The most expressed word in history is “love”;

It rises like vapor, to cycle over and over, like fluffy clouds above.

When humanity realizes love like they know to run machines,

There will be a conversion of energy, that goes beyond all means.

                      By: Karla (Bear), A nickname my nephew, Jeremy named me when he was a child!

Poem: TO OUR LADY

To Our Lady” (Bi-lingual)

This poem stamp was in a prayer book that belonged to my grandfather.  It was in the things my brother, Kurt, sent to me with the things that belonged to Aunt Regina, who died not too long ago at the age of 100!

“TO OUR LADY”

Lovely Lady dressed in blue-

Teach me how to pray!

God was just your little Boy,

Tell me what to say!

Did you lift Him up, sometimes,

Gently, on you knee?

Did you sing to Him the way

Mother does to me?

Did you hold His hand at night?

Did you ever try?

Telling stories of the world?

O!  And did He cry?

Do you really think he cares

If I tell Him things-

Little things that happen?  And

Do the Angels’ wings

Make a noise?  And can He hear

Me if I speak low?

Does He understand me now?

Tell me – for you know?

Lovely Lady dressed in blue,

Teach me how to pray!

God was just your little Boy.

And you know the way.
               By: Mary Dixon Mayer

Esta estampa con poesía estaba en un libro de oraciones que pertenecía a mi abuelo.  Estaba con las cosas que mi hermano, Kurt, me mandó. Pertenecía a mi tía Regina, quien  murió hace poco, ¡a los 100 anos!

“SEÑORA ENCANTADORA”

Señora encantadora, vestida de azul-

Enséñame cómo rezar.

Dios fue, apenas tu hijo pequeño

Dime lo que es mejor comunicar.

¿A Él, a menudo,

le cantabas así,

alzándolo suavemente en tus rodillas,

como mi mamá también a mi?

Le sostenías a la mano de noche,

así, como para probar,

a contarle historias del mundo?

¡Oh! ¨¿Y Él las escuchaba y  solía llorar?

¿Te parece que realmente a Él le importa

Cuando le cuento las cosas buenas, malas,

y los detalles de lo que ocurre?  Y . .

Dime: ¿Los Àngeles tienen alas?

¿Hacen ruitditos?

¿Y Él a mi,

me comprende ahora?

Dime, que eres dueña de lo sabio.

Señora, encantadora, vestida de azul,

enséñame a rezar...

Dios era, apenas, tu niño pequeño,

Y Tú  sabes del buen caminar.

                                    (Traduccion por Karla)

POEM-SONG...SAN CAYETANO!!! 7 de AGOSTO!

FROM A COLLECTION OF POEM -SONGS CALLED, "FRUITS FROM PRAYER".

DE UNA COLECCIÓN DE POESÍA-CANCIONES MÍO,

"FRUTOS DE LA ORACION". 

August 23, 2000

I wrote this poem-song, one day as I was returning from the grocery store.  I was thinking about a woman who entered the Church of San Cayetano first, on August 7, 2000.  She waited 90 days so as to be the first person to enter.  She went on her knees, with a child in her arms, from the door to the image of San Cayetano, and praying for a better situation.  I also thought about my Faith in coming to another Country from my birth Country, The United States.  The poem-song came to me suddenly and with music.  I hurried to my house, repeating a few lines, and noted it down in a notebook, adding the rest.

(Escribí esta poesía-canción, un día cuando volvía de la tienda.  Estaba pensando en la mujer que entro´ en San Cayetano primero el 7 de Agosto, 2000, habiendo esperado 90 días ella para ser la primera en entrar.  Se fue con una bandera y un niño en sus brazos, y de rodilla, desde la puerta hasta la imagen de San Cayetano, rezando por una mejor situación.  Y pensando en mi Fe en venir a este país desde Estados Unidos, me vino de pronto la siguiente poesía-canción.  Me apurre´ a mi casa repitiéndola una parte de ella, y la anote en un cuadernito, agregando lo demás.  

SAN CAYETANO

Moved by the Faith,

I sing this song to you.

Tears falling down

In this dark, cold night.

Don't cry, don't cry,

You have a lot to give.

Argentina, you're on the way.

Don't cry, don't cry.

You have a reason to live.

We're on our way

To the promise of Faith.

(piano)  In the end is it all the same?

Does Love even matter?

Don't cry, don't cry.

What is your goal?  What your purpose?

Moved by the Faith,

I sing this song to you.

Tears falling down,

In this dark, humid night...

Bis:  Don't cry, don't cry... Argentina,

But look up to the Light!

By:  Karla

7 de Octubre, 2005 (Dia que hice la traduccion).

(En la Argentina celebramos San Cayetano todos los

7 de cada mes, pero el día de Él es el 7 de Agosto).

SAN CAYETANO

Movida por la Fe

Te canto esta canción.

Lagrimas cayéndose

En esta noche oscura y fría.

No llores, No llores.

Tienes mucho para dar.

Argentina, estas en el camino.

No llores, No llores.

Tienes una razón para vivir.

Estamos en la vía

A la promesa de Fe.

(Piano)  ¿Al final es todo igual?

¿El amor ni importa?

No llores, No llores.

¿Cuál es tu desafío? ¿Tu propósito?

(Pausa)

Movida por la Fe

Te canto esta canción.

Lagrimas cayéndose

En esta noche oscura e húmeda...

Bis: No llores, No llores...Argentina

Sino mira hacia La Luz.

Por: Karla

Poems in Pictures! "The Long, Long Road"!

Some general guidelines for verbs! Guia general para verbos.

VERBS:  There are two kinds of verbs in English: special verbs & normal verbs. There are 13 special verbs, all the rest are normal verbs.
NORMAL VERBS
They can only make affirmative sentences. For all the other things, they need DO:
affirmative   I live in London
negative   I don't live in London
interrogative   Do you live in London? Yes, I do.

Normal verbs can be regular or irregular!

SPECIAL VERBS
They never use DO, they can do everything. Most of them can use contractions.
affirmative   I can speak English
negative   I can't speak English
interrogative   Can you speak English? Yes, I can.

The special verbs are: to be, have, do, can/could, will/would, shall/should, may/might, must, ought to
There are two kinds of special verbs: auxiliaries and modals.
AUXILIARY VERBS (or HELPING VERBS)
The auxiliaries verbs in English are: to be, have, do, will, would.

They help a normal verb to make some tenses. A normal verb only has present and past tense, but we can make more tenses using auxiliary verbs:

present: I live in London
past: I lived in London
present perfect : I have lived in London   auxiliary: Have.
future: I will live in London   auxiliary: Will.
conditional: I would live in London   auxiliary: Would
present continuous: I am living in London   auxiliary: Be.
passive voice: I am called Tim   auxiliary: Be.
present perfect continuous: I have been living in London   auxiliaries: Have & Be.
negative: I don't live in London   auxiliary: Do.
etc.

To Be   to make continuous forms and the passive voice: I am writing a letter  -  The window was broken
Have   to make the present perfect: He has lived here for 5 years
Do   to make negatives, interrogatives, etc: I don't like tennis / do you know him? Yes, I do.
Will   to express future: They will come to visit me
Would   to make conditionals: If you had problems, I would help you.

MODAL VERBS
Modal verbs are used to express ideas such as possibility, intention, deduction, suggestion, obligation, etc. 
Modal verbs never change, they don't add an -S for the 3rd person singular and they don't use ¨TO¨ before or after them (exceptions: to be, ought to):
normal: I live here, he lives here
modal: I can swim, he can swim
normal: I want to go
modal: I may go
POSSIBILITY: May & Might
- It may rain today because it is very cloudy.
- If you go to Hollywood you might see some famous actors in the street.
PERMISSION: Can, May
- Can I go to the toilet?
- May I go to the toilet? (more polite)
ABILITY: Can (past tense and conditional tense: Could)
- I can play the guitar
- When I was a child I could play the guitar, but now I can't.
ADVICE: Should
- If you want to be a doctor you should study more.
INTENTION: Will (past: Would)  [yes, this verb can be a modal or an auxiliary for the future)
- Don't worry, I will help you.
- He said that he would help me.
INVITATION: Will
- Will you come to my party tonight?
- Sure, I will.
DEDUCTION:  Must ("can't" for the negative)
- Who's that? - That must be John, because he is very tall.
- No, that can't be John, John is younger.
SUGGESTION: Shall
- Shall we go to the cinema?
OBLIGATION: Must
- You must stay here and you mustn't speak to anyone until I come back home
PROHIBITION: Can (in the negative)
- I'm sorry, you can't park here, there is a yellow line on the road.

SUMMARY
The 3 No's: Remember this simple rule for the use of special verbs (modals & auxiliaries): …NO -¨S¨, NO ¨TO¨, NO ¨DO¨.

NO –S   I can/ she can
NO TO   I can walk / no infinitive
NO DO   you can / you can’t / can you?