Royal Wedding

I've been thinking about when I realized that feminist movement ended.
I was just 18 during the summer of 1981. I worked as an intern for ERAmerica in Washington, DC. ERAmerica was a coalition to extend the deadline for states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
Text:
Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

Two other important things happened the summer Ronald Reagan was President.
1. Princess Diana got married
2. Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed to the Supreme Court to replace Potter Stewart.

I was one of those 18yo girls who didn't have "getting married" on my mind. I was still a virgin and planned to stay that way until I met the right one. After a few weeks a ERAmerica, I found a boyfriend on the District of Columbia law clerks softball team I managed to infiltrate. The women in the office were amazed. And then there was Diana's wedding. I didn't watch, thought the dress and pomp were silly. Yet the women in the office were salivating.

When it came to Sandra Day O'Connor appointment, they were all trying to figure out where she stood on issues. I called the Arizona State Senate and spoke to her Admin. Reading between the Admin's lines, I concluded that Sandra was indeed for a woman's right to choose. That was the only issue I cared about. Making sure the government didn't have control of what I did. I couldn't rally around .59 on a dollar for similar work. If a woman wanted to be a sanitation worker and lift cans as heavy as a man - yes, they should get paid the same. But if they sat in the office and picked up the phone receiver - no.

Looking back I now realize that at that moment feminism was over. Now most women (including me) are taking the easy way out. Their daughters are protected while their sons are taught to swim. They sign up boys for t-ball and girls for arts & crafts. It's no wonder boys are better in sports than girls.

I'm not raising my daughter that way. But it's hard when everyone else sees boys and girls. Even the books they are given to read have boy and girl roles.

In a way this all can be good for Cutie. She will be the smart and strong girl among a lot of mediocrity.

And now it's another royal wedding of William and Kate. And no, I'm not waking at 4am to watch it. Well, maybe on you tube.

Too Young, Too Old, What's a Girl to Do?

This was a trying month. I'm working close to full time. Cutie was off from school for Passover (almost 2 weeks). Tryouts for Synchronized Skating teams were 4 weeks apart. She easily made one team. The one closest to home (15 mins away). The other team was 45 minutes away. That team only took girls 8-9 and thought 6 was too young for the team.
Cutie was heartbroken. She like skating because it was how good you are - not your age.

I'm too old for an advertising gig. She's too young for a team gig.

Cutie rode a bike completely by herself this month. I'm on rollarblades and she's on the bike as we go around the lake path.

Seder at Adam's was great this year. All the children are old enough to really participate. Cutie is reading hebrew beautifully. Even mom was impressed.

Outstanding Progress

Just got Cutie's Report card. There are 4 categories:

Improvement needed, Progressing, Satisfactory progess, Outstanding progress. Nobody gets outstanding progress. I want to know why if nobody gets it, why it's a category. I like grades that mean something.



I'm really working. Went down to Cleveland last week. Wrote a creative brief. The usually stuff. I like after school activities that start after 6. She started taking piano at the Rockland Conservatory of Music. It's a pain driving her. Next year we will find someone who comes to the house.

Geraldine Ferraro died this morning.

In 1982 I went to work as a Congressional intern for Gerry. I was a naive 19 year old with ideas that I could change the world. There's only a few things I remember from the internship. I remember placing a potential bill in the hopper. The bill was to exclude perfume samples from import taxes. Another was the brilliance of the Library of Congress. It was before the internet and B&N on every corner. I remember needing a hamantashin recipe and the LOC sent a few to me.

When she was selected as Mondale's running mate, I wrote an Op-ed piece in Newsday. It ran on Monday, July 23, 1984 in the As I See It column. I managed to find the yellowed and brittle newspaper piece.
http://www.fefferoo.com/newsday-ferraro.jpg

Tight Schedule

Cutie is off to Synchronized Ice Skating tryouts. One team wins everything. That team is 45mins away. The other is in it for the fun and only 20 minutes away.

She's wants to be on both teams. One to win and the other to have fun.

I, on the other hand, just started working in advertising again - with road trips.

What's a mom to do?

Being Pretty

Today I used the last drop of my La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream. It was a gift from when I worked on the La Prairie account 4 years ago. Tomorrow I get to crack open Avon. It will not make a bit of difference. But I can dream (or live through cutie)

Cutie is doing very well. We are in the midst of trying out for an ice skating synchro team. She doing a great job at the clinics. Something is a little off. Everyone is tense because even if you are already on the team you must try out again. Few members from the Intro class are attending. The one who are there are not really ready. Cutie is ready. And is doing quite well with drills she's never seen before. I'm wondering where the other girls who can skate are. Either they dropped out or maybe they have the right coach or know something I don't. I'm a little stressed out.

Cutie had her first encounter with boys. She and her very blond and fun friend were skating at the local rink. Two 8-10 yo boys came over to play with them. One boy was tall and a little nerdy. The other you could tell was going to be in the gorgeous category when he gets older. I could tell they came over to because of Cutie's friend. After Blondie left, they continued to play with Cutie. When the boys were leaving they asked me when do we skate. In the car, Cutie told me that one of the boys thought she was cute and she was embarrassed by this.

See why I named her cutie!

Secret Little System

Cutie has a secret little system on how to read while playing computer game. Multi-tasking is no longer for grown-ups only!