Here’s to Girlfriends

What is up with this HEAT?

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.”
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18

The flower for the month of July is the water lily and the gem is a ruby. The color, according to Pantone sponsored website colorstrology.com, is “coral blush”. I don’t know how good that will look on my 6’ son who turns 40 this month. Forty! My baby is turning forty! I need to lie down.

Each summer in Las Vegas seems hotter than the last. This year I know it’s not my imagination that it got hotter sooner than ever before. Every morning this week the TV weatherman has said “this will be the hottest day of the year so far”. I don’t know about you, but “lovely” and “temperate” are not words that come to my mind when I reluctantly get into my PT Cruiser/Easy Bake Oven in the afternoon.

Keeping Your Cool

I asked a few friends how they keep cool in the summer heat. I got so many great suggestions (and a few bizarre ones) I may have to save some of them for next month when I’m sure it will still be plenty hot. Credit is given where appropriate.

  • Walk around naked.
  • Live in your pool.
  • Keep your gin in the freezer.
  • Keep ceiling fans on, shades closed, and lights off (this is especially important if you use that first tip).
  • Keep a spray bottle of water in the refrigerator and give yourself an occasional spritz.
  • Go out early in the a.m. or late at night (although right now it’s hot all the time).
  • Doing yoga helps keep you internally “cool”, so that things don’t bother you as much. From personal coach, Judy Irving.
  • There is a reason for the saying “cool as a cucumber”, so along with the cool cucumber slices on the eyes I have also started adding a bit of Stirrings Cocktail Splash (available at Williams Sonoma) to my water either in the glass or bottle. From gourmet cook, Laurie Kalnin.
  • Also, on the water bottle subject I freeze the water bottles to just under rock hard then I bang them against a table, floor or other hard surface to crush the ice and make it slushy.
  • To keep your kids cool and not cranky find some indoor activities that allow exercise. I bought my daughter an XBOX 360 and the Dance, Dance Revolution Universe program and floor mat. This way she can play on the computer, get exercise, and still keep cool.
  • I take a mini vacation and spend an evening up at Spring Mountain Ranch with Super Summer Theatre, supersummertheatre.com. Picnic dinners can be brought into the park (including alcohol) or you can buy your snacks from the concession stand. …and yes, tons of very convenient handicap parking. From Gal About Town, Elizabeth Foyt.
  • Stretch back in my office chair – close my eyes, take a few deep breaths, and think of at least three good things I’ve been blessed with that day already so far. Of course, if it is the end of the day – I recommend medicating with champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries… From coach & trainer, Dee Clarke who seems to take everything in stride.
  • Carry a Chinese folding fan with you everywhere! My collection numbers about 30+…one for each outfit color combo. From author & world traveler, Carolyn Proctor.
  • Be prepared! In your car keep a wide brim hat, comfy cool shoes and socks, a snack that won’t melt. If you ever have car trouble, you may have to wait for help and best to keep the sun off your body and have shoes to do hot pavement moving. This suggestion, of course, came from Super Organizer Brenda Prinzavalli.
  • My air conditioner went out yesterday afternoon and it may be next week before I find some relief!!!! Last night, I took my dog out in the sprinklers and I stood there in my nightgown, got it really damp and turned the fan on both of us to get a little sleep! Prefers to remain anonymous.
  • Head for the hills, the mountains that is, where the elevation keeps things 30 degrees cooler.
  • Spend time in the frozen food aisle at the grocery store. Stick your head into those coolers and enjoy!!
  • Get a personal hydrating device. A friend of mine got one for about $2 at Walgreen’s that sprays a wonderful cool mist on you…great for baseball games when it’s 115° outside. From Little League mom & business coach, Betty Mahalik.
  • Keep a washcloth in the freezer and when the heat gets to be too much wrap it around your neck.
  • Lie directly underneath a ceiling fan with no clothes on. It works for our golden retriever so I'm thinking it would work for humans too.
  • Go to Kwik-E-Mart and get a Blue WhooHoo! Or a Vanilla Squishee! Tami Belt is working on some PR for a minimart, can you tell?
  • On a work day, I've been known to go into the break room and stick my head in the freezer - literally :) Very appealing image isn't it? I cannot imagine the chic and lovely Bea Goodwin with her head in a freezer, but I can imagine the following…
  • On a “play day” I sometimes take a lawn chair and cooler down to Lake Mead – park my little self right in the lake and read a book. Of course a LARGE sun hat and a FULL cooler are essential!!
  • And when all else fails, take a cold shower.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I ran this article last month and a few people interpreted it to mean that it was my birthday. It was just a thing about a trend I’ve noticed among women who are not willing to leave the important details of party planning to anyone else. My birthday is September 28, and I will not mind if you want to wish me Happy Birthday at the appropriate time. On the occasion of my 40th birthday, a friend gave me a refrigerator magnet from a Hallmark line called “Aging with Grace”. Grace was a kindlier version of our current spiritual leader, Maxine. It said, “I never look back. I’m not going that way.” Words to live by. Earlier this week I had lunch with a fabulous friend who just turned 70. Next month I’m going to Des Moines to celebrate my youthful mother–in–law’s 80th birthday. “Old” ain’t what it used to be!

Best Friend

This month’s Best Friend comes not from a Girlfriend, but from the young man who is the father of my wonderful godchildren. Sean Jones teaches art to willing and unwilling adolescents, currently at Canyon Springs High School. He is also a talented artist and muralist, see artofscjones.com.

People speak of mentors in our society. It is advertised in small “soundbite” television ads. The demand for mentors is a “much needed hope for our youth” according to these short spots. It is something the “Youth of America” desperately need. Yes, mentors are needed, but the full spectrum of what is needed is not completely appreciated or understood. Who would think that a 28 year old man – beginning a questionable career in Art Education – would actually need a mentor? He’s not a kid – he doesn't need a mentor!

Wrong! I was that 28 year old. I was confused. I floundered at the dawn of my art teaching career. I really had no idea what I was doing. I was in desperate need of help. I was blessed with three angels – my “ladies”, as my wife and I ended up calling them – the guiding lights of my career: Beth Casper, Lynda Whitehair and Cathy Heath. Together, they were the ones who took the time to mentor a grown man and furnish him with a career and not just a job. They were the mentors who looked at me and realized I didn't know what the hell I was doing.

During my first year of teaching, they caught on to the fact that I didn't know how to teach Design and Crafts. I actually had no idea what Crafts were. Cathy kept me after school, and she taught me crafts the kids would appreciate and enjoy. She did it with a smile and joy that gave me hope. Without her help, I would not have survived my first year of High School Education. Honestly, I would have been fired. Her mentoring saved my skin.

Cathy was beloved by her students. I watched this daily. Our Chaparral Art Department had an “open door” policy. In other words, there were no doors, all the rooms were connected and we shared a common office. We all witnessed the fact that kids loved Cathy. They would not leave her alone. I wondered how a teacher could attract such devotion in teenagers. Over time, I realized it was the same smile and joy she gave to them that she had given to me. Cathy produced a devotion in children that was unrivalled. They came to eat lunch with her. They stayed after school with her. They returned after graduating to spend time with her.

Some teachers alienate their students and are the subjects of bitter thoughts later or are simply forgotten. Some teachers create a passion within their students that transcends the subject they are teaching and creates a bond that lasts forever. Cathy fell into that category. Actually, I think she wrote the book on it. Cathy knew how to make every student feel glorious.

Cathy not only mentored me in education. She mentored me in my own art work; “Fix this.” “This painting isn't done.” “This is how you frame it.” She taught me the secrets of water coloring. I am privileged to not only have been a co–worker of Cathy’s, but also her student. Every student who has loved me is the result of Cathy showing me the way. Cathy taught me how to love every student, good or bad. Extrapolating her years of teaching, I guess there are at least a few thousand students out there who were guided by this mentor. There is a virtual army of people in our society who are better individuals from being mentored by Cathy Heath. I am proud and honored to have been one of them.

Editor’s Note: Cathy Heath, artist and art educator, died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack on June 25. She will be missed by the legion of friends and students who loved her.

Do you have a “best friend” you’d like to share with the rest of us? Please send her story to letstalk@herestogirlfriends.com. (Be sure you get her permission first!)

Stand Up and Be Counted!

In 1776 Abigail Adams politely pointed out to her husband, John that an important word (women) had been left out of the new code of laws that he was drafting for our country. He did not take her up on the suggestion. Time after time men asked women to put aside their fight for equality “for the good of the country”. It seems there was always some war to wage or some other more important issue to deal with. (Does any of this resonate?) Women fought for the right to vote and were fined and arrested for their efforts I’m pretty sure the jails were not the sort that Paris Hilton recently occupied! Finally on August 26, 1920, fifty-three years after the 14th Amendment gave freed male slaves the right to vote; the 19th Amendment was ratified giving women the same privilege. Thanks to two young ladies from Henderson who lobbied Congress, July 19 has been proclaimed National Women’s Suffrage Day. Celebrate and appreciate!

Women Mean Business®

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Southern Nevada Chapter will host its second annual Women Mean Business® Luncheon & Expo October 16, 2007 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Paris Hotel Convention Center. This is the only Expo featuring and supporting local, women-owned businesses representing a broad range of industries and professional services. The event features luncheon keynote speaker Susan Steinbrecher, co-author of Heart Centered Leadership followed by the opening of the exhibit hall from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Exhibitors must be NAWBO members, but the public is invited to attend the event. Sponsors to date include Embarq, In Business, PRISM Human Resource Consulting Services, Vast Array Advertising and Marketing Essential

NAWBO Southern Nevada is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of women-owned businesses through educational programs, networking events and public policy initiatives. For information about NAWBO and the Women Mean Business® Expo, visit nawbosnv.org.

Movie Tickets

Shawn Lane of Cheyenne Marketing has made it possible for Girlfriends to receive free movie tickets from time to time. These are special pre-release screenings. The caveat is that the distribution companies frequently overbook, kind of like airlines and hotels. You must arrive an hour prior to start time to ensure that you have a seat.

Here’s what we’ve got this month:

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry; Monday, July 16; Brenden Theatres; chuckandlarry.com

Hairspray; Tuesday, July 17; The Orleans; hairspraymovie.com

The Kingdom; Tuesday, July 24; location TBA; thekingdommovie.com

Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis. If you want to take advantage of this offer, reply ASAP to letstalk@herestogirlfriends.com.

New Barbra Sher Success Team Forming!

Due to a large number of recent inquiries (the universe must calling each of you) Deborah Porter announces that she is organizing a summer Success Team. The 8-week session would begin Monday, July 30, 2007 at 6:30 PM, location to be announced soon – probably at a facility near East Harmon & Eastern Avenue. A success team is a small ongoing group made up of people like you. The people on your team will help you make your dreams come true. If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Deborah at debopo@cox.net or call 702-387-2321. There is a discount for registering before July 15th, so call right away!

Where the Girls Are

  • Saturday, 07/07/07: Get Lucky at the Fifth Annual Girls Day Out; South Point Conference Center; girlsdayout2007.com
  • Monday, July 9, National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) breakfast, 8:30 – 10 a.m. at the Wild Horse Golf Club, 2100 Warm Springs Rd. Guest speaker will be the phenomenal Dr. Suzan Thompson presenting “Emotional Freedom: Keys to Unlocking the Wisdom of the Heart”. For information and reservations, contact Amy Frost, amy@authenticsuccessteams.com.
  • Tuesday, July 10, Women in Technology International (WITI) Regional Network Event: 6 – 8 p.m., Entrepreneurs Meeting, 6700 Via Austi Parkway. Guest Speaker Anna Siefert from the Nevada Microenterprise Initiative will discuss steps to creating a business and the Angel Network. For information and reservations, contact Laura Fucci, lfucci@corp.witi.com.
  • Thursday, July 12: Women’s Democratic Club of Clark County luncheon, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the Social Club next to the Main Street Station. Guest speaker will be Barbara Buckley, Speaker of the Nevada State Assembly. She will give a review of the recent legislative session. For information or reservations call 615-4522 or email womensdemoclarkcounty@gmail.com.
  • Thursday, July 12: National Association of Professional Mortgage Women dinner meeting and program, “The Art of Prospecting and Getting Business from Top Realtors” by Sam Chauhan; napmwlv.com.
  • Wednesday, July 18, 6 – 8 p.m., at the Fiesta Rancho: National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Las Vegas Chapter presents Richann Johnson, Senior Development Officer, Las Vegas Office of Business Development. Get the latest “scoop” on downtown development, including the Arts District. For reservations or information, contact Linda Gibson, linda@agclv.org.
  • Tuesday, July 24: NAWBO/So. Nevada; luncheon program with guest speaker Barbara Buckley; 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.; The Orleans Hotel & Casino; www.nawbosnv.org.
  • Thursday, July 31: Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Nevada hosts a mixer from 6 – 8 PM at the Stirling Club. There is no charge but you must RSVP no later than 7/227/07 by calling 733-3955. For details visit womenschamberofnevada.org.
  • Friday, August 3: the four Las Vegas minority chambers of commerce will host the inaugural “Women of Color Conference: Empowering Our Future”. The participating chambers include the American Indian, Asian, Latin and Urban chambers. The all-day event will take place at the Cox Pavilion on the UNLV campus. Women of all ethnicities, professions and social backgrounds are invited to participate. For more information and reservations, visit lvwomenofcolor.com.
  • Every Saturday, weather permitting; Carris Care Center leads a “Yoga Walk” through Calico Basin. Contact Iris Dortch, iris@carriscares.com or 636-1555.

Send announcements about events for women to letstalk@herestogirlfriends.com, as straight email text or MS Word attachments. Please, no PDFs, photos or graphics. They won’t be published and it slows me down!

Cheers!
Carolyn Stephens
herestogirlfriends.com


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