Here’s to Girlfriends

It’s October and the heat is off!

There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October. — Nathaniel Hawthorne

The flower for the month of October is the calendula or cosmos and the gem is my favorite – the opal. The color, according to colorstrology.com, is cerulean which is “calm and soothing, signifying love, beauty and balance”. October is my favorite month to be in Las Vegas, a feeling shared by many if the calendar of events is any indication. There is an outdoor activity of some kind every single weekend. Enjoy!

THINK PINK!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. More than the color for breast cancer awareness, pink represents the promise between two sisters to find a cure for breast cancer. That promise launched Susan G. Komen for the Cure komen.org and ignited the passion of millions to create a world without breast cancer. Ford Motor Company sponsors Warriors in Pink, donating 100% of the net proceeds of their great products (scarves and tee shirts, not cars and trucks) to Komen. www.fordvehicles.com/warriorsinpink.

Ford Motor Company sponsors Warriors in Pink, donating 100% of the net proceeds of their great products (scarves and tee shirts, not cars and trucks) to Komen, fordvehicles.com/warriorsinpink.

There is pink stuff everywhere this month! The Komen organization sponsors Passionately Pink for the Cure© allowing us to choose our own day to wear pink and raise funds for the cause. passionatelypink.org.

What I did on my Summer Vacation

For several years now my husband and I have been taking “road trips”. When you have a life filled with deadlines, it’s very relaxing to just get in the car and drive somewhere without any sort of schedule. We have taken some wonderful trips, but this August we lost our minds and decided to drive to Des Moines, Iowa for his mother’s 80th birthday. Roundtrip, we went through eleven states. That was too much of a good thing and our backsides suffered for it. On the other hand, I saw things I’d never seen before. I saw buffalo roaming and deer and antelope playing (not together). I saw amber waves of grain (I think it was millet) and a couple of majestic purple mountains. Okay, maybe “majestic” is a stretch, but they were pretty good size. We drove past miles and miles of corn fields. One farmer was hedging all his energy source bets ‑ in the same field he had the corn as well as a wind farm and some oil pumps. Just about every town we went through owed its beginnings to the Union Pacific Railroad – just like Las Vegas.

At the Iowa State Fair I saw a cow and a likeness of Harry Potter carved from butter, as well as giant pumpkins and squash. I even got to meet “Miss Squash” or something like that. She was young and pretty and wearing one of those beauty queen sashes. I can send you pictures if you like – of the squash, not the Princess. I had breakfast with a woman whose husband would like to be our next President and then met him and their two adorable little girls. She told me that the youngest child, who is only three, is prone to taking off all her clothes and streaking down the halls of hotels. Jackie Clegg Dodd is my new hero!

On the way home, we stopped for gas in a town where all the trees were stripped bare. It was the oddest sight, and then we realized that we were in Greensburg, Kansas, where this past spring a tornado ripped through and destroyed everything. The hospital looked like a MASH tent. The only real building standing was the convenience store where we got the gas. Across the street a couple was cutting grass in the yard where their house used to be. Coincidently (or serendipitously) there was a story on NBC News the next night about how the residents are determined to rebuild their town.

Here’s what I decided: This is an amazing country filled with abundant resources and some very good people. Given the right leadership, we should be able to have, be or do just about anything we want.

Movie Tickets

Shawn Lane of Cheyenne Marketing has made it possible for me to offer Girlfriends free movie tickets from time to time. These are special pre–release screenings. The caveat is that the distribution companies 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:

Elizabeth, the Golden Age, Monday, October 8 at the Brenden Theatres in the Palms. I have a limited number of passes, each of which admits two. 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. Please put “Movie Tickets” in the subject line.

Who said this?

“Politics should be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage.” Answer below.

Best Friend

A couple of years ago Carol Megathlin decided to retire from her job as Public Information Officer at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography near Savannah. It had been a great ride, enabling her to combine several of her considerable talents, including her studies of geography, her talent as a photographer and her writing skills.

Carol and I met when we were dorm mates at the University of Georgia. At one point she introduced me to her brother, a move she lived to regret. When he and I got engaged, she said “Oh, no! Mom and Dad are going to kill me!” (We really were too young.) He and I aren’t still married, but Carol and I are still friends. But I digress …

And so she settled into a “life of leisure” enjoying the beautiful area she’s called home for – can it be – thirty-six years. Even before she left Skidaway, Carol was writing beautiful and thoughtful columns for local and regional newspapers, and sharing them with me via email.

In September of 2002, an acquaintance in her church offered her an opportunity to correspond with a soldier serving in Afghanistan. Soon her friends and co-workers were asking to adopt soldiers. As she matched soldiers with sponsors, her interest in the war, in the military, and in trying to help our soldiers grew. In July 2006 she challenged her readers who said they “support the troops but not the war” to prove it by contributing to an organization called “Operation Helmet” to provide ground troops with potentially life saving helmet upgrade kits. The column ran in the Atlanta Constitution – and many readers took her up on her challenge.

In 2006 when Major General Rick Lynch took over as commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, just south of Savannah, Carol approached him with an idea. With his permission, she would set up a table at Hunter Army Air Field in Savannah (troops fly out for Iraq from Hunter), and give soldiers the opportunity to sign up to be “adopted”. Carol would ask for their names and e-mail addresses, and then find civilians who were interested in supporting them. These sponsors would send letters, e–mails, and care packages to “their soldier” for the duration of the soldier’s deployment. The General agreed.

Carol has signed up over 3500 soldiers and has found sponsors for all but about a hundred of them. She sends out an occasional “Adopt–a–Soldier Update” via e-mail to all sponsors. Sadly, she also must keep them informed of casualties among the troops they have adopted. That’s the dark side of this happy project. Now she is reaching out across the country to her “sister” for help with an effort initiated by Lt. Col. Doug Crissman, commander of a 3rd ID task force in Al Anbar Province in western Iraq. The following is an excerpt from a letter she received from him:

     Thanks so much for your interest in supporting the Iraqi Women's Program we began this summer in Hit. Our intent for our new location is to connect with the women of the local population we support. Of course, cultural and religious considerations make this a little more difficult than a similar effort in the States. We intend to establish a facility – like a Women's Union – that we could provide funds to build/renovate in order to provide a place for the women to meet regularly. The majority of the Iraqi women who participated in our program in Hit just want an opportunity to socialize with other women, learn a skill or trade to make money or benefit the community, and/or establish a babysitting co–op to allow them to have some time without their children periodically. Sewing and cosmetology (hair and nails primarily) seem to be the most common skills the women were interested in so we are hoping to establish the facilities and procure the equipment to allow the women to learn a skill and then, hopefully make some money while applying it.
     LTC Doug Crissman

He goes on to list some of the items they would appreciate receiving. And so I’m issuing my own challenge, to my Girlfriends here in Southern Nevada, to join with my Best Friend in Savannah. If you want to learn more about her Adopt a Soldier project, and perhaps start one of your own, write to her at carol.megathlin@comcast.net. And I think we can really get behind the Iraqi Women’s Project, don’t you? This is an amazing opportunity to make a difference in the life of a U.S. Soldier or Iraqi citizen. For the full text of the message from LTC Crissman including detailed information about what they need and where to send it, just write to me, letstalk@herestogirlfriends.com.

Notes from Carol:
The Adopt-a-Soldier project has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. The connections that continue to be made between sponsor and soldier are amazing. We do not realize how much little things mean to these soldiers. What touches my heart is how much the soldiers want to help the local population. LTC Crissman’s Women’s Project is one example of how our soldiers are trying to make life more bearable for besieged and despairing Iraqis. Our military men and women display a humbling selflessness. They make me proud to be an American. My sister‑in‑law Carolyn has made all of us in her family proud, too, with her efforts on behalf of women in Nevada. Thank you, Carolyn, for being who you are. May your efforts continue to touch lives everywhere.

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!)

Where the Girls Are

  • Monday, October 8, 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 Cynthia Bazin presenting “Fitting Fitness into Your Busy Life”. For information and reservations, contact Amy Frost, amy@authenticsuccessteams.com.
  • Monday, October 8, 6:30 – 8 pm at Transformations, 1725 S. Rainbow, #25: Direct Selling Women’s Alliance presents guest speaker Jeri Taylor–Swade and “How to Build Your Business with Trade Fairs & Expos”. For information and reservations, contact Lanetta Seppala, lanetta@savesyoutime.com.
  • Tuesday, October 9, Women in Technology International (WITI): 6 – 8 p.m., 6700 Via Austi Parkway. Special Agent David L. Schrom of the FBI’s Las Vegas Cyber Crimes Squad will discuss the FBI’s fight against online criminals. For information and reservations, contact Laura Fucci, lfucci@corp.witi.com.
  • Thursday, October 11: Women’s Democratic Club of Clark County will meet for lunch at the Main Street Social Club. Guest speaker will be Review Journal reporter Molly Ball. For information or reservations call 615–4522 or email womensdemoclarkcounty@gmail.com.
  • Thursday, October 11: National Association of Professional Mortgage Women dinner meeting and annual Chinese Auction. Guest speaker will be the recently appointed MLD Director Joe Waltuch; napmwlv.com.
  • Wednesday, October 17, 6 – 8 p.m., at the Fiesta Rancho: National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Las Vegas Chapter. Guest speaker is Ruben Vasquez of ADT Construction and his topic is “Implosions in Las Vegas.” For reservations or information, contact Linda Gibson, linda@agclv.org.
  • Wednesday, October 17, 2007 11:30 – 2:30pm.: Desert Newcomers Club meets at the Dragon Ridge Country Club. The program will be a fall fashion show presented by Talbot’s. For more information about Desert Newcomers activities, visit desertnewcomersclub.org
  • Tuesday, October 16: NAWBO/Southern Nevada presents the second annual Women Mean Business© Expo, the only showcase exclusively for women–owned businesses; Paris Hotel Convention Center. The luncheon will feature keynote speaker Susan Steinbrecher, author of Heart–Centered Leadership, followed by a free Expo showcasing NAWBO member businesses. www.nawbosnv.org.
  • Thursday, August 30, 10 – 11:30 a.m.: Desert Newcomers Club meets at the Green Valley Library. August is the month for open enrollment for members regardless of the length of time they have lived in the area. For information, contact Sheila Drayster, Membership VP at 739-9322. For more information about Desert Newcomers activities, visit desertnewcomersclub.org.
  • Monday, September 10, 6:30 – 8 pm at Transformations, 1725 S. Rainbow, #25: Direct Selling Women’s Alliance presents guest speaker Caterina Rando and “How to Double, Triple & Quadruple Your Bookings, Sales & Recruiting Results”. For information and reservations, contact Lanetta Seppala, lanetta@savesyoutime.com.
  • Tuesday, October 16: NAWBO/Southern Nevada presents the second annual Women Mean Business® Expo, the only showcase exclusively for women–owned businesses. Paris Hotel Convention Center. For exhibit and sponsorship information, visit nawbosnv.org
  • Friday, October 19, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Moms in Business Network (MIBN) quarterly conference at Nevada Federal Credit Union, featuring guests panelists CeCe Knapp, Maureen Peckman and Beth Galofaro with a special Marketing2Moms presentation by MIBN Founder, Gina Robison–Billups, mibn.org.
  • Saturday, October 20, 9:30 AM League of Women Voters meets at the Main Street Station Social Club. Chris Edwards, Global Warming Project Coordinator presents “The Heat is On!”, lwvlasvegasvalley.org.
  • Saturday, October 20, 5:15 PM, Las Vegas Quill Keepers, women writers’ resource and support group, meets at The Reading Room in Mandalay Place. The topic will be “Public Speaking for Writers”. lasvegasquillkeepers.com
  • Saturday, November 17, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Henderson Convention Center, 2nd Annual Henderson Mom-preneur Expo and Fall Family Festival, hendersonmomexpo.com.
  • Women and Network groups meet the first and third Wednesday of every month at I–Hops around the Valley. For information, visit womenandnetwork.com.

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!

Who said this? I’ll bet you didn’t guess it was Lucille Ball!

Cheers!
Carolyn Stephens
herestogirlfriends.com


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