Interesting Women in History (That You Probably Don't Know About)

In honor of International Women's Day, I would like to introduce you to half a dozen interesting women from history. Some are famous; some are not. Some are famous for something other than what makes them so interesting. But all of them left their mark on the world, and all of them are worth learning more about. 

Hedy Lamarr, Inventor (1914-2000)

You've probably heard of Hedy Lamarr. She was a well-known movie star in the 1940s. But she was so much more than an actress. Born in Austria, during World War II her first husband, a weapons manufacturer, often brought her to business meetings. The discussion was about electronic devices that could intercept and jam American radio frequencies. It occurred to Lamarr that it was possible to defeat such a device by rapidly changing frequencies in a pattern that was known only to the sender and the receiver. Lamarr actually worked on turning the concept into reality, joining forces with a composer named George Antheil. The pair designed and patented a working technology that used a piano roll to move among 88 frequencies, but when offered to the U.S. Navy, it was declined.

Eventually the technology resurfaced and was not only used during the Cuban missile crisis, but has become the basis of current technologies used in cordless and cell phones, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. 

For more information, check out these links:

Smithsonian Magazine

Forbes Magazine

Harriet Chalmers Adams, Journalist and Explorer (1875-1937)

Adams lived during a time when it was common for men to explore as-yet-unreached parts of the world, but it was unthinkable for a woman. As well as exploring the globe from South America to Siberia to North Africa and more, Adams was a writer and photographer for several magazines including National Geographic and Harper's, served as a journalist at the French front during World War I, and after joining Britain's Royal Geographic Society but being refused membership in the American Explorers Club due to her sex, she founded the Society of Women Geographers. 

For more information, check out these links:

Adventure Journal

National Geographic

Althea Gibson, Athlete (1927-2003)

Gibson made history in 1956 when she became the first African-American woman to win a Grand Slam title, going on to win both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals the following two years. Tennis coach Bob Ryland, who played professionally at the same time as Gibson, has said that Gibson could have beaten Martina Navratilova and both the Williams sisters. And as if breaking barriers in professional tennis wasn't enough, she went on to become the first Black woman to play on the Women's Professional Golf Tour.

In the 1970s, she followed up her career as a player in both sports by helping to provide sporting equipment to underprivileged youth as well as by running training clinics and outreach programs, and by coaching. 

For more information, check out these links:

Thoughtco article

NY Times

Ellen Ochoa, Astronaut & Engineer (1958-)

Ochoa earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford and joined NASA, specializing in optical systems. She has logged four space flights, including a mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, logging over 1,000 hours in space, and was the director of the Johnson Space Center. 

For more information, check out these links:

NASA bio

Scholastic.com

Sybil Ludington, Revolutionary (1861-1939)

"Listen, my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere." Sadly, no-one talks about the midnight ride of Sybil Ludington. Ludington's father was a New York militia officer who eventually became an aide to General George Washington. When Col. Ludington heard that the British were attacking Danbury CT, 15 miles away, 16-year-old Sybil took it upon herself to ride out and alert the countryside. She rode nearly 40 miles raising the alarm before returning safely home. The Danbury raid was successful, but the Patriots fought the British in nearby Ridgefield and succeeded in driving them back to Long Island Sound.

For more information, check out these links:

Encyclopedia Britannica

Battlefields.org

Shirley Chisholm, Congresswoman (1924-2005)

The daughter of a father from Guyana and a mother from Barbados, Brooklyn-born Chisolm was the first African-American woman to serve in Congress and both the first woman and the first African American to seek the nomination of one of the two major political parties as President of the United States, using the motto "Unbought and Unbossed". A teacher and political activist, in 1964 she was elected the second African American in the New York legislature. Four years later she became a U.S. Congresswoman, eventually becoming the first Black woman and the second woman to serve on the House Rules Committee.   

For more information check out these links:

National Women's History Museum

Smithsonian Magazine

2021 Golden Globes Fashion Review

The Golden Globe Awards were a little different this year: There was one live host on the East Coast and one live host on the West Coast, a small live audience of masked (and tested) First Responders, and celebrities in their own homes, most of them still dressed to the nines. All things considered, it worked remarkably well. Cohosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler know each other so well that they played off each other despite being separated by an entire continent, to the point that I occasionally forgot they weren't standing on the same stage. There were a few technical glitches, including failed audio for the first acceptance speech - which, fortunately, was rectified in time to allow the recipient to give his speech, widely varied picture and audio quality from the various stars, and hilariously awkward throws to commercial breaks that included a random sextet of celebrities on Zoom screens dealing with the same difficulties and awkwardness that the rest of us peons encounter in our Zoom sessions. But on the other hand, we got some fun glimpses into the celebrities' homes, the occasional dog wandering through the background (or foreground), and the delightful inclusion of various assorted spouses and children. (One of my favorite moments of the evening was the gentleman who gave an acceptance speech with a squirmy little girl in a party frock crawling all over his lap and throwing her arms around his neck while he spoke. ADORABLE.)

I wondered how many nominees and other celebrities would be wearing formalwear, but I was pleasantly surprised that the vast majority of them were, with only one or two stars opting for hoodies or pajamas. And there were definitely more than enough to justify a fashion blog - so here it is!

Amanda Seyfried looked lovely in a softly draped, off-the-shoulder coral gown with frothy flowers around the shoulders and a short train. The color suited her nicely, and I loved her wavy hair and understated makeup.  

 

 

Cohost Amy Poehler started the evening in a shiny black thigh-length dress with a high neck and long sleeves and metal buttons down the front. It was okay, but nothing special. I really liked her second dress, a short fitted sheath with a scoop neck, trimmed with lace at the hem, sleeves, and neckline, accessorized with a simple black neckband. It seemed much more her style than the first. Her third look was much more elegant and traditionally "red carpet," with its plunging neckline being held together with a large gold ring. It was cute and flattering, but didn't feel as much her style as the second look. No bad looks here, but #2 was the best for her. 

Angela Bassett was one of my favorite looks of the night. Her dramatic deep plum one-shouldered gown had a full marabou feather strap and a high slit. She also sported a thick, waist-length braid with a narrow plait braided into it, which added a touch of both whimsy and elegance. She looked absolutely glorious.

Awkwafina's gown was certainly eye catching, although not at all to my taste. I didn't like the colors or the color combination; I found the wavy pattern too busy, especially when combined with a very shiny finish; the tulle sleeves and under-ruffle looked out of place; the bodice was an unflattering shape; and the thick platform shoes looked clunky and overly casual. But somehow it seemed to suit her, so...thumbs up? I think.

Carey Mulligan was one of several stars wearing nicely-draped satin columns. Her ivory gown had criss-cross draping across the bodice and a small capelet. Her gown was pretty and flattering, but not terribly memorable. 

Cynthia Errivo, on the other hand, was distinctly memorable. Her vivid lime-green gown appeared to be made of a textured Spandex reminiscent of surf gear, and the slightly-too-short skirt was supported at the bottom by a single hoop, which caused it to swing stiffly as she moved. It was oddly paired with elbow-length ivory gloves. The concept wasn't terrible, but a few too many details were just a little off, and in the end, it just didn't come together. 

Elle Fanning looked absolutely exquisite in a figure-hugging ice blue, bias-cut satin column with matching shawl. I found her slicked-back hairstyle a bit too severe for her personality, but her makeup was striking and she looked simply dazzling. 

I was not a big fan of Emma Corrin's dress based on the collar alone, which was all that could be seen in her early Zoom appearances, but the rest of the dress was actually quite stylish. I would have toned down the puffiness of the shoulders and the overall volume of the collar, but the silhouette of the dress was lovely, and I liked the scattered pearls all over the dress, the silvery-white cuffs, and the deep slit. Overall, not a bad look. 

Jamie Lee Curtis hit it out of the park in this yellow draped column with long cuffs, full sleeves, square shoulders, and a deeply plunging neckline, topped by her signature silver pixie. Simply fabulous. 

Jane Fonda also rocked a short silver haircut, pairing hers with a slim white suit that emphasized her still impossibly slim figure and perfect posture. Pointed metallic kitten heels completed this tailored and polished look.

Jodie Foster went for comfy chic in Prada pajamas paired with minimal makeup, a simple necklace and earrings, and a sleek bob. She looked both comfortable and elegant. Win-win!

Julia Garner's gown was shapeless, colorless, and lifeless. The silhouette of the dress was unflattering and the wide plunging neckline was not right for her delicate frame, making her look skinny instead of sexy. The dropped waist made the overall line shapeless and broad. I think that if the top had been fitted instead of loose and the fabric had some kind of texture or hint of color to it, it could have worked. But as is, it was just blah.

Kaley Cuoco wore another gown that was much prettier when seen in full view than when seen only from the waist up. Like many red carpet gowns, it did not seem to sit quite right on her figure when she was seated. But the floaty fabric, adorned with silver patterns, moved beautifully, and the simple fitted bodice paired beautifully with the soft fullness of the skirt. A really pretty and feminine look.

Kate Hudson also falls into the category of gowns designed for standing rather than sitting. In her early Zoom interviews, I absolutely HATED this gown. The bodice did not sit right on her figure and looked very uncomfortable, and the puffy black sleeves looked shapeless and droopy. But in the context of the full look, the full black sleeves were balanced by the slim black skirt, and I love the shape of the metallic-patterned bodice and the wide belt. The bodice still sat a bit lower than was flattering, but overall I liked the look.

Kyra Sedgewick wore beautiful blush peach satin wide-legged trousers and a softly pleated, twist-front halter top with a short cape. It set off her coloring beautifully, moved well, and looked incredibly comfortable as well as elegant. 

Laura Dern frequently missteps on the red carpet, but I really loved her look here. A tailored black tuxedo with a peekaboo black shirt underneath and a wide black neckband was a great riff on standard menswear, and although I didn't love the Pinhead-esque shoes, the touch of whimsy was fun, and the bright red lips but otherwise natural makeup and simple, soft hairstyle were great accessories.

Not many people could pull off this ruffled, busy-print dress, but somehow Margot Robbie still looks stunning. A crisper fabric or a livelier color might have worked better, particularly with the interesting lines of the bodice, with its cold shoulders and thin straps.

 

Nicole Kidman was the picture of elegance in a long black halter column with a pair of metallic gold bands running down the front. I especially loved her curly updo and vivid red lipstick.

Regina King wore a black and metallic silver column that I loved except for the odd line of the asymmetrical bodice. The angled inset was pretty, but the short sleeve looked like an old black t-shirt.

Rosamund Pike's dress was a beautiful color, but the line was just...weird. The narrow bodice was straight and fitted, with wide straps, but then a huge, multi-layered tulle skirt jutted out directly from the empire waistline. I did like the narrow black ribbon trim, but the heavy black tights and clunky shoes didn't tie in. Drop the waistline to the natural waist and accessorize with sheer black textured hose and little ballet flats and this would have been a terrific look.

Salma Hayek's simple red gown featured a halter neckline, a wrapped sash, and a graceful trailing scarf over the shoulder. It set off her figure perfectly, and its simplicity drew the eye to the wearer and not the dress. Sheer elegance.

I am rarely a fan of Sarah Paulson's red carpet looks, to the point of wondering why her stylist hates her. I'm not sure if she used a better stylist or if she styled herself this time, but whatever she did, she should keep doing it. I loved her off-the shoulder, full-skirted black satin gown, her natural makeup, and her slicked-back, flipped-ends hairstyle. It was a little bit retro and a lot bit classic Hollywood glamour. I love that Prada designed her a petalled purple cast cover to go with her outfit; I only wish there had been another tiny touch of purple somewhere to truly tie the look together. 

Still photos don't quite do justice to Tiffany Haddish's striking chain-mail-inspired column. Its mirrored panels somehow managed to be barely opaque, allowing glimpses of long legs and a demure thigh-length underskirt as she moved. One of the most dramatic looks of the night.

 

 

Like her cohost, Tina Fey sported three different looks over the course of the evening. She started off in a Judy-Garland-esque thigh-length tailored tuxedo jacket over sheer textured black hose, Which was a fantastic look for her. Her second look was a matronly black-and-floral-print with an oddly stiff A-line skirt and a wide black band at the hem that made the skirt look like a cotton print apron. And her third look included a poorly-fitted gold sequin sportcoat trimmed with red-white-and-blue cuffs, which was not a bad concept, but somewhat poorly executed. Her first look was far and above her best.

Another striking and dramatic look was Viola Davis' African-inspired mermaid gown. The vivid red, yellow, and blue print dress had a fitted column for a base, but burst into a huge mermaid skirt at the knee and added asymmetrical leg o' mutton sleeves, one off the shoulder, for an amazing silhouette. 

But lest any of the celebrities above feel slighted by my commentary, or any celebrities feel bad that they didn't even make it into this blog, let me reassure every one of them that no matter what they wore, they were more well-dressed than Jason Sudeikis. 

Photo a Day: Catchup

I had the best of intentions of keeping up with daily Photo a Day posts this month. But obviously, that didn't happen. I got in a few, then I fell completely off the bandwagon. But I'm trying to climb back on with a single photo that covers a multitude of missed topics.

These items are some sewing supplies that I inherited from my grandmother, who passed away a few months ago. We shared a love for sewing, although she was more of a knitter than a seamstress. The wood surface is a lovely Ethan Allen sewing table that she passed down to me decades ago, when I was in college. But the pincushion and button jar are more recent acquisitions.

When I look at these items, I am reminded of my grandmother. She was a SWEET (day 20), elegant, feisty lady with a gentle grace and a sharp wit. She was overflowing with LOVE (day 10) and KINDNESS (day 11) for others. When I look at this old-fashioned RED (day 13) pincushion, it reminds me of her huge HEART (day 14). It may be SOMETHING NEW (day 16) in my home, it is also SOMETHING OLD (day 19) that is full of wonderful family memories. It is a FAVORITE PHOTO (day 17), not because it is perfectly composed or lit or because the subject is especially beautiful, but because of all the happy thoughts it evokes in my mind. It is, indeed, A VIEW I LOVE (day 18). And above all else, THIS MADE ME SMILE (day 21).

We're Overthinking This - and It's Exhausting

I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm hitting the pandemic wall lately. Maybe it's the knowledge that we're approaching the one-year mark; maybe it's building on my usual February doldrums; maybe it's the extra tiredness and frustration from the weight I've put on. But it recently occurred to me that there's another complicating factor: every single thing I do requires thinking.

Let me explain.

Under normal circumstances, if I needed a haircut, I'd simply go get a haircut. In my case, I wouldn't even bother making an appointment, I'd just drop in at Supercuts. But right now, even though I haven't had a haircut in a year and a half (I was already overdue when this whole thing started), I can't just walk in to Supercuts and do it. I have to think: is the risk of spending time in public with other people, especially when social distancing isn't an option (at least from the hairdresser), worth getting a haircut? Especially now, when my hair is getting really ratty and unhealthy looking, to the point where it's affecting my self worth, maybe it's worth the risk. But it's certainly not a no-brainer - well, not to me, anyway. Even as simple a choice as getting a haircut requires dwelling on health risks and safety concerns and putting time and effort into coming up with a decision.

It's exhausting. 

Planning dinner is more difficult than it was, because I can't just run out to the store to grab the one ingredient I don't have on hand for the recipe I just came across. I'm not the one doing the grocery shopping, so I can't even plan on the fly depending on what's on sale. I have to think about what's in the pantry and add things to the list instead of relying on walking through the store, noticing an item, and thinking, "Oh, I need that." I need to spend time thinking and planning instead of making it up as I go. This is a huge change of mindset that requires significant mental energy for me. 

And it's not just meals that require planning in advance. All those little sundries that I'd normally grab from CVS on my way home from work, like toothpaste and shampoo and chapstick and Valentines, have to be thought through ahead of time and either ordered online or added to a list for when there's enough on it to make it worth the trip. 

Going to the doctor (which for me is a 6x or more per year event, not just most people's annual physical) involves first a decision of whether an in-person visit is needed or if a video or phone call is acceptable, then for in-person visits, it also involves fielding a screening phone call, a confirmation phone call, and an arrival phone call, and then a further decision of whether to postpone the usual lab tests. Again, probably not a huge deal for most people, but when you throw in my usual anxiety about phone calls, the difficulty is magnified. What would normally cause minor and manageable anxiety now causes the kind of anxiety that affects my daily functioning.

It's exhausting.

My kids have three different school schedules, based on the day of the week, as well as several once-a-week extracurriculars, so there's no autopilot of "It's a weekday: wake up at 7, send the kids to the bus stop at 8:15, see them again at 4." Instead, it's "Am I putting them on the bus? Is it the day where one has a meeting at 9 but the other not until 11? Is it the day when they're both online at 8:50?" And to add to the complications, since the state recently changed the remote learning requirements, they now have additional mandatory and optional online meetings on 2 of their 3 remote days, which of course are at different times for each child. My whiteboard is no longer big enough to hold both their daily schedules. 

It's exhausting.

I think it's helpful just to recognize how much harder we're all working. For me, as least, it helps to have an answer to the question of, "What's wrong with me?" And the answer is, of course, "Nothing's wrong with me; I'm just expending 3 or 4 times as much mental energy as I'm used to on simply getting through the day." It might not help everyone, but just knowing that I'm working hard and it's not reasonable to expect myself to feel the same way that I do when I'm not working this hard makes it easier for me to deal with.

I guess I'm writing all this not only to reassure myself but to reassure anyone else out there who's struggling right now: You're not crazy; life has gotten harder. And not always in ways that we can get used to. We've all found ways to cope and to work within the constrains of the "new normal," but that doesn't mean it isn't harder. It's a lot harder; more so for some of us than for others. But we're all struggling and we're all doing our best to manage. So let's also work harder to offer each other (and ourselves) a little grace and sympathy. It's a tough world out there. Let's try to make it a little easier for each other. 

Photo a Day: Bright

Knowing that today's Photo a Day theme was "Bright," I was delighted to wake up this morning to a bright, sunny day with a clean coating of fresh snow over the old. From every window there is a glitter of white sun on snow. The sky is a clear, deep blue without a hint of clouds, and the sunshine is streaming through the windows, casting bright bands across the floor. There were almost too many opportunities for a "bright" photo. 

I wandered around the house, looking for options. I took a picture of blocks of sunlight streaming through the glass doors into the dining room, with bands of shadow cast by the door jambs. I took several closeups of icy snowbanks glittering. I took a few of bushes covered in snow and branches encased in ice. I took several of a leafless birch tree jutting up into the deep blue sky. They all illustrated "bright" very clearly. 

But in the end, I opted for the photo with the most interesting composition.

I love this photo not only because of the clear blue sky and the sparkling icicles, but because of the juxtaposition of curves and straight lines, of the blue color block of the sky and the white color block of the eaves, of the rough branches and the smooth roofline and window frame, of the interior wood and the exterior woods. 

I'm not much of an artist - I can barely draw a straight line - but I do have enough of an artistic eye to recognize a well-composed photograph (or at least, a decently-composed one). I consider myself a creative person rather than an artistic one, but photography is a place where, if I work hard enough and experiment a lot, I eventually come up with something artistically satisfying.

It may not win any awards, but I like it. It's bright.

Bright.

Photo a Day: My Happy Place

Anyone who reads my blog or my Facebook page with any kind of regularity is aware that I moved to a new house this past summer. We're in a much more rural location, and since our property includes a large section of woods, we get loads of wildlife and especially birds visiting our yard. 

There are many features about our new house that I LOVE, but one of my most favorite is that there are huge windows everywhere, so the rooms are beautifully sunlit. And my favorite windows are a trio of arched windows in the family room that look out past my birdfeeders and into the woods in the back yard. I have spent hundreds, perhaps thousands of hours in that room watching the birds (and the deer, and the opossums, and the groundhogs, and the chipmunks, and the squirrels). I fold laundry there, I cut out patterns there, I work on my laptop there, I plan den meetings and write Sunday School lessons there, I listen to music there, I enjoy cocktails with my husband there. It is truly My Happy Place. 

Much like spending time with my cats, spending time with "my" birds brings both laughter and serenity. The blue jays' silly antics, the squabbling of the juncos, and the robins' territorial displays all make me laugh, and the cooing mourning doves, the lovely markings of the flicker, the shyness of the woodpeckers, and the sweetness of the fledglings all bring me peace.  

My Happy Place.

Photo a Day: Duo

A few months ago, my family took the plunge into the world of family pets and adopted a pair of kittens. Other than marrying my husband, this may be the best decision I have ever made in my life. These kittens are exactly what our family needed to liven up our house during this long, dreary, pandemic winter. 

The names they came with were Crockett and Tubbs, which my husband and I - being children of the 80s - found absolutely hilarious, but since the kids completely missed the reference, they were quickly renamed Misty and Shadow. However, they are more frequently referred to as Black Cat and Gray Cat, Thing 1 and Thing 2, Trouble and Double Trouble, Cat and Other Cat, and "Hey You!". Or occasionally, the Dynamic Duo. 

(I know, I know, it's supposed to be just ONE photo a day. But the internet is for cat pix, so deal already.)

Their favorite antics include wrestling in the bathtub, surfing down the hallway in the wheeled hamper, hiding under the sofa, attempting to knock the butter dish off the counter, watching the toilet flush, carrying around the catnip mouse, nose booping passersby (mainly a Misty habit), sitting on the mouse pad of whoever is using a computer (mainly a Shadow habit), staring out the windows at the birds and the squirrels, chasing pipe cleaners, sitting in boxes, and staring deeply into the eyes of anyone who is eating in the hopes of guilting them into sharing (this rarely works, but hope springs eternal). 

All but silent when they first arrived, over the past few months they have developed a fascinating collection of vocalizations that includes chirps, chitters, guttural growls, peeps, and almost-but-not-quite-meows, as well as an impressively loud pair of purrs.  

Bottom line, this duo is a constant source of both laughter and serenity, a very welcome addition to our home. 

Duo.