Celebrating Ourselves
By Janet Morrissey

How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Perhaps, it’s just a bleep on your radar, or perhaps, it doesn’t have much significance at all. I would like to pose a thought for you to ponder: take some time to love yourself and set aside time for you. Of course, it doesn’t have to be on V-Day, but perhaps, as Julia Cameron suggest in The Artist’s Way, a date with yourself—alone.

This makes me think of being happy. Years ago, my friend learned that no one could make you be happy. I was surprised, but I know now that I am responsible for my own happiness. However, Sonja Lyubomirsky states in her research that 50% is genetically predetermined and 40% is of our own doing. Basically, we must decide how happy we want to be.

Remember Jenny Joseph’s poem, “Warning,” which provides some unusual ideas on what to do when we get old.

“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.”

She has some other funny comments like learning to spit. I think if we did some of her suggestions, the men in white jackets would be called to take us away.

Then I got reading a more serious book by Patricia Lynn Reilly, Imagine a Woman in Love with Herself, who shows us how to compose our own lives without having society telling us how women should act or be, trying to fit us in so we can be accepted. Society wants us to believe we aren’t quite good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough, etc. Reilly shows us in this book, consisting of twenty statements each beginning with, “Imagine a woman” and completes the thought in three lines, that we can see ourselves in a different light. Then each chapter expands her ideas more thoroughly. The first chapter begins as follows:

“Imagine a woman who believes it is right and good she is woman.
A woman who honors her experience and tells her stories.
Who refuses to carry the sins of others within her body and life.”

She ends each chapter with a breathing exercise. In her second book, I Promise Myself, which is a guide to help you fulfill your dreams for yourself.

I realize that I may be speaking to the choir and many of you Crones know all this, but as we continue to grow and create (which we never stop doing, correct?), a kick-start never hurts. My last quote from Reilly is dedicated to all you Crones.

“Imagine a woman who has grown in knowledge and love of herself.
A woman who has vowed faithfulness to her life and capacities,
Who remains loyal to herself.
Regardless.
Imagine yourself as this woman”

See you in Tucson or, perhaps, for our First Regional Meeting in San Diego.

Crones Counsel 27 in Tucson
By Win Fiandaca

Maidens! Mothers! Matriarchs! Crones! Your Tucson Team is working to make our Tucson gathering inspirational, energizing and fun as we carry out our theme of Changing Woman. Patricia Alton is brainstorming with her team to plan our opening and closing. Andrea Hartwig is meeting with the director of her chosen community outreach later this month, and Gay Medina and Alexa West are cracking each other up as they share ideas for the Follies!

Here’s your opportunity to have a role in our event! Why not give a workshop? Think of all the experience you’ve had in that one subject that would be of interest to us. Or how about wowing us with your talent in a short act for our Follies? We can just see those wheels turning in your heads now. Team up with a friend or two or three and make it a class act!

Information on both these essentials of every gathering is forthcoming. Look for it in our next newsletter. And find it on our Facebook page. If you have not joined, join now! At present, we have only 38 members. Come and join!! Once you join you can recommend a friend to join. We should have 150 members. Search for Crones Counsel 27 at the top of your Facebook page in the blue strip. Help us grow!

Need Buddies!
By Maggie Fenton

Remember your first Crones Counsel? Did you come with someone else or were you braving it by yourself? For some, the first time is a great adventure; for others, it can be intimidating and not very welcoming. We’re trying something new this year to alleviate the first-time fear. We want every first-timer to have a buddy. It may be someone they come with but if they come alone, we’re looking for experienced Crones to welcome them individually and help them engage in all the wonderful Counsel activities. If you would be willing to be a buddy, contact me at registrar@cronescounsel.org, by message on the Facebook page, by phone or even (gasp!) mail me a note. I’ll give you a name and some brief guidelines for being a buddy.