Girl Power!

Zoe, my 9 year old, has been at Girls Rock Camp this week. This is her second year with this amazing program, and I just can't say enough good things about it. Unlike any other rock and roll camp program, Girls Rock Camp provides scholarships for about 50% of the girls that attend--which means that this program is empowering a truly diverse and talented group of girls.

During the course of the week, the girls take instrument classes, form bands, write a song, and prepare to perform their song at a showcase at the end of the camp. In addition, they have daily guest speakers on topics from how to market a band to the objectification of women in the music industry. They publish a "zine," create band "merch," and watch a lunchtime concert by a different local band each day. Some of the girls arrive with advanced skill on their instruments; others are absolute beginners who are playing an instrument for the first time. It's really amazing to see how much they can accomplish in the course of the week.

Besides the strength of the program itself, I think the aspect of this program that excites me the most is the incredibly diverse group of women who make the camp happen. What an amazing group of role models these women are. They are traditional and alternative, straight and gay, famous and unknown. They represent all ages, sizes, and colors. Some of them have conventional jobs; some of them not so much. Some of them make good money; others not so much. All of them are beautiful, strong, talented women who give up a week of their lives to empower young girls, to teach them what they know about music, and to share with them a little of what they know about life.

It's hard to explain why this is the thing that moves me the most, but I'll try. . . I can only be me for my daughters. I am one kind of woman who chose one path, and it just so happens that most of my wonderful female friends have ended up on the same path. So it's really cool for my girls to have strong female role models who have done things differently, who have made other choices and taken radically different paths, and who have happy, productive, fulfilling lives to show for it. I think it gives my girls a greater sense of the possibilities that are open to them.

Zoe has had a great week. She's excited about her band Randomness and about their song "Try." I can't wait to hear and see what they can do!

A Girl and Her Dog (cross-posted on facebook)

So, I've got this really, really talented friend (and I realize I could describe most of you that way, but this is about Laura!). She's a metalsmith. Seriously--a metalsmith--in 2009! She makes insanely cool jewelry, which you already know if you see me in person very often, because I almost always have something of hers on. Or perhaps I've given you one of her pieces as a gift. If so, you already know that Laura, known professionally as Metalsgirl, is amazing.

But there's another side to Laura. And that's the dog side. Laura is one of the co-founders of the dog rescue group Blue Dog Rescue. Over the years, Laura and her husband Tom have personally rescued, fostered, and found homes for countless dogs, including our very own Mr. Pink. But what happens when a dog they have rescued from certain death at the animal shelter *doesn't* find a perfect forever family? Well. . . if you were to visit Laura and Tom's home you'd know the answer. These lucky dogs end up living there. This wonderful couple shares their home with no fewer than 12 dogs (and 2 cats!) that, for some reason, could not be placed in another home. And, amazingly, it's not the chaos you might expect. In fact, the dogs are all very well-behaved, and the house is charming, cozy, clean, and (really, this boggles my mind) does not smell like dogs.

So, here's the thing. One of their pack, a completely deaf great Dane named Preacher that they adopted some 10 years ago has just been diagnosed with lymphoma. Laura has loaded up her website with all sorts of one-of-a-kind clearance items, and she's hoping that selling many of them will help them pay the costs of Preacher's chemo. . .

Take a look. Really, it's worth your time. Laura makes beautiful things, and you're bound to find something cool for yourself and a gift for someone special. Laura does really cool custom work, too.

Check it out!

www.metalsgirl.com

A Remarkable Gift

Zoe received a very special gift today. It was completely out of the blue, and from someone she doesn't see every day. Zoe's just about to leave 3rd grade. In fact, the last day of school is two days away. Today Ms. Markham, her phenomenal teacher from last year, who is retiring after 30 years of teaching, sent her away with a very heavy bag that she was not to open until she got home. As soon as she got in the door she reached into the bag and pulled out a note and an old, tattered, hard-back Webster's dictionary. In the note, Ms. Markham explained that she'd had this dictionary for over 40 years, and it had provided her endless hours of learning, but she had never had as much fun with it as she'd had looking up words with Zoe last year. So she wanted Zoe to have it, and learn from it, and love it as much as she had.

Zoe and I were both flabbergasted. I know this is a gift that she will always treasure.

If it weren't a complete breach of trust, I'd publish Zoe's thank-you note here. Suffice it to say I couldn't read it without crying. I know I'm completely biased and all, but she's an amazing kid--on her way to become an all-around spectacular full-grown person. A remarkable gift in her own right.