Edited by author 10-03-2004 06:23 PM
Hurrah for setting up this essential place that we can turn to for inspiration and insight! To keep myself sane, I've been involved in a couple of MotherWoman (8-week) groups, the MW "Continuous Journey" meetings, and the MW facilitator training, and yet I always wanted a place for us to connect online. Thanks a million! I know it will make a difference for many, many women.

Website works great on my MAC Meg- good job! Now the home page needs photos and "visuals"- this motivates me to get the work on my own page now. Hugs!

Visuals in the form of pics from Apple Harvest will be up ASAP!

Issues 7 and 3 are live, and pics from Apple Harvest are up! Info on Mom's Night Out as soon as I get it from Annette.

All issues are up! Still working on PDFs.

It's Ellen Unruh here writing from Australia, formerly from Leverett. Thank god you guys are up on the web now -- I've been missing my MotherWoman! A special hello to Shannon! I'm forwarding your info to a motherwoman here in Canberra who runs a very special woman's group, longstanding for 25 years and doing great stuff. Best, E.

Ellen. I'm thrilled to hear from someone from Australia! I'm so glad you're still in touch with us. Big changes to the website soon. So stay tuned! We have great things happening! Thanks for spreading the word.
Melanie DeSilva- Admin. Director

Hello,

I found you through Mothering.com email about Motherhood Manifesto - followed a couple of links to your site, and saw you were right below me in Northhampton, MA. I only wish, for the first time ever, that I didn't live in Vermont, and lived in Western Massachusetts, as your organization is exactly what kind of org I would like to get involved with, in a big way.

I would love to do something like this in Vermont, as it is much needed, as the climate for birthing and motherhood is in an abyssmal state. Maybe someone would have some contacts up here if something is in the works ? I'd like to stay in touch via this board if it was OK with MotherWoman.

Everything about your programs is like a dream: mother's soul support, PPD support, writing, even something for homeschooling moms. I just couldn't believe how wonderful it seems. Maybe I'll take a trip down there someday for a program.

Julia Riell
Poultney, Vermont
HS mother of two daughters, partner of Stu.

Hello,
I was directed to this site by my family counselor. Jamie said that I was not alone in my feelings of distrusting myself and my abilities to raise my daughters without damaging them. I have depression, panic & anxiety disorder and at times anger that wells up from I don't know where and transforms me into a raving lunatic that I do not recognize. Mostly everything is kept in check with meds, but there are times each month that nothing will stop my hormonal shifts from taking over. I am an older mom with two girls 3 & 7...I have such fear that they will grow up to dislike me, but perhaps be exactly like me... I'd love to chat with other moms that have anger/rage/depression/insecurity issues.
--Denise
West Virginia
Mom of two girls & wife to a terrific man

Hi Denise and Julia! Welcome to MotherWoman.

Denise, our next Journal is focused Mothering and Depression - if you are willing write a 1/2 page 'journal entry' about what it's like for you, or your fears for your kids, or anything around the issue, we'd love to consider it for publication. You are so very much not alone in your experiences.

Julia, there are other MotherWoman moms in Vermont - mostly in the Brattelborugh area. Come down some time!

-Meguey
MW site admin

Hey Meguey -
   
  I got this from you in December...not a good time. Lots has transpired since then. Some good, some of the same old same old. I don't understand how often your "journal" is printed, or what exactly goes into being part of the "Mother Woman" group. Funny thing is the counselor who pointed me in your direction is a man, and he didn't really have much to tell me except "you might want to check this out" when he handed me a flyer.
  I wanted to let you know that I didn't respond for two reasons. #1: I'm not sure if I can put what I feel into the printed word and not sound like the woman who lived at the end of the block where I grew up. She was looney, her kids ran wherever they wanted, and no one was accountable. But woe to you if you were in the room when she went off about something. More than once I was part of the group that ran for their lives as she threw her slippers in our direction. I never really understood the running part - in my home if my mother said "freeze" or "come back here", you did exactly as you were told!
  #2: I really wanted to check out your organization a bit first. I'm not a real "earthy" kind of mom. Alot of what I believed to be true and good about pregnancy, birthing, and being the best mom I could be went by the wayside. First when I found myself experiencing uncomfortable sieges while pregnant. I had back pain like I have never felt in my life, I lost half of what I ate daily and still managed to gain an unbelievable 50lbs both times. Then after both of my 8 lb+ girls were born by c-section I experienced post partum depression that nearly drove me to the brink of psychosis. The after the birth of my second child it took me 16 months to raise from the fog. I remain on 3 different meds to this day (she's 4 now) just to "maintain". I have had friends over the past 8 years that make it look so easy, so right...handling the babes so gently, being a kind & soft spoken mother, and loving every moment of it. To be truthful, I on the other hand have days when I want to get into my SUV and just drive away. I'm not kind, I'm not gentle, and I do not see myself as a good mom or wife. But my kids hug me and kiss me, and my husband loves me just the same.
  So...if I could understand a bit more about your organization first, then perhaps I could work my way up to writing for you about how the other half lives... Let me know?
  Thanks
  --Denise Amos
  

QT - Meguey <qtopic+27-dHgx53cebeTW@quicktopic.com> wrote:



We can complain because rose bushes have thorns,
  or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.
  ~~Abraham Lincoln

 
---------------------------------
Access over 1 million songs - Yahoo! Music Unlimited.
< replied-to message removed by QT >

Hey Meguey -
I thought I was replying directly to you...so imagine my surprise to find my e-mail posted on the site! So much for the anonimity I was hopin for! LOL!!
I was writing in response to your request for me to write a half page for the journal about my depression / anxiety & panic disorder / and how it was affecting my parenting.... That's what my message yesterday was all about!
Again - I'd still like to know more about Mother Woman, and what the "journal" is all about and how to send in a written piece for it...
Thanks!
--Denise

Hi. I just discovered your organization, and what a discover, I'm thrilled!! Now, my eminent reason for writing is to give you a little bit of my story and ask for some advise to any and all who may read this. I moved to South Hadley just under a month ago after fleeing what had just become a domestic violent situation. I'm glad that I did not think about this too much before taking action, because some insight into the realities of single parenting may have influenced, or at least stalled my decision to get the kids out of there.
So here we are, the three of us, staying with friends and much, much happier for making the move. But now I am forced to look at the reality of our situation and see that I am completely broke and that eventual child support payments are not going to cut it. Now, I enjoy living simply, and I am embracing the fact that we have shed most of our possessions, which became burdens on our previous life in the Berkshires, but on the other extreme now, I can scarcely afford to clothe the children and myself. I have sought public aid resources and believe that somehow this will all turn around for us. After all of this background, what I really wanted to ask is if anyone knows of some part time work in the Valley area which would allow me to bring my youngest (10 mo. old)child to work with me. She's a happy-go-lucky child who is content to be slung to me, but I just can't find such a situation. I also am trying to connect with home school groups or like-minded families with children in the same age range for play groups. If anyone has some leads for me, I offer my gratitude in advance. There's much more to share than this unusual introduction. Let's talk some more. Peace & Light, Molly M.

Ack! No, this is not a secure message board! If you want to send an e-mail just to me, send it to meguey@earthlink.net, or to annette@motherwoman.org if you want to reach Annette. I'm working on getting a confidential forum up on-line - should be up by the end of March! The forum will be confidential and will require registering a username, so people just passing through will not be able to read all the comments. I'm really sorry for the misunderstanding - it's totally NOT what we're about.

Denise - I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. First off, everything you've said is totally in keeping with the real experience of mothers as understood by MotherWoman. I just have a HUGE blow-up with my 10 yr old son that had me shaking with rage. Thankfully, it ended in hugs, and we're ok now. Several issues of the journal are on-line, just follow the "Journal" buton on the website. Right now, I'm working on getting the last few issues in a digital format to put them up as well. We print about 2000 copies of each Journal and distribute them free around the valley, as well as send out a mailing to everyone who has asked to recieve a copy.

Molly - Welcome to the valley! I hope by now you have found the survival centers in Amherst and Northampton - they can be a *tremendous* resource for people in transition, with free 'stores' for clothes, etc; food pantries; and connections to local services. I highly reccomend them, especially the Amherst one, where I've gone for years, first as a strugglinig parent, then as a volunteer. There are home-schooling groups in the area, and creative work opportunities - I hope you've found them already!

Hi everyone. I am wondering if there is any interest in forming a support group for separated/divorcing/divorced single moms. I would love to hear
from anyone who would be interested!!!! You can call me at 775-3839.
Thanks! Amy

Hello!
I just wanted to make sure that you folks know about an upcoming local music event called Penelope's Odyssey. The flier follows.

Hope to see you there and thank you,
Lindiwe Jenness


Penelope’s Odyssey: Weaving the Way of the Warrior’s Heart

Local singer/songwriter Regina Doreen performs her sultry and powerful original songs interspersed with stories from Homer’s Odyssey as told by Karen Rock

There will also be poetry and prose readings paying homage to the feminine emotions.

Date: Saturday June 9, 2007
Time: 2-4 pm
Place: The Amherst Room at the Jones Library in Amherst

Free and open to the public.

For more information contact Lindiwe Jenness/Women’s Words at 413-230-3115 or email lindiwejenness@hotmail.com.