As a ‘GlamMom’, I encourage my granddaughters’ voices.  I support their vital voices as they play, scream, laugh, shout, with freedom and personal expression. Ok, sometimes it gets me in trouble with my daughters-in-law, but I take the chance.  With me, they are truly free to BE!

A gender prescription for girls to conform, to be ‘lady-like’ , to look pretty still permeates our culture. As a GlamMom, a feminist, activist, revolutionary Grandmom, I encourage and celebrate their voices, their powerful ‘selves’ they are growing up to be.

The following is an excerpt from ‘A Blue Jay’s Dance‘ by Louise Erdrich.  Words to raise our ‘daughters and granddaughters’ by…….

“The precious no….”to keep my mouth shut. To turn away my face. To walk back down the aisle. To slap the bishop back when he slapped me during Confirmation. To hold the word no in my mouth like a gold coin, something valued, something possible. To teach the no to our daughters. To value their no more than their compliant yes. To celebrate no. To grasp the word no in your fist and refuse to give it up. To support the boy who says no to violence, the girl who will not be violated, the woman who says no, no, no, I will not. To love the no, to cherish the no, which is so often our first word. No—the means to transformation.”

YOU GO GIRL!!!

I was diligently working on an agenda for the ‘Training for Excellence 2010′ meeting when my computer crashed.    According my tech friend, Jason, it was the ‘death’ screen.

Now, having lost everything, (yes, I know I should have backed up my work), months of writing, working, commenting, creating….gone.

Sitting in the present moment with ‘a clean slate’ in front of me.  What is the lesson here?  Letting go and moving on….. A new beginning….a fresh start to my memoir ‘The Little Cabin on the Water’, a new pathway!   Stay tuned!!!

These past two weekends have been joyous for GlamMom with visits from all three grandchildren (and their parents of course).  Olivia, 3, Chase, 18 months, and Julianna, 4.5.  We played, swam, feed homeless cats, hugged trees, ate everything healthy (except for ice cream cones) played creatively with the Calico Critter House, voiced our dismay over the Glenn Beck rally (they need to know about these evil, crazy people), and shared lots of wonderful stories especially about President Obama!

They do love their GlamMom!  What joy….three more activists for the world!!

I experienced profound change when I became a Grandmother.  My transformation began when my Julianna was born 4.5 years ago, followed by Olivia 3, and Chase, 18 months.  I call myself ‘GlamMom’; they call me ‘Nonni.’

What is a GlamMom you ask?   A modern version of Grandma, a radical feminist, a political activist, a dedicated environmentalist, an active tweeter and a strident defender of animal rights…..Get the picture!  As a GlamMom, I serve as role model, storyteller, playmate, singer, dancer, yoga instructor (they all know, downward dog pose) teacher of ‘green’ concerns, nutrition, fashion icon, lover of Lady Gaga (just like my Julianna, 4.5)….and more.

I still offer ‘unconditional love’ that is the gift of Grandmothers; Grandfathers too.  I am amazed at how much I love these three little humans!  I am fired up by their brilliance and beauty,  their spirits and their fiesty rebellions, and I am so grateful to have vitality and energy to be fully present with them.  But the true gift is what I learn from them, the innocent compassion, the incredible wisdom of openness and authenticity, and the unconditional, abundant love!