The Handbook Arrives

Received my complimentary copy of the "Handbook for Achieving Gender Equity Through Education" a few days ago. It took me several tries and two photographers, my friend Kathleen next door and Jim, to get a good enough picture to send to the people at the University of Maryland College of Education for the alumnae news...at their request. I had met all the new administrative people there at a neighborhood alumnae gathering a few weeks ago. My painting on the cover. So exciting.

Eat, Pray, Love

by Elizabeth Gilbert...read this one, too! It's on the NY Times bestseller list, and I understand this one. Not as gripping as Ali's, but she writes very well, and it's quite interesting most of the time.

What's Up in Afghanistan

Excerpted from a story in today's W. Post:

"On Wednesday, three gunmen killed Zakia Zaki, owner and manager of Peace Radio...in front of her 8-year-old son...Another reporter....was shot in the back of her house in Kabul on Friday by two male relatives..."

Read It!

For the past couple of days I've been very engrossed in "Infidel" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infidel_(book), the controversial autobiography of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali woman who escaped an arranged marriage by seeking asylum in the Netherlands, became a member of the legislature, made a movie about Islamic women's position with Theo Van Gogh (yes, related to Vincent) called "Submission," and is now on the run from Islamic fundamentalists, who already assassinated him and have called for her to be assassinated, too. It's FASCINATING!

In Full Bloom, The Front of the Back Yard Fence

In Full Bloom, The Back of the Back Yard Fence

"Swords of Truth"

A small item on pg 18 of the Post today..."Gaza City - A radical Islamic group threatened to behead female TV broadcasters if they do not wear strict Islamic dress....The threat to 'cut throats from vein to vein' was delivered by the Swords of Truth, a fanatical group that has previously asserted responsibility for bombing Internet cafes and music shops."