I am woman...hear me roar!

All the ladies attending the August 20th luncheon stood a little taller after hearing the presentation from guest author Charlotte Waisman about her book "Her Story - A Timeline of Women Who Changed America". This well informed and entertaining speaker presented many stories of women who made an impact on American history - both big and small. Some are relatively unknown but their accomplishments were great. Do you know why Lane Bryant first created her line of clothing? Or who the woman was who identified the HIV virus? Along with co-author Jill Tietjen, Charlotte has created a chronoligical order of women and their achievements in a largely pictoral format. Not only did we hear about these interesting people, we learned how the book came into being, how the two women met, and the problems they faced in getting their book published. Many of us bought an autographed copy of the book to take home and enjoy - but it can also be found at your local library. The feeling was this book should be part of the school curriculum and would make a perfect gift for any young woman starting college.

The delightful afternoon included the usual delicious lunch and time to relax and enjoy a conversation with friends.

Meeting Augusta Tabor!

Mary Jane Donohue as Augusta Tabor

A large group of about 30 people gathered at our Art Center on Friday to enjoy a wonderful presentation by storyteller Mary Jane Donohue. Performing in costume, she took on the persona of Colorado legend Augusta Tabor giving historical information and personal recollections of this well-known character. We learned a lot about Augusta - her marriage to colorful figure Horace Tabor, their life in Leadville and the mining towns of Colorado's early beginnings, the birth of their son and her later life as a single woman. There was a lot more to Augusta Tabor than just her relationship to the scandal caused by her husband's association with Baby Doe. She was a strong woman with a sense of adventure, willing to endure hardships to forge a life for her family. Never faultering from her character, Mary Jane "became" this interesting woman for her presentation. The recounting of historical figures is part of a program sponsored by the Colorado Humanities. We have used their performers in the past - most recently with a program about Eleanor Roosevelt - and they are always wonderful. The attendees were glued to every word and had lots of questions to ask "Augusta" at the end.