I never really get into blogging about politics here on PPnG. I leave that topic to many other news sources out there, both on and offline where anyone can get their fill.

Yet today I felt compelled to blog about a comment Sarah Palin–Republican Vice Presidential candidate–made yesterday at a California rally (now spiraling in cyberspace) that just pissed me off.

“There’s a place in Hell reserved for women who don’t support other women,” the Alaska Governor said, claiming she was quoting former Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Actually, what Madeleine Albright really said was, “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” and it had nothing to do with politics. Albright went on to say,

This campaign is not about gender, it is about which candidate has an agenda that will improve the lives of all Americans, including women. The truth is, if you care about the status of women in our society and in our troubled economy, the best choice by far is Obama-Biden.”

I agree. And Sarah, if you want us women to vote for you, threatening us with hell (like we don’t already know what that is) or simply spewing nonsense won’t get you anywhere. I know you’re just trying to create buzz, but please try and tame that ego.

In my line of work (Planet Pink n’ Green) I get to see (on a daily basis) how women really do support one another and it’s a breathe of fresh air. We do it through caring about each other, coming together to create community and with a collective commitment to better the world.

So Sarah, I know we share the same gender but that’s all we share. Please stop trying to manipulate us. We’re smarter than that.

Currently, I am on a job search. Many hours have been spent searching through job descriptions, creating cost/benefit and pro/con lists, and contemplating what I truly want out of a forty hour work week.

However, when trying to get in touch with what I want, I find that sometimes it’s as simple as my memories…

I recall a time when I was about 7 years old. At that age, I didn’t care much for showers. Who wanted to waste all that time?

This particular afternoon, we were at my aunt’s friend’s house and it started raining. It was one of those blissful, hard summer rains; the kind where the air smells crisp and clean, the water cascades down the gutters, and tin roofs become musical instruments.

Many people were there- friends of my aunt’s friends, and a boy I used to play with during those days. Well, being young, the boy and I decided to dance in the rain. It was more fun back then, too, because who washed our clothes when they got muddy? Certainly not us!

The adults decided to capitalize on the moment…they brought out a bar of soap. Our free flowing, dance of twirling was punctuated by Ivory Bar scrubbing, cleaning off a day’s worth of frog hunting and play. The nearby stream got stronger as we washed, and I still can picture our dance and the feeling of freedom. I cannot remember what I wore, but I distinctly remember how it felt.

When I was, oh say, 17, I rediscovered twirling…with renewed vigor. There was no goal, just spinning in circles with the pure reason of dizziness. At 21, we added starry skies and a bit of adult beverage, along with a mountain that made for an interesting obstacle. At 22, though, it stopped. No more twirling…why? I don’t know. Perhaps I felt grown up, perhaps I was too focused on achieving and doing things and my spirit wasn’t free enough to do such frivolous activities. You can’t put twirling on a resume, anyway…where would it even fit?

Let’s fast forward to summer of 2008. 23 going on 24, I was finished with college courses for good. Something in me clicked, and I twirled again. Perhaps in the rain, perhaps in a waterfall, I don’t remember my first re-acquaintance with the activity. However, I do remember the feeling…the grass beneath my feet, skirt flowing around me, the sky swirling round my head. I’ve done it a few times since, most memorably in a wooden swing. I’ve perfected my rope twirl…the lower you hang on, the faster you spin. It’s fantastically fun. My twirling today is more sporadic, but it’s just as joy-filled as it used to be.

Looking back, I realize that this is what I am looking for while looking for work- I want to maintain a twirling state of soul. I realize that work can be hard, but I don’t want it to be so draining that I don’t want to twirl.

This is my benchmark for success; if I can achieve all my dreams and still feel free enough to twirl, I will feel successful.

What is your benchmark for success? When will you feel you’ve reached the top of your game?

In twirling and self sustainability,

AB

Remember my love-note last week calling on all passionate and positive thinkers to consider joining PPnG’s community of guest bloggers?

Well, Amber Brown, (shown at left) reached out and introduced herself by telling me the story about her pink and green watermelon suit and the power of embracing our personal style. How could I resist?

Amber is passionate, creative and her first post made me smile.

Look for it right here first thing tomorrow morning.

After all the traditional routes of searching for a business name (like looking online, asking the opinion of others and racking her brain), Laura Bolster — owner of the greeting card company Red Aphrodite and shown at left — gave herself a deadline.

After all, Laura had recently quit her (less than fulfilling) elementary school teaching job to pursue her dream of bringing a new, fresh and unique face to the greeting card world with her own creations. As she says, “I couldn’t even get a domain name or open a bank account until I had an actual name.”

Then one day as she describes…

I was going through many of my card designs (each one individually named) when I landed on a card named Red Aphrodite. I stopped. Those two words jumped off the page and into my heart.

I stared at the design, noticing the collage I had created and the figure of Aphrodite. The clipping, taken from my grandfather’s own book, “she has always known genius” starred back at me and truthfully,  it scared the shit out of me. My first thought was, “I can’t call myself that” and my judgments around it began to unfold.

I was hesitant but intrigued. I sat with it and it resonated with me in a really big way. I realized that when I had finally let go of the external search, the name appeared in front me and I knew it was within me the entire time. And so Red Aphrodite was born.

The above anecdote was taken from my recent interview with Laura Bolster, for ‘I Dream Stories’ on PPng. I had heard of Red Aphrodite — a unique greeting card company, inspired by photos and vintage images of spirited women, (Laura’s) grandmother’s antique lace and her grandfather’s sheet music — and, as always, I became curious about the history of Laura’s dream, obstacles she’s faced and what advice she would give to others on similar paths.

After the interview and as I sat down in front of the fireplace to write this post, I began to reflect on our conversation. I was especially inspired by Laura’s sense of grounding, her clear voice and her honesty in sharing her experiences.

Here’s more from Laura:

The history of the dream

In my mid 20’s (right after college) I traveled to South America. It was one of those eye opening, life transforming experiences where the world became very big. I returned with a desire to be part of an international artisan community. I saw these wonderful folks, (in the countries I visited) who created things from their hands and then sold them. I had seen similar items in boutiques (back at in the States) and I knew that retailers were making a good profit. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to represent artisans around the world, giving them expression and I would just be a conduit?”  I wanted to meet artists and then write about them. The experience and the influence of the artists planted a seed in the back of my brain.

That experience evolved into teaching ESL (English as a Foreign Language) to adults for 10 years and then I moved into teaching elementary school for five years. I became tired of both jobs. I felt my creative expressive personal side was being squashed and squandered and I didn’t feel like I was really living the life I wanted.

Acting on the dream

So I quite my job as and I got to create the life that I had been dreaming of. My thought was, “You only live once.” And a huge question mark was in suddenly in front of me but I knew it was the right choice. When I made the change, some people said to me,  “I can’t believe your so relaxed about it.” And I was.

My partner, Oliver who is a lovely and supportive person, told me to go for it. I got to create an art studio in my house which I had never done. I let myself play creatively. I hired a life coach and cherished my personal process. Without any formal training, the art of collage came to me naturally. I created (and continue to create) what comes to me intuitively and those are little pieces of myself.

Making the financial transition

I made the financial transition into my dream in three ways. One was with money that I had saved. I decided to use my money to invest in myself. I felt it was more important and vauluable than investing in, for example, an IRA account. Two, my partner was able to support both of us and lastly, I continued to work part time, teaching the evenings.

We always live within our means and therefore, able to make this happen. I’m not dreaming to get rich. I’m dreaming to live more quality of life that involves following my creative passion, unique expression and vision.

Moving through obstacles

One of the pieces to having my own business is that I am an artist first and that is very right brained. For me, art takes time. Sometimes the muse doesn’t hit until the end of the day. That can sometimes be an obstacle when the other seven hours of the day are spent not creating my art.

However, I accept the process. I look at the what I do have; the high or creative channel might happen during the last hour of the day and that’s really okay. That means it takes time to have something to show.

Another challenge in running a small business is the 20 hats I wear. Sound familiar to anyone? I am my own social networker, researcher, marketer and accountant. I work with trying to balance my time in this area.

My dream in this is to create something that sustains myself, my family and my community. My biggest dream is to give back to my partner Oliver who has been so supportive and generous.

My idea of getting rich is about giving back. It is important for Red Aphrodite to be in community with other businesses practice sustainability and believe in economic vitality for all. For example, Red Aphrodite gives a portion of its sales to Kiva– a micro-lending organization that helps people worldwide with their small businesses.

Advice for others on a similar path

It’s important to embrace each step along the way because you are walking your own, unique path and it’s one that will teach you lessons along the way. Certainly you will have your own unique challenges. Search for like-minded people who can help you to sustain your dreams.

Remember that by following your heart, you are doing something that our world needs. This is a vital piece. Once you find a support group you will feel embraced and at home.  There is no textbook for running your own business.  It’s experience that teaches us. Become proficient at your passion.

In my opinion, creating the life you want is not always about making a million dollars. It’s about creating a world where we all can live together in a sustainable way.

For more info on Laura Bolster and Red Aphrodite visit the website: www.redaphrodite.com.

…is just that. It’s a custom made home located in NE Portland, OR, built by DaVero Genuine Homes–a subdivision of Bridge City Inc.–from the ground up, using as many re-purposed materials as possible like salvaged wood flooring from a local dairy farm and a roof made out of recycled concrete.

Recently open to the public during the 2008 Build It Green! Tour of Homes owner Adam Rust jokes that when asked his favorite question (by those touring the home), “When you remodeled the house, did you have to knock out that wall?”, his answer always made him smile; confirmation of a successful project whose goal it was to build sustainably and imitate other historic homes in the area.

From one who believes strongly in sustainability, that must feel awesome.

Adam, who lives in the 2,000 square foot 4 bedroom 2.5 baths home with his wife, Jodie, two young daughters, Mercy (on right) and Reya and another couple, is living his dream.

Born and raised in Southern Oregon’s Klamath Falls, Adam grew up out in the woods. He jokingly says he was “raised by a pack of wolves.” His father, the sole proprietor of an excavation company taught Adam a skill set, formative in his personal and professional evolution.

When Adam moved to Portland, he immediately became excited about community and sustainability and viewed those things as important to our culture and race.  He saw how real estate could be used in promoting community, livability and became a real estate agent who conducts all his business by bike. He is often referred to by locals as the ‘Bike Realtor.’ His dedication to eco-living includes his entire family who all commute by bike.

When Adam connected to the small development company, DaVero Genuine Homes, he saw a unique opportunity to pursue sustainable building, while also working on the marketing end of the business. As he says, “The three of us have shared interests and take on different aspects of the company. Those ideas get implemented into building projects and my house is the latest project.”

I’m inspired and will keep my eye on DaVero Genuine Homes when I’m ready to build my green home.

Thank-you Adam for sharing.

For more info on the green architecutral details and fabulous photos of The Recycled Residence, click here.