Indeterminate life ...

 

I came across this quote via the recent blog entry 'The Strange Science of Zombie Fungi' – courtesy of Maria Popova's 'The Marginalian':

'A mind not be chang'd by Place or Time' – John Milton from Paradise Lost (Book I, line 234 … if I've counted right!).

"The mind is its own place”

Mother's Day lunch - we'd have had roast
potatoes ... and now my mind is on lunch!

This has been my head space … while I've pottered around chattering away to myself! - happy in my own little way - as I pretend to gear my own self up to being sensible and progressing with things needing to be done. Also sorting a few things out that took forever … patience, at times, is not my virtue ...

No excuse – I've been lazy – which of course now means I'm dithering around trying to catch one of those tails to put some salt on it … perhaps I can actually come back into this world and put muddling through behind me … there's mental hope – but that headspace is another thing!

Blue Tit - enjoying Spring

Anyway after a gloomy International Women's Day and Mothering Sunday (our Mother's Day here in the UK – tied into the Church's calendar – dating back to the 8^th century) … we are still enjoying mists or rain – no doubt the plants are appreciative … certainly the blue tits are filling out, as they chunter around in the lime tree outside.

I remember back twenty five years ago … we had Mother's Day with my my mother, and my brother's MIL, over in Alfriston (where the floods have recently been) … when the Canadian family were over …

John Tenniel's 1890 illustration
for Alice's Adventures
in Wonderland

… there were lots of us … 15 or so … it was so warm we moved outside and had our Mothering Sunday roast lunch in the garden …

I did find some interesting women I wanted to mention and thus rabbit holes I fell into … but I think I'll leave them for another day …

Dante Gabriel Rossetti's portrait
of Swinburne (1862)

I did come across an article on Algernon Charles Swinburne's early work (1857 – 1871): 'The Female Archetypes' … which might make interesting reading for one or two of you …

It's drier and brighter today … thanks for your kind thoughts … and care – I'm just about up and running – by next week definitely …

From a friend's garden - the
hyacinths I gave her a few years ago

The Marginalian - The Strange Science of Zombie Fungi 

Paradise Lost - c/o Poets.org  

Disstheses on Swinburne's 'The Female Archetypes' c/o Louisiana State University  (NB a pdf)

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest # 53 – The Red Dress Project …

 

This is such a wonderful project unifying women around the world – Kirstie Macleod from Somerset, England started The Red Dress project to help marginalised women tell their stories through embroidery.

The finished object
c/0 The Red Dress

As she says in her introduction … her dress embroidery project has globally connected 244 embroiderers (239 women and 5 men), their families and their communities from 28 different countries by adding an image onto the dress that represents themselves and their culture.

During twelve years (2009 – 2021) pieces of burgundy silk dupioni have travelled the globe to be embroidered with cultural stories …

Embroiderers include:

• Women refugees from Palestine;
• Victims of war in Kosovo, Rwanda, and DR Congo;
• Impoverished women in South Africa, Mexico and Egypt;
• Women in Kenya, Japan, Paris, Sweden, Peru, Czech Republic, Dubai, Afghanistan, Australia, Argentina, Switzerland, Canada, Tobago, USA, Russia, Pakistan, Wales, Colombia, and the UK, as well as
• Upmarket embroidery studios in India and Saudi Arabia

It is quite stunning … and I would ask that you look at the video twelve minutes of pure indulgence for us to luxuriate in – and wonder at: 

• their stories, 
• their skill … 
• and to see the dress in all its glory – in the individual's homeland …
• and now it is being exhibited in various galleries and museums worldwide …

Each embroiderer has been able to have more positive lives, and have helped others in their villages or camps enhance theirs too … improve their lot, teach others to use their talents, and tell their stories with thread.

Just look at the beauty … this artistic platform has really opened doors for these marginalised people to rebuild their lives.

Kindly commenters, readers – please look at the video and marvel … I exhort you to!!

Hilaria in Mexico - one of the talented
embroiderers c/o the video

The Red Dress will embrace you – draw you in, let you wonder at its beauty. An artistic project to be sure …

This has to be a perfect example of the We are the World Blogfest mantra:

We are the World Blogfest

In Darkness, Be Light

The Red Dress Project has completely transformed their lives … they can afford to feed themselves, earn a decent and consistent living …

Enjoy the video!

The BBC Dress Embroidery Project unifies women around the world.

This has a two minute video - to give you an idea ... but the twelve minute one is superb.

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Suffragette Colours, and Roundels …

Well you get asked a question, and off on another rabbit run you go …

The first was ‘the roundel’ – to my surprise is of heraldic ancestry … dating, at least, from the 12^th century … more here …

English Heritage's 'blue plaque' -
commemorating a link between that
location and a famous person ...
serving as an historical marker
in the form of a roundel

… too complicated for me to start … but something I’d like to study at some stage … ie understand the symbols, charges, insignias etc …

Seven Kings underground roundel -
the new Elizabeth line colour

The use of roundels predates history, for both personal and group use … which today we’ve seen adopted: for example by our armed forces, civic organisations, and on flags …  in this country the classic to my mind is the London Underground = the tube!

The Maida Vale station
roundel put up to remember
International Women's Day 2020 -
in the Suffragette colours

The Suffragette Movement … another subject I know about insufficiently … the members in 1906 were derided by the press, but embraced the term they were given “suffraGETtes” … implying they not only wanted the vote, but intended to ‘get it’.

Over one hundred years ago women campaigned to win the right to vote. Fundraising became a vital part and success of the suffragette movement … the brand remembered to this day …

Emmeline Pethwick-Lawrence c 1910

Two ‘Emmelines’ were charismatic leaders in the campaign – Emmeline Pankhurst as the main instigator/organiser of the movement, and Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence as the Women’s Social and Political Union’s treasurer: she ended up in Government …

Fundraising was an essential for the movement and our second Emmeline (Pethick-Lawrence) was incredibly successful in this enterprise.  She set up the brand colours … distinctive ones, while also ascribing values to them ...

Purple – the royal colour; and for freedom and dignity

White – for purity in private and public life

Green – the colour of hope, new beginnings and the emblem of Spring.

Beautiful earrings in the
suffragette colours

This enabled women from all walks of life to promote their support for the Suffragette movement while wearing the colours – which cultivated a strong emotional connection throughout the membership.

The merchandise ranged from hats, dresses, sashes, jewellery, badges, ribbons, rosettes, postcards, posters  … the whole gambit – whatever would suit the purse …

There were suffragette shops – while producers and merchants also jumped on the band wagon offering innumerable items in purple, white and green … Selfridges, Lilley and Skinner, Derry and Toms … even tricolour underwear?!

There was a weekly newspaper ‘Votes for Women’ – selling advertising space for these suffragette items … their readership was 40,000.

The link below is fascinating … reminding me of so much that we see today … the suffragettes were ahead of their time … it took over 20 years … but in 1928 we won the right to vote … as long as we were 21 – now universal suffrage is 18 years of age – promulgated in 1969.

The Holloway Prison brooch
for those ladies who had
been imprisoned

Thus we have a brief post on the clever fund-raising and brand style of the Suffragette Movement … remembering the courageousness of those early members – who had to endure so much to bring attention to their cause.

This book is available

World War One intervened … but the genie was out of the bottle … women eventually got the vote.

How the Suffragettes became one of the most successful brands ever ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

International Women’s Day … Tube Roundels …

Many of us are noting International Women’s Day … to state an obvious fact … without women, there’d be no men …

Emmeline Pankhursts's
Portrait Badge c 1909

In simple terms – we can’t do without each other – then there are all the other properties of life: absolutely critical to our ability to be here in this wonderful world.

Transport for London has a new roundel – which has been re-imagined based on the suffragette movement’s colours of green, purple and white … representing the coming together of women in solidarity, friendship and support.

Maida Vale was the first Underground
station to be run by women during WW1

Last week I missed the appearance of the new roundel at Victoria Station – and am not sure when I’m going up to London again – so I hope they keep it for a while. 

The link at the end of my post gives a few more details … there are only 5 roundels at stations where women first made their mark in the transport industry; but there's also a photographic exhibition at Victoria Station.

First published 1974
is a book consisting of 16 papers
contributed by female authors.
Stanford University Press c/o Wiki

The world needs all the help we can give it … women and men coming together … but let’s remember to think about others’ points of views … as well as evaluate our own opinions …

I know this group of blogging friends will always do what they can for others … and won’t judge …

On International Women’s Day why not explore the far-ranging impact women have had throughout history and will have in the future …

All of us make a difference to each other in life … let’s just make sure it is positive …

New roundels by London Underground ... for International Women's Day

I noticed that Google has an Arts and Culture Project ... concentrating on Women in Culture - which looked very interesting and informative.

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories