Women Today

Our friends at Unity Hospice share a message about the traveling display "Portraits of Hope" to create awareness of Hospice Care and to give hope this February.
“Hospice” can be a frightening term. Yet, to those impacted by its comforting words, hands and care, “hospice” is synonymous with “hope.”

For the last several months, a unique display created by the Hospice Organization and Palliative Experts (HOPE) of Wisconsin, a statewide organization that provides education, legislative influence and partnership opportunities to individuals and organizations involved with end-of-life care, has been touring throughout the Green Bay area, raising awareness about hospice care. “Portraits of HOPE,” the traveling display, was created in 2007 upon the 30th anniversary of hospice’s beginnings in Wisconsin to help put a face on hospice care. Hospices throughout the state submitted photographs along with comments from patients, families, staff and volunteers.

What does “hope” look like? “Portraits of HOPE,” now on display through the third week of February at East Town Mall in Green Bay, best depicts “hope” in photos, but the words captured within the display can help paint a picture in print.

Joy Ride: “In the last 21 months, Dorothy has ridden a motorcycle, traveled to California to watch her daughters race in the LA marathon and prepares meals for the staff at the center.”

Gifts for the Journey: “John lives in his house with his dog, Diller. Even with congestive heart failure, he has remained very independent with the help of hospice and his caregiver, Barb. John enjoys playing cribbage, coin collecting and riding about town on his motorized scooter!”

Hospice is Dorothy. Hospice is John. Hospice is “hope.”
A not-for-profit health care provider, Unity is dedicated to ensuring that all individuals and the communities in which they reside have access to education, support and quality holistic care.

I was impressed by three things when I saw "Chicago" Friday night at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center: jazz, legs and a friendly star.

The musical has a titilating storyline involving murder and deception. There's no doubt that Roxy Hart (Bianca Marroquin) killed her husband, but flashy lawyer Billy Flynn (Tom Wopat) has ways of obscuring the facts with razzle-dazzle.

The plot moves forward with some fantastic musical numbers. It opens with "All That Jazz," and introduces the female inmantes with attitude in "Cell Block Tango." Roz Ryan delivers a powerful "When You're Good to Mama" as jail matron "Mama" Morton.

The singers are backed by an orchestra containting a number of local musicians. Marc Jimos, Jeff Erickson, Forrest Mankowski, Pat Phalen, Rand Skelton, David Sawall, Kyle Samuelson, Yuliya Smead, Steve Lewandowkis and Charles Ledvina did a subperb job of giving the musical its jazz-enfused energy.

The dancers were nothing short of amazing. Who knew limbs could kick that high and stretch so easily? The Bob Fosse-inspired choreography was a treat, especially in "All I Care About," the number that introduced lawyer Billy Flynn, played by Wopat.

Wopat had a strong voice and solid but not overwhelming stage presence. Years ago I saw Robert Goulet in "South Pacific." Even though I knew little about him, the moment he walked onstage I got the feeling of "That's Robert Goulet and he's a star." I didn't get that feeling with Wopat, but I still enjoyed seeing him in the role. He sounded wonderful and hit the mark with the delivery of his lines.

I was impressed by Wopat before he got onstage that evening. Before the show, he was in the lobby, dressed casually and wearing a baseball cap. He was promoting and authographing his new CD, and also signed "Chicago" merchandise.

Perhaps I still have stars in my eyes from growing up in the 1970s and seeing him on "Dukes of Hazzard," but I certainly didn't expect Luke Duke to be mingling with fans before the show. But he was aimable and happy to chat.

Onstage, the character Wopat played is a master of deception. In person, Wopat was friendly, down-to earth and not too egotistical to work the crowd before the show.

I liked him onstage, but also admired him for the extra effort he put in to further his career. It's a reminder that that having a shot being a star requires an awful lot of work on the ground.

To see some of the people who attended "Chicago" Friday evening, see our Out and About page at http://mywomenmagazine.com/modules/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=938.

There is a picture on my office wall with a verse that says, “Change is not only inevitable, it is essential to survival. Why fear it or fight it when you can simply embrace it?”

I returned by to work this week after an 8-week maternity leave. I cried my first morning back. I did this for the most obvious reasons; missing my son, but also for a not so obvious reason as well: Change.

I knew things were going to be different. I even looked forward to it, however, when the time came for the change I was really scared. For a brief moment I didn’t want the change any more. I wanted what was familiar and comfortable. I wanted to go home.

I could have turned around and went home, just like anyone can run and hide from future changes in your lives. But what does that really accomplish? It doesn’t stop change from occurring.

No matter where we are in our lives change is always there. Give yourself time to adjust.

Reaching out for support, talking to trusted loved ones, acknowledging your own feelings and accepting them for what they truly are and not what we had hoped them to be helps ease this process.

I write this on day four of the work week, and although it is a struggle and I am still scared of the new change, I am embracing it one day at a time.

Feel free to share with me your experiences with change and how you embrace it.

Warmly,

Brenda

Oshkosh watercolorist Joye Moon of Oshkosh joins us today as a contributor to the Women blog.

Joye has recently wrote "Exploring Textures in Watercolor" with F&W Publications/North Light Books. She calls the book “A two-year labor of love” and is very pleased with the results.

The book will be released on Oct. 15, and will be available in early November.

To publicize the book, Joye will be embarking on a nationwide tour and delving into numerous other projects. She’s going to take Women readers along for the ride with postings about her book tour and other events. Here’s what she’s up to now:

I am busy organizing an exhibit that will be comprised of the step-by-step projects in each chapter of my book, as well as other painting featured in the book.The subject matter ranges from realism to semi-abstraction, landscapes to florals, portraits to fantasy themes. These watercolor paintings are not only painted traditionally onto watercolor paper but also include different surfaces such as yupo paper, clay board, hard board and watercolor canvas.

Different mediums, such as watercolor pencils, acrylic, guoche and ink, are included.
I have a One Woman Show opening Oct. 13 at the Steinhilber Gallery on the third floor of the Reeve Memorial Union at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. At the closing reception on Nov. 9, I will have a books signing from 1 to 5 p.m. I hope you can join me for this event!

I will also be opening an Internet Exhibit on my Website, www.joyemoon.com, that will feature a sampling of paintings in the book and exhibit. The Internet Exhibit should open at the beginning of October, if not sooner.

I plan to update the blog weekly to keep you up to date with demonstrations and book signings that have been organized around the Wisconsin, Illinois and Florida so far.

Bye for now,

Joye Moon