CoffeeJitters » Cultural Events

Blogging – and women’s history

Judy Schwartz Haley — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:05:12 +0000

People ask me what my blog is about, and every time I pause. I know I’m supposed to have an elevator speech prepared, I guess it’s time I start thinking about that.

This blog has been through so many iterations. I started the first CoffeeJitters blog on LiveJournal back in 2001. It’s hard to believe it’s been more than ten years since that first blog post. A lot has changed over that decade.

CoffeeJitters has been a single girl making her way in the world blog, a wedding blog, an infertility blog, a photography blog, a quitting my job and going back to school full time blog, a wow! I’m pregnant! blog, a mommy blog, a cancer blog, and a trying to relearn how to dream after cancer blog.

Mostly, it’s a love letter to my daughter and husband, and an ongoing autobiography. It is my story, and my practice honing my voice. It is my chance to be heard.

I think in a way, that’s what a lot of us bloggers are doing. I keep picturing all the bloggers of the world at their computers furiously typing away in a clackity-clack version of the Whos that Horton heard, yelling at the top of their lungs, “We Exist!”

Blogging allows us to make our mark on the world. To show that we exist. To have a voice and have it heard. To contribute to the ongoing story of the human race.

My studies recently have centered a great deal around women’s history throughout the world, and the difficulty involved in truly understanding what a woman’s life was like. Mens stories were recorded, by men. Women’s stories… not so much.

I look at blogging in comparison to that and I think: what a gift we are leaving for future generations. Is there any comparable resource in history to the wide range of women’s stories now available? Sure, there’s a good deal of exaggeration. That also exists in our history books. But there is so much more variety of stories and lifestyles represented. I’m proud to be a part of this movement. I’m so happy that future generations will have such a wealth of information about their ancestors – us. (On second thought, maybe I’d better go clean up a few of my posts)

Courage Night

Judy Schwartz Haley — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:12:51 +0000

I have been invited to participate in Courage Night, an author event sponsored by the Young Survival Coalition where 5 young survivors of breast cancer will read from their books, followed by a book signing. Well, in my case, I will read from my blog. I’m beside myself with excitement about this event, and a little nervous. I hope all my friends in the Seattle area will come to support me.

I’m so honored to be included in this group of amazing writers.

I was also a little perplexed about how to gracefully manage the whole signing of books part at the end. It’s not like you can sign a blog. And the other authors are donating their proceeds to YSC… Finally, last night I got that little light bulb over my head. Why don’t I have some of my photos printed, and sell those? Then I’ll have proceeds to donate, and something to sign.

So which photos?

I picked a few, and I’m going to narrow it down again to a selection of four. Which ones do you like?

And here’s the flyer for Courage Night. If you’re in the Seattle area, stop by and say hi. I’d love to see you!

BlogHer

Judy Schwartz Haley — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:37:51 +0000

For the past five years in a row, I’ve found myself in a bit of a funk come mid-summer. It’s a bit childish, for sure; this funk is all about jealousy. I’m missing the BlogHer Conference. This time of year, every year, bloggers from the far corners of the planet converge on a selected city to meet each other in person, drink, discuss tricks of the trade, and show off their high priced footwear.

This year, right now, they are in New York City.

The city of dreams.

The city so nice they named it twice.

The Big Apple.

Right at the top of my list of places that I want to visit.

The tweets and blog posts are rolling in with updates on the shenanigans and tom-foolery, and I’m enjoying the opportunity to live vicariously – to a point. Part of me is still pouting.

There has always been a good reason why I couldn’t go: pregnancy, a new baby, cancer, and most significantly, no money.

This time of year has also become a time of resolve – of promises to self. One way or another I’ll go next year, I promise myself. If I put away $100 a month starting now… yeah, right. If I had a spare $100 a month, it would be making a very small dent in some Very Large Bills. Or buying a lot more shoes.

Each year I promise myself I’ll find a way, one way or another, to go next year. The truth is that I make a lot of promises to myself. Making use of that gym membership, walking every day, eating more vegetables, getting out of debt (snort), scrubbing the toilet more frequently… And I let myself off the hook for those promises quite easily.

Don’t make promises you can’t keep? Sure. Sounds good. So about eating more vegetables…

Instead of promising myself that I will go next year, this year I’m participating in the NoGo BlogHer blogparty and The Blog Hop.

When did you start blogging?
I’ve been blogging off and on since 2001, mostly off until the past 5 years.

Why did you start blogging?
A friend got me started. In those days it was called keeping an online journal, and mine was on livejournal. It was much more insular then, and the posts were privately shared with a small community of other writers. I started because I loved having people to read, and comment on, my writing.

What is one thing you are going to do this week that is WAY cooler than going to BlogHer?
Play tickle monster with my 16 month old daughter

Share a post that you think says a lot about you or is your favorite.
Stuffed Bra

Eating Haggis with Chopsticks

Judy Schwartz Haley — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:46:10 +0000

Yes, that’s right. While I generally try to avoid posting pictures of myself (except for the extremely rare occurrence of a flattering shot), and I especially try to avoid pictures of myself eating, it’s not everyday that I get to eat haggis with chopsticks.

This picture was taken in February of 2008. The event was Gung Haggis Fat Choy – a celebration that originated in Vacouver, B.C., to honor both Robbie Burns birthday and the Chinese New Year. Burns’ Suppers traditionally occur on Robbie Burns birthday, January 25, and the Chinese New Year begins any where from late January to mid-February. Often these holiday’s occur on the same night, and so they were combined into this one grand celebration in both Vancouver B.C., and Seattle.

The celebration includes performers representing each of the cultures (and some representing both), bagpipes, drums, dancers – both Scottish and Chinese – and of course, a dragon – and the traditional agenda of the Burns Supper: The Selkirk grace, the entrance of the haggis (the most important part, in which the haggis is “slain”), and then of course, eating to excess, drinking to excess, and dancing to excessively loud music.

Gung Haggis Fat Choy was not possible for us this year, but I’m already looking forward to next year.

……….

This my random February photo entry for Mama Kat’s Writing Workshop.

PNW Highland Games 2009

Judy Schwartz Haley — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:58:19 +0000

As it turns out, I have a lot to learn about packing my daughter up to go anywhere more than 5 minutes away from home. This weekend was the PNW Highland Games in Enumclaw, Washington. We go every year. Every year we get sunburned, eat greasy food, and listen to really loud music – and complain about the unrelenting heat. This year was no different, except we brought along Uncle Timmy, and my daughter, and the stroller, and sunblock, and a cooler with ice packs to keep bottled water and her teething toys cool, and plenty of toys, and plenty of diapers, and several changes of clothes, and oh, good grief I don’t even remember what all we brought. But it wasn’t enough, even though most of the items we did bring were not used. What we should have brought were a bunch of chairs, a canopy, and a solar powered personal air conditioning device (has anyone even invented one of these yet? if not, get on it stat!).

By far the coolest thing that happened in that 100 degree weather was the discovery of a booth selling electric bagpipes. Electric! Bagpipes! Meaning they have volume control, or you can even plug in headphones and the old man can pipe away without making a peep. But that’s not the cool part. Mr. H was trying out the pipes, rocking out on a song by the Wicked Tinkers when in walked Aaron Shaw with a huge smile on his face. “Great Job!” he said when my husband stopped playing. Who is Aaron Shaw? He’s the piper for the Wicked Tinkers and he wrote the song my husband was playing. How often does an artist get to perform a work (and perform it well) in front of the person that created it? Mr. H was riding that high for the rest of the day.

I don’t have much in the way of pictures from the games – nobody tells you how much harder it is to take photographs when you’re trying to keep tabs on a little one. I shouldn’t complain too much, I even had two helpers with me. But in lieu of photos, I will leave you with the Wicked Tinkers on Craig Ferguson. This performance focuses more on the drums for obvious reasons, but these guys are fun

Three years ago: Alibi Room

2009 Seattle Iranian Festival

Judy Schwartz Haley — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:03:12 +0000

It’s hard to party when your heart is with people dying on the street on the other side of the world. Harder still for Seattle’s Iranian-American community, with family members caught up in the in the fight for their rights, freedom, and even their lives in Iran.

Yet party is just what we did today at the 3rd Annual Seattle Iranian Festival.

People tore themselves away from the reports streaming in online and on TV for a day to come together and celebrate the Iranian culture.

With dancing and music

Art exhibits

and of course, food. (Why does food served from the side of a truck always taste better?)

Gem, my little Rebel With a Cause, was a champ all day. She didn’t fuss and she absolutely loved the crowd – and we were there all day. I think this little one is going to be a people person.

The events inside the building were focused on the culture and heritage of the Iranian people

Outside, demonstrators showed their solidarity with the people of Iran.

I’ve been to this festival before, in fact I knew many of the participants, performers, and organizers. This has always been a fun event. But this year the Seattle Iranian Festival was amazing.

Throughout history the Iranian people have been phenomenally resilient. I believe this will continue to be the case.

Keep Iran in your heart this week.

One year ago
Don’t Piss Me Off
How to get rid of leftover cake