Celebrating International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day, a global day for celebrating women's achievements in whatever field they be. We'll be marking the day together by talking about the impressive women we know personally as well as the ones we've read and learned about. Perhaps there will be some discussion of gender equality or a history lesson on the suffragettes. We'll just see where the conversation takes us.

Later in the day I'll begin reading Madeleine L'Engle's wonderful book A Wrinkle in Time with my eldest daughter. I've been wanting to read this story with her before the new film version is released in April. What better day to begin a book with such a strong female character as Meg Wallace?

In this space, I want to celebrate a few of the amazing women in my life and offer them all a virtual bunch of roses. I'm lucky to be surrounded by many wonderful women younger and older. Family and friends as well as my lovely pottery/sculpture group and local knitting club. I feel privileged to know these women and to have their inspiration in my life. Thanks girls!

Of course I have to begin with my mum, a strong, independent woman, who raised me to never doubt women's absolute equality to men. Thanks for that mum!

Then of course there's my two beautiful daughters. They may be little women right now but they have taught me much about what it is to be a woman as they explore their own femininity and search out their own role models. Hilarious pink and skirts only periods aside, it is a joy to watch them bloom. I truly hope for a world in which they will not have to fend off the unwanted advances of men in positions of power!

Becoming Sisters

Playing Together

Growing into Themselves

Finding their Passions

Of course a mention has to be made of my sister, Sam. She'll always be my big sister and may not know just what a role model she was for me growing up. Thanks to her too!

And of course all my beautiful neices. As do my daughters, they remind me how important it is that we 'grown up' women keep equality on the agenda. I want the world they grow into to be even better than the one we have now. 

They are all so different and unique and growing up so fast. The one in the last photo will turn 16 next week, I was feeling a bit nostalgic, she's the one on the right!

And last but, I'm sure she knows, never least, my amazing best friend, who is without a doubt, hands down one of the women I admire most. Not only is she a brilliant mum but she works a demanding full-time job and still finds time to get involved with loads of great projects both at home and in her community. She's quite simply amazing. Oh and she's also raising two of the strongest young women I know, both of them kind, gentle and articulate and quite determined to make themselves heard. Just the kind of girls I like! 

Bonus post about Lava Lamps tomorrow. Raising my girls to be scientists!