DEAR FRIENDS,
Every time I check the news, the negatives hit hard.  Of course we must expose the wrong-doings of others; but we also need to lift the human spirit.

We need to lift the spirit of our hard-working mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and grandmothers, don’t you think?  What better time than now as we celebrate Arrival Day and Mother’s Day?

So dear friends, if you know a grieving widow, mother or sister; if you know a woman with a broken heart or a woman who has been slandered by relatives; if you are on friendly terms with a mother who is working hard to put food on the table, to send her children to school, let her know that you admire her strength.  Tell her how important she is to you.  Give her a small gift in appreciation for the words of advice she has shared with you.  We need to take the time to do this, not just on holidays, but on ordinary days.

Today, I am writing in praise of my mother whose persistence has helped her win against wrong-doers.  I am writing to celebrate the wonderful sense of humour of an aunt.  Even in the midst of tragedy, her wit rises to the top.  This is for an auntie, always toiling in her garden; come and see my flowers, she would invite with gentle, smiling eyes.  This is also for my friend’s mother, visiting Guyana.  Her sense of humour, despite her illness, is amazing.

I wish to say thank you to all the women who have added joy, laughter, kindness, to my life.

I would also like to say how much I appreciate my two grandmothers (deceased).  From them, I’ve learnt how to keep going despite the odds.  I hope I can share their lessons with others.

If there’s any special woman you would like to praise, feel free to share here.  Please write to the Chronicle or email savannahwomenscircle@gmail.com.

Savannah
CRAFTY  LADY
Plastic bottle mobile with earrings.
Here is another version of last week’s earring holder…a mobile.

First, peel off the label from a small plastic soft-drink bottle.  Wash the bottle thoroughly and dry.  Cut off the bottom part then cut a scalloped edge.

Paste ribbons and braid around the bottle.  Punch holes with a medium-size needle, into the bottle.  Remove the cover of the bottle and, using a nail, punch a hole in the middle of the cover.  String a bright ribbon through the cover; knot the ribbon on the inside.  Replace the cover on the bottle.  Push stud and dangling earrings through the holes on the bottle.  Hang your earring-mobile by the window and let it shine!

EARTH WOMAN.
The plastic in the sea (cont’d from last week).
Are you eating chemicals produced by the plastic in the sea?  When next you eat sea fish, you might want to ask yourself this.

This question is not meant to scare you.  It is meant to make you think about actions and consequences.  It is meant to make you think about the garbage we are dumping into the sea, and just how it might be affecting the fish and other sea creatures, and all of us.

Fish is good for your heart, especially if you do not fry it.  But today, with all the plastic floating out there, you might want to think twice about that sea fish or those sea shrimps and prawns which you are planning to curry, bake, broil, grill or stew.  No matter how sensibly you prepare them, is there a chance that they are contaminated with chemicals produced by plastic breaking down in the ocean?

Yes, plastic can break down much quicker than expected – it does not take centuries.  Researchers now see evidence that some kinds of plastic start to decompose within one year at sea, in the sun.  Scientists say that when the plastic breaks down, it releases poisonous chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA).

At a presentation of the American Chemical Society, on March 23, Japanese scientists reported that the level of BPA is even higher than they first believed.  Katsuhiko Saido and Hideto Sato, Ph.D., with other colleagues, from Nihon University, Japan, tested 200 places in 20 countries.  They found BPA in both sand and sea.  The BPA came from plastic and from the paint on boats.
Why are scientists so worried about BPA?  So far, they have linked it to heart disease, problems with the brain, behaviour, the prostate gland of foetuses and the development of babies and children.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration agree that there are reasons for concern.
BPA can imitate oestrogen, the female hormone.  By doing this, they can harm your system of hormones and glands that affect your organs and cells.  In the sea, scientists have found male fish and seagulls with female sex organs.  Scientists believe that this is caused by BPA and other chemicals produced by plastic as it breaks down.
What is troubling scientists is that they do not know exactly how much BPA is accumulating in the fish and other sea creatures that we eat.  They are not sure exactly how it will affect our health and studies are being done to verify this.

In the meantime, while scientists work on that, let us think about what we are dumping into the Atlantic Ocean that Guyanese play and pray in, fish in.

Let us think about the legacy are we leaving for the children of Guyana.  What will we say to them when they grow up and learn how careless we have been towards their ocean?
Next week…what can we do?

HOW TO…
…Market your skills (cont’d from last week).
Create an attractive business card.
Put your photo on the card.  People see (and remember) pictures before they see words.

If you do not wish to have your photo on the card, put a photo of something that represents your business.  If you bake cakes, your card can look like a chunk of moist, delicious cake.

Add a tag line to go with the picture.  The tag line must be punchy, and it must sell a benefit.

Include the best ways to contact you – day: 000-888; night: 001 – 889.  Do not load the card with too many numbers.

Use one font (lettering) rather than different kinds.  Too many fonts look confusing; one font gives the card a bold, confident look.
More next week…

BEAUTIFUL YOU…INSIDE & OUT.
Things that make you feel good (cont’d from last week).
Think of these feel-good tips as nutrition for the soul, like good food is for the body.   Healthy food strengthens your body, helping you to recover quicker from illnesses.  In the same way, these tips can make you stronger emotionally so that when you hit a snag, you bounce back quicker.  Try one each day and see how good you’ll feel.

1.  Count your blessings.  As corny as this may sound, it does make you feel better because you shift focus from the bad stuff to the good.

2.  Chat with a friendly, upbeat neighbour (who does not gossip).  You will see the ordinary world with new eyes.

3. Give little gifts to people you care about – fruits, flowers, nuts.

4.  Read a book.  You will escape for a while, and travel to other places and times; you might even discover solutions to problems.  Another plus – reading helps to improve your English.

5. Give yourself something to look forward to, no matter how small it is  – a bowl of soup, a nap, a cup of tea, a hug and kiss from a child.
Enjoy the rest of your week, ladies.  Be good to you, take care of you.