What would your license plate say?

Posted by: gretchen on December 30, 2006 | 4 Comments |

My sister was visiting last week and I happened to snap this photo of her new license plate. Ericka is studying to be a Veterinarian at the University of Illinois. An avid supporter of spaying and neutering pets, her license plate simply says INEWTR 2. What a way to express your occupation! Anyone else have an amusing license plate to share? Read more

“Adopt” a New Year’s Resolution

Posted by: gretchen on December 29, 2006 | 1 Comment |

Here is a New Year’s Resolution that can’t go wrong. Three years ago, my family decided to sponsor a little boy in Brazil named Adilson. Sponsoring a child is more than just a $20-$30 monthly commitment. It’s not about giving from our abundance to some needy person in a foreign country just to relieve any guilt we might have for being born into a “good life”. Sponsoring a child is about forming a relationship with a child through letters and pictures. In a world full of broken relationships and inconsistencies, a sponsor’s letter can be a glimmer of hope for a child. A letter full of encouragement or a family photo full of smiling faces can make your child feel less alone. It’s like sending a big hug in an envelope.

Read more

Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song) / Video

Posted by: gretchen on December 23, 2006 | 2 Comments |

Mary, mother of Jesus. Let’s review some facts about this amazing woman. She was very young, some say she may have still been in her teens when the angel appeared to her. She was not royalty – just your average, everyday girl. No special talents or abilities are attributed to her. She was not married and yet an angel had appeared to her and told her she would have a child.

In those days, that was a huge no-no to be unwed and pregnant, but not once does the Bible ever mention that Mary was ashamed of her situation. She knew she was fulfilling her purpose on earth. She had been chosen to carry this child and she did so without complaint. I’m betting she was ridiculed endlessly. Can you imagine the stares she encountered as her belly started to show? The whispers behind her back… harsh words…shamed looks from family and friends?

Read more

Where is the love?

Posted by: gretchen on December 19, 2006 | Leave a Comment |

Last week, this message was posted on the Girls Can’t… board in our forums:

“Ok, So its almost the beginning of a new year and once a again the girls of Diva Racing (#1 All Girls BMX Race Team) has been busy looking for sponsors the 2007 season. We sent out over 75 letters to various companies asking for help. How many responded? 3, they said no, but at least they took the time to mail us the standard form letter. To add insult to injury we were told of a new mostly boy team that is up to 20 new sponsors and now was the money to race all next year. Does anyone else think that there is an injustice here?”

Read more

Stupid Boy/ Keith Urban (Lyrics)

Posted by: gretchen on December 18, 2006 | 13 Comments |

Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy ThingSince this site is designed to highlight women who do extraordinary things, I don’t usually feature lyrics by male artists, but this song by Keith Urban got my attention. It’s called “stupid boy” and it says so much to both men and women. The song speaks for itself, but more than anything, I can appreciate the line “And that’s what happens when the only voice she hears is telling her she can’t”.

I went looking for a video clip of this so you can hear the actual tune, but the only one I could find was this one, and frankly it scared me.

Read more

Mary Anderson (Inventor)

Posted by: gretchen on December 14, 2006 | 9 Comments |

Got this from a friend today…

“In 1903 Mary Anderson took a trip to New York City from her home in Alabama. One snowy afternoon she decided to tour the city by streetcar, but instead of sightseeing found herself staring at the streetcar conductor, who had to keep stopping to wipe the snow off his windshield. On the spot, Anderson made a drawing in her sketchbook of a device consisting of a lever that “activated a swinging arm that mechanically swept off the ice and snow” from the windshield. She got her patent the following year; ten years later windshield wipers were standard equipment on automobiles.”

On further research, using Wikipedia, it turns out that Mary got her patent for windshield wipers before Henry Ford got his patent for the Model T. How cool is that? Just proves that if you want something done, ask a woman!

Read more

Anyway / Martina McBride Video

Posted by: gretchen on December 13, 2006 | 25 Comments |

I listen to music all day long and I can count on one hand the number of songs that really “get to me”. I’m not an overly emotional person, but the first time I heard Martina McBride’s song “Anyway” I admit I got a little choked up. I was driving to a friend’s place to work on an art project, when it started playing on the radio and I spent the first hour of our project time trying to find the song on iTunes.

The lyrics are nothing new. I recognized them as being part of a quote attributed to Mother Theresa, but hearing them set to music is something else. “Anyway” debuted at the CMA Awards this year and I have been scouring iTunes every day hoping to purchase the song for my collection, but as of today it is still unavailable. My only hope was to listen to country stations all day praying that it would be played in the rotation somewhere, until today when I found a clip of Martina’s incredible performance on YouTube. If I could figure out how to package the inspiration that pours out of this song, I’d bottle it and ship it to every girl on this planet for free. So until I find a way to do that, I’ll just share the YouTube clip…

Read more

Before He Cheats (Lyrics)

Posted by: gretchen on December 12, 2006 | 15 Comments |

Some HeartsI can’t seem to turn on the radio and NOT hear Carrie Underwood’s song “Before He Cheats” blaring through my speakers. At first, I really didn’t have an opinion on the song. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a powerful song. The emotion Carrie puts into her vocals is incredible and it was convincing enough to help earn her the title of Female Artist of the Year last month at the CMA awards in Nashville. “Before He Cheats” topped the Billboard charts last week at #1, but I really have a bone to pick with Ms. Underwood about the lyrics to this song. There’s just something not right about it.

Read more

Girls with Guns

Posted by: gretchen on December 11, 2006 | 2 Comments |

American superstar and sharpshooter Annie Oakley once said “I would like to see every woman know how to handle [firearms] as naturally as they know how to handle babies.”

What is it about girls with guns? It just seems to me that I am seeing a lot more firearm-toting females these days. On the big screen I would swear that every recent action flick I’ve seen has featured a lead actress with hardware tucked in her purse or a piece strapped under her skirt. Even documentaries about sharpshooter Annie Oakley have been resurfacing on PBS. I was already noticing a pattern when I discovered a trend right here on the Girls Can’t WHAT? site!

Read more

After the Storm

Posted by: gretchen on December 5, 2006 | Leave a Comment |

Hey - this is just an FYI to let you know where I’ve been. We had an ice storm that knocked out our power for a few days. After freezing my rear end off for a couple of days, I finally bummed an Internet connection off of kel1 to keep up with email, but I haven’t been able to add anything new to the site. Our power is back on now and I’m catching up, so I thought I’d give everyone a heads up on what’s in the works for Girls Can’t WHAT?

Read more

Comments