THE ART OF IT: WOMEN, BAKING & THE HOLIDAYS

WMG Bake Sale Puts the "D" in Delicious
Yield$ Moola For Cambodia Girl- Project!

"Your ability to resist that tempting cookie depends on how a big
a threat you perceive it
to be, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research."
(-from Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, U of C)

My December 13 Christmas concert in Evanston, IL was a full house.
Great music. Great community. People sang along, and we got 2 standing O's!
You can hear some of the songs at www.myspace,com/jamieoreillymusic

Folksinger Anne Hills, who shared the bill with me, brought her apron collection— 35 homemade, appliquéd and embroidered beauties — found in thrift stores over the past few decades. The colorful, one-of-a-kind aprons, tied together, hung like the flags of nations – over the table of Women’s Media’s OLD WORLD BAKE SALE,
a vast array of handmade, exquisite sweets, (and even dinner rolls.)
It was something to behold.

(Many thanks to May Melvin, the bake sale coordinator. And Stuart Rosenberg and Jake Samuels at SPACE. Thanks to the people who baked for us.)

THE ART OF IT
Maya, Cat and I were talking the other day about the significance of ‘THE HOLIDAYS’
in women’s lives – the cooking, baking, cleaning, sewing, decorating, (napping?), and caring for loved ones this time of year. Sure there is a pull when we consider the downside of our herstory - the drudgery of housework not shared, the serving with no time to yourself, the censoring of a woman’s intellect as she was relegated to the kitchen.

How have times changed…or how have times changed?

The kind of effort I saw Sunday celebrates women’s talents – and renews my appreciation of the decorative arts, and of women’s heritage. I reflect on the tradition of the family recipe – handed down – family to family, and the distinct way our various cultures celebrate the ‘season' with FOOD and decoration.

The image of our Christmas concert – the happy faces of the audience when they entered the room and saw the abundance – and the generosity of folks – stays with me today as I celebrate Christmastime with my daughters. For we the O’Reillys, there’s always the music – singing – our great family tradition, handed down from my grandmothers and aunts, along with the stollen, the herring and the gingerbread.

THE WORK
In the great tradition that is FEMINISM, at this time of year, we also raise awareness about the important work outspoken feminists, like Anne Elizabeth, do to empower young women here and abroad, and enable them to find their voices and create their own herstories.

FYI, WMG raised $300. for the Cambodia Girl Project –
Anne Elizabeth Moore’s Project I described in last week’s Blog.

As for the work of WMG, over the holiday break, and into January,
we’ll be listening to, and further editing, the programs we recorded this year,
as we shape our talk.in series for 2010. We may even post some YouTubes.
A shout out to Cat Jarboe, our editor.

Watch for us on Facebook.
And join in the conversation.
Comment on our BLOG!
We look forward to seeing many of you on JANUARY 18 2010,
when we screen Isa: the People’s Diva film at Facets in Chicago.

In the meantime, enjoy your holidays. Happy New Year.

Jamie O’Reilly & Maya Friedler
Women’s Media Group, Chicago
www.wmgchicago.com