One cup at a time...

Recently I have had the pleasure of getting to know a Facebook friend better - someone who I became friends with entirely through the social networking site - sight unseen, if you'll pardon the pun!
Sue Kerr, known for her Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents blog as well as her Pittsburgh Women's Blogging Society site, is a steel city activist who advocates LGBT issues as well as women's issues and animal rights and properly serving politicians, and, well you get the picture. She also recently made Christmas a lot brighter for many (am I correct in thinking the number was 500) people who struggle with mental health issues. We had the chance to finally meet face to face over the last 'pay it forward' action, and so I joined her recently, as well as a few other bloggers to discuss the power of bloggers and whether we should do good or evil with it (OK, I exaggerate - it was only for good, but I couldn't resist!!).
Well the decision was to start a Pittsburgh blogging movement to encourage people to get their voter's registration and to just plain vote, for goodness sake. Though it's pretty clear that Sue leans toward socially liberal politics, it was great to see a group of women (actually all rather socially liberal) come together and decide to make a difference that was non-partisan. Sue led the call to community activism as she has done so many times in the past, and I sat and watched with great respect during my first coffee shop meeting. I felt so "We shall overcome" - ish.
With her lead, we created an idea - VotePGH - and are hoping to turn it into a movement with the help of our area bloggers.
As for Sue, all I can say is - You go girl!

Weigh to go, Lynn!

Trying to lose weight or just need some inspiration in general? Then you might want to visit Lynn's Weigh, a weight-loss blog written by a Pittsburgh resident. Her weight loss of 168 pounds was recently publicized on Yahoo along with seven other people from across the United States.

She describes herself as "... a mother, grandmother, writer and a perpetual student of the idiosyncrasies of and the deeply personal and finger-like impacts of weight."

I just think she's pretty spectacular!

Treasures

I had the opportunity to speak about tourism in Pittsburgh to a Norwin Rotary group surrounded by three amazing women and friends.
Sylvia McCoy - owner of 'Burgh Bits and Bites
Sara Petyk - owner of Your Active City
and Mary Miller - the writer of The Fork and the Road, a Pennsylvania food blog. She also runs food bus tours in the Laurel Highland region.

All three of these women - based out of the Pittsburgh area - have created great ways of promoting the region through tourism.
Sylvia runs a turnkey business with her walking food tours in the Strip District, Mt. Washington, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville and soon-to-be Brookline. If you take the Strip District tour, you'll be surprised at how much history you'll learn - even if you've visited it every weekend for the past 10 years. The food

Sara has created historical walking and biking tours throughout the city - covering downtown, Oakland, and many of the bike trails. Her website is a wealth of information. With an education in archaeology, her city history is completely accurate and she will show you many unique historical treasures of Pittsburgh neighborhoods that will catch you by surprise, even if you live near them.

Mary's food blog is a must read for traveling in the state of Pennsylvania, and it was a natural segue for her to create tasting tours throughout her area of choice, the Laurel Highlands. Stops at unique restaurants and tastings on the shuttle will guarantee full customers at the end of the day.

I always enjoy being in the presence of these positive women - and I really get a kick out of what they are doing for the region - educating visitors about the treasures of Pittsburgh and its countryside, one step (or taste) at a time.

No news is....hmmm...

Well, like I've seen since I moved to the city more than a year ago - after reading a few Sunday papers yet again - nothing to report about women on the move, women in business, women making a difference, LGBT in the news or on the move or making a difference - in fact nary a peep on the African-American community as well though I suspect there will be much mentioned in tomorrow's news media (in light of Martin Luther King Day). If I didn't personally know many women, LGBT and ethnically diverse people in the Pittsburgh region that do amazing things, I wouldn't shake my head like I kind of am right now. I did note the PPG story about state governor-elect Tom Corbett and their wish list for him - but no mention of additional women, et al to represent...sigh...

A local legacy of Naturalist Rachel Carson

Famous Chatham University Alumn Rachel Carson - known for being a pioneer of environmental awareness and conservation beginning in the 1950s - might be well-pleased to know that her Alma mater is taking her convictions to heart with the creation of a center for "sustainability studies and related fields" according to the Post-Gazette. Using the donation of an almost 400-acre farm in northern Allegheny County, not only will the school further pursue Rachel Carson's environmental discoveries, but it will bring in more students to the county as well as potentially more jobs and tax dollars with the development of a second campus in Richland over the next 20 years.

"Like the resource it seeks to protect, wildlife conservation must be dynamic, changing as conditions change, seeking always to become more effective." - Rachel Carson

Swiss Miss

While I was in Philadelphia recently, I had the opportunity to visit the new Constitution Center. The museum encompassed all that went into the creation of the American Constitution, as well as the events leading up to each amendment, and was fascinating. Then I went into a side hallway that had pictures of women who pushed for equality and a woman's right to simply vote, let alone serve in office. I was surprised by how choked up I got by the realization that so many rights I take for granted, came from their efforts.
Upon returning to Pittsburgh, I had the chance to meet with some local women who are shakers and movers in Pittsburgh via social media. With a keyboard and/or smartphone, these women impressed me with their interest in affecting positive change in the city. One important issue they focused on was finding a united way to encourage people of all political affiliations to register to vote. I'll have more on that soon.
So with those inspirations, I decided to move forward with an idea that I've been kicking around ever since I discovered Jane Grey Cannon Swisshelm. A Pittsburgh native born in 1815, she grew up to lead a seminary, start several abolitionist newspapers, and was a strong advocate for women's rights. The borough of Swissvale comes from the name of her farm located there and Swisshelm Park was named in her honor.
The Swisshelm blog is dedicated to her as well - since I've noticed the dearth of coverage about local and regional women's issues as well as the lack of women serving in public office - maybe in my own small way, I can continue the tradition of Jane Swisshelm - spotlighting women's issues, or the lack thereof, in Pittsburgh.
Jane - this one's for you!