Come see me when I'm in your area Connecticut  THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2008 - 5:30 - 7:00pm CANTON, CT seminar opened to the community on living your life with Tao and Defiance for reservations please email cj at thepath@taogirl.com or call Susan Vinal at 860-693-7777 Cherry Brook Health Care Center 102 Dyer Avenue Canton, CT 06019 North Carolina MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13-15, 2008 -  times tba GREENSBORO RALEIGH  DURAM In conjunction with WomenEctetera! WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2009 -  times tba GREENSBORO, NC I will be presenting a seminar based on my essay: TOO BUSHED FOR THE BASH Getting through the upcoming "summer stress season" without needing to be Martha Stewart The Wednesday Literary Club Greensboro, NC Pennsylvania MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2008 -  time tba PITTSBURGH, PA In conjunction with WomenEctetera! Would you like to hold your own Tao-Girl meeting with CJ and your friends? JUST LET ME KNOW: thepath@taogirl.com We can get together when I’m in your area, or, if you live too far for me to drive or fly to, we can meet over the internet.

August 10, 2008

I just got an email from Tao-Girl Mandy with some very interesting, important and disturbing statistics.

Thank you, Mandi, for sending this to us!
CJ

June 16, 2008

Dear Tao-Girls,

Yesterday I received, via email, a video of a dog that had been trained to burst balloons.  Now, that could be a metaphor for bringing one's dreams to a screeching halt. 
 Instead I chose to see it as a exercise in patience, determination and taking one's dream a step at a time to its hard-earned and well-deserved final goal.

I urge you to please click on the link and 
see this pooch as he attacks (literally) the work in front of him.

This little dog has much to teach us about tenacity, patience and focus.

Media/BalloonDogMay2-2008.wmv

April 16, 2008

Hi Tao-Girls,
This is just in from former Tao-Girl of the Moment, Mandii:

Hey guys,
I am a new member of www.one.org the campaign to help save poverty stricken countries that are lucky to receive one meal a day while we gouge ourselves on McDonald's and Burger King.  Recently, the price of food was raised so high that it is predicted that the poorer people will either be thrown into extreme poverty or starvation.  This is no joke.  Click on the following link to sign the petition going to President Bush to help take a stand.

I just took action with the ONE Campaign and you can too, here:

http://www.one.org/hungercrisis?rc=hctaf

Dear Mandii,

This is what being a Tao-Girl is all about...caring and helping others.  Way to go!

April 12, 2008

Hey, Tao Girls,
I just heard from former Tao-Girl of the Moment, Lori and she is headed for a very interesting 30 hours.  Here is part of what she wrote to me:

Around the world, millions of children go to bed hungry every night. But it doesn't have to be that way. Last year, over 100,000 teens across the country did the World Vision 30 Hour Famine. They raised over $4.5 million to help children and communities in need around the world.

This year, I am joining them. By taking part in the 30 Hour Famine, I will raise funds to help provide nutritious food, clean water, medicine, and shelter for children in countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, India, Cambodia, and Ecuador.

During the Famine, I will fast for 30 hours which lets me get a taste of what millions of others go through every day.

If you need more information about the Famine and how it helps children around the world, please visit www.famine.ca or contact me at xx-lor@hotmail.com or 902-883-5567.

Lori, I am so very proud of you and hope you reach your goal of raising, not only money, but awareness to help end hunger throughout the world!

If any of you Tao-Girls would like to help support Lori in this terrific endeavor, please email me for information

thepath@taogirl.com

CJ

Tao-girls, let us know what special activities you are involved in and I'll post it here for all to see!

December 26

One of you Tao-Girls out there sent me this quiz question.  I think it's so great that I want to post it here and have you all send me your thoughts and responses.
How would a Tao-Girl handle this situation?
What do YOU think?

"When A New Girl Comes To School And All The Boys Want Her What Should We As Girls DO?"

Here are some great Tao-Girl responses:

It is only natural for the rest of us girls to be jealous of all the attention the new girl gets from all the boys. But this is not the end of the world! We have to remember to be tenacious, accepting, radiant and optimistic like the tao girls we are!
Sooner or later the "new girl" will become "old news" and probably become friends with you if you give her the chance. In the mean time try to make the best of the situation and understand that boys will be boys, and boys are silly!
- Lori

I think that we should remember Te and be the best we can be and the boys will start to be interested in us again. - Lauren

When someone new comes to school she is always more interesting because she is new and new is interesting. If the other girls are patient the boys will be want to be with us again. - Morgan

January 2, 2008

I just heard from Tao-Girl Lori:

Hey, I also got a few books for Christmas on Taoism and wanted to share this poem from one of them I really liked.
 
Tao Follows Its Own Nature
 
Something unformed and complete
Both heaven and earth were born,
Solitary and silent,
Stands alone and unchanging,
Prevading all things without limit.
It is like the mother of all under heaven,
But I don't know its name -
Better call it Tao.
Better call it great.
 
Great Means passing on.
Passing on means going far.
Going far means returning.
 
Therefore,
Tao is great,
and heaven,
and earth,
and humans.
 
Four great things in the world.
Aren't humans one of them?
 
Humans follow earth,
Earth follows heaven,
Heaven follows Tao.
 
Tao follows its own nature.
 
Lori

December 13

This came from Tao-Girl Whitney:

it was fun having you come to uniquely me and we thank you for your time so I got to go so bye!!

Whitney, 
I loved being with you and the girls at Uniquely Me and hope we get to meet again.
CJ

November 29

This came from Tao-Girl Casey:

name:  Casey
age:   15 1/2

i would like to say hi i was at the great escape this october and i remember you and after that little speech you gave i have lived my life alot more better living the tao girl way (remember that song) lol well g2g bye

And this one from Lori
age:  14

Hey CJ,
Ive actually read your book "Tao Of The Defiant Woman" even though im sure its for older women. I beleive it really changed me, in a good way. It let me accept my curvacious, not so small body and to love myself more. i would love to talk with you more. Thanks.
-lori

Hey Cj,
 
My good friend Vanessa lent me the book. she told me how much it helped her, and her lively grandmother who gave it to her.  I discovered Tao-Girl because I was doing a novel study on your book, it inspired me so much. I made three models. one of a voluptuous curvy woman's body made out of clay. another as a wooden ying yang. and the last a cube with symbols relating to the book.

November 23

I received this from Tao-Girl Quavisha last week.
I think it's a wonderful way to remember 
Thanksgiving.  Don't you?

(Look for Quavisha to be a Tao-Girl of the Moment in the near future.)

November 1

How was your Halloween?  I was in New Jersey with three of my grandkids trick or treating.  I dyed my hair orange and black, put bright orange polish on my finger nails and wore dangly pumpkin earrings with bells in them.

I had my kids take  a photo - I think I must have looked hysterical and very very strange.  I'll post it on this page when they email it to me.

Do you have a Halloween photo of yourself you can share?

October 30
This past week I was in Florida and spent Saturday, October 27 with some of the amazing girls from the Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida.  

You girls down there gave me some fabulous feed-back on your questionnaires and I thank you so very much.

Actually, all of you girls who I have met are so helpful and such fun to be with!

Please stay in touch - I want to hear from you!

October 23
What did you all do this past weekend?  I spent Friday overnight and Saturday at Camp Wind in the Pines in Plymouth, MA with the girls of the Southeastern Massachusetts Council.  

The weekend was the Great Escape Weekend - and it was, indeed, a great escape.  We were in the most gorgeous place, having a grand time, enjoying each others' company and participating in a wide assortment of activities.

I had the chance to meet with all of the girls there and they were a big help to me.  They all got into the excitement of a Tao-Girl book and gave me great information about what to include in the book and even what the book should look like.

We took some fun photos and when I can, they'll go up on this page.

The girls also wrote Tao-Girl songs and a cheer.
Thank you Tao-Girls of the SE Mass. Council!  

October 18
Hi Tao-Girls,
I've just come back from the best visit to Spring Lake Middle School in Spring Lake, North Carolina. 
I met the best group of Tao-Girls there and want to thank all you for being so terrific and fun to be with!

The girls gave me wonderful ideas for the book I'm writing for you all and I look forward to getting their questionnaires back.

We've taken some photos - they'll be put up on this page very soon, so keep checking back.

October 15

Did you ever get so tired and have so many places to go that you can't even remember where you are supposed to be?

That's just what is happening to me lately.
But it's all been great fun.

Last week I was hiking in two of our national parks - Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park. They're both in Utah and, wow, are they gorgeous!

Here I am (in pink) with some of my hiking buddies.