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Rylander Memorial Library

December 20, 2007:

This Is Not The Life I Ordered - 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down, by Deborah Collins Stephens, Jackie Speier, Michealene Christini Risley, and Jan Yanehiro, Illustrations by John Grimes -The Seven T's, Finding Hope and Healing in the Wake of Tragedy, Judy Collins -Leading Ladies, American Trailblazers, Kay Bailey Hutchison -

This Is Not The Life I Ordered - 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down, by Deborah Collins Stephens, Jackie Speier, Michealene Christini Risley, and Jan Yanehiro, Illustrations by John Grimes -

As Marlene Dietrich famously said, "It is the friends you call at four o'clock in the morning that really matter." The four amazing and "extraordinary" women who wrote This Is Not The Life I Ordered are just that kind of friends. Now they share the hard-won savvy and great ideas from their "kitchen table coaching sessions" with anyone who ever felt this life might not be exactly what she ordered. And isn't that all of us?

In this collection of stories, wisdom, and practical advice, meet four ordinary women who have faced extraordinary life challenges. Together, they have a history of six marriages, 10 children, four step-children, six dogs, two miscarriages, two cats, a failed adoption, and foster parenthood. One of them was shot and left for dead on a tarmac in South America and two lived through the death of their spouses.

For over a decade, the power and strength of their collective friendship enabled these women not only to survive but to thrive. Join them to learn how you too can turn "misfortunate" events into joy filled opportunities.

And, The Seven T's, Finding Hope and Healing in the Wake of Tragedy, Judy Collins -

Drawing on her own experience of losing her son to suicide, as well as her conversations with hundreds of people who have grieved the tragic death of a friend or family member, revered singer-songwriter, Judy Collins, has culled seven powerful steps toward healing:

• Truth: tell it;

• Trust: allow it;

• Therapy: get it;

• Treasure: hold on;

• Thrive: look up;

• Treat: nurture yourself; and

• Transcend: you must live a life of joy, abundance and forgiveness.

And, Leading Ladies, American Trailblazers, Kay Bailey Hutchison -

In a series of skillfully drawn biographical portraits, United States senator and bestselling author, Kay Bailey Hutchison, examines the lives of 63 pioneers in military service, journalism, public health, social reform, science, and politics - all American women. From the courtroom to the halls of Congress, these female trailblazers have battled tremendous odds to achieve success, if not always recognition, in their respective fields. Senator Hutchison, a trailblazer herself, became the first woman from the State of Texas elected to the United States Senate.

Following in the footsteps of her bestselling book, American Heroines, Senator Hutchison continues to celebrate female accomplishments in all walks of life. Whether committed to a chosen cause or thrust into a public role by personal circumstance, the women profiled in Leading Ladies are woven thin threads of opportunity into sweeping tapestries of achievement. Without their spirit and perseverance, many of the obstacles they so daringly conquered might still remain in place today. Gerti Coris' Nobel Prize victory in 1947 enabled other female scientists like Rita Levi-Montalcini to pursue their own research interests. Pearl Buck's bestselling novels made it possible for authors like Amy Tan to expand the boundaries of the American literary canon even further. Susan B. Anthony's indefatigable efforts to win women the right to vote allowed Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congresswoman Mary Bono, and Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao to eventually rise to some of the highest offices in the nation.

Mixing historical portraits with modern success stories, Senator Hutchison shows how American women from all periods of history have contributed to the strength and progress of our nation, and no history of the nation can be written without them.

See you at Rylander!

 

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