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Yvonne DiVita Archives - All The Single Girlfriends

Beauty is a Sense of Freedom

Sep 5, 2012 by

It was a warm, wonderful summer day. We’d all piled into the car, my step-mother, my Dad, my two sisters and myself, and were taking a leisurely drive to the lake. I say leisurely because that’s how I remember it. It could have been hurried and frantic, for all I know. In memory, I savor the warmth of the sun pouring in those fully rolled down windows of the car (no, I have no idea what kind of car; to this day, my relationship to cars is to answer the, “What kind of car do you drive?” question with, “A gold one.”), and the chatter of the family talking about what we’d do once we arrived at the lake. The lake was a frequent destination. Dad likes boating and while our boat was nothing...

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Beauty is as Beauty Does

Aug 13, 2012 by

That’s what my mother used to tell me, back in the ancient days of my youth. I’d be all dressed up for a special occasion, preening in front of the mirror, and she’d come up behind me and give me a small smile, then fling that dinger at me. “Beauty is as beauty does.” Since I never considered myself beautiful, I was clueless. What did she mean?  I seldom pondered the answer to my own question. I had places to go. I know what she meant, now. I know she was trying to tell me to behave; that my looks could get me in trouble. But, as a teenager, all I could think was – “Do I look all right? Is my eyeliner straight? Is my blouse tight enough?” Yes, I was fortunate to...

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The One Thing I Will Do In 2012 Come Hell or High Water!...

Jan 3, 2012 by

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day. ~  Edith Lovejoy Pierce This quote from Edith Lovejoy Pierce seems particularly relevant for an online community, since of course, each new post begins with a blank page. On All The Single Girlfriends our posts wrap around the stories of our life experiences. Often they reflect our dreams, joys, hopes and sometimes our sadnesses. Our Gf authors are amazing and I wondered how they were going to fill the blank pages of their 2012 books .. what did they want to do in 2012 .. come hell or high water!   Debra Pearlman ~ Resolutions … been there, broke that.  I’d rather say that I’d focus...

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Thanksgiving Traditions Differ

Nov 23, 2011 by

Thanksgiving means different things to each of us. For some girlfriends it’s a special dish that brings back childhood memories. For others it’s the people sitting around the table. All The Single Girlfriend authors share What makes Thanksgiving “Thanksgiving” for us. For some Gf the holiday is a melancholy time. For some it’s a time of new beginnings. Over the next days we’ll share our experiences and memories with you. Please join the conversation and let us know what are some of your Thanksgiving traditions. Thanksgiving means being with the people I love, eating whatever version of the foods I love show up. I am not a stickler for how it used to be but I honor the past while creating traditions that start in the present.  This year: cutting the turkey up first before...

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Girlfriends Helping Girlfriends...

Nov 14, 2011 by

Girlfriends Helping Girlfriends shines a virtual spotlight on amazing women who have been supporting women and girls over a period of time. This interview is extra special for us .. Yvonne DiVita is one of our own Gf Authors. Yvonne DiVita founder of the Lipsticking one of the longest sustained and most successful digital communities for women. atsGf/Toby:  What is your favorite quote? Yvonne DiVita:  From Harriet Beecher Stowe: Women are the real architects of society. atsGf/Toby:  Who are you beyond your professional resume? Yvonne DiVita: I’m just a Mom and Grandma, to some “hooman” kids and some “fur” kids. I love reading and writing and watching HGTV. I dream of someday having my own big log cabin where my ‘kids’ can run around free, indoors and out. atsFg/Toby: What is your favorite “Girlfriend” activity? Yvonne DiVita:...

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I Think Better When I Walk

Oct 5, 2011 by

I’m not sure why this happens but whenever I walk the dogs, my brain works in amazing ways! It seems to be buzzing at warp speed –  the conversations I have with myself are often better than conversations I have with other people! Don’t tell anyone I said that, though. Tom always says he thinks best in the shower – or, otherwise ‘disposed’ – but I think best on long walks, and in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. Both times are inconvenient for capturing the content flowing through my brain, thus making it all a bit useless. I mean – if I can’t act on the great thoughts, what good are they? Mind you, I’m not saving the world, or ending hunger or even choosing the next president. My thoughts...

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Why I like Baseball Not Football...

Sep 21, 2011 by

First of all, I’m not a sports gal at all. I like the Olympics but I’m pretty selective in what I watch. I do watch gymnastics, skiing, snowboarding, some of the races (winter or summer), and I love figure skating. I used to follow diving because a neighbor’s son was a diver – he missed being on the Olympic team by just a tenth of a point, or something. It was very tense and…ultimately, disappointing. Also, I have to admit that among my enormous family (about 80 and still counting, when we have family get togethers) I am an outsider because I don’t like football. I haven’t found anyone else in the family who finds football a waste of time, as I do. <sigh> This, of course, makes for difficult Thanksgivings. I mean, everyone...

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The Soulful Sound and Story of Art...

Jul 20, 2011 by

From the ancient days of cave painting to the remarkable statues of Michelangelo all the way to our modern museums of art, the concept of art as a story of soul and sound is as old as rain and wind. My experiences with art are so limited, I feel handicapped even writing about it. Not that long ago, I thought of art as… a painting, a poem, a story, a design, a musical, a song; all things that are part of art – but which don’t really convey true artistic creativity, individually. I seldom connected the dots. For instance – a painting is only as good as the person viewing it believes it is good. The story, the soul, the sound of the painting is not the story, soul or sound of the painter....

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Young At Heart

Jun 18, 2011 by

My Dad is the greatest guy. He’s young at heart and full of forgiveness. He’s always been one of those Dads that other kids wanted to be around. I miss him, now that I’m far away in CO and he’s still in NY. But, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for my Dad. This picture is one of my favorite – it’s my Dad with my oldest daughter when she was about seven. This is how I will always remember him – as this ‘guy’ – the one who made all the kids happy to be kids. This Dad was warm, happy, funny, full of laughter, and always ready for a camping trip. Up with Dads everywhere!...

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Things I WOULDN’T Change About My Life – No Matter What!...

Jun 13, 2011 by

Last week I wrote a post about the things I would change in my life, if I could go back and be a kid again. Things like realizing I was ‘ok’ – maybe more than ‘ok’. I’d have studied more and read great literature in favor of…the stuff I was reading. I’d have realized that I truly did have my whole life ahead of me, when I was 15, and not lamented over the things I allowed to rule the day. Now, I’d like to talk about the things in my life that I would NOT change. There are a lot so I’ll just mention a few in this post. I wouldn’t change my family. We may be dysfunctional to the nth degree in many ways, but at our core we love each other....

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Wouldn’t You Change Anything – Really?...

Jun 6, 2011 by

It always amuses me when folks answer the “If you could change anything about your past, what would it be?” with, “Nothing. If I changed anything, I wouldn’t be me.” Really? Nothing? Absolutely nothing has happened in your past that you would change, if you could go back and make changes? Well, I’d change a lot. And, I’d expect to be the exact same person I am today, only better; sooner. How does that work? Here’s how… When I was a child I was phenomenally shy and introverted. Never mind why. I just was. If I could go back and not be shy, I would. I’d like to engage with the neighborhood kids on a one-on-one level, and not be afraid of being left out because… no one liked me. I remember one instance...

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I Never Promised You A Rose Garden...

May 11, 2011 by

No one ever said it would be easy .. and other 20th century maxims that stick in my brain.  The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Beauty is skin deep. Too many cooks spoil the stew. If your best friend jumped off a cliff, would you? Don’t make me come in there. I’ll give you something to cry about! Who do you think you are? Because I said so… All of the above were uttered by my mother at one time or another, back when I was a kid. This was back in the day – when Moms could threaten bodily harm and not be afraid of being reported to social services. It was back when Moms had power; when any adult woman in your household had power over you, including Aunts and...

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