Nonviolent Revolution for a Family Friendly US

Redstocking Grandma

Redstocking Grandma
Location
Baldwin, New York,
Birthday
July 17
Bio
My name is Mary Joan Koch. The Redstockings were a NYC radical feminist group in the late 60s and early 70s. I have five grandchildren, 5, 3 1/2, 3 1/2, 2, and 1. Becoming a grandma has rekindled my radical feminism. I speak for the children.

MY RECENT POSTS

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MARCH 30, 2010 2:25PM

Mothers, Lawyers, and Politics

Nolan012

My brother's photoshopping prowess (see avatar)  is a joy to us. Sadly my mom didn't livel long enough to support Clinton in the primary and Obama in the general election.

 

orator

 

 My mother had 6 children and 15 grandchildren. Born in 1921, she wanted toRead full post »

My mom died six years ago. My then 24-year -old daughter Katherine wrote this amazing tribute immediately after her death.

firstcommunion

 The dark-haired girl in the photograph, wearing her first communion shawl and holding her prayer book, looks to me like she can't possiblyRead full post »

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 When people compliment me on my four daughters, I laugh: "I know the recipe, but no sane parent would ever follow it." 

 

Our 2-bedroom apartment on the 20th floor, with a terrace 6 feet by 46 feet. We had a wading poolRead full post »

MARCH 27, 2010 9:43AM

Cure for Invisibility--Lady in Red

MJIndianB
 1958, Age 13
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1963, Age 18
MJ cape 71 3

 1971, Age 26, Just Before I Started Columbia Law School

mjchris

 1973, 6 months Pregnant. My radiation physicst husband and I were a successful genetic experiment. When we met, he was carryingRead full post »

MARCH 25, 2010 10:34AM

Who's Afraid of 65?

grandkids
 
Who are the oldest OS writer who will boast about their ages?
 
I will be 65 July 17, 1945. I was born the day after Trinity, the first atom bomb test. My first husband, a radiation physicist, boasted that I was his "personal Manhattan project."

The blessing… Read full post »
MARCH 24, 2010 9:09AM

Do You Read These Writers?

My pebble throwing, ripple creating legacy on OS will be helping new (and older)  writers gain the attention  and recognition they need to keep writingNew writers are people I have never read, no matter when they joined OS.  New writers are people who are unknown to thRead full post »

WaterRipples

"We drop like pebbles into the ponds of each other's souls, and the orbit of our ripples continues to expand, intersecting with countless others. " Ken Wilbur

Revision:  Bobbot has kindly given me permission to include his comment, which expresses my ideas better than  Wilbur oRead full post »

andyponiesEnglish Grandpa of the Year
 
I believe so strongly in nonsexist childrearing that I don't deny our grandson the sublime  joys of his youngest aunt's  My Little Pony collection. Twenty-three years ago I was appalled at her obsession. All  the Ponies were gifts from rel/…

Read full post »

MARCH 17, 2010 2:51PM

My Irish Colleens

I am 3/4 Irish, 1/4 German. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to share some old family pictures.

bridget_madden

  Great Grandma Bridget Ann Gordon

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Great Aunt Margaret, Aunt Agnes, and Grandma Ann Madden Koch

CousinFannyMurphy

 Fanny Murphy, My Grandma Nolan's Cousin
Read full post »

MARCH 16, 2010 2:15PM

When I Whisper, Everyone Listens

ElizabethPatrick78Machiavelli, the Whisperer

My almost 3-year-old grandson Michael  usually spends Saturdays with us. Last Saturday he fell asleep in his car seat when we were taking our old computers, TVs, tape decks to the e-cycle site that our township offers twice a year. Since he was asleep we… Read full post »

MARCH 2, 2010 12:36PM

Keeping Your Own Name If You Marry

This post was inspired by Kat C's  Last Names and Marriage.

 redstockingmom

Mary Nolan Koch

Because my dad was a World War II veteran, both my parents are buried at Calverton, a military cemetery, on Eastern Long Island. When I was at Calverton for my aunt's funeral in 2005, a… Read full post »

FEBRUARY 26, 2010 10:16AM

Silver Princess--My Hair Wars

This is a revision of a previous post with new pictures.

MJChristmas49

1950, Already Beauty's Slave

MJEaster

1953, Easter White Gloves Require Curly Hair

sweet16

Sweet 16 and Never Been Kissed

redflowers

 1972, My Husband Refused to Sleep With a

Read full post »
FEBRUARY 25, 2010 12:13PM

Photos and Memories

E mail recruiting
1946
DadMJRichardgarden49
1949

I have always been intrigued by the relationship between our memories and the old photographs we have frequently seen.

The first picture shows me holding court with my young uncles and their friends; I was treated as their little sister. I don't remember… Read full post »

FEBRUARY 24, 2010 1:05PM

Growing Up in the 50s

beach49
Jones Beach, 1950
  MJRogerStephenPeter54
 Backyard, 1954
I am staying out of my usual trouble on OS by sharing childhood memories.  In 5 months I will be 65, one of our older elders. Think of these posts as history rather than
Read full post »
JANUARY 30, 2010 6:11PM

Penguins--Catholic Nuns

penguinThis  blurry picture from 1959 evokes many  vivid memories, whether fond or not I am still puzzling out. From first grade through high school graduation, I was taught by the Dominican Sisters of Amityville, Long Island. I never considered for a moment sending my kids to Catholic scho… Read full post »

JANUARY 14, 2010 12:34PM

Donate to Partners in Health for Haiti

Update on Haitian Relief:

My daughter who  works for an International Peace organization across the street from the United Nations, has many UN contacts. She just emailed me this. 

"A lot of people I know who are much more knowledgeable than I am about Haiti recommend donating to PartnRead full post »

JANUARY 11, 2010 10:28AM

Don't You Dare Call Me Granny or Grandma

JungleGirl71

 I expanded this post in include a tutorial,  since some comments made it evident I wasn't perfectly clear.

Who Are Redstockings? 

"Redstockings" was a name taken in 1969 by one of the founding women's liberation groups of the 1960's to represent the union of two traditiRead full post »

JANUARY 10, 2010 4:18PM

Growing Book Worms

MJReading46_1
Momreading

 1951

In my baby book my mom wrote: "A book worm--she loved all books. At 2 years her favorites were Dumbo, Children's Garden of VersesAlice in Wonderland. Was always eager for Cinderella, Goldilocks, etc." My parents read to us every single night. I left home f/

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Editor’s Pick
JANUARY 8, 2010 9:31AM

Join the Revolution for a Family-Friendly America

Are children, elders, families in general, the poor better off than they were in 1968, at the start of the Second Wave of Feminism?  Are you outraged  with a society where 2 month olds are cared for by strangers for 10 hours a day  because there is no genuine paternity andRead full post »
Editor’s Pick
JANUARY 8, 2010 3:09AM

Grandma, Kin-Keeping, and the Birthday Book

GrandmaMJ_2

Grandma Nolan and Mary Jo, 1947

GrandmaNRDVGreat Grandma Nolan, 1974

 

One of my most cherished possessions is my grandmother's small 1980 datebook. It lists the birthdays of all her children, their spouses, her grandchildren, their spouses, and her great-grandchildren. All of us could

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sibsclimbing


I had always been fascinated how early the younger sibling figures out how to revenge herself . From my journal entry in 1974, when Rosalind was 15 months old and Emma was 3, just starting nursery school:


"When Emma came home from nursery school, she asked me

Read full post »

I have just learned the vital importance of comprehensive tagging.

I have spent the last few days looking for posts on the daddy wars, full-time fathers, single fathers, nonsexist childrearing, misandry, stay-at-home fathers. If I do a general search,  I find many posts not on the topic I want t… Read full post »

JANUARY 5, 2010 12:03PM

Why Are Mommy Wars Not Daddy Wars?


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Vanessa - 029

 

Read  Diana Ayala's  terrific The Mommy Wars: Another Sign Nothing Has Changed .  Incredibly and disgracefully, Diana's excellent post, published last October,  got two comments and 2 ratings.  Sadly, that was Diana's last post.  I urgRead full post »

Disclaimer: This title was meant to be provocative.  My feminist friends faced more social pressure trying to free their sons from sexism than I did with my daughters. 
 
 Redstockings were a radical feminist group in New York City in the late
Read full post »