Women with Vision

Vol.40, Issue 11 May 2024

Celebrating Our 77th year!

Welcome to Fallbrook AAUW's new newsletter! We are hoping it is more readable and easier to navigate. All of the blue buttons and text within the articles are clickable and linked to either websites, email addresses, or documents. Don't miss the link at the bottom of your email that says "View entire message." That will open up the complete newsletter. We would love to know what you think.

Saturday May 11, 2024 will be our final fundraising event for the year!

Please bring a friend to our Pre-Mother's Day Luncheon, Fundraiser, and Fashion Show

Location: La Cucina, Main Dining Room and Patio. Fallbrook

Fashion Show – Thanks to our member, Sharon Robinson of Sharon’s on Main and MiMi’s Boutique. Thanks also to our member models. Please invite your family and friends. We still have some seats available and we want a sell-out for this fun event!

Silent Auction: Do you have items for the silent auction? It can be regifting, a treasure, a service, vacation/timeshare, or a restaurant gift certificate. If you have ideas or something to donate, email Diane Summers. Time is running out so please let us know what you have.

Tickets for this event are part of the fundraising. There will be a very short annual business meeting at the beginning, including an election. You should have received an email showing the slate of candidates for next year's executive board. The event begins with a patio reception and silent auction, 50/50 raffle, delicious lunch, and fun fashion show. The ticket price is $35 in advance or $45 at the door. Many of you paid and reserved at the April meeting. The Evite was sent out and you can forward it to anyone you want to invite. For those who haven’t paid yet, your options are:

• Write a check payable to AAUW – Fallbrook, P.O.Box 1061 Fallbrook CA 92088-1061;
• Pay by Venmo using the username or QR code are below.

June General Meeting

Saturday June 8

Location: Fallbrook Public Utilities. 990 E. Mission, Fallbrook.

The awarding of scholarships and installation of new board members.



JULY – no general meeting, there will be a new/old board meeting.  

"In Conversation With ..." was the format of author Patricia Watts's talk as she shared the underlying message of her latest book, Paper Targets, at AAUW's monthly meeting on April 13.  

Guests and visitors were treated to Ms. Watts’s openness as AAUW member Nancy Heins-Glaser asked questions related to the author's backstory of an impressive and evolving writing career. 

As a college graduate in journalism, she moved on to newspaper editor, paralegal, investigator for the Alaska Commission for Human Rights, to present-day contemporary novelist.   

Her journey is especially impressive when one also considers her education and career paths were sandwiched between sudden and frequent moves as a military spouse and mom of two kids. 

"Recognizing the Voices of Older Women " was Watts's theme as she presented the unique story about a lifelong friendship of two older women, the protagonists of her novel, Paper Targets. 

Watts's self-described writing style is noted as "fiction on the edge.” Her honest wording and historical accuracy, told with humor and pathos, provide the reader with just enough social commentary about the indignities that many women endure as they navigate from girlhood and into and through adult life. 

Please see Ms. Watts’s message of appreciation to Nancy for the opportunity to share her history and with our group:  

“It was an uplifting experience to share my story with such a welcoming audience. My hope is that in return I have encouraged other women to stay true to their own narratives in spite of the risks of being labelled ‘angry’ or ‘not nice’ or ‘overemotional.’

Nancy Heins-Glaser with Patricia Watts

Patricia Watts with her book, Paper Targets.

Hello, I am Bobbie Jessup, a life member of AAUW. I am a second generation AAUW member. My mother had me active even before I graduated. I graduated from Fullerton Community College and San Diego State University. I worked in the family business of selling accounting forms and systems, even before computers and self-publishing were heard of. I was a member of two previous branches before starting the Temecula Valley branch and assuming various leadership roles. Upon moving to the Temecula Valley in 1991 with my husband, I helped start a business. I have also worked in several companies, serving in various capacities such as office manager, customer service, purchasing, and accounting. I have served on a couple of state committees and with the help of some wonderful women, kept the Temecula Valley Branch going for 30 years. I have always enjoyed reading and do not go anywhere without a book (standing in lines can be boring).

Looking for diversity in our community, the DEI group went on a field trip in April to the Barnes and Noble in Temecula. We were greeted by a staff member, Stephanie Keller, who showed us a table with the various banned books. We were shocked to see To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and Gone with the Wind, among others that many of us had read in high school. Mostly they are banned in schools and public libraries in the states where their legislators had passed laws to prohibit them. However, they can still be purchased online and in stores, due to the Freedom of Speech federal law.

We then saw the amazing, very large young adult section of Manga. This is a form of anime that has been in the U.S. for 30 years, but became very popular at the start of the pandemic. For several reasons, these books from Japan took off and now they are the most popular reading material for the 12 to 20-something age group in the world. If you remember the old comic books, Manga is like that with all new characters and situations. They have been translated into English and edited for the American culture. They read from back to front and from the right corner to the left. As Stephanie explained to us, they have adventurous stories with underlying values like hope, finding your true self, and coping with the challenges of life. We were amazed at how many titles there are, with many different topics.

We hope members will go and visit all the new, exciting books and other items Barnes and Noble has to offer. The Manga section usually has a staff person there to guide you to the appropriate books for yourself or to give as gifts, so you can keep up to date on this new literature adventure.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, May 15th at Diane Summer's house, from 10 to 12 for coffee and conversation. In June we are planning to have a Diversity Dine evening event, so look for the date. All members are welcome.

Stress Reduction Workshop

Mentees and mentors met on April 24 in the AVID classroom at Fallbrook High School for a relaxing gathering. The topic was Stress Reduction. Sue Schaeffer opened the meeting by leading a discussion about what stresses us out, how stress affects us, and how we deal with stress, moving on to what research tells us about stress, wellness, and mindfulness and how yoga practice can help us address all of those topics.

Marli Shoop presented background on yoga and demonstrated how to use deep breathing during yoga. Then we set out mats and towels throughout the classroom before Carolyn Thom walked us through the many poses that make up what is called Sun Salutation, including Upward Facing Dog and Downward Facing Dog. Next, Patty Carlson showed us how to perform Warrior One and Two poses. We closed with a meditation while everyone lay down on their mats or towels with their eyes closed. Some of the mentees had tried yoga previously and everyone in attendance enjoyed trying it out.

After our meeting, we went for frozen yogurt and a relaxed time catching up with each other.

Sue Schaeffer Leading Discussion on Stress as Mentees Actively Listen

Marli Shoop Teaching Breathing Techniques

Carolyn Thom Leading the Group Through Sun Salutation

Arts in the Park

On Sunday, April 28, AAUW Fallbrook once again sponsored a booth at the annual Fallbrook Arts in the Park, set among the oak trees in Live Oak Park. Branch mentors and mentees passed out clay and assisted at least 350 children and parents as they created wonderful animals, comic characters, and a plethora of other fantastic objects. Among 34 stations that varied from fiddle lessons to walking sticks, our booth was definitely a favorite. Thank you to all members and mentees who helped out. We couldn't have done it without you! And a huge shout out to Carolyn Thom who oversaw the endeavor, organizing, setting up, and overseeing this very successful community endeavor.

Fallbrook AAUW Mentor and Mentee Volunteers Chris Assad, Elena Mendoza, Sue Schaeffer, Carolyn Thom (Event Coordinator), Lanique Boling, Susan Duling, and Marli Shoop (Mentorship Program Coordinator)

More AAUW Volunteers

Community Members Learning About and Working with Clay

AAUW Public Policy April Meeting Focused on Lobby Days and Upcoming Election

The Fallbrook Public Policy meeting in April brought together Joy Frew, Elizabeth Stuver, Sherry Ludwig, and Margot Dokken to discuss plans for the upcoming year.

The meeting began with a brief summary of Lobby Days, which was attended by Joy Frew, Margot Dokken, and Nancy Heins-Glaser. AAUW promoted three main bills out of a total of 48 bills that the organization is tracking.

The three A bills are AB 2843, AB 2326 and AB 2099:

• AB 2843 eliminates cost sharing, including deductibles, from being imposed on any rape survivor seeking medical treatment following a rape.Insurers will be required to cover the full cost of medical care.

• AB 2326 requires the chancellors or presidents from the University of California (UC), the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges, to provide an annual report directly to the Assembly and Senate Subcommittees on Education Finance on each institution’s compliance with Title IX, including sexual assault.

• AB 2099 would make a new misdemeanor or felony for sharing personal information or images of reproductive health care providers, including on the internet, with the intent of causing them harm.

AAUW wants all members to become active in advocating for these bills. Click here to find AAUW California's 2024 bill tracking report.

The group also discussed interesting ideas from other groups, such as One Person, One Bill for tracking the legislative processes of all the bills we are supporting.

Regarding California's guidance on gender provisions, California law now protects gender identity as well as gender from discrimination in schools.

The group approved the idea of a school board candidates forum and agreed to hold it early so that candidates could include AAUW's endorsement on their literature. Possible names for the forum were "Issues and Candidates" or "Candidates and Issues." The Library was suggested as a good venue.

There was also interest in holding periodic Public Policy meetings at the library, particularly in light of the upcoming election and the importance of the issue of a woman's right to choose.

Overall, the AAUW Public Policy Meeting was a productive and informative gathering that set the stage for our advocacy efforts in the coming months. Next month’s meeting will be at Ann McCarthy’s home on May 16. Joy will reserve a room at the library for a candidate meeting in June and contact the candidates.

Pictured From Left to Right, Sherry Ludwig, Elizabeth Stuver,

Margot Dokken. Not Pictured is Joy Frew.

Lesley Ibaven and Cynthia Young NOT Hurting Elizabeth Stuver.

Looking on are Karen Langer Baker, Rachel Rose, and Joy Frew

Never bring a knife to a book club. Full stop.

Elizabeth Stuver will never make that mistake again – perhaps because she finally got the advice she sought on how to close the dang thing! Despite appearances, discussion was animated rather than contentious. Joy, our host and discussion leader, calmed us with, among other things, her grapefruit curd tart and good coffee. So no one was actually hurt as we relived together our experience of Birnam Wood, by Eleanor Catton. The surprising, and just a little bit controversial finale, kept the conversation lively right to the end. We do recommend this New Zealand based tale of environmentalism vs. (what else?) greed.

Next month we’ll meet on the 20^th for Empress of the Nile, by Lynne Olson, the true story of “the daredevil archaeologist who saved Egypt’s ancient temples from destruction.” Get reading!

Karin and Richard Moore hosted our April movie review. Susan Duling reviewed the movie Cabrini, which our members thoroughly enjoyed as well.  

MAY MOVIE REVIEW

Friday, May 17th at 6:00 pm 

Potluck at the home of Marli and Rick Shoop

3944 Alta Vista Drive, Fallbrook

Members are all invited to share movies or series that they have enjoyed. With so many new releases coming to streaming channels, we want to expand our viewing by learning from others. Over the summer, we invite you to watch The Three Body Problem series for a future review in the fall!

From Left to Right: Maria Viernes, Chris Assad, Margot Dokken, Grace VanderWerf, Patty Carlson