Published: Condom education in the military

…if you’re going to spread the fruits of your genital love, be smart about it.

February 14th, 2013 one of the military publications I read, The Herald Union, printed a half page article on sexual responsiblity (page 15) and health through the use of condoms. I was floored! Like, holy cow wow, really? I’d never see this in the American South because of the region’s ultra conservative perspectives about sex. (and yet I’m moving back so go figure) I’m thrilled that the military took steps in educating (and/or reminding) soldiers about condoms. Sure, the men and women who serve our country probably already know about condoms but like good manners, a reminder doesn’t hurt.  It’s just smart and why be anything less when you don’t have to be?

Below is a photo of the comment I made which made it into print! (page 2) I’m a bit ear to ear smiles on it and very grateful the editor choose to publish it along with an opposing comment. These two different perspectives on the same topic are as diverse as can be.  Yet, I feel it’s important to stress that Planned Parenthood is not – and I repeat “is not”- an abortion clinic but a place women go to plan their parenthood options - opposed to just getting knocked up and claiming God wanted them to have babies. Pregnancy must be created more responsibly than that.

Planned parenthood also provides basic healthcare to women who cannot afford it.  If they cannot afford to care for their own healthcare, how are they going to afford the cost of parenthood?  Planned parenthood shouldn’t even be considered a “controversial organization” as healthcare for women shouldn’t sit on a controversial throne!  Try the banks, Congress, auto industry, pharmecutical companies, and the producers of chemicals which go into our foods.  Now those are are controversial organizations, not Planned Parenthood.  Take a look at the extensive services PP offers, including a section on men’s sexual health. That’s excellent and deserves extra noting.

I, of course, did an oversell on the article’s positivity. This is because 1) I mean every word and 2) if you’re going to spread the fruits of your genital love, be smart about it. If you’re going to be chaste, keep the condom education out of your life but not out of the lives of men and women who serve our country in order that anyone may enjoy the freedom to state an uneducated opinion and create controversy where none logically need not be.

Be smart and use condoms. Be smarter and use other forms of birth control with it.  Then have great sex and enjoy.

The link to Herald Union is in the text.

Read Full Post »

Books: The Art Cure Diaries

After considerable thought, I’ve decided to make the Ipad ebook format of “The Art Cure Diaries” free for anyone to enjoy.  The same applies to the Kindle/Ebook formats I’m working on completing for you.

You can also choose to purchase a print copy or, if you don’t have an Ipad and want to view it, it is available in its entirety also for free.

Enjoy and pass it on!

~ Tatiana

(*shortlink to post: http://wp.me/p3f9L-1DQ)

Read Full Post »

Breast Cancer, Art and Awareness

In the U.S., today marks the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness month. One in 8 women develop breast cancer. Chances are you know someone right now dealing with it. If you walk into an American store in October, virtually everything is pink or has upon it a pink ribbon. Women have done this; they’ve created such huge impact on breast cancer awareness wherein, the entire damn country turns pink! (One must stop to wonder why the hell men are running the world but that’s another post.)

Two years ago I had the greatest pleasure of working with a group of women in Savannah, Georgia to create The Art Cure project. Its basis was to collaborate with local organizations to bring art into the local breast cancer awareness efforts. My intent wasn’t specifically for the organizational benefits by charitable dollars raised through the art action of the survivors’ artworks created for this event, but for the survivors’ and patients’ themselves for whom the artistic process could offer so much more than yet another fundraiser, respectfully. Art was introduced as a coping and emotional expressionistic mechanism.

Sure, there’s a lot of events out there to raise awareness, but I wondered at that time, how many existed which focused on providing benefits to the patients and survivors through means that provided teaching something they could hold on through various times in life. For some of these women, their first introduction to art has brought a new avenue of expression, understanding and learning about oneself and/or breast cancer.

Conception to completion took three months and at our end we raised about $2300, all of which went to two organizations in Savannah. I specifically contacted Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and the Young Survival Coalition, local chapters, and requested the funds stay within the community.

This is important: I don’t much care for charitable organizations but my time is my heart when I can reach people themselves. That’s where the differences stick. That’s where the memories, imprints and deep etchings are created. There’s a permanence there I like better than a check.

So, I salute the wonderful women of The Art Cure. I created The Art Cure Diaries to document their artistic process. In spirit, they’ve helped me along quite a bit over the course of my international relocation and discovery of an autoimmune disease myself. Funny how life works. Give a heart somewhere, find a hand to help out of quicksand when you need it. That’s the exchange in life. Karma maybe. Each time I draw or paint, I think of my experience with The Art Cure ladies, my good friend who inspired the project and I give thanks. If they survived cancer, well… we can all survive life, then.

xoxo,

Tatiana

Help support breast cancer awareness. Buy The Art Cure Diaries for $3.99 now and I’ll donate $1 from each sale to charity.

This month, $1.00 from each sale of The Art Cure Diaries Ipad version book goes to the community which helped make it all happen. Purchase your copy here right now and make a small difference. They add up.

View the official website which has The Art Cure’s full history, survivors’ stories and artwork. Pass it on to others touched by breast cancer.

**I’ll have the Kindle and print versions out shortly. Contact me if you need further information.

Read Full Post »

THE ART CURE DIARIES available on Ipad

Help support breast cancer awareness. Buy The Art Cure Diaries for $3.99 now and I’ll donate $1 from each sale to charity.

Almost two years since my charity work with The Art Cure project and I’m excited to be back into it again. I’ve set up an IPAD version of The Art Cure Diaries for a phenomenal price of 3.99!

After unexpectedly dealing with an overseas move just shortly after the completion of this project in October 2012, I fell into some difficult personal times. The women from The Art Cure have served as a great inspiration to me to move forward and survive my own ordeals. If they could survive their life battles, so could I and for this inspiration I’m deeply thankful to “the art cure ladies” as I call them.

One dollar for each sale from now until October 31, 2012 will be donated to breast cancer support organizations as to continue the spirit of inspiring the lives of those who are still working on their “survivor” status. I’m so proud of this book and of the wonderful women who participated. I think of them daily to inspire me out of my own challenges and you could do no better than to support this fantastic collection of survivors’ stories and the artwork their inner artist created by purchasing the ebook!

To learn about the project that’s raised awareness, money for charity and many inspirations, please visit the official site here.

To purchase an IPAD version of The Art Cure Diaries, click here.

For print versions…I’m taking names for pre-orders so contact me or join my newsletter where I’ll announce its availability. Currently the print edition is unavailable but if you want a hard copy, please let me know so I can ensure you’re aware when it is available!

Finally, I’m also working to bring you a Kindle version of The Art Cure Diaries. I’m about a technologically capable as a baby driving a car so pardon while I figure it all out!

A few paintings from breast cancer survivors

For the price of a coffee you can purchase a wonderful gift for someone or yourself AND I’ll donate $1.00 per sale to breast cancer charity. For a preview of what’s inside, view The Art Cure blog or click here to learn more about the book.

1 in 8 get breast cancer. Together we can change that.

Remember, 1 out of 8 women contract breast cancer. That’s astonishing. Please contribute right now show your support and purchase The Art Cure Diaries on Ipad for only $3.99 right here. Thank you!

Read Full Post »

Life is… change

The decision is final: we’re returning to the States.

My European adventure has been satisfied and I’m expated out!  All it took was achieving the American Dream and then ditching it for the Euro roots I thought had the ooze to make life rich like molasses.  Yes, well, the Euro dream turned out to not work and the American Dream turned out to have been the ticket.  Who would have known though, had both not been lived for comparison?  It was a risk and with it came sacrifice but the way in which the year and a half in Europe thus far has transformed my family and me has been enormous and so the best way to look at seeming mistakes is merely additional sidenote to life that must be taken in order one may tweak the road map ahead.

“Life is difficult”, said M. Scott Peck in “The Road Less Traveled”. As a previous bookseller, I’ve sold that book hundreds of times and never picked it up. Figures my psychologist quotes it all the time. I figured I could make headway if I just bought the damn book and read it. Fifteen years past my bookstore days,  I confront the reality of that road less traveled I consciously embarked on many years ago and I understand everything differently now. There’s clarity in a way but the truth always seems to hurt and so the clarity is a slow process of acceptance – with a lot of profanity before it.

Certainly, the most difficult aspect of facing truth is realizing that Truth does in fact point to “Life is difficult”.  This is true as well when we look in the natural world at animals, bugs, and plants, all pushing for survival. The most delicate flower must come up from the depths of the earth. As human beings our cognitive abilities place us higher than mere animals but have we become smarter or just better at the illusion and fooling ourselves?

Anyway, my thyroid medication hasn’t been balanced quite right yet and I’ve slipped – again. My dosage was increased a couple days ago and I wrote this while I had the energy for it. There’s a lot to say but none of it will expel itself. Sure, there’s a little me trying hold up the floodgates of words. The wise one in my head knows very well the potential of the verbal flood.

And so I paint and  I’m generally silent because I’m working on personal healing or I’m not good to anyone.

Some good news linked below is I’ve completed THE ART CURE DIARIES Ebook and I’ve been titled a “world changer” in an upcoming new book by Renée Phillips .  I’ve also nailed a “yes” for art workshops in the military community, the one the USO turned me down for.  It’s through a different organization and since I’ve learned so much I haven’t yet shared (sorry!) about the “becoming an artist” process, I’m looking forward to doing some of that through my art workshops – and probably here in the future.

Somewhere out there I have an audience who still peeks in to see what’s going on. Thank you. I know this only because of WordPress stats and so since someone’s still interested and so long as that’s the case, I’ll push myself to write something, though pictures serve me best at this time in my life.

I’ve changed and I’m not quite thrilled just yet to break the cocoon.

WEBSITE UPDATES:

1. I’ve managed some updates and changes for my website. Check it out at http://www.vontauber.com.  What’s mainly new is I’ve finally registered The Art Cure Diaries with an official ISBN status, created an Ebook and rather hesitantly, a print on demand press book until I make further decisions about future publishing.

Also, for breast cancer patients in mind, I’ve left the book on full preview so if money is tight but depth of soul needs a lifeline of inspiration, you can view it online free. I think everyone should have free access to lifelines and inspiration.

View The Art Cure Diaries here.

2. I’ve completed The Art Cure page on my website. Please pass along to Breast Cancer patients or survivors!!

3. I’ve been honored by a mention as a “world changer” in Renée Phillips wonderful new book, “Vision, Passion & Purpose: ARTISTS AS World Changers”!  Check it out here for ideas on how art creates positive change.

4. Plus, if you’ve not visited in a while, I have some beautiful new artwork available. I’m now working on my 4th Archangel painting. I hope to finish & post this weekend.

Read Full Post »

Archives 15 years later

15 years ago today I opened the Archives Bookcafe in Florida. Eventually I sold and moved on to other dreams.

I often miss the people I had the pleasure to know and the good my store projected into others’ lives during the height of the shop’s existence.

With some pride, I inspired and trained an employee turned dear friend, Alieen, who has since been successful with her own Undergrounds Coffee Haus in Ft. Lauderdale.

It is also at the Archives shop I met Susie, the wonderful woman who inspired The Art Cure project.

…so, 15 years later where have I landed? A therapists office.

Christ. I have to laugh this one off. Despite the sarcastic humor I tend to attract, I’m deeply grateful for my bookstore years. What I learned from it all that sticks?

Impact weaves into the most intricate parts of our lives.

I just wanted to share today’s reflections with you, and a drawing I did this morning.

“wearing sunshine with an empty heart’ part of the Inspired by Marilyn Monroe series.

Read Full Post »

Everyone loves a little confession and a sports car

I was very honored to have ExpatWomen.com approach me to review their new book “Expat Women: Confessions“.  Little did I realize that reading it would provide food for thought even though I considered myself a seasoned expat.  Seems I may need a few dashes of salt to round out the seasoned aspect!

My transition back to Germany hasn’t been easy.  It’s only been three months or so since I’ve been here and it feels like a year has passed with little but uggs following me and I’m not talking the shoes.  While reading ”Expat Women: Confessions” I was (embarrassingly) surprised at how much I empathized with the many questions and answers presented. In fact, I think the book actually helped me see that some of what I’m going through is quite normal and it helped to read other expats have similar feelings especially with reintegration.  One would think everything would be just fine now that I’m finally back but truth is I’m not.  It’s not the same. 

I’m in a completely new city which creates new dynamics.  My family structure, once in rhythm, is now majorly off and it affects everything negatively.  I went from feeling like a superwoman just 6 months ago to feeling like a crazy maniac.  I didn’t expect this much confusion.  Worse, I miss America?  What is that all about?  Who is this woman?!  According to Expat Women: Confessions I’m not feeling anything different than other women who have had it all only to give it up for new opportunity.  It’s really comforting to know my feelings are common.  

In the expat world, I’m not exactly the social bug.  As an artist and writer I’m bound to a lot of alone time.  I have my few expat friends and we all began about the same time.  We consider ourselves relatively seasoned, though some have had their dash of salt already.  Often when a newbie approaches us with the “I’m moving abroad” enthusiasm we kinda – though respectfully – roll our eyes.  “Oh honey, living overseas is sooooo not the fairy tale you think” we say to ourselves.  Of course, we were once in those shoes so we understand the excitement and the naivety.  What “Expat Women: Confessions” does is it presents the reality with viable solutions and heart-felt realism without killing the fantasy and that’s worth gold.

Exapt Women: Confessions is a must have for all female expats, novice, in between or seasoned because no matter what we sometimes forget being an expat makes us different than the rest and our problems just aren’t understood by the “norm”.  Full of antidotes and “chicken soup” advice I feel better about my blues already.  Yes readjustment is tough.  Yes my 5 y/o is killing my appreciation for motherhood because she’s not adjusting or understanding why we’re here and not “home”.  Yes we miss our house, my large kitchen and our family is currently undergoing an enormous rift.  Yes I’ve hit episodes of depression, gained over 10 lbs (!!!) since the move but more than that yes, I DO want to be here damn it so I’m going to take some of the advice offered in the book and simply get over it and find solutions.  It’s that or crawl into a hole.  

Living abroad is the best adventure I’ve ever been on and if I wanted to discuss the blandness of life I’d have stayed put in suburbia.  I thank this book for reminding me about that and about the natural process of grieving what once was. While suburbia may be a calmer life that has moderate enjoyment, it’s otherwise boring. Plus, my family back home just doesn’t get me anymore, another common expat detail we often forget to mention.  Once positive relationships have soured and in many ways I feel other expat women are more my family than my own. Perhaps I needed a little slap into reality to refocus and discover again WHY I’m an expat.  Adventure isn’t easy and that’s why most people only dream of doing what few of us are actually living.

Thanks Andrea Martins and Victoria Hepworth for putting “Expat Women: Confessions” together (and for ExpatWomen.com!).  I didn’t think I needed the advice.  I was just reading for a review but now I feel as though I’ve had a wonderful girlfriend therapy session.  The allergy meds are working, the sun is out AND I’ve decided to pursue an adaptation of The Art Cure here in Wiesbaden (more on that later). 

To other expats struggling to adjust, since it takes time, use it wisely: grab a cup of coffee at your local cafe and sit down with a copy of ”Expat Women: Confessions”.  It’s the best start to a fresh and positive perspective.  It’s all about sticking your head out your comfort zone and seeing what’s out there.

Read Full Post »

Back to Inner Beauty

Inner Beauty by Reenita Malhotra Hora is among my favorite books.  I first began to read it when I began the erotic road a few years ago.  I think it’s what led me, in part, to learn about sensuality, inner sensefulness, and the art of seducing my own soul.  Of course, I gained an intro into the traditions of ayurveda too.  It’s simply a beautiful book, from pictures to words.  I figure since it’s a new year, some things “old” are worth bringing back to life again.

Read Full Post »

“Spiritual Education” or Child Abuse?

That title caught my attention while surfing through YouTube (much thanks to the contributor for posting it!).  This video, a clip from a documentary called “Jesus Camp”  is very disturbing to me and it falls in line with one of my most popular hitted posts, Religion as Child Abuse.

What’s bothersome here isn’t specifically that children are being taught faith.  That’s personal and in a free nation, must be tolerated.  However, the case here for child abuse rather than “spiritual education” lies on the premise that these children (some looking as young as 5-6) are being indocrtinated into belief by fear.  This is mind control.  This sad, scary, distrubing, and horrific.  There is a difference between teaching spirituality and teaching obedience to mere belief via fear factors.  Look at these children.  Listen to this bitch woman.  Think about what she’s actually saying.  It makes me want to wrap my arms around these kids and love them, unlike their God or his generals.

 

 

Bill Maher has a few words on it as well:

 

Read Full Post »

Not ANOTHER Cookbook!

I’ve noticed whenever I don’t tell my husband what I want for Christmas, I end up with a cookbook.  You know, after reading about the semen ”natural harvest” cookbook, I think I’m going to have to make a list this year.

 

Thanks Marc.  My husband doesn’t need anymore natural ideas.  He’s got a head full of ‘em. lol

Read Full Post »