Was He Divorcing Wife Or Firing Maid?
We found a newspaper page from 1953 as we rummaged through some old boxes in our childhood home (a fun, but sad, exercise). On one page alone, we found several articles that made us realize how far women have truly come in our society.
For instance, a Spokane judge granted a divorce request for a man based on his complaint that his wife wasn’t a very good homemaker.
The article read, in part, “Most nights his wife wasn’t home when he returned from work and when she was, she never had dinner ready. ‘I have to get my own breakfast,’ the husband told the judge, ‘and if I wanted any lunch to take to work, I had to get my own.”’
Reflections: Judy Clarke, a Spokane-based federal defender, took a leave of absence from her job last year to serve as co-counsel for Susan Smith, the woman who killed her two sons. On Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Gonzaga University Law School, Clarke will talk about the trial and its implications for capital punishment and defendants who have been abused. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane at 838-7870.
Parents as mentors: The CAPA Doula Project of Catholic Family Service of Spokane matches experienced parents with young, single moms. The project is looking for volunteers for training, which begins Feb. 29. Volunteers commit to two hours of weekly contact with a young mother. Volunteers need to be parents. Doulas provide support, encouragement and guidance. For more information, call 456-7146.
Another good cause: The Guardian ad Litem program of Spokane County Juvenile Court will begin another training program for volunteers who act as advocates for children making their way through the court system due to parental neglect or abuse. Good communication skills are required and a screening interview is necessary. For information, call Susan Cairy at 456-4742.
She said: “I believe strongly in rituals. I get up every morning and have my little half-decaf, half-regular cup of coffee in my china cup and saucer. I have some wonderful instrumental tapes I listen to, and I do my devotional, whether it be reading from the Bible or something else I find intriguing. I am very blessed to have this incredible farm. This morning there were six deer standing in my yard. At the close of the day, I am in my hot bath with scented candles and I feel a sense of timelessness.” Naomi Judd in the book “Embracing Our Essence: Spiritual Conversations with Prominent Women.”
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MEMO: Common Ground is written on alternating weeks by Rebecca Nappi and Dan Webster. Write to them in care of The Spokesman-Review, Features Department, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615. Or fax, (509) 459-5098.