environgirl @ MindSay

Okay I have chosen the topics for my papers in Renaissance Culture and Society and Europe: The Middle Ages...Okay now each paper must be between 15-20 pages and because of my concentration the Middle Ages paper must touch on women's studies....So for Renaissance culture and Society I will concentrate on Public Health in Renaissance Italy and for the Middle Ages the focus will be on Punishments for Crimes against women in Europe in the Middle Ages (like the penalty for defiling a virgin as opposed to a uhm more "seasoned" woman...I will be pouring over Medieval Law Codes for a while to say the least...I am terribley excited about both topics but the challenge will be finding primary sources in English for each....but hey I'm up for the challenge...Now enough of business...

I used to love this show called Big Blue Marble! Does anyone else remember it...Oh the fun I used to have watching that show. It promoted cultural sensitivity (for real, not the fake kind of Vegetable Soup) and would feature a child from another part of the world and talk about their culture. There was even a segment on offering pen pal opportunities to viewers...it was fantastic...

Even the theme song is all happy and sweet...Anyway, I am triple tired and so how about some poetry...here goes..

(may/december, may/december, may/december)

My Madonna

I haled me a woman from the street,
Shameless, but, oh, so fair!
I bade her sit in the model's seat
And I painted her sitting there.

I hid all trace of her heart unclean;
I painted a babe at her breast;
I painted her as she might have been
If the Worst had been the Best.

She laughed at my picture and went away.
Then came, with a knowing nod,
A connoisseur, and I heard him say;
"'Tis Mary, the Mother of God."

So I painted a halo round her hair,
And I sold her and took my fee,
And she hangs in the church of Saint Hillaire,
Where you and all may see. --Robert W. Service