girlpower

I am a strong woman raised in the 60's and 70's in Wisconsin, who moved west to Oregon thirty years ago. I worked with people with disabilites and elderly, then took a five year break from social services to work as a forester as a timber cruiser for five years. I lived in the woods during summer, wintered in Alsea valley. I developed a tough skin working in a camp with mostly men. They called me the queen of the comeback.

I am a gentle feminist and progressive baby boomer that considers myself a world citizen, I am a songwriter and play guitar and sing in a acoustic rock band called Nervous Rex. See some of our work on myspace under SmartyPants196 link http://www.myspace.com/smartypants196

I wrote journals all my adult life and am in the process of writing two novels, and short stories. I have published in Oregon Coast Magazine and upcoming winter issue of Eugene Magazine an aritcle about watsu water massageYou can read some of my hubs or articles at hubpages under hubs go to girlpower..http://hubpages.com/search/include:hubs+girlpower

After 30 years of service to others I myself am disabled with multiple sclerosis and retired at 52. I now have a life other than work.. My life now is simple, i am limited in how much activity i can do before i have to lay prone to re-coop my energy. I lost the use of one leg and use wheelchair when out in community and cane inside my house. I spend my time doing advocacy and activism for people with disabilities and other subjects by writing my congress people and attending phone conferences and following bill progress in both wash dc and salem on legislative issues. I am an avid reader of fiction and short stories. I enjoy organic gardening in my potted garden on my driveway. I spend alot of time on the phone talking to friends and old aquatinences the people i had limited time to call as i was so busy with my life.work.

I enjoy feeding hummingbirds and growing habitat that encourages them to my garden. I have coneflowers, red salvias, fushias,petunias, sweet potatoe vine, calla lillies, stargazer lilies, cannas, yuccas, palm tree, banana tree. I am told I have a green thumb as my house plants are thriving.my specialty is raising african violets and orchids under grow light on my kitchen cupboards. Prayer plants, banana plants, shamrock plants, fern, dracena.

MS has taught me patience, grace and knowing my physical limitations. It is like having a bucketful of water each day and i can use it ladel by ladel full and i dip it out, but i only have about 12 ladels full to use each day, so i use it sparingly so i have enough to last the whole day. I have to nap in the late afternoon to have enough energy for the night time. My beloved takes good care of me, helping me to do many things i cant do by myself anymore. he is my rock, my buddy, my soulmate.

Listen to my latest song named Sweet Love of Mine a song written for peace activist Cindy Sheehan after the dead of her son in Iraq.

I recently published three of my novels, fictionalized memoirs go to smashwords.com or amazon.com and look for books by Diane DeVillers, my pen name, and the books"From the Waters of Coyote Springs", Felix and Eve" and "The Arrangment" Only 2.99 each and are short novels so easy to read, comes in digital format only, or you can download them to your computer, or to your reading device. You can also find them on Barnes and Noble for Nooks, Sony, Kobo and Apple store. Check them out.

In the Spotlight

A Short story about the Touching Relationship Between an Elderly Man in a Nursing Home and his Nurse's Aid.

A nurses aid develops a special fondness for a man who suffered a stroke. She learns his language now reduced to only one word.

In the Spotlight

Short Story About a Displaced Homemaker/ A story about my mother

My mother was a"Displaced Homemaker" after her divorce during the seventies. Her coming of age showed her true heart and determination.

In the Spotlight

TreeSitter on Saginaw Mountain inspires folk song.

Listen to a song about a mountain near Camas Swale creek in the Willamette Valley in Oregon's central valley.

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  soapboxie.com

  I'm a Person With a Pre-Existing Condition and I'm Scared

  17 months ago

  The House of Representatives passed a bad health care bill that is on its way to the Senate. 24 million people currently on Medicaid will lose their benefits.

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  Multiple Sclerosis

  Woman With Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Develops Her Own Low Impact Exercise Program

  8 months ago

  For a disease that includes fatigue and in some causes pain, this low impact exercise program will keep you healthier and slimmer.

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  Movies & Movie Reviews

  The Change of a Lifetime. A woman's story about having Multiple Sclerosis.

  8 months ago

  Multiple Sclerosis does not mean you have to give up anything. Adapting is the first thing to do. Watch the story of a woman who keeps learning new ways to live with the hand she's been dealth.

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  HubPages Tutorials and Community

  Oregon Jam: girlpower with Friends on Acoustic Guitars and Dobro doing their Version of Helpless written byNeil Young

  15 months ago

  Two friends reunite after 25 years of losing contact, brought together by Bing.com search engine after years of looking for each other.

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  Folk Music

  TreeSitter on Saginaw Mountain inspires folk song.

  8 months ago

  Listen to a song about a mountain near Camas Swale creek in the Willamette Valley in Oregon's central valley.

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  Parenting Skills, Styles & Advice

  Short Story About a Displaced Homemaker/ A story about my mother

  17 months ago

  My mother was a"Displaced Homemaker" after her divorce during the seventies. Her coming of age showed her true heart and determination.

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  Folk Music

  Eugene Songwriter shares inspiration for folk song: "Let you in"

  12 months ago

  Songwriter from Eugene, Oregon writes a song about a tumultuous love affair that turns out badly. The two remaining players of the band "Nervous Rex" play locally.

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  Fiction

  A Short story about the Touching Relationship Between an Elderly Man in a Nursing Home and his Nurse's Aid.

  12 months ago

  A nurses aid develops a special fondness for a man who suffered a stroke. She learns his language now reduced to only one word.

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  Rock Music

  Pacific Northwest Rock song : "Just One More" by girlpower

  8 months ago

  Original rock song by girlpower and the other member of the Nervous Rex band from Eugene, Oregon. The song "Just One More" is about the excessive nature of our modern world.

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  Folk Music

  To Cindy Sheehan, the peace activist: my song" Sweet Love of Mine".

  8 months ago

  girlpower wrote this song for Cindy Sheehan when she lost her son in the Iraq war, I sent it to her through her site for her radio station. She was kind enough to email me back saying thank you

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  Multiple Sclerosis

  Newly Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis

  17 months ago

  Newly diagnosed with MS? Don't worry it' not as bad as you think. In fact,when I finally found out what was wrong with me, it was a relief. That explained all the mini vibrations, balance issues....

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  Activism

  Contemporary Pacific NW Woman Songwriter Novelist / A Gentle Feminist

  15 months ago

  A contemporary, liberated woman living on the West Coast in the beautiful Willamette Valley in Eugene OR, a town full of artists, writers and free thinkers.