Well sisters....we did it! We Gathered the Women here in Nevada County. Each day of the week 30-40 women would attend our daily activities wonderfully lead by local women.

Our big event on Saturday, March 13 raised the standards for presentations in Grass Valley. Women walked into an old patriarchal Veterans building, that had been touched by the Goddess. White chairs in a semi circle, beautiful art, table clothes on the networking tables. Book store complete! Our speaker was Patricia Lynn Reilly, a feminist minister and author, told her story, wove in OURstory and Invited Eve in, for each of us to acknowledge where in our lives we have taken a bite out of the apple. One women was heard in the bathroom to say: They are talking like God was a women....do you think that’s possible??

We gathered from high noon until 5:00 finishing with the reminder of WHY we do what we do -- for the sake of the children and the future. A local class of 5th graders came and sang about the Sierra Mountains for us.

The day was designed as a small version of the Gather the Women Congress, inviting partner organizations who were set up with round tables and each given a minute to present information about her organization in short segments throughout the day. We asked they come with quality displays and practice laser-like descriptions of their organization and THEIR needs from us. This format really made the networking come alive.

The opening Gather the Women mediation continues to be a very moving experience of the WHOLE and was well received. The women GOT what GTW WAS, not by the words, but by the experience of inclusiveness, graciousness, beauty AND inspiration.

We used a well-done film on the standards of beauty set for women. We also focused on the work of a local women and broke into a “Lets Talk” process where women were invited to gather in dyads, then by 4’s. They were to talk uninterrupted about what their gifts were.

Mary Elizabeth was a beautiful flowing hostess who opened with “when women come together, wonderful things happen.” AND they did.

Below are some photos that tell the story.