The commuinques above are from the esteemed owner of Dolly Python, a shop in Dallas, using a nom de guerre.
~
This one below is from the classy socialite and fashion maven Judy Aldridge (regarding Anna Wintour):
What do they have in common? I see a disturbing preoccupation with menstruation.
I remember being around 10 years old and having to see a film in school about menstruation. I recall feeling intense embarrassment and general discomfort.
But then I got a little older and had my first period. My sister showed me what to do. It was kind of upsetting. She forgot to tell me that you had to keep changing your pads. But soon enough, I learned that menstruation is just a part of life. I never used cute little euphemisms like “My friend is in town” or however that one goes. I never called it “the curse.” I would say, “I have my period, do you have an extra tampax?” or something like that.
Once, after a night out and being a little tipsy, I couldn’t find my tampax! I tried and tried but the more anxious I became, the more impossible it was to do it. Finally, I went to get my date (now my husband) who was waiting in the bedroom.
Now, for you gals in Texas, it’s time to leave. You’re never going to be able to handle this. Scram! Shoo!
Okay, so then, my gracious date told me to lay down and relax. He would find it for me. I will never forget how gentle he was. Gentle, confident, and manly. Manly enough to remove the tampax and go throw it away like a gentleman. I felt my heart go CLUNK. This was a man in a million. I fell in love right there, right then. Nineteen years later, he is still the only man whose hands I want on me. Except for Johnny Depp, of course.
I always loved having my period. It’s messy but sensual. It reminds you that you are a woman. It reminds you of the cycles of nature, the moon and the tides.
Where does the fear and loathing come from, ladies of Texas??
If you would like to share your memories or point of view and you can do so without being a slobbering lunatic, jump in.
Have you heard of this product? http://www.mooncup.co.uk/
I’ve always felt a bit guilty about consuming and chucking out so many pads each month. I think it might be a good product in the long run. I haven’t tried it though – and most of my friends think it’s absolutely disgusting. (but not more disgusting than a huge pile of billions of women’s used sanitary products festering away in a land fill I think).
oops sorry – didn’t realise Alicia already mentioned it.
And to the little bitch who made the sideways comment about Erin wasson, I will fucking sit on you so hard. Erin is the coolest and she is my friend. I will fucking sit on you.
Rosa, Canadian gov’t endorsed Gardasil and advertised it extensively for young girls. Of course, various religious groups had to protest, because it’s better if your daughter is exposed to carcinogens, than a possibility of an intercourse. According to them, if a teenager is not scared of cancer, she’ll immediately go and fuck around.
I have honestly just found an appreciation for Woody Allen. I don’t know why I never gave him a chance before. I must admit though, that I need to take him in small doses.
For about three years, during my late teens/early twenties, I got my period only about five times. I was suffering from severe stress/depression at the time due to over-thinking every little thing and just, basically, being always drawn to darkness. Then they started to come with more regularity, but I’d still frequently skip a month here and there. Then, one day, I went to an ENERGY HEALER. I only went out of curiosity because I didn’t really care about the fact that my cycle was fucked up (too much cerebral activity=no connection to the body). She told me that I had spent one of my past lives as a prostitute and that the reason my periods were all fucked up was because I used that part of myself (second chakra- sexuality, creativity) and my ability to pull men to endorse my sense of self-worth. I don’t think I believe in past lives, but this touched a nerve.
Anyway, after this “healing,” for the first time in my life, I began to get my periods every month on the moon. True Story, my friends.
Gretchen- How about marveling at the fact that Sister Wolf appears ready to give YOU a chance in spite of the ugly and cruel fucking jibes you have aimed at her? You think her mockery of a girl who has more than enough self-love to weather criticism is more worthy of your defense? How noble of you.
YOU ARE AN IDIOT.
I don’t want you to make nice, to hear about your periods, to listen to you defending the Aldridges (and from WHAT?). I just want you to FUCK OFF.
Bessie, the same thing happened to me before I stopped getting my period. I hemorrhaged at least every 2 weeks and I became so anemic that I was having chest pain! (too little red cells in blood= strain on heart to meet the body’s needs= chest pain.) I had to have a whole workup for the bleeding even though it was just as you said- a hormonal crazy mess, the ovaries having their last hurrah. I had to go to a hematologist and he treated the anemia, the gyno checked out my lady parts, and I was just about to have a hysterectomy when I then stopped getting my period. Just like that, gone. That was 7 years ago and now I have hot flashes and all the other stuff that goes with no estrogen. I don’t know which is worse. (and I can’t take hormones because of another medical condition that I have). Just don’t let yourself get too anemic where you start to have chest pain. Be well!
Ari and her hot piece of ass Ben are the ones who are responsible for this ‘shit’ storm (they made the fucking cockroach necklaces). I better fucking get an early Christmas present out of this. My fucking cockroach better be wearing a top hat and holding a cane. Goddamit!!!
You are the first woman I’ve ever heard – besides ME – say that she like having her period. I always felt the same way about mine – my period made me feel so good about being a woman! A healthy woman! I don’t know if the fear and loathing is just Texas or just southern, though. I’m not southern (I’m from your part of the country actually), but I live in the south and every woman I know here fears and loathes her period! Anyway – I brought up my daughters to celebrate their periods and their womanhood!
Thank you so much for this blog. I look forward to it and the comments (the real ones) every day.
To Kathleen and Angellica and all others who have excruciating pain with their periods or ovulation: I know it can be expensive and difficult, but PLEASE go get checked out for endometriosis and fibroids: severe, knockout pain and heavy bleeding is a common sign. I delayed treating my endo b/c of financial issues and almost lost a kidney because it was so severe. Endo is reproductive tissue, so it will grab on and grow everywhere, including other organs. So put your mind at ease and go to a specialist, and, most important, one who has vast experience in working with women with endo. If anyone needs an nyc area recommendation, I had great doctors so please feel free to contact me. Also, the earlier you treat it, the better, as often birth control pills can shrink it and keep it at bay – a much less expensive solution than surgery. My heart goes out to all of you experiencing that pain, it’s the worst.
There is something about groups of ladies sharing period tales. I made a barbie once years ago, I made her a white dress like the one marylin monroe wore when she stood over the subway vent, and i hooked her up to a table top fountain. I coloured the fountain water red, and it bubbled between her legs and stained up her dress. barbie tries so hard to be one of us, but she has no period.
My days of over bleeding left tons of stories, that are funny in retrospect. Once shopping I felt a warm rush and knew i was covered in blood to my knees. Sure enough…. Luckily, i was shopping with the same friend who was look out in maachu picchu, she ran off and got me a dress to wear over the bloodied one. She is a good friend.
Diva cups work, and I did not find it hard to get used to. As long as you are fine with putting your fingers in your vagina, and the smell of your own menstrual blood, they work much better than tampons for heavy periods.
As a giant added plus, if you pour the blood from the cup on your house plants, they will grow like weeds.
^^ and sorry about the soapbox! I get all worked up about this. Also I don’t mean to scare anyone, I think we all have different periods with different levels of pain and flow. And I’m annoyed at the lack of education for women about monitoring their periods and viewing it as a sort of barometer for their reproductive health. Seems obvious, right?!
Check this out:
http://www.thewayweseetheworld.com/design1.html#gallery_mademoicell
“Perceptions of menstrual blood distort its beauty. A woman’s cycle is hidden, its product disposed of like contraband. MADEMOICELL rejects this myopia, by embracing a future in which stem cells extracted from menstrual blood are used to regenerate organs, repair tissue and reverse disease.”
God damn. I used to really like that store…I actually live really close to it, and I always thought they had a good variety of interesting things, and I like the dog that hangs out there. But seeing how the owner is behaving online and the shit she says, I don’t think I can support it any more. Dallas has so little interesting shit that this is a real bummer for me. Ugh.
Good to see things are calming down around here a bit and getting back to… well, not normal, they’re never normal, but… business as usual.
hey i don’t know if you’re still reading these comments now there are so very many. If you are you might like to take a peek at a project my friend’s been running about menstruation and sewing…. it’s better than it sounds
http://mylittlestitches.wordpress.com/2010/06/03/scarlet-work/ and the stories are posted under http://mylittlestitches.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/i-want-your-stories/
deepstill – That sounds like a lovely experience.
arline – YAY! Which movie was it??
annemarie – I’m glad you are healed. I wish more healing for all of us…well, most of us.
Karin – Thank you! And thanks for raising great daughters.
Tricia – No soapbox, women need this information badly!!!
Patni – You are amazing. Poor Barbie.
damaia – Hahahaha.
ellio100 – well, I’m till reading them.
Gretchen – SO…..let’s get this straight. Ari and Ben, who designed the cockroach necklace, were notified that I made fun of it. And then launched a hate-mail campaign against me?!?!?!?!?
since I did not post a link to them or name them, and I didn’t link to you either……then Jane of her mother tipped off Ari and Ben!
Jesus. Deriding a cockroach necklace…it is a cockroach after all…should not lead to a mass of malevolent and obscene hate mail of a personal nature. I hope the lord you worship can forgive you people.
Gretchen, Gretchen, Gretchen.
There are not words to describe the raving lunatic you have portrayed yourself as over these last few days. You are absolutely not well; of that, there is no question. I’m headed to Dallas in a few months and I am looking BEYOND forward to walking into your store and absolutely eviscerating you verbally. You are a sham of a person, your behavior is abhorrent and you WILL answer for this fuckery you have brought on my dear, beloved friend.
Give idiots enough rope and they will hang themselves. But if not, in this particular case, I am happy to speed along the process.
Trying really hard not to stir up shit but I think this may be where all your raging insults from Ireland came.
http://alexdonald.wordpress.com/
I am super glad of the change of subject in this post though! It gave me some funny reading earlier today.
Gretchen –
you are cunt.
that stupid rich girl and her mum are both cunts.
whoever the fuck ben and ari are are also cunts.
that fucking cockroach necklace is also a cunt.
Get over it and fuck off.
I couldn’t stand by and allow the behavior of the “Texas gang” to go unnoticed by the magazines, blogs and designers who have written/dealt with them in the past. Light must be shed on their vicious comments, they should all be ashamed of themselves.
SW: you may be opinionated, which I myself applaud, but you didn’t deserve to have the lost of your son included in the nonsense.
I agree with Alicia, the cup is the BEST. I only wish I’d discovered it sooner as I feel it would have made my teen years a bit more bearable. I don’t really understand why people find it gross, it isn’t messy when you know how to use it properly. I find tampons and pads more gross since they end up sitting around in the garbage. It’s also infinitely more comfortable, it’s true that you can’t even feel it. Damn, I feel like the Diva Cup people should hire me as a spokesman or something!
HAHAHAHA!!! I LOVE IT!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. AND…..SO DO YOU. PLEASE PLEASE DO.
Wow, what a story, your husband sounds amazing. How many men would even consider doing that, let alone actually offer and go through with it.
Looks like I’m a little late to the period party, but I love being a woman and I love getting my period!
Gretchen just can’t leave you alone can she? I’d take it as a compliment that you don’t get just any old troll bugging you, but a menstrually fixated stalker troll.
Ann……. Gretchen WILL throw feces at you if you dare come near Dolly Python. She has done it before and can really go off if provoked. She is built like incredible hulk and she is on massive amounts of steroids….. AND HER UNCLE JERRY REALLY DOES HAVE AIDS.
JUST SAYING. You may want to think twice before you get your stinky ass anywhere close to her or Dolly Python.
Be VERY careful. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Ann – Go to Nordstrom instead, it’s free to shop there.
Natalie – Wow. What the hell????? The comments from Ireland were particularly vicious and just astounding really. So many people are off their meds!
divalou – I tried saying that, but it got me nowhere.
Jane B – Thanks, Jane. Good “Janes” are hard to find. xo
Lorena – Call them.
Gretchen – I need to banish you from here. We did come close but perhaps it’s like peace in the middle east. It’s not in the cards, my dear. So long. Tell “Ari and Ben” I am sad for them. May they never experience this kind of ignorant, base hatred.
harps – Better late than never, Harps. I’ll pass on the compliment to the husband.
Jessica -Oooooh, you are insane. Be gone from here with your crazy self.
I can only conclude that these Texan womens’ fascination with menstrual is because they have long since finished theirs. I do understand what you mean about it making you feel feminine and does give a small sense of wonder and power, but as I’m a youngster it mostly just irritates me!
And I like how Gretchen commented ‘taste your own medicine…tastes good’. So she’s presumably drinking hers too?
And I meant menstrual cycles…whoops.
Sister Wolf, I’ve been a lurker for so long but this post has weedled me out of the woodwork – maybe because I’m in the throes of horrific PMS (which I actually just blogged about… http://mhdbass.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/i-wanna-talk-to-the-ladies-tonight/ ).
I love how you took some fucked up comments from these mad bitches and managed to make a beautiful and honest post from them. I found myself incredibly moved by the story about you and your man – I might have to uphold this as THE sign of true love from now on! Wish I could feel so positive about my periods right now, but I’m just dying to get back on the pill and banish them again… Until then your fabulous writing has provided some succour!
RedHeadFashionista – At least we’ve met a couple of Texas women here who were cool. I’d rather drink menstrual blood than endure any more abuse from Texas, though.
Ya, Gretchen had about 10 seconds when she was almost in the zone, but alas, she lost it. Jessica! oh please. back to the sandbox full of pee pee and caca with her!
mhbass – Sorry about the PMS but thank you so much for your comment.
Taking something terrible or painful and turning it into art..or knowledge…is my goal, here on the blog and in my life.
When women come together like this, it’s so uplifting. We are like a tribe here at these times! And no one is gonna come and fuck that up.
I have a question. How old is Gretchen? I’m not asking for an exact age, but she is like in her 30’s, 40’s? She sounds so immature like a 15 year old kid, when she is asking from you to apologise to Jane and Mum Judy after all they said to you.
Lena – There is a “Dolly Python” video of her at her shop on youtube. It’s pretty….I’m going to use the word “scary.” She looks to be of indeterminate age, 30s perhaps.
sonja – Remember the Russian woman????????????? We thought that was bad, ha!
I would seriously like to see gretchen try to sit on any of these women on Jane’s behalf.
Does Princess SOS really need a fucking thrown made of women bones? would she even want one if it wasn’t painted gold and encrusted with imported bejeweled animal heads?
ugh i wish i can say i love my period but I HATE it. i got mine at age 11, i was mortified. went to an allgirls boarding school and you wuld think tht would hav eased me into the experience? nooo it made me even more uncomfortable. ugh. now at 25 i am just tired. it is not the actual experience that saps me is the severe PMS and Monster cramps that i could do without. at some point only painkillers could help me ‘function’ but it does help when the boy goes on the runs to get supplies. i don’t even have to ask and he just knows the drill All i have to say is ‘my tummy’ and he will go into ‘caretaker mode’ and make sure that i am comfortable. EVen when i am a bitch and screaming for ‘meds’, he will gently rub my back until i drift into sleep. hearing the story about your lovely husband and your experience just made me remember . sometimes just knowing that u have a partner who can take it, makes the experience manageable. thank u for sharing..
Mum says i will be painfree after childbirth, so i guess ‘complete relief’ might take a while…..
theresa – I would not want to guess what Sea needs or what she’s capable of. I think we are dealing with something heartless and malicious.
chomy – Hang on to that boy. xo
Yeah, I saw it. Probably at her 30’s. She seems like a person I would like if she wasn’t an idiot. And the store is interesting too.
oh ya!! the Russian woman!!!! – who in much better time had the good sense to beat it!
Jessica, Gretchen… Beat it! Don’t let the door slam your sorry asses on the way out. Ya just don’t belong here.
sonja – Jessica is a friend of Sea. How do they breed these awful mean girls??
Jessica darling – I appreciate your warning but I’m all set, thanks. Flung poo a la primate is really laissez-faire. Almost as contrived as a cockroach necklace, if you will.
The Russian woman was a model of mental health compared to Gretchen. And she was literate in English, more than I can say for most of the Sea of Insanity Gang.
Im not even going to address what you just told us… I just want to see if you saw that Sea made NYMag for her cockroach crap. Dont know if you are already discussing that cause I cant read 200 comments!
sketch42 – I did see that and I fear for anyone who makes fun of the Aldridge Gang! I was notified that the good people who made the cockroach were the instigators of Gretchen’s cyber terrorism against me…
http://tetanusjewelry.blogspot.com/
Well, I think I need an anti-tetanus shot.