December, 2004

Dance of Abundance and Peace:
Alia Thabit – Joy, Harmony, and the Matriarchal Roots of Belly Dance

 

As a special holiday gift to our readers, Vermont Woman took a trip to Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury to interview dancer Alia Thabit, 48, about the art of belly dancing, and its influence on world peace. Here are the highlights of our talk.

Read the full article: Matriarchal Roots of Belly Dance

 

Lifelong Fascination: Lilian Baker Carlisle

 

Lilian Baker Carlisle is the kind of woman who galvanizes a room. At the official launching of the Vermont Encyclopedia at UVM last April, she drew colleagues and admirers to her side with every step. Nationally recognized for her work cataloguing the renowned collection of folk art and artifacts at the Shelburne Museum and for her writing on antiques, Ms. Carlisle -- who "absolutely hated" history when she was growing up -- was a founder of the Chittenden County Historical Society. Long active in the community as a writer, historian, environmentalist and civic-minded citizen, this elegant woman of 92 years knows everyone.

 

Read the full article: Lilian Baker Carlisle

Theresa Tomasi: Still an Angel Two Decades Later

 

When you first hear of Theresa Tomasi, she seems more like a character in a nursery rhyme or a folktale than a real person. A mother of twenty-three children? But she’s not the old woman who lived in a shoe. She knows what to do.

 

Read the full article: Theresa Tomasi: Still an Angel Two Decades Later

A Nun's Reflection on Advent: the Magnificat

 

"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant... " better known to Catholics who grew up in the pre-Vatican II era as the Magnificat, also known as the Canticle of Mary.

 

Read the full article: A Nun's Reflection on Advent: the Magnificat