Elaine Ambrose

Bestselling Author, Ventriloquist, & Humorist

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“He Named Me Malala” Benefit Scheduled for Oct. 11 in Boise

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Last July in New York City, I was honored to be in the audience for the private showing of the film “He Named Me Malala.” I am so passionate about this film and about education for girls that I am co-sponsoring a benefit show with the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights. The event will be Sunday, October 11 at The Flicks starting at 7:00 pm. A short discussion will follow the film.

Wassmuth Center for Human Rights and Mill Park Publishing to Sponsor Film

Eagle, ID – Can one child change the world? Yes. Malala Yousafzai was a 15-year-old schoolgirl in Pakistan when terrorists attempted to kill her for advocating education. She survived a gunshot to the head and now leads a global campaign for girls’ education as co-founder of the Malala Fund. For her brave advocacy, she received the Nobel Peace Prize at age 17. Her compelling story is now a documentary that can be viewed across the country.

The film “He Named Me Malala” was produced by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim. The film premiers in Boise on October 9 at The Flicks, 646 Fulton Street. For ticket information and other showtimes, see the website at Malala. Click here to see the trailer:  Malala trailer

A benefit performance is scheduled at The Flicks for Sunday, October 11 beginning at 7:00 pm. A discussion will follow and includes students, educators, and local leaders concerned about human rights. The event is sponsored by the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights and Mill Park Publishing. Local author, syndicated blogger, and publisher Elaine Ambrose owns Mill Park Publishing. She was invited to view the film “He Named Me Malala” at a private showing last July at the BlogHer Conference in New York City.

“This film captures the strength and resilience of one girl who is destined to improve the world,” says Ambrose. “In other parts of the world, girls are being murdered, tortured, and poisoned just for going to school. It’s time we placed a priority on education for girls.”

For information about discounted tickets to the October 11 event, see this website: Wassmuth Center for Human Rights.

The mission of the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights is to “promote respect for human dignity and diversity through education and to foster individual responsibility to work for justice and peace.” The Center achieves this mission by providing educational programs for teachers and students, engaging in community leadership, partnering with business and industry, and advocating for human rights.

Mill Park Publishing of Eagle has enabled more than 50 women to become published authors. The books have won 14 awards in the past two years. Two more books are scheduled for release in 2016.

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How to Pack Light for a Conference in New York

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All day I’ve been crooning my inner Sinatra: “Start spreading the news. I’m leaving today…New York, New York!” For a farm girl from Wendell, Idaho, going alone to the Big Apple is 85% exciting and 20% terrifying. (I’m not good with math.)

I’ll be attending BlogHer 15, the world’s largest conference for women content creators. The three-day event is sponsored by SheKnows Media and attracts thousands of national and international bloggers. This year, I will be recognized as one of the “Voices of the Year” winners because of a post I wrote about my late mother. The honor is bittersweet.voice of the year badge

I love to travel and have a few tips to make the experience less stressful.

  1. Start with quality luggage. I’ve visited 32 countries around the world with my 15-year-old Hartmann pieces. They are tough, easy to transport, hold a week’s worth of clothes, and qualify as carry-on luggage. I put my purse inside the top bag.

Hartmann luggage

  1. Take only comfortable, fashionable, washable, wrinkle-resistant fabrics that can be rolled. Prepare for the first travel day with an emphasis on ease and comfort. It will take at least 10 hours to go from my home in Idaho to the Hilton in NYC, so I’m wearing sensible black Capris with a snappy shirt and a colorful jacket.

dress blogher pants3.  Pack at least one “hot” outfit with color. For Friday’s award reception, I chose a bright, burnt-orange sundress with bedazzled scarf. I coordinated jewelry and will use some of the same pieces several times.

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  1. Include a black sweater because it travels and photographs well. Wear it over a simple dress for a professional look.

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  1. Don’t be afraid to try something out of your comfort zone. I’m taking a sharp black and white dress that I’ll wear over leggings. It’s a new look for me.

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  1. Remember the essentials: a Mophie battery pack will charge Ipad and Iphone, and use a resistance band to exercise in your room so you can have wine and pie with dinner. I hand out bookmarks instead of business cards, and I organize a file with separate compartments for airline schedules, hotel reservations, and the daily conference itinerary.

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  1. As a present to myself, I’m going to the Broadway production of Carole King’s musical, “Beautiful.” I’ll wear a black, sheath dress with bling and a fringed scarf. I’ll rely on Uber car service to take me to and from the theatre.

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  1. I only take three pairs of shoes: I wear one and pack two. I don’t take high heels because they hurt my feet, and I don’t take tennis shoes because they’re too bulky.
  2. Use only enough toiletries and medications to last for the time you’re there. Keep jewelry simple and interchange pieces.
  3. Pack an extra tote bag to bring back purchases, conference materials, and swag. Then check one bag coming home.
  4. Expect to learn new skills, meet new friends, and connect with valuable associates.

I always return energized after attending a conference either as a participant or as a speaker. The experience keeps the brain working, and at my age, that’s a definite advantage.

 

Thanks, Mom! My Blog is a Winner

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I’m going to New York as one of the winners in the BlogHer Voices of the Year Competition. Since 2005, BlogHer has presented the largest conference for (mostly) women online content creators on the planet. At the heart of the conference, presented this year in New York City from July 17-19, is the annual Voices of the Year ceremony.

Thousands of entries were submitted by both content creators themselves and their fans and were reviewed through a juried process, winnowing the list down to a mere 5% of submissions that will be honored.

The honor is bittersweet because my winning blog is titled “My Mother’s Body Got Lost.” She’s smiling at me, still.

 

Here is my winning blog: My Mother’s Body Got Lost

I’m trying to plan my mother’s funeral, but we have a problem. We can’t find her.

My mother passed away Saturday after a long illness. I had all the funeral arrangements planned months in advance, so I was prepared when the inevitable happened. After she died, I contacted the proper authorities to transport her body 100 miles to her hometown of Wendell, Idaho for the funeral and burial. Some things don’t always go as planned. Two days later, we know that the body is gone from her assisted living facility but it’s not in Wendell. This is a cause for concern.

During the past few years, my mother has been lost in dementia. Even after moving her to a secure nursing home in Boise, there were times when I visited and couldn’t find her. The staff and I would search the facility and find her in someone else’s room and the two residents would be talking about their old times that never happened. No harm was done, and we gently, lovingly participated in their storytelling. But, I always knew she was somewhere inside the building.

Today I called the funeral home in Wendell and they hadn’t received the body. How do you lose a casket? I thought I had completed all the necessary arrangements, but I wasn’t familiar with the procedures for this dilemma. I used my inside voice and calmly requested that somebody do something. I called back an hour later and needed to employ my outside, aggressive tone. This last resort has been known to get immediate results and leave people trembling. I’m not proud of this trait, but it works.

At last, I received a call from Wendell that they had found her body still in Boise and the transportation was being arranged. A few hours later, I received a call that said she was near Bliss, a tiny village along the route.

“Of course she is,” I responded.

I hope she had a nice weekend and enjoyed having the last word. But, Mom, now it’s time to go home. Please.

Planning a funeral is similar to planning a wedding. Family and friends come together, some cry, music plays, and people wave goodbye. Except, at a funeral, the goodbye lasts a long time. This last momentary interruption is my mother’s way of telling me I’m not always in charge of everything. Somewhere, my parents are laughing.