Shooing the Crows of Doubt

One thing I have discovered in my years of writing is that there are days the critical voices caw at your mind until you can't think beyond the noise.
I have various strategies  including keeping a scrapbook of good reviews (because you do forget) but I saw this quote today. It was originally in the masculine and I am sure Teddy Roosevelt meant it to encompass all people but I found it more pertinent and forceful to change it to the feminine.
In case it helps someone else in the Arena of Life.

Slices of pie

The US Mother's Day happens on Sunday. It is a day of peace and has a totally different foundation than the UK Mothering Sunday. Anyway, my aunt sent me a load of sayings about mothers.


A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.--Tenneva Jordan

Does anyone know who Tenneva Jordan is? I can find the quote and it is attributed to her, but can I find out anything about this woman? All I can find is the quote. So I would be interested to know more about her. Was she only a mother? Why did she say it? When did she say it? If you know, I would like to find out.

I have been in this situation before and have foregone the pie. Sometimes, and perhaps this means I am not a good mother, I have divided the four pieces between five. Because the number of pieces does depend on how you slice it. And it can better for everyone to have a taste, than for one person to gobble it up.
Equally I suspect that my husband would say that the first stance does lead towards martyred mother syndrome. Particularly if you have been looking forward to a taste of pie...