Walking in the Valley A weekly column for those who live and walk in Silicon Valley by Barbara Dahlgren

Martha, Martha Column for the week of October 6-12, 2002

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"Martha, Martha," the Lord said, "You are worried and upset about many things!" (Luke 10:41) And rightly so! Perhaps Martha Stewart should be worried. Looks like the pot is thickening regarding the charges that this domestic diva did a little insider trading. In an article in the October 3, 2002 issue of USA Today, Adam Shell states, "Prosecutors turned up the heat on Martha Stewart Wednesday when a stockbroker's assistant admitted taking a payoff to keep silent about an alleged insider stock trade" by Miss Martha. Of course, don't count this lady out yet. She's ruffled many a feather and weathered many a storm to get where she is today.

Her resume is impressive. Born to a middle class family in New Jersey, she was one smart cookie. While in high school she started modeling in New York City and managed to do a TV commercial plus some magazine ads. She graduated from Barnard College, married Andy Stewart, had a daughter, and went to work as a stockbroker. (I guess it will be hard for her to claim that she didn't understand the concept of insider trading). She then opened a catering business, wrote a book on entertaining which led to some television appearances. She became a spokesperson for Kmart, got a divorce, got her own TV show, and published her own magazine. Then she created "Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia." Now she is everywhere and I do mean everywhere. There is probably not a media market that the woman hasn't tapped into. Do the words "over achiever" ring a bell?

Now don't get me wrong. I admire the woman. I watch in awe as she prepares an easy, throw together meal of squab (that she raises, shoots, and plucks by hand) and fresh rosemary dilled artichoke hearts (vegetables and herbs she grew in her garden) for 50 of her closest friends (who are afraid not to accept her invitation to dinner lest they be fired or put on a hit list) which she serves on hand made (by her own hands) place mats (woven from ordinary tree bark gathered in her backyard) in her flower garden gazebo (made from recycled barn wood and a glue gun). It makes my Popsicle stick bird feeder look a little tacky, but what the hey. The woman's a genius. Her Martha Stewart Living Magazine lists her calendar each month. A typical month includes:

And in between all this she is shooting her television show, taking nieces to Broadway shows, writing books, going to a nephew's birthday party, getting her magazine published, washing heavy sweaters and storing them for winter, making public appearances, while she takes her final test for a pilot's license and studies for her scuba certificate. Most may think it's her inventiveness I admire. Not true. It's her energy I covet. I'm exhausted just thinking about what she does much less watching her do it.

I don't know why but when God passed out the energy gene, it didn't get distributed evenly. Maybe Martha got my energy, my ambition, my drive, and my stamina. I need God's help to just get out of bed each morning to face a new day and I'm not too proud to ask for it. (Psalm 121:2)

It will be interesting to see how this insider trader thing comes out for Martha. But if she ends up in jail I'm sure she'll get a book deal out of it. It'll be something about decorating small places with a shoestring, accessorizing drab colors, and 100 ways to make a gourmet meal out of chipped beef on toast. "Martha, Martha!" You go, girl!

©October 2002

Be sure to visit this page every week to read the next edition of Walking in the Valley. You can write to the author at bdahlgren@wcgsouthbay.org.