Two Outrageous Older Women

VACATION

2008-08-22T08:41:00.004-04:00

Thought for the day - Regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there better be something else to take its place.

Kay and I are off to Tucker Pond in Warner, New Hampshire for two weeks. By then we'll know who the running mates for Obama and McCain will be and more serious consideration can be given to the final decision on who will receive my vote. It will be an interesting time as the conventions heat up.

Have you noticed how quickly they hushed up about John Edwards?

I wonder what you all have thought about the Olympics...I doubt we'll have TV reception where we'll be. I hope the closing ceremonies will include the little girl who sang but wasn't allowed to appear at the opening.

Be good to yourselves. From this same-sex couple.

GOOD MORNING

2008-08-15T08:18:00.003-04:00

Thought for the day - Wherever you go, there you are!

Kay and I are starting to pack and have started the multi-lists for our two week vacation to Tucker Pond in Warner New Hampshire. We even go so far as to make out shopping lists for the stores in Warner - we have the exact same stores here in Concord - but somehow vacation shopping takes on a whole new meaning.

What is it that's so comforting about list-making? I make lists about things to do at home while I'm out in the car. When I'm home, I make lists of what I need to do as soon as I get back in the car. While I'm making a list about groceries, I'll suddenly think about something I want to tell the vet when Rosey goes for his next check up.

Now we've gotten involved in running the "letter to the editors" campaign for a neighbor who is on the primary ballot for state representative for our district. As a result of that, mega, mega lists had to be made of the dates letters should be sent, who is assigned to which week, etc. As if that isn't complicated enough, a friend is running for County Commissioner and I took on the job of spearheading her letter-writing campaign. More lists to juggle.

I have a big birthday coming this January - so those lists have been put in a folder where they're accessible for additions and/or corrections.

If my son comes up for Thanksgiving with his partner huge lists will be generated about foods to fix that Josh likes, places to go so his partner, Kent, a Florida native, can see the best of New Hampshire.

And so it goes. I'm already starting to salivate about Christmas lists.

Hope your day goes well. Best wishes from this same-sex couple.

WHO KNEW?

2008-08-14T07:20:00.005-04:00

Thought for the day - You either control your attitude or it controls you.

Who knew? The manicurist for one of our 85-year old friends would be arrested for kidnapping and rape!! Our friend had just been extolling the virtues of this fellow, the fact that he was an alien and spoke with an accent but more importantly all the fascinating details of the manicure he gives down to the massaging of each hand - including the palm and each and every finger. We all know what a massage of the palm means, right? Perhaps our friend would say he was sending her a message in the massage. I say she escaped with the skin of her cuticles barely in tact.

Who knew? My son had his 44th birthday yesterday. He owns a swanky salon in Miami Beach that offers everything a client could possibly dream about including manicures and pedicures. His birthday gift to himself was a pedicure.....which would feature a complete foot bath, callous removal, nail treatment and of course, a massage. No message in this massage:the pedicurist is a woman and he's Gay.

Today we are going for haircuts........no hand or foot treatment involved.

Have a good day! This from the same-sex couple - Mary Lou and Kay

AM I CRAZY?

2008-08-13T13:50:00.004-04:00

Thought for the day - you can keep going long after you can't!

Here I go again - flogging what should be a dead horse. John Edwards. I just got through saying I was finished blogging about him but in our local paper this morning the editor had a piece entitled, In living a lie, Edwardses gambled with their party's future. This points a finger at Elizabeth who obviously knew about her husband's affair before he announced his candidacy. Here in Concord, NH the couple spoke in 2007. Our editor posed the question - "did Elizabeth know then that her husband didn't stand a chance?" On the opposite side of the coin, I ask, what was she thinking? If by some fluke he had won, at this point in the campaign process, he would be laughed out of town and the party would be doomed. Elizabeth was the soul of her husband's campaign - too bad she aided and abetted his deception and fraudulent behavior. P.S. I still admire and like her and feel sorry that she got drawn into the situation. Cancer is enough to deal with.

What's wrong with this picture? Millions of people all around the world watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing, China. When of all dreadful and tasteless mistakes, the Chinese Olympic Committee decided the little girl with the truly lovely voice is not beautiful enough physically to appear in person to sing her song; so they teach another little girl - who admittedly was very pretty - to lip-synch the song and appear in public. What were they thinking - that the world would judge China because they might have a precious child with a glorious voice whose appearance would not be good enough to be displayed on camera? What will this do to that child? I sincerely hope she grows up to be a stunning opera diva and learns to proudly strut herself and her voice everywhere.

Today we had our dear Yorkie, Rosey, groomed and bathed. It's warm here and Rosey is so tired and hot he can barely lift his head to see what we're having for our tea break.

All of this from your favorite same-sex couple in their alternate lifestyle.

WAS IT LORENA BOBBITT?

2008-08-12T06:58:00.004-04:00

Greetings from this same-sex couple living our chosen alternative lifestyle!

Thought for the day - "I believe that my partner and I can do anything or nothing and still have the best time".

In my blog post yesterday I was trying to remember the name Lorena Bobbitt who "gave her husband's penis forty whacks". Somehow the bastard managed to get it sewn back on - but I bet it never worked the same. What a relief for the women of America to get him out of circulation.

Now we have John Edwards - and I promise this will be the last article on the subject because he doesn't deserve thinking about, much less writing about. On our local New Hampshire news last evening we learned that both John and Elizabeth have been booked to appear at nearby Salem State College - the program is now sold out!! The title for the event is, "A Conversation with John and Elizabeth Edwards". I'd put money on Elizabeth's half of the conversation which I'm sure will take the high road and ignore the current issue of John's philandering. It's a golden opportunity for her to shine as she's never shown before. I just hope she doesn't make the mistake of saying, "I gave John permission to do this because, after all, I probably won't be around too much longer".

Kay and I will go visit Tad Mosel later today and hope he'll be comfortable and smiling as he almost always is. There are days when he really doesn't have anything to say but his smile is so endearing, Kay and I just sit and talk between ourselves.

The program we did yesterday in Amherst, NH was a big success - the audience laughed in all the right places and we sold a few books. What could be better?

We're planning a get-away over New Year's and will probably return to Ogunquit, Maine. Last year we had one blizzard after another but it was still lots of fun.

Have a good day!!

A WOMAN'S SACRIFICE

2008-08-11T08:02:00.004-04:00

Thoughts from this same-sex couple living in an alternate lifestyle.

Anyone that knows my marital background will readily understand my outrage at John Edwards. Never have I been more inclined to scream to the rooftops about men leading with their egos, considering only themselves and their needs while at the same time stomping on their wives.

Only in this case Edwards has compounded his indiscretion by cheating on a wife whose future is clouded by the threat of terminal cancer. What more should a woman have to endure from a husband who has flaunted his smile, his charisma and his phony support for several years while standing in front of cameras with his arm around her - fawning over the voting prospects he hoped to snare.

Just suppose he'd won the Democratic nomination as this truth was revealed. I'm convinced the "love baby" is his and what a strange picture it would conjure up to have all this exposed just as we were all going to the polls. What then?

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Edwards, acknowledged as a forceful spokeswoman for the Democratic cause, has had to be shushed just to keep the Edwards' name out of the media. What's that all about. If I were Elizabeth I'd go back to my maiden name and keep on speaking. I wish I could remember the name of the woman who chopped off her husband's penis but Mrs. Edwards needs to hear from her pronto.

On another topic, I know I've been remiss in blog postings. My excuse is our distraction with the impending (going on 8 weeks) demise of our dear friend, Tad Mosel. He was given 3 - 10 days to live in early July and has been in Hospice House all this time. Although eating is a big problem for him, he manages to take in just enough to keep going. If there were Pulitzer Prizes for an example of dying, he'd have won another to go with the one he won for "All the Way Home".

Kay and I were away for the weekend. An 85th birthday party was held for a dear friend at the Hanover Inn in Hanover, New Hampshire. Kay was born and raised in Hanover, her dad taught at Dartmouth and her mother was a devoted volunteer at the old Mary Hitchcock Hospital. So we had a great time all around - loaded with nostalgia.

This morning we go to Amherst, NH to do a program based on my book, "A Horse in the Ladies' Room". The story of the 10 years my second husband and I owned and operated the Fitzwilliam Inn in Fitzwilliam, NH.

I promise to be a more faithful blogger from now on.

VOTING ADVICE FROM ABE LINCOLN

2008-08-01T13:19:00.003-04:00

Greetings from this same-sex couple!

Here's some election advice from Abe Lincoln that's worthwhile thinking about as our November election approaches.

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. (Where have we heard this before!!)

You cannot life the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred (or color or religion)

You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.

You cannot permanently help men by doing for them, when they could and should do it for themselves.

Kay and I say you cannot stay home on election day - study the character of both candidates - learn what they stand for - examine their goals and how they plan to chart the future for the United States.

IRON-JAWED ANGELS

2008-07-29T15:27:00.002-04:00

Greetings from this Same-Sex Couple!!

A friend forwarded this, and I thought you also
might find it eye-opening. The message was
inspired by an HBO film that's on this month--
Iron Jawed Angels, with Hilary Swank playing Alice
Paul.

It is the story of our Grandmothers and
our Great-grandmothers, as they lived only 90
years ago. It was not until 1920 that women in the
U.S. were granted the right to go to the polls and
vote.

Thus unfolded the "Night of Terror" on November
15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan
Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach
a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there
because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's
White House for the right to vote. The women were
innocent and defenseless. An d by the end of the
night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards
wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on
a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted
of "obstructing sidewalk traffic."

They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell
bars above her head and left her hanging for the
night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled
Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head
against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her
cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and
suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits
describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating,
choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking
the women.

For weeks, the women's only water came from an
open pail. Their food -- all of it colorless slop
-- was infested with worms. When one of the
leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike,
they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her
throat and poured liquid into her until she
vomited. She was tortured like this for w eeks
until word was smuggled out to the press.ï¿½

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this
year because -- why, exactly? We have carpool
duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't
matter? It's raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening
of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a
graphic depiction of the battle these women waged
so that I could pull the curtain at the polling
booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I
needed the reminder.

All these years later, voter registration is still
my passion. But the actual act of voting had
become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly,
voting often felt more like an obligation than a
privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied Women's
History, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped
by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She
was -- with herself. "One thought kept coming back
to me as I watched that movie," she said. "What
would those women think of the way I use -- or
don't use -- my right to vote? All of us take it
for granted now, not just younger women, but those
of us who did seek to learn." The right to vote,
she said, had become valuable to her 'all over
again.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD. I wish
all history, social studies and government
teachers would include the movie in their
curriculum. I want it shown on Bunco night, too,
and anywhere else women gather. I realize this
isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are
not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I
think a little shock therapy is in order.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his
cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare
Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently
institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch
the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said,
and brave. That didn't make her crazy.

The doctor admonished the men : "Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity."

Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you
vote Democratic or Republican -- remember to vote.
History is being made.

EQUALITY OBAMA STYLE

2008-07-29T08:56:00.004-04:00

Greetings from this Same-Sex Couple!!

Received my copy of the HRC Summer News and wanted to share a quote that I felt was particularly meaningful to the GLBT Community.

"I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all GLBT Americans. But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary". Taken from an Obama letter in 2007.

Although the above is music to my ears, I must guard against permitting this issue to overshadow all the other vital issues that face Obama as his campaign begins the homeward stretch....only three months to go to the election.

The recent tour to meet the heads of countries abroad was very meaningful as the news broadcasts tracked Obama's enthusiastic welcomes. But what about the war? Is it right to bring the troops home when the job isn't complete?

Who will be the choice for vice president? Not Hillary most people are saying....and for such a bright and capable woman this must be a terrible thing to face.

Send in your comments - share your views - let us know what you're thinking.

THE HUMOR OF A DYING MAN

2008-07-08T09:50:00.005-04:00

Does the name "Tad Mosel" ring a bell with anyone out there? If not, Google that name and read with interest, respect and awe what you find there.

Tad was our friend and neighbor in the retirement community where we live in Concord, New Hampshire. He moved here with his same-sex partner, Ray, in 1990. Ray died five years later of cancer and Tad tended to him at home as long as he could.

We were in awe of Tad at first because of his magnificent pedigree but once it was discovered we were all Gay, we had fun visiting back and forth with him - enjoying his humor and intelligence that sparkled with everything he said.

A slight stroke two years ago prompted Tad to move to the assisted living lodge within our community and we visited him there up until this past June when he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. He's in the VNA Hospice House here in Concord now and grows weaker with each day that passes.

When he made this, his last move, he took his humor and sparkle right along with him. He revels in the humor of his frequent vomiting and retching, shouts "Eureka!" if he successfully swallows a sip of milk shake or bite of muffin and delights in the success of a catheter.

Tad won a Pulitzer Prize for his play, "All the Way Home". He needs another prize for the example he's setting for all of us now. Please Google "Tad Mozel" and say a prayer for his peaceful entrance into the alternative lifestyles offered in Heaven.

SIX MONTHS AND GROWING

2008-06-29T07:56:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, July 1, 2008 is the six-month anniversary of Civil Unions in New Hampshire. Since then over 400 same-sex couples have had the ceremony which is an indication of how important this new law turned out to be.

A reporter from the Concord Monitor came to the house this past week to interview us. Kay and I had a Civil Union back in February and the reporter's questions were all about any ways the CU might have changed our lives. First of all, we expressed the almost immediate feeling of validation as a same-sex couple, in some subliminal fashion we found ourselves holding our heads up higher, sensing a more equal status with the rest of our community and experiencing the freedom to hug each other if we had a sudden emotional high.

These were important steps forward for us at our ages even though we've been together for 28 years. It's such a revolutionary time for folks from our generation who spent so many years playing a role and keeping a foot in two worlds - Gay and Straight.

From a legal standpoint, the CU has not had an impact so far although we carry small laminated copies of our CU certificates in our wallets just in case we're challenged anywhere.

We've done everything we can to be recognized as a couple. We had a Union Blessing Ceremony in 2006 in the sanctuary of our church and now the Civil Union. We hope and pray at some point down the road we'll be entitled to Federal benefits such as inheriting the Social Security benefits of a deceased partner. But for now, we feel extremely blessed.

IS THERE A GAY BRAIN?

2008-06-24T08:28:00.005-04:00

This is today's question picked up from the Washington Post by our local newspaper, The (New Hampshire) Concord Monitor. The findings were based on MRI studies that compared the brains of 25 straight men and 25 straight women with those of 20 gay men and 20 gay women. The findings - fasten your seat belts - gay men tended to have brains more like those of straight women than straight men. Gay women's brains tended to be more like those of straight men. Whoopee!!

I'm very distressed because there are a ton of macho, overbearing and despicable straight men whose brains I'd do anything to avoid, let alone being held up as a match for my brain.

In some research circles, the findings are viewed as an explanation for why gay men respond to emotional stimuli as a straight woman would and gay women's emotional responses are more like those of a straight man. It also shows why gay men have verbal and other cognitive skills that tend to be more like women's.

This confirms why like attracts like and why same-sex partners get along so much better than heterosexual couples - they're not always playing mind games, vying for power in the relationship and are sympathetic to one another's feelings. These are my findings after been in a gay relationship with Kay for almost 30 years and having had two failed opposite-sex marriages. Amen.

UNFAIR POLITICS

2008-06-19T09:55:00.004-04:00

I'm really not a political buff but I was interested to read in the latest Lesbian Connection (more familiarly known as LC or Elsie), that the same-sex partner of Lesbian Tammy Baldwin, Representative from Wisconsin, was not allowed to travel with her on a congressional delegation to France because House rules do not recognize domestic partners as spouses. The first really great thing I've read about Nancy Pelosi is that she submitted a written request to the secretary of defense to waive the rule. It worked!!

The other political boo-boo has nothing to do with GLBT affairs but lots to do with racial slurs. This time it's about a creator of campaign buttons in Texas whose latest button creation says, "If Obama wins will it still be called the White House?" What a tragedy to cast such aspersions on an individual! The Republican Party is being blamed naturally but who cares it's the mean-spiritedness of the question that rankles. Sounds like Texas still living in the "dark" ages?

This Blog would not be complete without mentioning the tribute to Tim Russert that took place yesterday. I couldn't take my eyes off the TV screen as the eulogies rolled on and on. I loved to watch Russert whenever he took on the task of unraveling a political scenario. He was always right on and spoke plainly so even the politically naive, like me, could understand.

CALIFORNIA BLOOMING

2008-06-17T07:51:00.004-04:00

Monday, June 16, 2008 at 5 p.m., California made history in legalizing marriage for same-sex couples in that state.

The traditional marriage license was changed to read Party A and Party B in place of "Bride" and "Groom". Here in New Hampshire we were referred to as Person A and Person B which to me is a lot more realistic designation. I would have preferred "Wife A" and "Wife B" but I wasn't invited to offer an opinion. Anyway I was so happy to have the ceremony at our ages and in our lifetimes it didn't matter.

Parties A and B in California who were the first to tie the knot are women Kay and I met a long time ago at a Lesbian Celebration in Provincetown, MA called Golden Threads. Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, both in their late 80's, have been together 55 years. God Bless them!! The 28 years Kay and I have been together dwindles in comparison.

A word to all couples who have either a marriage or civil union certificate and who might ever be questioned by any authority as to their right to visit in ICU, request medical records for their spouse, make any decisions that might be challenged legally do what we did - have a photocopy made of your certificate, reduce it to wallet size, laminate it and carry it in your wallets at all times. A friend in MA needed to pick up her wife's x-rays and deliver them to a hospital in which her spouse was confined. She was denied access to the x-rays and had to return home and get their license and take it back for proof she was within her legal rights to obtain the x-rays.

My wish for all same-sex California couples is recognize what you have, feel larger than life as you walk with your heads held higher than ever......I salute you and raise a toast to happiness in your new found legal status.

And now let's get those Federal rights that would entitle us to over 1,000 benefits not offered by the individual states.

LESBIANS OVER 60 GATHER IN CALIFORNIA

2008-06-14T08:22:00.004-04:00

Here's something for all women whether part of a same-sex couple and/or single women living an alternative lifestyle - just so you're over 60!!!

California Dreaming: Building a Better World for Old Lesbians will take place July 30 - August 3, 2008 at the Hacienda Hotel near the Los Angeles Airport.

This four-day gathering, hosted by OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change) will bring together Lesbians from across the country to learn, be entertained and be with women like themselves.

Entertainment will include singer and raconteur, Alix Dobkin, comedian and activist, Robin Tyler, as well as the Los Angeles Women's Community Chorus plus the OLOC Chorus.

REGISTRATION INFO or FOR MORE INFORMATION - www.oloc.org, Email: info@oloc.org, Call toll free: 888-706-7506, Write: OLOC, PO Box 5853, Athens, Ohio, 45701. Registration before July 10: $225. (Some scholarships available)

Enjoy!!

NEW YORK TIMES HEALTH ARTICLE JUNE 10, 2008

2008-06-12T07:47:00.007-04:00

A Gay friend forwarded this article to me in which studies show that same-sex couples have a great deal to teach everyone else about marriage and relationships. Committed Gay couples and committed straight couples show surprising differences!! (We already knew that, didn't we?) But the differences that do emerge have shed light on the kinds of conflicts that can endanger heterosexual relationships.

University of Vermont Professor said, "How people care for each other, how they share responsibility, power and authority are the key issues in relationships." (We're certainly head and shoulders above straight couples at all of the preceding)

The stereotype for same-sex relationships is that they do not last, but that may be due to the lack of legal and social recognition given to same-sex couples. (Hear, Hear!!)

I was already holding my head high about my gay relationship with Kay and didn't need this article to convince me that the 28-year relationship we've had hasn't been over 100% better than either of the heterosexual marriages I was in and it all comes down to what the UVM professor had to say.

WE'RE HAVING A HEAT WAVE

2008-06-10T08:31:00.003-04:00

We're in our fourth day of heat in the 90's. But there are no complaints coming from this Blogger. The news from around the world is so devastating - and here in our country as well with storms, earthquakes, earthquakes, war, starvation, etc. that I feel grateful to be here in the heat.

Also, we are now moving forward into a real presidential campaign and I listened to McCain this morning extolling the virtues of Hillary Clinton and got to thinking what a ticket they would make because it seems a foregone conclusion that Obama won't have her on the ticket for fear of Bill setting up his own White House across the street on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The price of gasoline is climbing - in some places here in New England it's over $4/gallon. Kay and I are former campers and drove a RoadTrek down and back to Florida every year. We loved camping and I'm sure there are hundreds of RV owners who have had to cancel their trips this summer and what a shame because it's a really lovely and exciting way to see the USA on your own terms. It's also a nice way to travel if you take a pet and we always take Rosey wherever we go.

This year we're renting a cottage in nearby Warner, NH for two weeks in August. It's about a half hour from where we live here in Concord and yet it's like stepping into another world because of being right on the water. Plus the owners are very accepting of our Sisters by Heart gay relationship and our little Yorkie.

FOR A GAY FRIEND

2008-06-06T07:51:00.006-04:00

Paul Weber moved to Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire from Manhattan in 1980. He had worked on the floor of the stock exchange and the pressures of the job had forced him to leave and find less stressful employment. His partner, Jim, was still working but they chose to retire to Fitzwilliam, came up and purchased a lovely old house in the center of town. Paul stayed and Jim returned to New York for another year or two and then he also retired and moved to New Hampshire.

Kay and I met Paul and Jim at a town yard sale and we became friends for life. Jim illustrated all of my books and did an especially fine job on "Sisters by Heart" - my book about our gay relationship. We saw a lot of the two guys - having dinner at one another's house throughout every year.

In 1997 Jim developed late-in-life adult leukemia....he doctored for a couple of years but finally gave up on blood transfusions, went into the hospital and quietly bled to death. Kay and I were named executors of his estate but he everything in such good order, there was very little to do except keep Paul's head above water.

Paul had never balanced a check book, paid any bills or handled investments. Jim, who was over 20 years older, had taken care of him 100%. Paul was working the night shift as a housekeeper at Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH and allowed Jim to dote on him.

Consequently, Paul was a ship lost at sea until he found a new partner, Clay, about five years ago. By that time, Paul had gotten a good understanding of finances and took to it all very successfully. He purchased a summer home on a lake and was in the midst of having it renovated when he was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer - which had spread to his liver. This was all six months ago and he now is in the same hospital where Jim died, has refused any further treatment except morphine and will quietly pass away in a short time.

My heart bleeds for this man who finally had so much to live for and will never be able to do it. Did I say he had also adopted an elderly dog who will now live out his years with Clay.....

It's things like this that make you think about your own life and are we ever prepared to move into the next one? A same-sex partner is a precious thing because one faces so many road blocks that draw you closer to your partner for different reasons than heterosexual couples.

Please visit "Sisters by Heart" and see Jim's artistic work that helped make the book such a treasure. And "Good night, Paul. I love you."

THE CANDIDATES SPEAK OUT

2008-06-03T08:02:00.004-04:00

In the Spring 2008 issue of Equality, a publication of the Human Rights Campaign, both Clinton and Obama were interviewed on a number of issues I was very interested in reading about. My primary concern is the over 1,000 Federal Benefits to which same-sex couples are not entitled.

When asked about her support of full benefits for Gay couples, Clinton responded - "I believe Civil Unions are the way to achieve this goal. I will fight for equality of Federal benefits for same-sex couples in committed, stable relationships including the Social Security survivors' benefits."

Obama's answer to the same question was, "We must give committed same-sex couples equal rights under Federal law. If half of the Fortune 500 companies have figured out how to treat Gay couples equally, the Federal government can too."

So there you have it - either candidate plans to at least give lip-service to our cause but according to today's news, it will be Obama we'll be watching to see if he follows through. Of course it's a states' rights issue really so where can we go but at least vote for Obama which will create a block of Gay votes to give him the ammunition to fight for us.

VICTIMS OF SILENCE

2008-05-30T08:16:00.004-04:00

An article in our Concord, New Hampshire Monitor tells about the opening of a new memorial in Berlin, Germany to honor homosexuals persecuted by the Nazis. This was amazing reading for me as the article reported the words said by Berlin's Mayor, Klaus Wowereit, that 50,000 homosexuals were convicted as criminals with 10,000 to 15,000 deported to concentration camps, where few survived.

Few gays convicted by the Nazis came forward after the war because of the stigma still attached to their sexual orientation which is symptomatic of the postwar society that allowed these victims to be persecuted twice simply by their acts of omission and understanding.

The most astounding fact I culled from the article is the Mayor of Berlin is a Gay man!!! How marvelous that what went around twice for this segment of the German citizenry has come around in such a magnificently positive way. What would Hitler think??

When I had finished reading the article I thanked our patron saints of domestic partnerships and gay relationships for the peaceful and unthreatening manner in which Kay and I are allowed to live out our lives.

GOOD FOR THE CHICKEN

2008-05-28T07:49:00.004-04:00

In a recent tongue-in-cheek survey entitled, "Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road", this hilarious explanation was attributed to Jerry Falwell.

Because the chicken was Gay, of course! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it 'the other side'. Yes, my friends - that chicken is Gay and if you eat that chicken, you'll become Gay too! That chicken should not be crossing the road, it's as simple as that!

You know what? There are all sorts of nursery rhymes and adages that can be turned inside out and interpreted to suit any and all beliefs and prejudices. Although Jerry Falwell never actually spoke about this chicken or any other, these are sad commentaries about our alternative lifestyle of choice.

Stay tuned...my next Blog will be about Hillary and Barack and their stand on GLBT issues.

GOLDEN THREADS

2008-05-26T08:14:00.005-04:00

Golden Threads is an organization founded twenty years - or more - ago by a Lesbian woman in her 80's who had been shunned by women's social organizations because of her sexual preference. Golden Threads is for Lesbian women aged 50 and older. There is a quarterly publication that will link Lesbians with one another and report any events that might be of interest.

Kay and I used to attend their annual celebration held in Provincetown, Massachusetts. These were wonderful gatherings of Lesbians from all over the country who could meet for three days and just feel free to be themselves...and enjoy good food, parties, dancing and entertainment. There were also workshops of all sorts, purveyor displays and this was where we displayed our book, "Sisters by Heart", and presented a program based on our story.

At the close of the weekend a terrific ceremony was held to wish us on our way and to cement the ties that had bound us together for that brief period. One year I wrote the following that I called "Draw the Circle Wide"....this is part of it:

We give thanks for the chance to exchange thoughts and ideas with one another. We resolve to keep ourselves healthy in mind and body so that we can return another year to once again join hands and hearts in celebration of our Lesbian lives. As we depart from this special gathering let us take with us the spiritual gifts we have received and draw strength from the GOLDEN THREADS that bind us together.

This is my message this morning - for women in a same-sex partnership or Lesbians still in the closet looking for a way out into the sunshine of living an alternative lifestyle, contact me for more information for a way to subscribe to the Golden Threads Newsletter. Email me at uniqueyankee@ comcast.net.

TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY

2008-05-21T08:06:00.003-04:00

Two years ago today, Kay and I had a Blessing Ceremony in our Congregational Church in Rochester, New Hampshire - our was only the second union service for a same-sex couple in our church.

One of the things that made the day so remarkable was out of 149 United Church of Christ churches in our state, there are only 19 in which we could have had such a service in the church sanctuary. You see, those 19 churches are Open and Affirming which means the congregation voted unanimously to permit Gay/Lesbian couples to have a Blessing Ceremony in the church, also it opened the door to the hiring of a Gay or Lesbian pastor, Sunday School teacher or the opportunity to serve on any board or committee.

Why, you're probably thinking, wouldn't any church permit this - Open and Affirming or not? I guess the only clear cut answer is, fear of the unknown. Who are these Gay & Lesbians? Do you know what they do in their bedrooms? They're all Pedophiles you know, and the very worst comment Kay and I were subjected to, "we don't want any of those dirty people coming into our church". Also, "we don't want to be known as the 'Gay Church' in town".

Kay and I worked for almost 10 years with the New Hampshire Conference, UCC, Open & Affirming Committee traveling to churches in the Conference that were interested in learning more about what it means to be Open and Affirming and telling our story and explaining the O&A concept. Of the 19 churches in the conference who went through the process successfully, we were responsible for bringing seven of them to a positive vote.

And now, today is our day to remember the warmth and love that poured over our Gay relationship two years ago in the sanctuary of our church as we received God's blessing on our union from the pastor of the church.

LESBIANS' PHILOSOPHY OF AGING

2008-05-18T07:39:00.003-04:00

Recently someone said to us, "You have the philosophy of a much younger age - you're hooked into everything new and different". It's true. Kay and I are au courant with our thinking and our interests in trying new things. We feel it's keeping us young.

Many people approach old age gingerly calling it everything but what it actually is - anything to avoid using the "o" word. But, old wine and old furniture is much more valuable the older it gets because they're more highly prized. Kay and I appreciate each other more and more every day.

In our case, happiness is having lived so long and having the chance to try all the new ideas and processes that are available to us in return for the longer time it takes us to learn. We Blog, Blog Blast and Feed Burn with the best of them and it keeps us in touch with all of you "out there".

Are there any older Lesbian couples checking our Blog regularly? If so, please email us at uniqueyankee@comcast.net. We're waiting to hear from you and get your thoughts and ideas on being older partners in life or living alternative lifestyles.

CALIFORNIA SETS A NEW STANDARD

2008-05-15T15:21:00.006-04:00

The California Supreme Court has certainly seen the light and have overturned the ban on Gay Marriage in that great state!!! Meanwhile we've been deluged with emails from NH Freedom to Marry and the Human Rights Council all asking us to celebrate and cheer on only the second state out of 50 to recognize that same-sex couples deserve human rights just as much as opposite-sex couples.

This is truly a cause to celebrate - not for Kay and me so much - but for the generations of young Gays and Lesbians coming along behind us who will need the protection of their civil rights as well. Perhaps the cautious overtures that are made by today's political candidates to push for Federal benefits such as Social Security (to name 1 of the over 1,000 Federal Benefits which are out of reach for us) will come to fruition one day.

Hooray for California and the doors now open for the same-sex partnerships in that state.