Joan Baez

O.......M.......G...... Kay and I just returned from attending an outdoor concert under stars with Joan Baez. The concert was held on the main lawn at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. What a weekend we have had, we are staying in a B&B on Ponce de Leon ln, close to Piedmont Park, Atlanta. The owner bumped us up to a better suite and after we settled in we left for the concert arriving at the Gardens about 6pm, they let us park next to the gate, since we have the Kia Soul, (neat car). Everyone was sitting on the curb waiting patiently for the gates to open at 7pm, no cutting in line, everyone being good boys and girls. Once they let us into the park after checking bags we took a spot about 30 ft from the stage. We had arranged to pick up our dinner at the park and plopped ourselves down on the nice soft grassy lawn eating our meal waiting for the concert to begin. At about 8 pm Joan walked out on stage and it was an incredible 2 hours performance. We had bought new chairs which had to be low seated, so we pretty much had to stretch our legs out and let our feet play with the soft grass as the daylight faded.

Her voice was still crystal clear and strong as she opened with "I Believe in God" with her guitar, simply an amazing song which brought me to tears, it was so powerful. With the daylight fading and the birds and bats flying, the cicada singing on a clear, hot Atlanta night, the evening could not have been any better. After singing about 27 songs she ended the concert singing "Amazing Grace", accappella. As this was the first time I had ever seen Joan in concert and had really listened to her songs, I was blown away with her performance. What an incredible experience for Kay and I to feel connected as the small, older crowd sang 'The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down" and "Amazing Grace" loudly with her. Just Wow!

Busy weekends

Well the cat is finally out of the bag, so I can tell you that Kay and I have tickets to see Joan Baez this Friday at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Although I never really listened to much of her music when I was growing up per say, I listened but never really knew that it was her songs. I was on a different musical path back in those days. I am so glad that I nagged Kay to buy the tickets early before they were sold out, we now see where they are going for over $200, each. I am getting excited, about sitting on the Great Lawn of the Gardens listening to a Musical Icon.

The first week in August, Kay and I are going to the Believe Out Loud conference in Atlanta and a very good friend of ours has gotten us tickets to see "Cats" at the Fox Theater, our seat are on the first row of the lowest balcony, so we should have a great viewpoint to see everything that is going on the stage.

Being retired is fun. Let you know more about both concerts.

Upgrade

We have made friends with a great loving couple who have adopted 3 children, I have written about them in some previous posts. Two very active boys who can sometime be very engaged with doing tasks they think up.

They boys have known us as Auntie Kay and Sarah since they were adopted. Just last Friday, we were told we were being upgraded to Grandmothers because the boys need loving and doting Grands to look after. It is a wonderful thought, and you know Grandmothers, it is their job to spoil their grandchildren, just a little bit. Spoil them but we won't let them get away with things they are not suppose to do.

Blabbermouths

We all must decide when and to whom and when it is fitting and proper to disclose our being trans. Well that scenario happened last week when Kay and I stopped in at the woman's department of Dillard's in Gainesville, Fl. It was only a little more than a year ago that I was driving down to Gainesville on a weekly basis when I was undergoing breast reconstruction and we would stop in at the Dillard's. It seem that there was the same sales person waited on us every time we went shopping and we had gotten comfortable chatting with her as she was ringing up her sales.

Well last week, this women was talking about how she was running for the city council and asked us for our vote. She also was saying how we should accept everyone regardless and how liberal she was in her views toward the lgbt community. I asked her how she felt about gays and trans people and she said she didn't have a problem with them, (us). I thought that if she felt this way then she should know more about her customers and who she waited on. When the department was empty except for Kay the saleslady and I, I told her that I was a trans woman, meaning I was born male. I revealed this fact so that she could say that she knew of a trans woman and that I was pleasant and no different than any other woman that came into her department.

It was hard for her to believe that I had been born male, and that she had no idea that I could even be trans. She was genuinely shocked and stunned and said that she would have never guessed. While we were discussing the fact that there were probably more trans woman who shopped in her department and that trans people were in every profession, another sales woman walked by and she called her over. Before I could even react she pointblank asked the woman if she could tell that I had been born male, she stared at me a few minutes and said no she would not have guessed, and walked away.

I was shocked that she had blurted out to another person, without my permission and outed me, before I could say how wrong that was.

If and when I visit her department, I will explain that it is very in-appropriate to out someone who is trans. That that is up to us to disclose, not her and please understand that when I told her I expected her to respect me as a woman. Maybe she is not a good candidate for City Councilwoman, because she is a blabbermouth and a gossip.

Didn't realize just how innovative young boys can be. We had bought a hand truck with the big rubber wheels and had left it on the back porch. Today we watched two boys and their younger sister for most of the day. After lunch they asked if they could play outside and went right to the two shovels and began to dig, which was ok with me but when the older one started to swing the shovel I had them put them away and went back inside.

While I was inside those two boys, ages 9 and 5 drug the handcart off the porch and was able to move two good size rocks weighing about 12 lbs each across the yard. I had used to big rocks to plug up the holes that our dogs had dug under the fencing. They had moved a good size ceramic planter 24 in tall across the yard also. And while they were moving things had carried 3 of my aloe plants along with 7 empty pots to my peppers plants area. I didn't see what they had done until after they had gone, I could only laugh and smile at their 'hard' work. No wonder they went home all hot and sweaty.

It's ok Mom, this is what Auntees put up with, to give hugs and kisses and smiles at their young charges 'achievements'.

Affirmations

Yesterday was my normal appointment with my primary doctor. Kay and I had gone to have her eye checked earlier that morning after her second eye surgery and everything is doing great.

Dr Smith has been my primary doctor for almost three years and we have been through a lot together, especially all that I have had done after my breast cancer and mastectomy. Yesterday was my 3 month checkup and when he came into the room he was going to talk about my having to lose some weight; when he saw that I had indeed lost 15 lbs since my last visit he was quite pleased and happy. Then he wished me a belated birthday and asked if I had gotten a fathers day card. When I told him that we had gotten mothers day cards he was very happy and surprised. I believe that he was truly concerned how my family was adjusting to my transition and was pleased. Then he said that he very happy to see my transformation over these last few years and the success of the changes in my appearance that he has noticed. I think I have finally convinced him that people who deal with gender dysphoria have great needs from the medical community.

My problem, now that I lost an average of 5 lbs a month, he is expecting me to continue that kind of weight loss. I told him what I was doing and would keep trying to lose more weight.

We shall see, we shall see; especially with my back problems, and knee problems. Ah, the joys of growing old gracefully. I am trying to party hard and hope I can slide into my end, bruised, tired, happy and exhausted.

Falling Dominoes

It is truly amazing to learn of the recent court rulings upholding that the DOMA or the prohibitive ruling again gay marriage in the State of Massachusetts has been declared unconstitutional. More recently, the Presbyterian Convention has just passed a change in its Canon Law to allow non-celebrate gay to be ordained to the ministry.

With the continued chipping away at state and church law to allow and recognize the rights and values of the lgbt community it is only a matter of time before other major legislation is passed giving protection to the gay and transgendered communities.

On another matter;

I am learning that members of the trans community are taking down their blogs as a measure of protection, security and safety of their persons, families and jobs. As more trans are making their mark in their communities, there is a greater exposure to be the victims of hate and physical violence. I understand the need for someone to make their blog private because they are in the beginning stages in preparation to transition at work. Going private with their blog blocks unwanted searches and views by people who have the power to hire and fire and to use any knowledge gained from reading employees blogs as evidence against the employee who posts about their being gay or transition history.

Individual who have successfully transition are taking down their blogs are doing so in order to blend in with society, to go stealth. When they take down their blogs we as a community lose access to their knowledge and history of the mechanics of their transition which is always helpful for others who are struggling with their own transition.

Hopefully, one day the news of when someone transition won't be news, and will be an everyday occurrence and acceptance will prevail.

Conversations

This is the new banner for the Integrity group of the Episcopal Church for all it's lgbt members. Kay and I met along with several other members of our newly formed chapter our new Bishop, just 6 month's on the job.

He is honest, open, very definite view as to his duties to promote dialogue between the lgbt community and the rest of his congregation. At least we know where we stand with him and how far he can allow us to participate within the Church orders and duties.

I took Integrity's logo and created a large banner after the last convention, knowing that we were very close in becoming a recognized chapter of Integrity. I felt like the group should have it's own Processional Banner and created this one. I was very proud that he blessed the new banner and accepted the small banner that I had made for him.

It was a very nice day for the meeting and there was quite a crowd, several new people had taken the time to join us.

Two Escape Artist.

These are our two darlings, the little escape artists. The friends we were visiting in Charleston, SC said that we should bring our dogs with us and they are really good travelers. However they are not good house guests. The family who invited us has a yellow lab who is a sweetheart and the 3 played together so well. It was our two who weren't on their best behavior. There were several 'accidents' and I was especially embarrassed by this behavior, but that was the least of our problems.

Friday we spent the day sightseeing the historic district and seawall, (see previous post) but we left these two out side in the fenced-in-yard expecting them to be on their best behavior. When we return home that afternoon we were greeted by our dogs who were running around the front yard having a grand old time. It was the next morning that I find out that it was but about 45 min after we left the day before that our dogs had dug out a place under the gate and a very kind neighbor had put them back in the yard 3 times. She couldn't get close enough to get a phone number from their dog collar.

So on Saturday, I try and wedge some large rocks under the fence where they had dug out the day before and hope that would contain the two, and off we go to eat together and shop. After we eat Ward drives the 4 kids back home while the 'girls' go material shopping and looking. He later tells up that as they arrive home Mollie, (the little white dog) had gotten out again and the Maggie (the brown one) is chewing at the bottom of the fence and digging trying to get out; of course both are very dirty and we have to give them baths again. I stay with the dogs the rest of Saturday while the rest go swimming, just so they won't try and escape again. So now we are home and they both have crashed and are sleeping like the perfect little Angels they strive to be. Arugggg!!!

We spent the day with some good friends for the 4th of July that live in Summerville, yesterday afternoon enjoying the sights of old Charleston, SC. As we were waiting to get on the trolly, there was a Hotdog vender across the street who was actually shutting down for the day and was give away his hot dogs. So this first picture is of the children eating their free hotdogs, actually one of the only few times they were all sitting together.

Taking the trolly down the sea wall and Battery Park was a great place to start the day. The kids climbed all over the old mortar cannon and piles of cannon balls they have everywhere and on the railing along the sea wall. There was a wonderful strong wind which whipped the sea into white choppy wave and whitecaps. As we walked around the sea wall, I warned the kids that they could get wet by the wind and waves, and suddenly one wave broke over the wall soaking

all the children which made the adults laugh.

It was a beautiful cool day, not crowded walk downtown. Walking through the historic district, we walked through St Michael Episcopal Church, very old English style, beautiful Church interior. As we strolled through the grave yard we noticed an unusual set of graves in the graveyard. I noticed the middle monument has a Jewish symbol which the one on its right is more Catholic carving.

We had a late lunch at Sticky Fingers which was very good ribs. The day was a great way to spend with friends. Have a great 4th everyone!