Our Thanksgiving Day with my Daughter

Every year we spend Thanksgiving with Kay's family, and since she is an only child most of her parents family has passed on. There are a few who I have come to adore and make it a point to chat with every Thanksgiving. This year the gathering seems to have gotten smaller as children are married and are spending the day with other and new relatives and families. For the past several years we have had our Thanksgiving Dinner at a church hall, but this year we returned to the family home; always lots of food is cooked and expected to be carted away by guests. Enough food for three times the number of people who come.

This year since my daughter was living in town, we invited her to meet Kay's family and eat Thanksgiving Dinner with them. Kay's family lives outside of Nichols, Ga, which is about an hour and a half away and one of those small towns that you could miss if you blinked or yawned. We were told that dinner was going to be served at 12:30 and we were right on time, but as it happens with families, we didn't eat for another hour. As we waited for the family to gather and wander in, they got a chance to meet and chat with my daughter and Kay's step-daughter, Julie. Everyone seemed to like Julie and the son of the host told her that if she was here she is family, which made Julie's day.

She seemed to brighten the room, chatting with everyone and fitting in with the family. Everyone expressed that they enjoyed meeting Julie; and Kay was surprised when one of her relatives made a point to tell Julie how pretty she was, as Kay says that she hardly ever compliments anyone. We don't know what she was expecting Julie to look like as the family knows that I am trans. Julie seem so relaxed and really enjoyed the Thanksgiving Dinner that someone else cooked.

Since Kay's relatives lives in the country, they have quite a lot of goats and some mules that have a large area to roam around in. Julie said that watching the goats brought back many memories of the time that she herded a rather large number of goats for someone for a year. She had a truck with a camper and two shepherd dogs to run the herd. Being able to spend the afternoon with Kay's family really made her day, as she had to eat again with her mother and brothers later that evening.

I am so glad that she was able to see how people react to me in a family gathering, that they know my story and have accepted me as a member Kay's family. I only hope that she can convey that to her brothers. Her one hope is that one day her mother and brothers will sit down to a holiday meal with Kay and I. Miracles can happen, we already know they can when it does for some of us.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

I snagged this video from Melissa Meanderings who got it from someone else as she posted it on Friday. Tomorrow I will sing the Messiah with a Community Festival Chorus.

Telling Secrets: Time for Civil Disobedience?

Telling Secrets: Time for Civil Disobedience?

Concert Done

Saturday night we sang Mozart's Great Mass in "C", 160 voices strong divided into two choirs antiphonally, all the comments were about the great 'sound' of all those voices. College choir, community choir, one high school choir, and one trans woman singing tenor. God!, it was overwhelming the feeling of being among so many voices singing as one.

My daughter was able to join Kay and hear the concert as well, she is one who loves the arts in all it varieties, Opera, Orchestras, Ballets. I could tell by the big smile on her face that she really enjoyed the performance and we had a great discussion as we ate a late night snack together.

As we were making small talk of her life growing up, she made a comment that made me stop. I know I have arrived in my place as Sarah, as she told me that as she was looking at me on stage that I was very pretty, I almost cried. My daughter sees me as 'pretty', of course I was dressed up for the occasion and all, but, I am pretty.

Mozart Rehearsal

As I said, last night's rehearsal was the first time for orchestra and combined chorus. The University and Community choirs joined with the Colquit High School Choir as an inspiring opportunity to sing a large choral masterpiece. The first rehearsal was almost overwhelming even for me as an experienced singer, one could easily become too immersed in the movements with 8 voice lines with orchestra. I have had the opportunity to sing a number of major works around the world, but last night could very well be the ultimate performance for me.

In talking with some of the High School choir members, I learned during the break that they had been working on the piece for the whole school year and they know their parts very well. While we, of the community chorus, have only had rehearsals one night a week for 9 weeks. I am so excited to be able to participate in singing the Mozart's Mass in "C".

tg day of remembrance 2010

tg day of remembrance 2010

I myself will be on a stage performing Mozart's Mass in C, begins at 8 pm Whitehead Auditorium, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia. The massed choir will be 174 singers with expanded orchestra. Even though we did not make any other plans to commemorate this day of remembrance. Singing one of the worlds greatest form of music, while I think and remember those whose lives have been taken because they were not understood is one of the most highest honors I can give, freely given in song with 173 other singers.

Is the Gospel Lesson relevant in our time.

"But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls."--Luke 21: 9-19

Is the Lessons written in the New Testament relevant and applicable for our time? As I was listening intently to these passages spoken as our Gospel Lesson, I could only come to one obvious conclusion as to how these words could be taken as an announcement of what our lbgt family has to endure. I was expecting the sermon to delving into it broad meaning and it was with great expectation to hear our Vicar’s thoughts about how groups of people are being arrested and persecuted for anyone living the ‘gay’ lifestyle. For being murdered and abused by those who choose to not understand and try to dictate their strict lifestyle upon all who are different.

I am still waiting for some insightfully inspired message that I could have used for the week to reflect and strengthen my resolve to stand up to the bullies and abusers. I keep waiting to hear a message inspired by love and compassion, a message that will cause our members to step forward and raise the banner to find Christ in others soul, not to bring our Christ to them. The Christ we know and believe in might be a differently conceived person of love, of charity, of hope of compassion, and that’s ok; as long we we can find similar “Christlike” traits in each of your conceptions of our Christ.

It doesn't matter if one is gay or straight or an agnostic, we must remain resolved to stand and face those who persecutes up and put our trust in our 'God' that he will indeed give us words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.

Each persons religious belief system must be respected and given a chance to grow in his own way, on his own place of worship or place where they find peace.

Veteran Day Rememberance

A good General would rather talk than go to war and fight. A big thanks to Melissa for sharing this video.

Finding answers for "Why" we transition

"Is it really all that mysterious why someone would not want to live like that any longer? Gender transition leads to gender congruence which in turn makes the pain of gender dysphoria go away. That’s why we do it. All the rest – the hormones, the clothes, the awkward second puberty – is just detail. Non-trans people will never understand the basic “why” by focusing upon that stuff."

This is lifted from http://saladbingo.wordpress.com and her struggle to answer the "Why" questions that people struggle to understand. Last week, Kay and I talked with two college classes which were introductory freshman level course. There were good questions with lots of interaction, some seemed to be glassy-eyed and one slept through half of the class; until I yelled "BOO" which caused him to awaken somewhat. The professor cautioned the class about asking questions that they would not answer themselves, which kept them focused on how we are perceived by others in the community.

There were lots of "Why" questions and, "Does the male person you once were still there?" I believe that what connections we were able to establish with the class member will go a long way toward more acceptance of trans-people. We have been speaking with classes for 4 years and people know us around campus and in the community.

During conversations with my daughter who has come back into my live, she has told us that a lot of her friend knew about my dressing and know about my relationship with Kay. A lot are accepting, some would want to sit down with us and ask their questions about "Why?", and a small number of other people she knows think what I have will send me to 'Hell' and will not accept or speak to me. That option is their choice, but I hope that as they speak to people who have come to know and accept us they might change their minds and opinions.

We hope we can speak to other classes this year.

Weekend for wedding

Last weekend Kay and I attended a wedding up in north of Dahlonega, GA, and the weather being rather cold this time of year didn't make it pleasant to sit on a mountain top with the wind blowing in your face. But after a beautiful if not chilly ceremony, we went inside the big lodge for the reception and had a great time. This is us with the grooms brother kicking up our heels on the dance floor.

Here we are cuddling, and being nice for once.

We stayed at a little Bed and Breakfast called, the Cedar House Inn & Yurts; very quaint and very nice people who owns the Inn. They do organic gardening and a lot of the breakfast foods were healthy and so good. Their land has been designated as a thriving habitat sanctuary for wildlife. They are trying to do more natural soil building and composting for the gardens and property. The house was made from actual cedar trees milled and cut at a local sawmill. They have installed several rain barrels to catch any rain and because they have a metal roof they can use that water to flush their toilets.

There were 3 other couples staying over and we had some lively and great conversation over breakfast and with one couple before we said our good nights. One couple was from Paris, Tennessee and one was from Alpharetta, GA and he was an graphic artist, the other pair was a mother who was visiting with her daughter who was a freshman at Georgia Military College in the town.

This is the view of the front of the Bed and Breakfast. The trees were just beginning to turn their fall colors. Very beautiful and strong colors this year.