Betty Ford April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011

Betty Ford has passed away at the age of 93. Everybody, of course, remembers her for her transparent honesty in dealing with breast cancer and addiction in the public forum, and for founding the Betty Ford Center for addiction treatment - pivotal in the way addiction counseling and aid is managed to day. But...she also during her active years counseled the right wing to moderation regarding social concerns and programs, supported whole heartedly the Equal Rights Amendment, was pro-abortion, pro-women serving in the military in combat, and pro-gays serving in the military. Her voice is silenced now, and people will pick and choose what they wish to remember her for...but she was a great and powerful example for us all.

Update on a Hero...

Quite awhile back, I wrote a blog post about my friend Gabe called Transgender Courage...meet one of my heroes... . Its past time for an update. Gabe's daughter, Claudia is now a year old and precocious and cute beyond words! He has also met a wonderful man and is in a relationship that is blossoming and beautiful! And he has started testosterone at last! He is becoming the beautiful young man is truly is and was meant to be - and it has taken some courage still to do this - finances have been tight, insurance companies difficult (his doctor has found a nice work around though, and as of this date, he finally has coverage for the moment.), shots have been painful, and the patch has been not as successful as hoped for. He is wrestling with the complex battle of changing gender markers on documents such as birth certificate, etc. and has hit some brick walls there on that in the state he lives it.  Yet still he perseveres and lives and loves. He plans to return to school, and has goals for the future.
Gabe also, with all this, remains my brother, and my friend, ever willing to listen and support me when I struggle or have questions, which, with everything else going on in his life is truly amazing! Recently, he shared some pictures of himself chronicling his transition from before to present day, and with his permission I'd like to share a couple of them, as they profoundly and unbelievably show the incredible journey he has undertaken to become truly himself...

At age 15, quite some time ago. He was in a battle at the time with his mom who did not want him to cut his hair short, so was unhappily struggling with it being longer...

Gabe as he is today, a strong, confident young man.

And it is a journey he has chosen to share with us, in all its ups and downs and the glories of living. Which I for one am entirely grateful for! Gabe, you remain as always, a brother, a friend and one of my heroes! 

Gabriel and Claudia

Kitten Update...

And here's EVERYBODY! They are kind of like tribbles at this point...in order from far left - Maya, Amergin, Dante, Rosie, Audre with Seamus and Maire in the middle! And they are all so wonderful...

.Dante, Maya, and Amergin are now eating crunchy cat food out of the food bin...they think they are big now!Actually all 5 are eating crunchy food - these were the 3 that happened to be into the food...

Its making it difficult for the other cats and the dog to get their dinner, as there is  usually  a bunch of kittens in the way...

Maire, the littlest girl...I don't have a shot of Seamus by himself, since the camera batteries died.

MacDubh saying "Hi!" to Maire (the little Calico) and Seamus (the little black one)...their eyes are just getting open, and their kinda sorta creeping maybe...

I am sorry to say that one of the littlest kittens did not make it - it was the little orange boy, Rob Roy. There did not appear to be anything dramatically wrong with him, except that he was smaller than the other two. *sigh* Its always so sad when this happens - everybody else however is fat and sassy and driving the momcats nuts! Marmalade is totally convinced that kittens belong IN their box. The kittens are convinced they should be out and into everything. So when its kitten bed time, Marmalade runs around trying to catch them and put them in the box, and they hop out two seconds after she turns her back. It usually takes about an hour for them to wear her out or vice versa, and they all fall asleep together. And they are almost getting too big for her to pick them up.

Sunset this past Friday night...

Um...well...you see...

Rob Ruadh and Séamus

‎*FACE...PALM* Um...remember us talking about the adoptive mom cat, Marmalade, who jumped in to help Lucy mother the kittens?
Well. She evidently had ulterior motives. 3 of them. Two of them pictured here, about 2 and a half minutes old - the third was on the way. These two are both little boys, named Séamus (the little black one) and Rob Ruadh (the little orange one) and a little girl - a dark callico just like Maya and Audre, named Maire. Everybody is fine, except I am having a nervous break down. Firedancer the Second, who fathered this fine brood (both of them) will be having surgery in two weeks. Whether he wants to or not is immaterial. We never even knew she was pregnant - aka. known as a stealth pregnancy (had one other cat that pulled that one on us, years ago). Everyone else will also be attended to at the proper ages, immediately! Although getting Lucy fixed is going to be a nightmare as she is shy to the point of being feral. So, welcome the newest additions to the family. And yes, they are all in the same box. Snoring. Contentedly. 

0.o 

I however may be awake for awhile...

*twitch*

Kittens on the loose!

Dante gets checked over by Bearcub.

Maya contemplates the escape route, as Audre looks on...

Dante...note the dog's nose in the upper right hand corner...

Dante and MacDubh. MacDubh follows Dante everywhere when the kitten is out and wandering...Dante is utterly unconcerned about this large entity sniffing and occasionally giving him a helpful lick with a large tongue.

Dante on the move - "Wow, its a large world! I must explore!"

All five kittens have been compulsively escaping the kitten box, by the way. I will be adding more pictures, as I get shots of all five. The mom cats are looking fairly frazzled! The dog thinks it's great!

PS. When I say "momcats" plural, I must tell that one of our other cats, a brindled calico named Marmalade, has decided to jump in and co-parent the kittens with Lucy. So Lucy has been able to take breaks and turn about. This is not the first time we have seen an "un-involved" cat decide to help parent newborns, and its always a delight!  Bearcub, pictured at top with Dante, is a particularly paternal cat who adores kittens and I have no doubt he will be teaching them the joys of egg hockey in a few weeks. We hope the house will survive.

Marmalade, the adoptive mom cat, on the far left with Lucy, the birth mom, and Amergin and Rosie...

A small step Out of the Closet...

Dinner last night...going left to right, my Mom, my sister-in-law, Dreamweaver, me, my Dad, and my brother! It was a wonderful day, all around! And one of the happiest days of my life! 

Yesterday, Dreamweaver and I went to see "My Fair Lady" at the local theater with my brother and his wife. Which was fabulous - it is a "small community theater" that is excellent beyond belief and has launched the careers of notable actors, including Joanne Woodward! And then afterwards we all went out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, with my parents for my Dad's birthday. (He's 84 years old now.)

Now, while I have been aware that there has been no way my brother and sister in law could not KNOW we are a couple, it has remained unspoken, period. You know the thin ice I tread with my conservative Father (click this to go to a post about him.) Coming out of the restaurant, and well out of ear shot of our parents, my sister-in-law asked if we were on Face Book and could she friend us. Now, my FB account is locked down...privacy settings are set for incinerate from orbit. Specifically because of relatives. (Not necessarily them - remember, my birth mother's side of the family, while sweet people, are rabidly conservative.) We kind of hedged and dodged and winced - she knew we were on Face Book, because she had seen the friend suggestion come up for me, just as I have seen it come up for her, in the past. Its not like we could lie, nor did we really want to. And to be honest, I didn't think they would have a problem with us, but there is that fear that comes with not knowing for sure. Once words are spoken they cannot be unsaid.

...and then she smiled this beautiful smile at us and said, "Guys, we know, OK? We know. Its OK...its not a problem for us. We love you! You're family!"

I feel like I am walking on air...I am Officially, admittedly Out to my brother and his wife, and they accept us and are allies! And they know we tiptoe around Dad, and why, and they get it! I just kind of threw my arms around her and just got the best hug in the world ever back from her.

And I know there are people who are going to say yeah, we're not surprised, how could they not know...but just the sheer relief of now knowing that I can trust them, that if things were ever to go bad with my Father, that they will always be family for us.

Its not been about trying to HIDE, its been about not acknowledging the white elephant on the coffee table...and those unspoken words. Well, the elephant has been named and claimed...and I have relatives that I am now free to be open with, safe with.

And that we love them and they love us!
As who and what we are.
I feel like the weight of the world has lifted off my shoulders today!