Sister Berthe

She is the mean nun, the one who sings "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria." She got picked to sing the reprise of it. So proud. This photo was taken at dress rehearsal, thus the empty seats.

Finishing and Starting

Today I gave two homeschool workshops. I was afraid no one would show up since it's the middle of the school year, but we had a decent turnout and all went well. Passed out my flyers and business cards in the end, so maybe I will get some interest there.
Now that the workshops are done, my new goal is to get started on finishing my novel. That's one of the reasons I bought this netbook. I have so many plans for the subplots; it's just so dang overwhelming and the thought of the editing process is a nightmare to me. My hope is to have it ready for final editing before the end of 2011.
I am back on weigh watchers. Lost 7 1/2 lbs this week. It's all fluid, I know. A friend of mine lost 50 lbs since August, so she has inspired me to diary every single thing I put in my mouth.
Last Sunday I wrote down everything I was going to eat every day for the week, including snacks. I really think the diary is the key. It's amazing how many calories we pop into our mouths without even thinking about it. Every little thing does add up.
I hope all of you are having a great new year! My youngest is Sister Berthe in The Sound of Music this weekend. From what I have heard, she did an excellent job on opening night. I am going to the matinee tomorrow.
J and I have renewed our lease here as we like it very much. She and I both got new cars at the end of December. No more worries that I will break down on the road. My car is already dirty, which I hate. I bought a sandwich at Chick-Fil-A on the way to my parents' today and put it in the trunk because I don't want the new car smell to go away!
All the news I can think of for now.

2010 in Review

January 2010


* I didn't do too well on my resolution.
* I talked to my 13-yr-old self.
* My parents ignored my invitation.

February 2010

* I came out to a friend.

March 2010

* I brought my daughter to our apartment.

April 2010

* I still wasn't able to come out to my maternal grandmother.
* I started another book in my head but dropped the idea pronto.
* J and I faced rejection for the umpteenth time.
* The first of many fires starts in our neighborhood.

May 2010

* I finally came out to my maternal grandmother.
* As usual, I was treated like a queen.
* I questioned my sanity.

June 2010

* J and I joined the church.
* K20 told me she loved me for the first (and last) time.
* I know longer felt safe at work.
* I started an OCD blog.
* I helped decorate the pride float.
* My paternal grandmother started sleeping with a potato.

July 2010

* I got an astronomical number of hits from this one post. Go figure.
* I got acquainted with the stairwell at work.

August 2010

* K17 made me proud.
* K17 and I finally have the talk.
* K20 and I finally have the talk.

September 2010

* K17 admitted she knows a bisexual.
* My parents met J after almost 30 years.
* J was in a major wreck.
* I got a new do.

October

* I want on a Facebook fast for the month.

November

* J and went on a day trip to Brenham.

Going to lunch and shopping with my daughters today. Life is good.

Catching Up

I just noticed that I haven't posted since early December. Wow. Christmas is over; we made it through. I have seven days more days off; can't believe it.
We each went to our respective families' homes yesterday after opening our stockings in the morning and eating my breakfast casserole with homemade biscuits. We didn't exchange gifts this year as we both pitched in for a much needed T.V. I can actually see and hear it now!
Each of us is also getting a new car this week! J's Mustang was finally returned to her last week after the September 15th wreck, and we just don't feel comfortable letting her drive it as it should have been totaled to begin with. She picks up her new Mustang tomorrow night; I pick up my Focus Tuesday night. Now we will have one practical car and one for just plain fun!
My family had Christmas at my brother's as my mother had to go to FL to be with my grandmother (the one I am closer to than my mom). My grandmother was originally supposed to come here for Christmas but had a defribrillator put in. It's all a big mess of a story but the bottom line is that my dad spent his first Christmas away from my mom in about 52 years and he was pretty upset about it.
The day went better than Thanksgiving; I didn't have a panic attack, at least. By 4:00 o'clock, everyone was leaving.
When J came home, we watched Netflix and just relaxed.
Tomorrow I have my first appointment with the Rheumatologist and J has to go back to work. My plan is to have the girls over one day next week for movies and pizza. My youngest just got a vehicle but isn't driving on freeways yet, so I will get to put some miles on my new wheels to pick her up. One day I will go spend the day with my paternal grandmother. I also need to spend some quality writing time. My January 15th workshops are coming up soon and I also want to get back to my novel. I have one more book I really want to read - the book about Henrietta Lacks - and then finishing my novel is my goal. I used part of my bonus money to buy a Samsung netbook that I can take places and write when the mood hits me. I can't tell you how many times I have laid in bed, trying to go to sleep, and an idea about my book will hit me.
To all of my blogging friends, I hope that your holidays were great and that you ring in the new year with loved ones. No one should be alone on New Year's Eve.

Wordless Wednesday

Hanging Up

We hung up the pictures!

One More

Saturday night we are having a party. Our guests are bringing Toys for Tots donations. I am so excited!! I love having people over. Okay, well, I should say that I love it when it's over. I spend the whole time beforehand worrying and worrying: will the food be good, will we have enough, will the a/c keep everyone cool, blah, blah, blah.

As usual, we are putting things off til the very end. For those of you who are curious, no, we haven't hung the pictures yet! LOL

I have some errands to do Saturday morning and chickens and a vegetable to cook. I feel guilty for watching the Texans game and The Apprentice tonight. Once we get things done "tomorrow night", we will sit down and watch some Everwood Season 2.

It will work out fine, I know. It always does. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Doris, I wish you could be here! We would have a blast!

Wordless Wednesday

Our Holidays

I had a five-day holiday! It was fantastic and I am sorry it is almost over. I stayed home with J on Wednesday as she had thrown out her back. We were going to hang up pictures, but it was good to just rest. Made my usual spinach dip and chilled the wine for Thursday.

Thursday morning, before we went to our respective Thanksgiving Day dinners, J and I went to Garden Ridge to purchase a comforter set. I cannot believe that I got her into a store, much less on Thanksgiving morning! Here is a picture:










And a close-up of the pattern:



Thanksgiving dinner went okay with my parents, brother and sister-in-law, and my grandmother. My kids were with their dad in Arkansas. Around 3:00 o'clock I felt a panic attack coming on. Nothing seemed right without my girls, and I felt to blame for us not all being together and the conversation always skipping around me and my life with J. So I got up and left before dessert. We were going to hang up pictures that night. I can't even remember what we did.



Friday morning, I was lazy and slept in. It was wonderful. Again, we went SHOPPING that afternoon in search of a mirror to hang over the fireplace. We didn't find one, but I did get the majority of the decorating done:

Friday night, we turned on the above Christmas lights, lit a fire, and watched The Wizard of Oz. I know we really had intended to hang up the pictures.

Saturday I went to visit my grandmother, look at Hondas, and do some research at a store I will be speaking at in January. We went to Spec's in search of cherry rum and then had pizza and pasta at Barry's Pizza. Last night we watched a Hallmark Christmas movie and just chilled. Again, the pictures still lean against a wall in the office.

Today's plans are to go to church for the first time in months, grocery shop, and watch The Amazing Race. Oh, yeah, wait >>>> J, are we going to hang up pictures? Ha ha!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Thanks for reading!

Wordless Wednesday

30 Years Ago Today 11/22/80 at 5:45 a.m.

J asked me to be her wife. We were both 18. I had no idea that two women "girls" could even get married, so we married ourselves. J had these beautiful roses delivered to my office today. The card read, "You are my endless love."

Unfortunately, J threw her back out this morning so we weren't able to go out and celebrate. I had a hard time telling her "Happy Anniversary" when it wasn't so "happy." I hope you get better soon, J. I love you so much!

Wordless Wednesday

A Wonderful Day

Well, yesterday was our first day trip, ever, I believe! I had a great time. Hope J did, too. First we drove to the Windy Winery. Not exactly what the two of us expected. It was in the middle of nowhere. We followed a gravel road for miles and miles. It felt like we were driving on someone's property. We arrived at the winery at 11:00 a.m., exactly when it "opened."

It is owned by an older man and his wife. There's a house and a little building next to it, the winery, I suppose. We went inside and were greeted by blasting Christmas music. The man barely looked at us and neither did the woman. The man just mumbled at us while he attempted to open some wine bottles and cut his hand, so the wifey took over. Come to find out, the bottles were for us. The man went in the back room. I could see him putting a band-aid on his hand. He read a book the rest of the time we were there. Am wondering if it was the Bible.

Both were obviously uncomfortable with lesbian couples, but at least the woman talked to us about the wine.

We did our $5 wine tasting of five different wines and bought the obligatory two bottles of wine for our Christmas party and left. The entire experience took 19 minutes and that was including my photo taking of the amazing wine bottle Christmas tree below.

After leaving the winery, we proceeded to look for downtown Brenham. A bit of an argument started due to my inability to read a map with the letters the size of a grain of salt. We got past it, of course, found the downtown area, and did some shopping. It was nice to see J shopping!!!! It's her least favorite thing. It ranks right up there with cooking.

Next we ate at the Brenham Grill which is inside the Ant Street Inn (I kept calling it the Anthill Inn), an old hotel which is categorized as a Bed & Breakfast. J would never stay in one of those, but this one had private baths. The rooms were beautiful and there were a couple in our price range, so we might just go back there sometime and stay. This is a photo I took of J at our table. I love it because it has the Texas flag in the background and she looks like she is having a good time.

After lunch, we headed to the Monastery of St. Claire. Four bucks each to go into a barn to see a one-week-old miniature horse. This experience took all of ten minutes, but, hey, the money went to a good cause!

So we were done for the day around 2:00 p.m. and headed back toward H-Town. We stopped at the Ford place to look at Mustangs for J and Fiestas/Focuses for me. Then we went to the Honda place to look at Fits for me.

We went home for awhile so I could do some work and then ended our evening at Pappasito's for dinner. We did not watch the entire UT game. It sucked. Baby, I had such a wonderful time (except for the argument). Can't wait for our next day trip!

Today I went back to buy a gray tweed hat I had seen the other day, but someone had already bought it. I ended up with this gray fedora.

And just because I couldn't make up my mind - I also bought this purple/black plaid one that I plan to wear on Thanksgiving with my purple sweater. I wish the picture was better. It is a great hat and my favorite color, too!

I am so in love with my girl. It's nice to have something to write about again!

Our First Picture Together

This was probably our first picture together, circa 1979-1980. I was a senior; J was a junior in high school. We had this picture made in a photo booth at Square Pan Pizza in Houston. I sat on her lap and we made silly faces. I'm not sure if at that time we knew who we were to each other. Last year, in Vegas, we had our photo taken again in a photo booth. It was much more difficult to get situated in the booth this year and get a picture of our faces. Ha ha! So what do you think? Weren' we cute together?

Planning a Day Trip and Other Such Romance

I have been getting a lot of hits lately, maybe because I mentioned sex, sex, sex, like Maria suggested. Welcome to my new readers. Wow, some of you come from very far away. I wish you would leave comments so that I could read your blogs if you have them.

J and I have made a plan and we are going to stick to it. Last weekend we tried to remember what our life was like when we first went away together. True, we were as stressed as hell with us both coming out to our families, me leaving my kids, my approaching divorce, my crappy job. BUT we were happy and the romance and excitement was definitely there! Lately, we have gotten into a deep rut but we are digging our way out quickly.

So our plan is to rekindle some of that romance and excitement now by doing the things we used to do. We are starting by going back to dinner at the table with the T.V. off and candle lit. Talking about our day over dinner or anything else we want to share. We are also going to plan a day trip or overnight somewhere once each month. I will now have some photos to share with you. We are going out of town this weekend, just not sure where yet. I will keep you posted!

Tonight I am cooking J one of her favorite meals that I haven't cooked in a long time and we will be watching Disc 5 of Everwood Season 1. Can't wait!

I have been diligently working on my business website and passing out flyers and business cards. I have my first speaking engagement January 15th. I plan to get myself a netbook for Christmas to help me with the business, finish the novel and start working on a new work - autobiography of our relationship.

I wish I could have done NaBlo... this year but I am just not up to it. I want to do a shout out to my friend Natalie! Glad to have you reading here and I will try to link you here next time!!! Gotta go before I burn dinner.

You Have To Read This Article!

My Son Is Gay -- it will bring you to tears!

Wordless Wednesday a/k/a Name That Performer (My Favorite)

Wordless Wednesday