Ladies of Olivia

Which is how we are addressed by Tisha the Cruise Director. We are sailig the Western Carribean with Olivia Cruises, originally Olivia Recording Studios, the ones who recorded and distributed Chris Williamson, Meg Christian, Holly Near and wonderful women of the early feminist movement starting in 1975. I remember buying my first Meg Christian album at the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookstore about 1975 and having a whole world of music addressed to me! It was amazing. Love songs, songs of my fight and struggle. What a time and Olivia recorded it. Last night Meg Christing made a rare appearance to sing again and her voice was pure and true. She is recording again and she sang songs old and new. She brought back memories and she is addressing our lives again. Wow what a feeling to be in an theatre at sea, in a room full of wonderful women listening to this icon speaking to our lives.

My Olivia Experience-Part !

IGuana be your friend!

When I was a young lesbian in the early 70's, I walked into Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookstore-just closed last week due to the economy-then owned by founder Craig Rodwell. In those days he didn't have many books to sell, so I knew most of his stock, but I visited often because I liked him and I was always hopeful that there would be something new. That day there was a record album. It was by Meg Christian. Who's this? I bought it and took it home and it was a lesbian singing songs about lesbians, mostly folk songs and one very funny song about being in love with her gym teacher. This was the first record that the Olivia Collective put out. They made a lot of records after that. Chris Williamson's "The Changer and the Change," was my personal favorite. I can't remember them all. Later on someone mentioned to Judy Dlugacz, a member of the collective that was dissolving by that time, that it would be nice to be able to take a vacation with just women. With that suggestion, Olivia Cruises was born.

We just returned from our second cruise. Judy charters Holland America ships, resorts, or river barges and markets to the lesbian community, though we had mothers and daughters and sisters and several straight couples on our trip. The entertainment, Arianna Huffington, Kate Clinton, Vicki Shaw, Renee Hicks etc is always fabulous, the parties are well done. What's different is that everyone is friendly. We traveled as a couple, but always had people to dine with, to talk to. We met people from all corners of America, Israel, Canada, Great Britain. We heard the most amazing stories, great and hair raising. One couple from Missouri told us about being in a Barnes and Noble-they were not 'obvious' in any way. They were confronted by a group of girls who told them to just stop being lesbians. It was not Gods way!  They were not wanted around here. Shocking stories!

Out of 1800 women I ran into one woman I knew in the early 70's in New York. She moved to Canada to be an architect and is now retired in Florida. I also ran into someone I used to work with at a volunteer counseling center in the early 90's. We'll stay in touch. We made some great new friends, too.

All in all it was a wonderful vacation. I'm sorry to be back. I want to go again!

1,800 of My Closest Friends

We've been on our Olivia Cruise since Sunday and today we docked in Turks and Caicos. Last night we saw Kate Clinton-so smart funny, the night before, Arianne Huffington, so insighful. We've met some lovely women.
Puerto Rico tomorrow.
I wish you all were here!
Pictures when we return.