Churches in Cleveland refuse to sign marriage licenses

Until all marriages are legal. I became verklempt when I read this. My old fusty home state, the one that I fled to be gay, was taking up the good fight. At least 6 churches, one of them about a half hour drive from where I grew up. I'm so proud, sniff sniff. Read about it here Excellent Ohio Churches

HGTV Friday Five

Will Smama Posted this FF "Greetings all!

As some of you may know I am in the midst of my first home purchase. It is a new-build and so some of the fun was picking out upgrades and major decor items to my taste rather than walking into a previously owned home that needed to be upgraded room by room (pink and teal tiles in the bathroom, anyone?). As much as decorating is not my thing, I did try to embrace the moment because just how many times do you get to have a do-over on kitchen cabinets/floors/counter tops?

And so, my questions to you this fine Friday involve your home past, present or future..."

1) If you could, what room in the place you are currently living would you redo first?
Since I live in, basically, one room which used to be called an L shaped studio and is now called a "junior one"-someone please show me that 'one bedroom' where is it? Come on now, it must be somewhere? I would say the whole room. Just get a big room stretcher and triple the size, just expand it. It's driving me crazy living in one room with two people!

2) What is the most hideous feature/color/decor item you have ever seen in a home?
Lots of what I would call primary/pastels. You know what I'm talking about. Really bright pinks and greens and yellows, right out of the cans. Wrong, wrong, wrong, so bad!

3) What feature do you most covet? Do you have it? If not, is it within reach?
Room, enough said. Or a room, a study with a bed, kitchenette, a big screen TV, an art studio, oh lets throw in a bathroom and hot tub...

4) Your kitchen - love it or hate it? Why?
Hate it. BL has taken it over. I can't reach anything. When I try to get a pot, everything falls on my head to that I have more lumps than I ever did. Sigh..

5) Here is $10,000 and you HAVE to spend it on the place you are living now. What do you do?
Not nearly enough, but hire an organizer to help put things in their proper place and maybe help us to make sense of this tiny place. Now there's an idea! Maybe I'll do it.

Where I Belong

Is where I am, but if not then I guess I belong in..

You Belong in Milan

Stylish and sophisticated, you want to enjoy a truly European life - away from tourists! Milan fits you perfectly. Great shopping, high quality food, lots of culture... with very little hype.

What European City Do You Belong In?

Or maybe Rome or the Southern Coast of Italy for retirment. Wouldn't that be nice?

Cabin Fever Friday Five

Me-in my snowsuit- in front of the family store, aged 2

Singing Owl Posted this Cabin Fever Friday Five:
“Sorry for the late posting! My daughter's car won't start, and I just returned from driving her to work. I think she made need a block heater. Speaking of that...
Here in snow country we are settled in to what is a very long stretch of potentially boring days. The holidays are over. It is a very long time till we will get outside on a regular basis. The snow that seemed so beautiful at first is now dirty and the snow banks are piling up. Our vehicles are all the same shade of brownish grey, but if we go to the car wash our doors will freeze shut. People get grumpy. Of course, not everyone lives in a cold climate, but even in warmer places the days till springtime can get long. Help! Please give us five suggestions for combating cabin fever and staying cheerful in our monochromatic world?”

So, here in NYC we rarely have more than 7 inches and even that is rare. I’m happy with that because I grew up in NE Ohio with lake effect snow, cold feet, wet socks and boots that leaked, runny noses and wet gloves. Cold and wet, and looking out the window at the street light at night to see the snow fall to figure out if we would have a snow day the next day. Here when we get snow, it’s pretty for a day, then gray and slushy and that reminds me, I have a bunch of stuff to take to the dry cleaners. So let me try to remember…
1 As a kid, I always went out to play, built snow people, built forts with my cousins, had snowball fights, tried to ice skate-not so good, and tramped through the woods to the pond.
2 Now when we get a good snow, I may just stay in bed with a good book. Fortunately in NYC the restaurants still deliver!
3 Play scrabble. I rarely do this but with a few friends around I like to,
4 Make hot chocolate and watch TV. I know it’s cliché, but it’s fun and if the state gave me the day off for the monumental blizzard, why not.
5 OK, wash those no iron shirts that are piling up in the drawer that are waiting to be washed and not ironed.
I'm posting from the office so this will be quick and slushy.

The Inauguration Brought to You by the NYSED

We got an e-mail from the home office-that would be Albany-saying that several TV's would be set up to view the inauguration...in Albany! So I e-mailed my boss to see if I could go with my unit.  He said no. Albany is about a two+ hour train ride, I was just kidding.

The boss and a geek set up a computer with a projector. Due to Internet overload it was stream, stop, stream, reboot. I had my sandwich, so I found it kind of relaxing sitting in the dark. I was chatting with my friend. When Rick Warren was announced, we had a screen freeze, so we didn't even have to see his face, no stomach acid! By the time we were back up, he was gone, Thanks be to God. 

We did get to see President Obama take the oath of office. It was lovely. I was hopeful. 

Rachel Maddow comments on Gene Robinson Invocation Gaff

-I Rachel...

I Think Too Much

Your Word is "Think"

You see life as an amazing mix of possibilities, ideas, and fascinations. And sometimes you feel like you don't have enough time to take it all in. You love learning. Whether you're in school or not, you're probably immersed in several subjects right now. When you're not learning, you're busy reflecting. You think a lot about the people you know and the things you've experienced.

What's Your Word?

Right now I'm wondering why the new administration chose to not televise Gene Robinson's Benediction yesterday. Didja see it, now didja? No, because it wasn't there...

In Which Rick Warren tells his followers to emulate Hitler Youth

Oh Yes He Did!

And he'll be speaking at you're inauguration...

Friday Five- Five Things

To get your own obamicon go to obamicon.me

"Whether it's new friends or new loves or new employers, what are five things people should know about you?"

1. I'm a counselor, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, but I'm an introvert. Somehow it never comes into play at work. I'm able to listen intently and take it all in, to 'talk the angry people down'-I'm a senior counselor in my office so I often, like several times a week, see the angry and dissatisfied clients of the counselors in my unit. But when I get home, I'm exhausted.

2. I'm from Ohio, so though I've lived in NYC well over half of my life-1972- people keep saying "where are you from?" (Yes, they use bad grammar.)

3. Did I say I'm an introvert? How did I ever end up living in a 500 sq ft. apt. with Beloved? We should have kept looking...

4. I live across the street from the General Theological Seminary. Also upstairs from Billy's Bakery, but my favorite place is LiLac Chocolate, IMHO the best chocolate in NYC. And I do love my chocolate, milk please, with nuts. Sometimes you feel like a nut.

5.I'm still on my spiritual path and my church search. Searching, searching, searching...

To Brighten up your Monday Morning

What do bored NYers do when the weather's cold? They take the subway without their pants...