Friday Five Comfort Media

Jane Rule
Kathrynzj posted this comfortable FF:

"I don't get to watch that much tv anymore, but I actually wrote today's Oprah show down on my calendar. Why? Because she is hosting a Sound of Music cast reunion!!! Those of you who know me may be surprised that I would care so much about such a stereotypically girly flick, but I love it (although admittedly fast forward through the Reverend Mother's rendition of Climb Every Mountain). I can watch this movie over and over and over again.

It seems no matter how many new movies, tv shows or books come down the pike I still have my ol' stand by favorites that I can watch/read over and over and when I do they actually bring me comfort - like an old sweatshirt or a favorite food.

Today's Friday Five is an opportunity for you to list five of your favorite 'go-to' movies/tv shows/books. You can use images, links, explanations or netflix.

If you play the Friday Five at your blog and would like visitors, be sure to share a link in the comments. For a complete how-to on how to post your link, click here.

Thank you for playing, I cannot wait to read your offerings. Who knows, maybe I'll find a new go-to favorite!"

1. I have a collection of lesbian themed fiction that I have been amassing since I arrived in NYC in 1972 and would comb the used book stalls on 4th Ave. My favorite of all these books are the books of the recently late and great Jame Rule. She lived on a island off the West coast of Canada and when I belonged to the Gay Academic Union I invited her to speak at authors panel, she wrote me a very nice letter-which I of course still have-declining and saying that she was a writer and not a speaker. Years later the Howard Brown Memorial Fund gave her a lifetime award and I actually met her-and had drinks with her-at the Plaza hotel! Even later, my lover at the time was her editor and got to go to the little island to work with her and I got a personally autographed book!

2. Film-"Desert Hearts" made from "Desert of the Heart" by Jane Rule.

3. Musical- remakes of old musicals, like South Pacific and Gypsy which I saw on Broadway this year. I also see the new stuff, but the old stuff where I'm already singing at the beginning is so comforting!

4. Well, food wasn't included, but warm chocolate pudding. Did I mention that I had the best chocolate pudding in Turkey. I seems that pudding is a Turkish favorite. We went into a dessert restaurant and they had about 10 different kinds including chicken. The man dining next to us said it was good but difficult to eat due to the strands of chicken included.

Turkey and Athens

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Beloved and I recently went on a wonderful trip to (see above.) We traveled with Olivia, a feminist travel company that started as a recording company for Chris Williamson and Meg Christian and many others in the very early 70's and them morphed into a 'concert at sea' and then into a travel company for women. This was our 4th trip with them and our first 'not in the winter and our first out of the general US/Caribbean area.'

We flew to Istanbul-doesn't that sound exotic-it was-then toured around for a few days. We saw the Hagia Sophia, a place I only studied in Art History in the earlier 70's, then boarded the Azimara, Journey for 7 days at sea with stops at various islands including Mykonos, and places that are slipping my mind at this early hour.

The plan was to stay for an extra week in Athens. We signed on for the after tour which included the Parthenon which was no climb for sissies, but there was an elevator for individuals with handicaps-me, but getting to it. I saw one woman in a wheelchair with two people pushing her, wow! She did get there...eventually. It was amazing.

Unfortunately, then dysentery struck and the week we planned for Athens, I spent in the Hilton, feet away from the WC. I'm still recovering. Why I didn't demand a doctor is a story for another day. When I finally got back to the US, two days on Cipro and it stopped, but by then I was so dehydrated and weak that I still have to watch what I eat and tire easily.

Despite this, it was a wonderful trip and I give great kudos to the women of Olivia Cruises for making travel easy and fun. They are a wonderful company and their staff are the best. I hope to travel with them many more times

Friday Five Singing

Mary Beth posted this FF

"Music is a part of the human experience, and part of religious traditions the world over. It is evocative and stirring, and many forms of worship are incomplete without it.Our title comes from a quote popularly attributed to St. Augustine: "He who sings prays twice." A little Googling, however, indicates that Augustine didn't say exactly that. In fact, what he said just doesn't fit well onto a t-shirt. So we'll stick with what we have."Singing reduces stress and increases healthy breathing and emotional expression. Singing taps into a deep, age-old power available to all of us. When we find our voice, we find ourselves. Today, sing like you mean it." And let's talk about the role music plays in your life and worship.

1) Do you like to sing/listen to others sing? In worship, or on your own (or not at all?)

Although I don't sing will, I do like to sing and it cheers me up. Since I haven't found my place of worship yet (still checking...) I will sing on, on my own.

2) Did you grow up with music in worship, or come to it later in life? Tell us about it, and how that has changed in your experience.

I was raised Roman Catholic-notice I still capitalize? And I was in the choir. I loved singing the roman mass. I also loved the the changes of the 2nd Vatican Council but the music, not so much.

3) Some people find worship incomplete without music; others would just as soon not have it. Where do you fall?

Not sure yet. Depends upon where I land. At this point my music is musical comedies.

4) Do you prefer traditional music in worship, or contemporary? That can mean many different things!

I guess that would be way traditional.

5) What's your go-to music ... when you need solace or want to express joy?

See above, and that would be show tunes. And I worked in summer stock for a number of years so I know a lot of them.

Will post later when I am not at work and not breaking the law-don't tell...



PS Next Friday I will be in Turkey, I think and the following in Greece. Opa!

Stressed Out part deux

When I though thing couldn't get worse...

This week we had a meeting in response to a letter to our main office in the capital city. The new Assistant Commisioner and Regional manager came to hear the entire office (except my boss/friend) complaints about my boss/friend. It was really difficult. The "gang of four" had rehearsed a presentation, printed with their complaints, mostly about the style of b/f . Then they read letters that they just 'happened to find on their chairs while they were out of the office from anonymous individuals.' All the letters sounded strangely similar. It was really a blood bath and difficult for me to hear particularly since they used something I said- I though in confidence-in a union meeting to beat b/f with. The word bully was bandied about frequently...

At which point, I raised my hand-foolishly. I say foolishly because I have terrible stage fright. All you revgals, I could never be you. If I don't have something written out in front of me, I'm lost. And I cannot memorize. Never. So I got up and said the b/f had been a friend/mentor for more than 15 years and had taught my much of what I know about where I work. I then went on to go after the union forperson as a bully who came to my office door and threaten me-true.

Oy. Why did I ever get up. I said some other stuff too, which I won't go into here to the effect of why can't we all get along.

After I relinquished the stage, hands shot up.

The next day a number of people weren't speaking to me. Now I'm embroiled in another union conflict involving one of my employees. I'm about to leave on vacation-next Thursday. Maybe I just won't come back.

Friday Five Baby Showers

Jan posted this FF:

Friends are giving my daughter-in-law AA a baby shower, which happily brought her and DC down for a visit to Corpus Christi. looking forward to having my first grandchild in two months and all these preparations, like baby showers, are getting me excited! So I hope you'll participate in telling about your likes and dislikes about baby showers for you and for others.

1. What were baby showers like for you and your friends in the past?

I'm from the generation of lesbians that didn't have babies so much. Now our younger friends and some of our generation are having them by AI and adoption. So, not so much in the past. And all of my family lived far away.

2. Did you play games? What kinds?

I recently had two baby showers in the office. Both genders invited, Gifts, food, no games.

3. In your job, especially if you are a pastor, do you get invited to a lot of baby showers? What do you do about them?

Not a pastor, a counselor. We're not allowed to attended personal events. It's against our code of ethics.

4. Are baby showers different for our daughters (or younger friends) than they were for us?

Based on the two I helped organize-I was the minor organizer-get money! The lack of games seemed to be a major difference.

5. Do you like hosting baby showers or do you avoid that responsibility?

I would avoid the responsibility at all costs.

If I did have a baby shower I would get the cake above. Or maybe I'll get it for my next birthday!

Friday Five Insomnia

My pal, Mom Priest posted this FF on sleeplessness:
Our Friday Five today will focus on sleep, or the lack there of:

1. Are you prone to sleep challenges? Insomnia, snoring, allergies? Other sleep challenges?
Yes
Yes
Yes
And sometimes I can't sleep.

2. When you can't sleep what do you do? Toss and turn? Get up and read? Play computer games?
Not being able to sleep has been a fairly recent-and I mean in the last 15-20 years-thing. If I can relax after work and just calm down slowly, I can sleep, but inadvertently, my beloved will get in from work late and be full of pep and talk about exciting topics like the contractor! Then I'm all wound up again and so it goes.
I started with Tryptophane. That's the stuff that comes in Turkey. You know how you get sooo tired on Thanksgiving? Well they sell that stuff in Health Food Stores. Then they took it off the market because some of it was making people sick, bad batch. Now, btw it's back. Well then I turned to Benadryl, a mild antihystamine that is often prescribed to addicts who have a hard time sleeping and since I have allergies. Works well. Then Ambien. Now I take Trazedone. Also works well.

3. When you do sleep do you remember your dreams? Or just snipets of them?
I tend to remember dreams when I wake up and then go back to sleep. But not much, just snippets.

4. Can you share a funny or confusing dream you've had? Or a dream you have over and over?
Well I used to have a dream over and over where I had an exam never went to the class, but I went to Grad. School and actually went to most of my classes so that took care of that.

5. When you don't sleep how do you get through the day? Lots of coffee? or a nap later in the day?
I just drag on throught the day and then fall into bed at the end of the day. Sugar usually helps.

Friday Five Dorm Edition

Mindful that many others are heading off to further schooling or delivering their loved ones to the institutions that provide it, here are five questions about dorm life.

1) What was the hardest thing to leave behind when you went away to school for the first time?
Actually I didn't head off to school. the hardest thing was that I lived at home and went to the local State University in Ohio. Living at home was truly hard at that age.

2) We live in the era of helicopter parents. How much fuss did your parents make when you first left home?
That would be five years later when I really left for good and I was a good deal older. My mother made a lot of fuss and sent care packages frequently.

3) Share a favorite memory of living with schoolmates, whether in a dorm or other shared housing.
During the 3 final years of colleges, I worked in summer stock in the summer and lived there. My usual room mate had animals and living with two big dog and a bird in a small apartment was...different. Once we were transporting her horse to NY when we had a flat tire on her van. We had to take the horse out of the van to change the tire. I was left holding the horse. What did I know from horses? The horse took off running down the highway. We eventually got it back. The there was the time...

4) What absolute necessity of college life in your day would seem hilariously out-of-date now?

An eight track?

5) What innovation of today do you wish had been part of your life in college?

An away college

Bonus question for those whose college days feel like a long time ago: Share a rule or regulation that will seem funny now. Did you really follow it then?

I was on the cusp of the great revolution, women's liberation, the summer of love, drugs, sex, rock and roll. I graduated from HS in 1967. I had picked out a swell wardrobe for college (as for HS I only wore uniforms.) But, I was an art major and shortly all of my clothing was stained with paint, and other stuff. Well I started wearing...slacks! Then jeans. I was called into the Dean of Women's office. Dean Painter, I'll never forget it! She said that she understood that I had been see wearing pants and jeans on campus! Oh no. This must have been 1968 or 69 by then. You remember? This was Youngstown State University as stones throw from Kent State University and we would also shortly have armed National Guard on OUR campus. I said, Yes, I've ruined all my clothes and I feel more comfortable in clothes that I don't have to worry about. That was the end of that.

Friday Five De-cluttering Re-cluttering

Jan posted this apt for me FF:

"Since posting about decluttering, I am still muttering about the need for it in my house. How about you?"

Well about me and my beloved, we're in the finish line of the beach palace, weekend place, other home whatever. So we're slowly taking things out there. Consequently our apartment looks like a Tornado blew through!

1. What things do you like to hang on to?

Books, not the beach reads, but the ones that I collect the ones that mean something. Add to that the wall that divides the 'bedroom' from the living room is a bookcase wall.

2. What is hard to let go of?

See above. Also letters and such from the days when we still wrote letters. Remember that? Also photographs and since I was an art major my first time around what I have left from that.

3. What is easy to give away?

"Beach/Subway books, clothing, stuff we never use. We donate.

4. Is there any kind of stumbling block connected with cleaning out?

Transportation. We have a car that is currently residing with the Beach Palace.

5. What do you like to collect, hoard, or admire?

See 1.

Bonus: Tell us about recycling or whatever you can think of that goes along with this muttering about cluttering.

I hate to wash the leftover soda cans, and various plastic items that are made to make our lives easier.

Stressed Out

Even thinking about writing about it stresses me out and makes my stomach turn over. I think I've mentioned my work in this blog, but now that I've unlinked from FB, I think I can say a little more. I've been working on my house renovation with Beloved since February and even with contractors (2) it's been really hard-like a second full time job. Well my job has become like a job and a half.

I'm a senior counselor, with a unit of 7 counselors that I supervise. About a year and a half ago a good friend from my old office was transferred to my new office as the office manager (head of the office.) Rather than taking things slowly and seeing the lay of the land and getting to know people, she immediately started changing things and alienated 90% of the staff and I'm getting close. She also initiated practices "internal controls" that have turned my job into what feels like a clerk. I'm a licensed mental health counselor and a certified rehabilitation counselor and I spend a good part of time at the computer finalizing my counselors work. I Should be working with counselors, teaching, analyzing, helping etc. Supervising. Doing supervision. But who has the time. Add to this, since we're a government agency, with the draconian changes, we have more hearings (when the client is unhappy and wants to take their unhappiness to a higher level with a judge) than ever before, so our new manager, I'll call her manager is busy preparing for them which makes her nuts. And she in turn makes us nuts because the counselor and the senior counselor have to prepare all of the paperwork and participate in the hearing . I have on coming up when I get back from vacation.

Since she's my friend, I've tried to talk to her about this and sometimes when she doesn't get defensive, she seems to get it, she seems to understand. But the next day, she does the same things making changes to my unit without consulting me and micromanaging.

Both unions are filing grievances against her.

I've developed physical problems which I'm sure are stress related and I'm really tired all the time. Fortunately I have a week off next week but all I can think of is it's just a week and then I have to come back.

FRIDAY FIVE Love the One You're With

Progress

KathrynZJ posted this most interesting Friday Five:

"And so I ask you to please name five things you like about where you are living now... and as your bonus - 1 thing you don't like."

Since we're Renovating the beach palace in a place about 50 miles from here on the Island of Long in the County of Nassau I have a few current ideas:

1. In my current locations, great restaurants- new place, haven't found them.

2. Here, bookstores, new place, you have to drive to one, none in town.

3. Here you can walk to places, many places, there not so much...

4. Both places you can dial out for dinner!!

5. There we have the ocean!

Bonus-The suffocating humidity seems less at the beach, usually. In NYC really bad.