I am a heterosexual recently married woman who is a passionate supporter of gay rights. I was heartbroken when the state of California dropped the ball and didn't support gay men and women to marry. The recent events in Maine were a sad disappointment as well.
Today I read a lovely post from A Practical Wedding. It's an excerpt from a recently married gay woman. And it's a cry to me and everyone in any relationship. Let's work to define our own roles and resist judging those of anyone else.
Because the same thing that makes my marriage invisible has the potential to make everyone’s marriage invisible. We’re told that marriage is being a woman who does x and a man who does y who both stay on timeline z. There’s no room in that for who the couple is and who each of the individuals in it are.
But maybe if people expand their opinion of what marriage can be, they’ll also broaden their view of who it can include.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wardrobe Wishes
But I just can't tell if it's lined. Oh, and I live in a tropical climate where coats never get worn.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
My Homes
My paternal grandmother was a quilter. When she passed away we went through all of her quilts and divvy-d them up. My favorite quilt was one she had created with images she had made of every home she had lived in. The images were made of quilting fabric. It was incredibly touching.
I don't remember my first two homes. From what I've been told, the very first was an apartment about seven floors up, plain and probably very warm. I lived there just a few weeks before we moved into a rental house. That house was close to the ocean. The only story I've heard of it is the one in which my dad got a terrible sunburn sitting in my baby swimming pool playing with my baby toys long after I'd gone down for a nap.
The first home I remember is my childhood home. We lived there for all of my elementary school years. On a quiet street, just a block from the park. With my best friend just a few houses away, and Yum-Yum Donuts within walking distance. My brother and I shared a brightly colored room for a while, and later our kitchen had blue tile countertops. We played on the slip-and-slide in the front yard, and would swing on our homemade swing in the backyard for so long that I would go to bed at night and could still feel myself swinging.
My next home was a transitional rental that we lived in while we bought our next house in a new city. I had a room with a sliding glass door. Our house was nearly completely surrounded by trees but I remember the light coming into the kitchen window at sunset was so bright you could barely stand to be in the room. The smoke alarm would go off if you took a steamy shower, and I once fell down the stairs and busted up my knee bad.
From there we moved into our purchased house in the new city. It was huge. And had a pool! And the carpet in my room had to be torn up because cats had peed on it. My brother and I had rooms connected by a folding door. We got a dog and a cat. And spent hours and days in the backyard and the pool. I filled my room with typical teenage stuff like posters, mementos, and every hat I had ever come across.
From there I moved to college. A dorm room where I first got way, way too drunk and a roommate that is still a great friend. Then the sorority house with tons of drama and the biggest TV you ever did see. Interrupted briefly by a semester in Spain with a Spanish family's apartment with metal shutters on my window for siesta. Finally a rental house with some of my closest friends for our senior year. An adorable house I would gladly live in now, aside from the crazy squirrels.
With a college degree I eventually landed in San Francisco. City of my heart. A pink and purple apartment in Chinatown. My own bathroom, a room big enough for a bed and not much else, and a closet in the hallway. A year of coming into my own. Then a move over the hill to a Victorian with a room I painted yellow. And a place that felt like home, even with the red carpet, crazy neighbors, and occasional roommate drama. Some of my closest friends were just blocks away - we would meet on the corner. The dry cleaner and manicurist knew my name. I had a routine and was more content than I have been anywhere else.
And from there to where I am now. A shoebox apartment with the man who is now my husband. A rooftop deck for kick-ass parties, and views to make you smile. Everything we have is used or cheap and we're okay with that for now because we dream of our future home...
I don't remember my first two homes. From what I've been told, the very first was an apartment about seven floors up, plain and probably very warm. I lived there just a few weeks before we moved into a rental house. That house was close to the ocean. The only story I've heard of it is the one in which my dad got a terrible sunburn sitting in my baby swimming pool playing with my baby toys long after I'd gone down for a nap.
The first home I remember is my childhood home. We lived there for all of my elementary school years. On a quiet street, just a block from the park. With my best friend just a few houses away, and Yum-Yum Donuts within walking distance. My brother and I shared a brightly colored room for a while, and later our kitchen had blue tile countertops. We played on the slip-and-slide in the front yard, and would swing on our homemade swing in the backyard for so long that I would go to bed at night and could still feel myself swinging.
My next home was a transitional rental that we lived in while we bought our next house in a new city. I had a room with a sliding glass door. Our house was nearly completely surrounded by trees but I remember the light coming into the kitchen window at sunset was so bright you could barely stand to be in the room. The smoke alarm would go off if you took a steamy shower, and I once fell down the stairs and busted up my knee bad.
From there we moved into our purchased house in the new city. It was huge. And had a pool! And the carpet in my room had to be torn up because cats had peed on it. My brother and I had rooms connected by a folding door. We got a dog and a cat. And spent hours and days in the backyard and the pool. I filled my room with typical teenage stuff like posters, mementos, and every hat I had ever come across.
From there I moved to college. A dorm room where I first got way, way too drunk and a roommate that is still a great friend. Then the sorority house with tons of drama and the biggest TV you ever did see. Interrupted briefly by a semester in Spain with a Spanish family's apartment with metal shutters on my window for siesta. Finally a rental house with some of my closest friends for our senior year. An adorable house I would gladly live in now, aside from the crazy squirrels.
With a college degree I eventually landed in San Francisco. City of my heart. A pink and purple apartment in Chinatown. My own bathroom, a room big enough for a bed and not much else, and a closet in the hallway. A year of coming into my own. Then a move over the hill to a Victorian with a room I painted yellow. And a place that felt like home, even with the red carpet, crazy neighbors, and occasional roommate drama. Some of my closest friends were just blocks away - we would meet on the corner. The dry cleaner and manicurist knew my name. I had a routine and was more content than I have been anywhere else.
And from there to where I am now. A shoebox apartment with the man who is now my husband. A rooftop deck for kick-ass parties, and views to make you smile. Everything we have is used or cheap and we're okay with that for now because we dream of our future home...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
iPhone Debate
I want an iPhone. And I want it BAD!
But here's my debate... I pride myself on not spending money needlessly. I don't buy something new until the old one is broken (with the exception of shoes and eyeshadows). I also have a phone that works perfectly fine. Perfectly boringly fine. I also have a bit of an Internet addiction. I worry the iPhone will push me over the edge, I'll never interact with real humans. Okay, and here's the worst... my current cell phone bill is $35 a month. Should I willingly spend $70 more just for my cell phone plan?
Enlighten me oh iPhone users, dazzle me with the powers of your phone!
But here's my debate... I pride myself on not spending money needlessly. I don't buy something new until the old one is broken (with the exception of shoes and eyeshadows). I also have a phone that works perfectly fine. Perfectly boringly fine. I also have a bit of an Internet addiction. I worry the iPhone will push me over the edge, I'll never interact with real humans. Okay, and here's the worst... my current cell phone bill is $35 a month. Should I willingly spend $70 more just for my cell phone plan?
Enlighten me oh iPhone users, dazzle me with the powers of your phone!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Life List
A few months ago I read a blog post that changed my life. The announcement of Maggie's Life List sponsored by Intel was like the clouds parting and a greater being speaking to me.
There is reward in pursuing your passions!
Now, I know Maggie has been working hard for years, sacrificing to develop her business and her success. And I certainly don't believe this *new* blog will deliver the same for me. But I believe in putting the energy out there. And if I don't put it out there, I'll never know what could come back to me.
Drumroll.... Dadadadadadada.... My Life List
1. move to Portland
2. purchase our first home
(2.5. first home preferably has wood floors, a front porch, and a garden)
3. visit Ireland, the land of my grandmother's ancestors
4. restore my grandfather's old Mustang
5. compost
6. at least five go-to recipes
7. learn how to manage my weight and health
8. feel awesome when I walk into work
9. dedicate myself to a really great hobby
10. get an iPhone?
What do you think? Is the iPhone worth it? You know what? Let's save that chat for another post.
Life List to be continued.
There is reward in pursuing your passions!
Now, I know Maggie has been working hard for years, sacrificing to develop her business and her success. And I certainly don't believe this *new* blog will deliver the same for me. But I believe in putting the energy out there. And if I don't put it out there, I'll never know what could come back to me.
Drumroll.... Dadadadadadada.... My Life List
1. move to Portland
2. purchase our first home
(2.5. first home preferably has wood floors, a front porch, and a garden)
3. visit Ireland, the land of my grandmother's ancestors
4. restore my grandfather's old Mustang
5. compost
6. at least five go-to recipes
7. learn how to manage my weight and health
8. feel awesome when I walk into work
9. dedicate myself to a really great hobby
10. get an iPhone?
What do you think? Is the iPhone worth it? You know what? Let's save that chat for another post.
Life List to be continued.
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