Hey everyone! We made it to Florida in one piece. Tomorrow comes opening the truck up and see how much of our stuff survived! Surprisingly a laptop we thought out of order was able to connect us. This is good! Being able to reach out to the community has always been my lifeline.

Hugs
Grover and Understanding Spouse :)

We got a phone call from my aunt Pat last night, saying that her eldest son has cancer. Apparently, he had some before, and was cured, but the new one isnt the same as the old. I guess he is estranged from his dad, and Pat is angry that the boy's father cant put aside their differences because he's sick. It reminded me of the rest of my family, who have taken the ability to hold a grudge and perfected it into an art form. One of these days I should find a way to come out to them, but as they are not part of my life much, if they reject me, I dont lose much. Ah, well.

http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2011/12/11/led-child-who-simply...

This is a good article on a family in Maine that are dealing with a transgender kid who is part of a set of identical twins. One is a son, the other a daughter, but biologically/genetically should be about the same.

It would be interesting to see the results of a genetic study and fMRI scan on the two of them. I think it is studies of identical twoins that would be most useful to learn about the sources of being TS, eh?

There is little girl and her name is Maggie. To everyone that knows her, it is Kitten. They named her that because of the way she is. Full of energy that she uses up in a hurry sharing her love, joy and happiness with everyone and everything around her.

For those who said that I should let my hair grow out and straighten it, I can do that. I have tried to straighten it out and nothing keeps it straight at all. It just keeps curling up on me after dries out. Since I grew up in the military family, I have gotten use to having my hair short. I have a wig that is red and long, so I can wear that if I want to go out. I was thinking along that line right now.

Joshlyn Amanda

Well, last night I was starting to feel a wave a grief coming on, and I got to wondering what I could do to endure it better. Just when things started to look bleak, the song "The only girl in the world" came on over our intercom. Somehow, the song got me out of my rut and made me feel better again. Neat trick, that. I'll have to remember it the next time.

Doing the administration here is not easy, keeping things friendly and focussed on stories, storytelling, reading and commenting on stories. Maybe I should do away with the blogs.

Twice today I have had to remove comments for being unfriendly, both times because some reported news event and someone's fairly innocuous comment sparked replies that got political and maybe a bit unfriendly. Whenever this happens, it has nothing to do with my own politics, sometimes I have to remove posts that I agree with because not doing so eventually leads to flames, in my experience.

Well, I think the hormones are starting to have an effect on me, but not in a good way. Several times last night I was in tears, frustrated with my lack of strength. Overall, the day sucked, and I left feeling like pretty much a complete failure. Ah, well.

Well this is it. We're in the final stages of moving. I get the truck today and when we get that sucker packed it's hit the road time. The internet is due to be cut off any time now, and I don't know when we're get everything connected back up and online again. Hopefully not too long. Writing of course has taken second fiddle to the more immediate concerns of real life. I will do my best not to kill too many good story ideas by telling them to myself on the trip. There's that delicious zone of where the tale is unfolding that's like riding a wave.

I more than understand that the things that I write are not for everyone. I tend to deal with harsh subject matter in a pretty straight-forward way that not everyone is comfortable. I get that. But know this about me, I enjoy writing what I do (not that I get some kind of perverse pleasure out of pain and suffering, but the exploring of dark emotional places that few dare to tread gives me a certain strength that allows me to confront the shit in my own life).

Ladies,

If you haven't seen this and live in the UK might I suggest that you take a few moments to review the links below?

Killers of transgender people to get longer sentences A Link to the BBC story which covers the change.

Home Office Transgender equality strategy

I offer the following with no political, religious, or any other kind of commentary. Just listen and comment on what she SAYS...please.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MudnsExyV78&feature=g-logo

There is also a link to a print version of Hillary's speech at: http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/12/178368.htm

Catherine Linda Michel

I'd like to contact Alyssa Davis. She doesn't seem to have been on BCTS, and her stories' last appearance on Fictionmania and Crystal's StorySite was in 2002. Any ideas of her whereabouts or how to find out?

Stephanie James is another that seems to be MIA; she doesn't seem to be on BCTS, FM, or C'SS!

Any help in contacting or any info about these writers would be appreciated!

Karin

I'm having trouble figuring out my ex. Yesterday, after the Christmas do at my brother's, I took my daughter home, and since I didn't have to work, I came into my ex's house for a bit. While I'm there, my ex starts playing with my hair, complimenting me on its softness and length, and making suggestions to help cover up my bald spot. Then today, when I was dropping off my daughter, she noticed I now have pink gloves, and gave me the third degree for their color. Like I said, she confuses me.

This is in general to other authors who write. Have you ever wanted to live the life of the characters that you write about? I often feel this way, especially when the character is like Christine in my 'Christine's Love' story. She personifies everything that I find fascinating in a female. On a side note, often when I write, I find that I place myself into the story and strangely enough, I seem to sense how they would respond...I find it strange but possibly it really isn't, as I am sure that other authors do this themselves. I'm sorry, I'm rambling...I really need to get to writing.