I have not been able to write all dang year, because the political situation in this country has been so... well, insane. Every day I wake up wondering if Ima wake up at all. We have an insane person at the helm, folks, and every day is so freaking surreal.

Okay. So.
I don't even wanna go there, because it's so depressing and I live in such an unreality, now, it's all I can do to keep my personal life afloat.
Which is to say, I made that sound all wrong, because my personal life is so amazing anymore. SO amazing... that person I started dating last year at this time, we have just celebrated a year of being together, life partners, committed romantic companions, and we had rings made by my friend Jo, who is an amazing jeweler (I dunno if even that's her official title).
An aside: Jo and I went to Syracuse University together, and she majored in metals, and she actually pursued her major into careerhood. AND, she's still playing music. She was in my first band, in the way way back. Name of Distortion. In Syracuse, in like '79-80 when I was Sheena (and still am, in some circles).
Oh, and my most amazing drum teacher, Dave Read, died back in like January. He was only like 63 or 64, and he had 3 cancers. I'm still crying now and then over that. He was such an enormous influence on me. I spoke his name at the Samhain ritual, and left an offering of drum sticks for him. He is on my altar this year :(

So my partner and I, we exchanged rings at Samhain, at our common Pagan place to go, which is to say The First Kingdom Church of Asphodel here in Massachusetts. It's not a coven, that I'm aware of, but I do belong to it. It is a church, officially, and it's a 401-C 3 non profit. I've been a member for 3 years or so. And we exchanged rings and made our vows in front of the whole company, and got cheers and clapping and stuff <3
And that relationship has gotten nothing if not MORE amazing over the year. I wish I had known that relationships could be so good, years ago. Well... better late than never.

And hir relationship with hir two other partners is as strong as ever, and I have met both of them and they are both amazing people, which is why I suppose D loves them, and one has a live-in partner, and I met him, too, and he's awesome. My kid also met them all, and likes everybody.

And... I kind of have another partner of my own. My friend A, from WAY back in the day, and I, have gotten super close as friends, and have developed a deeper intimacy together. So I guess I am officially polyamorous and not just by virtue of being in a partnership with one person who's poly. How cool is that?

I'm still on a mission of Being Nice. The tougher and uglier the world gets, well, I am not cowing to that at all. Nope nope nope.

Laterz!

New Year's Day 2017

Welp, here it is the first day of 2017.
I want to say Happy New Year, because it's tradition, and habit, and that is what one does, but I'm not so sure about the faith I have that the next 4 years (or more, good gracious, bite my tongue) will be anything but happy.

At least for marginalized people. It appears, rapidly, that discrimination is once again going to be the law of the land, only not just for black folks, and not that gay people and other such just get to be as invisible as possible, like in the good ol' days, but they get to be actively discriminated against, too, by law.

I'm still rather in denial that things won't just tootle along like they have been for the last 8 years. Intellectually, I know this isn't going to happen. But the whole situation is so dire, so crazy, so impossible, that it's all I can do to just sit here with my mouth agape and hanging down to my knees, and my eyes big as tea saucers. 
What a fucking mess, excuse my language.

So since my last post, with that first date, things fell hard and fast with that person, and I'm now a full partner to hir-- who is polyamorous and has two other partners in two other states. Those relationships are going on 7 years each, and... well, wow. Just, wow.
If there isn't anything the Universe didn't just hit me upside the head with about I AM NOT THE BOSS OF YOU, it's this. It's a heavy lesson in loss of control (not in a bad way-- but in a I AM ONLY IN CONTROL OF ME way) and also an EVERYTHING I EVER LET GO OF, I LEFT CLAW MARKS IN kind of way.
Heavy, heavy lessons, those./
I am being loved like I never have before. I am being honored and held and paid attention to, more in the past couple weeks than in the past well-over-16-years. Or more.
I'm gobsmacked.
And I'm happy as a pig in mud.
Most of the time.
It's a very real possibility that-- it's been brought up to me that it's possible I am feeling some PTSD, which I have never considered before, but it's appearing more and more that I have suffered some very real trauma from my past relationships, but dammit-- Ima gonna heal from all that. Days I just break down and cry, unexpectedly, like this morning, and days I am just fine and dandy and kick-ass and determined. It's a dance, it is.
But I am NOT going to lay down and let it consume me. Nope. Not.

Back to the first topic, I'm seriously worried about the state of, well, the world, starting with right here in the good ol' USA, which is about to become the fascist USA right here in my very lifetime. And I'm super worried for my big beautiful vat of transgender friends, whom I love with every fiber of  my being. I'm not good at fighting. I'm much better at hiding, and making soup on the sidelines for those who need it, but maybe a whole bunch of soup and hugs are in order, hey. I gots superpowers. Ima gonna use them.

Starting with my new love, and my friends whom I circle with. I'm still gonna be the best, kindest, lovingest me I can be. Oh, and starting with my ownself, too. Self-care, and all that.

Well if this wasn't round-and-round... sorry for the incoherence. It's New Year's *yawn*