A family Visit & Disneyland

Today is a good day. My great niece, Cheristy, is coming from Washington on her Spring break. She will turn 12 years old while she is here, and Becky and I will go with her and her mother to Disneyland. Cheristy, for the first time, and we are returning after many previous visits. I am excited and happy to share some happiness with her after so many losses this past year or so. It's funny how Disneyland can be such a catalyst for happy memories. I know Arlene would be happy to know we are making good memories for our family.
I will know a lot more about her after a 7 hour, three day trip to the Southland. I'm excited about that aspect of a family visit. I'm sure I'll have pictures with Mickey Mouse to add to this post upon our return.
Thank you Lord for special times to celebrate!

The loss of my brother

He was born November 20,l942. He was my big brother. We have been estranged for more than six years, due to issues we never reconcilled. In earlier years, we shared a childhood, the same last name, and a history of abuse and neglect from my father. Yet, Jerry was there when Dad died in 74. He called me with the news. He was there in 88 when my mother died. I called him with the news. I performed his 3rd marriage. I kept in touch with all his children, who are now all adults. We had some good memories. Jerry loved Christmas- mostly because we never had happy ones as children. Jerry loved the marine corps and had a tatoo of USMC on his forearm
Jerry loved uniforms and spent time not only in the military, but in the police force.
I feel I lost my brother many years ago due to choices both of us made that drove a wedge into the childhood dedication we had for one another. I just found out today in March, that Jerry died in December. He was 66 years old. My twin died at 63 last June, and the loss of my brother in the same year leaves me with confusing emotions. I will try to let the bad memories slip away and think about some of the good times we had along the way. I didn't agree with his actions, but he was my brother, and I write this this memorial to Jerry Albert Bogle-passed on 12-22-08. I hope he was able to celebrate Christmas early!

It's February Again

Where does the year go? February is such a hard month, and those who know me know all the memories compressed into such a short month. Well, This year, we're making new memories. We have a new baby in our lives. Jordan Beck-Clark. He's not quite a month old. He is the adoptive son of Kim Clark and Luane Beck, our filmmaker friends. We were able to go meet him last weekend and I made my first Baby quilt for him! Grandma Becky is holding Jordan. He got a rocky start in life being born addicted to drugs, bur we are praying that his systen will clean out and there will be no long term damage. I've had several great neices and nephews born with drug addictions, and I know that God does work miracles. If you are reading this for the first time, please say a prayer for Jordan and that his two mommies will not run into any snags as they foster him with the intent of adoption.

New Year~New Beginnings

I am quilting again.

Completed the Purple one last week, Just started the Antique one this week. 2009 was going to be a year of creatitivity for me, and it clears my brain to work on a new project. So many emotional things happened last year and I'm still dealing with it all.

So, This year is well under way. We have a new President; new economic stresses; new opportunities to be who we are and stand up and speak out!

We have friends who just received a new baby to care for, and hopefully adopt! Their life is filled with new Beginnings.

I have started writing a new book, which will be a coupld of years in the making. I will have new opportunities to Listen to the stories of others. I think that is my lesson this year, to listen more.

I received a phone call this morning and an Aunt passed away. My aunt Grace was my mom's last living siser. That era is passing away and new beginnings are happening for my cousins. So, it has occured to me, that every day is a new beginning and while my nature is one that likes to know what is happening before it happens...this year is a book of blank pages, to be filled in by the living.

I pray that your days are filled with Peace, Happiness, and Expectations of greater things. I will try to be more faithful on adding my thoughts this year. Peace

Remembering Christmas Past

Music plays in the background. "It's the most wonderful time of the year..."Well, not exactly. Christmas has always been, for me one of those happy-sad times of the year. In 2008, it's no different. I am reflecting back on the last 63 Christmas celebrations

If you have been following my blog, you know that my Twin sister, Arlene, passed away in June. This is my first Christmas without her. In her will, along with other things she left me, she said, "To my sister Darlene, I leave 63 years of memories." So, this is part of her gift to me...memories good and bad. I want to share a few of the good ones with you.

As children, on our very first Christmas, an Aunt,gave us matching ornaments. Well, almost matching. If you look closely, you will see a rattle shaped red man, and the blue one on the upper right side of Arlene's picture. Mine was the blue one. Every year at Christmas, these were the first ornaments on the tree. We weren't allowed to play with them, but to me, the tree wasn't complete until both the blue man and the red man were hung on the limbs.

When I was in college, mom gave me the blue man, and I began my own tradition of hanging it on my tree each year. Arlene got her red man and needless to say, it became a treasure to display, as it was the one thing that was as old as we were.

This year, after Arlene died, my other sister, Debbie was sorting through things to go into the yard sale, or be passed along to Arlene's granddaughter, Cheristy. There in the middle of lights, and paper ornaments, was the Red man. Of course, Debbie knew the history behind the ornaments. When she came to California in September, she brought Arlene's ornaments and gave it to me. This week, as I began to pull out lights, and ornaments from past years, I found my blue man. Once again both are hanging on my tree, a reminder of those early years, and my sister. Thanks mom, for making sure we kept them safe year after year, so they could be part of my 63 years of memories!

So, other memories from Childhood Christmas Time. We always seemed to be sick with colds, and mom would put a pan of water on top of the wood stove in the dining room, and fill it with Vicks Vapo Rub. She would put a sheet over our heads like a tent, and we would stand there and breathe the fumes. The radio would be playing Christmas songs from local DJ's. Yes, this was the days before television!!! I remember hard striped Christmas Candy, which I couldn't find this year...A story book box of lifesavers- butterscotch is still my favorite! and then, decorating the tree with mom. When we were really young, the tinsel got thrown in bunches up on the limbs. I was never patient enough to do one strand at a time! This was back in the 40's...and the economy was repressed, much like 2008. Money was hard to come by, but we each got one toy and one clothing item. There was a good will group called the sunshine kids, who would bring us a surprise item, and that was pretty much our Christmas. We always had snow and sometimes extra money could be earned by cleaning walkways for neighbors. As I grew older, it wasn't what I received, but what I could share with others, even if it's just 63 years of memories. Where ever you are, and who ever you are, my prayer is that you cherish the Christ of Christmas and the family times you have, even if it remembered by a special ornament! Merry Christmas to each and every reader! Thanks Mom...thanks Arlene, thanks Debbie. I'll keep the little guys on the tree for as long as I'm alive!

Vermont Trip

November 20, 2008

A month ago I was still on my East Coast trip that started in Boston and ended in Nashville. The memories of the fall colors will long be a part of happy place!

I was looking at this shot, taken at Stonehedge New Hampsire. I immediately thought of a poem I learned in English Lit so many years ago. It's by Robert Frost-called Mending wall. A couple of the lines, are "Something there is that doesn't love a wall,That sends the frozen ground swell under it, and spills the upper boulders in the sun..Before I build a wall I'd like to know what I was walling in or walling out, and to whom I was like to give offense..Something there is that doesn't love a wall.." We had to analyze that poem and I concluded that it is LOVE that doesn't love a wall. (I found Robert Frosts Grave in Bennington Vermont, which really was a highlight for me.)

Back to walls. We all have them, sometimes to protect ourselves emotionally, sometimes to keep people out...or in. It's hard to always know which. We think we are open to others, but one harsh word can still hurt us.

I saw this at the recent Proposition rallys. There could be a thousand signs of support, and one sign of condemnation. We remember the one sign.

What saddens me is the people who have lived so long behind walls that in their isolation they are incapable of touching or being touched by the love of God. Isolation seems to do that. You think you are protected, but to be fully alive and human, walls need to come down. Love is the only thing I know that can melt the years of hardness and allow life to be lived fully.

I make a conscious choice daily to not let walls be built inside my heart. When violence and angry words are spoken, it is not a commentary on me but upon the speaker. I'm a daughter of the most high God, fully accepted and loved by Him. My prayer is that walls will come down and healing will take place. Peace.

San Jose Rally for Equality

Saturday 11-15-2008, Becky and I stood with several thousand Gay,LesbianTransgendered,heteorsexual families, people of Faith, and some with no faith at all, holding signs and cheering, (2-4-6-8, we will not give in to hate!) I stood with many interfaith clergy, wearing my rainbow stoll to declare that I will not let my faith be hijacked by the religious right and those who declare they speak for God. We speak for God too, and declare that God loves everyone, and excludes no one! This photo says a lot! It shows our back side. I am the one wearing the American Flag behind the poster, next to me is Rev.Nate Miller, then Rev.Dawn Peters all from SJFCC/a UCC congregration. Rev. Margo is on the right side. This was in the San Jose Mercury news!

In the days since Proposition 8 passed by 3% of the vote, We have attended meetings, and spoken out about the unconstitutional process where a majority took away civil rights of a minority without a 2/3 vote; where our constitution was voted on to deny a segment of society their rights by changing a few words; where heterosexism was declared valid and where our marriage is now in jeopardy! Of course, they say because we married prior to the vote, we are still legal, but there are those who want to remove that right also!

My anger is tempered by the knowledge that a vote cannot change who I am, A Christian and a Lesbian and fully accepted by our Creator God! While I am still legal, many same sex partners cannot marry, and if one person is denied Civil rights then no one is free! Domestic Partnerships are not "same but equal" as opponents have said. I will not be refused a place at the counter or move to the back of the bus and keep silent. This change to our constitution is wrong and mean spirited, and must be opposed.Those who claim to follow a God of love need to consider if they are loving like their Father in Heaven! The last words have not been spoken, the last vote has not been taken, and my prayer is that my heart will not give in to the anger against my Christian community . I am encouraged by those heterosexuals who have stood up to say, You are not alone. Thank You, Thank You, Thank you