tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62703065789330667322024-03-16T21:55:00.523-04:00Two Spirits - One Halle“ The bond that links your true family is not one of blood,
but of respect and joy in each others' life "
Richard BachHallehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03847654451426257182noreply@blogger.comBlogger434125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-9242335593753833372024-01-20T19:39:00.014-05:002024-01-20T19:54:12.361-05:00Careful The Things You SayGrowing up in the 1950s and 60s meant that being different was unacceptable. What I felt in my bones was confusing; desires for something that was forbidden because of an appendage that shouldn't have been there. I might have defied most of society, but my life of self-loathing began with things carelessly spoken by people I trusted. What was said wasn't directed at me but it hit home. Any Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-75678967283119180362024-01-09T15:33:00.001-05:002024-01-10T08:23:25.649-05:00If You Aren't Afraid, You Will Be ... You Will BeThose of us who are different, and let's be honest, who isn't different in some way, cannot help but be worried about fascism. Am I anti-fascist? You bet. You should be, too. Something we all need to be reminded of is the life of fear that will come if fascism wins, no matter where that might be. We need to be reminded that the thought police have new and oh-so-useful tools at their disposalDeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-79204196871306463142023-11-27T20:04:00.001-05:002023-12-22T08:41:20.036-05:00Life as a BalloonWhen I was a child, I remember The Balloon Lady, a Royal Doulton figurine. It sat on my Grandmother's mantle. I have no idea what became of that lady after Grandma died, but last Christmas K bought a new lady, one of our own, to sit on our mantle. In the Disney movie Mary Poppins Returns, near the end, the Balloon Lady makes an appearance, played by Dame Angela Lansbury, and sings a lovely Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-21158177954047051852023-04-20T10:56:00.001-04:002023-04-24T07:43:51.029-04:00Trans Health Under Siege in the 2020sHere we have another example of politicians who are sure they know better than Medical Associations or parents of children who are living with dysphoria. "North Dakota joins at least 13 other states that have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors.Republican lawmakers across the country have advanced hundreds of measures aimed at nearly every facet of trans Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-11139520624631996572023-04-15T11:42:00.002-04:002023-04-15T15:01:08.790-04:00Exceeding Our ProgrammingMother nature provides us all with what we need to survive, so how or why should we exceed that exquisite programming?Yesterday we took our dogs to the groomers. As soon as we got home, one of them went out to our backyard and proceeded to roll all over the ground, and in some poop, as well. She might have had an itchy back, but I suspect her behaviour was related to something a lot more Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-28189425899418858872023-03-18T12:41:00.002-04:002023-03-18T12:41:17.328-04:00Green and Other Wonderful ColoursThere are times when events can make me feel quite hopeless about the world, and I wonder. Where can we find a message that says there is hope? Who will tell us that being who we are isn't terrible - even though there are terrible events and, sometimes, terrible people in the world? Who can tell us, and show us, that living as we are, openly and without shame, is what is right and Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-37405119758177977772022-11-27T23:07:00.001-05:002022-11-27T23:07:39.428-05:00To Find Out Who You ArePilgrim: one who travels to a shrine or holy place as a devoteeGrace: unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctificationOver twenty years ago, I purchased the album that includes the song below. At that time, somewhat wistfully, I listened to its lyrics and they made me wonder what had happened to the person who believed that life should be an adventurous journeyDeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-33026815316685614402022-05-03T11:13:00.000-04:002022-05-03T11:13:42.048-04:00It Never Hurts to Be PleasantThat was something my grandfather taught me. He repeated it many times as a reminder to himself, I think, but I absorbed it. Over the years it has become clear that it means what it says. That is, being pleasant might not make others love you, but they won't have cause to hate you because you are civil and pleasant. It is true that some very pleasant people come to a bad end. I would wager that Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-68947158753657986522022-01-23T08:41:00.001-05:002022-02-01T10:14:10.285-05:00You Are Your DataIf you think climate change is a difficult problem to solve, you might be surprised to discover there is another much more difficult - no let's be honest - impossible problem to solve and we are contributing to it right now. We all know that while we use our phone, pad, or computer, every click and search is used to target us in, for example, advertising. We might even know that our 'likes' Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-49939438338338111792022-01-05T11:44:00.000-05:002022-01-05T11:44:21.975-05:00It seems that you've been living two lives ...We who live two lives, for at least some of our life, understand the reference right away. It is from 'The Matrix'. In that film, Mr Anderson has another life online as Neo. I don't imagine every transperson creates an online persona in the gender other than the one assigned, but I had several over the years, including a lady who was my avatar in a golf game that my son and I played on the Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-70156135436545171492021-12-24T08:42:00.001-05:002021-12-24T08:53:35.265-05:00A Christmas WishHopefully, I can keep this short. I know some who read here are not on a path for transition. Please use your imagination and empathy, and believe what you read. For those who are wrestling with transition and are worried about their future, I know how you feel. Only a few years ago, gender dysphoria was tearing me apart. I had no idea how friends and family would react if I Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-7575729917408743412021-11-18T12:06:00.003-05:002021-11-20T10:36:20.157-05:00AutophagyAs I understand it, you pronounce the word "awe-toph-uh-gee" with emphasis on the "toph" part. The word literally means "eat oneself". No, not cannibalism, but the process of removing old dysfunctional material in order to make room for regeneration. Relating to my previous post, autophagy involves the recycling of body cells that are old or damaged to make room for healthier new growthDeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-59990715583498456492021-10-14T14:28:00.000-04:002021-10-14T14:28:42.515-04:00Food RevelationAs always here at Two-Spirits - One Halle, I will tell you how I feel and what I believe in this post - your results may vary. But, actually, these are not just my feelings this time. My dear friend Coline lead me along this path. So, today, here is something we are both convinced is working for us.Coline's post is here. Please do read it. As she says, make your own assessment of what we have Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-57165607884151432632021-08-25T16:27:00.000-04:002021-08-25T16:27:18.269-04:00Entering the ArenaFor most of my life I've known the risks of standing out. As an athlete, a musician, teacher, and stage actor, I stood at the brink - about to enter the arena in situations where the team depended on what I could do. My success was the team's success and the opposite as well. I know how much courage it takes to enter the arena. As familiar as I was with that risk, standing at the brink of Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-90109485991092247052021-08-13T11:51:00.000-04:002021-08-14T07:45:11.036-04:00Male and Female Created He ThemI had watched so many YouTube videos that I fell asleep. In a dream-like state I was still watching a video, but my spirit guide Aadi was on the screen! As always, her image was shifting, old/young, woman/man, black/asian/nordic, then finally settling down as the picture and my laptop seemed to slowly dissolve. I looked up and she was sitting at the end of the couch, looking toward me; the Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-9795230784076246702021-08-10T11:55:00.001-04:002021-08-10T12:53:18.741-04:00Taking ChargeEleven years ago I began an intense self-examination process; much of it documented here. Over five years ago, I did something that set me apart from almost everyone I knew ...I took charge of my life. It had never occurred to me that so many people that I had considered friends would become angry. At the time, it seemed impossible to me that the fact of taking charge was what bothered them.Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-91377555634752708932021-06-09T14:53:00.059-04:002021-07-17T13:31:10.952-04:00Skylar's StoryI often wonder what I can do to educate others about transsexualism. More importantly today I ask how a blog post can help someone whose child comes to them and reveals that they have been forced to pretend to be someone they aren't.Some parents might not have the time to read a great book on the subject. A blog might not be able to help them. But a beautifully made, award winning* video, Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-19008941887674668832021-02-26T10:18:00.000-05:002021-02-26T10:18:38.810-05:00A Recipe For HappinessThis story starts when I was young and naive. It usually takes a lot of living to find the truth about happiness. Because of my naiveté and a basic character flaw (I am a fixer due to experiences in my early life), I married someone who was unhappy a lot of the time, thinking that I was so wonderfully clever (not naive, not me!) and lovable that I could 'make her happy'. Of courseDeannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-64211037617987876422021-01-12T15:37:00.000-05:002021-01-12T15:37:12.802-05:00You Must Read This BookWhat a lucky day it was that, on a whim back in the fall, I checked the inbox of an old email address and found a request from Kim Corbin, Senior Publicist of New World Books, to review Paria Hassouri's autobiographical book Found in Transition.*This is a very frank story by and about a parent whose child has grown up as a boy, but has now told her parents she is a woman. From the first chapter, Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-31026002781217628902020-12-03T09:30:00.001-05:002020-12-03T09:30:36.881-05:00Not For the Faint-of-Heart Just when you have stopped thinking about transition because, after all, you are a woman and that is the final word on that subject, something makes you trans again. Five years ago, just before coming out to the world, and beginning to live as I am now, I purchased a new vehicle. I really like that car. It has been a great vehicle for me. But it's getting on, and that extended warrantyHallehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03847654451426257182noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-6179375526686091602020-09-30T15:30:00.005-04:002020-10-01T15:50:08.944-04:00How To Be A GirlIn the spirit of the previous post, here is another "in the public service". Some good friends (thank you T & L) alerted me to this very well-produced podcast - How To Be A Girl.Marlo Mack (a pseudonym) began sharing her and her transgender daughter’s story back in 2013, when her daughter was five. The first episode - Mama, I'm A Girl - was presented in June 2014. It is Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-46200296413159255822020-09-09T09:19:00.000-04:002020-09-09T09:19:08.340-04:00As a Public ServiceEarlier this year, seven months ago, I wrote that this blog was done. I wrote that I have moved on. I wasn't wrong. Sometimes you have to accept that, as a public service, information needs to be shared. This post comes as the result of an online chat. Coline and I were talking about hormone therapy. She has noticed something interesting and potentially valuable that we need to share so I Deannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08887649330596022559noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-21101584714560963602020-02-13T14:30:00.000-05:002020-02-13T14:30:08.876-05:00Everything is Fine Here ...
I am posting one final time to say goodbye properly, and, as well, to clear up a mess caused by deleting an uncharacteristically hasty and messy post.
Yes, this is the last time I intend to post here for many reasons, most of them included in a post I did on my other blog; the blog I intend to continue to post to, when the spirit (the one I have left of the two that battled for control so Hallehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03847654451426257182noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-90621514774185059912020-01-29T11:17:00.000-05:002020-01-29T11:17:46.276-05:00Real
“Real isn't how you are made, ... It's a thing that happens to you."*
Almost six years ago, a post called Timeless appeared here. It narrated an imagined encounter with a guide on the spiritual plane (if that sounds hokey ... ah well) named Aadi, and an alternate self, Beth. This was not the first post of that sort. Dreamtime encounters became an important part of my search (or quest) forHallehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03847654451426257182noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270306578933066732.post-76735237328131651522019-11-16T10:51:00.001-05:002023-11-28T22:41:16.229-05:00A Natural Woman
This past week K and I were at our weekly band rehearsal. We were stopped during a rendition of a medley of songs that are a tribute to Aretha Franklin. The conductor made some comment about the song A Natural Woman and got a laugh from the group when he said "Of course I'm not saying I am a natural woman!"
K looked over at me and we shared a private grin at that, too.
Thinking Hallehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03847654451426257182noreply@blogger.com1