Anybody who knew me before 2006 has probably wanted to ask me this question: Are you really a lesbian? I don't know how to answer that question adequately without getting into some sort of discussion about things some people probably don't want to know. I'm sure many of my friends were… Read full post »

There's at least one other person out there who is secretly giddy that they have found someone else who loves Xanadu. I have been mocked for years for loving the music in this movie. I've even been mocked for liking the movie itself. Yes, Xanadu is probably the cheesiest movie in… Read full post »

I'm standing outside my parents house. I look down the street and wonder if that's the safest way to go. Turning, I look up the other side of the street. No, I can't go that way. They'd expect it. The school and the park are down there. I turn and start… Read full post »

I’ve been fighting a losing battle for some time now. Not because it isn’t possible to win. I just haven’t been approaching it the right way. And in many ways, it’s not just my battle. You could say I’m an innocent bystander a lot of the time, a victim of collateral… Read full post »

 Carry Me Swiftly to Salvation

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Had Katelyn made a huge mistake? She often wondered this on the bad days. On the good days, she was less likely to fall into this negative thinking. Part of her felt so stupid and naïve for thinking this new life would… Read full post »

My dad is a quiet man who still has a boyish twinkle in his eyes. He’s not one to joke a lot, but when he does, it’s usually pretty damn funny. He’s worked hard all his life, ensuring that his family has everything they need. He worked long hours and often… Read full post »

I remember turning on my radio every weekend to listen to the Top 40 countdown. Blank tape in the cassette player, I was ready to record my favorite songs from that week. I don't remember at what age I started doing this, but it was a weekly ritual for many, many… Read full post »

She was always the cool mom. My friends always liked hanging out with her and knew they could be themselves around her. She likes her music loud, whether she’s in the car or in the house. Even when I was a kid, she didn’t listen to typical “mom” music. She liked… Read full post »

In 1995, Gregory Maguire published Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, a novel in which he set out to tell the story we do not get in L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, or any of the movie adaptations that followed. When I read the novel/… Read full post »

Employees at a local supermarket experienced some tense moments when an elderly man cut in front of a woman in the bakery department this morning. She had already been cut off by another elderly gentleman when she walked up to the counter to have a birthday cake decorated for her partner.… Read full post »

 This is a public service announcement on behalf of all of us who have been exposed to bad marketing and thoughtless PR campaigns.

In an age when sponsors are fighting for ad time, businesses are fighting for your dollar, and oil companies are fighting to not look like heartless, money-grubbing… Read full post »

I first discovered Julia Fordham when I saw the movie, "The Butcher's Wife" back in the early 90s. Perhaps it was the hopeless romantic in me that was so drawn to this song. I waited through the credits to see who was singing this beautiful song. I then immediately went searching… Read full post »

I missed my anniversary.

Yep, my OS one-year blew by and I didn’t even blink. Good thing I didn’t need to get anyone a present. I’d probably have spent the week sleeping on the couch. This realization came to me last night as I tried to drift off to dreamland./… Read full post »

It’s not what you think. Really. Actually, maybe it is. Since I can’t read minds, I have no idea what the phrase “Born-Again Lesbian” brings to mind for other people. If it’s anything related to “born-again Christian” – baptisms, a rigid stance that the… Read full post »

Dedicated to some of the funniest writers on OS. And to quote another Shakespeare character:

If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended—
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not rep… Read full post »

I've been listening to Queen for as long as I can remember. In fact, I was probably listening to them when I was still in the womb. They are a favorite in my family and many days of my childhood included my mom blasting their music in the car and at… Read full post »

Ah, summer. The time of year when families pack up the car and head off for adventures in the wilderness. I mean, who doesn’t love camping?

Me.

Frankly, I could live the rest of my life without camping again and be perfectly happy. Now, if you want to set me… Read full post »

There must be support groups for this type of problem. I mean, really. Aren’t I too old to still believe that monsters are under the bed at night, just waiting to grab my ankles? I can picture it now. “Hi. My name is Erin and I can’t get out of bed… Read full post »

I see the puppy I raised for six years. I see the dog I had to leave with my ex-husband when we divorced because it was what was best for her. I see unconditional love. I see my constant companion who was there when no humans could bring me comfort.… Read full post »

Despite the fantastic nature of the subject, which might turn off many people, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was great television. The characters were complex, the stories were well written, and there was some great dialog. The musical episode, "Once More with Feeling," was one of the best episodes of the… Read full post »

 Ok, so I'm way behind posting this, but I spent the weekend cleaning up the yard and didn't go near my computer. Now, of course, I'm trying to catch up on all the great posts I've missed since Thursday night. Here's my addition to the bucket list OC:

( ) Shot… Read full post »

Music is a valuable part of our lives. It can comfort us when we are sad, bring us joy, make us laugh, move us in a way that nothing else can. Whether it's the lyrics, the melody, or the memories associated with songs, music is essential to the soul. For me,… Read full post »

How often do we make judgments about people based purely on their gender? I have personally been on the receiving end of such judgments many times recently, and have felt insulted as a result. Am I too sensitive to such comments? Perhaps. But I also feel like I have a legitimate… Read full post »

1. What Is Your Favorite Word?

Acceptance

2. What Is Your Least Favorite Word? 

Weak (when applied to one's personal character)

3. What Inspires You? 

People who do what they can to help those in need or those who aren't as fortunate as many of us.

 4. What Turns You Off? … Read full post »

A little late to the party, but here are my 12 that I can watch over and over and over...

1. Star Wars Trilogy - The original movies, not the new ones with the fancy special effects. As a kid, I watched these over and over again on VHS...recorded off
… Read full post »