CM Clay Discussion 33:: Our Main Clay Discussion Thread (All Members Welcome)

[Marilyn]

I hatesss shoveling. My car doors were frozen. My company is not closed today so I have to go out and shovel the looong driveway, all the path in front of my house, and up to the mailbox. My arm is hurting already.

This is when I miss my sons the most     

mimi- prayers for your friend

Thea- hope you are feeling better

[claydevotee]

Good morning.

  MARLENE, I can't begin to imagine the sheer terror your friend must be feeling as she face this surgery today.  She will be in my heart and in my prayers today.   May she have the reassurance that she is doing the right thing and the courage to face the insuing challenges of an amputation.  Gosh, the Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways;  He provided an angel to reassure her that there is life after an amputation.  May God bless these very special people.

MARILYN, thank you;  I am definitely feeling better today.  I'm sorry you have to shovel yourself out of this storm.  Thinking of you.  Please drive carefully. 

Thoughts and prayers go out to all of you in the path of this snowstorm. 

Just think...two weeks from today is the big PBS concert!!!  Savor the anticipation (and all of that good stuff)!   

Have a good one, friends!!!

[GWENN]

WELL, IT SEEMS THE SNOW HAS STOPPED.  I HOPE THAT IS IT FOR NOW.  NOT NEARLY AS MUCH AS WE THOUGHT, BUT ANNOYING.  THE PHONE CIRCUITS ARE NOT WORKING.  ER IS WORKING FROM HOME.  GABE WENT IN.  WE ARE WAITING FOR THE GUY TO COME AND DIG US OUT.  I JUST CANNOT DO IT.

YEP, THEA.  2 WEEKS.  I THINK THE NEXT 2 WEEKS WILL B3E VERY BUSY AROUND HERE.  ER'S HOME INSPECTION IS MONDAY.  BARRY SEES THE SURGEON THURS.  I BET THE SURGEON WILL SEND HIM FOR MORE TESTING, ETC.  I AM HOPING THE SURGERY WILL BE RIGHT AFTER THE CONCERT.  THEN, IF ALL GOES WELL, WE START HOUSE AND WEDDING STUFF AND THE GOOD HAPPENS.  I AMA TRYING TO THINK ALL POSITIVE.

GWENN

[mimi]

I just wanted to update you on my friend Ruth's surgery..They were unable to do the surgery at 7:30 as planned because her blood had gotten so thin so they spent all this morning building her blood up with units of blood & plasma.
They took her to surgery at 1:30, so she is in surgery right now. Please continue to pray for her..Thanks!

[clayharmony]

Certainly will, Mimi...and sending prayers to you as well, as you continue to be there for her...I'm sure she treasures your support, you are a dear, caring and witty person...one can never have too many friends with such precious traits.

May there be positive outcomes for all pending surgeries...and may you folks dealing with a heavy winter receive some relief...

I just sat out at my new bistro table...and it felt like I was ushering in a new aspect to my retirement...being able to wave to my neighbors...and bask in the sunlight.  I've collected the cushions...we're supposed to get another major round of rain tonight...or tomorrow..perhaps even some more snow over here. 

Sending good vibrations to our Clay and his loves...that all will be well for his speaking engagement tomorrow night.  I do admire him so.

[corbet]

       Mimi.,
                       I"m glad they were able to build her blood up enough so they
                       could perform the surgery. She will need an awful lot of care
                        and building up after the surgery

                          I feel so sorry for her as she has a lot to face.

                                                         Betty

[corbet]

     Johanna,
                       How nice to be able to sit at your bistro table out on your patioand enjoy life.

                        It"s going to be a lovely summer, just relax and make the most of it.

                            Clay is going to be very busy for the next few weeks, and enjoying every
                           minute I hope. This is something he has wanted for a long, long time.

                                                          Betty

[Sundancer]

Praying, Marlene.

[GWENN]

MARLENE---

JOHANNA---ENJOY.  IT IS DISGUSTING HERE.

GWENN

[WilsonClaymate]

Marlene - I am praying that Ruth will come through the surgery OK.  She has a very long recovery ahead of her and she will surely value her very caring friends like you.   I wonder if it was just luck that the hospital put a young person going through the same thing in her room or if the doctors and/or nurses were hoping that someone with the same challenges would really have a positive effect on Ruth.  Whatever, I certainly hope it helps.

I hope all of you affected by this terrible weather will be all right and that it will be over soon.  I would like to think that two weeks from tonight would be about 20^o warmer here but I really  don't see that happening.  Anyway, it will probably be warmer than that inside   

Johanna, your patio and your new furnitire sound great.  That is the one thing I wish I had here--a little place to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather and read a book.  My son has a nice deck on his house and I enjoy it.

Everyone have a nice weekend and all of you covered in snow, be careful.

[mimi]

Ruth is out of surgery & in the ICU. She was in surgery for 7hrs.

Last night she had 2 units of blood, this morning 4 more units, & 4 of plasma.

The Dr said she did very well in surgery and only lost less than a pint of blood. The tumor was bigger than they had thought but he did remove it all ,along with the hip & leg,and said he checked around and could see no further cancer. He had to remove the biggest majority of her pelvic bone.
She will be in intensive care now for several days, so Moose(her husband) said he was planning to stay until about 10:00pm,then he was going to go home to spend the night. He said it had been a long & exausting day. but that he could definetly feel the prayers.

So thank you all, you are such special & caring gals and I sure appreciate you praying for them during this terrible difficult time. You are each special to me.

[corbet]

      Mimi,
                 I"m so glad to hear the surgery is over. Seven hours is a long time.
                 
                  Prayers that they were able to remove all the cancer. It"s going
               
                    to be a long ordeal and recovery, she will need all of her loved

                  ones help and support.
             
                                        I did send you a PM.

                                    Good night.

                                           Betty

[corbet]

       Barb,
                    I"m inclined to agree with you, we can"t hope for much better weather
                     for the 12th.

                        Never mind, the excitement of seeing our Clay will keep us warm!!!

                             Looking forward to seeing you again.

                                                    Betty

[clayfannj]

Marlene, my heart and  prayers go out to your friend. It is overwhelming to try to comprehend what she  has gone through and what she now must face. There is a reason someone like you has been put in her life... 

The snow has finally stopped. We got about a foot..NYC about 20 inches. I have tickets tomorrow for the Shubert  where Memphis is playing. I am going in by bus with 2 friends and expecting an adventure..  Between the 14 deer who have found a SMORGASBOARD on the shrubs on my deck, and the mounds of car high snow the plows have kindly left at the base of my driveway, and the Russian family who live next door, I could swear I've spent this  winter on the TUNDRA of SIBERIA!!   So, tomorrow I take my "SLED" and head north to SHUBERT ALLEY and Junior's!!   CIVILIZATION!!!

                   MUSH!!!!!!

[GWENN]

JUST SAW THIS.  LOVED IT.  FROM CH.

Pam's House Blend

NC: Raleigh native Clay Aiken to give equality speech at Saturday's HRC Carolinas Gala
Quote:
The visibility of Aiken, who doesn't consider or present himself as an "activist," speaks volumes in a state like NC. We have few statewide rights (we do have hospital visitation parity, and an inclusive anti-bullying bill), but our metro areas are surprisingly fertile and vibrant ground for LGBTs to plant roots and live comfortably out of the closet. And that's what Clay means by slow and steady - we're not going to receive our rights on a fast track; we have to effect change by living our lives out when it is safe to do so. I know it's sometimes hard to explain to those from gay ghettos how things are different here, it's not entirely oppressive, but it's not the Castro by a long shot.

Neighbors and colleagues know and accept their LGBT neighbors because we're everywhere, but you've got a bunch of good old boys in the legislature that are going nowhere fast to give you rights on the books. The change is coming from the many private employers that provide employment benefits and non-discrimination policies. The best way to effect social change is for those who are safe to live life out of the closet. And that's why I do so -- and speak out when I can locally. It's why we need to be visible and visit with our state legislators so they cannot deny we exist. It's why more LGBT people in this state need to step beyond their comfort zones and kick the closet door open.

Too many are too comfortable in the safety of private employers' forward-thinking policies and ignore the many, many fellow LGBTs in this state living in small, bigoted towns who need us to be visible for them. It's all a microcosm of what happens in deep Blue states that forget the battles and lack of basic civil rights in flyover country.

Since Clay Aiken publicly came out relatively recently, and after he already had a high profile, he is now giving North Carolinians -- who saw him as a local boy made good -- a chance to see him through a new prism, as a father, an artist and a human being who is also gay.

When you have ignoramuses like Rep. Virginia Foxx demonizing gay people, she demonizes Clay Aiken. She demonizes me. We're all North Carolina natives with roots here, and we're all human beings. Living out of the closet means something. That in itself is powerful activism in the South, or anywhere LGBTs are politically behind the 8-ball for now.

Good for Clay, good for civil equality goals in North Carolina.

***

SIDE NOTE: I was supposed to be in NYC at a forum on immigration equality, but as you might have noticed, they had a little snowpocalypse and my blogmistress flight of the damned thing kicked in and my plane never left NYC to return to RDU to get me -- it was canceled; but at least I found out before going to the airport.

The good news is I have press credentials to cover the HRC dinner and I'll be able to share some photos and video.

A funny Clay Aiken story - he emailed me a while back, maybe a year ago, saying he was a fan of PHB. We played email tag for a while and never managed to connect to have lunch. One day I'm at work and my cell rings (I almost never answer it at work), I by chance pick it up and it's Clay Aiken on the phone. I recognized his soft polite Southern twang and he said he was calling to apologize about not connecting. Of course this was amusing since I wasn't offended -- the guy probably travels all over for gigs, so I assume he's on the road a lot So anyway, hopefully I'll catch him tomorrow and grab a short interview or finally nail down that lunch date.

MARLENE--GOOD THOUGHTS STILL WITH RUTH.

MARKET TODAY.  NOT MUCH ELSE.  ER TOLD ME LAST NIGHT SHE IS THINKING OF WEARING A RED WEDDING GOWN.

GWENN

[Sundancer]

ER TOLD ME LAST NIGHT SHE IS THINKING OF WEARING A RED WEDDING GOWN.  

Um... oh. That will be... um... lovely.

[corbet]

    GWENN,

                     THANK YOU FOR BRINGING PAM"s ARTICLE OVER.

                    SO BEAUTIFULLY WELL WRITTEN.

                                         BETTY

[Glory]

                                        RED IS THE NEW WHITE GWENN

[wvclayfan]

ER TOLD ME LAST NIGHT SHE IS THINKING OF WEARING A RED WEDDING GOWN.  

Um... oh. That will be... um... lovely.

I've found that "non-traditional" weddings are becoming more and more popular. Nowhere near the norm, mind you, but definitely more than years ago. I frequent Offbeat Bride -  a site dedicated to couples who want their weddings to not only be expressions of love and family but who they are as individuals - and am always awed by what people come up with.

[lovinclay]

ER TOLD ME LAST NIGHT SHE IS THINKING OF WEARING A RED WEDDING GOWN.  

Um... oh. That will be... um... lovely.

Oh my!!!   

I know the new "in" thing is colored shoes.  (My niece is wearing hot pink).  But, I truly never heard of a red wedding dress.  Gwenn, God Bless! 

Prayers going out for your friend, Marlene.  She has a long recovery road ahead, and will need the support of her family and friends. 

Marion, enjoy your day.