Good News!

Even if I'm not one to call the US my home I still rejoice in the fact that the US Supreme Court overturned a law discriminating against same-sex couples and started down the road towards restoring marriage equality in California !

I hope that this will prove to be a turning point in the history of marriage equality for all.

Anyone with a need for background information on DOMA or Proposition 8 can follow the links.

 

I'm wondering ... what's the story ?

I can't help wondering what ticks off the imagination of a writer. What makes her pen move fast across the paper or her fingers move quickly on the keyboard? Her private muse might do the trick, but does every writer have one of those ... muses that is ?

Perhaps the image of a bride in a narrow escape from ..... ? There is probably a perfectly resonable explanatation for a woman in heels and wedding gown to sprint down the high street with a bridesmaid leading her astray, but it sure looks to me like a story wanting to be told ... 

I don't need elaborate writing skills to make up my own story. I can easily picture the flow of a storyline, the sounds of voices and a before and after the photo above, but it's definitely not as much fun as if Larisa was writing it up with her steady supply of loony and lonely characters !

Ok if Larisa was writing it up - I'm not quite sure that we would be seeing women in heels and shiny dresses carrying the storyline or maybe that's exactly what writing is about - putting situations, characters and other "stuff" together in a storyline that you as the reader would not expect.

Hugs!

A bit of loving - looks nice and comfy ! You never know if this is just "posing" for the photographer or if it is a tiny bit of real life caught through the "eye" of the camera. We'll never know - so why care ?

Every photo, every story, poem or rime at The Corner carries a hint of love, love for a woman, by a woman ... with the joy and happiness, the sadness and sorrow, the dreams, the hopes, the present, the future, what was and what will be if we have the patience to wait or perhaps to make the choice, the choice to make life ... love happen!

It's up to you to make sense or no sense of this. To dismiss it or carry it with you.... what ever you do, do it for you!

Here we go ... a couple, alone with one another, with a smile, a laughter, a kiss - with a hat or without but always - in that moment in time - together.

Make up a story to go with the smiles. A reason for the women to laugh, to feel happy. Make up a life for the women, a life that you would want for YOU. If you can dream it ... you can make it happen ... at least in your mind... and once you've imagined a life for you with the woman you LOVE ... you'll find that she comes to you ... perhaps in your dreams at night.

When you dream HER make her as beautiful, as kind, as loving and considerate as you want her to be. She is yours to create and manipulate, but remember once your dream comes true - it's for you to be the woman of HER dreams. To make her dream of you come true too!

Cherish your love - do not hold her captive in your dream set her FREE. She is the woman of your dreams, but she is no longer yours to manipulate, she is a woman in her own right. She has the right to choose her life, her love ... and among all the woman in the world she chose YOU - you carry her heart as she carry yours!

Help her carry the burden of her love for you. The burden of fear, the fear of loosing what she loves the most - the love of the woman of her dreams -

YOU.

Tell that she can never loose YOUR love  ... by accident, by neglect, by cruelness ... that your love is not dependent on her actions, her love ... Your love is just that ....YOUR Love and it's all for her no matter how she feels about you. 

Be strong for her - carry the burden of love for the both of you!

LOVE is as strong as you make it !

You give your heart in love, but the state of your heart is determined only by the strength of your

 LOVE

 

... probably got a bit carried away here with all the hugs and tender love ... please don't mind my ramblings - just enjoy the pictures.

 

I'm still on heels  trying to pick up pace ... but I seem to have got stuck again here at The Corner ... Got to cut loose ... or maybe I should forget about being loose ... I'm after all for permanent relationships !

... whatever I'll go look for more hugs .....

"Single White Female Looking for a Woman like ...."

I know that every morning you go thumbing through the personal want ads. You grab the latest copy, a cup of coffee, and settle in for a good time, trying to find something to catch your eye, hoping and praying that today's edition is gonna catch your attention... 

"Single white female looking for that special lover. A one Women Woman who doesn't want no other !  

Oh, you never can tell She just might be your dream come true. A single white female looking for a woman like you !

Ok ... so this is definitely not my choice of words, not that I wouldn't want to put words together like that. It's just that they are not mine! The words are a slightly adapted version of Cheryl Wrights "Single White Female" - a popish country song. You can watch the music video here or the slightly twisted edition from Capital Pride here).

I've been pondering the question of Looking. Not the stalking kind of looking, but rather the kind of Looking you would do if you where Looking for Love. For a woman to share your life with or maybe - if that's your thing - a woman to share a shortish fling.

Who will catch your eye ? The Bookish Butch Woman from Montréal or the Femme ? I for one hate the labels ! Why would you want to divide the world in Butch / Femme ... in those who put on a nice shade of lipstick to go out and those who keep their hair short, in whom shave their legs and whom doesn't, in which women wear heels and which prefer comfortable shoes, in who reads F/F romance's to relax and who tinker with her car for exactly the same reason ?

And what about the woman who change the wheels on her car on Saturday morning, puts on comfortable boots for a walk in the afternoon, and gets herself ready for going out ... in lipstick and heels in the evening ? What label would you put on her ? 

Let's leave the labels behind and take a look around the F/F Universe. This is a place for stereotypes and that's actually a lot like labels, but who cares it just for fun .... right?!

So I'm out looking for love ... hopefully in the right places ... and where would I go if I wanted a gentle(wo)man. "Love in Photographs" by Alex Tryst would be a good place to start. I'm not really an Alex Tryst fan, probably because the stereotypes got to strong for me, but the photographer Torrance might be a match for ... Annett Benning. Torrance is talented and rich (a nice combination), and she finds what her heart is looking for in her model Helen ... but she has to put in a bit of work to get what she wants !

I am a big Badsquirrel fan, but "Dark Side of the Moon" explores a way of life that is really not my cup of tea, it might be yours, so if the world of BDSM and a bit of gender bending is what you are looking for then I think that Jordan -  master of the house - might be able to match Annett Benning in style!

I know that Milla Jovovich and her Versace Jeans is not new to you, but this picture reminds me of Sheridan of Vertigo's "Caution: Under Construction". Sheridan is a woman in trades, a skilled construction worker and a womaniser, who meets her match in Keefer, a building inspector with a love interest ... Sheridan! You can read this for the hot stuff .... or just for the romance.

When we speak of women of trades I have to mention "Rumors" by Badsquirrel. This is where you'll meet Kelly the auto mechanic with the softest of soft hearts, all of it invested in the memory of a teenage crush on Hannah - the owner of "Doggie Styles". This is among my absolute favourites.

I'll leave the picture of Milla Jovovich while pointing you in the direction of Eunice, the owner of a horse farm (is that a rancher ??) with a broken heart, which will heal to the tones of Molly's guitar and soft songs in Dee's "Fenced Fields", but I'm not done with the women of trades. I have to introduce you to Sara from L.A. Tucker's "The Light Fantastic". This is a great story where you'll find Sara playing the role as "Jack of all trades" at her brothers up and coming golf course while hiding from the world. Well that is until Chloe gets her hands on her heart.

If you like the women of trades, you might also fancy Cordie. She is captain of the swordfishing boat "Dawn Piper". You might ask why you should go visit with Cordie .... what kind of romance could a week long  swordfishing trip amount to for a lesbian among a crew of fishermen .... ok ok - I'll give you a clue ... Cordie is ordered to take out the boss's daughter and introduce her to the world of swordfishing! I'll leave the rest to your imagination or to the pen of Barbara Davies in "Beneath the Surface". This is Bound to fascinate you ;-)

It's been rather easy to find F/F stories picturing the stereotype gentle(wo)men wearing a suit, sporting a manish name, and harbouring a heart just waiting for the right woman to tear down the walls build around it. 

I find it a bit more difficult to locate the "women I want" when I go looking for the opposite. The women with a clearly feminine touch, a nice shade of lipstick, wearing skirt and heels, not for the sake of an office job, but because this is her preference. It's not that these women don't exist in F/F stories, they do. I think that it's just that they don't stand out as much as the stereotype manish lesbians. If you are looking for the feminine touch you can follow along as I hunt for women in heels. 

A couple of women in heels and nice dresses ..... well I do think that Beth and Amy of Fingersmiths "Once" lets our minds eye enjoy them in pretty gowns for a wedding. Now don't jump ahead of the storyline - it's definitely not their wedding, they are just friends (!) - but I guess that it's safe to say that each of them would love to be more than that .... if they could only find a way.

I think that it's also safe to say that Mimi looks quit stunning in her gown for the charity auction which proves to be her first date with her stepsister Jolly, whom Mimi has had the BIGGEST crush on since puberty...... I guess that the almost incestuous reference might sound a bit upsetting, but trust me on this, Mimi looks good in her gown and equally good when dressed in leather or in the buff ... and once her master carpenter and architect Jolly gets past the sisterhood thing Molly do get a chance to take charge of her life and of Jolly's. In case you are wondering this is Ali Vali's "A Place to Dance"

As for heels I do think that Torrey fund a pair to go with her pant suit when Taylor finally found the time and place to take her out! This is B.L.Millers "None So Blind", and if you haven't read this romance yet, I think you should. Torrey and Taylor goes way back, but - as usual - a misunderstanding had them separate before they could declare their love. So we get their story in flashbacks while we follow the slow rekindling of their friendship and the reshaping of their future ... it's an enjoyable read.

I'll keep on the lookout for women in heel's - let me know if you get lucky .... NO not that kind of lucky ! Just you know lucky ...  as in stumbling on a woman in heels - preferably purple ones in your reading.

Where are YOU when YOU're gone ....

I know that You are ..... around. I see the traces that You leave behind, I hear the faint sound of Your footsteps, I sense the scent that is YOU ... everywhere. I know that if I speed up, get there early... I'll ..... if only I can close the gap in time between us, I'll catch up with You ... with us.... with my life ...

I Miss You and Our Time, Our place in Time, the Good Times ... did we live on Borrowed Time or did Our Time just run out?

I like it when writers takes the time to tell their stories. Take time to unfold the before, the after and the "in between". I hate getting dropped right in the middle of "it". I hate just being walked into a darkish bar to get picked up by someone looking for sex ... the next thing you know or rather feel, are rougish hands "feeling" you up ... uhhh not for me. 

I want the "real thing" ... the slow awakening of feelings, the surprise at finding love where you least thought it possible, the impossibility of acting on your feelings and the surprise, joy and happiness when the ball finally gets rolling and the first kiss land on your waiting lips.... 

You want to go on a ramble for that .... the stories with a before, an in between and a living happily ever after ? ... I'm warning those of you familiar with this blog I'm going to ramble along well known paths, if you like walking along memory lane then come along.

I thought that we might start our ramble in Scotland this time.  A place with a long storyline, just as is the case with "Licit Cusp" by Weebod. I know the title is ... well i's not really inviting, but never mind that. I'm with Weebod for the loooong storyline and the slow unfolding of attraction.

So pick up “Licit Cusp” and get acquainted with Shona MacLeod. Shona is from the small Hebridean island of North Uist. A small society where a hard and religious man like Shona's father has amble chance to keep his children on a tight reign. The question is - can he keep his hold on Shona once she moves to Edinburg and start her life as a student of history and an employee at “The Railwaymen's Club”, a local bar, run by the slightly older woman Toni ... do take the time to see where life will lead Shona and Toni.

Now if Weebod is your thing you should move on to "Conflict of Interest". This is classic uber with a small blond and a tall dark haired woman ... yes their eyes have the  perfect colour too! This time we are talking "heart" vs. "money" as Elish - leader of the local community centre - and Aisling - daughter of the owner of the shopping complex where the community centre is situated - crosses paths in business and love.

Lets stay with Weebod for one last fling ... this time with "The Player". The basic theme of the story is the conflict of interest between “the player” Gillian or Gill who lives her life charming and bedding all available women, never stopping to consider to call for a second date, and Emma the woman that finally breaks through Gill's amour, but don’t want to risk her heart on someone who might not be faithful.

Look up a list of Weebod's stories on Athenaeum. You'll see that Weebod has started a new series of short stories under the title "Stories From The Cities Series". I'm really happy to see that Weebod's pen is still active. 

So where have you been spending your F/F Fanfiction time while I've been ... well just busy with..... other worth while interests ?

Just browsing the WWW

If you want to know where to go for a good read ... then go hang out in the Fan Fiction Lounge ! The woman at the Lounge have lots of fiction related topics to explore. If you chose to stay with me then you are in for a lesbian themed ramble on the web ...  I'm going to start with the letter F ...F is for Female, Famous, Friday, Filmy, and Fresh, but mostly its on F/F relationships in RL ... or ??

If your would rather stay slightly above RL you can follow the news. This week the Huffpost seems to have had a preference for comments on Jodi Foster's speech at the Golden Globe ....  surprise! I'm wondering if it's really in good taste to pass judgement on a woman's choice of how much of her life she wishes to share whith the public at large? Well never mind ... let's move back to the basics ... a hand to hold, a body to keep you warm at night, a partner to share in raising a child, a smile to cherish .... whatever you are looking for or looking to hold on to, there are blogs and sites to advise you,  but I say that quite a bit of the advise shared is just basic knowledge and not something that would stand out in any kind of relationship, whatever the gender of the partners in question. 

On the other hand I sometimes wonder if some of these sites are for real .. or is it just a matter of different cultures? ... I'm not American you know! Check out the  LesbianDatingSecrets ... Barbara has trained at the Matchmaking Institute ... is that for real?! If you happen to live in the San Francisco Bay Area you can also get help with the matchmaking with Dr. Frankie Bashan at the littegraybook.com ! Maybe  I'm not the only one thinking that this matchemaking thing is a bit weird .. try this ! And if online dating freaks you out ... this won't help.

I have to say that I much prefer the attitude at the CardCarryingLesbian, About.Com on Lesbian Life  and TheLesbianDatingProject on tumblr, but that's what is so great about the WWW - there is a little something for everyone ... no matter you preference ! 

As for the F/F Fanfiction reading ... well I'm letting my feet get cold in the snow with Fox and Kia in GabGold's The Foundlings .. watch out for harsh nature, sledge dogs and hunting to get food on the table and furs to keep you warm ... well that's until your mate get the idea as to how she can help keep the temperatures up in your dwelling at night!

Words matters ...

First of all "Happy New Year" ... I know I'm a bit late with my well wishing, but I was otherwise engaged ... the time around Christmas and New Year is after all a time for running around in circles with family and friends. I sometimes wonder if perhaps we would enjoy the "getting together" more if we stretched it over just a few more weeks!

I probably haven't thought that through .... it is after all precisely the Christmas and New Years "thing" that get everybody to put priority on the "Getting Together" ... at the same time!    

Anyway here we are in the year of 2013 ... I'm not going to join the journalists and commentators in the newspapers and on TV in listing wishes for the new year .... and I'm not going to let you in on my New Year resolutions .. I'm quite sure that it won't be of any particular interest to you even if I do think that words matter a great deal.

But I am going to give you a few choice words anyway ... wife, partner, my better half, my significant other, my heart, my soul, my happiness, the joy of my life .... do you get it? I'm not trying to talk in riddles here I'm just giving you an intro to this Blog in HOFFpost that I found quit catching ... come back here when you have read it.

It's not that I would actually take offence if anyone called my partner "my friend" ....  I do think that just about anybody would know that she is more like the girl than the friend in girlfriend ... if you get my meaning, but I can't help wondering if the words "partner" or "wife" is really the most adequate term to use about a committed lesbian relationship .... I mean we could after all be talking "business partner" and wife ... well somehow it's just so related to the word husband that I do wonder if this is really the most suitable word to express the commitment and recognition  ?

I guess that it is an individual thing how we choose to describe our relationships in words .... at the moment I haven't got a finite opinion, I'm leaning towards "spouse" or "life partner", but I do like "girlfriend" a lot too ... it's kind of cool if perhaps not political correct!

On the other hand ;-) it's the little things in life that makes the greatest differences but I don't necessarily think that those little things are always words.

Anyway we are here for the reading not the wording so let me get you up to speed with my current reading. I just finished "Trick of the Dark" by Val McDermid - I'm told that this is one of the few novels besides the Lindsay Gordon mysteries that McDermid has penned with lesbian protagonists. I found it to be quit an enjoyable read even if it's not one to have you searching for you girlfriends hand to hold at night.... hey I'm talking the absence of drama/horror here not ....

Furthermore I'm close to finishing Emma Donoghue's "Landing". This is "gay friendly" too - as in the romance of a long distance relationship between to women - it's been a smooth reading so far .... I'm still hoping for a LHEA ending, but you can never be quite sure when you leave the world of strictly lesfic romance behind and venture towards general fiction .... even if "Landing" seems to be somewhere in the middle.

Somewhere in between these books I've been looking in on Radclyffe's "Tomorrow's Promise", and I dipped my toes in "Love's Melody lost", but this last fic is not one I ever really acquired a taste for ... I don't "get" why the blind pianist "Graham" (one of the two lesbian main protagonists) should be described quit so manish. On the other hand I do take a fancy to Adrienne the female navy officer in dress whites that we get antiquated with in "Tomorrow's Promise".

I also stole a glance at Fingersmith's "Beginnings". This is one of those "love never dies" kind of stories of girls meeting as kids and becoming best friends, getting separated ... just so that they can find each other again years later through an angsty story that we get to follow ... I like it ;-) and if time hadn't run out on me last night I would also have looked in on French and Fry in "Cooking on High" by Creme Brulee ... don't miss the chance to get in this mix of drama and cooking fumes ... it's very enjoyable !

 

The woman with the toolbelt again .... sorry She's got company

 

Charlie's comment got me looking for more photos of Milla Jovovich from the Versace Jeans Campaign (1998) .. it looks like those photos are sort of a collectors item ... now who would have guessed ... ?! 

And  this is Milla Jovovich too .... I think .... she could loose the cigarette and still be cool!

Now get back to you reading this is after all that's what we are here for or not ;-)

Be the Change You Wish to See In This World...

Christmas Time is a time for wishful thinking. A time when you can imagine World Peace and Love Ever After or for those of us with a more everyday like imagination perhaps just .... a relaxed smile on the face of our stressed out loved one.

It is easy to wish for BIG things to happen, but making a difference in the everyday life of those around us is much easier to achieve.

On the other hand one must never forget that all CHANGE start within ourself. Even the BIG changes starts on a small scale ... perhaps with just one Woman fearless enough to .... I don't know, but it is nice to know that everyone of us can make a difference not only to our own lives and to the lives of those near us but also ... perhaps in a small way ... to the World at large.

Sometimes a little thing will get the ball rolling towards changes.... like a personal ad in a newspaper reading "Short blond seeks tall brunette. Blue Eyes preferred. Sexy Look a plus."  I don't know ... did you put it there .... the ad. I mean did you take out the ad .... or did it just catch your eye enough to make you mark it with a red ink ring and leave the paper on the table? Whoever did it gets the ball rolling towards change for Kelly and Allison, best friends, room mates and both secure in the knowledge that they can never be more as in more than best friends. Don't miss out on Jaeygatsby's "Everything Personal" ... it's an old favourite of mine with a bit of IMY on account of the flower theme.

Words Make a Difference!

Words are an important way to convey the way we see the world and how the world see us. Words can touch your heart, Words can give meaning to incoherent events, Words can change your view or make you see, Words can make you remember, and if - like me - you think while you talk ... Words can help you make up your mind!

Words Make a Difference! 

Sometimes words are loving, heartfelt and sincere, and today I learned that a little three letter word which I thought to be a gay way to express a sexual preference is actually homophobic ! The word in question is GAY?! 

My surprise is probably just a matter of English not being my first language, and the US not my place of living, but still that the word GAY in the comment "that’s so gay" means "that’s so stupid" and not that so merry, funny ....  is definitely a surprise to me! 

That should teach me to take care and not just ramble on.... who knows what I'm likely to put into words unknowingly.

Hiding in Plain Sight

I know of no place more perfect to hid than in plain sight !

Sorry I haven't really got any good reads to tell you about today, but I came across Chana Wilson's article in Huffpost: "The Opposite of being Visibly Out: Hiding in Plain Sight" . I found it well written and interesting - maybe you will like it too.

While we are on the topic of lesbians ... I'll let Diva Magazine guide you as to where you should be looking for your local lesbian hideOUT, and if you have a Time Machine these are the places to go.
 

.... just looking!

I don't know about You but sometimes I just spend my time looking. Looking for something interesting to look at. Looking for directions. Looking for a thrill. Looking for a new challenge. Looking for a way out.  Looking for a change of scenery. Looking for the car keys ... again. Looking for something to read. Looking for a good time or perhaps, I'm just looking to look for something not knowing exactly what I'm looking for?!

What are you looking for ? Why are You coming around ? I haven't really been actively working on this blog for quite some time, and You are still coming around ? Well it is really non of my business why you pop in so I guess that I should just get on ...

At the moment I'm looking for BadSquirrel. She posted on The Athenaeum Forum back in 2010 that she was preparing to publish her latest story with Blue Feather Books under the name of Lauren T. Darling, but I haven't been able to find neither a published book by this author nor any newish stories online by BadSquirrel. I would love to hear news about this writer as I'm a real fan of her writing - so please anyone ?? ... any news???

If you are new to Badsquirrels writing I'll let you have my very secret Top 3 list of BadSquirrel stories:

1. Rumors

2. One Good Memory

3. Shine

For those with a taste for a very spicy (BSDM) read I'll include a link for The Dark Side of The Moon.

When I'm not looking for BadSquirrel. I'm looking for something else or perhaps just enjoying a good read. A good read can be like a good hug - warm and comforting. Sometimes a hug is the prelude to something more and sometimes a hug is just that .... a hug. The simple message of I'm here for you or we are in this together... and we will get through.

So where to go for that mental hug of comfort that a good read can provide.... shhh I'm thinking.... haven't really thought to prepare a list of stories that fits within a theme on hugs. Let's see where to go for a hug. How about looking in on a couple of "friends" ? You know the kind who are best mates and never looking for more than a hug of comfort from each other - well that is until .... maybe "Strings Attached" by Inyx, Out of the Mouth of Babes by LittleSpit, Frost Heaves by Lois Kay or perhaps Everything Personal by Jaeygatsby will fit this theme?

... I always wondered why no other stories have been posted by Jaeygatsby ... is it that this is the pen name of an author writing under another name ?? or is this really a one off story ?? on the other hand I might just not be looking in the right places ?

Valentines Day is coming up!

Marilyn Monroe (The Guardian)

... ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

Do not worry I am not turning this into a political commentary it is just that I've been watching a TV-series on the Kennedys these last few weeks and not only does it paint a rather unflattering picture of J.F., but a famous blond - and in uber-xena fan fiction we do tend to like the small feisty blond girl - Marilyn gets the same treatment.  

I have no idea if the storyline in the TV-series is close to the truth or not, but .... well I just felt like posting Marilyn. 

Now what else do I feel like ... hm can't really think of anything right this moment ... ok wait I will just take a breath and think for a moment ... ups ... what the f... BREAKING NEWS from the Bookish Butch ....... Whitney Houston died. 

You know I like mushy romance but that story of Whitney and Bobby Brown ... ? Well that didn't strike me as the romantic couple, on the other hand if she had run off with her bodyguard I might have found the story slightly interesting, at least I would have listened to the theme song ..."I Will Always Love You" ... again !

While we are on the topic of marriage should you be in Scotland or there about you could join in a Rally for "Same-Sex Marriage" on Valentines Day ... but do check-in with your lovely lady before you decide to stand her up for you Valentines Day Date! 

Thinking of the up coming Valentines Day I've been checking up on The Academy of Bards for an indication that we will have another Academy Special ... no indication at hand but well it's not the 14th of February yet, so maybe I just have to wait patiently ... 

In the meantime one could revisit with "old friends" - if you want it steamy and hot as in BDSM go for Kim Pritekel's "Safe Word", if you just want to be hit "Right Between the Eyes" with some loving try Fingersmith's Valentines Story from 2007. Should you prefer a girl with a Porch then maybe KG MacGregor's "Community Service" would suit you, and for a humours bit of loving try Creme Brulee's "An Inevitable Arrangement".

If you want a slightly longer story you could try Ali Vali's "remake" of the movie "Indecent Proposal" with Demi More and Robert Redford. In the f/f world of fan fiction it is titled "A Million Reasons", but its still the same question "Will it matter to your relationship if you ask your lover to sleep with someone else for a huge amount of money?".

Another longer romance posted at The Academy as part of a Valentines Special is Gerri Hill's "Artist's Dream" this time we are talking repressed sexuality set free by just the right kind of tender loving care.

Now after reading all the romantic stories all we have to do is wait for the Valentines Card, plan for the date of the year, buy the gift ... and no I'm not talking chocolates ..  you can do better this year ... ok with the financial crises looming maybe we should look for a cheaper way of showing what is in our hearts ???

Happy Valentines Day!

You can find The Academy's 2012 Valentines Day Invitational here!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

One the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me .... no I am not going to tell you what she gave me for Christmas this year, but I am going to take you on a ramble along the lines of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" so tag along if you want something to help pass time.

On this the First Day of Christmas I've got a kiss for you - and it is not just any kiss but a first "First Kiss" by a same-sex couple in he US Navy according to AP; "Navy officials said it was the first time on record that a same-sex couple was chosen to kiss first upon a ship's return. Sailors and their loved ones bought $1 raffle tickets for the opportunity."

Video coverage on YouTube

Let's hope that DADT is gone for good!

If you like your woman in uniform you can look up the post "Gone for Soldiers Every One" or look for "Women in uniform" at the Listmania page.

For our Second Day of Christmas I've got a blog for you.

However much we want equality on the job and in our family life there are still some things that we cannot changes ... biology is one. There are many ways to form a family but as a lesbian couple there is one route to family life that we just cannot follow - we cannot conceive a child with our chosen partner, but who knows what the future brings ;-)

I found the blog "Offbeat Mama" awhile back and I've been hanging on to the link for you - so if parenting is your thing you could look it up.

If you like a child or two to pop up in the storyline of your online reading material you can look up the post "When Children are part of the Equation" or find a list of relevant fic's at the Listmania page.

DivaDirect

For our Third Day of Christmas I got us something that lasts all year long..... a Calendar! Take your pick "Career Girls, Grease Monkeys, Homemakers...." a girl for every month of the year  .... would you prefer just ONE ? Then I suggest that you pick a warm live-in model that you can snuggle with at night, but until you get your hands on one of those ... well it won't hurt to have someone nice to look at ...?

You could spend the Fourth Day of Christmas getting ready for the dating scene - if your are single that is ! First I guess it is prudent to get the hang of how to distinguish between a "Friend Date" and "a Date ... Date" - "The Effing Dykes" will help you with that - go see how you do on the date test.

When you got that one sorted you can move to the next step - take your woman dancing or perhaps your are ready to go for .... second base? Don't tell me you will be aiming for a Home Run already ?! The Effing Dykes will help you with the base thing too even if it's the first time you play the game.

If you want to know who makes the wheels turn at "The Effing Dykes" then try this link for a short feature on Krista Burton.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas we could look up Jill Sobule while she sings "I Kissed a Girl", but I am afraid that this is a bleak looking video from 1995. A smoother version of the song is included in the soundtrack to the movie "I Can't Think Straight". I have not found this version on YouTube, but you can read the lyrics for free.

If you want to follow the life of Shamim Sharif and Hanan Kattan - the director and the producer of the movie then look up their blog - it's fun.

As this is old news I will throw in a link for the "Lesbian Cliche Song".... again - do not miss it! All the cliches of lesbian life that you can dream of - delivered in a catching tone.

For our Sixth Day of Christmas I have a few movie links for you. OK you probably  prefer to have your lesfics "in writing", but why not try something new?

I know that YouTube is not the best way to watch a movie, but if you are willing to take your time and disregard the Danish subtitles you can watch a Hallmark production with a lesbian theme online. "An Unexpected Love" features Wendy Crewson and Leslie Hope - an out real estate agent who falls in love with her receptionist a former wife and homemaker - who knows if the woman is willing to  jump the fence and start a new life? (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6). 

On the Seventh Day of Christmas you can either follow the link to a very long list of "The Greatest Lesbian Movies" on IMDb or look up my favorites at the page "Beyond the Corner".

Should you want to look back on my blog "Picture this - the f/f theme in movies" you can follow this link.

If you are in the US you can also take in some of the short films with a lesbian theme on LOGOTV. I think that "Girl Talk" is a sweet little thing if you want it mushy. Should a YA web-series with lesbian teens be your thing then you might want to look up "Anyone But Me" -  I have not watched the show, but it seems to be of high quality for a web-series. And for the adult crowed I have "The Ten Rules - a lesbian survival guide" - it's a 30 min. short film.

This I think sums up our Seventh Day of Christmas.....

So what do you want to do on the Eighth Day of Christmas ? How about "Coming out" .... again, did you think coming out was an one shot thing ? Telling your mom and dad, a few close friends and that is it? No no you wont be so lucky, there is still the greengrocer, the doctor, the census man and numerous of other people to come out to  .... look up Sarah Westwoods short blogpost.

And if you are famous enough you even get to come out to the press and have the "news" passed around online.  

On the Ninth Day of Christmas you might want to check out the stories posted as part of the latest writing contest on The Royal Academy of Bards and vote for your favorite. I am trying to  figure out which bard has penned the individual stories - some of the "old hands" has a quite distinctive pen. The names will be revealed with the results of the contest.  (The voting ends on the 31st of December so you might want to look up the contest page before the Ninth Day of Christmas!).

For you on enjoyment on the Tenth Day of Christmas I've found a new bard for you - well she is not new new, just new to me ;-) I happened to stop by Gvnett's Blog the other day and enjoyed one of her original romance stories "Two Daises" - it's not really mushy, but it has a nice twist to the storyline.

It seems that Gvnett's line of writing is mostly in the SiFi genre - if that is your thing you might look up either her fan fiction or her other original fics.

It is getting hard and harder to come up with the little some-things for your Christmas days but on the Eleventh Day of Christmas I will urge you to explore "My Words!" It is well worth your time - how about finding the answer to  "What does love mean?" or "Who knows what real love is? It is not as mushy as it sounds but it's good writing on the lesbian theme.

Should you want to explore the many different parts of lesbian life and love you could also visit with "Card Carrying Lesbian".

And finally we have reached the Twelfth Day of Christmas. This post is coming to an end and I want to leave you with the blog "Good Lesbian Books" and a post on Free Lesbian Stories and Books Online - you will find several stories to read and sites to explore in this post. 

If you explore the blog "Good Lesbian Books" you will also find a number of reviews of published lesfic, should you want further guidance on which published lesfic's to spend your money on, you could look up "C-Spot Reviews". 

And now I will end this ramble on a mushy note and wish you well !