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On Dreamshaping: Write In Front of Us – The Dreamshaping Journal
Mark McNease
I have never kept a journal until recently. I’d read for years that any ‘serious’ writer keeps a journal, and I rightly dismissed it. Journaling is a personal choice, and until the last few months it was not one I thought would serve a purpose for me. The novels, short stories, and plays I’d written over the last 50 years (yes, it’s been that long), did not come from ideas in a journal. I knew plenty of people who kept journals or diaries and swore by them, but It was never something I saw myself doing or did.
Then came Dreamshaping and my hunch that writing most days could help me peel away the layers and obstructions that have impeded the creation of my life. I don’t write in it every day and would not fault anyone for that: we write when we have something to say, or we need to explore the dream we live and the part we play as its architect. I also don’t find any benefit in repetition, which has been the biggest trap of it for me – repeating the same things over and over, grievances and worries and doubts, as if the monkey mind has been given a keyboard and allowed to ramble. It happens, but it’s the opposite of what a journal is about for me.
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Ronni Sanlo’s This Day in LGBTQ History (August 7 – 12)
Ronni Sanlo’s This Day in LGBTQ History makes the past ever-present with daily rundowns of historic events and people.
Ronni Sanlo
This Day in LGBTQ HistoryAUGUST 12
1859Lesbian Katharine Lee Bates, (August 12, 1859 – March 28, 1929), an American poet, is born. She is remembered as the author of the words to the anthem America the Beautiful. She had graduated from Wellesley then became a professor there. Bates was a prolific author of many volumes of poetry, travel books, and children’s books. She popularized Mrs. Claus in her poem Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride from the collection Sunshine and other Verses for Children (1889). Bates never married. She lived in Wellesley with Katharine Coman who was a history and political economy teacher and founder of the Wellesley College School Economics department. The pair lived together for twenty-five years until Coman’s death in 1915. Bates was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. In 2012, she was named by Equality Forum as one of their 31 Icons of the 2015 LGBT History Month.
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The Weekly Readlines August 13
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S BIG STORIESNew York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned rather than face impeachment over multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, paving the way for the state’s first female governor.
Coming to a bridge near you: President Biden’s ambitious infrastructure bill passed the Senate with significant bipartisan support, paving the way (pun intended!) for progress on his agenda.
And as the Delta variant spreads, some large school districts in Texas and Florida are defying their governors and instituting mask mandates. Now we see them, now we don’t.
NEWS FOR QsHow The LGBT + Community Helped Legalize Cannabis
Editor 99LGBTQ Adults Are Facing Hunger At Almost Twice The Rate As Others, New Data Shows
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The Twist Podcast #168: Bikers for Death, Tussle in Texas, Cuomo A Go-Go, and the Week in Headlines
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we take a look at the South Dakota death bike rally featuring super spreader Kristi Noem, teacher pushback in Texas and Florida, Cuomo’s graceless exit, and the week in headlines.
Enjoy The Twist on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and TheTwistPodcast.com.
Copyright 2021 MadeMark Publishing
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Savvy Senior: How to Replace Important Documents That Are Lost or Missing
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you tell me what I need to do to replace a variety of important documents? Our house burned down a few months ago, and we lost everything including our home property deed, car titles, old tax returns, Social Security, Medicare and Covid vaccine cards, birth certificates, marriage license and passports.
Stressed Seniors
Dear Stressed,
I’m very sorry for your loss, but you’ll be relieved to know that replacing important documents that are destroyed, lost or stolen is pretty easy once you know where to turn. Here are the replacement resources for each document you mentioned.
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Alzheimer’s Los Angeles Offers Virtual Support Group for Caregivers of LGBTQ Persons with Dementia (Second Monday of Each Month)
I was recently contacted by my friend Stephen Dolainski and made aware of the virtual support groups being offered by Alzheimer’s Los Angeles for caregivers of persons with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s. Steve was profiled in 2019 in Spectrum News for his experience with his lifelong friend Al. He’s a member of this virtual support group and we want to let any caregivers know it’s a vital source available for them, and they can join remotely via Zoom every second Monday of the month from wherever they live.
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Survey Says! How Often Would You Like to See Our LGBTSr Newsletter?
As I start to have more content available again at LGBTSr (travel, book reviews, columns, Savvy Senior, podcasts, and much more!), I’d like to know how often current and future subscribers would like to get the newsletter. I’ve been doing it monthly the last few months after getting the site up and going again. What do you think? Just click to take the survey, one question, easy peasy. Thanks! – Mark
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Gay Travelers Magazine: Pride Journey – Colorado Springs
This article first appeared at Gay Travelers Magazine and is reprinted with permission.
Pride Journey: Colorado Springs
By Joey AmatoDid you know that Colorado Springs is also known as Olympic City U.S.A.? Neither did I. Not only is the city home to the U.S. Olympic Training Center, but Colorado Springs recently celebrated the grand opening of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, a stunning state-of-the-art building showcasing the history of the Olympic games as well as athletes that competed. The 60,000 square-foot facility focuses on the core values of the Olympic and Paralympic movements: friendship, respect and excellence, determination, equality, inspiration, and courage. The museum was voted “Best New Attraction” by USA Today and it’s easy to see why.
Visitors enter a grand lobby and take an elevator to the top level of the building where they can view a chronological history of the Olympic and Paralympic torches, medals, and other items. The museum is divided between the summer and winter games and the self-guided tour includes an emotional video highlighting the greatest U.S. Olympic triumphs as well as some struggles Team U.S.A. has faced along the way.
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Ronni Sanlo’s This Day in LGBTQ History (August 1 – 6)
Welcome to another new feature at LGBTSr: Ronni Sanlo’s This Day in LGBT History. I’ll be posting these every Friday going forward, with that day’s reprinted with permission and links to Ronni’s Facebook Page for the others. I’ve enjoyed her fascinating and vital history rundowns for some time, and I’m delighted to share them here. – MarkRonni Sanlo
This Day in LGBTQ HistoryAUGUST 6
1637The Plymouth, Massachusetts court finds John Allexander and Thomas Roberts guilty of “often spending their seed one upon the other” though they are not charged with sodomy. Both were severely whipped, and Alexander was branded on the shoulder and banished from the colony. Although the colony had made sodomy punishable by death the previous year, it required penetration that was not proven in this case. The men were convicted of men of “Lewd Behavior and Unclean Carriage.” John Allexander [was] found to have been “formerly notoriously guilty that way,” alluring others. He was sentenced by the Court to be severely whipped, and burnt in the shoulder with a hot iron, and to be perpetually banished from New Plymouth. Thomas Roberts was severely whipped and returned to his master. Though Allexander and Roberts had long histories of sodomy in Plymouth, they were spared capital punishment. Allexander, a property-owning man, and Roberts, an indentured servant, not only violated sexual morals, but also transgressed class distinctions. Their punishment, banishment for Allexander and the denial of future land ownership for Roberts, was approximately the same as that of people who participated in illicit sexual acts between men and women. -
The Weekly Readlines August 6
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S BIG STORIESGotta go Cuomo! A report on New York’s handsy governor made it clear he’s guilty of abusing his power to sexually harass women while simultaneously grossing them out. Even President Biden said it’s time to go. And that singing!
A bipartisan infrastructure deal appears possible, at the same time Mitch McConnell threatens to crash the debt ceiling. The former President lashed out against the U.S. women’s soccer team so he could use the word ‘woke’ again, while Simone Biles came back for a bronze.
And to end your week on an up note, scientists fear a worst-case, doomsday COVID variant is coming. Take that, optimists!
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OATS and CDC Foundation Launch Virtual Course on Digital Essentials for Older Adult Caregivers (Registration Deadline August 5)
Free, 6-Week Online Course Will Empower Attendees with the Skills Needed to Navigate and Understand the Digital World during the Pandemic and Beyond;
Course Developed to Help Address Major Needs and Concerns of Older Adults and Caregivers During Public Health Emergencies — Identified in New CDC Foundation Study
NEW YORK, July 29, 2021 — Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP and the CDC Foundation announce the launch of a virtual course on digital essentials designed specifically for older adult caregivers and recipients of care beginning on Monday, August 9. The free, six-week course, Digital Essentials for Older Adult Caregivers & Recipients of Care, will empower attendees with the skills needed to navigate and understand the digital world.
This course is part of a CDC Foundation-supported project designed to help older adult caregivers and recipients of care during the pandemic and beyond. Training sessions include staying connected with friends and family members, best practices for navigating the internet safely, ordering groceries directly to your home, understanding online health resources, and more.
*** Caregivers age 60+ and recipients of care are encouraged to register for the course at Seniorplanet.org/caregiving. The deadline to register is THURSDAY, AUGUST 5. ***
Read the Full Press Release Here
About OATS from AARP
Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP helps older adults learn to use and leverage technology to transform their lives and their communities. Through its flagship program, Senior Planet, OATS works closely with older adults to create extraordinary experiences in-person and online. As one of AARP’s charitable affiliates, the mission of OATS from AARP is “to harness the power of technology to change the way we age.” To learn more, visit www.oats.org or follow @OlderAdultsTech on social media.
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The Twist Podcast #167: Good Moments to All, DeSantis Doubles Down, No More #Queerface, and the Week in Headlines
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we wish everyone a happy moment, discuss the Florida surge fiasco, call for an end to queerbaiting in pop culture, and take a Twisted look at the headlines.
Enjoy The Twist on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, and TheTwistPodcast.com.
Copyright 2021 MadeMark Publishing