Good morning All. Coffees on.

[KymmieL]

Had a good speech therapy session today. Then went shoe shopping. Shoe Carnival is great. Got a pair of light brown boots and a pair of black heels. The boots were $25 and the heels were $10. Can't beat on sale too.

 

Kymmie

[KathyLauren]

Yay!  My age group opened up for covid vaccinations.  Now I am in the queue to book an appointment.

[KymmieL]

Had an unusual comment from my youngest son. We had gone out for our Friday night dinner out. Our son met us at the restaurant. While we were eating. He comments nice color finger nails. It wasn't a sarcastic comment either.

 

Kymmie

[Stefi]

Got ok from my wife to shave my legs, so I did and I realized I have sexy legs. will work on getting approval from my wife to do my chest. I do not know if she will let me, but I will try any way.

 

 

 

HUGS

 

Stefi

[Susan R]

1 hour ago, Stefi said:

will work on getting approval from my wife to do my chest. I do not know if she will let me, but I will try any way.

Funny moment in my transition...really early in HRT, my wife and I talked about EVERY ‘next step’ in my transition. I was restricted with what tops I could wear because I had some chest hair higher up in my cleavage area. I asked her if I could shave it a little lower so I could wear more feminine looking tops. She said hesitantly, “OK, but just a little from the top of your chest....not too much”. After shaving it, I looked in the mirror and knew that I looked insane with only half my chest shaved. I asked her to come into the bathroom and showed her how silly I looked and she laughed and said, “You’re right, it does look weird, go ahead and finish shaving the rest”.

 

I guess my point is it was more of a big step for her than me. I wish you the best of luck with your situation. If you’re on HRT long enough you probably won’t have to worry about shaving it anyways. It’s just nice to get a good head start.

 

Susan R?

[Bri2020]

3 hours ago, Susan R said:

If you’re on HRT long enough you probably won’t have to worry about shaving it anyways. It’s just nice to get a good head start.

 

Susan R?

I'm just starting to see a slow down in my chest hair growth at 7 months.  It's probably less noticeable than I think it is being red/white but just the feel of the stubble would always trigger me.  My back hair on the other hand thinned out quickly.

[Susan R]

1 hour ago, Bri2020 said:

It's probably less noticeable than I think it is being red/white but just the feel of the stubble would always trigger me.  My back hair on the other hand thinned out quickly.

What little back hair I had was the very first thing to go for me. The chest hair which has always been a little more course than the back hair. It has changed over time to very short baby fine blonde hair so it’s nothing I worry too much about. If I shave it, in a few days even the fine stubble from the growth would drive me nuts as well. I still have to shave my legs every 3 days. It’s become much thinner this last year but I like it silky smooth so out comes the razor like clockwork.

 

Susan R?

[Linda Marie]

Hi kids, not meaning to change the topic at the moment here, but thought I'd throw this at you.

As far as the HRT goes, what works for one may not work for the other. Most all of you know that already.

Oh, my little ditty, gosh I almost got back at the topic, silly me. 

Hope you all enjoy. (BTW) I do love wearing my ("Mary Jane's" ) P.S. this is not my last dance, lol.

LM♥️

 

 

[Linda Marie]

Oh yes, I happen to be wearing Mary Jane's. I love these shoes!!!?

LM♥️

(P.S. this is not my last dance) 

 

Tom Petty's Last Dance with Mary Jane. 

[Linda Marie]

Just a question. How have those that went out to the clubs for the first time and realized, 

OMG, this is my lipstick, this is me! I'm really out here now. Then you get home, and wash yourself off and cry.

I cried my self to sleep after my first time out.

LM♥️

 

 

[Ivy]

Can't really say… I've never been a clubbing kind of person.  

I don't mean this in a bad way, it's just never been me.

[Linda Marie]

Clubbing is how I got my start coming out. I had no where to turn. I came out first, then took it to the clubs to escape

from the chaos I started at home.

 

 

[JustineM]

4 hours ago, Linda Marie said:

OMG, this is my lipstick, this is me! I'm really out here now. Then you get home, and wash yourself off and cry.

I cried my self to sleep after my first time out.

Also not a clubber but I react like this whenever I do my makeup. I feel great with it on but when it has to come off it’s just gut wrenching for me.

 

 

[Linda Marie]

Late night again. Just want to relay to all that listen.

Please remember this only what I have gone through, and still do.

I have lost everyone but my wife and daughter. My sister is finally accepting me only because

I said good-by to her after all her b-s to me. My so called friends I told all of them to just f off and grow up.

I went through all the screaming at home from wife and daughter, but for them I continued to do what I do, and gave them

a chance to chill out and reflect on all I had done for them. 

This life HAS NEVER BEEN A BED OF TRIMMED ROSES FOR ME. 

Still I survive and will continue to fight for our right to be who we were, and who we are. WE HAVE A VOICE!!

LM♥️

 

[Linda Marie]

So now that we are enjoying that fresh brew, what do you carry in your purse?

LM♥️ 

[KymmieL]

The magical brew is cooking. things have been going OK lately. The wife was in one of her moods yesterday. But after going fishing she was slightly better. I think it helps clear her head.

 

As recommended I watched the movie Different for girls. Even though a guy played the post op transgender woman. it was not bad, even if it was made in the 90's.

 

Me and my wife are thinking of attending a car show in Utah in July. Saw that they have a sock hop one evening. I would love to go traditional in the poodle skirt, bobby socks the whole works. Doubt it would happen. Anyone know what would be a toned down female costume?

 

Kymmie

[AmberM]

 

Good morning everybody.

 

I hope everyone had a good first half of their weekend. After having a good interaction with HR on Friday, I made an appointment to have my ears pierced for the first time at a tattoo/piercing shop. First, I took a friend to get their hair done at a place that I went, and they remembered me after only one interaction which was great. After that, grabbed some lunch and then I had the piercing appointment. The shop was great, and shared in my excitement in doing my first ear lobe piercing. It didn’t really hurt, which was great. Then we went and played games for the rest of the day at the friend’s house.

 

We did have a conversation that was interesting. It is an observation that my depression has improved vastly since starting to come out. After years of suppressing the real me, that may have been a source of my depression, and how now that I have been leading depression groups, I kind of feel like an imposter. Not from a gender identity perspective, but as someone who identifies also having a mental health disorder. The more that I live authentically, the better I get, and it is also the more I can apply the coping skills I have learned over the years. I feel like I might be shedding a layer of my identity which is hard for me. Has anybody else experienced this phenomenon?

 

[Jani]

@AmberM That your depression would lessen is typical after your start to move in the right direction.  You are not an imposter.  It was real for you and now you have found a path to move beyond it. Feeling better is what we all want.

 

@Linda Marie Nice version of Last Dance!  Your outfit is very pretty too.  You dress so well.  Concerning your "We Have a Voice" comment, I agree that when we set ourselves free our closest companions can feel betrayed.  But it because they've found their perceptions of us to be a bit askew.  Hopefully when they see that we are calmer and easier to live with hopefully their perceptions will be realigned.  

(I see your cat poking their head in the video!) 

 

I try to keep what I carry in my bag to a minimum, unlike my wife!  I like what I call medium sized purses while she carries a large one.   

 

Jani

[Elizabeth Star]

@Linda Marie Apparently too much and there was more. Missing from the picture: Work ID, business cards, 2 iphones, couple of bills and 5 months of pay stubs. Not a single napkin or piece of Kleenex. ?

 

[Elizabeth Star]

Anyways, not much going on here. It's cold and rainy this week end so I'm not getting any yard work done. Can't say I'm disappointed. I'm spending some time designing more parts for my RC truck. The good and bad of a 3d printer is the time it takes to make anything. Thankfully I can just set, forget it and just check on it occasionally to make sure the print hasn't failed and left me with a stringy pile of melted plastic. I've had a couple prints take 30+hours and failed at the end. I've been up for 3 hours, think I'll take a nap.?

[Ivy]

Well, here goes…    

Sometimes I slip a book or my iPad in there - it just fits.  

I have another larger bag I can use when I want even more stuff with me.  I mean pockets are nice, but…

[Jackie C.]

3 hours ago, AmberM said:

We did have a conversation that was interesting. It is an observation that my depression has improved vastly since starting to come out. After years of suppressing the real me, that may have been a source of my depression, and how now that I have been leading depression groups, I kind of feel like an imposter. Not from a gender identity perspective, but as someone who identifies also having a mental health disorder. The more that I live authentically, the better I get, and it is also the more I can apply the coping skills I have learned over the years. I feel like I might be shedding a layer of my identity which is hard for me. Has anybody else experienced this phenomenon?

 

Oh yes, my depression is much better. I had a friend observe that I'd dropped most of my unhealthy habits. I just said, "Yeah, well I'm not trying to kill myself anymore. That makes a difference." I've shed a number of layers of the "old me" but I'm OK with that. I'm dropping the parts I put up to keep myself safe from the big bad world and keeping the authentic bits. It's a little like sculpting: You chip off the parts that don't fit while you're working towards making the best piece of art you can.

 

Hugs!

[Linda Marie]

Oh dear, that horrible depression. I battled that for 3 years. It blindsided me, came from no where.

I had everything going for me then that hit. I did kind of what Jackie said, I started talking to it, silly I suppose, but it worked after a long battle. I did set up my camera and was ready for my last day, that was when I woke up and went to battle.

I have 5 purses, I love my purses, just to lazy at times to empty then and change purses, lol.

Ginger my cat was a feral cat that showed up in my basement a few years ago. I fed her, then trapped her and took her

to the vet's and had her spaded, and all her shots, I even put a cat door and food bench in my basement for her and her son, Fuzzy, trapped him also and shots and fixed. They both have been with me now for a few years.

 

[Willow]

Most recent first, Yes I agree the more you manage to come out and (ok why can’t I turn this back off?) are accepted, the better you feel.  

[Willow]

Trying this again, the worry is alway lack of acceptance but it’s never as bad as you imagine.  My wife was my worst and she has given her concerns to God.  We are doing a whole lot better.

 

Purses, I don’t carry all that in my purse, but I will say after carrying one, I don’t understand why the MURSE never caught on.  I wear glasses in case you hadn’t noticed so a glasses case with my prescription sun glasses, or vice versa, lipstick, hair brush, keys, phone, a compact, I try to carry tissues but use them and don’t think to replace them, a face mask, and my wallet.  It matches the purse.  My wife makes purses and matching wallets out of different materials.  The one I’ve been using is cork.  But she makes quilted, foleather, and others and she usually manages a matching wallet. Sometime my wife and I want the same one and have to share.  Ok, I give in to her most of the time but I have a couple she made specifically for me.