Happy Labor Day!

Vintage clock gear with Egyptian Flair - vintage brass stamping, flame patina ( it's brighter than the pic shows) and vintage clock hand, cobalt glass drop

Happy Labor Day!

another quickie... Art Splash this weekend!

back plate from vintage alarm clock, key from even older clock, painted dragonfly and crystals

This coming weekend is Art Splash so I'm spending every minute I can in the studio, trying to finish up a few more projects for this show... I'm soooo excited and looking forward to this weekend!

quickie post...

Vintage lock from antique store, etched by me key

This is normally where I blog about something, anything, but today I'm visiting the folks... so have a great Saturday people!

Farmer's Market This Sat 7-noon - Downtown Des Moines

just some of the new treats for Farmer's Market this weekend!

I sooo enjoy doing farmer's Market... the customers are wonderful, and the other vendors are too... and the food! I adore the food!!!

Cookies (always my sweet down fall) , cupcakes, crap ragoons, all kinds of cheeses, veggies, pasta, popcorn....

Jerry and I try not to eat our way through the market, but it's hard not too!  Last time I tried this new item, don't know the name, but it's mostly egg and ricotta cheese that was to die for !!! (started with a f.. )

  Sometimes there is a legion booth that sells freshly squeezed in front of your eyes orange juice.. it's the best stuff since the freshly squeezed  orange juice in Israel back when I was 21 years.  That's a long time to go to break a best of.. but farmer's market does it.  Anyway, any time we are both at the market at the same time it's a must buy for me.

I'll be on the north side of 3rd street this week, official spot is 3n5, which should translate 3 booths down from Court av & 3rd street.  However it doesn't always translate as well as it ought too.. so just look for me on 3rd north! 

You can get all kinds of info on the market here - enjoy!

My flying Tiger is finally flying!!

Front view

 I started this project back in April or may, and got stuck.  Part of the problem was building in the space so the cog can spin freely -- I keep thinking I would add something to keep that space free and also make a bail on the top of the tiger's head for the chain.  However, just from the front it didn't look quite right, either.  So it's been floating on top ( or on bottom ) of my projects in progress pile since then.  I've picked it up and played around but just couldn't get passed the twin problems of I want Movement and I need to make a bail.

Last Saturday I got my Muse box from B' Sue and it had bat wings in it! A little bell when off in my head and some rivets later, I had me my flying tiger!!

The problem all along is tigers would have bigger wings than just the little bit of feathery fluff around it's head.  Somehow bat wings seem really appropriate.  I really like this, and in my head I'm now calling him Charlie.  No clue, why, but it's there.

Behind corner view.. see large cavity so the gear can spin freely

back-view.  I didn't want it 2 "messy" so part of the infrastructure is pretty!

Lots of room for that baby! I used rubber washers to help space the cog just right

more pictures -- earrings

My lady steampunk earrings..

This always makes me think of Ben Franklin.. look it up

Tie-dye lizards...

Just pictures today!

hinge bracelet.. this is using jewelry components actually but I think it's pretty kewl looking even so!

Steampunk kitty earrings

boy, my house is a pit

gear like thingies from a 1960's cash register..

 I need a nap!! I got up around 340am this morning ( Sadly, this is only 1 hour early, on a farmer's market day) got ready for Farmer's Market, which went great and we had the best weather we have had all year so far.. it was in the mid-80's, just enough wind to keep one cool.  Brilliant!!

My sister is coming in to town tomorrow and will be spending a night or 2 with us.  When means I need to get the house clean -- now I have low standards, but this place is below that.  I need to at least make an attempt to get it in better shape!!

To top it off, one of the cats started to pee inappropriately, and once one does that, they all follow.  aRRGH!  It's in instinctual to use the same place over and over (one reason litter boxes work) so once they start up in the "wrong" place it's a bitch to get them to stop.  Most cats don't go in the wrong place without a reason.... the problem is we are not sure why this time.  ( last time one of the fur-babies was sick.. but they all seem well.  The litter boxes are more or less in decent shape, and as far as we can tell, the other cat's aren't gaining up on her... ) We are working on it.  We have got them to stop except 1, and we are trying to get her retrain.  On the bright spot, that one area of the living room is very clean.. until the next time the cat's need a pit stop.  (can I say ARRGH! again??? )

I have 2 really big shows left on the schedule, as well as farmer's market, smaller shows and East Village Sunday Bazaar's.  So today I'm planning to clean, tomorrow is family time with the Sis, and then I really need to buckle down and get some inventory done.  Next weekend I have no shows.. wow! Only the 2nd break during this summer, so next weekend is earmarked as major production session... I think I will wear pj's and putter in the studio the whole weekend!!! I need to make more items with recycled parts, more chainmaile, more EVERYTHING! And I'm almost ready to do some etching, I've been working on pieces so hopefully next weekend I'll do a etch session.  So have a great weekend, and pass the Windex!

These are all new components, but isn't this a kewl pair of earrings?

Jerry's Favorite Earrings

Can you tell what these are made from?

These are already sold, but before they sold, they were Jerry's favorite pair of earrings.  Anytime he had someone interested in how and what we use to make our Mechanical Romance line, he would point out these earrings as an example of recycling at it's finest.

He would ask them what are they made of?  Only one person figured it out ... the rest would have no idea.  He would give them clues.. saying they were something that 15 years ago you probably used and saw everyday.

I made these earrings out of brass bead caps and the cute little dragonfly.. the vintage salvage bits are the clear cylinders. 


so... do you have any idea what these earrings are made out of???
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They are from a 1960's phone -- part of the cradle you would lay the receiver on after you finished your phone call.

Mission Commission

 I feel bad... A gal bought this crayon wire cuff from me at the last farmer's market, and wanted a matching pendant and earrings to go with it.  Normally I try to get to commissions- and get them done!! - in a 2 week period.  I've missed that deadline!! so Last night I started and tonight I will hopefully finish, take pics and Weds I can polish/tumble/finish... that's the goal anyway.

So hopefully tomorrow's blog will be mission completed!

A little bit of this, and little bit of that....

The balloon man at Farmer's Market in Des moines. 

OK, so this will be a QUICK  version of random thoughts.

First... Paypal ruled in my favor.  Yeah!!! I'm still sadden over the whole incident but at least paypal doesn't think I'm a gear thief.  

I haven't left her feedback on Etsy yet.  The "bad" part of me feels like being a vindictive bitch and giving her a neg.. but most of mean realizes while she was wrong about my character, it's easy to see how she felt that way.  I'm sure the first underweight package was a mistake, and then to have the 2nd package damaged during shipment might lead one thoughts there ( my thoughts were there about her after all until I realized how damaged the box was)   I'm pretty sure she is a good person at heart.  Then of course, there is one's duty to fellow on line buyers.. you should tell of your bad experiences in hopes that they avoid a bad situation.  I will probably just not leave feedback at this point.

So in a few days I will have a refund of my money, so I can finally close the book on this whole shindig.

I bet you all will be as glad to hear the end of it as I will!!!

Today's show at Washington Iowa was slowish, but the weather was soooo lovely!!! Mid-80's, light, refreshing wind, sunny.  sigh.

It didn't have the crowds it deserved, why anyone would hide inside today is a mystery!   So Jerry and I took turns hitting the antique shop across the street from the show, and I even hit up goodwill.. and I actually found a nice shirt in my size there!! like, that never happens!! It wasn't something I would have ever bought at full price, but heck, just finding something in my size at goodwill.. I would have bought anything short of a wife-beater t-shirt just to have proof something in my size was there!!!!

Next Saturday is Downtown Des Moines Farmer Market.  Yeah!!  

Random Thoughts

I Made this version of my "Valerie" necklace alittle  grungier.  I like the mix of the "soft" flowers but in the harder, edgier blacks and coppers.

The bad box saga continues.  I'm waiting on Paypal to make a decision before I can do anything else.  I finally got my refused box back.  The ironic bit?  According to Paypal's website (and what I've heard from other friends ) they often just have you "return" the item to the seller for a full refund which they give out, not the seller.  Since I've already tried that and had my box refused not sure how that will work out.  I can tell you I am going to be very upset if they think I should ship the box back to the seller again.  But, just in case that is the resolution I am not touching my returned box.. it's sitting the the studio unopened.  If I have to spend yet more of my money to ship it back to that person again, All I have to do is slap new tag on it. 

I've decided to keep my "good" box as a special treat for now.  I have a couple of large shows coming up in September and I really need to start getting inventory made for them, NOW!  So I have promised myself I can't touch my good box unless I've made my goals for the week.  I know, sounds silly, but I'm also hitting that part of the year where I'm just TIRED.  I'm starting to have creativity fatigue. 

We have had shows almost every week and will continue to do so until the end of September.  I have just 1 weekend off in August.. so I really need to get crackin'.  Now that Jerry has a short break before school starts up again, he's promised to start tearing things apart.  I have a couple of older clocks in the pile and a toy cash register ( so cute!) as well as a real cash register and all kinds of other goodies that are in need of deconstruction.  I bet some of the new pieces will start up the creative juices as well. 

I bought a bunch of new shirts recently.  It's amazing how wearing a new shirt you love can help bring some joy to your day.  I even got a compliment on my "new shirt" of today.  Nothing like a compliment  out of the blue to make you feel good!


Just that little lift can raise your spirits!

Course chocolate can work too.

I had a couple of folks comment on that Zombie walk pic I put up Monday.  Honestly it's hard to find pictures of me and Jerry together, it was the first one I came across so that's what I used.   We met at a science fiction convention, so  using a zombie pic fits the general framework of our marriage! 

Right now Jerry and I are both reading the Honor Harrington books by David Weber.  It's been awhile since we have read a series together -- and really nice ! Not that we ever run out of things to talk about, but it's funny the different takes we have on the series.  He loves all the science stuff, while I sort of skim that part.  It has a bunch of strategic and tactical exposition which we both enjoy. And it has a creature that more or less is a six armed telepathic cat. Mr. Weber is extremely hard on his characters, but not in a bad writing kind of way.. it's a war that has so far lasted 10 years.  People die in wars, bad things happen in wars.  It's got a real realistic edge to it, without ever losing hope.

I would recommend it to any science fiction fans out there.. good stuff.

WOW

Zombies in love (Kat and Jerry at Des Moines' Zombie Walk 2011)

Busy Busy Busy.  *BUT* I had to stop, and take a moment to appreciate that tomorrow is my 19th wedding anniversary.

WOW

Love ya Honey, here's to many, many more. 

Now this is what on-line buying SHOULD be like!!!

Look! no split seam!!

I removed a top layer of padding, to reveal -- mostly more tightly packed padding.  everything arrived safe and sound in this box!

this is most of what I got!

Gorgeous!! I already made this one into something!

drool drool drool... most of these pieces have the fancy engraving!  and look at the kewl bonus vintage advertising wood box!

Top cluster of crystals and glass is from a old 50-60's rhinestone necklace.  I added a inked dragonfly, and a vintage Czech crystal drop.  YUM!

Last week, felt great, this week.. not so much..... long post about buying online

What I was expecting  - drool drool drool

I just spend $88.50 for 16 gears /cogs, and one of them is damaged. 

Warning, this is a long blog.

Let me start this explanation with a quickie preface.

Some months ago I purchased a 2 lb lot of old clock parts, mainly cogs and gears. When the package arrived, it weight 20.4 oz. As I’m sure you know, each pound = 16 oz. That means the package was missing almost 12 oz. (That’s 36% short!) If the package had been off just an oz or 2, I wouldn’t have said anything.. but almost a third of the value wasn’t there.

What actually arrived..

Now anyone can make a mistake, and I advised the seller, and she quickly made good on it by sending me 2 lbs more. I was extremely pleased with the quick fix and the gears and I found myself checking her site from time to time, looking for more big lot deals. I was completely satisfied and I thought the dealer was happy with the fix also. 

No big deal, right? 

Earlier this month I bought from this vendor again, this time 9 pounds. When the box arrived, it was banged up and seemed.. “light”. I weighted it around 3.5 lbs unopened. Opening the box was a huge disappointment.. it had half a dozen large heavy pieces I can’t possibly use, 16 cogs and a small smattering of other little bits, including broken plastic shards ( from a box?) There was one smallish piece of bubble wrap, and large, dirty, and empty plastic bags.

I admit when the box first came up short, I did think of the earlier event.. and wondered if someone was trying to pull a fast one on me.

I was livid, convo’d the seller, and I admit, I might have been overly strong in my typing. 

I should have taken a deep breath, checked the box more closely and generally used my brain instead of panicking. 

it’s sooo hard to communicate on the net sometimes, because people can read more or less into the words you put down.. you miss all the non verbal cues that modify what is expressed. I asked if another box was coming, maybe she had to split up the lot? Because it was almost 6 lbs short. I didn’t accuse her of shorting me on purpose, but I can see on a reread how that could have come across that way. I admit, to my shame, I was certainly thinking it was possible.

She was very logical & professional in her reply, stated it weighted 9.4lbs on shipment, and maybe there was a hole and things leaked out? She offered to refund my $$ if I shipped it back. I did a mental double take, and went back to the studio to investigate, and discovered the box was in worse shape than I realized. It was all taped back up by the time I got it, but it’s obvious one entire corner of the box had split open at some point, and that the missing items were probably lost in the mail. 

In my defense I’ve gotten boxes from the PO that got mangled in machines there, and they would be taped up.. but the tape was yellow and marked as from the post office. This was fixed with clear tape. Maybe the post office doesn’t use special tape anymore? Maybe who ever fixed it, presumably in the PO, didn’t use the correct “damage” tape? I honestly have no idea. If the damaged tape had been used it would have made my life easier !! 

As it is it makes me sick to think of all those lovely vintage cogs lost , probably ended up swept up and thrown in the garbage.

And what it came in.. the pinched in damaged corner.. how did I miss this the first look I took?

Examining the box corner, it almost looks like it blew out from the inside.. the inside seam separated, it’s not a tear or rip. Priority boxes are made tough, but if one of the bigger pieces wasn’t packed tightly, I could see it rolling around and hitting the box with enough force during shipment to punch the side open. 

However, I’m not a forensic shipping specialist, (wouldn’t that be a kewl job?) so it could a defective box or the PO playing soccer with it, or fill in the blank. I can’t know for sure. 

The only thing I do know for sure is 2/3rds of the boxes contents went bye-bye before it reached my porch-step. And they were the 2/3^rd I really wanted.

At this point, I’m completely satisfied that it was a shipping misadventure, so I agreed to ship it back to her for a refund on the lot ( minus shipping) So I folded the old box in the bottom of a new box, added a bunch of bubble wrap to ensure everything was snug and got it in the mail asap.

The box arrived at her location, but it wasn’t dropped off, as I requested signature required. It was waiting for her pick up. After a couple of days, I asked her to get it picked up so I could get my refund.. she responded she was out of town for the week.

Monday I checked with the po as I hadn’t heard anything, and she had rejected the package, and it’s winding it’s self back to me.

OK, trying not to jump the gun again, I asked her what is going on. 

Apparently she’s now decided I’m a thief, and I ripped her off last time and I’m planning on ripping her off again this time. She seems to think the 1^st package months ago wasn’t short, I just said it was to get more goodies, and it worked so well last time I’d do it again.

So not only am I a Thief, but I’m a stupid one. 

Really? 

Could we make that decision before I mailed back the package, costing me another $13.50, because you TOLD ME TO?? 

Could we have had a discussion prior to shipping it back about your concerns? 

 She offered, up front, in her very first response, a refund if I shipped it back. Had she accepted the package (as she should of as she requested it) she would have seen the damaged box.

She feels she has “proof” that I scammed her the first time. My feelings on that? Why didn’t we have this discussion months ago??

 When I told her it was under weight, she immediately offered to make it right, and she did. There wasn’t any couching of terms.. it was a direct and swift “sorry let me make it better” 

When this 2^nd box came around.. it wasn’t just listed on her Etsy.. I saw a reserved listing for someone else, asked hey can I get that too? And she made up a box for me. 

Why would she do that if she thought I ripped her off the first time?? 

As for proof, she thinks the tracking id’s of the package will show she mailed in the correct amount.

 I have 3 thoughts on this. 

1^st, again, if she had “proof” why didn’t this come up back in December??

 2^nd, if she is using postage off the web, she’s entering the weight herself, and the post office won’t care if she “paid” too much postage, they weigh them but only to make sure the PO isn’t cheated. Besides if she sent it priority flat rate last time(and I think she did) so they really don’t care about the weight anyway. 

 3^rd, maybe she’s confusing my 1^st package that was underweight with the make up package, which was probably around 2 lbs originally promised. ( I really need to dig through my emails, it’s possible I have the tracking id’s somewhere ) 

So now I’m disputing the charges via PayPal. I feel I did everything I was supposed to, and she should refund my money. I mailed back what was left of her package, but she refused it. I am not sure at this point who will “win” ….. 

No actually, no one is a winner in this situation. 

We both loose on this deal… even if I “win” most or all of my original money back via paypal, I’m still left with a very bad taste in my mouth. I don’t like thinking someone thinks so poorly of me. I know it shouldn’t matter but it does. 

I lose a supplier of very neat components that are getting hard to find. 

She loses a good buyer. (OK she might quibble with that.. but honestly she has listings up right now I was contemplating. I also know she’s sort of got a time limit on selling this stuff; I was toying with making an offer on all the “good stuff” remaining, or at least a decent chunk of it. Not going to happen now though, is it?) 

I’m sure (at least in my fair minded moments – I’m only human so not all my moments are fair minded about this right now) she’s a good person, so I bet she’s as stressed out about all of this as I have been. 

And she’s added to her karma debt for her actions in this.

I can actually see her side in this up to a point. 

She doesn’t know me from Adam, and it’s really bad luck to have similar problems twice with the same customer.. so maybe they were “manufactured” problems. (though again, the first package wasn't damaged in shipment, and it was underweight.. but she's doing alot of packages.  it's easy to get confused.  )

I can honestly understand if she had reservations on this whole situation. 

The point is when she refused the package. 

I think that is what bothers me the most. 

 She’s essentially judged me guilty without letting me have my day in court. 

Maybe the box remains wouldn’t have “proven” my innocence if she’s stuck on the thief theory, but surely it counts for something that I sent it back promptly, and didn’t try to “scam” her out of more gears. I guess I won’t ever know. 

 Course the fact I’ve sold and bought on ebay for over 15 years, with perfect feedback, bought and sold on Etsy for 5 years, again with perfect feedback, ought to count for something. I’ve had very few problems with buying and selling online, maybe only 2 times before this situation have I had problems . I’ve never had to dispute a charge with PayPal before either. I’ve never had anyone dispute a sell from me either!

Best case, I’m out $13.50, maybe 26.00 if paypal only refunds the original listing minus shipping. Worse case, I paid $88.50 for 16 gears. 

Either way, I’ve had much better days.  

PS.. as of today I haven't gotten the box back yet either... and the PO hasn't updated the tracking id since it was "refused" on Monday.  Maybe they don't track returns? is it sitting at her PO still, in limbo?  

So it might end up as $88.50 for flat nothing.

Sharing my Jewelry makes me Feel special.........

One of my retaining ring earrings.. I liked this style so much I made me a pair!

As some of you know, Jerry has gone back to college and works par-time  at a local game store.  Yesterday he noticed one of the store customers  wearing my earrings! SQUEEEEE !   So he told her it must be one of his wife's earrings, and she gushed about how much she loved them and had just got them a few weeks ago at the state fair grounds.

This thrills me on so many levels..

First, my hubby, who is after all, a guy, could recognize my jewelry like that!  Yes, he helps sells it, and yes, he's much more interested in it now that he helps create some of my raw materials... still, he's a guy.  When I met him he could probably recognize the difference between a bracelet and a necklace and thought there were 8 colors... and now he can spot my jewelry on strangers!!

Second, that he actually ran across someone wearing my jewelry.  I love to make it, I love to make people happy with it.  It's always exciting to be out and randomly met up with one of your customers.. actually wearing your design at that time!! I've had it happen just a few times.. after all, we sell all over and Des Moines is big town ( big for Iowa) so random encounters are not going to happen that much.  

I have this experience at my day job from time to time... many of my co-workers have bought jewelry from me over the years.  It's still exciting and rewarding every time it happens!

It's always a validation of what you are doing as a artist to see your work on someone!

I love where my jewelry aesthetic is right now.  I think I'm really developing an recognizable, internally consistent style.. without losing myself in the process.  It started last year, and I've evolving still. 

The process is as much fun as the end results!

OK, time to go make some jewelry... I have a show this weekend in Marshalltown, the Linn Creek Art Festival Sunday 10-4pm.  I need to have some new lovely and interesting designs ready to go, so we can bump into more customers' wearing my work in the future!

what's next....

This coming Sunday is Linn Creek Art Festival in Marshalltown ... Last week I went nuts trying to get as many earrings finished as I could, so this week I'm going to work on my Mechanical Romance line, mostly necklaces.  I started to work yesterday on a few projects using parts from a 1903 ( yes, that's 110 years ago!!) singer sewing machine, and a 1960's adding machine.  I have more clock/watch parts lined up, and more typewriter parts.  I also want to get more chainmaile done.  That should keep my busy this week.  I'll try to have quick pics for Wednesday.

Really old Porcelain clock  face -- I put resin on it as it was in fragile shape.  brass butterfly, crystal

We have a double header on Saturday..... Farmer's Market and Jazz in July (Waveland Park)

Chainmaile braclet, stiff enough to stand by it's self, but still very fluid to wear.

Not that anyone probably missed me , but I'm BACK!

This post will mostly likely count as Saturday's though, because Saturday is busy busy busy!!

First I'll be at Downtown Des Moines Farmer's Market 7-12pm .  Same spot as we are gonna have all year - the north side of 2nd street, in-front of the parking ramp there.  We are the 3 or 4th booth in depending on who else sets up.  Close enough to smell Uncle Wendell's wonderful BBQ! (He's on the south side- the link is to his facebook, cause sometimes he has specials for facebookers!)

 Then 6;30-830pm (aprox)  I'll be at Jazz in July, Waveland Park.   The band? Orquesta Alto Maiz.  I've never seen this one, so I took a peek up on youtube, and they sound fab!! (peek here) 
I really like this kind of music-- it's so fun and joyous with just a hint of naughty.  Yum!

Waveland is not just fun Latin sounds, they have kids entertainment, pony rides, salsa dance lessons (Kewl!!)  at intermission, and food.

And  after all that fun, There will be a Waveland Park after party with DJ810 sponsored by the DM Social Club


Really, Jazz in July This Saturday cannot be missed...  it's gonna be fun fun fun!!

At the risk of angering the weather gawds ( who have been pretty damn uncooperative so far this year) it's not suppose to rain.  Seriously.  Zip, Zero, Nada, per the weather site. 

Since this is Iowa, that is of course subject to change, without notice, any minute now.

ArtFest Was grand... but so is a break!

Jerry stands by some of our Neighbor's artwork... a 12 ft tall Cacti.  Goes well with Jerry pink Hawaiian shirt doesn't it?

ArtFest Midwest  is over and wow! it was such a good show for us, best ever sales.. but it's more than sales.  It's well run, the customer's were all so very friendly and our fellow artists of course were lovely to chat with.  And fresh baked chocolate chip cookies by the cup or bucket!  Anytime I can get bakery goods at a show is a good show!!  And it rained ... but we were inside and could laugh at the rain and the wind.  Actually we were so busy the first 6 hours of the show, we didn't do anything but ring up sales and adjust jewelry to fit the happy new owners. 

Jerry and I have a 2 week break... our next date is July 13th.. a double header!

First up is Downtown Farmer's Market 7-noon, and then in the evening (starting around 630 to? ) will be Jazz in July at Waveland Park 

I am taking a couple of days off to recharge batteries, and frankly clean the house.. it's fallen below even my low standards ... and then I 've got to make jewelry like a mad woman to fill in all the inventory holes that Artfest left.  This is not complaining!! I've very happy and grateful for such a good show.  but I've got work to do.  So I best go do it...

I wasn't going to blog today but now I have too.. love is love is love

Very busy getting ready for the biggest art show in Iowa, Artfest this weekend, so I was going to skip blogging today. 

But I can't not talk about the Supreme Court's ruling on DOMA today.  If you don't believe homosexuals deserve all the same rights and privileges and obligations  of "straight" people, then stop reading this, because I do.

I have never, ever understood why anyone objected to gay marriage.  If you ask someone point blank why they do object the best you can  get out of them is a stammered religious objection. 

If you ask that same person if they feel homosexuals are real people they declare of course they are ( at least in public)

But how illogical is it to deny gay people the right to marry if they are just as good as us? (us as in straight people I guess.  Us is such a swishy-washy word... it can mean soooo many things.  If I am to be in an us, I want to be in the us of kewl, tolerant people, gay or straight, black, white, or polka-dotted who don't give a damn if you love the same sex, cause love is love is love)

I don't understand how people can say there is nothing wrong with gay people but they can't marry.  There is just no logic to that.  It makes you suspect they do think something is wrong with gay people.

I don't understand people who say there is something wrong with gay people for that matter!

That's right up there with only 2 blue eyed people should marry, or be of the same race.  It's silly.  Stupid.  Irrational. 

Love is Love is Love.  I don't care what package it comes in, as long as I get mine. 

I am straight.   I'm very happily married to the same man, my Jerry, for almost 19 years.  Jerry wasn't really my type at first glance.. I always went for really skinny tal1 6ft guys with blue eyes.  ... but something about Jerry was magical.   He has these lovely dark brown eyes and dimples.  He's taller than me, but just average male height.   Those first heady weeks after we met we only talked on the phone to each other.. for hours at a time.  I knew he was the one by the 5th time I was in his actual presence again. 

Because he's a guy and I'm a gal, we were able to get married and start a family,  socially and legally approved by all.

   I can't imagine the pain I would feel if irrational people kept me from marrying the man I love because we were gay, or he had brown eyes and I have blue.  Just think how you would feel if some small, outward characteristic prevented you from all the legal protections marriage can bestow on a couple.. on a family.

Cause in my brain that is the same sort of stupidity preventing gay marriage.  Gay folks are just like everyone else.. some are good, some are bad, all are just as human.  Logically they shouldn't be treated any differently than I am in any situation--- job, marriage, as a parent, as a dog owner!!

To think anything else is just wrong.  Just wrong!  I try to be tolerant of other people's beliefs, but when it hurts people like this, when religion tells you it's OK to treat people as 2nd class citizens that just wrong.


wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong