good quote

It wasn't like, "Pass the papardam, I'm a pro-choice, pro-peace lesbian, here's the chutney." But close.

Martha would be proud

A few weeks ago I bought a bunch of new kitchen appliances online, and they started to slowly trickle in. I got a cheapo blender, because I didn't want to pay for the one that I really want; a small 4 cup food processor; and a dehydrator; then I 'inherited' a bread maker from my parents. Also, for my last birthday (in July) H bought me the ingredients to make homemade vegetable based soap. So, for the past couple weeks I've been playing house!

I started with the bread maker. I went hunting for wonderful bread recipes. I have recipes for desert bread, wheat bread, sandwich bread, french bread, sourdough bread, fruit bread, pizza dough... anything you could imagine. The first one I made tasted delicious, but the yeast messed up somehow and it never rose. It was as dense as a rock. We nibbled and then tossed it in the trash. Then I successfully made a blueberry oatmeal bread that rocked my socks, and then an nut bread that we used for sandwiches for a week. I'm 2 for 2 so far with successes in my bread maker. One day I'll get good at it.

A few days before Thanksgiving, I made a white bean soup that was delicious, if I do say so myself. I had to finely chop onion, carrots, garlic, tomatoes (which was a disaster) so I got to use my food processor. Then I added bay leaves, oregano, cilantro, and half pureed (in my blender!) half whole white beans. YUMMM!

Also, two weekends ago I spent the afternoon chopping and dicing to make some dehydrated snacks. The dehydrator worked wonderfully. I sliced red and green apples - the granny smith are perfect for this - and made apple chips; I also dehydrated bananas, which were more difficult to slice thin enough to dehydrate successfully. Then I did some red bell peppers, and I plan on dehydrating carrots and oranges as well. Best of all, I made 100% fruit, no sugar added fruit leather. It's like healthy fruit roll ups. The simplest way is to just pour a layer of apple sauce on the screens that lay on top of the dehydrator trays. It was so successful that next time I'd like to puree more fruits, like bananas, citrus and berries, to add to the apple sauce.

Now, for the most fun part. H and I made vegetable based soap last week. Our recipe included almost mostly olive oil, and then the rest made up of coconut oil, jojoba oil, and sweet almond oil. We scented it with lavender and peppermint. There are a few systems of soap making; we used lye to create the chemical reaction with the oils, that makes something called 'trace' which is, essentially, the point where the mixture begins to become creamy and harden. For the number of things that can go wrong when making soap, I was so ecstatic that our first attempt was successful.

Our soap is now hardening in our guest room, and it smells awesome. The only, very minor, hiccup in this all is that we didn't have wax paper to line our mold with so the soap has been sitting upside down on a table for over a week, and is still stuck in the mold. Hmmm. After we leap that hurdle, I plan to gift most of the soap for Christmas stockings. I also have recipes for liquid soaps that sound amazing. I can make shampoo, dish soap, puppy soap, hand soap... I'm never buying soap again.

Photos of some of my homemaking adventures are soon to come!

excitement

A late blog post, perhaps, but one that is good to finally write. H and I just finished putting together our wedding website, and sent it out to family and friends announcing our engagement.

For a long time I fought the whole idea of 'coming out.' My argument is always that it should not be so strange or unexpected that it has to be suggested as a possibility before it is. My brother didn't bring a girl home for the first time and say 'Mom, Dad, I'm a heterosexual, and this is my girlfriend.' It felt unfair that I should have to go through that rather embarrassing, very scary process. However, that is life. Homosexuality is in the minority. People never expect someone to be gay; people always expect someone not to be gay.

I had an easy chore, I think; easier than many others, at least. All of my friends reacted in one of two ways - either the classic, "I thought this was something new?" or "Yeah, that makes sense." And my family either said it out loud before I was ever even convinced, or responded with, "That's wonderful, and we love you." In a way this made it even easier for me to fight 'coming out', because I felt that people already knew or didn't care in the least. The scariest group to talk about this to was my family, but that is likely more of a result of how important they are to me, rather than their point of view. The most difficult group to talk to is the family that I gained while growing up in the church. This is most definitely because of their importance to me; but also a direct result of the church's teaching on homosexuality. There is no denial of the desire or tendency, but clear teaching that living out the lifestyle is wrong. The difficulty lies in asking or expecting someone who believes in these teaches so strongly to then turn their back on them in order to still think of me in a favorable light. Over the past few years there have been two major reasons why I decided to be completely open.

First, I have slowly, but oh-so-surely come to realize that this is truly and entirely me, and that I will never be able to live happily if I'm not true to it. Case in point - I have never been happier now or more excited for the future before Haley. If these people are really that important to me, then I want them to know this and still share in my life.

Second is a point I felt very strongly just after the vote in Maine came through. Well, rather, it is a point that someone else made that I agree wholeheartedly with. An excerpt:

For me, I know the most powerful thing I can do is to continue to raise my family. To be out, every step of the way, proud and willing to have any conversation to help people understand better what it means to be a lesbian in this country.

What it means to be a second class citizen.

Because deep down, I believe people will do the right thing when they have direct contact with what they fear is so different. That it's not about sex but humanity. It's about love and respect. It's about valuing human beings, all human beings, equally.

We are all God's children, to quote a friend of mine. I don't think you have to believe in God to believe in the sentiment. Someday, this nation will understand that.

Someday soon.

But not today.

Yes and yes.

So, essentially, I feel almost a duty to be totally open in order to inform people: This is homosexuality. I am what you are so against.

OK, now to the actual point of this post (or maybe not anymore.) Every detail of the most adorable, wonderful, romantic story is on the web site, so I won't rewrite them here. I am so excited to be engaged to this beautiful, amazing woman. I am so excited to begin our lives together; to inspire, to take care of, to share with and grow with each other. Check out our website if you have the time (it's a bit long... ha... because we felt the need to introduce ourselves to each other's families rather then just simply announce. I hope it's at least entertaining) and share in our excitement!

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/LiannaBurton&HaleySchmidt

Women's Health VS Insurance companies

Check out this post at Suburban Lesbian Housewife - I concur.

I will make sure my boobies are healthy no matter what my age, thank you very much.

R.I.P. Ramona my betta fish

I took a couple days of contemplation before sitting down to write this entry. On Saturday, I came home from work to find my beautiful 2 year old betta, Ramona, floating on her side on the top of the tank. I gasped, of course, and upon closer inspection I pronounced her dead. Estimated time of death 6:30 AM.

Remembering Ramona will always put a smile on my face. While she came from humble beginnings (the neighborhood Petsmart and a 2 cup plastic bowl) she rose to great heights - literally. Ramona spent most of her days atop a bookshelf or counter top in a luxurious two gallon tank, complete with LED light and filter. She swam playfully through her fake rocks and Greecian columns. It was very important to her to connect with me and, therefore, with my roots. She always greeted me with a cute fish smile and fluttering side fins. I can see her now - swimming up towards my waiting fingers, fluttering away while I drop little betta pellets into her water.

Ramona was perseverant. She survived two moves across town to different apartments, and many, many taps on her bowl. Ramona was brave. She lived with, not just one, but two cats and a dog; all of whoom inspected her closely on more than one occasion. But Ramona did not falter in her bubbles. No, she did not hide. She did not stop fluttering.

H and I held a memorial service in Ramona's honor. We gathered the family (not an easy task) and each said some kind words, remembering Ramona and the happiness she brought to us. In the background, The Beatles sang "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" as Ramona's spirit drifted up to the big ocean in the sky. Then, while Coldplay reassured us the "Everything's Not Lost," we processed into the bathroom where H did the flushing honors.

It was a closed lid memorial. Please send any gifts to the betta support fund of Texas.

Re posted

I copied this link from a favorite blog of mine bilerico.com. I do not always agree with this website and the many different writers' views; and actually this article could do a nice job of even explaining why that may be. But most of all, I think this article is insightful and truthful. It inspires me to really step back, realize my own personal position and attempt to become a better ally to those who hold a different experience than me. It's a bit long, but so worth it.

"You wanna know why the gays are apathetic?"