I Have a Paying Job!

 

One out of 12 rams (male sheep) are uninterested in females and prefers the company of males. They are deemed “non-procreative” (worthless to a farmer) and sent to slaughter. So, this German farmer, Michael Stücke, rescues the gay rams and formed the company Rainbow Wool, and sells their wool. A collaboration between Rainbow Wool and Grindr resulted in a fashion show called I Wool Survive. It featured 36 unique looks by designer Michael Schmidt, made entirely from the wool of the gay rams, and celebrating queer identity through knitted and crocheted archetypes like Fireman, Sailor, Jock, Daddy and more. Proceeds from sales went to LGBTQA charitable organizations.

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Saturday morning and guess what. It’s raining, so I decided to wait to see if it would slow down before walking with Her Highness. I was up at 4:30 because Fred and Sheba were both in the bedroom making get up noises, and since it doesn’t get light until 8:00, I had a long wait to be able to know how wet it was without going outside.

On the plus side, it was mild. I lit the fire as soon as I got up, and I planned on another day of good behavior. I ate a housefull of food on Thursday. I was hungry all the time, but on Friday I got myself back on track and had a very good day. Yesterday was the same.

I upgraded my operating system yesterday on my phone, watch and computer. Now, a lot of things are different, and it’s called on me to learn all over again how to do several things. The other upgrade I experienced yesterday was wearing a sock on my right foot—the foot wood fell on five weeks ago. Finally, I felt confident enough that there would not be any more seeping into my sock. Five weeks for that wound to heal. 

When we came home from the walk, it felt so, so good to be dry and cozy warm. This house makes me so wonderfully happy all the time. All my life I dreamed of living in a cabin. This isn’t really a cabin I live in, but it is made of logs and that feels right because I live in the forest. Logs are much more natural than gyprock. And on a rainy day in Winter, the house, with the living room lit by firelight, is so wonderfully soothing.

At noon it started pouring. The rain thundered down on my metal roof. I spent the early afternoon under my electric blanket, and the fire was kept high. Oh, the loveliness of being warm and dry on such a day! By 15:00, it was clear that there was not going to be any respite from the rain, so Her Highness and I ventured out to brave the elements.

We went to Rollo Park where there’s a nice flat trail and the two huge fields that inspire Her Highness to run around and jump with joy. That did not happen in the rain, but miraculously, there was far less rain falling at Rollo that has been pounding down on my roof. I was very happy to have walked twice on such a day.

I called Steve and got him just as he and his partner, Tim, were heading out to join in the LA anti-ICE demonstration. He sent my photos and I saw footage of the protests on television that showed massive crowds, especially in Minneapolis. So much has happened in the USA in this first year of Trump. There are three more years to go. What a shitshow. I saw a great photo of scores and scores of snowmen with stick rifles at the ready to defend Greenland. And here’s a photo Steve took at the LA protest.

It started getting very dark at 16:00. I had to turn lights on, but I welcomed the arrival of the night because I stoke the fire and build it up, and then we all settle in for the slow slide to sleep. It’s lovely at night with the fire going and Fred, Ethel resting close to the heat, and Her Highness lying by the front door where there is cooler air. She is a mountain dog, after all.

Aidan wrote to me. We are going to have regular Wednesday meetings and he has given me a job. I am going to be paid! SPACE got a grant that included a budget for a “lived experience” consultant. The grand givers wanted someone in a paid position who lives with dysfluency, and that’s going to be me. This wonderful connection with Aidan and SPACE is changing my world for the better in very many ways!

This afternoon is my first SPACE board meeting. I’m excited about it. Otherwise, I’ll read, we’ll walk and keep the fire going.