A · Newbie's · Life

I haven't  taken the time to write in so long and so much has happened. I went back to work and off disability. Jon became Guard Tightey Whitey. I visited the Grand Canyon Sisters in Phoenix for their exquater celebration. I'm almost done fundraising for AIDS Lifecycle and have done intermittent and random training. Jon and I moved to a new apartment after being driven out by greedy landlords. Gosh, so much has happened...

and glowing. My daughter to be, Jenni Flekt, is a delightful, hard-working, friendly, engaging, young nun whose long overdue for progression. She's been a postulant for a year. I am so very excited to be able to mentor another nun more closely than I have. I always wanted to have kids it just turns out that my first is bald, bearded, blonde, and bearish. I'm so damn proud!

Saturday I am leading a group of nuns to Modesto to provide a joyous presence next to their crazy Christian protesters. I'm bringing Jenni with Jon and I along with Sister Margarita, Sister Shameless, and Sister Unity from LA with RIck Heinz and crew. I am really happy that some nuns took up the call to join with queers in Modesto who are under assault by fundies. Thank the goddess for keeping our journey safe!

Well Easter was a blast! I put together a green room with the help of Sister Mable Syrup, Postulant Mary Ralph, Aspirant Garter, amd Aspirant Sandy Cracks; among others. The egg roll I planned, based on the White House tradition, went well with all the kids having a good time. 

But the month didn't end there, no. I spoke to a class of students getting their Masters in social work. I helped bless SF CIty College campus for the queer students. I worked 8 hours at Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe for Dining Out For Life to benefit Vital Life Services. I attended the Immune Enhancement Project's open house followed by participating in the blessing of 1 year old Baby Bruno Torres. Finally, after workign at Day On The Ride from 7am-4pm, I went to bless and schmooze with attendees at the International Women Firefighters Conference. And that was just in one weekend.

My little Sisters are doing well. Postulant Mary Ralph is working hard. Postulant Minnie is a dream. Aspirant Sandy Cracks will be coming up and she's adorable. All our babies are doing well, in my opinion.

Last night I went to the Alameda Ducal Court's show at the Rainbow Room in Hayward. The reigning Grand Duchess Miss Ella Gant warmly welcomed me as did all theother people in the bar. They were so nice and appreciative of my presence. I feel like I made a connection to the Rainbow Room last night.

The drag queens knew what a SIster was but some of the folks didn't. All of them were fascinated and friendly. A couple of guys were very friendly buying me drinks and feelign me up. I ended the evening making out with a delightfully hot man upon whom I left my lips and chin. I'm glad I split when I did as I was lipless when I got to my car. I'll definitely go back for a visit as Sister and Nick.

...has nearly passed. This time last year I was a Postulant and full of wonder. Now I'm a black veil but still just as excited. Tomorrow is the AIDS Emergency Fund dinner for people with AIDS. It's nice to be attending events for the second year as a Sister.

It is still hard to believe that I am actually a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence. I have never asked for the approval of my peers in such a personal way. To be given the honor of fulfilling a much-needed role for queers and their friends is something I have yearned for most of my life.

I am also looking forward to working with Sister Constance in our Archives. We want to prepare an exhibit in celebration of our 30th year. But first we will fine tune our records and bring more focus to the collection. I am eager to serve the Order itself in a meaningful way.

I still find that I prefer to wear a more formal look. I love long, black, white bib, black veil. I am also finding a signature look that includes three gems under each eye. I prefer organza, silk, or anything light and shiny that can catch the wind. Eventually I need to make an appointment to get an official formal fitted. I want to make myself one as well in a Victorian style. I'm thinking black taffeta over a hoop skirt...lots of pleating and black lace and ribbon.

Blessed Be! I was given the privilege of Fully Professed Member-ship this past Tuesday evening. It is difficult to describe the mix of emotions I experienced- fear and elation and anticipation and relief. The meeting went well. My grilling was far gentler than I had led myself to believe it would be. Honestly, I half expected my Sisters to chew me out and instead they showed me just how loving they can be.

Once the vote was taken, my Mother, thee Sister Penny Lane; came out to get me and took me inside to be veiled. She selected the most beautiful emerald green liquid lamee with a heavy black lace to go over it. She then pinned on top of my new veils the most gorgeous jeweled headpiece. When I first saw myself I was delighted beyond belief at how beautiful my head was.

Along with SIster Dinah Might and our new Novice Sister Meira Ondawall, we took our vows at the Quaker Meeting House. I was so excited that in many ways the moment seems a bit hazy. I was literally filled with an energy that I had not felt before. It stayed with me all the way home and kept me up much of the night. So much love was coming my way and being returned that I may have just been overflowing.

I cannot say how much I owe to my Mother Sister Penny who guided me, soothed me, encouraged me, believed in me, befriended me, and gave of herself freely so that I could blossom into a Sister. Sister Mary Juanita High...that is me...for life. Just thinking about it makes my heart go pitter-patter. And of course I have learned so much from so many Sisters here and from outside SF. And I still have so very much to learn.

Over the next year I would like to build some bridges between the Order and the East Bay. I plan to continue working on my research into our early years at our Archives. And I definitely want to work with my fellow litter mates on their upcoming projects and continue developing relationships with my fellow Sisters. And of course there is planning for next year's Tour De Castro. And then I need to get a part-time job and figure out what to do about money...but until then there is community to build.

So it finally happened- my Novice project, the Tour De Castro. This last Saturday October 21, 17 teams raced through the Castro drinking, laughing, and raising alot of money. We managed to raise $6669 that day with another $2000 in matching funds still to come. The event went as flawlessly as I could have expected. Everyone had fun, including my Sisters, and went away happy. That alone is a sign of success.

FOrgive me for bragging a bit but it took alot of work to make this event happen. Sister Penny & I began planning back in June. I did most all of the leg work- taking out posters & Cards, collecting gifts, and buying all the supplies. SIster Penny prepared the graphics for everything, hooked me up with PR, and kept me on track. I had more than 150 emails, drove more than 300 miles to get the tricycles, made countless trips to the Castro to solicite and collect gifts, presented to MUMC, navigated the police, got volunteers, and managed to stay fairly calm throughout. It feels good to know that I can put on such a large event and have it turn out so well.

So next month I am seekign elevation to Fully Professed Member. If I am elevated I will end my process as a new member and begin the process of learning to be a Sister. I am so excited at the thought of elevating as I really feel ready.

The Tour De Castro, my novice project for elevation to Fully Professed Sister, will finally be taking place this Saturday October 21 at 12pm. I can't wait. Ihave thought so much about this event that I really feel ready for it. Don't get me wrong- I am feeling a few butterflies in my tummy. I'd be crazy if I didn't feel some nervousness in anticipation of what might happen. I mean it is San Francisco and all. But I won't know what is missing until someone asks for it.

Putting this together has been alot of work. I began back in June with planning. By the end of July we were ready to post posters, hand out clubcards, and take applications. I have posted to numerous websites, presented the event to the Merchants of Upper Market and Castro Association, appealed to several groups for volunteers, and have taken out dozens of donation requests. I've promoted at Revival Bingo, Dore Alley Fair, Folsom St. Fair, beerbusts, and Darshans. I even wore a promo card on the back of my veil. At the beginning of October several Sisters helped me pass out flyers in the Castro and talk up the event. Last week I drove close to 300 miles total getting the 17 tricycles for the registered racers at Target stores from Union City to Sacramento to Redwood City. I have produced registration materials, volunteer instructions, and check lists galore. I'm still collecting gifts to give away and getting the last bit of supplies.

There are quite a few people for me to thank for helping to make this happen. But a couple stand out: Sister Penny, Sister Flora, SIster Zsa, Sister Uma, and Sister Jane. Ok, that's more than a couple but they all had a direct hand in encouraging me when I doubted myability to make the TOur De Castro happen. Now that it's about to happen I am ever so grateful to all of them for believing in me.

Next month I will be asking for elevation to Fully Professed Sister. If I am black-veiled I will be Sister Mary Juanita High, the Medicinal Nun.

and so few sensible yet fabulous shoes.

This past week has been amazing! Last Thursday Sister Jane D'oh and I attended the Gay & Lesbian Historical Society's annual Gala. We volunteered to help with the silent auction they were having but with little to actually do found ourselves schmoozing the crowd. It was so nice to do this event for the second year now with my Big Sister Jane. Afterwards we attended a dance that Shanti organized for HIV positive folks and their friends. Even though the crowd was thin it was still a nice time.

Friday, I attended the Reflection Darshan with Sister Maejoy BeeWithU and SIster Farrah Moans. Spreading joy and reflections, we moved through the Castro casting light beams off of mirrors. We also spread flyers for Looking Good, Feeling Fab, the Pink Elephant Sale, and the TOur De Castro. We each talked to many people and finally pulled up our ministry around 1:00am.

Saturday was Looking Good, Feeling Fab IV to benefit five different organizations assisting breast cancer victims. Loads of nuns came out to help. I sold some raffle tickets, passed out gobs of flyers on the street, and helped when and where I could. I had started putting on face at 2pm that day and got home about 2am. I made the decision to keep my face on, minus my lashes, and to repair in the morning. My face survived fairly well intact. SOme minor swipes occurred before I woke at 9am to get ready to go back for the Pink Elephant Sale and the Castro Street Fair.

Jon dropped me at Novice Sister Dinah Might's Pink Elephant Sale, a fundraiser for the Transgender Law Center and the Order's wimple fund. What a fantastic rummage sale. I swear, if the Order decided to sell turds, Dinah could sell every one of them. She made $1950 off everyone's old drag. Thanks you Sister Dinah for a shining example of what a novice project, and rummage sale, should look like. At 11am that very same morning I was honored to be able to give the blessing at the opening of the Castro St. Fair. Thus, I spoke:

Thank you everyone for coming out to the Castro Street Fair, the last gay street fair of the season. Now before you all go cavorting about the gayborhood I want you to take the hand of a person standing next to you. Anyone will do. (Janet Fly, the hostess, stepped over and took my left hand, saying "Like this.") And I'd like you to think about what this street means to you, what brought you out here. And as you move about these streets of ours I'd like you to take some time to look at one another, to smile at one another, and to love one another. And when you leave this fair I want you to take all the pride, and the love, and the joy that you feel here today with you into tomorrow. Go forth with no fear, no hate, no pain, and no broken hearts.
Blessed be this blessed day.
All men,All women,And all the rest.

Everyone was so kind and comforting to me. I had hesitated to do it as I had no black veil with me but I felt that this was a special moment and that this street fair in particular needed to be blessed. I confess that technically I broke a rule but I believe that the circumstances justified such an infraction. I was quick, only spoke the blessing, then left the stage; mind you without even annuncing the Pink Elephant Sale nor the Tour De Castro. So I only did it to ensure a blessed event.

Let's suffice it to say that there are just too many precious moments for me to describe them all here. I love you Jon! I love you Mama! I love you my Sisters!

That's right. Only 40 days left until the TOur De Castro happens. I am feeling the excitment rising in myself, the Order, and the gayborhood as we approach this new event for the SIsters and SF. While I have built on the tradition of SF triciycle races held in the past, the Tour De Castro is different than those former events. New route, new system, new forms, new connections. We're raising awareness of AIDS Lifecycle and what it takes to fight a disease like AIDS.

I will be going to every event possible this month to promote the TDC before registration ends October 7. In fact I'll be promoting, while working, at 9 different events in September alone. I hope Sister Penny can accompany me to some of them. I am doing everything I can to make this event as successful as so many others.

Dana bought me the most beautiful dress I own. It is a white silk sheath dress split up the left side and all drippy with gems and pearls. I will wear it for sure at the TDC!

I just took this test and I think it's pretty dead on. What about you?

You Are 40% Boyish and 60% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch. Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes. You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them. You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

SO much has happened since last I wrote. My novice project, the Tour De Castro, is well underway. The planning is done, promotion is underway, and I am in the process of collecting gifts/donations to use as prizes.

I am learning alot about event planning- how to interact with local residents, business, press, and law enforcement. I have approached people about using their bars for rest stops, posting posters in shop windows, donating items to use as prizes, and to sponsor some tricycles. I am learning to reach out to people and to trust they will help me. I am more glad than ever that Sister Penny did me the honor of being my Mother. She has shown faith in me that I didn't necessarily have before we started creating the Tour De Castro. She will be the first person I thank on October 21.

I finally have enough items to warrant making a folder for the archives. This is another humbling thing to experience selecting items to begin crafting a legacy of my work as a nun. It is hard to fully express the joy and sense of real honor I get from wearing the wimple and veil. IT is as if through my work as a nun I am able to realize the fruits of 25 years worth of learning, experiencing, and living.

The past few weeks have been phenomenal! The Tour De Castro is well under way with the bar route set, postcards printed, and the full support of the Order. I am so honored to be putting this together along with Sister Penny. She is an amazing guide and teacher. She is an excellent Mother providing insight,prodding, and love. I truly feel that at the end of my Novitiate I will be far better able to serve the communities I move in, and beyond. I know I'm being kinda gushy but I am just so happy to be a Sister and to know I can really make a difference.

This morning was a sad one. My hubby and I have three cats: Roda, Motor, and Honey; and a dog, King. Well Jon woke up this morning to find Honey in bad shape. Mind you, she was at least 14+ years old, had no teeth, was skinny as a rail, and kinda scruphy. She was a sweet cat with an irritating yowl and some poor hygiene. She required wet food due to her lack of teeth. But she loved to be petted and was quite often pushy about it. anyhow, we took her to the vets who took one look at her frail 4 lb. body and said she probably had kidney disease, thyroid disease, cancer, or any combination of those. She told us treatment would be expensive and would not likely provide good quality of life for her. We opted to put her to sleep. The doctor agreed that was the best decision given her condition. They gave her a sedative to calm her then 10 minutes later, the euthanasia. As she waited for the sedative to work I asked the Goddess to take care of her, welcome her, keep her satiated and warm. She died quickly with us petting her and her purring to the end. Jon and I were both sobbing and the vet was so understanding, comforting both of us and assuring us that this was for the best.

We brought her body home and decided to bury her in the front yard. We took her upstairs and unwrapped her blanket so that the other animals could see her body and know that she was dead. Jon wrapped her in simple muslin cloth and we carried her downstairs. I dug a hole while Jon placed a flower on her wrapped body. I lined the small grave with some of the blessing glitter from Sister Jane and some of my own mix. Jon then placed her into the hole and asked to help cover her. We both helped fill in the hole after which Jon asked for my blessing glitter which he then sprinkled in a circle around her. We sat for a while and then I came upstairs. Later on I found Jon had placed several sticks of incense in the dirt. He had been the one to first take notice of her and finally to take her in. Her presence was mainly due to his compassion for animals. Jon is such a sweet-hearted, beautiful man. He, and I, will both miss Honey for a long time to come.

This past Tuesday night at the general meeting, the Order approved my Novice project called the Tour De Castro. I felt truly honored to be considered and quizzed by several FPMs followed by a show of support by vote. I am overwelmed by the desire to do well and produce a successful event. I truly want to be worthy of the faith that my SIsters have put in me. And blessed be my Mother Sister Penny whose guidance has been invaluable. SHe has really showed me the way to move a project forward.

So now begins the task of making the Tour De Castro real. And throughout that process I am also organizing the Sister's presence at Hayward's Pride celebration. I am really a blessed nun!

Wow! what a night Pink Saturday was. Incredible...and I was inside the whole night. Well almost all night except for a couple of forays out to get extra supplies. Point is, the energy coming from the pre-Pride celebration was envigorating.

Novice Sister mary Ralph Lauren and I did a good job of setting up and running the Pink Room. We've been getting good feedback so I am pleased. I had alot of fun doing the room with MR and seeing everyone have a good time that night. I can't wait to do it again!

Now I begin planning my Novice project. I'm a bit nervous but more excited to learn the skills necessary to pull off such an event.

Sister Uma and I recently completed service as roadies on AIDS Lifecycle 5. This was Sister Uma's first time on the ride and she did a fabulous job of promulgating joy amongst the other participants. I was fortunate to be able to manifest on opening day, 6/6/06, and closing day. Needless to say, we were well received as I was told several times how delighted people were to have us present. The usual love of the crowd was amplified when we were in face. It was very affirming for me to see a smile on peoples' faces when their eyes caught sight of either one of us. And I must mention what a wonderful crew I worked with on Rest Stop 1 and how hard each of them worked to make our collective task run so smoothly.

Well we're a little over two weeks to Pink Saturday and Mary Ralph and I are coming along with securing food and beverages for our volunteers working the event. I am using many of my skills from doing rest stop work. But then again: rest stop/green room- they're roughly the same. At least they serve the same purpose- to provide some respite from one's work. I am really looking forward to the next 10 days!

LA and Conclave, or at least the portion I was able to attend on Sunday, was very eye opening and much appreciated. I have heard how much everyone enjoyed the week's activities and how valuable the exchanges are. While I am not sorry for being on ALC5 I do wish I could have been there for the whole week. To see so many SIsters together on Sunday in the Pride Parade was magic.

Last night was the SPI General Meeting. It was lively, lots happened, and it was exemplary of how we can handle ourselves while discussing somewhat contentious issues. These meetings are such a great way to see how individual Sisters see the Order and its business while in the presence of other Sisters.

Having witnessed the grilling that Novice Sister Delta Goodhand received last night while still a Postulant. I have a much deeper appreciation of how kind everyone was to me during my own elevation last month. I was thoroughly impressed by the questions Sisters asked of her, as well as, Delta's responses. I felt like she stood her ground and remained true to herself while trying to ease the concerns of some nuns. But I gained the greatest insight into the seriousness that Black Veils bring to the process of vetting new members . After all was said and done we gathered at the Eagle to veil NSr. Delta Goodhand. I just happened to have my wimple in the car, in case an occasion arose to wear it, and lo and behold one rose up. Thanks Delta and all you black veils who made it possible for me to wear my veil last night!

Busy season is comign up and I can't wait!

Well it has been a while since I've written. I went into hospital on April 3 for a skin rash and fevers. I was admitted through the ER where they presumed I had PCP and began to treat me with Septra/Bactrim. They upped my dose from 1 tab every other day to 2 tabs every 8 hours which elevated my fevers to 104 and caused heart arythmia. After 36 hours of extra Septra the docs began to suspect that I was actually having an allergic reaction to Septra. They cut me off of it but at this point I was so sick that it took another 7 days to get my heart functioning properly and for the fevers to finally stop. Even now I have not gotten over the fatigue and my hands are so scaly dry from the effects of the rash and such.

While in hospital, the Order was gracious to elevate me in my hospital bed. I received a call from Sister Flora who asked me some questions about what I was wearing and how the food was. She then told me I was elevated to Novice Sister and I could hear everybody cheering over the phone, Needless to say, it was the happiest moment in spite of the circumstances. Sister Jane was present and improvised a wimple and veil from 2 face masks and a pillow case. I felt so proud laying in that hospital bed knowing that my fellow Sisters had the faith in me to elevate me even while I was sick and unable to do the Order's work. Thank you all so very much for your love and support!

I was fortunate to be able to attend both Conclave and Easter. Conclave was nice as I was able to spend some intimate personal time with Sister Penny and my fellow newbies making food and preparing Love Manor for the arrival of other Sisters. Easter was so very special as it turned out to be a fairly sunny day. My Mother brought my wimple and she, along with Sister Mary Timothy, veiled me in the office at the Eureka Valley Center. It was amazing how different I felt once the wimple was on my head. The whole experience elevated my spirit to an ecstatic height. The whole day was one of joy and beauty and one that I will never forget.

It is nice to be home and surrounded by so much love. I hope that I can give back as much as I have received.