And here we go...

The US Supreme Court has agreed to take on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as well as Proposition 8.  As you may know, both have been ruled unconstitutional by lower federal courts.  In fact, the anti-gay side has lost in every federal court ruling so far.

Well, the buck is about to stop.  The Supreme Court will be hearing arguments in the cases sometime in March with a ruling anticipated in June.  I know that there will be a fair hearing in the case, but it's still nerve-wracking to sit and wait on this one.  James and I had to sit in front of a TV to see if the California Supreme Court would keep our marriage intact after Prop 8 passed.  Now we have to sit and wait to see if the rights of our brothers and sisters will be restored.  We'll also see if DOMA will finally be ruled unconstitutional once and for all...at least Section 3 of it.  We'll still not be able to move to another state outside the nine states that currently allow gay marriage and be considered legally married since none of the lawsuits pending at the court address anything but the denial of federal benefits such as Social Security and the right to file joint tax returns.

So, I guess we wait.  The Court gave themselves an out in both cases...they could rule on a technicality called Article III standing...basically whether or not the defendants can show they are in a position to bring a case before the court.  Technically, they could decide that the defendants don't have standing and let the lower court decision stand without ever ruling on the merits of the case.  To me, it's a chicken-shit maneuver, but let's face it...the Justices may not be ready to rule in favor of gay marriage for the entire country.  And they may not want to hit millions of folks in the LGBT community with a ruling that denies them basic citizenship rights for another generation.  They may decide to split the decision with basically a win for the gay community on a technicality in the prop 8 case and a win for the anti-gay forces inasmuch as they don't force same sex marriage on the entire country.

I don't see them doing that with the DOMA case.  It would only impact gay married couples in the states they are already married.  It's pretty much a no-brainer...and DOMA is so blatantly unconstitutional that no one would be surprised when they rule it as such.

Sending blessings and light to everyone today...whatever side you are on in this situation, please find your peace and remain patient until it is resolved next year.

My favorite stuffing recipe...

With Thanksgiving coming up fast, I wanted to share my favorite stuffing recipe.  This wins rave reviews every year.

Ingredients


* 16-ounce bag stuffing cubes
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan and topping
* 1 pound fresh sage sausage, casing removed
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 boiled eggs
* 2 Granny Smith apples
* 1 to 2 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 3 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 2 eggs, beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Put the stuffing cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until it loses most of its pink color, but not so much that it's dry, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and pan drippings to the stuffing cubes.

Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the onion, apple, celery, and salt. Cook until the vegetables get soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil.

Pour the vegetable mixture over the stuffing cubes and toss until evenly moistened. Slice and add the boiled eggs to the stuffing cubes. Mix in the beaten eggs. Loosely pack the dressing in the prepared pan and cook uncovered until the top forms a crust, about 40 minutes. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of turkey pan drippings or melted butter over the top. Cook until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more.

You can also cook this in the turkey. I double the recipe for more than 6 people because it goes so fast.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

I'm a good southern boy at heart...minus the lawn sofa and gun rack in my car...and I love to cook comfort food that reminds me of home.

I made sweet potato biscuits last night and they turned out amazing.  Wanted to share the recipe with you guys.

It's easier if you have a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you can put the ingredients in a bowl and use a fork to cut the butter into the flour.

Mix the following in the processor:

2 cups of flour

2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of shortening

1 tsp. of salt

4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda

Mix the ingredients for about a minute until the mixture looks a bit like corn meal. Then add 1 medium sized sweet potato (baked and peeled) and mix until it forms into a dough.

Remove from the food processor and into a bowl. Add two tablespoons of shortening or vegetable oil and mix with your hands until smooth. Add 4-6 tablespoons of buttermilk and mix with your hands until the dough has a nice soft but firm texture.

Roll the dough on a flat surface until it's about 1 inch thick. Use a drinking glass to cut out the biscuits. Place on a baking pan (don't grease the pan...makes the bottom of the biscuits very hard) at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

If you want to make regular biscuits, just eliminate the sweet potato and increase the amount of buttermilk to about a cup.

This recipe makes about 9 to 10 biscuits. 

Enjoy!

An old friend came by this morning...

Around noon on October 3, 1988, I packed everything I owned in a U-Haul truck. And along with a poodle named Ross, I left Atlanta, GA for the city of Sacramento, CA. Before I left, I went by a friend's apartment to say farewell and to tell him that we should keep in touch. He wasn't home, so I didn't get to talk to him. I haven't seen or heard from him since. His name was Alan Smith. I've tried to locate him a few times over the years, but gave up because let's face it...Alan Smith is a very common name.

Alan was a troubled young man barely 20 years old when I met him...a friend of my younger brother more than mine. He had no job most of the time and his parents had kicked him out. Alan loved to party and had an infectious laugh. He had a girlfriend a couple of years younger than he and of course her parents were not approving of their relationship. My brother had asked if I would let Alan stay on the couch for a while until he could find a job, so I did. That lasted nearly a year before he was employed securely enough to afford his own apartment with his girlfriend right across from mine.

This morning about 3am, I woke up from a dream. Alan was in it and somewhere in the dream, he told me his full name was Alan Michael Smith. I probably knew that at some point 25 years ago, but could never remember it. I jumped online immediately and Googled him. His obituary picture looked exactly like I remembered him. He passed away this past April, apparently very suddenly, at the age of 45. From what I could read, it looks like he grew up over the years, had several children and grandchildren, and was very loved and respected.

So, I just wanted to share his story this morning. Even though our paths crossed only briefly, I remember him fondly and am thankful that our lives touched. I wish his family and friends peace and comfort.

Religion

To the misinformed individual who told me I should stop hanging out with someone because he is Pagan, you obviously don't know me well. I have friends who are Buddhist, Jewish, Pagan, Muslim, Hindu, Wiccan, Sikh, Agnostic and Atheist..plus every flavor of Christian from Catholic to Baptist, Pentecostal, Mormon, Seventh Day Adventist, Methodist, or any other. I respect each individual's chosen path. It's not my job to judge anyone...it's just my job to love them.

Some of my favorite memories...are in cemeteries.

I find cemeteries strangely peaceful.  One of the few places on the planet I can sit, meditate, and feel completely at ease.  I'm sharing some of my favorite pics from Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta.  I visited there with my dear friend, Anne-Marie Trout, last year and fell in love with the peace and beauty in this place.

Hello! Anybody out there?

Good morning, everyone! And by “everyone,” I mean the three people who might still wander onto this blog by accident. I know… I know. I’ve been terrible at keeping this thing updated. Between work and spending time with James, my brain has the attention span of a goldfish with Wi‑Fi. But I’m trying to do better. Really.

So… where do I even start?

Let’s begin with work, because that’s where most of my sanity has gone to die. Work has been absofreaking CRAZY for about 18 months straight. Every time I think I see a little light at the end of the tunnel, someone cheerfully builds a brick wall right in front of it. It’s been nonstop, back‑to‑back projects since October 2010. I love my job, I really do, but 60‑hour work weeks? I’m too old for that nonsense.

Speaking of being old—I turned 51 in November. It didn’t hurt too much. Better than the alternative, right? And honestly, I’m feeling pretty good these days. Since June 2010, I’ve lost 63 pounds. Thirteen of those since January 1st. My goal is another 17 by the end of March, and then another 20 after that. I’m aiming for 230 pounds and—fingers crossed—off my diabetes and blood pressure meds by the end of the year.

I’ve made some big changes to my diet. I’m trying to get most of my nutrition from plants now, with a little fish or chicken on the side. And yes, sometimes a steak or pork loin sneaks onto my plate because I’m human. But meat is now a side dish, not the star of the show. My skin looks better, my energy is up, and if I eat too much meat, I feel like I swallowed a bowling ball.

I flirted with the idea of going full vegan, but let’s be honest—I’m not ready to break up with meat completely. I have, however, mostly ditched dairy. No milk, cheese, or butter since Christmas. I still have the occasional egg with whole‑grain toast and homemade hummus because I’m not a monster.

Oh! And I signed up for organic, locally grown produce delivered every other week. I’m obsessed. The veggies taste like they were picked by woodland elves. After eating this stuff, Safeway produce tastes like disappointment and pesticides. Maybe I’m imagining it… but I don’t think I am.

James and I are doing well overall. He hasn’t worked in almost two years and was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s been rough on him emotionally, but he’s handling it with more grace than I probably would. We’ve applied for disability and are waiting to see what happens.

We’re also debating whether to give up the house and rent for a while. I’m feeling the need to be mobile. If the right job came along, I’d be open to leaving California. It would have to be somewhere that recognizes our marriage… maybe the Netherlands? Teleplan is headquartered there. Who knows. We’re just seeing where life takes us.

Before I wrap this up, here’s a fun family update: I’m about to become a great‑uncle. My nephew Josh and his girlfriend are having a baby boy in March or April. I’m thinking about a trip to North Carolina this spring, so I’ll definitely get some baby time in.

Love you all!