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Featured Book: Unexpected Bravery: Women and Children of the Civil War, by A.J. Schenkman
This week’s Featured Book is a fascinating look into lives most of us don’t know anything about: women and children who enlisted to fight in the Civil War. Among them was Albert Cashier, a man we would now call transgender. Born female, Albert spent almost his entire life as a man, beginning in boyhood. His military bravery was so highly thought of that the people around him protected his secret even after many of them knew about it. And this is just one of over a dozen stories told through archival material, letters, and first-hand accounts, of people who may otherwise be forgotten. A completely satisfying read. You can listen to my recent One Thing or Another podcast with the author HERE.
About Women and Children of the Civil War
The American Civil War divided the United States from 1861-1865. During those years, over two million soldiers served in both the Union and Confederate Armies. What is little known is that not only the numerous children, some as young 12, enlisted on both sides, but also women who disguised themselves as men in an attempt to make a difference in the epic struggle to determine the future of the United States of America.
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Podcast Pick: Queer Writers of Crime, with Host Brad Shreve
Recently named by BuzzFeed as one of the 20 best LGBTQ podcasts to listen to, Brad Shreve’s Queer Writers of Crime has returned better than ever. After a brief hiatus following his first 100 episodes, host Shreve has brought this essential podcast back for fans of LGBTQ+ mysteries, thrillers and suspense fiction and the authors who write them. Full disclosure: I’m on soon for a second go-round, with a thoroughly enjoyable conversation about books, characters, and point of view.
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Author Dave Hughes Offers Complimentary Short Story ‘Cruise Virgins’ for New Subscribers
I’ve been both a friend and fan of Dave Hughes for quite a few years now. He’s the founder of RetireFabulously.com, a recurring guest on my One Thing or Another Podcast, and now a fiction author with an upcoming release, Maybe Next Year:
“Bryan and Chris are high school juniors who have been inseparable best friends for three years. Now, they are discovering that their feelings for each other run much deeper than mere friendship.
Chris, whose open-minded family is completely supportive, is ready and able to live his life out and proud. For Bryan, whose father is the pastor of a very conservative mega-church in a Kansas City suburb, being gay simply isn’t an option. Bryan hopes that maybe next year when they leave Kansas to go to college together, he will be able to live more openly. In the meantime, they must learn how to navigate their conflicting family dynamics and boundaries if they are to fulfill their dream of spending the rest of their lives together.
Everything changes when Bryan is outed. His father will stop at nothing to force Bryan to “leave the homosexual lifestyle,” requiring Bryan and Chris to make some very difficult choices.”
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Steve Hayes’ Tired Old Queen at the Movies: Classic Movie Review – Sidney Poitier in ‘Paris Blues’ (VIDEO)
CLASSIC MOVIE REVIEW : All of us at STEVE HAYES: Tired Old Queen at the Movies honor the work and memory of the great SIDNEY POITIER. He joins Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Diahann Carroll in 1960’s swinging Paris in Martin Ritt’s romantic PARIS BLUES. Shot on location with a terrific score by Duke Ellington and an amazing appearance by Louis Armstrong. It’s sexy, nostalgic, and romantic – just like Paris.
PARIS BLUES, DVD https://amzn.to/3pm5qbb
“Great Summit / PARIS BLUES Tracks”: Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington CD https://amzn.to/3JVyL3S
PARIS BLUES original 1961 27×41 one sheet movie poster PAUL NEWMAN/SIDNEY POITIER/LOUIS ARMSTRONG https://amzn.to/3hkmQ3D
“The Measure of a Man : A Memoir” by Sidney Poitier https://amzn.to/3584pg8 “This Life” by Sidney Poitier https://amzn.to/3HlR6FK -
Savvy Senior: Can COVID-19 Cause Shingles?
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
How effective is the shingles vaccine and what is the CDC recommendation for getting it? My older brother and sister, both in their fifties, got COVID a few months back followed by shingles. Do you know if there is a connection between these viruses, and would the shingles vaccine have protected them?
Scared of Shingles
Dear Scared,
Great question! Many healthcare professionals across the country have been urging their older patients to get the shingles vaccine (in addition to the COVID-19 vaccinations) during the pandemic because getting COVID-19 can increase your chances of developing shingles. And the more severe case of COVID you get, the greater your risk for shingles.
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On the Map: A Day Trip to Chester, NJ
By Mark McNease
On the Map is a travelogue of places, restaurants and landscapes for your travel considerations. Sometimes near, sometimes far, always interesting.
My husband Frank and I have been enjoying day trips for several years now, especially since we moved to our New Jersey house full-time almost five years ago. And while we also like to take short two night getaways, which have fit well into my three-day-off weekly schedule, there’s a lot to be said for just getting in the car—or on a bus or train—and exploring towns and destinations that have you back by dinner.
This past Wednesday we headed to a city just an hour’s drive away: Chester, NJ. We found a town that’s perfect for short-term exploring and meeting friendly locals. This isn’t always the case, by the way. Heading off into the unknown for an afternoon means risking that you may not be so thrilled with the place when you get there, but that’s part of the fun. A surprise is what you’re looking for when it’s somewhere you’ve never been.
Chester is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 1,649, not counting tourists and day trippers! Chester is completely surrounded by Chester Township, making it part of 21 pairs of “doughnut towns” in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The borough’s name is derived from the township, which was named for Chestershire in England. (Wikipedia)
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Savvy Senior: Do I Have to File Income Tax Returns This Year?
Shared from LGBTSr.com
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
What is the IRS standard tax deduction for 2021? I didn’t file a tax return last tax year (2020) because I lost my job and my income in March due to COVID. But I got a part-time job in 2021 and am wondering if I made enough money that requires me to file this year.
Part-Time Retiree
Dear Retiree,
Whether or not you are required to file a federal income tax return this year depends not only on how much you earned last year (in 2021), but also the source of that income, as well as your age and your filing status.
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Restaurant Review: 5 Unbeatable Yums at Ferry + Main (New Hope, PA)
By Mark McNease
Shared from LGBTSr.com. Restaurant reviews are based on a 5 Yum scale, 5 meaning put it on your must list, 1 meaning eat at your peril.Ferry + Main
10 W. Ferry Street
New Hope, PA 18939
Website: www.loganinn.com/
Tel: (215) 862-2300
Spend Meter: $$$$
Yums: 5+ (food and service)Some food is so good it’s criminal, and that’s what you’ll be treated to at Ferry + Main, the restaurant inside New Hope’s renovated Logan Inn. The Inn was undergoing upgrades for several years as it was transformed from a well-known local inn to a luxury establishment where everything is meant to impress, and does. The decor, the staff, the atmosphere, and, yes, the prices: the Logan Inn is one of those places where you get what you pay for, in the best ways.
The restaurant is all wood and brick, with arched ceilings and a large working fireplace in one of the two main seating areas. The first time we went there, for Thanksgiving, the place was packed and we were seated in a raised area away from the thick of things. That was better for us, since the acoustics in this restaurant amplify the noise. There’s nothing to absorb sound, so if you’re seated near the kitchen and fireplace, be prepared for the echo of voices bouncing off the ceiling and walls. There’s also a popular bar in the space, which adds to the volume as well as to the ambience. Is that a criticism? Not really. Having lived in New York City for twenty-five years, I’m familiar with loud restaurants. But if they’re offering tables away from the main activity, take one.
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Being Well: Living with Sleep Apnea (and that CPAP Machine)
Being Well is a regular feature at LGBTSr highlighting health and wellness.
Editor’s note: This first appeared here at LGBTSr in March, 2020. I’ve been using a CPAP machine for almost four years now and thought it was a good time to revisit that topic. Many people benefit from them and lives can be saved. – Mark
A few years ago I began regularly waking up with headaches. I’m also a loud snorer, as my husband reminded me several times a night with nudges to turn on my side or just wake up long enough to stop. Headaches and snoring … something was probably going on. I made an appointment with a sleep specialist and did a home test for sleep apnea. It recorded 25+ “events” per hour. An event is when the person stops breathing due to sleep apnea. It can lead to multiple health issues, with headaches and snoring being two of the most obvious.
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EVENTS: Authors Mark McNease and Philip William Stover in Conversation at the Frenchtown Bookshop (February 4)
Save the date! I’ll be joining fellow author Philip William Stover for a reading and conversation about our books at the Frenchtown Bookshop on Friday, February 4. I’ll be talking about my newest release, Reservation for Murder: A Kyle Callahan Mystery, as well as the series and creating gay central characters.
Philip will be reading and discussing his romances The Hideaway Inn and The Beautiful Things Shop, set in New Hope, PA, just across the river from Lambertville, NJ, where most of my characters mysteriously moved when Frank and I relocated to nearby Kingwood.
Place: The Frenchtown Bookshop
Date: Friday, February 4
Time: 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Address: 28 Bridge Street, Frenchtown NJ
Phone: 908-628-9297 -
Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources: Powerful Types of Self Care Journaling for Caregivers
By Angelica Herrera Venson, DrPH, MPH
The following excerpt is reprinted with permission from Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources.
At its most basic, journaling involves recording your thoughts and feelings, often by making an entry each day. The habit is one that most of us have tried at least once before – and many have given up on. Yet, self care journaling is more powerful than you might realize. It offers a way to connect with yourself, to reflect, and to grow.
Journaling can also be critical to self care, especially for caregivers.
One reason is that journaling gives you the chance to reflect. It takes you out of the moment and lets you look back on the situation as a whole. Doing so matters, as caregivers can often get swept away with the tasks of the day. A journaling habit also helps you to start picking out the good things that happen, to hold onto them.
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Savvy Senior: How Older Drivers Can Save on Auto Insurance
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you provide any tips to help seniors reduce their auto insurance premiums? I just got hit with a 15 percent increase on my car insurance and am looking for ways to save.
Fixed Income Frank
Dear Frank,
Unfortunately, auto insurance rates went up significantly over the past year as the pandemic eased and more Americans got back on the roads. But there are plenty of ways to cut your premium. To find out what discounts may be available to you, contact your auto insurer and inquire about these options, and any others that may benefit you.
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Terri Schlichenmeyer’s Bookworm Sez: Best Books of 2021 (Fiction and Non-Fiction)
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez
There’s still a lot of winter left.
That’s the fact staring you in the face. Once the holiday decorations are down, the toys are all put away, and you’ve rediscovered your gift certificates… what do you do with them?
You buy books, of course. And to get you started, here are a few sure-fire picks for the Best of 2021:
FICTION
What would you do if life throws you a curve-ball? In “The Guncle” by Steven Rowley (Putnam, $27.00), gay man, former TV star, Palm Springs fixture, no-responsibilities Patrick is asked to take care of his niece and nephew for the long-term. He never wanted kids at all. He never wanted to fall in love with them, either. Cute, sweet, funny, heartfelt – what more could you want?