Dear Friends,

Okay, so it has been a long time since I wrote my friends and let them know what was up in my life. In fact, I haven't written one of these group letters since last Fall. It has been quite busy and for a while there I wasn't very sure how to explain things.

Let's see. We are still together -- Troy, Lon, Tina and me. We still live in a little brown house on Hudson Ave. Troy, Lon and I are still in school.

First, the really big news is that we are going to be parents. Tina is pregnant. She is due in mid-June. We were in shock at first and we have had and still have a lot to work out around what this means in all our lives.

Second, I will (hopefully) be getting my Master's Degree in Anthropology as of this May. I am on the fifth night of staying up all night working on my Master's paper. The research was completed in Jan. I have interviews with 40 lesbian, bisexual and gay people who live in the Iowa City area. The Master's paper focuses on their attitudes toward their bodies and the bodies of those they are or would become involved with. My mother is planning to visit for my graduation -- which is just the present I wanted.

Of course, the Master's isn't the end. I will hopefully be continuing on to Ph.D. That another four years or so...

Let's see, I also submitted a proposal on the retelling of coming out stories by bisexuals to a conference on "Lavender Languages." It was accepted, so I have to see if I can raise the money to attend the conference in Washington DC this Sept. I am also planning to submit a proposal to present at the American Anthropology Association Conference in San Francisco this November. Hopefully I will be able to visit friends and family while there.

The book proposal for Looking Queer was sent to three publishers and I am still waiting for an answer. I am considering submitting it to some independent presses as well. Have to get names of editors at likely publishers first.

Troy is doing well in his Geology program. He is making mostly As and Bs, with a C in chemistry. He still has seizures and we worry about him. They have him on medication but he has trouble with short term memory, so he often forgets important things like taking his medications.

Lon is almost finished with his BA in Psych. After this semester, all he will need to complete are the language classes. He and I plan to take an intensive Spanish course this summer to get I & II out of the way.

Tina quit school when she found out she was pregnant. She has all she can handle right now being pregnant and working full time. It has been difficult for her (and us) but I suppose that is normal for pregnancy.

Myschief, the kitten I got last summer, has grown. In fact he is still only 9 months old and already nearly 13 pounds. He is still very playful and cuddly. Pierre and Brede are also doing well. My snake, Seriph, is kinda hybrinating. She doesn't like the cold.

Yeah, cold. Today was actually nice. But most of the last several months have been below freezing. In fact, it was so cold for a couple weeks in January that it wasn't safe to go out -- especially with my asthma.

The Pagan groups we work with are doing well. We have ended up doing a lot of public work including interviews and letters to the editor with local newspapers. We are hosting a two-day symposium called "Weaving Community" in April. The IPAN newsletters are a lot of work, but the group continues to pitch in together and they have been on time, though sometimes under the wire.

We have lots of wonderful friends both in Iowa City and around the state. Feeling part of the community has not been a problem. We still miss California and practically (sometimes literally) weep every time we see Northern Calif. on television or in a movie. I particularly miss my redwoods and the ocean, as well as my family and friends.

Well, enough procrastinating. I must go complete the thesis. I am tired but it is going well. Please write and let us know what you are up to. We miss you.