Double Edged Sword?

It seems impossible to me now it was over seven years ago when Liz and I went out on New Years Eve and I took my first small doses of estrogen. Years later I can thank the meds for softer skin, longer hair, breasts and on certain days, crazy emotions.


I always love to see blog posts like this one from Cyrsti.  It's honest, from the heart, writing like this that can help so many who are still trying to find themselves.   In this post, Cyrsti looks back over the past decade which, for her, was a double edged sword.

My New Home

Well, here we are, now as a WordPress self-hosted site. Wow! Can you believe it? Do you know what that means? After 10 years of blogging, I finally have chosen to take ownership of my blog. Wow! That took way too long!



Same blogger, same blog name, new address and what may be, for some of you, a new name for the blogger.  You'll know this fabulous blogger by her true name now.....Kelly, and she rocks!  

This post explains what's going on and this is Kelly's latest post.  Now, while you're visiting Unordinary Style, you absolutely must grab a cup of coffee or tea and take a few minutes to read Kelly's updated ABOUT page, which make for some interesting reading.

Holding on

“Is she going to die?” I ask the firefighter. It’s been 20 minutes since I’ve dialed 911, my wife is lying collapsed on the living room floor of our rural ski cabin. Shortly after, the paramedics and firefighters showed up, lifted Dana’s shirt to attach her to a heart monitor, only to have it all disconnected in a flurry. The words “load and go” is all I had heard.




You're going to want to read this suspenseful and emotional post to the end.  After that, consider leaving a comment to Dana's wonderful Transgentle Wife.

To close the year

Ever Lovely Mrs J continues her polite and gentle quest in challenging rudeness to LGBTQ+ people and being an open ally but keeping my secret, bless her.




An understanding spouse can make so much difference in the life of someone trans.  That's not really what Lynn's post is about, but the relationship between those two is just one of the things I just love about reading her blog.  [....and the shout-out to T-Central at the end has nothing to do with my featuring this post :)]

The Trans Separatist Betrayal Lives on in a New Form

Those who have followed my blogs for a while, will know that I have argued against transgender separatism, people who think they are so much more trans than other transgender people that they have the right to decide who is in and who is out.


Mixed in with all of the holiday greeting posts from our many bloggers, was this one, from Jack Molay.  It's well worth taking the time to read.

Merry Christmas!!!

Our stockings are unstuffed and our presents opened. Poor Colin’s coughing up a lung and has a fever, I hope he doesn’t have bronchitis. He’s staying home and resting today while I go visit family at my sister’s place. Despite Colin not feeling well, Christmas has been good this year. 


A Christmas greeting, update, and a song, from that fab mom, Kathleen.

Merry Christmas!

For many in the LGBT community it is an especially lonely time, they might not have seen their family since they came out to them. Their families and children have disowned them. Sometimes when we do attend the gathering, we feel like outcasts, like the square peg in the round hole, we just don’t fit in, we are tolerated when we bring our partners or ourselves to the table.
 

A really nice holiday greeting from one of the Nutmeg State's long time trans bloggers.

All I got for Christmas was Clothes

......hope everyone got everything they wanted for Christmas, enjoy the holidays!




Jessie really did get clothes for Christmas.  And guess who from!

A Very Cynthia Xmas

I hope all my readers had a good Holliday season and were able to spend time with loved ones.





Cynthia had a great Christmas.  Guess what she found under the tree!

Merry Christmas to my friends

On this Christmas day, I hope you find peace, joy and happiness. Remember that the spirit inside you is much more important than any material gifts.





Heather has some thoughts about "being me", along with Christmas greetings.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS!

A blogger since 2005, and always with short posts, Genevieve sends out her holiday greetings in, who'd of guessed....another short post.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

To all my friends and readers: during this joyous season, may you have a wonderful and Merry Christmas, and the best holidays ever. And don’t eat too much!!!






Mandy joins the holiday cheer with her Christmas wishes.

It’s the Most Wonderful and Stressful Time of the Year

I hope you all have an amazing holiday season!   I wanted to share some of the pictures from my last photo shoot for En Femme because they are about as festive as you can get.









That gorgeous girl, from Minnesota, is sending holiday greetings.

Merry Christmas!

If you are be sure you can change your life for the better. Reach out to the nearest LGBTQ center and see if they can help!

 It's holiday cheer and a good suggestion, from the owner of The Condo.

Best seasonal wishes

To all my readers, let me send you best wishes for the time of year. I hope your year ends peacefully and happily, you get some lovely presents and that you also get a decent break from all the rush.




Holiday greetings, from Sue.

Ice Cold Warmth – Christmas Eve Special

Plated hair and leggings. The scratching sound of a blade dragging along the ice to stop. Dark mascara and glossy eyes. Floating along the ice that had been freshly laid but still wet where hired boots had been rushed onto the rink. Music filling the wonderland and Christmas trees hanging from the roof.








It's now Christmas Day, and this is Hanna's Christmas Eve Special, but it's all good.  More beautiful writing, from the girl who's always thinking.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays, everyone. And best wishes for the New Year.






A short holiday post from our Shy Biker.

We’re baaaaaaaack! Happy holidays!

Have a great Christmas (or Hanukkah to my Jewish friends) and a happy new year.





Andie's back, and with a short holiday post.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Happy Holidays, from our fav blogger, Stana!

Merry Christmas!

Blessings and delights to you for Christmas.









Holiday greetings from, Clare, one of my favorite bloggers.

My Wish for Christmas is Acceptance

We don't have time in our lives to not be our authentic selves and follow our own path. All we have in life is our own journey, our special journey which is a gift. This gift should not be wasted on pleasing everyone, but ourselves.  We need to accept ourselves for who we are, not cater to people who have their own plans for our lives.


It's a nice holiday post, from Terri.

The One Before

It’s a downhill sleigh ride towards the big day and I hope that whatever you’ve planned goes well.






A holiday post and update, from Lynn.

Christmas for the Crossdresser

I, like many crossdressers, do not have universal approval from my family so it will not be possible for me to dress as I would like to, not only on Christmas day itself but for around three weeks over the festive period. 


 

With mixed emotions, it's holiday greetings, from Andrea.

 

The run up to Christmas

Twas the run up to Christmas, when all through the house,

not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hidden away in a drawer,

the dresses, the jeans, and the make up no more;





A holiday post, from Dee.

The Night Before Christmas 2019

Many of you will remember this alternative version of the "Night Before Christmas" from last Christmas eve. I hope this become a tradition for many Christmas eves to come. Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.  

Cross Dressing Night Before Christmas is the tune of Rhonda's holiday greetings.

Advent Calendar XXIV

We have reached Christmas Eve and it suddenly feels as though it has come upon me all too quickly even though by doing this Advent calendar I should be prepared.







A holiday post, from Paula.

Well, That's a Wrap!

December 20, 2019 – My last outing of the year. One of my favorite places to be. Third Friday, a monthly event I have been able to attend now these past few months.







Holiday greetings, from Kandi.

The magic fizzled…

I know where I stand. JK Rowling is a dumpster fire who endorses bullying and harassment in the workplace. She’s like the racists in the 50’s. 




There's been a lot of blogging recently about some comments made by Joanne Rowling, the Harry Potter author.  Yeah, the same author who writes under the male pen name of Robert Galbraith.....THAT JK Rowling.  Which post to pick?  Well, Kathleen and Colin sum it all up pretty well in this short post. 

You can read the whole story here.

The Power of Music

When I first introduced myself to the group, I proudly declared to everyone “I’m a transgender woman.”  This was so important to me, because this was going to be my family and I wanted to be open and honest from the get-go.  The reaction shocked me. There were claps and cheers and smiles from everyone.  I still get tears thinking about it.



Need to read a "feel-good" blog post right now?  This one will do just fine!  And, just what group did Maddie out herself to?  I'm not telling!  You'll have to read The Power of Music for the answer.

Inside Out

O, what a natural thing, putting it all together and going out into the world. And yet how becoming Petra remains an intoxicating, all-encompassing, fully immersive neutron-bomb of glory.




Petra, once a very active blogger, hasn't posted since 2017.....until now.  It so good so see a formerly active blogger do an update.  In this one, Petra just says a bit about makeup and feeling good just being Petra.

It’s A Privilege

Many of us when we're first coming we dream of the “Gold Standard” being about to integrate in society where no one identifies us as being trans, but over time reality sets in that we will never reach that goals. I also realized that most people really don’t care how I looked, most people just want to buy their  groceries and get home to make dinner for their families.


She's like the Energizer Bunny!  Diana first started blogging in 2006, at least on Blogspot, and she just keeps on writing!  In this post, she writes about that "privilege" of being able to pass as a woman.

Girl On The Screen

I had a video call on my tablet some weeks ago. My Nan, she taps around on her tablet until something happens, usually on social media, but sometimes she calls me by accident. “Hiya.” I said loudly.

“Oh! I didn’t realize I did that. How did that happen?”

“Can you see me?” I had the camera switched on and I could see that at my end in the corner of the screen but hers was switched off.

“No, all I can see is a girl.”


That comment, from Hannah's Nan, made me smile.  After all, Hannah was the girl on the screen.  It's another wonderfully written post, from Hannah, that warms the heart.

Feminine Differential - Jeans Demystified (Maybe)?

Confused? I am!







Me too!  Rhonda has a few thoughts about jeans.  

Counseling! at the Clinic

They tend to come at night, when I feel isolated and alone, and they are fueled by every notion of doubt and guilt. Not a coherent line of thoughts, but a sticky paste of “bad”. The racing heart, feeling of suffocation, overheating body, it’s all there, you know, to make it more fun. I don’t get to die, just feel like I am, over and over.




Ever had a panic attack?  Maybe they're all different, but what Beth describes above is exactly how I feel when I have one.  While Beth does mention the trans side of things, this post is not necessarily relating panic attacks to being trans.

Prejudice Continues in The Transgender Community

It appears that gender identity, is for most people, a difficult issue to address as it reaches deeply into our religious and societal boundaries, making it a taboo topic that many would rather snicker at or ignore. Yet, there are so many worldwide that are somewhere on the Transgender spectrum. This is not a small group, just a silent one. Many remain in "hiding" rather than be criticized and ostracized.


Terri is the blogger in this post and part of the CHICAGO NOW blog group.  Read more here.

8 Months Post-GCS

For some reason I have it fixed in my brain I had surgery in April 2019, even though it was March. It might be because those first few weeks were so dislocating and painful, I’ve tried to block them out.





Heather has written an very detailed review of her life, post-GCS + 8 months.  She includes this:

Content warning: graphic descriptions of vaginoplasty recovery, surgical care, biological processes, emotional distress, and sex.

I really appreciate posts like this one.  If you're thinking of GCS, or about to undergo it, this post is for you.

It’s a new day and a new site

If you’re reading this, you’ve somehow found your way to a new home for YATGB. I have tweaked the title a little in that it’s now Yet Another Transgender Blog.





Slightly new name and an new URL  Lynn has gone off on her own and dumped Blogspot.  Been thinking about that myself.  Read all about it here.

Shifting Sands

I read these articles with two sets of eyes. The first were my medical eyes: was this the sort of thing that, as a doctor, would be helpful for me to read? The answer is clearly yes. The second were my transgender eyes: was this the sort of thing that, as a trans person myself, I would want doctors to read and know? The answer is also a clear yes. There is no doubt that transgender people are becoming more and more visible; their care has been, in the main, not that great; most doctors have very little training in care of transgender people, and reliable resources for doctors to draw upon are few.


If you're like me, someone who is always trying to learn more about the science of being trans, you may want to read this post, from Vivienne.  She found a magazine in her hospital with some really good articles.  Best of all, it's all on the Web, for us to read.  You can find the link, and a review, in Vivienne's post, Shifting Sands.

Meeting Your Heroes

I think about how in the closet I am, despite how often I go out and how active I am online, not only with my website but with Twitter and Flickr as well.  I think about how much this side of me is a secret and how some of my closest friends have no idea (as far as I know) about Hannah.






What a fabulous blog post, from Hannah.  This one is all about coming out and just how difficult it is to do so.  Oh, do I relate to this.  Sometimes the person you've come out to will embrace you (check).  Sometimes you'll be rejected (check).   The title, Meeting Your Heroes, may appear not to have anything to do with post, but it all comes together in the end.

The Art of Disclosure

To disclose, or not disclose, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler on the first date to be silent. To keep quiet and learn about each other, or take a moment to be out there early...


Good post, from Joanne.  To disclose or not to disclose.....that you are trans.

Perhaps blue is not just for boys?

.......are those who don’t know me assigning a gender by virtue of my name?  Especially by new correspondents, who haven’t met me yet?  They may get a bit of a shock if we eventually meet!





Mandy's given name, which I'm assuming is not Mandy, is a name used by both genders.  Seems like some in Mandy's neighborhood email group are assuming the wrong gender for this male crossdresser.  The post includes a nice picture of the girl in blue standing next to her sweet, heritage blue ride.