Attending: Laura M., Gayla, Michele, Tasha, Karen, Gayla, Elizabeth, Ann, Julie, Diane, Amy, Laura, Debra, Sh’diva, Leslie, Sarah, Fay
We had quite a lively meeting this month, with a few new faces, and some old friends coming back after being gone for a while. The topic for the meeting was our Hopes & Dreams for the New Year. The discussion quickly went to relationships – how to get through those difficult first dates – and facing holidays, birthdays, and Valentine’s Day alone. There was much good advice for those who are not in relationships about taking care of yourself, looking at what you want and need in your life, before looking for love elsewhere. When going through those difficult days, make plans to do something you love (massage, hot tub, shopping, etc.), look at these days as times to appreciate all we are blessed with. We also discussed the reality, that those in relationships have difficulty during these times as well – expectations that are not met, family or job obligations that get in the way of your personal desires. The other piece of advice is reaching out to help others less fortunate as a way to give back and be grateful for what we all have in our lives.
In addition to relationships, we discussed at length how we relate physically to butches. There is quite a variation of how we perceive Butches, or FTM’s, the male energy and physicality but generally presented in the female form. Of course some butches present with more male energy than others which can affect how we and others see them. The experience of the group ranges from fully enjoying the femaleness, breasts, etc. to seeing of that area as the “male chest”. Some feel that is driven by the Butch in question – that is, what are they comfortable with. Others have experienced partners going through chest surgery and have appreciated those changes and seeing how that can change the Butch’s own psyche. Interestingly we see all of these various perceptions as sexually interesting and appealing, and appreciate that maleness encompassed in the female form. Most importantly there was great appreciation for respecting the Butch’s needs and desires, both emotionally and physically, and accepting them for the wonderful human beings we know them to be.
Debra reported on the planning of the winter ball, “West Coast Winter Wonderland”. It’s going to be a semi-formal dance at a great venue in downtown San Francisco, Saturday, February 19. There will be a singles mixer at the beginning, with games organized by Rope. There will be food served and a DJ for dancing. We’ll be decorating the venue, and will need some help with that. We’ll also need a few people to help out working the door. If you’re interested in helping out please email Qdebra7 AT aol DOT com. There will be reduced-price tickets for those who volunteer.
Ann brought up the topic of getting a “Femme Posse” trinket. We’ve discussed getting a bracelet, necklace, t-shirt, jacket, etc. for the group. One problem is keeping the item affordable for all to be able to participate. Laura offered to help out with the Wholesale Jewelry show coming to S.F. in February (since she makes jewelry and gets tickets to the show)! We will be looking for something at the show for the group, and hope to offer it at a future meeting. Yeah!
The next meeting date has been changed to Saturday, February 5th, from 1 to 4 p.m. It will be at Ann’s house. It will be a hands-on day of beauty – hair, make-up and dressing tips for the Femme. Hope to see you all there!