Not so good news

I know I am way behind in posting again, but quiet frankly I have been VERY depressed over my visit with the Rheumotoligist I saw earlier this week. The initial visit did not go well at all.

He confirmed I have Fibromyalagia, I failed all the pressure point tests along wit others. It is accordig to him in the advance stages of Fibromyalgia but the real problem isn't the fibromyalgia it is the Extremely High Liver Enzyme count I have right now.
The problem is of course that liver processes ALL OF YOUR Medications and when enzyme's are hihg like mine it can prove dangerous. More medication or even continuing medication I am currently one may indeed lead to Liver Failure, which in turn frankly would kill me. At this point the Rneumotoligist does not want o add additional medications and wants me to seriously talk with my AIDS doctor about discontinuing my AIDS meidcations.

I don't know what to think. Right now I am so scared I can even find the words to express it. I am so depressed words fail to describe that as well. The words can't even be formed in my mind to speak them.
Of course as all doctor visit's go he also announced I have mid -range carpel tunnel he believes I go for test next week. My arches in my feet are to high and he believes I have slipped disk--again more tests.

I have been reading Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search For Meaning" and the whole point to the book is in trying to find the purpose and or meaning behind what we are currently experiencing. I am having a huge problem trying to even grasp that idea.

There is new Oz/Judy stuff which I have to photograph/scan so I can post but for now I think I am going to close

New piece

Well today physically speaking was very trying, some of the lowest I have felt the last few days but spiritually speaking some of the highest I have felt, is it simply because of the inauguration? Who really knows...

It is hard for me to grasp that as a small child, people of color couldn't sit in the front of the bus, drink at the same fountain or even vote ----and yet today as history is made a man of color sits in office.

My heart rejoices that I have lived to see this moment happen, that this great, great, great grandson of a a southern family who owned slaves and was involved with the Klan was part of the change. That roots of the African American race run through my veins. That ancestor who had slaves also had a colored mistress as well and they had 9 of their own children while he and "his legal wife" had 10 of their own.

That I am not physically part of that history anymore and never was makes my heart lighter than ever. So many of us may have those same "shameful roots in our pasts" but so many of us are "light years" from those ideals ad opinions.

Tears filled my eyes today as Barack laid his hand on Abraham Lincolns Bible and took the oath of office. My heart is so hopeful that real change is not far away


Well Judy wise the piece I want to share with you today is an original 1954 program from the premiere of "A Star is Born" from ICELAND! Iceland , can you believe it and the language of course is Icelandic. This makes the fifth foreign language piece in my collection and is the oldest foreign language piece I have. You really have to love E-bay and for very little money as well.

He would be so proud today

He had a dream

That we as a people could be united

Forty years since that speech was given

The steps of the Lincoln Memorial

The words uttered from a man that was a visionary

Now is the time where we have risen

from the dark and desolate valley of segration

to the sunlit paths of Racial justice.

His dream has become ours

We have joined hands

Cast our votes, elected a new president

A completely new experience for us as a nation.

The bright day of Justice has EMERGED!

I wonder if today as he and Coretta look down from heaven

if tears of joy and happiness fill their eyes

I wonder if Hope has engulfed them

I wonder if their hearts rejoice and their souls are soaring.

I wonder if they with Abraham and Mary Lincoln and John and Jackie Kennedy sit

saying "All Men are created equal and the dream has been realized".

G-d Bless and keep you Barack and Michele Obama

A return to Oz books

Well its been a while since I bought an Oz book and comic books even longer than that. But today in a Vintage toy shop we have in town had these wonderful Oz Manga Comic books and well you just know I had to buy them using money I made babysitting---lol, lord do I sound like teenager or what with that statement.

The comics are done by David Hutchison throught AP Entertainment and started in June 2008 with issues also in July, August, September and November. They are full color and it is basicially the Land of Oz stroy which is about how in the beginning how Princess Ozma was under a spell as boy named Tip.

Talk about your confused sexaul identity story--of course over time Mombi the witch revelas that "Tip " has known no other way as He/she was cast under this spell as a toddler. The graphics are great and well so is the story. This set was unfortunately the only ones the shop had.

The last few days have been very rough health wise and my tests result from the HIV Specialist were fair. He would however like for me to see a rheumotologist as he thinks I have Fibromyalgia---I asked that if you remember LAST YEAR!!! Well he and other HIV/AIDS doctors are finding some long term HIV/AIDS people are developing Fibromyalgia as well--- I have one thing to say---I FREAKING TOLD YOU SO!

This makes me so mad as I have gone a whole year without being treated--I mean what the hell. I am going to go but I already know what is going to be said. I need to learn more about it and see if I can find a support group for it locally and then go from there.

Of course Ohio like most of the winter states in the North East have been in a virtual freezer stage for almost a week now. Temperatures no higher than 20's and well below ZERO at night. This of course has made the Fibromyalgia MUCH worse and I have a few days were all I manged to get done is blogging here if that. Hence wanting Oz books again.

Well gang till next time--try to keep warm, find a good book and listen to a Gay men's Chorus sing "Over the Rainbow"

News from the home front

I know I have been really bad about not posting the last few days but they have been really rough on my health--it seems like all I do is sleep. HOURS and hours and hours on end. The pain in my chest is about the same--which is through the roof and it is just gowing old really fast and I know many of you understand that.

I go today at 7 p.m. for a CAT Scan and tomorrow I go to my HIV Specialist for my 3 month review and for the results of my blood test which include T-cells and Viral Load which I already know is going to be screwed as I have been so sick again. The question is how screwed up is everything and how low is my T-cell count.

My time mainly has been spent trying to stay ahead of my e-mails, sewing on my counted cross stitch--especially after supper. Yesterday was the first real day I did any work--actually 2 hours of work and I ended up laying down for 3 hours. In many ways I hope they find something in those CAT Scans today but in many other ways I hope the don't. I know many of you understand that.

BIG LITTLE BOOKS® and BETTER LITTLE BOOKS - 1932-1949

MICKEY ROONEY AND JUDY GARLAND

Good - $20.00 Very Good-$40.00 Fine- $80.00

Better Little Book®; 1941. Hard cover. Standard size 3 5/8" x 4 1/2" x 1 1/2"; 432 pages. Author: Edward I. Gruskin. Artist: Henry E. Vallely. COLLECTOR'S NOTE: The cover title is different than the title on the title page (Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, The Story of Their Rise to Fame and Fortune in the Movies). This book was written specially for the BLB format. This is a SCARCE book.

I am actually sitting reading this now, before it goes up into my collection.Thats the nice thing for me anyway is that all of the books, magazines, articles and anything else printed I have in my collection I have read them all--cover to cover.

One of my other new pieces to my collection is an autogrpah from Eartha Kitt. Wondering why Eartha Kitt? Well she played the Wicked Witch of the West on Broadway a few years back and from what I have heard was wonderful in the roll. The scan here also shows a picture.

The picture I found online--a rather large file-- copied it to my digital camera disk thingie and off we went to Rite Aide to print it out. Viola new piece for the shrine . What was nice was since the autogrpah was on paper without the photograoh the price was low.

Silent Movies

Well many of you that read this blog may noteven be aware but there WERE movies of Oz before Judy Garland.... some of them even involving the Baum family.

My newest piece in my collection is JUST that. An original SIGNED photograph of Bryant Washburn from the 1925 version of the Wizard of Oz starring Larry Semon, Bryant Washburn, Oliver Hardy and Dorothy Dwan. Bryant played the role of Prince Kynd in the movie which focused in more of the humor than the actual story Baum wrote, even though L. Frank BAum Jr. was involved int he production.

According to online research I have done today--- Bryant was born in Chicago on April 28, 1889. The family moved and lived in Racine from the time Bryant was three till he turned eleven and they moved back to Chicago. He attended public schools and only went to the second year of highschool at Lakeview High School in Chicago.

His first theatrical experience was as a head usher at the old Chicago Opera House and then was promoted to the box office and then decided his place was was behind the curtain rather than in front of it. His first role was in a George Fawcett production and was a bit part. From there he went on to a small summer stock company at Lake Brady, Ohio just outside of KENT--which by the way is not far from here at all.

To keep this rather short Bryant for some reason is almost nearly forgotten today even though he played in over 300 movies. Movies include Captian Midnight, Call Of The Savage, The Spider Returns, Adventures of Captain Marvel and The Clutching Hand.

Bryant died in Hollywood , California on April 30, 1963 and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetary in Culver City California. Bryant had three children.

Playbill's

Well gang many of you may already know this but believe me when I say there are some very wonderfully nice and generous people out there.

As many of you know I belong to a list of different Judy Garland and Wizard of Oz Yahoo groups--and they are the greatest at keeping me informed and making new friends.

Two of my newest are both guys one named Billy and the other Dale (which is really easy to remember since its my last name --giggle). Anyhow I met these two wonderful gentleman by doing a post about if anyone was attending the Liza Minelli concert in NYC and could they get me a Playbill ----well both of these men were.

Billy was very sweet sending me a Liza Playbill along with a few other goodies which one of those was the CD to the concert. It was like being there--I still have to get a thank you note off--the e-mail was sent but it is my opinion a hand written note is so much better.

Than Dale was wonderful and sent two Playbill's as well, plus his used ticket. So the one I took the cover off of, took the inside picture of Liza out and framed them with the ticket. I am now trying to find on E-bay a signed 3x5 by Liza so it will all go together. Its already hanging in "the Shrine" next to my autograph of Lorna Luft.

On top of that if that wasn't nice enough Dale sent the program and ticket to the off Broadway production of "Judy and Me". Well I was stunned! It's this brand new play written and starring Peter Mac as Judy Garland with this "gay kid" who is like a huge fan and deals with som eof the issues many of us deal with being gay and then you add being a Judy fan too. I hear it is one of the best things going on "Off Broadway".

Again I still need to send off that hand written note but the Playbill collection is growing to say the least.

Than last week on E-bay they had very cheaply I might add a 2003 Playbill from "A Boy From Oz" with Hugh Jackman on the cover! Guess who has it in his collection of stuff now!



From what little I know of this play it it is about Peter Allen, if anybody else has any more information on this one please share.

Well I go to the doctors on Wednesday so I ask that you all keep me in your thoughts as I am not feeling much better and its been hard being this down again but will save you all the details. Until next time we run into each other in Oz.

Some news

Well as many of you know who read this blog I have been down sick again and yesterday---well how do I say this without being over dramatic-- I fell again. Just like last year. Spent the rest of the day resting as Jim had promised to take me to the Lion's Theatre in Massillion to see the "Wizard of Oz" on the big screen again.

Mind you I was walking very slowly as my balance is all screwed up and I really didn't want to fall again but off we went. This morning I got up sat on the bed and was very dizzy just sat there before standing and when I did took 4 or 5 steps and well you get the idea-- I fell again.

I am going to be very frank here and if you my readers find it disturbing I do apologize in advance but keep in mind it is how I am feeling right now.......

"I feel like I am getting very little support or maybe it is understanding in how bad I really feel right now. I am tired already in hearing are you any better today. Well lets see last year this lasted 4 months--Gee no I don't. I am really discouraged but I feel like I can't talk about it--that nobody gets why I feel this way. I feel like there is more going on than there appears to be. How can my doctor be so certain it is Costochondritis? Tired of being told--"Well no you can't, because you feel so lousy" or gee you sound like you didn't get much done today. Or golly you sound like your in a lot of pain'

OK I am down complaining-- I just ask all of you to keep me in your prayers as I struggle through this--- I go again on Wednesday to the doctor and am going t0 mention all of this and ask for her to run some more tests to ease my mind. Right now I am just very discouraged!.

Onto brighter subjects---- one of my newer acquisitions to my ever growing collection is a NEW autograph that I am just so excited about it is ................Kristin Chenoweth. From Broadways "Wicked" of course and then of course my favorite TV show "Pushing Daisies". The autograph has a caricature of Kristin by Marshall Jay Kaplan which in my opinon makes it that much more desirable.

It's Official

Well it is official----The new blog name fits the blog "My Journey with Judy" and "A Journey From Within" is over. I mentioned this a month ago had it posted on the old blog and hopefully all of you made the change to the new site. A new year and hopefully a lot of positive changes not only for the blog but also for me.

You may also notice that the blog not only being more Oz and Judy related is also going to reflect a more "gay" theme if you will, after all it is who I AM and I have decided to embrace that part of my life more, hopefully you will stay around for that journey as well. Posts and videos of "questionable" nature will be listed as such so you can skip them if you like--of course as always nothing vulgar---smile.


My parents were out to day for a very short visit and while they were here I am happy to report they took the door off the Judy/Oz room which frees up a lot more wall space. The Big Christmas tree that was in the room is also down it took me some time to do it the last few days but it is down. I found these really nice green ornaments so I am going to take a smaller tree and set it up so its up Year round with the Oz ornaments I have on it plus these new green bulbs. I will have to take a picture of it once it is up.

Last night we went to the neighbors for a neighborhood New Years Eve party us and 5 other couples and they all played my Oz trivia game while I read the questions. I was politely told I knew too much about Oz and therefore had to read the questions. It was a lot of fun. Only 3 questions out of the night I did NOT know ---giggle!

The "cold" I have is about the same but it has made me really weak being in so much pain all the time, its odd as my family thinks I am on my way out--boy they don't know me do they.

My newest piece to the ever growing collection was purchased just a tiny bit before Christmas with funds I made off E-bay selling dolls--Hurrah for E-bay! Its a new "Wiz" selection for my

very small Wiz Collection. I have the movie and a signed Program that I spoke about a few weeks back. This piece is the original "Premiere" Program handed out to everybody at the Premiere of "The Wiz" now30 years ago. It has really great pictures of the movie and the cast. And for under $30.00 I felt well worth every penny.

Going to be keeping my eyes out for other "The Wiz" stuff to add to the collection--A Diana Ross or Michael Jackson autograph would be nice but than again I maybe dreaming.--oh well its that to to ease on down, ease on down that.....