IN THREE WORDS

In this weekly feature, I'll share with you a guest each week, and you tell me in three words what comes to mind.

In three words....

Dixie Carter

And  what would have been her birthday today....why not share one of my favorite Julia Sugarbaker rants.

LIFE IN HEELS

I have long said if you have questions email me. Well Tim, who has been into drag race lately sent a email, put in short terms, how did I started drag, why I did drag, what was my  style like and why did I stop.  Well, that could be a huge answer dear. I'll try to keep this in short terms. For moi, drag started with a group of us doing drag for Halloween for a gag. The only thing was myself and good friend Vera, really enjoyed it. So we would occasionally do drag for parties. This continued for some time. After I came out and dated two guys, the first two no less, I got burnt by both. Fed up, I turned to drag as a means to escape and keep men at bay. Can you believe those words just came out of my mouth? Tis true. So I started doing drag more, at parties and going out to clubs, then hosting and becoming a scene queen I call them. While I did shows, it wasn't to the extent like queens who do it weekly. I was more the one who was seen everywhere ,and became known for the drag. Originally the name was Madeline Wesley. But my look was not innocent enough for that name. I once saw a married man, and a friend referred to me as Mistress. DING DING  DING! Mistress Maddie. But as the drag got more perfected, another friend was like your style is a bit more camp elegant, you need a more chic name. Well at the time I used Borghese make up. The Mistress Borghese stuck....just Maddie to close friends. But it got to the point where in or out of drag, everybody called me Maddie. Call me Steven, and I wouldn't even hear you. I guess I continued drag because 1- it was fun 2- kept men at bay and 3- I love seeing the transformations every time and still do. And I do love glamour. While I was never in pageants and shows weekly, I was more like I said ,a scene queen...think Amanda Lepore, most notably. The show would have to have a charity attached for me to be in it. But the Mistress would shake the floor up on the weekends, sometimes clearing the whole floor to put on a performances ….and stand back when the high kicks started. I LOVE dancing. I would wave, vogue, ball, I loved it all and still do.

The first time ever in drag! YIKES!

 The dancing became my trademark as well as big hair and often with accoutrements in it. I did netting, jewels, doves, birds feathers, plumes, seashells, butterflies, branches, fans, and flowers. Even did Carmen Miranda once. The forms of drag for me were either campy but chic, or chic and fishy. With different technique in make up would change the whole look.

Two months ago. Chi and fishy.

Javier, the handsome genus photographer.

One night while out of drag, years later, I met a guy.... and we would end up bring together for five years. A couple of months in one night, while talking, he told me of a fabulous drag queen he met one night and was funny, catty , but beautiful. The more he talked and describe the queen, I said dear, that was me. He was shocked. We laughed, but he had at this point never seen he get ready, or in drag, since we met. A huge party was coming and everyone wanted the Mistress present. Well he almost fell over when he saw the transformation.He couldn't understand how a  cute guy could also be a beautiful woman he said. I said, DRAG QUEEN. Well, once the Mistress was out, she wanted out more. In the long run, he could not accept the drag thing, and I came close to never doing drag again. He was very uncomfortable when people found out who I was. But even his own mother wanted to go out one night with me in drag  he blew. Well, I wasn't about to give in, being the wild child I am.  I called it quits, after not doing drag for a couple months.  Most of my friends were like it's a part of you, don't give in.

After he was out of the picture the Mistress Borghese was back with a vengeance. But most guys didn't care about dating a drag queen. If they know the queen was cute out of drag they didn't care. When I finally went on to date the ex boy toy, we were together for 11 years and he loved the Mistress. Most guys have more issues with cross dressers then drag queens and that where my first ex was mixed up. He viewed drag as cross dressing and it isn't. 

After moving with the Boy Toy, who I share custody of Buster with, to Philadelphia, drag continued for some time, But when I entered my current job I found less and less time to do drag, not to mention from working out, my body was getting more built...and while I still enjoyed drag, my interests changed slightly. Over a little more time, after around 22 years of drag I decide to hang it up. I have since sold about 3/4 of the drag and wigs, but kept a small storage unit of select things for the few show where I make appearances.

Closet at one time

A wigs and head piece ….soon to be in the fabulous Pearl Gates's clutches!!!

 But a queen never truly never not does drag again. I still do the occasional show or party, and we just did  a photo shoot of Philly queens, above, I posted some time back. 

Two weeks ago at Gay Bingo in Philly. This was my more campy chic drag.

And did I mention I love high heels. I would swear to date, it's why my legs are built.

I will always love my drag and drag persona....and I will always have drag. It takes a personality, big balls, a TON of time getting ready, and not to mention the money it takes for wigs, costumes and such. If you see a queen out performing at a show tip her a few $1's These queens are exhausted even thought they may look stunning. So while I may not do drag anymore.. semi- retired, lol, it's why I enjoy my weekly Grande Dame post to still showcase drag, but in a different way. Thanks Tim for your query.

Whew......I need a gin. 

WEDDING PICTURE

I thought I told you all I was invited to the Royal Wedding? Here was a snap of me from the paparazzi sitting next to Prince Charles.

I was quite the hit during that long service. Phillip Treacy approached me about wearing one of his designs, but I told him alas, Oscar Mayer beat him to the punch.

GRANDE DAME

Discord Addams is a drag queen who is so passionate about not only drag, but life, living, and people, that her words literally jump off of the page. Sometimes people get into drag having been bullied in school. 

Discord got into drag and was bullied – at pageants. She felt so unwelcome in her local drag scene  in Ohio, that she began to travel to Pittsburgh, where she found the drag scene to be less “traditional” and more accepting. Discord , who hails from Arkon Ohio, who has been doing drag after around 7 years now...nd is pretty fierce in my opinion. Her drag is a more alternative style of drag. At heart Discord is a fuckin’ rock star but, she tries to incorporate every style of drag into what she does. Discord says to many spend too much time worrying about what “type” of drag queen they are and not enough time realizing that they can be every drag queen. Discord is every drag queen and at the end of the day she wants to be the very best at what she  does. Discord, however, wants to look like she just stumbled out of a trailer after having a gang bang with Motley Crue.!!!!!! 

MONDAYS.

If each day is a "gift",  will someone please tell me where in the hell I can return Mondays??? I do believe we are going to need a nice dose of jump start today....

There...that should have gotten the blood flowing.

FOR THE BIRDS

So in the previous post my future husband asked if I was for the birds... and I would have to say yes. Feeding these birds and watching them in the morning has become a favorite thing for me to do. It still amazes me that some of these birds feed and stay on the sill to eat. I've gotten into birds so much with window feeding and bird feeders, that I signed up for one of the summer birder watching tours up at the beautiful Peace Valley Lake, to see if there are birds I don't have here, even though its only less then five minutes up the road.  In between bird watching I had my first two sessions for sitting for my friend Doug for his art still life.  Good weekend for it since we had mostly rain. He sent me home with some Irises, my favorite flower. The birds were certainly crazy from the rain.

Neither one looked to happy to be soaked.

Happy little song sparrow.

The cardinal and a starling. I mentioned last time  I saw the male cardinal feeding the female,  and I didn't know why. I have since learned the male feeds the females seeds so they can judge the males on what kind of  attentive mate and parent they will be. The female chooses her mate based on that. Who knew?

My Golden Finches have returned and have molted.

Big Black birds have shown up and have tempted to land on the sill but are still leery.

The Red-Bellied woodpecker was quite the ham this weekend. And spent much quality time pecking at the gutters and drain pipes .

Meanwhile on the ground the finch inundated the ground feeder.

The Red Winged Black Bird returned recently. They tend to stick to the feeders by the creek or pond.

Oliver and Olivia still have four babies, luckily and have gotten bigger already

And one on my favorite birds, the Gray Catbird has returned. They have already been on the sill feeding....thanks to fresh blueberries as a lure....but boy are they quick. Gray Catbirds do indeed make a 'meow' that sounds impressively like an unhappy cat, but they can also mimic other birds and animals in their impressive song repertoire, much like their Mockingbird and Thrasher relatives.  Usually on the shy side, they often sing while hiding in shrubbery. But they are also very curious and will mingle pretty closely. In the autumn they usually migrate to the Gulf Coast, Central America, and in the Caribbean. Wouldn't that be nice? But I love to hear them sing. This was , alas, the only one I captured.

My lovely Irises.