More Cheerful Stuff (Mostly Judaism, Predictably)

I did not want to leave you all with the taste of the effects of my chronic conditions in your mouths. That is not who I am, or what I am about! My diagnoses affect me, but there is more to me.  So:

1. I have found two queer social groups to attend, because sitting in my apartment and only socializing on Shabbat, through synagogue, until I went back to school again, was not a tolerable situation.  The first is a bisexual discussion and dinner group; the discussion goes from 6 to 8 pm and then we all gather for dinner.  I have been once before, and am going again tonight, actually leaving in just over an hour! The second is an Orthodox Jewish lesbians group...yes, really! No, I am not Orthodox, but in many ways I basically am; and certainly I face the challenges of integrating my religious and sexual identities that I am guessing these women also face.  The next meeting of this group, and the first one I will attend, is November 17th.  Unfortunately, that is the same night as the next meeting of the bisexuals group (they meet the first Monday and third Thursday of each month), but I guess sometimes you have to pick and choose.  And no, I will not be able to keep up with either of these groups once I start school again, but that is not what is important right now.
2. Yes, bisexual pride kippot actually exist! I did a little bit of scouting on the internet and discovered that the same Etsy seller who did my gay pride kippah also does bisexual pride kippot.  I messaged her to ask about things like prices and timing.  If she can make one in time, and the price is what I think it will be, I have a new idea for a birthday gift! As a PROUD bisexual Jew, it is very important to me to have a kippah that accurately reflects my identity.
3. In honor of tonight's meeting, I am dressed in what I consider my "bisexual pride uniform" of pink and purple clothes (in this case, pink skirt and purple top) and gay pride kippah.  Until the weather turns cold, I can always dress that way for meetings of this group: I own two pink skirts and one purple, and one top each in pink and purple.  I do not have any pink or purple Winter clothes, so once we hit Winter weather, I will have to rely on my kippah only to express my sexuality and my pride in it.  Naturally, at the moment, my "bisexual pride uniform" involves my gay pride kippah because that is the best I can do; when I finally get my bisexual pride kippah, I will switch.  And even throughout the Winter, I can wear the appropriate kippah to the appropriate event.
4. Because the clocks have been turned back, we are now in the phase of the year when it is very easy to squeeze in evening prayers, almost inexcusable not to...and coincidentally, I am getting back into my Judaism again.  Technically, I could complete evening prayers in between arriving at the group tonight and waiting for the discussion to start, but I am not going to do that.  This is because several culturally-but-not-religiously Jewish Jews who come to the group seem to be uncomfortable with my level of religious observance, even though I am just quietly going about my business.  I am not telling anyone what to do, nor would I ever tell anyone what to do! Nonetheless, they seem to think I am.  I cannot control their feelings about my necessary fulfillment of commandments, such as eating vegetarian at dinner and wearing a kippah; I cannot eat nonkosher food or not wear a kippah, because that validates my own beliefs.  For the sake of harmony, however, I do not have to do more Jewish things than absolutely necessary.  I can wait to pray tonight until I get home, just as well.

So that is all my news for now! Isn't this more fun to read than health condition news?