| The bi-monthly e-magazine of the River City Gems | September-October 2010 |
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Join Our Email List!
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We are pleased to welcome new members Louise W. and
Charlene C. to our River City Gems family!
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Join or Renew Today!
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You can support the River City Gems
by becoming a member or renewing your existing membership. As a member, you'll be entitled to a $5
discount on the door fee at all Gems events. You'll also receive
a membership card, library
privileges, an entry in each month's member drawing, and even a
special card and cupcake in the month of your birthday! Most
importantly, your support will enable us to continue serving the
needs of our community through social events, education, and
outreach. You can join or renew your membership at any Gems event
or online. |
| Upcoming Events |
Carla's Halloween-Oct 30
DVG Fall Dinner-Nov 6
Gems Drab Gab-Nov 12
Gems Monthly Social-Nov 13
Day of Remembrance-Nov 20
Thanksgathering-Nov 27
For more information, visit our Upcoming Events and Community Calendar pages!
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Diablo Valley Girls Fall Dinner
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November 6, 2010 Walnut Creek
6:00 p.m.
Tickets for the 2010 Diablo Valley Girls Fall Dinner are available until October 29!
The Fall Dinner is an elegant and festive gathering featuring a chef-prepared 3-course meal, entertainment, and of course the lovely company of the Diablo Valley Girls!
River City Gems members are strongly encouraged to attend and support this special event, which is an annual highlight for our Northern California TG community. You may request seating with the River City Gems group when you order your tickets.
Festivities will begin with no-host cocktails at 6:00 p.m. followed by dinner at 7:00 and entertainment. The entrees are Tenderloin Beef Tips, Pan-Seared Salmon, or Vegetable Wellington. Tickets are just $50 ($45 for DVG members).
To print a ticket order form, CLICK HERE. Tickets must be ordered by October 29, so don't delay! Put your order form in the mail today.
For more information you can email info@diablovalleygirls.org, or call the DVG hotline at (925) 937-8432.
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Greetings!
Publication of this issue of Facets was delayed slightly in order to bring you timely coverage of the most dazzling event of the year - River City Sparkle 2010, Emerald Extravaganza! If you were one of the 120 Sparkle attendees, we hope you'll enjoy this opportunity to relive some of the highlights of that special evening. If you couldn't be a part of Sparkle this year, you can find out what it was all about (and start making plans to attend River City Sparkle 2011!)
Also in this issue, we have two very personal stories by women who have found happiness living life as their true selves: Linda H. and Rebecca H. Although their stories are very different, Linda and Rebecca each offer a valuable perspective on the struggles and rewards of transition.
For those new to dressing and going out, there's a recently launched River City Gems program called "New Girls' Night Out," which you can read about here. And everyone will definitely want to check out Tilda A.'s report on the Gems' September Social, which was full of surprises!
To round out our September-October edition, we have another "Tricks of the Trade" column from Carollyn Olson, this time dealing with the perennial problem of finding shoes that fit.
If you have ideas or an article to contribute for our upcoming November-December issue, please drop us a line at facets@rivercitygems.org.
Happy reading!
Warm regards,
Your Facets Editorial Staff
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River City Sparkle Goes "Green!" by Tilda A.
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| "Emerald Extravaganza" Lives Up to Its Name
"Emerald Extravaganza" was the theme for the third annual River City Sparkle gala, which took place on a warm evening in the large Sacramento hotel ballroom where it had also been held the previous two years. In attendance were 120 lovely transgender ladies, friends, family, and visitors from such faraway places as upstate New York, Missouri, and Kentucky, as well as many from throughout California and Nevada.
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New Beginnings by Linda H.
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| A Family Story with a Happy Ending
Our lives as transgender women are complicated and often filled with family drama that can be traumatic, even heartbreaking. Sometimes family relationships are damaged beyond repair, but other times the damage is only temporary, or short-term. Happy endings do happen, and broken relationships can be put back together with time and patience.
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New Girls' Night Out by Melissa H.
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| Unique Gems Program Helps New Girls Find Their Wings
 Many of you have probably noticed a new River City Gems monthly event called New Girls' Night Out. The first official outing was in September and was a shopping trip on a Saturday afternoon at the busy Roseville Galleria mall. Jessie and Tiffany joined hostess Melissa for an afternoon of shopping and chatting, and Tiffany and Melissa enjoyed dinner at Head Hunters in midtown Sacramento to finish off the evening.
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Tricks of the Trade by Carollyn Olson
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|  Buying the Right Shoes
Finding the right shoes for your feet has been an issue for girls ever since the high heel was invented.
You always want to look classy, and you want to find shoes that are not only sexy and complement your style, but are comfortable so that your "dogs aren't barking" by the end of the night.
Finding the right size shoe can also be a frustrating experience.
An attractive pair of heels can do wonders for your appearance. Good heels can accentuate your female lines, define your legs and calves, and force you to take shorter and more feminine steps. Improperly fitting shoes can create health problems such as poor circulation, arthritis and back pain.
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Thoughts and Reflections on My Transition by Rebecca H.
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Although I started my life as a boy, grew into a young man, became a husband and then a father of two. . . . Although all of that made me who I am today, and I have very few regrets about any of it, and actually quite a lot of great memories because of it. . . . I am a woman now. I know, we've heard that before from so many people in the community. But honestly, there isn't a single bit of me that feels male or even trans anymore. Sure, this history will follow me around forever, and I can't allow myself to ever forget it, deny it, or pretend it didn't happen, but it feels like it all happened to someone else. It doesn't even feel like a dream or a nightmare. It simply doesn't feel like it ever really happened to me.
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Surprising September Social by Tilda A.
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The River City Gems September social found the group back in its usual venue once more. It's nice to have a regular host environment for these monthly socials, where the management and the Gems have established a long-standing relationship and work well together.
The routineness of the timing and setting for the September social, however, in no way resulted in a routine event, as some very unusual surprises were in store this time around!
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The River City Gems is a nonprofit organization with a mission
to improve the lives of transgender individuals and their
families by providing education, resources, peer support, social
networking opportunities, outreach programs, and services
focused on the specific needs of the male-to-female transgender
community. Contributions are fully tax deductible under section 501(c)(3)
of the IRS code.
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www.rivercitygems.org | info@rivercitygems.org | facets@rivercitygems.org
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