Happy New Year 2023

I wish to take a moment to not only wish you all of my best in the coming year, but to thank you, you that has taken a moment to click onto my blog and are reading these words.

On June 1, 2014 I started Fearsome Beard to part and be a part of the blogging community that I was regularly reading. The encouragement, love and support I received was amazing. I was hooked and stumbled my way into this world. I’ve never been a writer, but found I enjoyed expressing myself.

Without you stopping by I probably would have given it up, but you kept coming back. All of you kept coming back and more and more started coming by. I’m humbled.

In 2022 Fearsome Beard had 207,721 views from 45,791 visitors. These numbers are records for this 8 year old blog. These numbers humble me and I thank you, all of you.

I also wish to thank my referring fellow bloggers. Bosguy sent me 12,496 viewers,   Ishouldbelaughing  sent me 3,823 viewers,  Riding on sent me 1,700 viewers and  Raybeard    sent me 565 viewers. Many others of you sent me many viewers as well and I can’t thank all of you enough. All of you are very dear to me.

Gratitude is always a place that gets me in good spirits and friendship, even if it’s over the internet, is something I cherish. I dedicate this tune to you my readers and fellow bloggers for you are my friends, and for you I am grateful!

Lake Street Dive – Thank You For Being A Friend – Cover – 2022

Happy New Year 2023! May your year ahead be full of peace, love, friendship, good health and fulfillment.

Thank You For Being A Friend

Back a little before Christmas I had my 89 year old mom out to Macy’s for a little seasonal shopping. While in the women’s department with her I heard a different take on Gayla Peeve’s classic I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas and was quite taken with it. Some artist I didn’t know had given that 1950s song a new tropical twist and I couldn’t get it outta my head, so when I got home I had some searching to do. It took some time and wasn’t easy to find, but find it I did and posted it here on this here blog thingy on December 10, 2021. It was by a group I wasn’t familiar with called Lake Street Dive. Man did they give that old Christmas tune a new life. After finding it I bought it on iTunes to add to my library.

After finding it I also followed Lake Street Dive on YouTube and am glad I did. Today a new Lake Street Dive cover popped into my feed and they knock it out of the park. Not only did the memories of Betty White and The Golden Girls make me tear up but the passion and emotion that which they put into their take on Thank You For Being A Friend also made me tear up with emotions of joy and hope.

Lake Street Dive – Thank You For Being A Friend – 2020 (posted to you tube January 4, 2022 in memory of Betty White)

And to all of you who are reading these words, Thank You for being my friend.

In Loving Memory

It is with great sadness that I write this.
Our beloved friend and blogger Anne Marie in Philly has passed away.

Todd, Fearsome, Mistress Maddie and Anne Marie July 2019

Anne Marie,
I cannot fully express my gratitude that you came into my life. I thank you for the laughter, smiles, smooches, encouragement, likes, comments, tears, fun, companionship, hospitality, outlook, perspective, bitchyness, joy and most of all love. I will miss you greatly. I will always carry you in my heart and share just a piece of you with everyone I possibly can.

Todd,
My condolences in your great loss. Please know that I am always here for you.

Godspeed.

The Boss

Diana Ross

Because I need this today.

Sometime about 1981 a young impressionable homosexual of somewhere near 18 years of age (maybe not quite due to a really good fake ID) excitedly awaited his first drag show at his local gay discotheque. He was sitting on the floor laughing with several new gay friends and sipping cheap draft beer. The bright lights shimmered off of the sparkly fabric of the backdrop as the Emcee announced the opening act.

Carolyn Sue Wilson took the stage in her best Diana Ross drag. As she expertly  lypsynced this very tune, that young impressionable homosexual had found his home amoungst friends. He was no longer afraid and alone. He was part of.

Drag queens did that for us back then. Hell, they still do that for us outcasts today. Drag, at least for me, has always been inclusive. Drag is beautiful. Drag is accepting. Drag is outrageous. Drag is fun. Drag spreads love. Drag exudes acceptance.

That old gay dance club was a haven for this young impressionable homosexual. The memories of that club have always brought me comfort. That club helped me to realize I was inherently good. I was part of humanity and not some freak to be thrown away for no good.

I made many friends at that club. Many of those friends faded away.  Many died from the terrible plague we shared in the 1980s. Several of them are still with me to this day. Lifelong friends whom I love dearly.

Wherever Carolyn Sue Wilson is today, I dedicate this post to her. Thank you Carolyn, you always made me feel part of. You always shared a smile and gave this young homosexual the love and acceptance he needed. You girl -were and still are- The Boss.

Carolyn Sue Wilson
Miss Gay Roanoke 1975

Crestfallen

It had been a while

A while since we first met

The fun, smiles, laughter, excitement

Convivial companionship

The message came through

Yes, yes I remember!

A plan to meet

Anticipation builds, memories swirl

The time comes, the time passes

No message, no word

Connection missed

Was it a dream?

 

Blogging Benefits

A benefit of blogging that I enjoy is that of friendship.

Yesterday I received a surprise package in the mail from Meanwhile Over in Cali.

Thanks R.J. !

Next week I will have the pleasure of meeting Travel Penguin for a morning meal.

Our banter, comments, humor, insight, advice, empathy, respect and understanding make for a wonderful community. We come from all places and all walks of life. I love being part of this here blogging community and I wish to express my gratitude to all those in my blogging circle.

Hug!

Coffee with a friend

One knows a friend when the two of you can meet up and the conversation flows. The words are interesting, come easily and are comfortable. You make each other laugh, understand each other and both listen. It doesn’t matter if you saw each other yesterday or last year, the company is just plain comfortable. Time flies when the two of you are together.

Yesterday I had coffee with such a friend. We hadn’t seen each other in a year. In fact we first met at that meeting last year. We are both bloggers. Last year we had a meet up and a friendship was born. Yesterday we met, had coffee, enjoyed the company and deepened the friendship. That Blogger is this Blogger.

Yup. R.J. from Meanwhile Over in Cali.

You will find a post about our encounter over on R.J.’s Blog as well. Hopefully this year will allow the two of us to meet up again soon, sooner than another year. For R.J. Is delightful and friendships are to be treasured.

Movie Beard

The phrase “Friendship is Magic” is usually associated with this show:

My Little Pony, which is one of Fearsome’s favorites. He qualifies as a “Brony” in my book. Although I have to admit I rather enjoy the cartoon myself.

I am on the east coast visiting family at the moment, as is evident by yesterday’s Beard of the Day featuring my nephew, his son and Fearsome Himself. Being on the east coast means I’ve spent some time aboard yet another United Airlines 737-900. Flying means movie time.

My physical therapist, who has been taking great care of the shoulder, recommended a couple movies that were her all time favorites. She seems to be a spirit that is rather kindred to my own, so I took her up on her recommendation. On this flight out I chose to watch this one:

Fearsome and I agree that there is one word that sums up our feelings about this film. That word is “Beautiful”.

It is one of those late 1980s flicks that we somehow had missed. We are indebted to the physical therapist for her recommendation, kindred spirit she is. This film grabbed us, held us and enriched us.

What the hell does My Little Pony have to do with Bagdad Cafe?

There is a common message. Friendship truly is magic. All we need to do is be open to friendship, cherish friendship and cherish each other. We all have common threads. We simply must just allow ourselves to show the least amount of vulnerability and magic happens.

We give this film two mustache tips curled up!