AHS 6

We are all just spinning on the wheel…there is but one way to keep off the wheel, it’s not youth, it’s not beauty or true love…I know how to stay off the wheel, I control my fate, I have survived…one has to be willing to destroy who they must to keep the God’s in check. ~Elsa

Lupe: Good luck with keeping those God’s in check Elsa…(rolls eyes)

Clay: In-breeding has caused enough problems in this family.

Second Section:

Lupe: Dot has a major case of RIBF (Rest in Bitch Face); seal boy is a playa

Clay: If life gives you a lemon, make you a lemonades.

Third Section:

Lupe: Dandy had another adult temper tantrum.

Clay: Help, Help, let me out!

Fourth Section:

Lupe: Elsa did that on purpose…team seal boy all the way!!

Clay: At least it wasn’t a hat trick…

Fifth Section:

Lupe: I’m glad Ma Petite is still alive. (Clay rolls eyes and says that is lame).

Clay: If your body was worth half of what Ma Petite’s was you would be soaking in formaldehyde.

Sixth Section:

Dandy: There is nothing left but the dust and scorpions inside me…the desert knows no mercy…I must accept this emptiness as a blessing, not a curse.

Lupe: Nobody like a man-boy.

Clay: I just wanted to be loved…don’t we all...

AHS 7

Lupe: I thought she was going to choose Dandy; she shocked me with that one. Family prevails over everything.

Clay: Are they Alice in Wonderland? We paid good money for these girls.

Second Section: 

Love me some Nirvana; Jimmy Darling looks and sounds very sexy!!! For a time period piece, that stage sure does jump into the future for music.

We don’t take orders from liars!

Lupe: Well who’s the strong man now? Good for you Amazon Eve! Richard is a slimy coward.

Clay: When did this become Glee? Never fall in love with a hustler. When did the screams of a man who has been nut shot is so specific.

Section Three: 

Hope that the world will right itself, that the just will be rewarded and the wicked punished….Take control, ain’t nobody gonna protect our people protect us but us.

Lupe: Breakthrough moment…too bad it too alcohol to do it. Even the strongest of men have a heart.

Clay: Easy Peasy Japaneasy. You aren’t gonna become a drunk in one night….you gotta commit to it.

Section Four: 

It’s the Toledo way….the moment you let a woman tell you what to do, is the moment you hand your balls over to them.

Penny, Penny, Open your eyes, Daddy’s got a big surprise.

One, Two, Elsa’s coming for you…three, four….

Lupe: I am going to say something I have never said in my life; goodnight dad. Such a powerful scene. There is about to be a war between Siamese twins…that’s going to be crazy.

Clay: I worked with plenty of gals with double chins but never with two heads. Stick out your tongue….I got it forked.

Section Five –

You are a regular Betty Crocker, Ethel…..

Lupe: It takes a weak, weak man to go after Ma Petite…I am so upset!

Clay: Pickled Petite anyone?

A walk down memory lane, revealing deep rooted stories about myself, to help educate members of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians on why it’s important that the church recognize same sex marriages. This was my day today, or at least the afternoon and it left me feeling very inflated, even though the stories were sometimes emotional and hard to tell.


I don’t really do this much, talk about my faith, religion or the church. But Clay and I were asked to speak on a panel which consisted of six gay men, including us. A lot of the stories told were similar, but each had their own hurt, pain, triumph and hope for the future.

What I loved about it most, was affirming to all who came to listen to the two sessions in which we spoke that we are a married couple, a family, with kids, and a grandchild on the way. We have a loving, supportive extended family. We told about our wedding (our commitment ceremony in Tulsa) and our legal wedding in Washington, DC, on our fifth anniversary. It was wonderful to relive those moments to friends in the audience and panel and also complete strangers.

I also loved the fact that during the discussion, it was brought up that being positive role models to today’s youth, both gay and straight, is a responsibility that we LGBT married couples have. If we can make one child’s life easier by being an out and proud, successful married couple, then we have done well. If we can save another child from walking down the path to thinking that suicide is the only answer, then we have done well. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but it is work that we will do and we will do it with honor, dignity and with complete passion.

The hard part of telling my story today, was reliving and expressing how the church had hurt me growing up. Actually, how it traumatized me. I grew up in rural Oklahoma, in a rural church community. When you take a scripture from the bible and interpret it “literally” and then pass that on to a child in your congregation, who may be sitting quietly, holding back who they were born to be, out of fear, then you put that child on the potential walk down the path to suicide. We have to stop and consider what we tell our kids, what we share with them as absolute truths.

You can call me blasphemous if you choose, but I am at peace with my faith. I have a community of faith that surrounds me in so much love that I feel completely at ease writing this tonight. I don’t know that I could even say this would have been so a year ago. In the day and age of churches with dwindling congregation numbers, one has to consider, what is it that is making people turn away? What is it that makes them seek out something else, a new story, and a new way of thinking? I don’t believe in my heart that it is a lack of faith that makes them leave, but a weariness of literalism being thrown in their face. I love my progressive approach to my faith and I love that Clay and I have found a church were we feel at home to explore those progressive thoughts and ideas.

We matter to this world, you matter to this world and each child matters and should have the experience of having positive role models in their life. Be the change you want to see and say kind words to each other. Bring peace to your life and if you can, to another’s life. 



Have a peaceful night!

Johnny Bryan Ward

Loving the development of the storyline, even though we all know that with one of Ryan’s AHS shows, we have to lose some of our favorite characters. No character seems to be immune. Maybe that is one of the true realities of the show. Life is fragile, unpredictable and whether we like it or not, we are all walking with death.

Intro:

Lupe: Be careful with those ones that feel unappreciated.

Clay: Did she say poofs? Oh no she didn’t!!!

Second Segment: 

Desiree: Make me feel something Jimmy…

Lupe: I’m confused…Elsa’s stage-fright had a lot of loose ends on that part and not everyone is going to come out ok.

Clay: It was a very confusing segment…triple titties and lobster boy; I just want to feel something.

Third Segment:

Dandy: I don’t want to end up like daddy, swinging lifeless in a Japanese maple.

Lupe: Doesn’t make me want to eat a cupcake, for sure. That guy is going to get it. I hope Twisty and Muldrake come back to get him.

Clay: It’s 1952. You just can’t go around picking up vagrants off the street and kill them; people will be missed.

Segment Four:

Dandy: I will be the US steel of murder. The clown was put on earth to show me the way, sweet language of murder.

Lupe: I just can’t believe he killed Matt Bomer. I’m devastated. I love that he played a gay character.

Clay: I got $20.00

Segment Five:

Lupe: Jealousy, ego and possessiveness is a BIATCH!!!!!

Clay: Their tiny little fingers will snap like twigs…..

What was your favorite AHS moment???? Comment below.

What a spectacular night to be in love, on date night and endulging in some of Tulsa's best culture. Tonight was Nicolo Fonte's Bolero and Ma Cong's Carmina Burana presented by Tulsa Ballet. It was a definite sensory overload, but in the best possible way. Joining Tulsa Ballet tonight was Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, Tulsa Oratorio Chorus and the Tulsa Opera. 



Nicolo Fonte's Bolero

We had the distinct pleasure of getting to go take a sneak peak behind the scenes as Nicolo and the extremely talented dancers of the Tulsa Ballet were in rehearsals. The level of talent, hard work and dedication was mind blowing. At the end of rehearsal, Nicolo took some questions from the audience. He is a remarkably interesting man and his story of how he came about doing Bolero was equally interesting. I found the part where he explained that composer, Maurice Ravel, actually found his inspiration for Bolero from industrial pistons and how they build upon themselves, working slow at first and then becoming more fast and furious. The music itself fits this description perfectly and to tell you the truth, the music make more sense to me now. Tulsa Ballet completely slayed Bolero. The dancing was superb, the setting was exactly what Nicolo had described it would be. 

Ma Cong's Carmina Burana

The collaboration on this piece was mind-blowing. We were left trying to decide where we should be looking as their was talent surrounding us everywhere between the Tulsa Ballet, Tulsa Opera, Tulsa Symphony Orchestra and the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus. The dancing was remarkable, intense and the story was told beautifully. Ma's pieces never cease to entertain and challenge us, which we love. He is cutting edge, but still holds true to who he is.

This is a must see show. If you can get tickets for tomorrow's matinee then you should run to the box office, not walk. The talent is off the charts. 

Below is a video from a previous Carmina Burana done by Tulsa Ballet featuring one of our favorites, Alfonso Martin. 

Have a peaceful night!

Johnny Bryan Ward