36 ° OlTl‘1 november 2001

S Cl ITI C! i' Cl

foundation of vermont

Our M_ission
The Samara Foundation of Vermont is a
charitable foundation whose mission is to
support and strengthen Vermont's gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgendered communities
today and build an endowment for tomorrow.

How To ‘Contact us: ‘ 90 main street
' , e ” ' p.o. box 1263, '
burlington, vermont
05402-1263 _
p. 8025860-"6236
f. 802-860-6315
~ info@samarafoundation.org
www.sarnarafoundation,org

Ss
CHRISTMAS TREES

Beautiful, sheared Balsam and Fraser Fir
Larger trees to 16 feet.

BALSAM WREATHS
Thick ~ Hand-Tied ~ Double Faced
Also available: candy canes, crosses, door arches, hearts,
kissing balls, mailbox huggers, and tree shapes
Balsam and boxwood mini trees also available
Fresh and Dried Holiday Arrangements
yhusllqh Visit our red barn for great gift ideas for the gardener
4. .
fi% P.J. Bushey Landscaping Inc.
' Route 103 V
East Wallingtord, VT 05742
(802)-259-2542

Open M — F: 9 —5:30 pm & Sat & Sun: 8 — 4 pm
‘A short drive in the country that is well worth the trip’

“The Best Restaurant in Town.’ ”
-John Powers, The Boston Globe

.\i-lcclril as :I
“licsl Rc\l;iiii'.:iiit"

wiii; iiii;
iiiitiiis l2llI_

A warm,
welcoming,

special place.

Great feasts from Thailand, Vietnam,

Burma, China, Indonesia!

Five Spice Cafe
175 Church St.
Burlington
864-4045

Local delivery through Four Star Delivery Express 0 865-FOOD

(4   \ Mr. Les 3. Frank 

Your Guidance Counselor for Life  f

(   \   

Hey Mr. Frank,

I've got a real dilemma. Yesterday,'l was doing a search of some 4

profiles online looking for other guys in my area-who are into water
sports. I have kept my interest in WS totally secret from everybody -
including my boyfriend. l recognized the pic in one of the profiles
because it was a photo that! had taken of my boyfriend's ”equipm'ent."
The freaky thing is that his profile (under a pretend name like my secret
profile is) says that he's into the same thing I am. . - '

I'm not sure how to bring this up with him because it would mean
admitting that l was snooping around to hook up with other guys, plus
I'd have to confess about keeping my fetish a secret. A g 

Signed,

P. P.,
Middlebury, VT

Dear P.P., ‘ .

Seems to me that you're holding on to a _lot of guilt and a lot ofurine“

for no reason. Let it go and let it flow! Yes, youhave asecret online per-V
sona who is looking to sw p soakings but, it appears, so does your
boyfriend. . - J ‘F ‘ .
Unlike many people who iscover clandestine activities of their mates,
you are golden. Shower your boyfriend’ with the news that you both
share the same appreciation for getting wet and wild and I bet he'll be
drenched with relief. Why expect’him to be pissed off, when you both
want to be pissed on? S ,
_g I may notbe a weather forecaster, but I predict rain in your future.

OIIIOIIIOOIOIIIOIICIIOOIIIDICCOIIOOIIDOCIOOICIUOICIIDOIIOOOIIIUOIIIOOIIOUOIIIO

Hey Mr. Frank,

My life partner lost a very good friend in the World Trade”'Center
tragedy. Ever since, she has been very depressed and not interested in
any kind of physical or sexual closeness with me. I +/nderstand that she is
upset and sad, but I feel like lcould help her thr ugh this if she would
just let me comfort her. ' ’ ~

Any ideas?

Signed,
Margaretta,
Bennington, VT

Dear Margaretta,

I wish I had a quick and snappy suggestion to solve your problem.
Truth is, I think there are many people experiencing the kinds of feelings
your partner is having, even if they didn't lose someone who was per-
sonally connected to them. i 5

I would encourage your partner to get counseling to deal with her feel-
ings of — I'm guessing here — grief and, perhaps, survivor guilt. Everyone
in the country could use some professional guidance at this point. All the
flag waving and anthem singing isn't going to give us the personal and
emotional tools we'll need to deal with a tragedy of this magnitude.

Let your partner know that you love her and are there for her. Take that
first step and take care.

Mr. Les 3. Frank offers guidance counseling to people of all ages. He's also
chief ball polisher for a men's bowling league. Some letters are edited for

length, spelling or grammar. Send your questions and requests for guidance

to HeyMrFrank@aol.corn§> ‘