Japan Disneyland Bucket List Trip The biggest highlight of the year for me was getting to go on a bucket list trip to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea last May. Getting to visit the two best Disney theme parks was a dream come true. Of course, I had a lot of other lovely adventures in Tokyo,…
Skate Photo Shoot at 6th Ave
I was honored to be asked to be a subject in this journalism student Tam’s photo essay on skating that she was preparing this month. Tam was so fun to work with, bringing enthusiasm, technical expertise, and flexibility to the shoot. Excited to see her final project. Here’s her pics of me that she shared.
The Joys of Being a Newbie
Yesterday I had the pleasure of being a complete newb at a dance! Okay, maybe not a total newb, but definitely felt out of my depth attempting to lead the waltz at The Great Dickens Christmas Fair.I did fine with my friend Aurelia Santos for the first waltz, which had set sections and moves that…
“For this World” by Walter Rauschenbusch
A member of my Quaker Meeting, Stephanie Rauschenbusch, shared this wonderful poem written by her grandfather Stephanie Rauschenbusch in 1957. It very much speaks to my condition. O God, we thank thee for this universe, our great home; for its vastness and its riches, and for the manifoldness of the life which teams upon it…
Just a Normal Sunday at the 6th Avenue Skating Place
I get to the 6th Avenue Skating Place a little after noon. The spot is already hopping with skaters and music, courtesy of my friend Alex and their very loud bluetooth speaker. A newer skater Cassidy is there and she wants to work on “the Smurf.” So we review that footwork and drill it together….
The Public Universal Friend — a non-binary, Quaker-raised evangelist from the 1700s
I’ve been a Quaker for 26 years and only now learned about the Public Universal Friend. The Public Universal Friend is hard to describe. They are considered by some to be the first transgender evangelist, by others the first American-born woman to lead a religious movement, by others a controversal non-binary preacher during the Revolutionary…
Spiders in the Box of Chocolates
I have this one pretty gross memory as a kid that exemplifies my parents’ attitudes toward possessions. My cousins and I were gathered at our house for some occasion, probably Christmas, which we typically hosted for our extended family. My mom brought out a box of fancy chocolates for us to share. We opened the…
Do Small Things with Great Intention
Jim Morgan, a beloved member of my Quaker Meeting was memorialized today. One of the remembrances was a message Jim gave where he stood up and said simply, “Joy. I am feeling immense joy.” Such a short statement, but so powerful in its brevity and eloquence. This is a reminder to me that whatever expression…
Halloween 2023 as “Cake Week” from the Great British Bake Off!
This was in some ways one of my easiest costumes, but also my most performative: “Cake Week” on “The Great British Bake Off!” I was a little stymied about what I wanted to be this Halloween, until the week before. And then it came to me in a flash: I wanted to be a baker…
“To save everything, we need as much difference as possible”
From The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikofsky (2020): “We cannot know what we do not know. We cannot see what we do not see,” he said, the words coming slowly, heavy with thought. “Dr. Khan understands the numbers behind the branches and the worlds, although that is not what she thought she was studying….