White House Photo, 3/17/09, Pete Souza
Which battle would you rather watch?Louisville versus UNC or the U.S. gov't versus AIG?
And your pick for the winners?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
President Obama gets his priorities straight
Louisville versus UNC or the U.S. gov't versus AIG?
And your pick for the winners?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/18/March-Madness-At-the-White-House/
Friday, February 06, 2009
Presidential Prayer Breakfast
I take the 16th street bus to work and then head west walking towards Connecticut Ave, where my office is. The roads were all blocked off with police vehicles, especially outside the Washington Hilton, which is directly across from my building on T street. It didn't occur to me until reading through the White House blog postings that arrive in my Google Reader that President Obama and the First Lady Michelle and hundreds of others were there for the National Prayer Breakfast.
His speech is wonderful. It really calls on us to recognize and cling to our commonalities, no matter our faith backgrounds, so that our nation and our world can truly benefit from it. this is a nice segment from the speech....
I'm excited to hear how our new President is going to leverage well established faith-based organizations during his administration to work for change. He's announced an Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships to get this going.
Keep up to speed with daily happenings in the Obama administration here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/
His speech is wonderful. It really calls on us to recognize and cling to our commonalities, no matter our faith backgrounds, so that our nation and our world can truly benefit from it. this is a nice segment from the speech....
"There is no doubt that the very nature of faith means that some of our beliefs will never be the same. We read from different texts. We follow different edicts. We subscribe to different accounts of how we came to be here and where we’re going next – and some subscribe to no faith at all.
But no matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know.
We know too that whatever our differences, there is one law that binds all great religions together. Jesus told us to "love thy neighbor as thyself." The Torah commands, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow." In Islam, there is a hadith that reads "None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." And the same is true for Buddhists and Hindus; for followers of Confucius and for humanists. It is, of course, the Golden Rule – the call to love one another; to understand one another; to treat with dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this Earth.
It is an ancient rule; a simple rule; but also one of the most challenging. For it asks each of us to take some measure of responsibility for the well-being of people we may not know or worship with or agree with on every issue. Sometimes, it asks us to reconcile with bitter enemies or resolve ancient hatreds. And that requires a living, breathing, active faith. It requires us not only to believe, but to do – to give something of ourselves for the benefit of others and the betterment of our world.
In this way, the particular faith that motivates each of us can promote a greater good for all of us."
But no matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know.
We know too that whatever our differences, there is one law that binds all great religions together. Jesus told us to "love thy neighbor as thyself." The Torah commands, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow." In Islam, there is a hadith that reads "None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." And the same is true for Buddhists and Hindus; for followers of Confucius and for humanists. It is, of course, the Golden Rule – the call to love one another; to understand one another; to treat with dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this Earth.
It is an ancient rule; a simple rule; but also one of the most challenging. For it asks each of us to take some measure of responsibility for the well-being of people we may not know or worship with or agree with on every issue. Sometimes, it asks us to reconcile with bitter enemies or resolve ancient hatreds. And that requires a living, breathing, active faith. It requires us not only to believe, but to do – to give something of ourselves for the benefit of others and the betterment of our world.
In this way, the particular faith that motivates each of us can promote a greater good for all of us."
I'm excited to hear how our new President is going to leverage well established faith-based organizations during his administration to work for change. He's announced an Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships to get this going.
Keep up to speed with daily happenings in the Obama administration here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Playing catch up
Blogging needs to take more of a priority in my life b/c there's just so much cool stuff going on around me and I have so much learning I'd love to share. But living in the city has turned me into a busy body-in the best way possible. So much good going on.
Eventually I'd like to share with you all my experience on Inauguration day. I'm at work now so won't get into it, but here's a teaser: I set up a blog for my group of volunteers who were one the parade route from 5am-6pm that cold, but beautiful day: http://obamavolunteers09.blogspot.com/
I wrote the intro, and only one volunteer has told her story so far. Hopefully more will come.
Photos need some organizing and captions, but check them out anyways: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28351783@N02/sets/72157612825822632/
Eventually I'd like to share with you all my experience on Inauguration day. I'm at work now so won't get into it, but here's a teaser: I set up a blog for my group of volunteers who were one the parade route from 5am-6pm that cold, but beautiful day: http://obamavolunteers09.blogspot.com/
I wrote the intro, and only one volunteer has told her story so far. Hopefully more will come.
Photos need some organizing and captions, but check them out anyways: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28351783@N02/sets/72157612825822632/
Monday, January 19, 2009
First week as a DC resident!
So many good and fun things going on. Just to name a few....
- Moved from home into wonderful group house in NW DC
- Reveled in the fact that my alertness and general demeanor has improved because of a shorter commute.
- Made new friends
- Spent an 1.5 hrs in the grocery store going through every aisle
- Cooked/baked lasagna, breakfast for one of the housemates, banana bread, cream of broccoli soup
- Ate lots of cake and had a magnificent birthday with friends and a date
- Went to Attitude Exact art gallery's 20 yr anniversary black tie celebration
- Stood for over 3 hours with millions of others at the Inauguration Concert Sunday to witness history and proudly welcome our president-elect to his new home . Take a look at the album below.
 |
| Inauguration Concert "We Are One" |
Saturday, December 06, 2008
I sought and I found!
Okay so I couldn't be more surprised, grateful and excited about a recent find that showed me how faithful God is to comforting us and supplying our needs, however trite they may be. Check it out.
Senior year of college I had this precious black and blue tea pot and tiny tea cups that my dad brought me from Vietnam. Ashley, Ally and I used them while sitting on our Good Year 23 livingroom floor. I also had a mug from Queretaro, Mexico and two very special handmade animal figures that were on the window sill in that very same apartment - one a glazed ceramic turtle (barro negro) and the other a delicately handpainted armadillo (alebrije is the artwork), both items from Mexico that whenever I saw them reminded me of the value Mexico had in my life.
Well it's been 2 and half years since I last saw all that stuff. I packed them up and left Dickinson but they were no where to be found once I got home. After a few disappointing searches over the years by me and my parents, I resigned to the idea that maybe we packed them up, brought them out to the GY parking lot and place them in a pile to be loaded in the car, which was precisely next to the give away piles near that large truck and then just forgot to get them in the car. I couldn't remember for the life of me who packed the box and carried it out. So overall I was just mindboggled as to what could have happened to so much stuff.
Every so many months I'd revisit the situation and the whole mystery of it drove me nuts over the years and just made me so sad and disappointed in myself - why wasn't I more alert...I always lose stuff....don't I value what I have? ya da ya da.... Then I'd add to this self pity the guilt of the fact that these weren't any old things you could just go buy from pottery barn or target. No, they were from other countries and each had a very special story behind the purchase. So yeah....big bummer.
BUT THEN (!!) tonight I'm sorting through things to bring with me when I move to my new home in DC. Mom points out a big plastic box full of newspaper wrapped items in the most obvious and visible part of the basement. She wondered if if it had Christmas decorations in it, but also suggested that it could be mine.
Opened it up and started unwrapping the paper from one item and I really stumbled a little bit when I saw a tiny black and blue tea cup in my hands. I took the entire box and unwrapped everything finding not just the tea set, but the Qro mug, the turtle and armadillo, a Principia Upper School basketball mug, I'd completely forgotten about, a beautiful ceramic plate made by my brother in law, three little salsa bowls, and a little black ceramic platter with white swirls on it that Carolyn, my brother in law's sister and also a good friend, had bought for me a few years back. I couldn't believe it.
Heck - I don't even need Christmas now! That was the most satisfying unwrapping I've ever done!!!
Senior year of college I had this precious black and blue tea pot and tiny tea cups that my dad brought me from Vietnam. Ashley, Ally and I used them while sitting on our Good Year 23 livingroom floor. I also had a mug from Queretaro, Mexico and two very special handmade animal figures that were on the window sill in that very same apartment - one a glazed ceramic turtle (barro negro) and the other a delicately handpainted armadillo (alebrije is the artwork), both items from Mexico that whenever I saw them reminded me of the value Mexico had in my life.
Well it's been 2 and half years since I last saw all that stuff. I packed them up and left Dickinson but they were no where to be found once I got home. After a few disappointing searches over the years by me and my parents, I resigned to the idea that maybe we packed them up, brought them out to the GY parking lot and place them in a pile to be loaded in the car, which was precisely next to the give away piles near that large truck and then just forgot to get them in the car. I couldn't remember for the life of me who packed the box and carried it out. So overall I was just mindboggled as to what could have happened to so much stuff.
Every so many months I'd revisit the situation and the whole mystery of it drove me nuts over the years and just made me so sad and disappointed in myself - why wasn't I more alert...I always lose stuff....don't I value what I have? ya da ya da.... Then I'd add to this self pity the guilt of the fact that these weren't any old things you could just go buy from pottery barn or target. No, they were from other countries and each had a very special story behind the purchase. So yeah....big bummer.
BUT THEN (!!) tonight I'm sorting through things to bring with me when I move to my new home in DC. Mom points out a big plastic box full of newspaper wrapped items in the most obvious and visible part of the basement. She wondered if if it had Christmas decorations in it, but also suggested that it could be mine.
Opened it up and started unwrapping the paper from one item and I really stumbled a little bit when I saw a tiny black and blue tea cup in my hands. I took the entire box and unwrapped everything finding not just the tea set, but the Qro mug, the turtle and armadillo, a Principia Upper School basketball mug, I'd completely forgotten about, a beautiful ceramic plate made by my brother in law, three little salsa bowls, and a little black ceramic platter with white swirls on it that Carolyn, my brother in law's sister and also a good friend, had bought for me a few years back. I couldn't believe it.
Heck - I don't even need Christmas now! That was the most satisfying unwrapping I've ever done!!!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Goodbye fireside chat, Hello YouTube
One thing I really enjoyed about Barack Obama's presidential campaign was the way he was able to reach many of his supporters wherever they were and get them aware of and engaged in the political process. The Obama team became a master of web 2.0 technology, using e-newsletters, social bookmarking, rss feeds, twitter, podcasts and YouTube to deliver his messages of change, clarification of policies, and encouragement to get involved.
A big question in my mind right after the election was how Obama was planning on leveraging the relationship he built with the huge base of supporters during the campaign. He no longer needs our vote so will he just forget about us?
Not so. This is one smart leader and he's not going to toss away the energy of such a valuable group. So far it seems he really does mean what he said about the we in the "yes we can". He needs and expects our (and that now includes all in this country) participation during his presidency if change is actually going to come about.
To keep us up to speed the President-elect has his own transition webpage: www.change.gov
Obama will also be doing a new and improved fireside chat during his time in office. It's a weekly address he'll be giving throughout the transition time and while in office. Check out the first one below.
A big question in my mind right after the election was how Obama was planning on leveraging the relationship he built with the huge base of supporters during the campaign. He no longer needs our vote so will he just forget about us?
Not so. This is one smart leader and he's not going to toss away the energy of such a valuable group. So far it seems he really does mean what he said about the we in the "yes we can". He needs and expects our (and that now includes all in this country) participation during his presidency if change is actually going to come about.
To keep us up to speed the President-elect has his own transition webpage: www.change.gov
Obama will also be doing a new and improved fireside chat during his time in office. It's a weekly address he'll be giving throughout the transition time and while in office. Check out the first one below.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Yes we can and yes we DID!
The chant took on a whole new meaning when Obama was elected by the American people to be our President, marking the achievement of many firsts, not the least of which is becoming the first African American president. All that affirmation and encouragement yielded real results! We can claim, along with Obama, that yes, we DID! By we I'm referring not just to Obama and to everyone in his campaign team, but also to every American supporter, volunteer, and the those in the world who took a chance by turning away from fearful driven campaigning and instead looked in the direction where each wants to walk - that is choosing a different, higher model before them to inform the future. I'm even referring to the McCain-Palin campaign and supporters who so gracefully conceded defeat on Tuesday night.
This will go down as one of those "where were you when...?" moments in history. At 10pm I'd just finished playing volleyball in Dupont area. I rushed myself down to the metro. I hopped off the White Flint metro and raced across the street to the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center where the Montgomery County democrats were hosting a party. My heart starting beating faster as I walked into screams and cheers. Florida had just been announced as going for Obama.
This story is likely similar to many others. The room was packed with people of all ages and races, most sporting their colorful and creative Obama paraphernalia. 10 seconds to 11pm (when California was to close its polls), everyone started counting down, just like new years, but this time there was much more to celebrate than the turning of a page on a calendar. Cliche, yes, but it was to be one of the biggest page turners in modern history - the election of black president. 11pm and we all went wild. I've never been a part of anything else like it. Tears streaming down all our faces, hugs with friends and strangers. Jumping up and down. Screaming. Lots of screaming with joy and relief. Called my brother in Brooklyn but neither of us could hear the other because of the wave of elation that swept over the crowds where we were.
What came as the biggest surprise to me in this moment was the sense of pride that was flooded through me in an irresistible way. WOW - This is the America I identify with. This is the America I believe in. This is the America I'll work hard and sacrifice for. This is the America that I can celebrate openly without hesitation or shame.
Without a doubt America needs all of us to do all those things to pick ourselves up. A leader is necessary, yes, but aware and engaged participants have to be right there with him ready to act, but also to be extremely patient. Real change, to borrow a phrase from Obama, isn't going to come in the next few months, year, or maybe not even in this first term, especially not because of a change in president. Look at what the majority of Americans just did with this election. If we can do that with so many odds against the win at the start, just think of the possibilities.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Kayaking on the Potomac River!
Had another trip yesterday to kayak in the Potomac River with my dad. What a treat! It was sunny, warm, not a cloud in the sky, and the colors were just brilliant. Take a look:
 |
| Kayaking on the Potomac |
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Weekend field trips
 |
| Day trip to Harper's Ferry |
Everyone should take at least one road trip, big or small, in the fall. One of the most memorable days from college was when Ally and I spontaneously decided to leave our college stress behind and hop in the yellow convertible Miata for a little trip to an orchard stand 30 minutes from Carlisle. I was having both research and writer's block and the trip loosened me up just the right amount I needed to complete the paper in an A-earning way.
Just last weekend I got awesomely lucky because work let me take of Friday so I could drive up to Emma Willard (where I taught Spanish and coached volleyball) and surprise the volleyball team at their last home game. Pulled out on my house at 5:30am, listened to all of NPR's morning edition (which never happens!), jammed to Ray LaMontagne, Solas, Nickel Creek, Kate Rusby, among others, munched on some fresh apples and 7 hours later I was in Troy, NY. Fall colors were about at their peak, so needless to say it was a worthwhile 7 hours.
Just today mom and I decided to make our way northwest to the quaint little river town of Brunswick, MD, the revolutionary and civil war town called Shepherdstown, WV, and tiny and hilly historic town of Harper's Ferry where revolutionary and abolitionist John Brown tried to start a slave uprising, but this lead to his capturing and death by hanging.
In Brunswick, we found a coffee shop housed in an old church. How awesome is that!? It's called Beans in the Belfry. Everything in it is mismatched and funky. All but two pews are removed and the food and register are located on the altar. Walls are a creamy pastel green and the main source of light comes through the yellow tinted stain glass windows. Decor is old and antiqueish. Small and large tables scatter the room and clunky and cozy couches and love seats line the walls and some corners. One corner has a mirror and box full of dress-up clothes and toys for the children.
We found a great boutique shop in Shepherdstown where I discovered a $200+ long green, large buttoned boiled wool coat. It was gorgeous and perfect to wear with work clothes in the cooling temperatures. Unfortunately, not in my budget :(
It felt like we stepped back in time while in Harper's Ferry. It's hidden in the hills, by the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers and has the cutest little stone cottages, shops and even gas lamps. A perfect place for a historic ghost tour, which they have, and would be a wonderful visit covered in snow in the winter.
How exciting it is to discover such havens of beauty, culture, and history that are just within one hour of my home!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Cruisin' on Lake Anna
I haven't posted in a while because I've just been busy having way too much fun! Labor Day weekend as well as last weekend was spent at Lake Anna, the Hatch/Morris family compound, with family and a great group of friends.
Thankfully, I've got a brother not only with a high tech camera, but with the skills to go with it too!
Take a look at his flickr page!
Another fun event was the 1/2 marathon I did up in Plymouth, MA about two weekends ago. Pouring rain and good company - seriously couldn't have been any better!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
All hail the President of the United States!
The best part of this photo isn't the Bush's giddy grin - check out his daughter Barbara's look of disbelief!
Could it have been jet lag?
Friday, July 18, 2008
Not me, WE
My mom and I, along with many others who'd replied to an e-mail announcement and received free tickets from MoveOn.org, showed up downtown for a major speech on global climate change by Nobel winner and former vice president Al Gore . I spent a swelteringly hot hour yesterday waiting outside the DAR (the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution) in a blob of progressives (along with some right wingers who think global warming is a hoax) surrounding the building and in the streets, many of whom don't know how to form lines and proceeded to get rude and yell at each other about who was actually at the front of the line. Where's the unity, change, and hope for us in that kind of behavior!? Ugh. It would have been a much more pleasant wait had my kindergarten teacher been there to straighten everyone out.
But we got in and the auditorium was air conditioned - hallelujah!
Essentially the speech was Gore's challenge to the nation to be 100% energy independent using renewable energy and carbon-free sources. Quite an ambitious goal, I think, but he did a spectacular job explaining the premise for his challenge and presenting the reasons why such a goal is attainable. Being the dork that I am, I actually took notes throughout and I would just love to share them with you. But then again, why reinvent the wheel? I just received this e-mail from MoveOn.org with the key quotes from the speech
I've got some commentary of my own on the event, but I'll share that in another post later.
But we got in and the auditorium was air conditioned - hallelujah!
Essentially the speech was Gore's challenge to the nation to be 100% energy independent using renewable energy and carbon-free sources. Quite an ambitious goal, I think, but he did a spectacular job explaining the premise for his challenge and presenting the reasons why such a goal is attainable. Being the dork that I am, I actually took notes throughout and I would just love to share them with you. But then again, why reinvent the wheel? I just received this e-mail from MoveOn.org with the key quotes from the speech
"Like a lot of people, it seems to me that all these problems are bigger than any of the solutions that have thus far been proposed for them, and that's been worrying me...
Yet when we look at all three of these seemingly intractable challenges at the same time, we can see the common thread running through them, deeply ironic in its simplicity: our dangerous over-reliance on carbon-based fuels is at the core of all three of these challenges—the economic, environmental and national security crises.
We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that's got to change...
But if we grab hold of that common thread and pull it hard, all of these complex problems begin to unravel and we will find that we're holding the answer to all of them right in our hand.
The answer is to end our reliance on carbon-based fuels.
Can we really get all our electricity from sources like solar and wind in 10 short years?
Scientists have confirmed that enough solar energy falls on the surface of the earth every 40 minutes to meet 100 percent of the entire world's energy needs for a full year. Tapping just a small portion of this solar energy could provide all of the electricity America uses.
And enough wind power blows through the Midwest corridor every day to also meet 100 percent of US electricity demand.
And of course, all this means more good jobs to re-power our economy:
When we send money to foreign countries to buy nearly 70 percent of the oil we use every day, they build new skyscrapers and we lose jobs. When we spend that money building solar arrays and windmills, we build competitive industries and gain jobs here at home.
With all the political posturing on high gas prices and drilling, it's amazing to hear someone being so honest:
It is only a truly dysfunctional system that would buy into the perverse logic that the short-term answer to high gasoline prices is drilling for more oil ten years from now.
Am I the only one who finds it strange that our government so often adopts a so-called solution that has absolutely nothing to do with the problem it is supposed to address? When people rightly complain about higher gasoline prices, we propose to give more money to the oil companies and pretend that they're going to bring gasoline prices down. It will do nothing of the sort, and everyone knows it...
However, there actually is one extremely effective way to bring the costs of driving a car way down within a few short years. The way to bring gas prices down is to end our dependence on oil and use the renewable sources that can give us the equivalent of $1 per gallon gasoline."
If you'd like to see the entire speech, check it out on the link below:
I've got some commentary of my own on the event, but I'll share that in another post later.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Lessons from a little black squirrel
I've become especially appreciative of still moments I've had even while working in the city. During my daily walks I discovered the Spanish steps. Now I go there almost daily, retreating into a haven from the noisy traffic, construction and chatty lunching business folk on Connecticut Ave.
So yesterday during my 30 minute lunch break, my mind was filled with needless thoughts and worries as I sat down on the wall next to the fountain. I quickly pulled out my homemade hummus sandwich from my L.L. Bean lunch bag, knowing that now, I only had about 15 minutes to eat before I had to get back to the desk and phones. Just as I was about to chomp down I saw a little black squirrel inching its way across the steps below me. Every few seconds it stopped and look up at me. It eventually made its way to a tree not too far from me on the left. Again, it inched its way up the tree about 4 feet and it stopped and sat down, its long fluffy dark tail cascading off a branch. And then, it turned its gaze toward me. Eery, right?
It sounds bizarre, but my busy mind calmed down instantly and I couldn't help but return the gaze. I think our acknowledgment of one another (if that's what it was) lasted about 10 minutes. I thought it so strange that this squirrel was all alone and not playing or moving rapidly through the trees. Has anyone else ever seen a squirrel so calm and focused?
This odd, but pleasant incidence fits into my spiritual exploration at this time of life. I just bought the newest issue of Ode titled the Silence Issue, which presents articles relating to peace and quiet and the need to lessen the world's noise pollution. I'm also reminded of what I've learned from reading Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love (in which she describes her experience in complete silence at an Indian ashram), my meditation lessons in Thailand last summer, and also the practice of "being present" as explained by Eckhart Tolle in his book A New Earth.
That little squirrel gave me a wake up call alerting me to the fact that even though I was in quiet and peaceful place, I had let my mind keep me from really appreciating and enjoying where I was. It was a good reminder to fully be with the space of wherever I am, not dwelling in my thoughts.
So yesterday during my 30 minute lunch break, my mind was filled with needless thoughts and worries as I sat down on the wall next to the fountain. I quickly pulled out my homemade hummus sandwich from my L.L. Bean lunch bag, knowing that now, I only had about 15 minutes to eat before I had to get back to the desk and phones. Just as I was about to chomp down I saw a little black squirrel inching its way across the steps below me. Every few seconds it stopped and look up at me. It eventually made its way to a tree not too far from me on the left. Again, it inched its way up the tree about 4 feet and it stopped and sat down, its long fluffy dark tail cascading off a branch. And then, it turned its gaze toward me. Eery, right?
It sounds bizarre, but my busy mind calmed down instantly and I couldn't help but return the gaze. I think our acknowledgment of one another (if that's what it was) lasted about 10 minutes. I thought it so strange that this squirrel was all alone and not playing or moving rapidly through the trees. Has anyone else ever seen a squirrel so calm and focused?
This odd, but pleasant incidence fits into my spiritual exploration at this time of life. I just bought the newest issue of Ode titled the Silence Issue, which presents articles relating to peace and quiet and the need to lessen the world's noise pollution. I'm also reminded of what I've learned from reading Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love (in which she describes her experience in complete silence at an Indian ashram), my meditation lessons in Thailand last summer, and also the practice of "being present" as explained by Eckhart Tolle in his book A New Earth.
That little squirrel gave me a wake up call alerting me to the fact that even though I was in quiet and peaceful place, I had let my mind keep me from really appreciating and enjoying where I was. It was a good reminder to fully be with the space of wherever I am, not dwelling in my thoughts.
Friday, July 11, 2008
I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills, I love the fireflys...
Remember that great song? Here's the 2008 remix. I love the world too!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Monday, July 07, 2008
I have a pretty cool brother
Just a few weeks ago my twin brother Andy took a 3 week solo trip in South Africa. I really admire the sense of spontaneity and adventure that impelled him to go. He also has a good eye for photographic composition. Take a look at the photos and video from his trip!
Friday, July 04, 2008
Morgan's bench
At the end of my stay in San Diego, I was fortunate to get to La Jolla for a visit to Morgan's bench. Morgan is my first cousin who passed on too early and last September my Aunt Laura and her kids used donated money to install a bench overlooking the La Jolla coast, Morgan's favorite location. My friend Charissa, her brother Nate and his wife Suzanne (in picture) were very kind and generous with their time and drove me up there. The bench is located just below the Torrey Pines Gliderport where many come to para-sail of the cliffs over the ocean. The location couldn't be more beautiful.
When I first approached the bench, there was an attractive young man (about my age) sitting there studying intently his Spanish textbook (a bit serendipitous, I'd say;). I told him that he was sitting on my cousin's bench - which, thinking of it now, could have sounded a little odd. I pointed out the plaque in front of the bench and introduced myself as Morgan's cousin. To my surprise, he didn't get up and leave. It was really great though because I showed him the Tupperware box with the journal and pictures that are under the bench and he was really curious. He'd thought someone had left it there by accident. He respectively sat there and listened as I talked about my memories of Morgan, the memorial service, and comments about our family in general. He also wanted to see the pictures. We both commented on how there are benches like these all over the place but there is rarely any story provided about the person's life. He and the others walked down to the cliff so I could sit and write in the journal.
Afterwards, Nate and Suzanne (who live in the San Diego area) expressed how grateful they were to not only know of the bench but also to discover the opportunity to para-sail, something they've always wanted to do, but never knew about this site. They said they're excited to go back and also to visit the bench again. So, I'm really grateful for my Aunt Laura (Morgan's mom) and others who got this idea put into reality. I believe it is in the perfect place and very much appreciated.
Ally and Ronnie's Wedding
One of my bestest friends from college Ally (whom you may remember as the one who I also visited in China a year ago) married Ron Mona this past Saturday, June 28th. I was so grateful to be able to take a whole work week and a day off last week to be there with them in sunny San Diego, Cali.
As some may know, spending the week before the wedding with the bride is never without activity and excitement. And because Ally is marrying into a Samoan family, the week felt more like a cultural exchange experience than a vacation. Here are some highlights from the week:
1. Sleeping 3 out of 7 nights on a hard floors of small rooms
2. Learning to sew on a machine in 5 minutes, falling in love with a surger sewing machine then spending at least 12 hours doing my contribution to make 40 white table cloths.
3. Wishing I could dance the Taulunga (Samoan money dance traditionally done by the bride or birthday girl)
4. Basking in the San Diego sun and swimming off the private Coronado Naval base beach (hooray for Ally's family having a discount at the Navy Lodge!)
5. Getting pampered at the spa.
6. Okay, so I'm not a big fan of Hummers destroying our environment but I had a heck of a good time riding in a limo one with 17 other people to take wedding photos at Balboa Park.
7. Feeling 12 again and giggling with 6 girlfriends into the wee hours of the morning every night of the week.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Good things do happen!
How refreshing to hear the great news this morning about the freeing of the U.S. and Colombian hostages (15 total) that were held by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) for 5-6 years. This reminds me of another incredible rescue/release that many thought impossible - the story of the kidnapping and release of Christian Science Monitor reporter Jill Carroll in 2006. These are both great reminders not to stop our prayers and pursuit of justice and freedom. Good can prevail!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
