The final reckoning of 2023.

As so many do when a year winds down, I am looking back at my resolutions for 2023 and assessing whether I accomplished them.  The short answer is "no", but I came close with several:

• READING:  According to Goodreads, I have read 18 of the 12 I committed to read this year, but they didn't have a way for me to record one of the books.  So it's really 19.  I only read eight during the Mark Twain House & Museum Reading Challenge period, so I changed my goal there from ten to eight - slightly cheating, but I really thought I'd get more read during those six months.  When I looked at my list for the year I realized I'd forgotten to include one so added it.

The "No Image" is for "Me", Katherine Hepburn's autobiography.

• COMPLETING UFOs:  I did complete the Magical Miniskeins socks, but I didn't make progress on the shawl - it got packed away during my move and I'm not sure where it is right now.  I finished some, but not all, of the baby blankets.  I made quite a few other things - my tally (and I might have missed one or two) was 99 items in 2023, many for charity, some for family or friends.  I may finish a 100th during the online party I'm attending this evening.
• COOKING:  I did quite a bit, but with the move I stalled on my proposal to cook once a month from one of the historical cooking video channels I follow.  I did experiment out of some of my historical cookbooks, and I think I'll try again on the once-a-month cooking/baking from video channels idea.

I also had an unofficial one: To have one week where my FitBit recorded at least a full amount of sleep (it's set for 6.5 hours), the minimum of steps (250) every one of the nine tracked hours, 10,000 steps per day, exercise the minimum amount (20 minutes together) or more each day, and meet the 8km daily goal.  Needless to say, I didn't make it.  I had some weeks that were close, but a bad night of sleep or inattention when my bracelet vibrated so that I missed steps one hour (usually when traveling or in a meeting), and I missed a metric.  While I feel disappointed in myself when I miss one, especially the steps-every-hour metric, I tell myself it is the overall picture that really matters.  This also helps on days when I miss the 10,000 steps requirement, although they are very few; usually I walk more the next day to make up the difference, and all weeks I have exceeded the minimum of 70,000 steps total.

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People in the USA, and I suppose any other country that writes the date in month/date/year format, is making much of today being 12/31/23 - some term it "the waltz date" or something similar because it recites as 123-123.  The rest of the world either laughs or puzzles.

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There is so much to consider for next year.  A good reminder, for those considering what to resolve in 2024:  "Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief.  Do justly now. Love mercy now.  Walk humbly now.  You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it."  From The Talmud.

Christmas Adam.

Some people joke that since Adam came before Eve, December 23rd could be called "Christmas Adam".

    <rimshot>

Today has been a day of my own, which is not usual.  I am celebrating a slightly belated birthday by having a "jammies day", with no obligation to go outside, so in theory I could stay in my pajamas all day.  I did put on clothing for Torah Study, because most of us are on-camera, and also to get the mail.

I've had great things arriving, whether gifts from friends, or cards and letters.  It's nice to get something other than ads and bills.  I do receive some magazines - mostly fiber arts or cooking, or from the universities from which I have degrees - but mostly my mail is uninteresting.  It's nice that some people still do cards and letters.

Part of my activity for the last couple of days has been to write cards.  Specifically, I am writing thank-you cards for sailors, which a friend of mine in Honolulu distributes as part of her social worker activities.  I'd asked a couple times for recommendations about text, and finally one of the prolific contributors replied to tell me that she looked online for sites with sample text.  I did a hunt and found a couple of sites, using their examples to create my own text.  I'd stocked up on cheerful-looking, or just elegant, thank-you cards at a dollar store, and decided to write as many as would fit into a Small Flat Rate Box, given the distance to ship and the weight of such things.

In a way I am honoring my grandmother by doing this, because she was a fierce supporter of our military, and her second husband, my step-grandfather, was in the Navy.

So those will go off to my friend, as will the final two gifts for friends in Connecticut.

These look much better when on a head, trust me!

When it was clear the hats would not be finished in time, I quickly made some spiced molasses snowflakes to include in their package as the eighth Channukah gift.  I thought the hats would arrive in time for their traditional Solstice woods walk, but nope.  Work has been very busy for me.  So sometime before Twelfth Night, they will have new hats.  The green one is the Joshua Tree Hat from the National Parks series, because the recipient loves to hike in national parks, and I am including a printout of the New York Times' recent article.  The other is Stephen West's Honey Striped Hat done in a single yarn, so it looks like a turtle shell, because the recipient is nicknamed "Turtle".

Now to spend the evening eating roast beef and ice cream (sequentially, not together!), and crocheting or knitting, and reading.  I am up to 15 books read and reported this year according to Goodreads, and I would like to get to an even number.  My current bedside book is thick enough that I am pretty sure I won't finish by the 31st, plus I've been hoarding a seasonal mystery for just this week.  Time to open it!

Helping Others.

'Tis the season, after all.

Some Jews give to a different charity on each night of Channukah.  My congregation sent out a Hannukah Wish List, and I contributed for the video operators for Zoom services, since I now attend remotely and want that to continue.  So it's a bit selfish 

Many Christian people are doing a Reverse Advent, based upon images like these:

  

Reminders also come out that if you donate boxed mac-n-cheese, it's good to donate canned or boxed milk that people can use to make it.  Some people suggest adding a can opener, but you never know whether it will end up with the people who have cans to open.  And many places can use diapers (adult incontinence items too) and feminine hygiene items.  Also cleaning supplies, laundry soap, things like that to help people when all their money has to go to housing and transportation.

Of course there are Angel Trees (at my congregation we instituted Jacob's Ladder, from the story about Jacob seeing the ladder to heaven and the angels going up and down, with the same purpose but avoiding the pagan-Christian association of a tree), and I decided that I would contribute to the one hosted in the local community hall.  I took my laptop so that I could check prices and availability of items, and ended up with five tags:

• A man who asked for a package of black pens.  I chose several different types, and noticed he wears size 6X-7X shirts, so I bought one of those also, a proper one with button front and collar, since I would guess he usually gets just T-shirts.  I hope it fits.
• A man who asked for brown dress shoes.  Unfortunately he's not my father's shoe size, but I found some similar to the ones my father wears.
• A man who asked for a new shirt, also a big guy at 3X.  I bought three for him, different styles and colours, no white T-shirts among them as those are pretty common and somebody who asks for a shirt should have a proper shirt with buttons and a collar.
• A man who asked for tennis shoes - I found a nice pair in blue.
• A man who asked for either a specific type of coat, or camo thermals.  Those proved surprisingly difficult to find in matched sets, so one is a green camo top and solid green pants, and the other is grey/black camo set.

We'd collected a bunch of toys and games and stuffed animals for the local Toys for Tots collection, but they closed those before Thanksgiving, with little notice.  I didn't find out until the local organizer sent out a "too bad for us" message.  Then somebody checked around and the Durham Rescue Mission was happy to take the toys!

Finally, somebody announced a collection of toiletries and such for women and children at the Good Samaritan Inn (also part of the Durham Rescue Mission services), and my mother and I cleaned out the stockpile of toothbrushes (since my parents use electric models and don't need the ones given by their dentist) and soaps (I collect, it seems, and can share) and other items and dropped them off at the pickup house.  They also wanted coats, but I whittled down my closet before moving and don't have ones to spare.

Plus there are so many charities asking for assistance.  I am somewhat choosy in the ones I like, mostly ones that help the hungry, or women and children who have been abused, or people who have been rejected by family for their sexual orientation (which often overlap to the other groups), or a couple sheltered workshops and homes for persons with disabilities.

Still need some holiday treats, or want to plan for a future holiday or birthday?  The latter two run bakeries and ship almost anywhere.  All made with love and skill and VERY yummy.

Eight nights of light and music.

Technically the first night wasn't, because I was in a hotel and couldn't light candles.  But every other night - three at friends' house and four in my own - I lit the hannukiah, said the incantation, and prayed.

My friends are Russian Orthodox and heard of Channukah, of course, but didn't know much about it.  They were interested in the process of setting and lighting the candles, and happy with the pieces of gelt (chocolate money) and gummy candy I brought for them.  I explained the dreidel game, but we didn't play - too busy going to plays and visiting.

It has been a rough Hanukah for many Jews this year, with the attacks by Hamas on October 7th and then the attacks by much of the world as Israel retaliated and defended itself.  So much of the world has been outspoken against Israel, and even supporting Hamas in its declaration to wipe Israel and all Jews off the face of the earth: Nazis of the 21st Century.  It is scary and disheartening.

Like many Jews, I became more open in who I am.  I wore my "Channukah Makes Me Jump For Oy!" sweatshirt last weekend, while at plays and otherwise.  I've been posting the Jewish side of things on Facebook and responding to some friends who are blindly supporting the Palestinians as if they are the only indigenous persons in the region, overlooking the fact that "Palestine" is a name imposed on the area by colonizers, first the Romans and later the British Mandate.  If you look at the historical record, the area was called by other names, which is part of the reason it wasn't chosen for the new country that became Israel.  As Golda Meir pointed out, until 1948 anybody of any religion - Jewish, Muslim, or Christian - who lived in that area carried a Palestinian passport.

Every night, I've posted at least one song.  This year's list:

Night 1:  Rise Up

Night 2:  A Star Wars Channukah because a cousin posted this picture to me:

Night 3:  Burn

Night 4:  Several songs based upon Taylor Swift's oeuvre:  Era-lution of Taylor Swift, the full version of the last song on that compilation - Chanukah ("Shake It Off"), and You Can Light With Me.

Night 5:  Shine  (and by great coincidence, since the video shows people being swabbed to go into a bone marrow donor database, the next day I received notice that "[o]n Sep 30, 2014 you helped facilitate a donor drive in Chicago at <location>. We are thrilled to inform you that a donor recruited at that drive has transplanted a 61 year old man battling Myelodysplastic Disorder."  Yes, I have also been swabbed and am in the database.  It's the second time I've received a notice that somebody found a lifesaving match thanks to the donor drive we held.)

Night 6:  Elton Johnukah and Candles On The Sill

Night 7:  West Side Chanukah Story

Night 8:  From the recent March for Israel, a version of Am Israel Chai ("The People Of Israel Live" or "We're Still Here") - so necessary in the last two-plus months.  And the future.

This year, Hannukah has so much more resonance for the Jewish people.  And I have so much I want to say, but it all gets choked together and I cannot type clearly.  Maybe in another post.

Silly Plays and Shipping Gifts

Last week was busy:  I was in an online production of "Peter Pan" on Wednesday evening, playing Nibs, one of the Lost Children.  Thursday I went to Chicago for a professional meeting, and Friday I flew to Dallas for two days of holiday shows.  I hoped to get out of meetings early and possibly catch a fourth show but that was not to be.  And I considered seeing a show on Thursday evening in Chicago but was enjoying talking to old colleagues and others that it wasn't possible.  Well, I had a surprisingly good evening of being social.

The plays we saw in Dallas are "Santa Claus Versus the Martians", based upon a 1964 film, "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians", which appears on many lists of "Worst Movies".  This is the sixth outing of the play, which parodies the source by playing it as straight as they can, with as low a budget as possible.  It's great!

That evening we went to the latest edition of "The Beulaville Baptist Book Club Presents: A Bur-Less-Q-Nutcracker!!!" which is very silly and also a lot of fun.  It has has been nominated for or won "The Nutty", the annual award for best production of The Nutcracker in the country, several times.

The third show was "Little Women", which a friend directed and for which she'd made all the knitted items the cast wore.  Each one was in keeping with the character and several told a story of the character's development through the play.  She plans to give each item to the actor or actress as their from-the-director gift after the show, and is making hat and fingerless mitts for the crew out of the leftover yarn.  My friend promised to send photographs, because of course we (I went with a knitter friend) could not handle the costumes!

I knitted some, and mostly visited with friends, and ate a lot of Tex-Mex food.

Just before going I mailed several Hannukah packages, and friends are sending photographs as they open and see the goodies.  Because a planned gift wouldn't be ready in time, I quickly made some snowflake-shaped ginger cookies (using an old recipe from a cookbook I collected) and since it was a big batch, some of the Christmas gifts went out early.  I also made sugarplums, which are dried fruit and nuts (pecans, in this case) ground together, then rolled in sugar or dipped in chocolate.  I did the former.  I also dropped several wrapped gifts for people at the Durham Rescue Mission through an Angel Tree program, and since this year's Toys for Tots pickup ended before Thanksgiving (but we didn't find out until afterwards), they DRM was thrilled to receive toys to distribute at their holiday party.

MASKS - of course I keep wearing them, especially with the travel and being out in crowds.  And I add a quote or fact appropriate to the date.  Because I wore one every day whilst traveling:

Noam Chomsky - born on December 7, 1928.

James Thurber (difficult to find a quote that fits
on a mask!) - born December 8, 1894.

Adm. Grace Hopper - born December 9, 1906.

Ada Lovelace - born December 10, 1815.

Rita Moreno - born December 11, 1931.

I keep not reporting on my Resolutions, probably because I don't think I am getting anywhere.  I seem to be in another reading slump - or maybe it's just because I keep picking up long books?

Not much to show.

At work we had a virtual department retreat, so for two days were mostly in those meetings.  I had a presentation first thing on the second day, and no guidance other than the topic, but apparently people liked it and didn't say "but what about ....?" at the end.

So most of the other days were making up meetings and so on with business persons.  So not much time for other things, especially since most of the yarny projects I have are fiddly and need attention.

This weekend my parents needed things done, which we scheduled around football games.  Key was the Michigan-Iowa State game, and the outcome means we will definitely be watching the Rose Bowl.

I've been getting Channukah packages packed to mail, and trying to finish a couple hats, which aren't going to be done in time, so luckily the couple is mixed and celebrates everything from Thanksgiving to Twelfth Night.  The hats will be done and appear before then!  No photos - could be spoilers!

Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities.  I know many persons with disabilities of all kinds, including family members, and when in law school clerked at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled.  We have a long way to go in terms of accessibility, but progress has been made.

Not a long post this week, because I'm tired, partly due to a late game last night, and partly because today included several hours of clearing half of my parents' garage.  Being the youngest, I got to move boxes.  Mostly of books.  You know the saying?

          >  Friends will help you move.

          >  Real friends help you move bodies.

          >  The best of friends help you move books.

I love my parents.  💕

The third and final ten of 2023.

Day 21: Thankful that not only do I have enough food, but that I have enough to share, whether a cake for an event tonight or donating to the local food pantry so others can have Thanksgiving meals.

Day 22: Thankful that I had my grandmother for as many years as I did. My Facebook memories popped up a few photos I'd posted on a post-turkey walk five years ago, and I realized it was the last holiday we all had together (the following year my father was ill - not horribly, but too much to travel, and my mother stayed home with him, then pandemic), and I started missing her terribly.

One of my favourite photos of the two of us,
when we visited the Morikami Gardens.

Day 23: Same as every year, thankful for this guy:

My baby brother, as a toddler.
He's older now and has much less hair.

Day 24: Thankful that I didn't need to go out into the Black Friday crowds, and that I could shop online for the things that others (Toys for Tots, Durham Rescue Mission Angel Tree) need. And my brother loved that this year his birthday gift was that 42 people had Thanksgiving supper plus extras at the Durham Rescue Mission last night.

Day 25: Thankful for all the people who run a small business. I know how hard it can be, and try to shop at as many of them as I can. Just a few of my favourites:

• Kettlepot Soap
• Hartford Prints
• BiCi Co. (technically a community non-profit, but great for bike stuff)
• Hein Farm (in addition to produce and eggs they sell gift items, most produced locally)
• Clatter Ridge Farm (not just for produce and meat - they sell yarn and woolen goods, cards, photos, and a great calendar)
• The Produce Box
• Buttercream Duo
• Misericordia's Hearts & Flour Bakery

And more independent hand-dyers (also called 'indie dyers') and local yarn (and other craft supplies) shops than I can list!

Day 26: How can I not be thankful for museums on Museum Store Sunday? I've been going to museums since I was carried in my mother's arms (and probably when I was carried in her tummy), and they are one of the places I seek out wherever I travel. I've lived as close as across the street and definitely took advantage of that on some lonely and weather-dismal weekends when I first lived in that town. I've met interesting people at museums and made a number of friends from those contacts. Plus ALL THE STUFF I'VE LEARNED!!!!!

As a note:  Museums are not just stuff in buildings.  Some are open-air spaces that teach about how people lived during a time, or in an area.  Some are just a room in a larger building.  Keep your eyes open and look for all kinds, as sometimes the less-standard-looking ones are most interesting.

Day 27: Thankful for technology. Not just because it is Cyber Monday, but all the technologies that help people I know (pacemakers, cochlear implants, motorized wheelchairs), medical technology for surgeries and treatments of all kinds, technology for transportation and communication, and so many more things that we take for granted. Every day there's something new and different - I applaud the breakthroughs and encourage everybody to use technology for good.

Day 28: Thankful for my family, and since it's Giving Tuesday the lesson about giving to others. From a young age I was taught that I should share what I have and help people who need helping. It has stuck with me, and is why I donate items to thrift stores, or Habitat for Humanity and shelters and other places that can use things. I knit and crochet items to donate, and I contribute to food pantries and community gardens. Even when I didn't have money, I could give time by helping to make sandwiches, build a house, or sit with somebody in hospital. Giving doesn't always mean money.

Day 29: Thankful for all the first responders: Police, EMTs, Firefighters, and others who keep us safe and help when needed. I know that this can be controversial, given the last few years. I have friends who are in these roles, and others such as firejumpers, and I know what they commit to the job and the community. Not all people who wear a uniform or a badge are bad people, but of course those are the ones who get the most publicity. Two of my close friends lost their fathers in the line of duty, and in Chicago I supported a group that fundraised to provide for police officers who were disabled from injuries received on the job, and their families, and the families of officers who died on the job. More than once I've needed help from somebody in one of these roles, and I am glad that I can call upon them when I do.

Day 30:  Last, but never least, I am thankful for my FRIENDS. I don't have hundreds on Facebook, and except for a small percentage (usually friend-of-friend with whom I have strong common interests) they are all people I've met and often with whom I have spent time in the past. I also have friends who aren't part of my Facebook circle; we do it the old-fashioned way! Some people I call "friend" I have not seen in person in many years, but I know if I turn up on their doorstep, I'll be invited in and we'll catch up for hours. If they turn up on mine, I'll probably invite them in for tea and cookies. I've gone out of my way for some, and am always surprised and touched when they do the same for me.

So the month ends - different every year. It's an effort to remember to post on Facebook every day, and sometimes to find something new to say, but it's a good reminder every year of all the things for which I can be thankful.

Still working on leftovers.

We had a fairly traditional American Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, allowing for it being from a grocery store instead of home-cooked.  Because of the serving sizes, and my mother buying several extra side dishes so we'd have plenty of options, we have a LOT of leftovers.  I've done several different meals and plan to simmer the remaining bits (sans skin) into soup tomorrow.

Not today - I was enjoying being somewhat lazy, and getting a long walk before the weather turns very cold over the next few days.  I did bake bread, trying a new recipe, which didn't look promising but came out fairly well.  Since I used a frozen-and-thawed banana, it probably had more liquid than the one used by the recipe developer, and so I had a very wet dough.  It didn't rise during proofing, but rose fairly well when baked.  Since I still had a lot of guava nectar from the cake I baked last weekend, I used that instead of the milk called for in the recipe, and it was a good but noticeable substitute.  This won't be great for turkey sandwiches, but I can see it with cream cheese for breakfast, or almond butter for lunch.

I had to work on Friday, but Thursday and the weekend were quiet except for errands, family, and football.  I finished a scarf for charity, and sent a package of hats to an online friend who has been making items for the Blue Elves:

Tagged with washing instructions.

She sent some baby bibs to me, the kind with a band you can embroider, at no cost because she wanted to clear them out of her stash.  I wanted to do something in return, so this was it.  The brown-and-orange hat and the black-and-yellow reflective yarn hat were left over from the arts & crafts sale earlier this month.  I had the mittens done and finished the matching hat (you can just see a bit of it peeking underneath, and I have enough remaining of that yarn for another hat!), then wanted a fourth one since she sent four bibs.  I made the purple-pink one overnight, out of an odd skein of bulky yarn I'd gotten from an indie dyer as part of her mystery skeins oddballs cleanout earlier this year.

I expect that tomorrow will be very busy as people come back from a long weekend or a whole week away, and start responding to things.  Just as long as I can watch the Bears v. Vikings football game!

Added later:  The recipient of the hats emailed that she received the hats in time, as they arrived on Monday and she was scheduled to deliver items on the Friday.  And she was thankful for the contribution.

The second ten of 2023

Continuing the gratitude list for this year:

Day 11:  Thankful to our veterans, as on any Armistice/Veterans Day.  On the fourth I went to the memorials in DC for those who died in service, today is for those who returned.  Not all of them are whole, and not all treated well, but as the saying goes:

So many who returned from overseas did not return whole, either in mind or body or both.  It's startling to me to hear about how they were treated, and are treated to this day - not with honor, but with disdain.

Day 12:  Thankful for people who do art, and crafters, and those who support them.  I participated in a local arts & crafts show, and while I didn't sell much, I did sell a few things.  People were very kind in their comments and suggestions, so I may try again next year.  I participated several years in Open Studios Hartford through MakeHartford and it was discouraging, so this was a change - not a huge one, I didn't sell out, but I received good feedback, so I'll see how next year goes.

Day 13: It was World Kindness Day on November 13th, so I am Thankful for those who remember that kindness is important, and even more for those who express it.

Day 14: Thankful for musicians, and all musical performers. I grew up surrounded by them, and have gotten to know many more as my life progressed. I spent part of the evening listening to one of my friends perform as the musical guest on this podcast tonight. It was a special treat during the pandemic for my grandmother and me to listen to his weekly mini-concerts, and when she died I received the CDs he'd sent her, which she enjoyed listening to on the CD player I sent to her so she could have music between the concerts.

Day 15: Thankful for heat, a warm house, and people keeping the heating system running. Not that it needed anything special, but it was the yearly check of the system and I know there are many people without a warm home, so it makes me thankful that I have one.

Day 16: continuing the theme: Thankful for clean water and indoor plumbing. Again, many people do not have these modern advantages. (Also thankful that I can do minor plumbing work myself, and know people to call upon when it's beyond my skillset.)

Day 17:  Thankful for the U.S. Postal Service, and the postal systems in other countries.  Yes, there are other delivery services, some of which are more or less reliable, but in the beginning was postal systems.  I prefer them, for the pretty stamps, with holiday and birthday and congratulatory options, and commemoratives, and so on.  Plus there is something very nice about writing by hand, or even typing and adding pictures, and putting it in an envelope, and sending.  These days when so much happens electronically, a paper letter or card really seems a treat.

Day 18:  Thankful for symphony orchestras and smaller orchestras and wind bands, and conductors who really connect to the audiences.  I went to hear the North Carolina Symphony tonight and during the Leonard Bernstein piece, the conductor encouraged the audience to add appropriately, which we did with enthusiasm.  My snapping may not be great anymore, but I can shout "Mambo!" on cue.

Day 19:  Thankful for the interwebs and social media and all the ways to stay connected, from the friend on the other side of the world whose post inspired the previous blog post about six-word bios, to the online programs I attend from organizations all over the world (and kudos to those that didn't stop when the pandemic eased and most returned to in-person events), to the groups that meet online for an hour or so of chat and community.  Plus all the places I have visited that I wouldn't have seen otherwise, and the people who show me new foods and methods of travel and places to explore and buy books or museums that aren't in the usual guidebooks.  And people who do cooking and crafting and have intrigued and inspired me.  It may not be what the founders thought of when they set DARPANET loose, but as with any such thing, there are many good things among the dross and I love finding them.

Day 20:  Thankful that I can cook.  I am always surprised to learn that not everybody can.  My mother made sure we kids knew early how to take care of ourselves, including cooking.  When I haven't had much money, I still could eat, and fairly well.  I can cook and bake for others, too.  Many people think it takes too much time to cook, but I find that going out and sitting in a restaurant and then getting home again takes more time than I need to cook many of my meals - and I can cook in my pyjamas.  Restaurants tend to frown on people in pyjamas.  And I feel less wasteful because I don't mind eating leftovers (sometimes using them as starter parts of a different meal) and I compost the bits that cannot be eaten.

Guava Cake (Queque de Guyaba) that I baked for an event
tomorrow.  The glaze is pink from the guava nectar.

Just six words. What say you?

A friend posted this challenge:  "If you had to write a bio in 6 words, what would yours be?" In one sense, this is an epitaph - you can put more on a tombstone, or other grave marker, but what if it's a small plaque on a columbarium?  When I helped with the One Day Only events, we limited the bios to ten words, or 50 characters, and sometimes had to edit when a person exceeded the allowance.  It can be difficult to sum up your life in six words.  Many people rose to the challenge, and I've added some of their offerings posted in response to the question:

• This bloke is not good at counting.
• Curious mind seeking endless learning adventures.
• Means well, tries hard. Rough edges.
• Does not play well with adults.
• An experienced, self-driven information manager.
• Curious mum of boys, permanently exhausted.
• Stay at home mom, send help.
• Former gifted child full of anxiety.
• Started strong. Made mistakes. Living life.
• Once discussed theology, now feeds goats.
• Ordinary moments don't exist. Pay attention!
• Chances taken lead to memories made!
• I did it my way, apparently!
• At least it was never boring.
• Is the loudest voice in the room.
• A hot mess, but lotsa fun.
• I laugh and then fall down.

A number of those appear to be closer to 'words of wisdom' than biography, but it could be that it is how their life has led them.  One person posted both work and personal biographies.

I thought about this for a while.  It can be difficult to boil yourself into one minute of time, or thirty seconds, which is what people are supposed to time for an "elevator speech".  I had to do one on Friday that was 45 seconds, and it's not just having a short speech but knowing the audience and getting the pitch correct.  In this case, it was in a breakout session for a group attending a "Your Next Chapter Matters" series from The Leadership & Society Initiative.  I quickly realized that these are people who are hitting retirement and looking at what to do in the next step of their life, and not the average person but CEOs and similar who have much to bring to another organization.

I am definitely not at retirement age and I don't think I'm near enough to contemplate it seriously, but that doesn't mean I couldn't have a "next chapter" if something approaches.  In a way my current job is a 'next chapter' as I'd been safely and lazily (in terms of not pushing my career forward strongly) ensconced in a company since 2008 and while there had been some changes to my job, the role was essentially the same.  All of the real differences were in the specific team I was supporting, or in the side work such as mentoring junior people and working on special projects.  I was highly valued by the business, but less so by the department management, other than my immediate supervisors.  It became clear that I needed to either accept the inertia or make a leap - I gathered my courage and did.  Including, which many women know is a tricky bit, to negotiate an improvement in the salary they proposed, and benefits.

So now I am in a role that more closely fits not only what I think of myself professionally, but which more closely reflects how persons outside my company perceived me.  I still have a bit of wonder at how these are matching up more closely, and I still am amazed at being officially considered the SME and Key Person in my role.  In many ways, it's a role I should have been in more than a decade ago, but there's no winding back time.  And it's not a role I want to leave soon, hence not being ready to retire.

Thus, I had a quick challenge for the introduction to the LSI breakout group.  I began by acknowledging I am in a different place in my career and life, but saying that I wanted to prepare for that next step, and wanted to find out how to integrate my "off-resume" work in a way that would show the value to others.  "People see me as a cybersecurity and intellectual property attorney, and don't notice how I have been on the board of several nonprofits, or founded what became one of the largest events of its type in the country.  I want to figure out how to bring those additional skills forward."  I thought that this would provide a good view of my experience and skills, as well as the dichotomy.

Thankfully, I have a number of years to work on it.  So for now, my six-word bio reads:

Technology and creativity, ever curious explorer.

Check back with me in a year or three, and it might change.

The first ten of 2023

I was traveling and hadn't thought of such things, but seeing a friend's post reminded me that many people take the month of November to list things for which they are thankful. These are my first ten for this year:

Day 1 - Thankful to be able to take vacation. Technically I've had jobs that allow for it, but pre-pandemic I mostly used the time to visit family and occasionally for a fiber conference or SCA event. This was a real type of vacation, just me, off on an adventure - well, an educational program about Spies & Espionage.

Day 2 - Thankful that the Plague Mask Players allow me to participate in their shows, and that I remembered to get to the event page in time, so that I was able to be cast in Love's Labours Lost. I was given the role of Holofernes.

Day 3 - Thankful to see live theater. At the suggestion of another person at the program I was taking for my vacation, I went to see POTUS at Arena Stage, which was walking distance from our hotel. Excellent show, lots of twists, fun and sometimes poignant performances. Highly recommend if you can see it.

Day 4 - Thankful to the many who have served in the Armed Forces, as we spent part of our day attending memorials for those who gave "the last full measure of devotion." Our guides timed things so we were at the World War I ("The War to End All Wars", until another one came along) memorial at 5:00pm to hear the doughboy's daily playing of "Taps".

     

Day 5 - Thankful for fiber-friends I have made over the years, as I was able to spend time today with one in-person and others virtually.


Day 6 - Thankful to NASA and other space-exploring organizations, and for the many inventions that stem from their work.


Day 7 - It's Election Day, so I am thankful to be living in a country where we can vote our conscience, and privately. Also thankful to all who came before who fought for the right to vote.

Day 8 - Thankful for farmers, who grow our food.

Day 9 - Thankful to be able to take a walk outside today: Weather is good, neighborhood is safe, body is working, time permits. A few photos taken this week, showing the brilliance of autumn:

    

    

Day 10 - Thankful for eyesight. I said on Facebook that it's something I do NOT take lightly, but I didn't want to present an essay there, so just included a song link.  I was born to two very myopic (near-sighted) parents, so no surprise when at age six I first needed glasses.  At the time I was not happy as no other children in my class wore them, and my mother said it was my decision to wear them or not, but she was required, as a parent, to buy them for me.

My displeasure lasted until the ride home, when my mother heard a wondering chirp from the back seat that "trees got leaves!"  And ever since, that has been one of my tests to figure out if I need new lenses: Can I see the leaves?  I also have astigmatism (not as bad as my brother's) which means seeing things that should be straight as slightly bent is another of our signals.

Through my life, my nearsightedness worsened, as it does, until I could no longer focus both eyes without wearing glasses.  I was one-eyed to thread needles, and to read without glasses.  I often had dents in the side of my nose for falling asleep reading in bed with my glasses in place.  I think I was in late grammar school or middle school when I was first told that I was legally blind without corrective lenses.  By the end, my correction was around 14.5-15 diopters in each eye, and there's no "20/####" comparison.  I wore fairly sturdy, usually depressingly plain, and very expenses glasses.

In my 20s I developed cataracts.  This is fairly normal in my family, from speaking to others, and it means we get ours removed at a comparatively early age.  [Yes, not everybody is ancient when they have cataracts removed - when I expressed surprise my ophthalmologist informed me that babies can have them, so there!]  While my great-grandmother had hers removed when she was in her 70s or so, by my generation we were decades younger.  And I learned that nowadays, when they put in the new lenses, they can correct your nearsightedness or farsightedness - to a point.  In my case, they could correct only about 12 diopters of my myopia, leaving me with a slight nearsightedness.  Or they could change my vision to farsighted.  (My grandfather went with one eye each direction, but his correction was much lighter than mine.)  To my surgeon's surprise, I chose to be nearsighted, reasoning that I'd been such all my life and adjusting to farsightedness would be more of a challenge - plus I wanted to be able to read in bed without glasses.

So far, so good.  I can buy reasonably normal-priced glasses, so for the first time in my life instead of two pairs (main and backup), I have a small wardrobe of glasses in different shapes and colours of frames.  I have prescription sunglasses.  I read in bed - a LOT - and generally remove my glasses to read onscreen or anything written.  This occasionally means I have to track down a pair that I set down in an unaccustomed spot, but I haven't found glasses chains that work comfortably.

It also means that I donate to organizations such as Lions Club and Seva Foundation that help people to see.  And I don't take for granted when I go on one of my walks, being able to see that "trees got leaves!"