Hang out with me for any length of time and you will hear me repeat my many mantras. A frequent one is: I have too many gardens for a single woman with a social life. It’s become a problem. While I do love gardening—I truly enjoy both the process and the result—it seems to have taken over my life and my yard. Ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, ground cover, herbs, vegetables, a water garden, grass, and weeds; they are all there. And, as I (gracefully) age, I find gardening requires more Advil and leaves me with less energy for other pursuits. I truly regret it when I am too tired for dancing…but is having a meaningful conversation after dinner considered a pursuit? How about staying awake past 8 PM?
Continue reading
Activism
I Could Have Been a Scientist
Today, the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their innovative work that led to the life-saving mRNA COVID vaccines. Ms. Karikó, a Hungarian-American biochemist and researcher at Penn Medicine is one of (now) 61 women who have received this award, while Dr. Weissman, a physician and researcher also at Penn Medicine, is one of over 890 male laureates. This wonderful announcement stirred my feminist passion and also reminded me of my lifelong interest in science. Maybe I could have been a scientist. If I was born 20 years later, could things have turned out differently?
Continue reading
Bringing Yoga to the LBGTQ+ Community
I recently had an opportunity to represent a local yoga non-profit organization at a Pride Festival in Apex, NC. I’ve worked with You Call This Yoga as their website manager for many years and I believe in their mission to bring free, accessible yoga practices to people who:
- Might not have access to yoga (can’t afford it, can’t get to classes)
- Think yoga is not for them (not my community, my age group, my body type)
- Believe they can’t do it (not flexible enough, can’t get up and down off the mat)
accidental goddess 