Slice of Life Challenge

    • Math for mental health

      Unlike many of his friends (and his own brother), my younger stepson, Sklyar, 23, has been very conscientious about social distancing and avoiding gatherings during this last year. All but one of his friends has come down with COVID. Sklyar on the other hand has remained physically healthy. But as…

    • This is church

      “I didn’t dress right, because this is church!” fellow educator Aeriale Johnson typed in the chat the last time we heard from Tyrone Howard at TC’s Supper Club. Today was the TCRWP Saturday Reunion and Tyrone was the closing keynote. Aeriale’s words came back to me as we listened to…

    • Playlist of My Life

      This post was inspired by Julieanne’s story about how music can take you back. A couple of years ago while cleaning out the garage, I found a mixtape that one of my oldest friends made me when we were in high school. So many memories came flooding back as I…

    • What’s in a name

      Like many Chinese-Americans, I have two names: my English name and my Chinese name. My English name is Vivian, supposedly after the actress Vivien Leigh because my mom* loved the movie Gone With the Wind. (I loved the book myself as a high schooler and I’m embarrassed to say how…

    • All I can say

      I woke up this morning to an outpouring of rage and sadness as I scrolled through my Twitter feed. Another crime against Asian Americans, this one more violent than the rest. As of this writing authorities haven’t labeled this a hate crime, but it’s hard to think it’s anything other…

    • Are you ready?

      Yesterday I put on my work pants and heels for the first time in a year just for sh*%@s and giggles. (This is what over a year of lockdown will do to you apparently.) Y’all, I. am. not. ready. for real work clothes yet. BUT after getting our second vaccine…

    • The skateboard incident

      Inspired by Fran McVeigh‘s time-bending post… Based on a true story. “Okay I’ll be back in the afternoon. Text me if you need anything.” I take one last look at my 21-year-old stepson sitting in the hotel room figuring out the TV. His leg elevated on the chair, crutches leaning…

    • Not your mother’s book club

      Today I had not one, but two different book club meetings. I just got off Zoom from the last one and it has me thinking about what my vision of a book club was and what it actually is for me. What I use to to imagine most book clubs…

    • My Ten

      I recently came across this tweet from educator and author Kelly Gallagher: I love this idea so much I thought I’d use it myself. This monthly column features celebrities sharing 10 cultural items they can’t live without. I’m sure if I thought about it a little longer some of these…

    • F is for Friday

      Getting to workout on most Friday mornings at a not-so-ungodly hour has been one of the pandemic silver linings that I am grateful for. This workout group is almost always made up of fierce females. Here’s a list of F-words in their honor: FierceFireFunFabulousFreshFantasticFlyyyyyFemales Happy Friday everyone!