A Few Things

Hello, Friends. How are you? Did you have a good week? Yesterday was our last day of school, which means today is officially Summer Vacation!

It was a happy week of end-of-year celebrations. Oscar was one of four 8th grade valedictorians (the only boy!), and on Tuesday, he gave an excellent speech at the 8th grade advancement ceremony. It was packed 1000-seat auditorium, but he wasn’t nervous at all, and totally nailed his speech. This morning, it was fun to let the kids sleep in.

This is also the last weekend of the Temple Open House and I spent this morning as a volunteer tour guide. My mom and stepdad are in town to attend the open house, and we have plans to take everyone on the ferry from Oakland to San Francisco this afternoon. The weather is gorgeous, so it’s a perfect day for a ferry ride.

How about you? Any weekend plans you’re looking forward to? I’ve got some really great links for you, if you’re in the mood. Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share:

An op-ed in Newsweek written by a Muslim Marine. ““My 12 year old son gave me a list of Islamaphobic names he’s been called. This is today’s America.”

-There are two types of airport people.

Over 200 million women and girls alive today have been circumcised. Four of them shared with The New York Times their pain, emotional trauma and sexual struggles — and their journey to feel whole.

-A bunch of teenagers are about to launch their own rocket into space! They had a shoestring budget and no adult supervision. West Point helped them get some boron potassium nitrate.

-At first I thought this was an Onion article. The US energy department is rebranding fossil fuels as ‘molecules of freedom’.

-It turns out Amazon didn’t need billions in subsidies to expand in New York.

-What are your thoughts on a female God?

-A new study concluded that getting kids ready for school is equivalent to an extra day of work

-Remember Seventeen Magazine’s All Day Date Prep advice.

-Did you see the line of 250-300 climbers waiting their turn at the top of Mount Everest? I had such a reaction to the image — an intense combo of anger and disappointment.

-I just ordered this outfit from Boden and it arrives soon and I’m excited.

-As a Sociologist Who Has Worked With Anti-vaxxers for a Decade, This Is What I’ve Learned.

This Belief Net quiz — which includes very specific questions — will tell you what religion your beliefs most match up with.

I hope you have such a wonderful weekend. I’ll meet you back here on Monday. I miss you already.

kisses,
Gabrielle

7 thoughts on “A Few Things”

  1. I just did the belief quiz – maybe it works well for Christians, but I found it very inadequate for non-Christians. Very disappointed.

  2. Marjorie McDonald

    Thanks for the great links. I have a habit of opening the articles that catch my interest in a new tab and coming back to them over the next few days when I have more head space. Excited to hear more about your Warren rally experience (I saw your IG stories).

  3. The Everest picture is shocking! A lot can and has been said about it. For some contrast you should check out @carolinegleich on instagram. She climbed everest this season from the NE Tibet side and has a totally different experience. On the summit with only her team, different. And she had a platform to #climbforequality, with a mission of seeing more women on top of mtns and in the top levels of all things! Her climb and attitude are inspiring!

  4. Congratulations to Oscar!

    That airport article was every time I’m trying to go anywhere with my husband and daughter.He’s admittedly better than he used to be about leaving early enough to be early; she definitely subscribes to the “why be early when you can be on time?” school of thought. I felt anxious just reading it.

    The anti-vaxxer article was great too. I love juxtaposing being pro-vax with being anti-flu shot – a wonderful perspective shift. (Disclaimer – I am pro-vax and pro-flu shot.)

  5. Gabby, did you take the religion quiz? I’m interested to hear what your results showed!

    I practice mindfulness and a lot of Buddhist-inspired spiritual teachings, but my #1 was Unitarian Universalist (which I can totally see! I used to be in a UU congregation and completely loved it.) followed up by Liberal Quakerism. Who knew?!

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