Happy Birthday, America

 To celebrate America's 250th birthday, I am posting this video.

Special Olympics sports have been our world for several years now. We started with Young Athletes, then swimming, soccer, tennis, floor ball, and basketball. Participating in these activities has had profound impact for Bun Bun. None of the poor child's parents are very athletic, and we don't have a lot of expectations (no next Venus Williams or Katie Ledecky here). It's nice to interact with other athletes and parents, not to mention the most patient coaches and helpers.

2025 Books

Books read in all of 2025

*Inside Out and Back Again, Thanhha Lai

Be Ready When the Luck Happens, Ina Garten

*Salt to the Sea, Ruta Sepetys

Daughters of Shandong, Eve J. Chung

The Lotus Shoes, Jane Yang

*Alone, Megan E Freeman

Til the End of June, Cris Beam

Yellowface, RF Kuang

*Beyond the Bright Sea, Lauren Wolk

A Shot to Save the World, Gregory Zuckerman

*Stuck, Jennifer Swender

Challenger, Adam Higginbotham

The Whole Brain Child, Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson 

Wisdom from Adoptive Families, Kris Kittle and Kelly Reed

*Escape from the Isle of the Lost, Melissa de la Cruz

James, Percival Everett’s

Anne of Green Gables, Graphic Novel, Mariah Marsden & Brenna Thummlee

*Anne of Green Gables, LM Montgomery

Young Adult Playbook, Anna Moreland and Thomas Smith

Everything is Tuberculosis, John Green

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain 

*Mustaches for Maddie, Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

18 Tiny Deaths, Bruce Goldfarb

Dr Mütter’s Marvels, Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz

*Insignificant Event in the Life of a Cactus, Dusti Bowling

The Framed Women of Ardemore House, Brandy Schillace

Drunk Flies and Stoned Dolphins, One Pagan

Made in Asian America, Erika Lee and Christina Soontornvat

*Out of My Dreams, Sharon Draper

The Woman Who Could Not Forget, Ying Ying Chang

107 Days, Kamala Harris 

*The Book Thief, Markus Zusak 

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van der Kolk

Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys

* Read with Bun Bun.

March 2026

I'm a bit behind here, but want to share this article for two reasons.

https://helenjournal.org/march-2026/unsung-hero-marthe-gautier

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day in recognition of three copies of the 21st chromosome (Trisomy 21), discovered by Dr. Marthe Gautier.

March is also Women's History month, celebrating women and various contributions they made in history. In April, 2022, Dr. Gautier died and was remembered in a NYT article. She was the physician who identified the extra 21st chromosome as the cause of Down Syndrome. Like many women in history who are overshadowed by men, Dr. Gautier's work was credited to her male colleague, Jerome Lejeune.

Shoe laces

 After working really hard all summer, guess who now is able to tie their own shoe laces?

Promotion & New(er) wheels

Starting my 20th year of teaching this semester, I still love my job. Even though I've been teaching the same set of courses, the new cohorts of students always keep things fresh. There's always new things for me to learn, too. So, it was all the more meaningful to start this year as a full professor. My promotion was approved and granted after spending all of last summer writing and building my case.

To start the new school year, I replaced my 18-year old car. I really loved the old car, hoped to keep it for at least 20 years, and hated to let it go. It was starting to get really needy and cranky, especially when the weather changed. Deciding between a hybrid and a fully electric car, I chose the Volvo C40 Recharge (fully electric). No more gasoline, oil changes, emissions tests, and rusty belts... Nice to have a car built in this decade.

 2007 S60

 2023 C40

As for other family updates: Bun Bun started the new school year as a high school freshman. With the exception of her school bus breaking down on the way home, I think it went well. 

We had a pretty nice summer. As soon as school let out, we drove to Charlotte to visit family. We stopped in Monterey, VA, away from light pollution, for some star gazing. This summer, we visited 2 caves, rode some roller coasters, caught 5 ground hogs, saw baby orangutan & tortoises, and ate too much donuts & water ice. Last week, Bun Bun and Daddy went to the Disney Descendants Zombies Worlds Collide Tour to round out the summer fun.

10 years

 

More books

I accomplished my goal of reading 24 books this year and read a 25th one just to celebrate the accomplishment. Bun and I read 8 (*) together, some were for school and others with the ARC, Include Me's Disability Acceptance Through Literature book studies. After signing up for the book study, ARC sends us the book and, we all meet virtually once a week to talk about it. It's been fun.

My favorite books on this list have been authored by Black women: Angela Tucker, Uche Blackstock, Sharon Draper, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Their discussions on racial disparities in America are really eye-opening.

Bun Bun's required reading for school have WWII themes - Echo and Code Talker. I've been reading some other fictions and non-fictions works and watching war movies and TV shows set in those time periods.

American Prometheus, Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin

*Song for a Whale, Lynne Kelly

How High We Go in the Dark, Sequoia Nagamatsu

Democracy Awakening, Heather Cox Richardson

Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann

Lessons from Plants, Beronda Montgomery (corn, beans, squash)

The Worlds I See, Fei Fei Li

*Good Different, Meg Eden Kuyatt

*Unfriended, Rachel Vail

You Should Be Grateful, Angela Tucker

Legacy, Uche Blackstock

Class, Stephanie Land

*A Blind Guide to Stinkville, Beth Vrabel

Tell Me When It’s Over, Paul Offit

Uncommon Types: Some Stories, Tom Hanks

*Echo, Pam Munoz Ryan

The Boy with the Striped Pajamas, John Boyne 

*Code Talker, Joseph Bruchac

*Blended, Sharon Draper

On Call, Anthony Fauci

All the Broken Places, John Boyne 

*Better with Butter, Victoria Piontek

Lovely One, Ketanji Brown Jackson

The Sirens of Mars, Sarah Stewart Johnson

Making a Scene, Constance Wu

Happy New Year, Readers!

Books

Last year, I was able to read 21 books.

How to Raise an Adult, Julie Lythcott-Haims

Spare, Prince Harry

All Creatures Great and Small, James Herriot

If I Survive You, Jonathan Escoffery

All Things Bright and Beautiful, James Herriot

All Things Wise and Wonderful, James Herriot

Out of My Heart*, Sharon Draper

Poverty, by America, Matthew Desmond

American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang

Sink, Joseph Earl Thomas 

Song of the Cell, Siddhartha Mukherjee

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon*, Grace Lin

Year off the Tiger, Alice Wong

It Wasn’t Me*, Dana Alison Levy

Chasing My Cure, David Fajgenbaum

Born a Crime, Trevor Noah

I Know Who You Are, Barbara Rae-Venter 

Ghost*, Jason Reynolds

Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen*, Sarah Kapit

The Conversation, Robert Livingston 

Eve, Cat Bohannon

Bun Bun and I read a few of them together either for school or for her virtual book club (*). I really like reading the James Herriot series and think I would have became a vet if I had read them when I was in high school. The memoirs by Prince Harry, Joseph Earl Thomas, David Fajgenbaum, and Trevor Noah were really fascinating. I think my favorite was "I Know Who You Are" about using genetic ancestry tests to solve crimes.

Goal this year is to read at least one more than last.

It's been a while

 

Quick updates:

Bun Bun is in the 7th grade, in the middle school. She still loves to read and obsesses over really cute babies.

We had our first snow (~5 inches) in over 2 years. The backyard has enough of a slope for some sledding. We had to take down a bunch of large trees which opens up the yard a lot more. If you're wondering, those trees were infested by emerald green borers. These beetles lay eggs into the tree bark which the larvae eat as they crawl their way out. Over time, the tree slowly dies. As those sick trees were removed, we started planting new one, hence the wiring cage you see.

Summer

If Bun Bun was a cartoon character...

X marks the spot and Bun Bun's 10th year.

Savoring the summer at Longwood Gardens

 

Winter 2021

Bun Bun got an adorable haircut.

We've gotten quite a bit of snow this year.

Grateful to be vaccinated.

 

Finger People

When Bun Bun was a toddler, she was shown how to pretend and use her little fingers as legs of a person.  I'd call them her finger people.  She walked them up and down hand rails or when she wanted to stall time.  She'd use them in doll houses or any tiny architecture structures fit for finger people.  When we doubted her imaginary play, we would remember her finger people.

Today, her finger person got a pair of shoes.  These shoes belonged to Ken of Ken and Barbie.  Bun Bun inherited a set of Bride Barbie and Groom Ken dolls recently.  Ken's shoes were lost and recovered a couple of days ago.  So, there you have it...

Books

 Adding these to my book list since April:

• Educated, Tara Westover (Memoir of a scholar, homeschooled in rural Idaho with her survivalist family, bullied by her brother, but determined to seek higher education)
• Yellow House, Sarah M Broom (Memoir of a writer growing up in urban New Orleans)
• Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson (Excellent account of the justice system favoring those who are guilty and  rich over those who are poor and innocent)
• Maid, Stephanie Land (Single mom making ends meet as a maid to support herself and her daughter)
• Dreams from My Father, Barack Obama 
• A Promised Land, Barack Obama (Account of the former president's first term)
• Endurance, Scott Kelly (Astronaut's year-long expedition aboard the ISS)
• Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake (The wood wide web of fungi connecting root systems of trees and plants)

New Year

Happy New Year...

Yes, it is a happy new year.  Proceed with caution.

I think we can all agree that 2020 was a horrible year: SARS-CoV2 pandemic, the world shut down/put on pause, protests, BLM protests, counter-protests, angry voters, angry politicians, defiant politicians...

Are there silver linings?  There are always silver linings.  It's not hard to see them.

I got to spend a lot of quality time with family, watching TV shows & movies, strolling through parks, throwing rocks in the creek at the park, savoring every second of Bun Bun blossoming into a young girl, and baking a lot of bread.

Yes, bread.  Some loaves have been more successful than others.  My latest trials and tribulations have been with sourdough bread.  I'm still getting large air pockets and will need to figure out ways to make airy bubbles more even throughout.  It's tasty nonetheless.  Bun Bun and I smear sweet Nutella on it for breakfast.  Daddy puts his own spin with cream cheese.

Since late spring, people in the US and around the world are starting to reckon with the ugliness of racial and social inequalities, amplified by police brutalities, compounded by irate people already edgy from the pandemic, and the racist rhetorics of the outgoing DC administration.  None of this is new, although I never fully understood it until recently.  Dare I be hopeful that people gaining awareness, speaking out, participating in marches will lead to change for the better.

Barely one week into 2021, the most horrific event in recent American history unveils before the whole world.  Egged on by a defiant president who did not win re-election, his angry followers who believe his lies stormed the Capitol building as Senators and Representations certify the electoral votes and formally name the next President.  What a sad and embarrassing site captured by journalists and rioters' own mobile devices.  Now, there's a call for a second impeachment.  So, for those who have chosen to see, hear, and speak no evil over the last FIVE years, this is the final straw?

Fun from the summer

Bun Bun attended bike camp and was learning how to steer and pedal.

Bun Bun turned 9 years old...

... and started 4th grade.

We discovered a park nearby that had a creek, great for throwing in rocks and making big splashes. 

 

Sour dough bread

 

Thanksgiving 2020

There doesn't seem to be a lot to be thankful this year on the whole.  We are deep in another giant surge in COVID-19 infections.  Many people in this country are not taking it seriously.  Personal freedom overshadows sacrifice for the greater good.

Yet, there is a lot to be thankful for...

Many people are taking this pandemic seriously.  While we wait for the vaccine to be manufactured and distributed, there are those who are careful - wearing masks, staying far away from crowds, remaining at home, and even volunteering for vaccine trials.

There's a sense of community for people helping those in need.  Over the weekend, I dropped off a bag of canned goods at a local church.  The parking lot was filled with volunteers sorting all kinds of food.  You can find kindness everywhere, and it isn't too hard.

In less than 2 months, we'll have a new President.

I still have a job that I love.

I have a warm home.

I have my family, and everyone is well.

Equal Justice Initiative

Equal Justice Initiative

Baking

Here are a couple more baking attempts.  Apparently, the flour makes a huge difference.  These are store brand flour.  Friends have sworn by stone milled flour that they mail ordered from a local mill.  I will have to give that a try.

Baked in 500F for 10 min, then reduced to 400F for another 20.  Oven pre-heated to 500C with a pan of water.  Bread had bits raw dough in the middle, but crust was really tasty.

Baked for 45min at 400F with pan of boiling water, no preheating the oven.  While the entire loaf was fully baked, the crust was not as crusty.

Tooth

Bun Bun lost her 9th tooth today.  There had been a loll for a couple of years, and the dentist did warn me that more will be coming out.  I suspected that one could be loose since she had been playing with something in her mouth.

It is now just over two whole months since the PA governor sent everyone home to mitigate the infectious SARS-CoV2.  There doesn't seem an end in sight, although some trends are showing we're headed in a downward trajectory in the number of new infections.  Our county and our township, in particular, have been hard hit with four large assisted living facilities, between the most vulnerable population of people and the staff who takes care of them.  People are getting antsy.  It's understandable that many people have lost their jobs and want to be working again to provide for their families.  People are social beings and want to be with friends and families.  The college students have missed 2 months of school.  Seniors have graduated via virtual commencement exercises.  Nothing will ever be the same again even if the case counts plummet and the governor re-open the state tomorrow.  Until there's vaccine or greater than 70% of the population have recovered from the infection, we'll be wearing masks and staying 6 feet apart from each other.

Not sure what school will look like over the summer or in the fall for Bun Bun.  Since mid-March, we've been doing school at home.  Bun Bun sees her awesome teachers almost everyday for about 30 min.  We do school assignment via an iPad app.  She continues her therapies and even has her dance class on-line.  Will this continue into the fall is anyone's guess.

One thing I do know for sure is that Bun Bun has been talking more.  There's a feedback loop where as she's talking more, we are able to understand her more, and she realizes that she can get what she wants when she asks.  She's steadily gaining more vocabulary words and reading with more confidence.  It has been the silver lining!

And, I am reminiscing the fun Taiwan trip and all the yummy foods we enjoyed this time a year ago.  Sigh!  Taiwan wouldn't be a bad place to wait out this pandemic!