To the 3 people who have arrived here (hi Grandma!) looking for more on our Wordle words:
SOLAR: The path of totality for the annular (aka “Ring of Fire”) solar eclipse in Fall 2023 passed through northern Nevada, so we made the drive, parked near a group of friendly fellow nerds on a hill, and waited for the clouds to part. Which they did, just in time for Corbin to capture an amazing photo
TACOS: We ate and learned to cook delicious food in Oaxaca. Mole, tlayudas, salsas; yum!
EAGLE: After building an outdoor kitchen area in an urban garden operated by Homies Empowerment, an East Oakland not-for-profit organization, Corbin was awarded Eagle Scout!
KOALA: At the end of the year, we visited our good friends Kim, Rian and Thomas in Sydney, Australia. Also loved seeing the kangaroos (including in the backyard of our rental home in the Blue Mountains), echidnas, and a duck-billed platypus.
BEACH: We enjoyed visiting the seaside in the Bay Area, Mexico and Australia.
PEACE: We are so grateful for both our adventures and our everyday lives in 2023. To our friends and family, and for the world, we wish for love, joy and peace in the holiday season and always.
Outtakes, Part 1 aka other words we considered for the wordle:
HIKES: Many of our favorite moments from our gap year were in nature, so when we returned, we vowed to hike regularly. We didn’t make it as frequently as we had planned, but did have some excellent outings to the Pacific Coast Trail, Muir Woods, Zion National Park, and closer to home.
METAL: James, Corbin and Asher took a welding class. Fun! The resulting lawn art sculptures are now nestled among the native drought-resistant plants in our newly rewilded lawn.
LATHE: Gloria & James took a wood turning class. Also fun! The resulting mortar and pestles will at some point be used for making Oaxacan moles (see: TACOS).
SWARM: James the bee-keeper collected several swarms of bees this spring. We have a lot of honey.
MUSIC: Corbin’s picked up the guitar again, and Asher has started playing piano again.
GAMES: A family outing to the Pacific Pinball Museum was a win. So were our occasional family game nights.
PUPPY: We fostered 2 puppies, taking care of them until they were ready for adoption. Both were adorable.
TEACH: Gloria’s been teaching grad students (mostly MBA), adding 2 classes at UC Berkeley in addition to the class she’s taught at Stanford GSB for a decade.
CEARÁ: The state in Brazil where Gloria produced two documentaries about K12 education solutions: one about Sobral, a city that achieved near-universal literacy, and the other about a not-for-profit that successfully got hundreds of students into university using peer-to-peer learning strategies. Inspiring!
APPLY: Corbin has finished applying to college – and like everything else has handled the entire process with aplomb.
POEMS: Asher’s been writing poetry. Or so he says – he hasn’t shared any of them with us. And he also says not to ask him about it.
Outtakes, Part 2:
Before we settled on a Wordle card, we played around with other ideas, including alternative lyrics to Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero, written by ChatGPT. Although this idea was roundly rejected by both kids for inclusion in the holiday card, it’s included here for entertainment.
We have this thing where we get older and seek more adventure / Chasing eclipses in Nevada, a celestial venture / Through giant whispers in Muir Woods, we lightly tread / In Oaxaca’s vibrant streets, where our spirits were led.
In the forge’s flame, bending metal and wood / Crafting and turning, it felt so good / Puppies hopping in our wild, green scene / Nature’s playground, lively and serene.
It’s us, hi, the Lee-Breedens, it’s us / In Brazil’s heart, capturing stories, no fuss. / Scouting high, building dreams with each nail / In Australia’s sun, with friends, we set sail.
Chasing Chicharrones 