<div dir="ltr">Such a delight to catch up with you. I do wonder when you sleep! Star is so precious. I have my own Marley (shepherd Husky mix - BIG, a misjudgment on my part).He snuggled up under my armpit in bed last night when the midnight fireworks began. He ordinarily won't sleep on the bed. I must wiggle around too much.<div><br></div><div>May 2024 be filled with more magical miracles!</div><div>Sunny</div><div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><font face="comic sans ms, sans-serif" size="4"><i>Sunny Walker </i></font><div><div dir="ltr"><i><font face="arial, sans-serif">She/her/hers</font></i></div><div dir="ltr"><i><font face="arial, sans-serif">On </font></i><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68);font-family:Roboto,sans-serif"><i>Arapaho, Cheyenne, Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) tribal land</i></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68);font-family:Roboto,sans-serif"><i><img width="200" height="71" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wPZyPY_WvsB1jy2GzPMb8pu58faklRdoOJQo2voecFQf7GxG2gsHYpUU7cAq4vfXWdUpp55rU"><br></i></span></div><div><font face="comic sans ms, sans-serif" size="4"><i></i></font><div>Certified Facilitator (Also Certified ToP Facilitator) </div><div>ToP Methods Mentor Trainer - <a href="https://www.top-training.net/w/" target="_blank">Upcoming Courses</a></div><div>Virtual Facilitation Collaborative Senior Facilitator</div><div><a href="mailto:sunny.sunwalker@gmail.com" target="_blank">sunny.sunwalker@gmail.com</a></div><div>303-587-3017</div><div><br></div><div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">For diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging inquiries:</div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><a href="mailto:sunny@diversityinnovators.com" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">sunny@diversityinnovators.com</a></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><a href="http://www.diversityinnovators.com/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">www.diversityinnovators.com</a></div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><br></div></div><div>For virtual facilitation inquiries:<br></div><div><a href="mailto:sunny@virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com" target="_blank">sunny@virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com</a></div><div><a href="http://www.virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com" target="_blank">www.virtualfacilitationcollaborative.com</a></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Dec 29, 2023 at 12:44 PM Cynthia Vance via Dialogue <<a href="mailto:dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net">dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Happy New Year to all my family, friends and colleagues.<br>
Jan 1, 2023<br>
<br>
May you continue to be curious, to learn and to respond with clarity to the pressing challenges of our time.<br>
My Holiday Gift to you is a quote from Kurt Vonnegut which was given to me and one that I’ve embraced for myself:<br>
<br>
“Go into the arts. I'm not kidding...They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art,<br>
no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the<br>
radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will<br>
receive an enormous reward. You will have created something.”<br>
<br>
Now, here's my annual report.<br>
<br>
CONTINUING ACTIVITIES: I still perform with Sarasota Earlye Musicke Consort on various recorders, performing<br>
courtly, baroque & jazz music. It's all so much fun! I also perform with The Venice Chorale, singing classical and<br>
pop music as a tenor. Our new Artistic Director is awesome; he makes us love music so much, encourages us to<br>
study it in depth, and creates delightful surprises for our audience. I'm still growing orchids and enjoy taking<br>
photos at our Venice Area Orchid Society -- plants which are awarded monthly by our membership.<br>
<br>
Of course, I must play with my Star and when she barks, we start fetch and catch. However, she won't return<br>
the rubber bone to me -- so onto the next one in my pocket. I hike with dear friends in Pineland Park several times<br>
a week and continue to kayak with my kayak girl friends -- around the mangrove isles in the Intercoastal Waterway.<br>
We take hundreds of photos of nesting birds -- Roseate Spoonbills, Pelicans, etc. When their juveniles exercise their<br>
wings I can make some delightful shots. My SonyRX10m4 camera with the 600 mm lens inside continues to delight,<br>
taking 24 shots per second. I can take surprising photos that the eye misses! Some are even artful and I post many<br>
on Facebook.<br>
<br>
NEW ACTIVITIES:<br>
I've been watching 2 brilliant directors at our Venice Theatre direct rehearsals of 3 plays including Jeff Daniels’ new<br>
play, ‘Pickleball’ which was a hoot. I'm also taking acting lessons (learning play analysis & character focus) and<br>
receiving positive encouragement (stay tuned for when I put what I've learned into practice). I did write an essay<br>
after viewing the profound drama, Black Pearl Sings, and my acting teacher said it was of such excellence that he<br>
sent it to the playwright! Sometimes, one's being is touched so much, it compells one to write. I plan to do this<br>
more often as I study this engaging artform.<br>
<br>
I'm now using my new (3rd) IPad 12.9 and ForScore software to download music and use PageFlip Firefly Bluetooth<br>
Pedal to turn pages with my foot during recorder performances. Do I tap on the beat - or in between- this does take<br>
some coordination! I've also been helping 2 friends with medical research and taking them to appointments and<br>
surgeries. Though I've been avoiding politics, I did ask people to sign petitions for the Florida Clean Water and the<br>
Women’s Healthcare Rights both which will be now on the ballot next November. They MUST Pass.<br>
<br>
For more exercise I now attend 2 cardiac classes per week on Zoom, led by a friend I admire who lives in NYC.<br>
I've also joined the Venice Isle Book Club and am reading the amazing novel, ‘A Land Remembered’ by<br>
Patrick Smith about the struggles and bravery of Florida’s early settlers. I'm sure glad I've always had<br>
air conditioning while living in Florida!<br>
<br>
So, there we are.<br>
I'm thankful that my health is good and that I have housing and food unlike so many in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza,<br>
and other places. I naively thought there would not be any more wars, and now we face the horror daily.<br>
Let's hope that peace will be restored soon and that the rebuilding will begin. In the meantime, we can support<br>
organizations which are helping such as World Central Kitchen (<a href="https://worldcentralkitchen.org" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://worldcentralkitchen.org</a>).<br>
<br>
I hope you all have an interesting, challenging and delightful New Year. There's so much to learn and enjoy,<br>
so many ways to help others, and new thrills around the corner.<br>
<br>
My best,<br>
Cynthia Vance and Star (Check out some photos above)_______________________________________________<br>
Dialogue mailing list<br>
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<a href="http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net</a><br>
</blockquote></div>