Leadership and team/committee involvement at UUFoM
I served as Board President-Elect in 2020 and President in 2021 (COVID Time, yay).  I facilitate the Three Jewels Sangha on Wednesday evenings.  For the past the past few years I have served on the Auction and the Stewardship Committees, and I am also on the Pastoral Care Team.  One of the great joys in my life is singing in our choir.

Bio
I grew up in Midland, but moved away at age 22, first to New York for ten years, and then to California (Los Angeles, then 22 years in the San Francisco Bay Area). After being away for 40 years, I decided to come back to be close to my family and to be able to afford to retire. 

Why I chose to be a UU and join UUFoM
Leaving an ultra-progressive home base with unsurpassed natural beauty to come to the flatlands of Midland prompted me to seek out fellow travelers. When I found out that UUFoM had a Buddhist Sangha, I came to check us out. I also figured I’d find a lot, if not most, of the progressive folks here. At UUFoM I found a home and community where I can be myself, missteps, mistakes, gaffes and all.

Like almost every UU I’ve ever met, nature is IT for me. I’m not a gardener, but I’m writing this sitting in the sun beside my inherited seven-foot-tall limelight hydrangea bushes, abuzz with bees and covered in white flowers going into pink. I miss the ocean and winter is tough, but I have always been able to appreciate natural beauty in even the tiniest, simplest forms. I have a beautiful home and a true companion in my cat, Rose. I have a close-knit family. And I have YOU. What more can I ask for?

Thoughts about the Future
My hope for our Fellowship is that we continue to grow in spirit and people, gathering in young families and marginalized folks. I realize that it’s not about numbers. It’s that there are so many people in our area who haven’t found a spiritual home where they can be exactly who they are, and where whatever they believe or practice is honored and treasured. We offer that; we just need to continue to get the word out. And it’s happening.