Miriam Clare LePell:  

It is now May of 2024, and I see that it has been two years since I updated my profile. Obviously, a few things have changed, so I will delineate those changes briefly in the space below. I left the classroom in June 2023 after 37 years at Castro Valley High School and 39 years teaching. My "retirement"--not a word I use frequently--corresponded to a move from Alameda to Berkeley which, in turn, corresponded to my brother's return to the Bay Area. As anyone who has every lived in one place for a long time knows, moving is challenging. After 18 years in Alameda, my partner and I had a lot of items to sift through, to say little of decisions related to furniture and clothing. After months of preparation and a fair share of stress, we made it to our new old house in North Berkeley in November of 2023, and after six months, we are moved in and charged with the many responsibilities and expenses related to home ownership. Of course, we feel incredibly fortunate to have property in the Bay Area, so we will do our best to maintain our heartfelt gratitude at our good fortune to be in such a lovely house and place, even as we face different challenge...Expand for more