HUMANS OF BERKELEY and the BAY AREA

's been exactly a year since I last posted. I have really missed approaching strangers and taking their photo and having a brief conversation. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Will and Jam. They were strolling down Solano en route to get frozen yogurt. Since we were across from Flowerland I urged them to check it out. Will is holding Alphi and Jam is holding Senggey. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQP3SzJheBh/?utm_medium=tumblr

's been exactly a year since I last posted. I have really missed approaching strangers and taking their photo and having a brief conversation. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Will and Jam. They were strolling down Solano en route to get frozen yogurt. Since we were across from Flowerland I urged them to check it out. Will is holding Alphi and Jam is holding Senggey. #berkeley #solanoave #dogsofinstagram #bayarea https://www.instagram.com/p/CQP2KUvh6hB/?utm_medium=tumblr

“When injustice prevails, humans will never achieve greatness. Potential exists in everyone no matter color, sexual orientation, or status.” #berkeley #berkeleygourmetghetto #blacklivesmatter #bayarea #pride #equality Sophie Anne's mama https://www.instagram.com/p/CBjuTvChvLL/?igshid=1x357pjwqtj9v

Me: "How old is your baby?" Mom: "She's three months old. She was certainly born into extraordinary times." Me: "Indeed!" Mom: "However, I am so grateful that she is healthy." #blacklivesmatter #bayarea #berkeley #motherhood https://www.instagram.com/p/CBg1fELBba6/?igshid=n5abi8lr971z

Congrats to these UC Berkeley Grads, who are friends and roommates, and to all grads during this most unusual time. Wish you all the best . Go Bears. #berkeley #ucberkeley #berkeleygrads #bayarea #covidgraduation2020 https://www.instagram.com/p/CAb2FR9hxUj/?igshid=1zzastqzione

Mother and daughter

"We are teaching our son the true spirit of St. Nicholas which is generosity and giving at Christmas. We hope it is contagious. Saint Nick is all about that. We are teaching that the action of kindness has its own reward." Stu, Tristan (5 years old), and Carrie. #berkeley #bayarea #tildenpark #tildenparkmerrygoround #holidayspirit https://www.instagram.com/p/B6bFJKIhsH2/?igshid=snewl6162cm0

"The holidays should be about love and not about the consumerism aspect which has been ingrained in our society.” Hannah Kallestad and Jovanni Carrillo. #berkeley #bayarea #tildenregionalpark #merrygoround #holidayspirit #tildenparkmerrygoround https://www.instagram.com/p/B6XEHWEhxOn/?igshid=12eso32kgrmea

Charlotte's Shades of Color has been offering unique, colorful and exquisitely-made Afrocentric stationery items for over 7 years. We sell beautiful calendars, tote bags, Christmas cards, cosmetic bags, lipstick holders, figurines and more. All items feature art work made exclusively by African American artists. In addition to Shades of Color merchandise we sell organic body scrub specially made by Charlotte's daughter, Treasure. Treasure's homemade "Soft-T Organic Body Scrub" makes those rough areas such elbows, hands and feet as smooth as silk. This is truly a family affair as Charlotte's eldest granddaughter, 19 year old Taylor, helps out at all vendor events in which her grandma participates. Taylor Newton, Charlotte Dangerfield, Treasure Newton #berkeley #bayarea #afrocentric #africanamericanartist https://shadescalendars.com/shop/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B6OUh5fhhwN/?igshid=9xd55w8tv9be

Me: What are you doing here? (neither of us could remember what made her crack up) Sandi: I was taking out a bundle of fabric - in this case a scarf - that was steaming for two hours. The process is called either eco printing or botanical printing where fabric and leaves are bundled, rolled tight and steamed for several hours, sometimes with a natural dye or indigo to give the scarf background color. The process releases color from the leaves, i.e. orange from eucalyptus. I made my first quilt over 25 years ago. Textiles have always had a hold over me – the texture, colors, and tactile quality of fiber. As a feminist from an early age, I’ve always appreciated women’s quilting tradition – the collaborative process, comfort in sharing our lives through cloth, support for each other in our personal as well as artistic growth and a shared passion to express ourselves through textiles. Sandi Goldstine https://www.sandigtextiles.com/. #berkeley #bayarea #artist #textiledesign #textileart #scarves https://www.instagram.com/p/B6ERN1IBRy-/?igshid=12pnffkvz1owl

Jill: “.....enjoying volunteering at Bug Day at UC Botanical Garden, educating folks about the importance of bees at the Mount Diablo Beekeepers Assoc booth.” My husband Bob and I are new beekeepers in Pleasant Hill as of April 2019. I got my face painted at the Walnut Creek Farmers Market this morning before volunteering with the 🐝 s. Jill McFadden. #beekeeping #beekeeper #berkeley #bayarea #ucbotanicalgarden https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzvdrv5hsyB/?igshid=118cxb18x231k

Colleen Neff: "The event is called the Long Walk and the Berkeley Path Wanderers Ass'n does this once a year for those who like to do an all day adventure. I think this is our 7th or 8th year. We publicize the walk in our monthly newsletter and we never know how many people will show up. This year we had 21 at the start and 20 at the finish. THE BPWA president, Alina Constaninescu led the walk and she is just a wonderful leader--full of encouragement and love of hiking." #berkeley #bayarea #hikecalifornia #berkeleypathwanderers https://www.instagram.com/p/BzJaOLShE_7/?igshid=12t5mix5awx1z

Our 69th wedding anniversary is on June 24th, 2019. But it is more - it caps 75 years of friendship, which we consider a more significant achievement. Standing in front of a bookcase full of books reflects the fact that we have spent all these years, and will continue to spend our remaining years, in the joy of life-long learning. Ann and Al Wasserman #berkeley #bayarea#happyweddinganniversary https://www.instagram.com/p/BzEfk6Lhe-f/?igshid=11f27u4h83kbm

I love the San Jose Sharks. I have been a fan for 21 years. I am so passionate I wear Sharks related gear 5 days a week. I am still mourning the loss against the St. Louis Blues last month. I am such a big Sharks fan that I have written song parodies dedicated to them, one of the songs may have resulted in one of the biggest signings in Sharks history that happened Monday June 18th: https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/sharks/erik-karlsson-contract-how-sharks-fan-made-pitch-song-parody I love wearing my team's jersey, what's great is that the back of the jersey can work as a billboard, so I have used my jersey for political messages. It's called a "jersey foul". I have "Impeach 45" on one of my jerseys. Mostly I get thumbs up, fans want to take a picture of it, however I have been shoved, smirked at, told that I shouldn't mix sports w/ politics. These responses are few and far between. Anyway, I have a feeling of optimism for 2020. I believe Trump will be out of the White House & the Sharks will hoist the Stanley Cup! GO SHARKS! Impeach 45! Emily Hall. #sanjosesharks #sharksfan #berkeley #bayarea #impeach45 https://www.instagram.com/p/By_KAY2BqL1/?igshid=1tsb29shi0p4

Sophie: "This is a memorial bench for my mom, who was a docent at the Tilden Little Farm. She grew up in Berkeley and loved nature so this was a very special place for her. My family and I got together to have this bench installed as a spot where we could all come to remember my mother. The first time I visited the bench I was pregnant with my son, and now I bring him here to tell him about his wonderful grandmother. We came to visit the bench today with my mom's dear cousin Sacha." Sophie, Sacha, and baby A, aged 10 months. #tildenregionalpark #berkeley #bayarea #familylove #motherhood https://www.instagram.com/p/By3_xWgBtyJ/?igshid=19tr15uqhz9ow

Jack: "The thing that has surprised me the most about being Ronan's dad is how ready and willing I have been to just push aside all of the frivolous stuff I used to do for me and just devote myself entirely to him. Maybe it's because we had him kind of late but all that stuff that used to be so important to me -- going to concerts, hanging out, and basically just spending all of my time and money on myself... it just doesn't feel important anymore. I'm so happy to have him to think about all the time and to hang out with all the time, and the transition to being his dad has felt surprisingly easy. He's my buddy, he's the best, and I'm always on the lookout for a new place for him to run around and explore." Jack with his son Ronan. # berkeley #bayarea #fathersday #fathers #fathersson #parenthood https://www.instagram.com/p/Bywf2AYhSyE/?igshid=11gr4xoson6mz

Ranjot: “If no one has come from the future to stop you, how bad of a decision can it be.” Ranjot #bayarea #berkeley #sundaystreets https://www.instagram.com/p/ByrdllEhiGQ/?igshid=wh7d4f8qo32z