Digital Scrapbooking

**Join Nova Scribes for an in person Scribe Circle** to practice graphic recording together and build the kind of community that makes solo work feel a little less solo. We'll spend the heart of our time graphic recording a former Nova Scribes talk on visual practice as well as spend some time reflecting on our work and sharing real time feedback. **Who is this for?** Graphic recorders, visual practitioners, sketchnoters and anyone who listens, thinks, and draws at the same time. Whether you've been doing this for years or you're still finding your style, you're welcome here. **No prior experience with the group required.** Bring your paper and markers - a few foam boards will be available. The fee covers the price of the venue.

To secure your spot, grab your ticket from the Eventbrite link ( https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saturday-party-tickets-47082755790 ). RSVPing only on the Meetup page, doesn't allow you to attend the Event. Otherwise, cover is $ 10 at the door. ABOUT THE EVENT Rock it up at the hottest party in town, filled with fun, drinks, dj and dance! We booked the entire venue for this party We will have specials, including our usual suspect MERtini:) Dress code : Dress to impress Event is free and 21+ Come one, come all; this is the most friendliest event you have ever attended! Feel free to invite your friends. They don't necessarily have to be a member Celebrate your birthday and your moments in life with us! For bottle/table service email (info@merevents.com) OR text 202-368-1878. METRO & PARKING INFO Closest Metro Station is McPherson Square (take either the White House or 14th Street Exit). Please take into consideration Metro's weekend truck work and allow enough time for your ride. Check it on http://www.wmata.com/ and plan accordingly. Street parking might be difficult. However, if you plan to drive, there are parking garages around.

We'll be discussing Beings by Ilana Masad. We meet in person at a member's home -- the address will be posted here as a comment to those attending. Find the book on [Bookshop](bookshop.org), [Montgomery County Libraries](https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/montgomery-county-public-libraries), and [PG County Libraries](https://catalog.pgcmls.info/). \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- “The alien abduction meets lesbian yearning novel that will restore your faith in the universe. Ilana Masad excavates the juiciness of historical archives and the otherworldly mysteries of the everyday in her most brilliant work yet.” –Ruth Madievsky, author of All-Night Pharmacy In 1961, an interracial couple drove through the dark mountains of New Hampshire when a mysterious light began to follow them. Years later, through hypnosis, they recalled an unbelievable brush with extraterrestrial life. Unintentionally, a genre was born: the alien abduction narrative. In Ilana Masad's Beings, the couple's experience serves as one part of a trio of intertwined threads: Known only by their roles as husband and wife, Masad explores the pair's trauma and its aftermath and questions what it means to accept the impossible. In the second thread, letters penned by a budding science-fiction writer, Phyllis, to her beloved, Rosa, expose the raw ache of queer yearning, loneliness, and alienation in the repressive 1960s-as well as the joy of finding community. In the present day, a reclusive and chronically ill Archivist attempts to understand a strange forgotten childhood encounter while descending into obsession over both Phyllis's letters and the testimony of the first alien abductees. Over the course of a decade, Phyllis wrestles with her desires and ambitions as a lesbian writer, while the abducted couple grapple with how to maintain control of their narrative. All the while, the archive shatters and reforms, redefining fact and fiction via the stories left behind by the abductees, Phyllis, and the Archivist themself. Masad makes human what is alien and makes tangible what is hidden – sometimes by chance and sometimes intentionally – in the archive.

Did you know..... The National Gallery conducts free guided tours. All we need to do is show-up! Join us Thursday, April 2, for the 11:00 am tour titled "The Collection, Up Close" The tour will start in the West Building, Main Floor - Rotunda, and will last one hour. Afterward, we'll walk to the nearby L"Enfant Plaza food court for coffee, a bite of lunch and to socialize. Need more info.? Send me a message. Hope you can make it! ....Ross A.

***Venue Notes:*** *We'll meet at La Madeleine in Kingstowne due to the chance of storms.* https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55298325-on-juneteenth Weaving together American history, dramatic family chronicle, and searing episodes of memoir, Annette Gordon-Reed’s *On Juneteenth* provides a historian’s view of the country’s long road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and the enormous hardships that African-Americans have endured in the century since, from Reconstruction through Jim Crow and beyond. All too aware of the stories of cowboys, ranchers, and oilmen that have long dominated the lore of the Lone Star State, Gordon-Reed—herself a Texas native and the descendant of enslaved people brought to Texas as early as the 1820s—forges a new and profoundly truthful narrative of her home state, with implications for us all. Combining personal anecdotes with poignant facts gleaned from the annals of American history, Gordon-Reed shows how, from the earliest presence of Black people in Texas to the day in Galveston on June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of legalized slavery in the state, African-Americans played an integral role in the Texas story. Reworking the traditional “Alamo” framework, she powerfully demonstrates, among other things, that the slave- and race-based economy not only defined the fractious era of Texas independence but precipitated the Mexican-American War and, indeed, the Civil War itself. In its concision, eloquence, and clear presentation of history, *On Juneteenth* vitally revises conventional renderings of Texas and national history. Especially now that the U.S. recognizes Juneteenth (June 19) as a national holiday, *On Juneteenth* is both an essential account and a stark reminder that the fight for equality is exigent and ongoing.

I've got a three-day weekend for Juneteenth and I really want to hike the Loyalsock trail. Never been and I love PA in June. Please join me!! **Plan** This is a long drive with a shuttle at the end, so I'd like to meet at Grosvenor around 3pm. We'll drive up to Williamsport and leave a car at the western terminus, then drive another 45 minutes or so to the other end and hike westward, finishing Sunday morning. The splits will be 6/24/21/6 (with lots of elevation change!) and we'll need at least 3 vehicles. **Resources** Loyalsock SF Map: https://bit.ly/3DUvtgo CalTopo: https://caltopo.com/m/N3MMD Weather: https://bit.ly/45rpY4I Driving Directions: https://maps.app.goo.gl/NiZzvC2DEkbJ8Q4T6 **Disclaimers** * Liability Waiver: *By RSVPing to this trip or any other DC UL trip, you agree to these guidelines and to DC UL's waiver liability terms: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver/* * COVID-19 Policy: *https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/* * Dues: *Members and above, don't forget to pay your annual dues. You can check if you need to pay dues by seeing if the current year is listed next to your name in your DC UL profile. Applicants do not need to pay dues for their first trip. To pay your dues via PayPal, use this link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/JenniferAdach/15 ($10 annual dues plus a $5 suggested donation to City Kids Wilderness Project.)* * Carpool: *As per our carpool policy, riders should pay drivers $0.10/mile.*

The Group gathers in the parking lot between 6:00 AM and 6:30 AM to catch the sunrise over the Potomac River. Google Maps: [https://maps.app.goo.gl/hCUuoxUPKhRbLLZn9](https://maps.app.goo.gl/hCUuoxUPKhRbLLZn9) Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve is known as a top regional birding spot; over **300 species** have been recorded here, including nesting bald eagles and ospreys. Bring your longest telephoto lens and binoculars. I can help you with camera settings so you can capture sharper images of both perched birds and birds in flight. It is thrilling to capture the amazing orange and red colors that are only available at that time in the morning. Share only your very best, most interesting shots after the field trip, and keep it down to between 5 and 10 photos. Bring water, comfortable shoes, a tripod, fully charged batteries, and empty memory cards... Park Facts: Entrance Fee: Free Allow Dogs on a leash: Yes Bathroom: On the north side of the Marina is a building for restrooms National Park Service Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve: www.nps.gov/gwmp Friends of Dyke Marsh (www.fodm.org) By sending in an RSVP and joining this meetup event hosted by the Virginia Beltway Photography Meetup, I agree to abide by the rules and regulations (where applicable) of the event location, and I am also agreeing to the terms of the following release and waiver of liability, which shall be binding on my heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns. In consideration of my (and my child’s) participation in the Virginia Beltway Photography Meetup, I do hereby release, discharge, and hold harmless the Organizer, its members, officers, directors, employees, and the leader(s) of this event from any and all liability by reason of any damage, loss, expenses, or injury arising from my (and my child’s) participation in this event, including that caused solely or in part by the fault of any and all of the above-named parties.

THIS CLASS IS OFFERED THROUGH CAPITAL PHOTOGRAPHY CENTER **PLEASE REGISTER WITH CAPITAL PHOTOGRAPHY CENTER, NOT MEETUP!** https://capitalphotographycenter.com/classes/class/2026-06-20-national-zoo-field-shoot Join us for a morning at the National Zoo and learn tips for photographing animals. Whether you’re planning an African safari or just want to learn to take better photographs of the animals at the zoo or in your backyard, this class will help you capture more compelling images. Learn how to isolate subjects and effectively use available light to create dynamic photos. Improve your focusing skills to achieve sharp focus on moving and still subjects. **Topics include:** * Compositional choices * Options to control exposure * Shutter speeds and depth of field * Focus settings * And more This class is best suited for digital SLR or Mirrorless cameras that allow shutter, aperture, or manual exposure control. Any combination of lenses covering wide to telephoto range (18–300mm) and a circular polarizing filter if you have one. Tripods won’t be needed for this class. Admission to the Zoo is free, but entry passes are required for all guests, including infants. More information can be found here, https://rb.gy/t0htt3 Questions can be directed to Marie Joabar at info@capitalphotographycenter.com. Class Limit: 8-9 *** **THIS CLASS IS OFFERED THROUGH CAPITAL PHOTOGRAPHY CENTER** https://capitalphotographycenter.com/classes/class/2026-06-20-national-zoo-field-shoot

**NOTICE: The park is open until 8:45 PM for Sunset Closing** **This is copied from the website:** Savor the beauty of Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in the soft glow of twilight. During these special extended hours, the gardens remain open until 8:45 PM, offering a peaceful and picturesque setting to unwind, take an evening stroll, or simply enjoy the changing light as day turns to dusk. **Admissions will end at 8:15 PM,** and the gardens will close promptly at 8:45 PM. Regular garden admission ($5–$9) and memberships apply. We will meet at the visitor center. Bring Water, a tripod, comfortable shoes, fully charged batteries, and empty cards There is no specific route in this park. Folks are free to wander around the trails in the park at their own pace. Check out Rob Trek's video from May 16, 2021: https://youtu.be/QwNR_TuxM4Y For dinner, after the field trip around 8:00 PM, we will head to The Virginian Restaurant, 169 Glyndon St SE, Vienna, VA 22180 Share only your very best, most interesting shots after the field trip, and keep it down to between 5 and 10 photos. Beauty, conservation, education, and discovery flourish throughout the year at this 95-acre complex of large ornamental display gardens and unique native plant collections. Walking trails, lakes, more than twenty varieties of cherry trees, irises, peonies, an extensive shade garden, native wildflowers, gazebos, birds, butterflies, seasonal blooms, and foliage create a sanctuary of beauty and nature. [https://www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_botanical_gardens/](https://www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_botanical_gardens/) By sending in an RSVP and joining this meetup event hosted by the Virginia Beltway Photography Meetup, I am also agreeing to the terms of the following release and waiver of liability, which shall be binding on my heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns. In consideration of my (and my child’s) participation in the Virginia Beltway Photography Meetup, I do hereby release, discharge, and hold harmless the Organizer, its members, officers, directors, employees, and the leader(s) of this event from any and all liability by reason of any damage, loss, expenses, or injury arising from my (and my child’s) participation in this event, including that caused solely or in part by the fault of any and all of the above-named parties.

**Leader**: Owen , OR owenpepstein@gmail.com **When**: Sunday June 21st, 8:00 AM **Location**: **1550 Anacostia Ave NE, Washington, DC 20019** **Meet**: Meet in the Parking Lot **Bring**: Your camera gear, a tripod, and a variety of lenses, extra batteries, and good walking shoes. **Tickets**: There is no entrance fee. **Info**: Hardy Water Lilies (Late May – Mid-September): These are the classic impressionist-style flowers that float directly on the water's surface, framed by tight networks of flat lily pads. They open in a vibrant spectrum of white, pink, yellow, and deep purple. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is a tremendous site for birding in Washington D.C. Birding is one of many great reasons to visit Anacostia Park and the Aquatic Gardens. Over 250 different species of birds have been spotted at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens! **Breakfast**: @ IHOP , 3601 Bladensburg Rd, Colmar Manor, MD **Tripods**: Tripods are allowed so feel free to bring your tripod or monopod We meet at interesting photogenic sites in the area ranging from DC, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware. You can shoot on your own or team up with a helpful Club member for tips and inspiration. All Are Welcome - Members and Non-Members Are Welcome. If you wish to join the Silver Spring Camera Club Membership remains a very reasonable $50 for individual members, $80 for family and only $35 for students. Guests are always welcome to participate. Please see our group website to become a member at: Silver Spring Camera Club – [https://www.ssccphotography.org/](https://www.ssccphotography.org/) There is NO participation Fee for this Field Trip. Visit us on the web: [http://www.ssccphotography.org/](http://www.ssccphotography.org/)

Join us for **[Judy’s Altered Minds](https://artisticartifacts.com/pages/judy-s-altered-minds)**! Bring your fiber & mixed media show & tell; many members also enjoy making ATCs (**[artist trading cards](https://artisticartifacts.com/pages/judy-s-altered-minds)**) for exchange each month. **Come early to shop** (JAMs attendees receive a 10% discount on their purchases) — Artistic Artifacts is open Sundays 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. The JAMs meeting starts at 1:30 pm. New members are always welcome! A $3.00 contribution is requested at each meeting. JAMs members are art quilters, collage artists, art journal keepers, surface design enthusiasts, paper crafters, art doll/assemblage artists and more! All levels of expertise are represented, and all are welcome. During JAMs meetings, attendees gather support and encouragement for their art through show & tell and enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded friends.

**Visit Artistic Artifacts on Saturday, June 20 and/or Sunday, June 21 for our Fat Quarter Frenzy Sale — 10 pieces for $29.99!** This sale event includes your choice from our bins of cut-in-advance fat quarter pieces — modern cottons, batiks, blenders and more! Our fat quarters are cut from first-quality fabrics and include popular fabric designers such as Kaffe Fassett, Tula Pink, Anna Maria Textiles and more. You **must** purchase in multiples of 10 to receive this sale pricing, effective one day only! Note that we will *not* be cutting to order, and this special sale does not include manufacturer's fat quarter precut bundles or Artistic Artifacts curated bundles. Enjoy special savings that day with a stop at [our Alexandria shop!](https://artisticartifacts.com/pages/store-info) Visit our website to learn more and for a link to order online on those designated dates: **[https://artisticartifacts.com/products/fat-quarter-frenzy-at-artistic-artifacts](https://artisticartifacts.com/products/fat-quarter-frenzy-at-artistic-artifacts)**

Title: What Is Progress? Knowledge Aggregation, Living Textbooks, and the Automation of Scientific Discovery Date: June 20 2026 Noon - 14:00 EDT Summary: Our collective knowledge infrastructure — the textbooks, professional training resources, and literature syntheses that define what professionals across disciplines believe to be true — is quietly accruing a structural liability. Compounded confirmation bias, stacked citation-by-citation into the foundations of formal knowledge, means that breakthroughs can take decades to reach the classrooms, clinical workflows, and decision-making frameworks where they matter most. Meanwhile, the deepest friction is rarely acknowledged: before any field can build meaningful consensus on "why" or "how" a phenomenon occurs, it must first establish honest, consolidated agreement on "what" has actually been observed. That prior step is routinely skipped, assumed, or fragmented across siloed literatures that never cross-pollinate. This talk introduces a framework called "Knowledge Aggregation" — with two distinct but complementary ambitions. The first is descriptive transparency: algorithmically mapping what has been said, measured, and documented across a problem space, without imposing causal interpretation or narrative. The second traces the boundary between empirical observation and explanatory claim, building systems that can separate the "what" from the "why/how" — because consensus on mechanism cannot be meaningfully constructed until consensus on phenomenon is first established. Both ambitions are now within reach. By composing tools already at our disposal — large language models, classical NLP pipelines, public data repositories, and engineering-grade automation frameworks — it becomes possible to model knowledge itself, rather than merely imitate individual experts. One concrete expression of this is automating the writing of living textbooks: compressing the lag from bleeding-edge discovery, through replicated evidence, all the way to professional training resources. But the deeper aspiration reaches further — toward automating the discovery of scientific insights that have never previously been conceived, by systematically surfacing hypothesis combinations that no single siloed researcher would have had the cross-disciplinary vantage point to even ask. Drawing on ongoing systems biology and computational research — with ME/CFS research demoed as a use case for what siloed, fragmented knowledge infrastructure costs in practice — this talk maps the conceptual architecture, the real-world friction, and the data science toolkit for building it. Speaker: As a systems biologist at heart, Sam specializes his biomedical research on interactions and connections in biology - rather than just one domain of expertise. He wears many hats and collects skill sets across disciplines, with degree studies and industry experience acquired across Chemical Engineering (BSc), Bioinformatics (MSc), Systems and Synthetic Biology (M2), Biomedical Sciences (MSc), and beyond. Even more important to him than niches or fields of work, comes down to the synergistic approaches that allow us to move beyond reductionism. The notion that a question can only allow for one answer, is inherently reductionist. By resisting many norms in science and engineering which can get overly reductive, his current role as Principal Investigator of Research for DMV Petri Dish (501(c)(3) non-profit local to the DMV region) embraces computational frameworks that aide scale-up and automation - not only around the processes which already exist with established workflows, but also taking a keen interest in attempting and accomplishing ambitions which have never been perceived to be possible previously. Sam carries a passion for the synergy of computational biology - fused with wet lab validation. This way, one can build a beautiful knowledge base in the theoretical sense, and then test to see if said computational prediction might actually be able to stand in the real world with wet lab validation. Translational modeling starts to become possible once biological experiment design can be iteratively looped alongside computational model design, optimization, and analysis - empowering the design of a better wet lab experiment, followed by a better computational model, back and forth until science is done!

The evening begins with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark our American debut, followed by a reception bringing together industry leaders, executives, and elected officials from across the region. You'll be among the first to meet our leadership team, hear how Diconium — a Volkswagen company — is bringing the engineering rigor of one of the world's most demanding manufacturers to the US market, and explore where our work might intersect with yours. The evening continues with networking, hospitality, and a few moments we're saving for the night itself. This is a milestone we'll mark only once — it would be our honor to have you there. Warm Regards, Diconium, *a Volkswagen company* Supporting Partners: Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce VW Group of America Porsche Consulting

\*\*NOTICE: The park is open for Sunrise Opening at 5:15 AM \*\* [https://www.novaparks.com/parks/meadowlark-botanical-gardens/events/sunrise-in-the-gardens-515am-opening](https://www.novaparks.com/parks/meadowlark-botanical-gardens/events/sunrise-in-the-gardens-515am-opening) From the website: Sunrise is the perfect time for a peaceful walk, birding, or nature photography. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens will open at 5:15am for guests to enjoy nature in the early morning hours. Please note: * Regular admission ($5-$9) and memberships apply. * Posed photography reservations are not available during extended hours. * These extended hours may be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. Please check [Meadowlark's Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/MeadowlarkGardens/) or novaparks.com for an inclement weather alert or call 703-255-3631 x0. * We will meet at the visitor center. Bring Water, a tripod, comfortable shoes, fully charged batteries, and empty cards There is no specific route in this park. Folks are free to wander around the trails in the park at their own pace. Check out Rob Trek's video from May 16, 2021: [https://youtu.be/QwNR_TuxM4Y](https://youtu.be/QwNR_TuxM4Y) For breakfast, after the field trip around 8:30 AM, we will head to The Virginian Restaurant, 169 Glyndon St SE, Vienna, VA 22180 Share only your very best, most interesting shots after the field trip, and keep it down to between 5 and 10 photos. Beauty, conservation, education, and discovery flourish throughout the year at this 95-acre complex of large ornamental display gardens and unique native plant collections. Walking trails, lakes, more than twenty varieties of cherry trees, irises, peonies, an extensive shade garden, native wildflowers, gazebos, birds, butterflies, seasonal blooms, and foliage create a sanctuary of beauty and nature. https://www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_botanical_gardens/ By sending in an RSVP and joining this meetup event hosted by the Virginia Beltway Photography Meetup, I am also agreeing to the terms of the following release and waiver of liability, which shall be binding on my heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns. In consideration of my (and my child’s) participation in the Virginia Beltway Photography Meetup, I do hereby release, discharge, and hold harmless the Organizer, its members, officers, directors, employees, and the leader(s) of this event from any and all liability by reason of any damage, loss, expenses, or injury arising from my (and my child’s) participation in this event, including that caused solely or in part by the fault of any and all of the above-named parties.

10:00 AM - Meet & Create - Depending on the weather we will do a walk about for nature/outdoor photography and content creation. 12noon - Lunch + Networking We’ll head to a local restaurant for lunch and continued networking and conversation.

Photography IS allowed. But no tripods. Parking fees are per car. Please visit the link to learn more! We will there as a wandering group. Ill Try and communicate via meetup to say where I am to tag up but this us an on your own experience. **Polo in the Park** Parking info - [Polo (morvenpark.org)](morvenpark.org) https://www.morvenpark.org/equestrian-center/polo-in-the-park/pologuest/polo-in-the-park.html From the website: Come join the #BestPartyInLoudoun! Polo in the Park brings fast-paced arena polo action to Loudoun on Saturday nights in July and August through the 6-week season. Multiple picnic and tailgate options are available per night or for the season. This unique event is the place to go for your date night, family outing, girls’ night out, or corporate entertaining. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. All polo guests must enter via Tutt Lane (off Route 15). The Old Waterford Road entrance will be CLOSED. Inclement Weather Policy: Polo in the Park may be postponed due to inclement weather. The rain dates are Saturday, August 20th and 27th. A postponement decision will be posted on PolointhePark.org by 4:00 p.m. on the day of a scheduled match and will be announced on the Morven Park Facebook page. We often play even if there is light rain forecasted and/or if it rains early in the evening. If postponement is not posted on the website and Facebook, then polo is still on! All sales are final. Tips for a fun Polo experience: Each night of the season features two arena polo matches, with the first starting at 7:00 p.m. and the second starting at 8:30 p.m. (approximately). Polo ends at 10:00 p.m. Pets are NOT permitted at Polo in the Park. Service animals are welcome. Polo in the Park patrons MUST be 21 years of age to consume alcoholic beverages. Alcohol must be consumed within the marked areas. Cigars, vaping, smoking, and e-cigarettes are NOT permitted. Please, no drones or portable music devices/speakers. Follow Morven Park on Facebook for updates on weather, weekly food vendors, and more. For general questions and information on sponsorship opportunities, season passes, or ticketing, email Polo@MorvenPark.org.

TRADING THE DANCE FLOOR FOR THE TRAILS The disco lights are taking a breather, but Social Sips & Bites is keeping the high energy alive in the great outdoors. We are hitting the trails, and the timing couldn't be better. National Park Service is waiving its usual vehicle entrance fees for Free Entry Day, so we’re bringing the whole DMV community together for an epic morning of fresh air, jaw-dropping views, and massive group vibes. Whether you’re recovering from the last party or prepping for the next one, this is the perfect excuse to get outside, move your feet, and meet some incredible people. From the rushing waters of the Potomac to the winding, shaded dirt paths, this isn't just a walk in the park. It’s a chance to unplug, swap stories with familiar faces, and explore one of the absolute best natural wonders right in our backyard. No RSVP cap, no exclusive guest list. Just good people, great views, and unmatched Sunday energy. See you on the trail! 🙌