Girls

✨ **Happy New Year, Ladies!** ✨ **PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST BEFORE RSVPING** Join us for our **Annual New Year’s Manifestation Dinner**, an evening of **intention, connection, fun, and celebration**as we set the tone for an abundant and fulfilling year ahead. Come ready to **manifest your dreams, share your vision, and step into the energy of 2025 with purpose**. We’ll enjoy a delicious dinner together while playing fun, interactive games designed to spark conversation, laughter, and reflection—because manifesting should be joyful. For those who attended last year, **feel free to bring and continue using your manifestation journal** if you still have it. If you’re new to this event, **any journal you love is perfectly fine**. ✨ Intentional conversation ✨ Fun games, prizes & meaningful prompts ✨ A supportive, uplifting community **Cost:** $15 • Covers manifestation supplies, games, and prizes for the group • Dinner and drinks are **not included** **IMPORTANT RSVP + PAYMENT DETAILS** • When you RSVP, you will automatically be placed on the **Waitlist** • Once your deposit is received, you will be moved from **“Waitlist” to “Going”** • Your spot is not confirmed until payment is received **Venmo:** @ayesharenee (Ayesha Gordon) Space is limited to keep the dinner intimate. Please do not RSVP unless you are ready to submit payment. Let’s eat, laugh, connect, and manifest together ✨

New year, new beginnings! We’ll be visiting some old friends for our first get together of the year; Denizens Brewing! We’ve been hanging with the kids from DBC since they opened their Silver Spring location (RIP) in 2014. We’ve done tours & tastings, they hosted our annual holiday party (twice!), and we even did a chip pairing with housemade chips. This time we’ll be keeping it chill at their new(ish) home in Riverdale Park for beers and brunch. Call it a catch-up. That’s it, come hang. They have a great selection of beers, and a few non alcoholic options if you’re participating in dry January. The closest metro stop is College Park, and the closest Marc station is Riverdale Park town center. The College Park station is a 5 min ride share, while the Marc station is a 4 min ride. Hope to see ya!

DATE CHANGE: Due to likelihood of a huge snowstorm, this event is now on SATURDAY, JAN. 24, not Sunday, Jan. 25. Imagine how rich you'd be -- and how much art you could buy -- if you owned Samsung. Now, come see it in person at this extraordinary, exquisite exhibition of Korean art that hardly ever leaves South Korea. Discover Korea's Mark Rothko, Kim Whanki, or fall in love with the cool green shades of serene Korean ceramics, or smile at the slightly imperfect perfection of a Korean moon jar. Or, just come to see Molly in full nerd mode -- she ADORES Korean art! It'll be a good time. MEET AT: Outside the front main entrance (the one facing the National Mall) to the museum. Look for Molly with the rainbow LAL sign. COST: FREE! NEAREST METRO: Smithsonian (orange/blue/silver lines) Collecting is a timeless passion—an enduring way to preserve memories, express one’s taste, and safeguard traditions for generations to come. *Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared* honors this practice by presenting a remarkable selection of masterpieces generously donated to the Korean nation by the family of Lee Kun-Hee, the late chairman of Samsung Group. Spanning ancient times to the present, the works featured in this exhibition embody the depth and diversity of Korea’s artistic legacy. Once held in private, these treasures now belong to the public, reflecting the Lee family’s profound commitment to preserving Korea’s cultural heritage and making it accessible to all. The objects on view were originally created for a range of settings, including royal palaces, Buddhist temples, Confucian academies, scholars’ studios, and modern art spaces. Together, the works trace the evolution of Korean innovation, revealing shifts in style, power, belief, and technology over time. In *Korean Treasures*, the voices of those who made, used, and collected paintings and objects are displayed through letters, inscriptions, and dedications—offering glimpses into their lives and insights into the meanings these objects held before and now.

Kickstart your year with Total Body Sculpt! Join us for an invigorating full-body workout designed to help you achieve your New Year’s fitness goals. This dynamic class will help set the tone for a healthier and stronger you. Level: All. Ages 13 & up; FREE **Lake Arbor Community Center** **[REGISTER THROUGH PARKS DIRECT](https://mdpgparksweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/search.html?Action=Start&SubAction=&_csrf_token=Pe0W6P6S0B17294F1R3B1Q4Q5D3Z5E58055O425I561C5I4R6G510H005P4N521J724Q4V6L02705P6N4S1A4Q60544B055T4S5D5V1K5O5Y5556196U3W5C4X6D734V56&age=0.25&age=0.5&age=0.75&age=1&age=2&age=3&age=4&age=5&age=6&age=7&age=8&age=9&age=10&age=11&age=12&age=13&age=14&age=15&age=16&age=17&age=Adult&age=Senior&primarycode=17681-179A&keyword=&keywordoption=Match+One&showwithavailable=No&spotsavailable=&beginyear=&instructor=&dayoption=All&display=Detail&module=AR&multiselectlist_value=&arwebsearch_buttonsearch=yes)** For fastest response to any questions, or for more information, please contact Health and Wellness directly via email [wellness@pgparks.com](wellness@pgparks.com)

**NOTE: AN RSVP ON MEETUP DOES NOT SERVE AS A BOOKED SPOT. YOU MUST BOOK VIA LINK BELOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT.** **THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!** **You must book your spot through our website: [[Booking Link Here](https://www.lesbifriendstravel.com/events/shape-sip-a-queer-clay-social)]** Bring your curiosity and creative spark! Lesbifriends Travel invites you to *Shape & Sip*, a queer clay social where we trade wine glasses for clay slabs and build something beautiful together. Whether you're sculpting your first coffee mug or just vibing with community energy, this event is all about creation and fun. No experience needed, just come ready to play, sip, and shape your Saturday with us. **Event Details You Should Know:** 📅 **Date:** Saturday, January 24, 2026 ⏰ **Time:** 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM 📍 **Location:** Moonlight Studios in Beltsville, MD 💸 **Cost:** $40 **What to Expect:** 🎨 Hands-on clay fun with guidance (Take home what you create) 🍷 Wine to sip while you sculpt 💖 A cozy, safe space for queer creativity **Who This Event Is For:** Queer BIPOC folks who want a chill, artsy Saturday full of laughter, new Lesbifriends, and feel-good vibes. ✨ Lesbifriends Travel invites you to create art, feel joy, and be connected. Learn more details and claim your spot here: **[Shape & Sip](https://www.lesbifriendstravel.com/events/shape-sip-a-queer-clay-social)**! **Booking deadline is January 14, 2026.** **Note:** By attending this event, you agree to being photographed. However, if communicated, we will try our best not to capture you in photos and post you publicly. That request must be communicated ahead of time/at the beginning of the event to photographer and host.

Socialize, mingle and dance the night away, your memorable one, rubbing your shoulder with DC's party snobs. ***GRAB A DRINK AND YOU ARE ALL SET TO ENJOY THE EVENT. YOU NEED TO GET AT LEAST A DRINK OR FOOD :) To get the event going and show support. We know that you like our events. P.S. : We have non-alcoholic drinks as well.*** We have a tiny venue and we hit capacity often and early arrival is suggested. We have the discretion to decide entry. ***AFTER THE SOCIAL, WE HIT THE DANCE FLOOR! BRING YOUR DANCING SHOES, WE WILL DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY!*** **This is also a wicked 'MeRtUp'!** **What is MERTUP?:) Mer + Meetup = Mertup.** **Mer is known as the Meetup guy. He likes to connect people and his fans coined that name for him. So, at his events, everyone will become a Wing Person to everyone:) When you get get there, we will introduce you to someone and you will be responsible to introduce that person to another person. That is MERTUP!** We will have specials, including our usual suspect MERtini:) Dress code : Weekend Casual Event is free and 21+ * Come one, come all; YOU COULD FLY SOLO TOO:) 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 * Ideal for either you are new in town or not, to make friends and acquaintances * RSVP on Meetup is required. That is how we check you in. * We will have a registration station and check you in. Cover is $20. **But it is FREE with RSVP.** **Fellas, it is hard to pass on this!**

Open gaming at Panera! New players welcome. We have many games on hand or you can bring your own. We are happy to teach or learn one of yours.

\*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!\* From “one of those special writers capable of delivering both poetry and plot” (The New York Times Book Review) an immersive historical novel inspired by the true story of a woman physician in 15th-century China—perfect for fans of Lisa See’s classics Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. According to Confucius, “an educated woman is a worthless woman,” but Tan Yunxian—born into an elite family, yet haunted by death, separations, and loneliness—is being raised by her grandparents to be of use. Her grandmother is one of only a handful of female doctors in China, and she teaches Yunxian the pillars of Chinese medicine, the Four Examinations—looking, listening, touching, and asking—something a man can never do with a female patient. From a young age, Yunxian learns about women’s illnesses, many of which relate to childbearing, alongside a young midwife-in-training, Meiling. The two girls find fast friendship and a mutual purpose—despite the prohibition that a doctor should never touch blood while a midwife comes in frequent contact with it—and they vow to be forever friends, sharing in each other’s joys and struggles. No mud, no lotus, they tell themselves: from adversity beauty can bloom. But when Yunxian is sent into an arranged marriage, her mother-in-law forbids her from seeing Meiling and from helping the women and girls in the household. Yunxian is to act like a proper wife—embroider bound-foot slippers, recite poetry, give birth to sons, and stay forever within the walls of the family compound, the Garden of Fragrant Delights. How might a woman like Yunxian break free of these traditions and lead a life of such importance that many of her remedies are still used five centuries later? How might the power of friendship support or complicate these efforts? A captivating story of women helping each other, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is a triumphant reimagining of the life of one person who was remarkable in the Ming dynasty and would be considered remarkable today.

Ruggers! Break out your swimsuits and join the coolest Special Olympics supporters in Northern Virginia. West Potomac RFC is once again coming together to support the Special Olympics Virginia athletes in making their Olympic dreams come true. We'll use my (Woj's) house as a staging ground for changing, bag storage, and general pre-gaming. Then, we'll walk down the street to take the plunge, toss a ball around, and hand out business cards to any potential new recruits. The team page is here: **https://impact.specialolympicsva.org/team/792944** **IMPORTANT:** by registering for the team, you're agreeing to raise/donate at least $25 by 1/26/2026, and, you'll need to raise/donate at least $100 to take the plunge itself. **Tentative Schedule** * 11:00 AM – Registration/check-in * 1:00 PM – Check in closes. Costume Contest. Awards Presentation * 1:15 PM – Official Plunge start time — the plunging won’t stop until everyone has had a turn. **Parking is available for free at Mosaic**. The preferred parking garages are: * Garage at Target, 2905 District Ave * Garage at the Avalon Apartments, 2987 District Ave * Garage at the Modera Apartments, 2920 District Ave. The event is also metro accessible via the Orange line to the Dunn Loring stop. The event is a very short taxi or car ride away.

Join us for a special afternoon celebrating books, conversation, and community. **Who:** Jessica Strawser in conversation with Thirti Umrigar **When:** Sunday\, February 1 \| **2:00 p.m.** **Where:** Auditorium, Main Library 96 S. Grant Ave. **Event Schedule** **1:00 p.m.** – Library doors open & book sale begins (hosted by Prologue Bookshop) **2:00 p.m.** – Jessica Strawser in conversation with Thirti Umrigar **2:45 p.m.** – Audience Q&A **3:00 p.m.** – Book sale & author signing Come early to check out the books, settle in for the author talk, and enjoy a laid-back afternoon with fellow book lovers. We’d love to see you there!

**Our February novel is: Julia by Sandra Newman** **This month is a classic, dystopian, fiction, literary fiction, women’s fiction, and science fiction novel. The book is 394 pages in print and 14 hours and 20 minutes on audiobook.** **An imaginative, feminist, and brilliantly relevant-to-today retelling of Orwell’s 1984, from the point of view of Winston Smith’s lover, Julia, by critically acclaimed novelist Sandra Newman.** Julia Worthing is a mechanic, working in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. It’s 1984, and Britain (now called Airstrip One) has long been absorbed into the larger trans-Atlantic nation of Oceania. Oceania has been at war for as long as anyone can remember, and is ruled by an ultra-totalitarian Party, whose leader is a quasi-mythical figure called Big Brother. In short, everything about this world is as it is in Orwell’s 1984. All her life, Julia has known only Oceania, and, until she meets Winston Smith, she has never imagined anything else. She is an ideal citizen: cheerfully cynical, always ready with a bribe, piously repeating every political slogan while believing in nothing. She routinely breaks the rules, but also collaborates with the regime when necessary. Everyone likes Julia. Then one day she finds herself walking toward Winston Smith in a corridor and impulsively slips him a note, setting in motion the devastating, unforgettable events of the classic story. Julia takes us on a surprising journey through Orwell’s now-iconic dystopia, with twists that reveal unexpected sides not only to Julia, but to other familiar figures in the 1984 universe. This unique perspective lays bare our own world in haunting and provocative ways, just as the original did almost seventy-five years ago.