"I am so ready for purpose"

alternate title
"Purple Circus"
Every other Wednesday night is devoted to a meeting we call 'purpose circle'. Its a time when the community comes together to discuss issues and make decisions. Some like to call it purple circus. Sometimes it seems a bit more like a circus. I love meetings and pretty much any type of gathering of people. I find it essential for a community to gather at least once a week. With all the people coming and going here...and because of how different we all are, makes any gathering especially interesting. We have the people who feel pressured to be at PC, the ones (one) who love to be there, the ones who come prepared for an efficient meeting (maybe?), the ones who like to banter, ones who don't know whats going on...and of course the ones who just don't go at all ( so , then, don't know whats going on). Oh wait...also the one who likes to sleep.
We strive for an efficient consensus decision making process. I love consensus! The theory is that a group of any size can make decisions in this way, if they follow the process.
Getting that process down.....seems to be a challenge.
Tonight we talked about quiet hours. Should quiet hours start at 10 or 11 on weekends? R thinks we should just get a stun gun to use when people are not using 'common sense' about quietness around sleeping areas. In the past M has mentioned that maybe we don't need rules at all for the community. And I wonder, isn't it all about common sense? common courtesy? respectfulness? compassion? taking responsibility to say something when a person offends you with their loudness or anything else?
then i remember the cake and bliss incident 2009......
apparently some of us need some boundaries and rules

but, as usual, that is just my version of the story

being well

Every Tuesday night we have well being meetings. Last night , I forgot that my well being was going to be roller skating with R. Tuesday night is also Christian night at the roller rink (which means 2 $ admission- the cheapest time to go ). But we both forgot! So , after dinner I chose to go to the LV well being which was a shamanic drumming journey.
some other well beings of the past have included....
cranium game night
personality tests
nonviolent (compassionate) communication
heart of now style activities*
men/womens circle
drum circle
dancing
movies
crafts
talking
hot tub
sauna

* Heart of now is a program that used to be taught here on a monthly basis. It is one of the top reasons I moved here. A few months before I moved though, it turned out, HON moved out of LV. I recommend this program to everyone. This may be a generic thing to say, but, HON changed my life. Check it out
www.heartofnow.org

koskay and his grumpy little friends

I have not been in the best mood for the last few days. Even though I might laugh at the silly conversations at lunch or enjoy a massage from K , I go back to my blah feeling. When everyone raves about the meal that M cooked, I get jealous. When someone changes the love chore* board, I get personally offended. I start wondering if F is actually working or just pretending. I joke with Koskay about joining his drum group of happy little friends and feel rejected. When W tells us about how kids in her community are respected and never thought of as a burden, I cry and then steep with anger. I walk around and dont offer hugs. I want people to come to me.
Like people living in NYC... I am surrounded by people yet feel lonely and not understood. What happened to compassion? What happened to our goals to be different... to live in a supportive village model? Sometimes it just seems like we are all struggling to get by on our own and cant imagine working together cooperatively.
Some of us believe in 'the secret' and manifesting what we want etc. I know I could change my attitude and have a whole different outlook in the next moment, but i guess i want to be negative for a few minutes.

*my love chore is 'love coordinator'
i am in charge of the love chore board. this is our attempt at getting random jobs done such as cleaning the guesthouse, checking the mail, catching mice, composter, organizing the first aid center, laundry...I'm still not sure about the effectiveness of this system.

many hands make light work

This permaculture principal was uttered today while in our Ostara lunch circle. Principle number 8, integrate rather than segregate ("many hands make light work"). Sometimes after our community meals we have a blitz clean. Thats when everyone chips in about 15 minutes of clean up time and the whole kitchen is clean in about 30 minutes. Otherwise we have a rotating schedule with 2 people cleaning up for 1.5 hours.

This principle is also the one that I have taught in 4 PDC classes (Permaculture Design Certificate). I teach it in relation to 'kids in the community'. Integrate the kids rather than segregating them. That is much easier siad than done for me. When I am working, I really like to focus on what I am doing. Ideally, Ama would be home schooled or unschooled and right now she is in public school.

hmmm

there is alot I could say about this.

I just want to leave it at that for now.

My biggest struggle, and yet, the topic that I teach others....

kids in the community

...and the daffodils look lovely today...

Welcome Spring!

I just have to acknowledge the daffodils.

In this time of Ostara, I am releasing the sharp, thorny seriousness, mask of protection that the blackberries embody. I am inviting in the fun, delicate, beauty of the daffodil.

best weekend ever

This is weird. I have been in such a good mood lately. It helps to have a bright sunny springlike Friday, and then a weekend packed with goodness. Rain or not, the weather couldn't stop me from doing... well, just about anything.
First, I took Ama to the seed swap/propagation fair at Lane Community College. We both immediately found some friends. She played with a few girls she has known for 2 years. The cool thing was that they entertained themselves and didn't disturb the class I was in. That prompted me to finally talk to one of the parents about a tribal playgroup that happens in my area. I am so excited to finally join the tribe! I also talked with a person about a part time Americorps job, and ran into multiple friends from the LV community, past and present. Such a fulfilling morning yet not overwhelming.
I was also an unofficial photographer for the event.
Next, it was Ama's choice. She wanted to go to family day at the museum. We made crafts, completed a scavenger hunt and looked at art.
We took a break at my moms house.
The grand finale of the day......
.........
World Naked Bike Ride!
Yes, it was cold and raining and there was a good sized audience.*
but soooo worth it!
We rode in honor of bike commuters everywhere, to promote more bikes, less cars!

Sunday was NW trackers day here at LV. We had a great turnout. About 30 people came out to learn how to track animals, make a fire without matches and cooperation. The highlights of the workshop for me were
throwing and catching wooden swords using our intuition
this follow the leader game that is difficult for me to describe in words
making a bow and using it to -almost- start a fire!
I finished off the weekend with moving -mostly- in to my new room (with help), and some wonderful chats with intriguing people.
yay


* disclaimer
I was decently clothed

iron chef - celery

I am cooking on Wednesday again and I need to plan my meals in advance. I have a box of celery, a box of leeks and a box of cabbage....any ideas?
other than soup?
We have all the other staples, like grains and some nuts and beans.
Please let me know if you have great recipe ideas that highlight these veggies.