Caring: people we've never met, and just met

Yesterday was "Angel Tree" Sunday, time to bring our gifts back for those who have requested them. I'm so proud of Caitlan. I looked at the requests and searched for people who asked for gift certificates; I felt that was the best I could manage (some of the requests were from our adopted congregation still recovering from Katrina, so gift certificates, while impersonal, are marginally appropriate). My son found a request for a jacket. Caitlan, though, hunted until she found a request from a bed-ridden 47 year old man for "posters or a mobile."

She used bits of glass, the modeling compound I got her for her birthday, and other recovered/salvage material to make this beautiful mobile. What a gift she is to my heart and the world.


Meanwhile, I took my son over to Mariposa Grove and to tour the open house for the neighbor's home. He got to meet the chickens and play with the 3-1/2 year old.

My son was born one of the gentlest boys you'll ever meet-- yet, he's been influenced by the world. He started chasing the chickens (Heck, it's fun, right?). It looked to me as if the littler boy had never chased the chickens before. Possibly no one had ever modeled this for him? I asked my son to stop terrorizing the chickens (as an aside while having adult convo) but it wasn't until the little boy's father spoke to the two boys that the chasing stopped. He spent the effort to actually engage the two boys, and enroll them in the solution. He was very gentle, and I was very impressed. Intentional community is simply like that: taking the time to alter aggressive behavior and move towards deeper compassion.


This is the back view of the house for sale. It sure would be great to take out the fence and make the shared yard even bigger. There's also an undeveloped lot two doors over, held by its owners for speculation, which could possibly be negotiated into a community garden.

It'd be so easy to become part of this community, and bring the tenets of permaculture and sustainability into their existing community of peace and artful living.