I got up thinking about how wintertime holidays meant more time with my Grandfather, I really miss him. He taught me to play a wicked game of gin rummy, and checkers, and chinese checkers, and puzzle games, on long dark winter evenings like the ones coming up soon. We'd do the chores together out in the big barn, and by together I mean most of the time we could reach out and touch each other, chatting about school (his and mine, he was a teacher) and the pregnant mare and helping me spell things for the "mill list" pinned up next to the horses' grain bins. Wintertime, the sweetest part of it, meant sitting and paying attention to details--cleaning the harness and repairing it, making rugs, planning with the seed catalog. Remember over the next couple of weeks of Crazy Christmas Holiday Stuff, to take some time to sit with your youngers, and pass along traditions, think about the important things.
And about passing along important things, I send friends in the area this message on Facebook, if I missed you, consider yourself invited:
"We are having a Groundhog Day gathering at our house. The purpose of bringing these folks together, is so we can take the skills we have and share them with others. Whether it's a serive we can do/help a homeowner with, something we're willing to teach, something we have to trade or barter, everyone has something good to share. One person may have firewood and another may be able to take care of your infirm mother a weekend, another might e able to teach guitar lessons or how to frame in a deck in exchange for a fishing boat, onemight have a wood shop and another able to loan a camping cabin. If we get together and share information, we grow stronger as individuals and citizens."
The format is, people bring a chair, and photos or examples of their skill or product, we go around the circle "show and tell" style. "Hello, my name is Bob, you've probably seen my produce sign out on route 4, and I'm willing to trade fresh produce for labor any time after July first, my number is ---" or "I do day care and I can take in a kid for someone willing to do all the yard work, mowing and raking and making sure the parking lot is okay for people in the wintertime." After we go around the circle I tell people there's beverages in the kitchen, so what I get out of this is a deadline to clean my house once a month really really well, and I get to make cookies and watch people enjoy those and coffee and mint tea.
The whole thing was inspired by the "Occupy" movement, and I figure the best way for us to take back a sense of control of our own lives, is to grow in our independence, build our own networks, share what we have learned with our neighbors and friends. I'm hoping it will help berry bushes laden with fruit not go to waste, let people know they aren't alone figuring out how to save money, give everyone participating a chance to save money and time. Our own social services, run by us, costing us nothing, building our community. We'll see if people are interested. Do what you can, where you are, with what you have, right? peace.
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