Thursday, March 19, 2009
Not all work!
And, there's no complaining about the food. We're well fed - both at the daily Community Lunch we share with Koinonians and the meals we prepare for our own group!
Life is good!
Today we were grateful for sunshine, bubble bees, paint, little old women and little old men, sore bodies, community, cats, laughter, home, springtime, swings, friends, pecans, stars, long walks, a sustainable rhythm, this place . . .
Goodnight!
Home building with the Fuller Center
(Martha kept sitting down on the job.)
Our group (minus Meg) with the construction site supervisor, Al.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Just how are Warren and Wilson adjusting to their new home?
Completing many work projects while learning more about permaculture
Kurt explaining the functionality of the spiral herb garden.
The evolution of the pond.(Yes, that is Nathan Ballantyne in the white cap. He joined us in our work efforts - and had the opportunity to visit friends - for a couple of days.)
Amelia and Kayte catching toads and fish for the new pond.
New Koinonia Friends
Farm and garden manager, Brendan, has lived at Koinonia with his partner Sarah and their two daughters Ida and Kellan since 2006. He is our primary work supervisor for the week.
Brendan's beautiful daughter Kellan (future Wilson Farm Crew member).
Sanders - just back from a successful dumpster diving run in Americus where he obtained fresh fruit, organic hummus, guacamole, and Odwalla juices for the human community, and a couple of large tubs of food for the pigs. (We understand that there is a growing number of dumpster divers in Americus, including several Habitat for Humanity staff members.)
Gloria (center - talking to Meg) has been at Koinonia since the 1990's. She is currently the "kitchen goddess" who keeps us well fed with an amazing spread at community meal each day - carnivores, vegetarians and vegans have been quite satisfied!
Ellie Castle, queen of hospitality, offers a peace reading each day at the community lunch. The community is committed to lighting a candle and offering a prayer for peace every day until it is achieved on earth.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
More from "Jimmy-ville" (a.k.a. Plains) and Andersonville
Peanuts everywhere - plain peanuts, deep fried peanuts, hot boiled peanuts, peanut butter ice cream, peanut brittle, chocolate covered peanuts. We tried all the free samples (and posed with a few of the town's famous characters).
We ended our day of touring the area with a visit to Andersonville, both a historical site from the Civil War and the US National POW Museum.
From the website http://www.nps.gov/ande/
Andersonville Prison (Camp Sumter)
Camp Sumter, commonly called Andersonville, was one of the largest military prisons established by the Confederacy during the Civil War. In existence for 14 months, over 45,000 Union soldiers were confined at the prison. Of these, almost 13,000 died from disease, poor sanitation, malnutrition, overcrowding, and exposure to the elements. The largest number held in the 26½-acre stockade at any one time was more than 32,000, during August of 1864. Today the beauty of the prison site belies the suffering that once took place inside the stockade.
The National Prisoner of War Museum.
The 1970 legislation responsible for establishing Andersonville National Historic Site instructed the site "to interpret the role of prisoners-of-war camps in history" and "to commemorate the sacrifice of Americans who lost their lives in such camps." To that end, the exhibits in the National Prisoner of War Museum serve as a memorial to all American prisoners of war. The museum opened in 1998 and is dedicated to the American men and women who have suffered as POWs.
Monday, March 16, 2009
OUr First Day of Work
Many students worked outdoors planting blueberry bushes, and placing cardboard, compost and mulch around fruit trees . . .
. . . while others worked indoors glazing mugs in the ceramics studio.
The sun is supposed to come out on Tuesday!