Things have been crazy since I've come back from vacation, so it feels great to have a Saturday finally. The first weekend after break was our "summer" board meeting which was a long time sitting at meetings about our budget and strategic planning. We all spent a lot of time trying to figure out a vision statement and what the primary focus of the Farm is - volunteers or home repair? In my opinion we have a dual focus - that when we have group weeks our focus during and leading up that week is to provide an immersion experience for the volunteers, but the reality is that when volunteers aren't here we still engage in home repair. This past week I finished staining our back deck, helped fixed Wanita's leaky roof, took the recycling to the recycling center, and reattached a gutter at Alice Davis'. Good news came yesterday that an anonymous donor is donating a dust collector to the woodshop with the possibility of giving extra funds for the necessary materials to install the thing. Which is awesome and much needed. I think its going to be a big project to get it up and running, but I am really excited about it and really grateful for the generous support the farm receives.
Last weekend (the weekend after that) was Caitlin's birthday which I spent in Cincinnati and Dayton. And now finally I had some time to sleep in, at least a little bit, and to just spend most of my day relaxing. My body is beginning to wake up early naturally, I tend to wake up sometime around 7 or 8 everyday, whether we have work or not. Which is great for those days that I have to get up early, but horrible for the days I try to sleep in. I made it to 9:30 today after being awake at 8 for a bit... it makes me think about how we complain about things. For example, I often complained that I could not naturally wake up early, and now that I do I wish I could sleep longer. It happens with the weather a lot too - oh its so hot I wish it was cooler, oh I'm so cold! Think about it.
Today we have the barter fair - where people take all the crap they can find to a park or something and practically give it away. You just walk around and try and find useful things, but when you take something from someone else you give them one of your items you're trying to get rid of in exchange. Our featured items this year are bedroom doors and bathroom sinks - we have a ton. Then I'll be heading over to one of our community friend's houses (probably my favorite community friend), Betty Nicholson, to watch the WVU football game.
I've been managing to take some more time for myself lately, even though that has meant spending more time on the computer catching up on email and all the blogs I need to read. I finished reading No Greater Love and started reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I like it so far, although Miller's writing is a bit scattered and unorganized. He has great insight though that makes me think. Our community has also continued our obsession with The Office as well. Ken received Season 4 for his birthday so we were quick to finish Season 3 and start Season 4 this week. I think the writer's strike had a great impact on the season though and am curious how season 5 will hold up.
This is getting long...
This upcoming week our community is taking a trip to Bethlehem Farm for a bit of "vacation." On Monday we're going white water rafting on the Lower Gulley (on the New River), then down to B Farm to help put a tin roof on one of their barns and foster our relationships with them. Next weekend brings the Apple Butter festival, which includes a 5K run that I'll be running (I'm nervous about that). Amy is moving in the Friday of the Apple Butter festival and Caitlin is coming to visit as well, so it will be a good time.
God is good! (I feel like my last two posts have been very unfocused, my apologies.) Thanks for reading.
