Full MOON ZOOM ~ June 25, 2021

• It is meaningful to Deanne to be here with us, to have a way to connect, to share at such great depth with the people here tonight.
• There’s an intern, who’s leaving on Sunday, who is planning to be with her sister after entering a state of surgery recovery. That’s kind of sad.
• Next week there will be alone time for Deanne to find some balance. Time to turn attention to things that have gone neglected. Time to plan. Time to settle into a list of things to do. Pick a few things to feel present and to achieve goals.
• Super enjoying nature & “SEEK” (an app) by National Geographic to identify plants & animals. Outside Deanne’s door, there’s a mallow plant. There’s a splotch on the leaf of the plant. That splotch is not bird poop but actually beetle eggs. About 80% of the time, it will ID it and give a paragraph or two of information on it.
• So grateful for people who came together to make this app happen and connect Deanne to the world around her.
• We worked on a stone project (Anna the intern and Deanne). Using the glacial stone, they completed the difficult project together!
• Interning. We set our own goals and our own schedule: foraging, permaculture, natural building, fermentation. Walkabout after morning meeting.
• Summer solstice.

• Soapwart out on the patio and around. Round stem, a little furry, opposite leaves, a sturdy bright clear strong color
• Chop it up. Has saponin in it. Deanne’s using it for dishes. Boil it for 20 minutes or dry it to have it all year long. Great for people with delicate or dry skin. Also called bouncing bet. The wenches would clean the beer steins with it. It has something to do with cleavage.
• What are we going to do about getting along on this planet? A love of NVC or compassionate / collaborative communication. A new year is starting now. Deanne signed up to be an organizer / facilitator of a group every 2 weeks.
• https://www.compassioncourse.org
• Michael Mallon Francis – superhero training academy

• Next week starts a hybrid summer school / summer camp.

• Sailing mishaps, writers’ workshop, reading

• The Maverick M.D.  Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez and his Fight for a New Cancer Treatment, The Authorized Biography by Mary Swandr
• Metabolical, The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine by Robert H. Lustig

• Appreciating the small details of daily life that went overlooked before. Walks and bike rides in her hometown. Biking to the old elementary school. Swing set and trees filled with memories. Swinging and listening to music as a means to remember and make new memories out of the simple joy of the experience. The sky is so blue. The grass is so green. This song is so wonderful. Joy in simplicity. Hammock sleeping in overnight. Joy in the immediacy of these simple things. Taking the time to observe and reflect.

• Mohawk Valley Collective: Historical buildings in the community that have been abandoned are restored and repurposed for the community to use. These old buildings were all natural buildings. The fancy plumbing and electrical are new. Jo used to run her own landscaping company. They remove the old toxic stuff (formaldehyde and asbestos). They’re working on the bell tower, which is the tallest point in the community.
• All the lumber for the barn loft is ready. Jo has been researching the best way to attach the header to the post. There are three or four different ways, and there is no discernible way which way is better than the others.
• 2 local 12 year-old boys are earning money for their Boy Scout camp working for Jo
• The baby chicks are growing, they’re a bit bigger than a softball

• Alternatives to violence project. Worked with the project for over 40 years. Volunteer coordinator for 10 years. Secure email program with over 200 inmates. SO grateful for the project. They are so grateful for the community and conversation.
• Each person has an adjective name to describe themself on the project.
• Good at digging in the dirt, but not so good on a keyboard.
• Workshops via Zoom. They’re just starting to resume the live workshops.

• Children’s music and art camp. One week in August. One week in September. Ages K-5.
• I’m 46, and I feel 90. What are the kids doing?! Helicopter as a mom formerly, and now she’s evolved to air-force-1. She’s completely consumed with her child’s education. Self-care is a bit lost.
• The one time that Regina visited for the potluck was so invigorating.
• Regina is shedding some old, old habits and personality traits. Was there any human being on the Earth who didn’t take a long, hard look in the mirror? How can we change these habits, especially as we get older? In some ways she feels like a baby, and in others a curmudgeon.
• Regina is reflecting on her former lack of grace and appreciation, and she feels that she’s coming around for the better.
• First time in a café since the pandemic – she felt so alive.
• 6 year-old son. What can we color with crayons? How can we use the herbs in the yard? Then, the next minute… Am I dying?
• Emotional intelligence and maturity is not necessarily chronological.

• Strawbale houses and earthen homes. Build differently with less waste. How can that be affordable? How can a renter live more naturally? Grow our own food, fermenting.
• These skills are so incredibly valuable. With the flip of a switch, the online world can crumble. Learn to survive from people and from the internet.
• One skill per week.

• Is supposed to be in bed
• The snow was either 4” or 6’ deep. It’s so cool. We made an igloo this year. It wasn’t quite big enough to fit in.

• Been the studio when Andrea was a kid. She helped build some of the domes. (she was 10)
• A big fan. Came with a school group. Brandon School in Ortenville.
• Self-energy. The full moon is really strong. Birthday on Saturday. Self-love!
• Always excited to see an animal. No rats lately! A coyote recently, very cool, a little scary. A woodpecker, that was very cool, especially up so close.
• Work is wild and busy. Art director at Complex.
• Downtown L.A.

The news just came through to be together in Michigan.

The Great Lakes and Rivers meetup at Circle Pines.

The Oakland County Permaculture meetup. Clarkson, Plymouth: it moves around.