And, what do you see when you visit our village at Stone and Limberlost? Already, it's a vibrant, caring community. Meals are shared in the common house weekly, work teams are planning many of the aspects of our shared way of life, and children are playing and laughing in the common areas between the homes.
In other words...it's just what a cohousing community should be! If you haven't done so yet, pay us a visit sometime and see what it's all about. It's not to late to get involved in Stone Curves!
Thanksgiving at Stone Curves - by Allen Crockett
Our first Thanksgiving, together in our own Common House. What a day!!! Thanks to Linda Aaronson and Robin Fox for their time in organizing and getting everything ready for the day. Susan Hyne made new nametags for those who have joined since the first batch, or for those whose nametags were missing. Jason and I made a lovely display of vegetables for our buffet and centerpieces for the tables.
Our Thanksgiving lunch was out of this world. We had everything from turkey and ham to stuffing and cranberry sauce to a squash ring and salads of all kinds. In the words of Carl Manz, "This was a great meal for vegetarians." After eating, we all sat around and talked about what it would be like when everyone was moved in next year and how we would fit in the room. Some took walks around the property and a few of us even checked out the progress on our units. I think a few people may have snuck back to their condos for a little shuteye.
At 5:00 we all gathered for desserts and games. Not sure where we put all the dessert but there wasn't much left after we got finished. Matter of fact the pecan pie was such a hit it was all gone before everyone got through the line. We did have many, many choices. A few traditional choices and some not-so-traditional choices were offered for the kids (and the kid in all the grown-ups that joined in). The games were a great time of learning about our neighbors and just having some fun together.
If you missed out, we hope that you get a chance to join us next year for what hopes to be a great Stone Curves tradition for years to come.
Construction Progress Update
It's a busy construction site at Stone and Limberlost these days. With Villages 1 and 2 fully built and occupied, progress on other villages is moving ahead.
In the last month, Village 5 (the next to be occupied, sometime in December) has been painted top-to-bottom, inside and out. Cabinetry and appliances are mostly installed. And, this village's meandering sidewalk is ready to be poured and completed.
And, Villages 4 and 3 are not far behind. In recent weeks, drywall has been installed and taped in Village 4 homes, and exterior painting has begun on the northern building. Village 3 is undergoing stucco work these days.
Expect to see the north parking lot (serving Villages 3, 4 and 5) to get under way soon, and for site-wide landscaping to begin in earnest during the next two months.
Reflections from a Curver - Diane De Simone
Editor's note: Diane De Simone and her husband James Hamilton were among the early households to move into Village 1. After a couple months' inhabiting their new place, Diane offers the following reflections on life at Stone Curves.
I'm having such a rich life here at Stone Curves already! Imagine when neighbors in the other villages move in. I work, and interspersed with work are cups of tea and these amazing conversations -- about a deeper form of Tai Chi; about how to handle a horse in a quadrille; about how a neighbor's family matters; about an elder daughter who is beautiful yet feeling lost and how to affirm her; about classical medicine; about how the world may fall apart in seven years time!
I've danced in the exercise room to Stephen Sondheim while watching the sky move the mountains from evensong to night. I've helped neighbors unpack, unload, pick colors of paint for their walls. I've cleaned Common House floors. I've said wise things to neighbors and silly things I've apologized for. I continue to learn every day how to live essentially and in community. And all this under this grand sky of Tucson, Arizona, which is so palpable here at Stone Curves. There are vistas at Stone Curves that many of us who are already living here comment upon all the time. They give a scale to us. It's a scale that has me feeling both very small and also huge -- as if I'm part of the hugeness of the universe.
There's a spirituality of sorts to all that is and that surrounds Stone Curves. I'm beginning to feel much more rooted and at home than I've felt in a long time and certainly part of something larger. Who knows what various people will create once they're feeling at home here, too!
Waste Not, Want Not? A Member's Perspective on Resource Conservation - Dan Kruse
