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Greetings! TRANSITIONS
By Gina Kruse 
After watching my mother and my
father deteriorate and pass away without doing many of the things they
had hoped, I decided unfulfilled dreams were not going to be my way of
doing life. And so, my husband, Dan and I, decided to leave our secure
careers and venture out into the unknown but exciting world, to explore
what was next for us. My job of 20 years as an elementary school counselor
was enjoyable, fulfilling, and ego boosting. I knew I did a great job
and was told so often by parents, administrators and teachers as well
as the children I counseled. I was lucky enough to spend my time at work
helping others to help themselves.
But life was stressful at work
as I witnessed pain frequently and much of the time could not do much
about it. Life at home was taxing as well. Raising two children who had
grown into two adolescents, helping my ailing parents and watching them
die, and watching the physical changes that both my husband and I were
experiencing due to all the stress in our lives, was all the momentum
we needed to say, let's try something new ( I always have been a person
who enjoys change.)
So we packed our belongings (after
selling our home of sixteen years, having many garage sales and making
many Goodwill trips) and came to Tucson. No plans, just some wishes. And,
almost seven years later, many of those wishes and more have come true.
I sing in a chorus, which I had wanted to do again after a 30 year hiatus,
I cuddle babies in the nursery at the hospital (something I had wanted
to do in PA but couldn't find a hospital that would allow it), I take
art courses again and have the time to read whatever I like (something
other than counseling journals ), I volunteer in a kindergarten classroom
(my love of children is so strong I can't stay away), I help out at Dr.
Weil's Integrative Medicine program when there is something I am able
to do, I do yoga and t'ai chi and now qi gong and I found a new love in
being an infant massage instructor. Dan and I are a "big couple" to our
little brother, J.T., through Big Brothers/Big Sisters, providing an example
of a healthy couple relationship for a seven year old who hasn't seen
one. He brings much joy into our lives as do our own grown daughters.
We travel in our motorhome in the summer (we did a 15 month journey back
in 1998-99,which included being volunteer rangers at Everglades National
Park in FL and living and working in an intentional community at Rowe
Camp and Conference Center in MA) and have hiked some of the most beautiful
parks in this country. As Morrie says in Mitch Albom's "Tuesdays with
Morrie": "giving to other people is what makes me feel alive. Not my car
or my house. When I give of my time, when I can make someone smile" that's
what it is all about for me, too. My husband, Dan is fulfilling his dreams
of studying music and going to Africa to study drumming. So what is missing?
We both have longed for community
and have finally found it, in Stone Curves Cohousing. Although we haven't
moved in as yet, we do certainly feel the community that we are building
both physically and emotionally. What's next for us, who knows? We are
open to whatever experience is there. However, I feel confident that living
in community will be growth producing and lead us down a path of exciting
future adventures. Below find a poem I wrote, April 1, 1997, just before
leaving my beloved counseling job and the area of the country where I
grew up. Although I don't miss getting up and rushing to work at 7am each
morning, I do miss the love and esteem I felt in that role and knowing
that I was doing something good for the world. But I've found other avenues
of giving love and caring in my new life that are equally satisfying and
rewarding and less stressful for me. Transitions aren't always smooth,
but this one has been so worthwhile.
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ON LEAVING COUNSELING
A Poem by Gina Kruse |
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| I'll miss the hugs. Little smiling faces running down
the supermarket aisles, arms outstretched to encircle me, with love
in their eyes they coo my name. I'm lovable and beautiful to them.
And I return their embraces and savor their delicious, innocent affection.
Wanting nothing in return except the same from me, My Child gives
it willingly. Too many names, I can't remember them all. And I think,
do they think less of me, feel hurt because I can't remember them
by name. I don't think so. They don't seem to notice because I remember
their smiles, and their tears, and their hugs. And I return their
accepting, sweet love. I'll miss the hugs. |
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FROM ROCKS TO STONES
By Susan Hyne |
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As I prepare to move from River Rock Commons Cohousing in Fort Collins
to Stone Curves Cohousing in Tucson, I'm reflecting on how my perspectives
and life experiences have changed since moving into cohousing in 1999.
A small incident recently highlighted how my thinking has shifted
as a result of living in a sharing, caring community. My church rented
the Affluenza videotape for a discussion group. I expressed surprise
that they hadn't first asked if members of the congregation had a
copy to loan. Because of my cohousing experience, my initial thought
had been to turn to my community as a resource. At River Rock, the
life lessons about voluntary sharing we instill in our 2-year-olds
have migrated to the entire community and are visible on a daily basis.
For example, when I wanted
to read Pattern Language, I sent an email to The community and within
ten minutes, I had three offers. Ladders, books, dog leashes, movies,
tools, extra tickets to performances, shovels, digital cameras,
car seats, rakes, TVs, cups of sugar, and many other assorted goodies
are regularly seen crisscrossing our common green. Vehicles are
loaned for short and long trips. Dogs are available as walking buddies.
Boxes of peaches are purchased and shared. Fresh-baked bread disappears
in a flash.
The sharing extends beyond
things. Neighbors exchange child care, pet care, errands ("I'm going
to the Food Coop-do you need anything?"), maintenance, gardening
tips, resume writing, and rides. They provide meals, laundry services,
transportation, and TLC during times of family stress. In emergencies,
they call 911, give first aid, and hold hands. River Rockers do
chores for neighbors so they can work on specialized community projects.
Meal Clubs offer more opportunity for a regular exchange of time
and talents, with neighbors working one shift to prepare a meal,
and enjoying home-cooked meals the rest of the time. Information
is also shared.
If you need a referral ("what
stores sell organic produce?"), an idea ("where can I volunteer
in a medical setting?"), a recipe ("do you have any dairy- free
recipes for Mexican food?"), a recommendation ("what's the closest
swimming pool by bus?"), information ("what tips do you have for
living in the desert?") or a job lead ("What temp jobs are available
at the university?"), an email to the community usually yields good
results. (By the way, these are all questions I could pose to my
future neighbors at Stone Curves.) Some cohousing communities have
launched car-sharing programs, coordinated joint purchases of large-ticket
items, and generated lists of assets/skills for sharing. The cohousing
framework supports voluntary sharing at many levels. It's been said
that wealth is not measured by what you have, but by your ability
to get what you need when you need it. That's certainly the case
in cohousing, where all my neighbors are incredibly wealthy. For
More Information » |
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STONE CURVES TEAM WORK
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 The heart
and soul of the consensus process revolves around various teams, these
teams, listed below, are open for everyone - whether currently in,
or out of town - to participate and share your talents and/or passions.
These teams report and put forward recommendations to the General
meetings. Finance and legal team. Spencer (bigbuff@mindspring.com)
This team understands and oversees the finances of Stone Curves. Meets
at least once a month.
Construction interface team
(aka maintenance team). Jim (jim@gardnergroup.net) This team keeps
track of any, and all, construction related issues. After Stone
Curves is completed it morphs into the maintenance team, a contact
for maintenance issues. Meets first and third Sunday, 10.30 am at
the site. Green team. Suzanne & Garth This team oversees the
landscaping at Stone Curves and other land use issues. Meets on
Monday evenings at 6.30pm.
Facilitation team. Shawn
(shawn@gardnergroup.net) This team monitors the cohesiveness of
the community at Stone Curves and can respond with strategies to
keep it moving, whether within teams or villages. Marketing/membership
team. Robin (bkfox@msn.com) and Carlos (closfree@aol.com) This team
is responsible for marketing Stone Curves to the general public
and to it's membership There are more teams! There
is a place for you here. Feel free to contact one of the listed
individuals to find out more information. |
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CONSTRUCTION UPDATE |
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 As all beings
grow, the physical changes become outwardly less obvious, but the
inner changes run deep and wide. So can be said of much of Stone Curves
right now. Several buildings are "done" by all accounts when viewed
from outside. However, the inner mechanics are being completed with
painting completed in Building two. The drywall teams did a wonderful
job in finishing, using rounded corners and a soft texture on the
walls. The painters were meticulous in there craft and applied a soft,
warm sheen to the walls. Look back at prior newsletters to see what
the "shells" of these buildings looked like in February and then plan
a tour with James Hamilton on any Saturday at 2:30pm to get a close
up look of a near finished building.
When you come on site you
will notice that all the buildings have been started. The last two
buildings in Village 3 are now in the slab preparation phase and
will soon be "out of the ground". When walking amongst these new
buildings, one gets a real "feel" for the community which lies within
the walls of Stone Curves. 
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SALES UPDATE |
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Driving by Stone Curves today I saw the new sign, 80% sold! That last
20% is going fast as we have had inquiries from as far away as France!
Now is the time to stop by our marketing office and see what unit
will fit your needs.
Just a note though, the sales
office has moved into a partially finished unit which we use as
a model. Follow the signs and look for the friendly people and you
can't miss it. The sales office is open on Saturday and Sundays
from noon to four pm.
Take
a Look at Available Units! » |
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