|
Greetings! UN-COMMON
MEALS 
Living in a culture that glorifies
individualism, there is a tendency to view cohousing, and common meals,
as somewhat alien or vaguely un-American. However cohousers see things
differently. Most of us look forward to breaking bread with our friends
and neighbors. We rejoice both in the divinity and the diversity of our
fellow man yet perhaps it's the sheer practicality of common meals that
offers its greatest appeal.
Think of it. At the end of a long,
busy day - whether families or singles - we are often faced with a stark
choice; cook up a meal at home or head out to the restaurant. Statistics
show that increasingly Americans are taking the easier and more expensive
option. Well now there's a third way; it's more economical, more time
efficient, more energy efficient and it lends itself to real community
building.
Our commercial grade kitchen and
dining area will allow us to serve up to sixty people at a time. Likely
the kids will eat together in the supervised patio area outside - parents
rejoice! Of course, converting a box full of cold commodities into a delightful
shared meal is only part of the equation.
Joani Blank, a veteran cohouser,
raises and answers the question," Are common meals really so important?
You bet! I've visited over fifteen Cohousing communities (and four groups
in formation) in the last three years, and I would say unequivocally,
that most people living in cohousing feel that common meals are, in fact,
the "glue" that holds the community together". Pass the salsa, Dan.
Find
out more....
|
JOB SITE DOCTORS |
 |
 With over sixty
contractors on site at any given time, the atmosphere around the supervisors
office resembles a triage theater in a battlefield unit. Like Hawkeye
and BJ Hunnicut of MASH fame, experienced project manager James Hamilton
and his sidekick Grant Metcalf deal with the inevitable emergency
de jour with a combination of humor - sometimes bordering on irreverence
- and savvy. Yet one senses that the paramount commitment of the team
to deliver a quality product is being made manifest before our eyes.
At the sales office prior
to construction, often the questions related to the workmanship
of the project. It was never easy to explain, for example, that
Tucson Electric Power would only guarantee such an amazingly low
electrical consumption rate in return for tight, highly insulated
construction. James and Grant are solely responsible for the day
to day oversight process which has ensured that such high standards
are consistently met. Now, after each site tour, those questions
have turned to compliments as the excellent craftsmanship is evident
for all to see. James and his men are not only totally focused on
producing first class housing but they're having fun at the same
time. Our homes have already been blessed! |
|
REFLECTIONS ON THE COLOR
SELECTION PROCESS By Shawn Gardner |
 |
 One year of
consensus process, two rejected proposals, and the work of twelve
volunteers taught us that choosing color is a very emotional decision.
We learned that some "need to live with color" and that others "prefer
neutral". Thoughtful questions were asked such as "How do we blend
with the rest of our neighborhood?" "Are we staying integral to the
environmental values of our mission statement?" "Let's be bold and
play!" "How dark does a color have to be before it creates too much
heat load in the Arizona desert sun?" At
Stone Curves, with all its collective wisdom and experiences, there
is an openness and humility to being beginners on this journey which
shone brightly as we persisted together in deciding the color of
our buildings. How did we successfully decide? Was it the decision
to hire a color consultant to assimilate all the history into a
proposal? Did the accumulative shared history strengthen us? Clearly
these factors played a part, yet one question we asked seemed to
call forth a valuable group experience. We wondered "How can we
deepen our ability to hear the needs and passions of our neighbors?"
That space of "deep listening
and feeling heard" calls us to mutual responsiveness with each other.
One without the other collapses any opportunity for collaboration.
When they are both present, individuals can feel honored and find
it easier to join into the "we" part of the decision which may,
or may not, include his, or her, desires and hopes. Prior to the
third and final "color selection workshop", energies were intently
focused on hearing for deeper meaning. This meant extra time on
the phone and meeting with people. It meant allowing a large portion
of the workshop to be designated just for a "talking circle." Neighbors
listened. The group then created a set of "agreements" which were
used for the meeting and to gain closure on the decision. When the
decision was complete all volunteers were honored at our General
Meeting with appreciation and a sparkling apple juice toast. 
I am proud of this community
and its choice to stretch itself with this decision. Humility is
the realization that we can choose to honor the "I" while joining
the "we". We are ever-mindful that reverence for how we interact
with each other reveals our greatness. Color was merely the medium
we were blessed to work with. |
|
DESERT ISLAND DISCS |
 |
Some of you might have heard of an old British radio program called
Desert Island Discs. Celebrity guests would play their ten favorite
records that they'd take with them if abandoned on a desert island.
In the spirit of cohousing, as an occasional feature, we'll be presenting
our very own celebrities who will reveal their favorite sources of
inspiration. To get the ball rolling we turn to Marc Davies, who,
with his family, has recently crossed the country to be part of Stone
Curves:
Impossible as it is to choose
just one source of inspiration, "Gitanjali" by Tagore has got to
be my keeper. These words have both consoled and inspired me for
the last twenty years. Even in a translated text I find wisdom,
almost a childlike simplicity and a strange, wistful beauty that
always uplifts.
The Journey from Gitanjali
by Rabindranath Tagore The morning sea of silence
broke into ripples of bird songs; and the flowers were all merry
by the roadside; and the wealth of gold was scattered through the
rift of the clouds while we busily went on our way and paid no heed.
We sang no glad songs nor played; we went not to the village for
barter; we spoke not a word nor smiled; we lingered not on the way.
We quickened our pace more and more as the time sped by. The sun
rose to the mid sky and doves cooed in the shade. Withered leaves
danced and whirled in the hot air of noon. The shepherd boy drowsed
and dreamed in the shadow of the banyan tree, and I laid myself
down by the water and stretched my tired limbs on the grass. My
companions laughed at me in scorn; they held their heads high and
hurried on; they never looked back nor rested; they vanished in
the distant blue haze. They crossed many meadows and hills, and
passed through strange, far-away countries. All honor to you, heroic
host of the interminable path! Mockery and reproach pricked me to
rise, but found no response in me. I gave myself up for lost in
the depth of a glad humiliation ---in the shadow of a dim delight.
The repose of the sun-embroidered green gloom slowly spread over
my heart. I forgot for what I had traveled, and I surrendered my
mind without struggle to the maze of shadows and songs. At last,
when I woke from my slumber and opened my eyes, I saw thee standing
by me, flooding my sleep with thy smile. How I had feared that the
path was long and wearisome, and the struggle to reach thee was
hard! |
|
SALES UPDATE |
 |
Spring has arrived in the old Pueblo. The cacti are in bloom, the
snow birds have already begun to wend their way north and Stone Curves,
your friendly cohousing neighborhood, is busy filling herself up.
According to the marketing
team spokesperson, Rebecca Jackson, only eleven of the forty eight
units remain unsold and four of those have "holds" on them. She
adds that on average one unit has been sold every week this year
thus far.
Take
a Look at Available Units! » |
|
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE |
 |
 Stone Curves
is in the drywall phase! The interior of building two was completely
sheetrocked last week and the taping and plastering is next. What
a difference it is to walk into a drywalled unit. No longer does it
take much imagination to picture just the way the living room will
look or how the afternoon light will play on the bedroom walls.
Just before the drywall was
installed, the entire unit was insulated to the high standards of
the Tucson Electric Program (TEP). TEP inspects all buildings under
construction to ensure they meet the highest standards for long-term
energy efficiency. It's important to note that all-electric households
will easily be fed by future alternative forms of energy such as
solar and fuel-cell as those technologies become more feasible.
In fact, we're already installing pipes for future solar hot water
collectors and photovoltaic electrical generating capabilities.
TEP also will guarantee that,
for the first two years of your ownership, each of our unit types
will cost no more than a predetermined amount to heat and cool them
for a year. For example, an A unit is guaranteed to not exceed more
than $0.72 a day of electricity costs. 
The stuccoing of building
two is almost complete and building three is underway. Soon the
roof tops will be capped with a course of brick and then we'll await
the painting contractors. To experience the construction progress
firsthand join us for a site tour every Saturday at 2.30pm with
the irrepressible James Hamilton. |
| Quick Links... |
 |
|
