What an amazing and wonderful summer we have had here at the Groves, starting with our sweet Summer Solstice Ritual and the Sacred Fool Festival. In addition to our usual events (sweatlodge, wailing lodge, drum circles and dances, women’s ceremonies and circles) we hosted some wonderful retreats: a Buddhist meditation Retreat with Sandy Boucher, a women’s drumming week-end with Simone LaDrumma, Spirit Quest in the woods, Kendra Thornbury’s Delighting in the Diva workshop, and the Sacred Fire Choir’s annual fall retreat. Several women reserved the Moonlodge for little personal retreats too. In short, many wonderful people blessed the land with their prayers, their songs, their silence, their joy and playfulness. We feel the Groves flowing in a river of abundance and love!
Our newly constellating Intentional Community welcomed several new residents: Cristie Thurman Grogger and her two children Dusty and Miranda, Kristi Tonti, Dennis Kuntz, Kelly and Jason Yust. It’s been a FULL summer as we’ve figured out our decision-making process (consensus of course!) for food-buying, household chores and other practical matters. We even did a mini-training in NVC (non-violent communication) to support open communication with eachother. We’re all enjoying the joy and support of community living immensely, despite the intensity of the learning curve as we learn to live in proximity without getting overwhelmed by all the residents AND dozens of short-time guests too.
Change is afoot as the season shifts to autumn. Jason got a last-minute job offer at University of Alabama so we barely said hello to him before he left. His wife Kelly lingered for a couple months but now she’s heading off to join him, opening up one of the yurtlettes. And our dear Maggy Hollander is moving on this month too, back to the big city where so many exciting things are happening! Shift happens, as usual. We trust that another new resident or two is just around the corner.
Our new Round House continues to be a delight to live in and share. Tere and I continue to be awed by the miracle that WE DID IT, we built this amazing and beautiful round home that engenders a sacred energy in our life here and welcomes people in so lovingly. The stress of house-building is slowly easing up as we have finished up the last of the interior rooms, the Guest Bedroom. Today Tere is finishing up the new woodshed so we can get the firewood under cover before the rains really settle in. We are gearing down, hoping to get out for more hiking and camping in the wilderness during this, the season of both our birthdays.
Many wonderful events coming up this Autumn as we settle in more and see how wonderfully our new home works for both residents and guests. Thanks to all of you who have brought your good wishes and contributions to the Groves these past months–we’re feelin’ the LOVE!