When people are considering moving in with is, they often wonder what a typical day would be like. There is a lot of variety to how our days go, but there are some basic rhythms we usually follow.
As new people join us, we will discover what feels right in terms of how much of the day's activities will be done as a whole group and how much time it will feel right for people to have their own rhythms. We would enjoy it if we found people with whom there was a natural harmony with the rhythms we've already established. We realize that, as we incorporate other members, our days' activities might change somewhat but this is how things typically go these days.
"Farmer's Hours"
Chris has been a farmer/gardener since the late 1960's. The rhythms that make sense for growing our own food have become a way of life.. Though there's some variation from summer to winter (with the longer nights, we tend to sleep more), in general we are awake and moving between 6:00 and 6:30 am. and head to bed around 9:00. Chris goes right to sleep, and Llyn likes to read for a bit.
Morning "Rounds"
We like a cup of coffee in the morning, and usually spend 20 min., or so, checking email, and visiting a handful of websites that keep us in touch with what's going on in the world. We like to follow sites that give an alternative perspective to the mainstream news; sites that track the many weather anomalies and other shifting natural phenomenon as well as sites that remind us of "higher consciousness" ideals and spiritual values and that give examples of the many people who are focusing their lives on creating (and living) solutions to the many world's ills.
Morning Studies
We have a variety of spiritual texts from which we read regularly. The main ones that we return to are: A Course in Miracles, and The Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East (Baird Spaulding). We have contemporary translations of the I Ching and Tao Te Ching that are often a part of our morning studies. Other writers we feel resonance with are: Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now), Osho (Sex Matters) and Arthur Gish (Living in Christian Community). Often, after reading selections, we'll sit in silent meditation for 10 minutes or so to let the teachings sink in. We have a strong commitment to applying the teachings to how we live and to helping each other remember and apply them through out the day. At this time we often stretch and do yoga in the living room. Llyn often feeds the birds during this time and we enjoy watching them have their breakfast.
Breakfast
We've written elsewhere about a typical breakfast. We almost never skip breakfast, as a hearty meal helps us stay productive in the garden or doing other projects around the house. We take turns with cooking and clean-up.
Morning Projects
We tend to use our mornings to focus on more energy-intensive projects, either in the Sharing Gardens, or around our home.
Our lives follow the rhythm of the seasons. The cycle of growing food begins in early February; sifting soil and starting seeds in our greenhouses. March through June, we continue to plant seeds; some plants are ready to be transplanted outside. June through September are the busiest times in the garden - both growing and harvesting the food but also preserving food for winter-use. October and November, we begin to put the gardens to bed. December and January are the quietest times but there are still plenty of activites such as preparing beds in the greenhouses and pruning fruit trees that keep us connected with the gardens. We LOVE to garden as a way to relax and connect with the beauty and miracle of life.
Other morning activities might include: home repair/maintenance, house cleaning, shopping trips for food or materials.
Occasionally, we are offered "odd jobs" such as yard work, handy-man projects etc. We prefer to do these in the morning also.
Lunch and Rest
Sometimes, if we're really hungry, we'll eat first but often we'll take a short rest and then get up for lunch and an afternoon cup of coffee. Rest-time can be as short as 20-minutes, or stretch up to an hour. Even if we don't actually fall asleep we find that "getting still" and "going within" helps us stay centered and gives us a gentle re-charge for the afternoon's activities.
Afternoon activities
Typically the afternoon is saved for activities that don't require as much energy output as morning projects. Some afternoon projects might include: working on our websites/answering e-mails, art projects (Chris has been getting back into air-brush painting; Llyn has been doing some illustrations with water-colors and markers and is figuring out how to do wood-block prints), canning and food preservation, nut-cracking/grain-grinding, and making large batches of our corn-bread or pancake mixes. We like some recreation too! We often take trips to the coast (about 75 min. drive), or hikes at the local waterfalls/state park (20 min. drive). We also enjoy movies in Eugene and go to the matinées or early evening shows. Our movie choices tend to run to the PG options: we love the Pixar and Disney and other animated films. We also like science fiction and super-hero movies as long as they're not too violent or "dark".
Dinner and evenings
We usually have dinner at about 6:00. We often watch DVD's (from the library), or YouTube, PBS shows or Hulu shows while we eat. We like documentaries about Nature and UFO's and eating/living healthy. We like Antiques Road Show and even sometimes enjoy watching the auditions for America's Got Talent (true confessions!) We also love science fiction and have watched the complete episodes of all the Star Trek and Stargate TV series. We've imagined, as our community grows, that evenings (after dinner) might be spent making music (Chris and Llyn are both singers/songwriters and play guitar. Chris is a percussionist as well). We picture some people making music while others are cracking nuts, working on hand-crafts, or playing games. For now though, we find that, by the end of the day, we just want to sit back and watch something entertaining or educational.
As new people join us, we will discover what feels right in terms of how much of the day's activities will be done as a whole group and how much time it will feel right for people to have their own rhythms. We would enjoy it if we found people with whom there was a natural harmony with the rhythms we've already established. We realize that, as we incorporate other members, our days' activities might change somewhat but this is how things typically go these days.
Chris has been a farmer/gardener since the late 1960's. The rhythms that make sense for growing our own food have become a way of life.. Though there's some variation from summer to winter (with the longer nights, we tend to sleep more), in general we are awake and moving between 6:00 and 6:30 am. and head to bed around 9:00. Chris goes right to sleep, and Llyn likes to read for a bit.
Morning "Rounds"
We like a cup of coffee in the morning, and usually spend 20 min., or so, checking email, and visiting a handful of websites that keep us in touch with what's going on in the world. We like to follow sites that give an alternative perspective to the mainstream news; sites that track the many weather anomalies and other shifting natural phenomenon as well as sites that remind us of "higher consciousness" ideals and spiritual values and that give examples of the many people who are focusing their lives on creating (and living) solutions to the many world's ills.
Morning Studies
We have a variety of spiritual texts from which we read regularly. The main ones that we return to are: A Course in Miracles, and The Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East (Baird Spaulding). We have contemporary translations of the I Ching and Tao Te Ching that are often a part of our morning studies. Other writers we feel resonance with are: Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now), Osho (Sex Matters) and Arthur Gish (Living in Christian Community). Often, after reading selections, we'll sit in silent meditation for 10 minutes or so to let the teachings sink in. We have a strong commitment to applying the teachings to how we live and to helping each other remember and apply them through out the day. At this time we often stretch and do yoga in the living room. Llyn often feeds the birds during this time and we enjoy watching them have their breakfast.
Breakfast
We've written elsewhere about a typical breakfast. We almost never skip breakfast, as a hearty meal helps us stay productive in the garden or doing other projects around the house. We take turns with cooking and clean-up.
 |
| Garden time |
We tend to use our mornings to focus on more energy-intensive projects, either in the Sharing Gardens, or around our home.
Our lives follow the rhythm of the seasons. The cycle of growing food begins in early February; sifting soil and starting seeds in our greenhouses. March through June, we continue to plant seeds; some plants are ready to be transplanted outside. June through September are the busiest times in the garden - both growing and harvesting the food but also preserving food for winter-use. October and November, we begin to put the gardens to bed. December and January are the quietest times but there are still plenty of activites such as preparing beds in the greenhouses and pruning fruit trees that keep us connected with the gardens. We LOVE to garden as a way to relax and connect with the beauty and miracle of life.
Other morning activities might include: home repair/maintenance, house cleaning, shopping trips for food or materials.
Occasionally, we are offered "odd jobs" such as yard work, handy-man projects etc. We prefer to do these in the morning also.
Lunch and Rest
Sometimes, if we're really hungry, we'll eat first but often we'll take a short rest and then get up for lunch and an afternoon cup of coffee. Rest-time can be as short as 20-minutes, or stretch up to an hour. Even if we don't actually fall asleep we find that "getting still" and "going within" helps us stay centered and gives us a gentle re-charge for the afternoon's activities.
 |
| Making applesauce. |
Typically the afternoon is saved for activities that don't require as much energy output as morning projects. Some afternoon projects might include: working on our websites/answering e-mails, art projects (Chris has been getting back into air-brush painting; Llyn has been doing some illustrations with water-colors and markers and is figuring out how to do wood-block prints), canning and food preservation, nut-cracking/grain-grinding, and making large batches of our corn-bread or pancake mixes. We like some recreation too! We often take trips to the coast (about 75 min. drive), or hikes at the local waterfalls/state park (20 min. drive). We also enjoy movies in Eugene and go to the matinées or early evening shows. Our movie choices tend to run to the PG options: we love the Pixar and Disney and other animated films. We also like science fiction and super-hero movies as long as they're not too violent or "dark".
Dinner and evenings
We usually have dinner at about 6:00. We often watch DVD's (from the library), or YouTube, PBS shows or Hulu shows while we eat. We like documentaries about Nature and UFO's and eating/living healthy. We like Antiques Road Show and even sometimes enjoy watching the auditions for America's Got Talent (true confessions!) We also love science fiction and have watched the complete episodes of all the Star Trek and Stargate TV series. We've imagined, as our community grows, that evenings (after dinner) might be spent making music (Chris and Llyn are both singers/songwriters and play guitar. Chris is a percussionist as well). We picture some people making music while others are cracking nuts, working on hand-crafts, or playing games. For now though, we find that, by the end of the day, we just want to sit back and watch something entertaining or educational.
 |
| Time at the ocean... |
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