And did you get...

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.

- Raymond Carver

Moving to Ithaca

We are so looking forward to moving to Ithaca to the new Ecovillage neighborhood of TREE!

I just hung up from our meeting which I was able to "attend" by conference call. And even at a distance, my awe of my future neighbors fills me with happy anticipation. There is so much energy, knowledge, vision, intelligence, idealism, creativity, and wisdom in this group!

Construction Cones Around the Garden

My dream for TREE is playing and building with sticks.  I want to be a science person and make gardens and make sure there are construction cones near the gardens so people won’t step on my flowers...because EcoVillage is FUN! ~Ian (3 yo)

To Make the World a Better Place...

My dream for TREE is that more children join.  I want to do fun activities, and raise money for good causes by doing jobs throughout EcoVillage.  I want to have a bakesale, paint pictures and sell them, pick up garbage somewhere and get money to give to a charity.  I want to host a book club in a tent with flashlights and really excellent books.  I appreciate how people at EVI are against fracking and are kind to the Earth. ~Kylie (7)

We Can...

My dream for TREE is that we can be seen as a haven for people that care about their carbon footprint. We can save the 9 spotted ladybug and other creatures that are endangered. We can create a community that no one is left behind in. We can grow a garden TOGETHER. We can make a meal TOGETHER. We can change the world.  We can... ~Aurora (9yo)

TREElife

-       Watching my native plant garden bloom and green up in the spring, attracting insects that will pollinate our gardens, and birds feeding, resting and rearing their young.

-       Growing my own fruits and vegetables in TREE’s community garden, sharing tasks, mulch, ideas, fertilizer, and fencing with others in the community.

-       Waking up in the morning to a beautiful view, and sunshine that will heat my water and provide electricity to the grid.

-       Walking and cross-country skiing on EcoVillage trails.

-       Sitting comfortably in a TREE friend’s snug house drinking coffee while we talk and watch a snow storm.

-       Car pooling with others from EcoVillage to a concert or lecture downtown.

-       Sharing each others’ stories, and learning vegetarian recipes while we help prepare dinners in our common house kitchen, using herbs we’ve grown just outside the kitchen door.

-       Playing music and singing together around our common house fireplace.

-       Sharing a sail boat on Cayuga Lake with others from EcoVillage.

 Soon....

Pat P

Somewhere to turn

My dream for TREE is that no kid living here would ever feel that he or she had no where to turn.   I think there are critical moments of need in kids' lives that left unfilled can haunt them long after.  Some might say it is only the protracted unmet lacks that wound.  It may be so.  But think if there are not moments from your childhood when, against the odds, someone was there for you at just the right moment--and of how you have never forgotten it.  That's money in the bank for life.  My strong feeling is that when it comes to growing up, there's safety in numbers.  I remember times when as a parent I was totally at a loss for my daughter.  At such times, I have been humbly grateful for the emotional alchemy of others when mine had failed.  My simple dream is that we be there for that kid when he or she thinks there's no where to turn.

Anything can be...

As I reflected on my morning walk the attached Shel Silverstein poem came to mind...                          
a TREE poem...

Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me--
Anything can happen, child,

ANYTHING can be.

In the Garden

While Mark's in his Adirondack chair, I'm sitting with my sketch pad on a bench in the garden east of the enclosed garden. Here there are winding paths that crisscross each other to create beds for plants that don't tend to need protection from deer. In this particular spot I feel like a special guest of the asparagus growing up behind and on each side of the bench.

I can hear the chatter of the children who love to play here. In places it's a little like a maze. In others there are bushes that provide perfect forts beneath. There are places to meet and to hide and always wonders and beauties to discover. This morning, though, the first attraction is the raspberries which beg to be savored.

From my bench, I gaze at the abundance of life, color, and texture. My attention is caught by the movement of a bird in one of the nut trees. I am filled with the sense of how I am a part of all I see and how we are all held in the love of Mama Gaia.

In my Adirondack chair

I imagine myself sitting in my Adirondack chair with a cup of green tea and a good book. I am situated in front of our Turquoise home, adjacent to the walking path. The sun is rising on a warm summer day, and the neighborhood is busy with gardeners, children playing, and a dog barking in the distance. As friends pass by heading to their cars, we chat. Life is beautiful.