Community

Little Girls in a small community!

The Alley of Dreams is a dream of community. How many of us crave this dream? I grew up in a rural community in Virginia on my grandparent's farm. We knew everyone up and down the road. If we needed something there was always someone there to help. My sister , Susan, use to go to the neighbors house when she didn't like what my grandmother made for dinner and Mrs. Ruby Fernow (what a name, right?) would always pull out a chicken leg and fry it for her. Recently Susan and I were discussing this and she marveled that she always had a chicken leg ready for the fryer. Some of my best memories were created there in that community.

Okay, Time to Howl?

Today I am thoughtful that I, just like Ruby Fernow (not as cool a name, I know) am making memories with the children in our little Alley of Dreams community. Ella, Lucy, Ansen, Asher...they are all the laughs, the joy, the tears, the fabric of our continuity of love and communion that begins with our coming together in the communal space we call the Alley of Dreams. One day I hope they will remember us all in our little alley somewhere in Bellingham, Washington and the times we all took to come together to laugh, share food, play games, make music, dance, hula hoop, watch chickens, catch butterflies, and occasionally howl at the moon. Okay, that was Dylan...

Alley JOY!

Most recent Alley memory was Friday night  when we all met for Happy Hour and it rolled in to dinner time. We were all talking about what to make when it turned in to an impromptu Alley dinner party. Since we all have access to a giant zucchini plant (sorry, Steven, it overtook the garden, and Dylan stop bringing it up! that's another story) Amber's Dad who is visiting  said he would grill some, Dylan offered to make his famous zucchini fries and the zoodle being the official alley noodle, I offered a peanut sauce and zoodle dish! Ella helped me, just her and I in my kitchen sharing thoughts about who she would marry and why...because he is kind to her. Melt my heart!

I love my that these people are in my life. I call them my tribe. What is community.. dictionary says...a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and have a common cultural and historical heritage. A tribe is defined as..a social group comprised of numerous families, clans, or generations who share a common ancestry and culture. We are a community and a tribe. We share a common, human need to connect with others, we share a neighborhood, a love of family, good food, good times, and above all in the words of Ella...we are kind to one another. You are all MY KIND! Take note world..

Cheers to Community!