Memphis Democrat January 31, 2001

We're glad to have Jess return home, after visiting with her mother in Baltimore to help her recover from her hysterectomy. She came back with a 18 foot diameter teepee that she bought from a friend, to live in during the summer.

We enjoyed all going in to Rutledge together to vote on Wednesday in the special election. The folks volunteering at the polling place were very nice, as usual. On the way home from voting, a bald eagle appeared and led us part of the way home. We felt both a sense of civic pride and wonder at the natural world.

On the night that we ate dinner with Sandhill, Don and Bekka cooked together with help from our friend Brad, visiting from Kirksville. They made Don's famous eggroll calzones and they were delicious.

Laird and Jeffrey went to Kirksville to play bridge with their bridge club. And Tony, Megen, Brad and I went along to see a movie and hang out in the coffeeshop. We enjoyed vegan cookies and a game of scrabble.

Kurt has been putting up cedar siding on the end gables of our load bearing cabin, Allium. We found that the west side needs protection from all the wind and precipitation. He's also been helping Jeffrey finish winterizing the timber framed cabin, by weather stripping the door and caulking cracks. Its about time! The cabin quickly became much easier to heat.

Tony and Jeffrey have been updating their resumes and putting out the word that they are looking for more web development work.

Roger and Lisa, a couple from Keithsburg, IL, visited for an afternoon to interview for the position of leading the constructions crews on our large building, Skyhouse. We liked them a lot and hope they will be joining us this summer.

We had a very active sewing night this week. Brad and Bekka came over from Sandhill and joined Alline, Jess, Megen and I for some fast and furious sewing. All but Jess and Megen were working on quilts, and I started my first ever quilt under the direction of Alline. Wish me luck.