Memphis Democrat August 16, 2000

We had all of our members home for one short week before they scattered again across the country. Jess and Kalen left for a 5 week job selling posters on college campuses. Alline went to California to lead a Sierra Club trip in the mountains and Kurt got picked up by his parents to go to a family reunion in Kansas. Many of our interns left too, leaving just two. But there's still plenty going on.

Timothy Jean led a 3-day earthen plaster workshop that drew women from all over the country. One participant was Paula, who visited us this spring with her class from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Another was Susan, who visited us 2 years ago and promised to come back here after she finished the Peace Corps. We hope she's here to stay. They all learned about how to mix and apply plasters made from clay, sand and straw. And they applied lots of it to our timberframed strawbale building.

Kalen had a plaster party later in the week for his house, finishing all the plaster on the outside of the house. Jeffrey, Jess and Cecil also had a work party to erect the tin roof for the shed on the back of the timberframed house. Kurt finally got to lay the first few strawbales in his house.

We are all excited to have Lyzyrd return for two months. She is a professional carpenter and loves working with bales. She is also an artist and performer. The folks at Dancing Rabbit and Sandhill enjoyed the play she and Kalen put on, with music by intern Tamar on the fiddle.

We've been up to our elbows in tomatoes, sometimes several people spending the entire day processing and canning them. We also had a games night over at Sandhill. Folks at Sandhill prepared delicious snacks including fresh squeezed apple and carrot juice, homemade sodas, chocolate chip cookies and toffee. Then we all joined together to eat and play board games and dominoes. Thanks Sandhill!

Folks are welcome to come by for a tour on Saturdays at 1pm, but please call first at 883-5511.

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