Memphis Democrat
December 16, 2004

The first thing that springs to mind are the incredibly positive gains we make when we work together toward a common goal. A prime example: moving Dan’s new 600 lb boiler into his house. Besides Thomas and Arjen, who have been working daily on drywall plastering and batten nailing, I hear that a good number of other strong women and men jumped to help.

With lots of help, Ironweed also finished the roofing they needed to get done on their kitchen before winter hits in hard. They especially appreciated Andrew’s amazing feats of balance.

The other aspect of “power” is a much more challenging one. The spell of cloudy days we’ve had lately has reminded us to be aware of how we use electricity. Since we depend on solar power, conservative use of lights (and computers, pumps for domestic water, the washing machine, etc.) isn’t just an ideal, but also a necessity.

For clothes washing, Ted and Sara fortunately have a very nice James washer, and they are sweet about lending it. It mostly keeps your hands out of chilly water, especially with the wringer attached.

In other news, Jeffrey reports having a great time at the Feeneys. Their “point-and-click” thermometer particularly impressed him. He also raved about the holiday decorations in Memphis—raved in a good way, that is.

Thomas, Nicole, and Amy’s cats have been enjoying housesitting for the Milkweeds. On Saturday they hosted a viewing of the movie “Harvey,” and there was much laughing and popcorn eating.

Earlier this week, Sara and Ted finished building the stove in their house, and report much cozier and more homelike evenings.

Saving the best for last, Bob has a second grandson as of noon on Dec. 1. Baby Landon is doing just fine, and his parents are overjoyed. Needless to say, his grandpa is also pleased as punch.

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