We’ve been really lucky this past week to have such an abundance to give thanks for. From seeing loved and familiar faces and hearing new improvisational music, to sharing a traditional meal that spans four hundred years, this was a week to savor. I love Thanksgiving! It’s Julie here, writing this week’s article.
Every year, there is a Thanksgiving feast in the common house great room, where dozens of us partake in a wonderful meal that includes incredible homemade treats. Rumor has it that the Critters brought a fried duck to the event.
My Thanksgiving this year was smaller and more intimate than in previous years here at DR, as I shared dinner with eleven other folks here. We had five pies—all of which were made from garden ingredients, such as pumpkins, or organic apples from Dave Kelly’s organic apple farm Blue Heron Orchards. The chicken we shared was raised here, as was the salad Dan brought, with feta made from milk from only a mile away. The stuffing was made from my homemade bread, the mashed turnips were from Cob’s garden, etc., etc..
Josi’s mom and sister came to share the meal with us, and it was such a pleasure to have them at the table! Despite all of this wondrous food and company I still found myself missing my parents and brother, who live back in Connecticut, about 1800 miles away. I felt a pang of sadness strangely commingling with gratitude as we shared our perfect dinner together. Knowing that my family was thinking about me this Thanksgiving as I was missing them just gives me one more reason to be grateful.
Our “Uncle Kurt”‘s niece Danae, who work exchanged at the Milkweed Mercantile in 2011, arrived with her boyfriend Aaron about a week and a half ago. Her presence and laughter have a way of lighting up the spirits of whoever she is near, and her artistic skills as a tattoo artist were distributed at a feverish pace as she crafted original works of art to be displayed on various folks here.
She and Aaron were also the brave recipients of a tattoo from first-time tattoo artist Scout, who has a lifetime of experience in the arts, but had never grasped a tattoo gun until this week. Because of their inspiring courageousness, Scout is now our newest (and only) tattoo artist on farm, and has ordered all of the supplies to be arriving any day now. I’m so proud to know such amazing people who are willing to give so freely of their passions and art, kindling inspiration where it was previously unrealized.
Also joining us this past week were Robby Boyer and his partner, Klara. Robby and Aaron put on a musical show that was as impressive as it was entertaining. Our favorite song that Robby sang was “Sweet Home Dancing Rabbit”, which he composed as he simultaneously sang—and it was darn creative! It was one of those moments where I was fully present, enjoying the music and talent, and appreciating that every single person in that room felt exactly as exalted as I did in that moment. All of our faces wore the expression of the unmistakable realization that we were witnessing history as it was being written.
Aside from having some guests this week, DR has seemed very quiet as of late, with at least half of our population gone to visit far-flung friends and family for the holidays. It’s always a pleasure to see someone return from a week-long trip, and to have cause for a reunion of sorts. It’s interesting how before I moved here, extended periods of time could lapse between visiting with friends, but here, not seeing someone for a week seems so much more significant, since they are interwoven so tightly into everyday life.
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is an intentional community in northeast Missouri, practicing ecologically sustainable living. We offer free public tours on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from April-October. Tours are over for this year, but for more information about DR you can visit our website www.dancingrabbit.org or email us at dancingrabbit@ic.org.