Cider and Honey for All

Saturday we picked apples. The caretaker of a nearby farm offered to let us pick as many as we wanted from their espaliered orchard (branches grown on fences between trees for easy picking). We filled a third of a pickup truck before two big trucks, looking like a god squad, pulled up and ordered us off the property. It seems the farm had been sold to developers, who intend to bulldoze the barn and orchard and build forty homes.

Leaving with only a third of a truck turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The next day we fired up a donated cider press and pressed and pressed. Everyone's stomach and containers were filled with sweet fresh cider. The process went on for four hours, and we were frankly relieved to see the end of the apples. We took plenty home for drinking and freezing, then headed immediately to the shower.

Bruce, our neighborhood beekeeper, and his wife Erin took advantage of the gathering to sell honey. The hives are a safe twenty yards from our front door. Talk about local honey, and for just $3 a pound. Thank you Bruce and Erin!

Please enjoy these photos, but bear in mind that our community is not polygamous. We're the only polygamous family living here so far.

The Art of Community Northwest Conference

This weekend we attended the Art of Community Northwest 2006 conference. About 250 communitarians gathered together to share information about their intentional communities.

Our intentional community had a minimal presence -- just Lisa and myself, at least on Saturday. We represented (unofficially) our community and (officially) our group house and (of course) PolygamyNow.org. We seemed to be the sole source of information on polygamous communities at the conference.

Much of the work of the conference was done by members of the local Songaia community. You can see them celebrating May day in the photo to the right.

We attended a session on community networking, another on creating rituals, and another on utopian communities like Twin Oaks, which was inspired by B. F. Skinner's Walden Two. There were always nine sessions happening at the same time!

There were farmers, activists, seekers, professional facilitators, and aging hippies, to name a few labels. Many of the men sported beards, one of them colored purple. Half-naked men lay together under teepees made of poles and Christmas tree lights. Tie-dye shirts and gypsy costumes were abundant. I guess you could say there was considerable variety.

Lisa is drawn to the exotic and colorful nature of the hippy and gypsy lifestyles. She wanted to stay for the Gypsy Nation dance, but pooped out instead. Anyway, she says, she could never get used to not shaving her legs.

Sari Shares an Ice Cream Social

Our neighbor Sari answered an email contest and won an ice cream social for 100 people, which she kindly shared with her neighbors, our community.

Dreyers was looking for a suitable gathering to donate their ice cream to. Sari told them about our intentional community and about birthday Thursday, when we celebrate all birthdays that happen that month. This must have gotten their attention, because they provided the ice cream, toppings, and cups.

The ice cream, all ten light flavors, was delicious. And while only about fifty of us showed up, we each ate at least two helpings and finished it off. Thank you, Sari!

An Interesting Letter About Polygamy

[David was kind enough to share his history and thoughts on polygamy. With his permission, we pass his letter on to you.]

I like your site and it gives me some interesting perspectives other than the normal monogamous dogma that im use to hearing. I am a evangelist and im presently married to a Chinese wife (Qiulan), but I have a Ugandian lady (Martha) whom I've been friends with for eight years who im really in love with and she loves me, she is coming to visit me and my family.

Martha lives in Kentucky but she is wanting to move in with us, if like your situation, things go well. Martha is accustomed to polygamy for in her native country only a few years back 80% of men were in polygamous relationship my Chinese wife knows of sects in China that are polygamous and she even knew of one man in her village that was a polygamous so I am hoping things can come together for us.

Martha loves me and I find it difficult to think of her living out her life with another man that in her heart of hearts she doesn't love, just to maintain a monogamous status within society. One thing I would hope and pray for is that if Martha becomes a part of our family, which in my heart I already feel that way, Qiulan and her will be like sisters and love and support one another. I pray for both Martha and Qiulan and ask the Lord for His wisdom and guidance.

On another note: I have seen monogamous couples who have spent 30 years in marriage and end up divorcing each other whose to say that there ever existed real love between them yet those who hold polygamous world views are condemned as degrading women etc etc. My entire family ie. mother, father and immediate relatives are all monogamous in world view I think they will find it difficult to accept my position as a Christian evangelist and as well a polygamist. I am glad to have found others out there that I can share my opinions and views with that will not immediately condemn my ideas or views that run contrary to a monogamous oriented society.

David