Last Wednesday was Yom Kippur -- our temple leaders decided to move us all back to our own building for the holidays, for the first time in decades. They figured out how to do it, and it worked beautifully. For our part, we closed the farm, moved the CSA to a different day for that week, and spent the day singing and listening and thinking and sitting shoulder to shoulder with our temple community. Shoulder to shoulder because they had to rent tiny little uncomfortable folding chairs to fit more in the sanctuary.
On Thursday Jon and I went to Ford's Theater and saw a musical about Gander, Newfoundland when the planes had to come down out of the air on September 11. A tiny community of 7000 residents welcomed and hosted about 7000 random travelers who suddenly arrived and stayed for 5 days, bewildered but cared for. The music was great and the production was lively and clever and memorable.
Saturday was Blueberry Hill Day, a day that we all set aside to play together, eat together, teach and learn, and lie on the grass talking. It turned out to be a gorgeous day, clear blue sky, perfect temperature. We started with a parade with decorated golf carts as floats, and musical instruments and crazy hats and much silliness. Then a field day with games and activities that all the little kids and some of the more mobile adults played. Then we just lounged around on the grass and talked until lunch was served. Jon had been volunteered (by you know who) to cook lunch for 60 and he did his signature job. Alissa was here visiting that weekend so he had excellent help with the prep. In the afternoon there were a series of one hour classes -- learning to make pasta, making milk from nuts, making apple butter, writing, Tai Chi. Then another 60 person meal but this time it was a giant potluck. It was an excellent day.
On Sunday afternoon Jon and Alissa and I went to a big rally organized by Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE). Our congregation participates in this group, but not very avidly. Only a couple of us remain consistently engaged but this time our rabbi wanted to bring a large group from our temple and we rounded up 69 people -- he had promised to bring 50, so that was good. This event deserves a postcard of its own, but I can just say that it was the most effective, well run "action" of its type that I have been to in five years. The high school auditorium was filled with people of all faiths. At 4:00 there was a Call to Prayer by an imam, who translated all the words, and then about 150 Muslims quietly left to go and pray. The speakers were mostly all clergy folks with a lot of energy, appopriately brief and punchy remarks, very much on point and full of passion. The point of the gathering of 1000 was to hear the commitments of local officials to work on issues that VOICE has identified as high priority -- public school funding, affordable housing, gun violence, immigration. As is the VOICE way, they had individuals tell their stories (briefly and effectively) about how these issues have affected their lives. This is the most potent piece of what VOICE does. Gets people to tell stories to each other and gets people in power to listen.
On Monday we had a day off from large community gatherings and we just did farm work.
Tuesday Jon and I went to Arena Stage and saw a Lillian Hellman classic, The Little Foxes. It was full of characters that were understandable but amoral, and the women were struggling with their powerlessness (1900 in Alabama), and it felt quite timely with the current political spectacle that we are all enduring, as the topic was mostly about family inheritance and wealth and bad behavior.
Wednesday was a regular day ending with a common meal, just normal stuff with tours and hayrides and packing 150 CSA shares. Oh, I went to a neighbor's house to watch the presidential debate with about 20 other neighbors, as is our custom. Jon watches it at home, as is his custom.
And then last night we had our Venison and Vegetables dinner here in Loudoun. This event was originated by our deer hunter friends many years ago, and we used to host it at our house, and then at the Vienna farm, and now we have moved it out to this big and beautiful venue. It is a party that takes one hour of preparation and almost no one ever sends an RSVP to my single email. We invite all the farmers who live on these original 400 acres in Wheatland, plus all the workers from our farm, plus anyone else who might enjoy a farm potluck on short notice. Roger the deer hunter spent the afternoon watching over his grill, making sure the venison would be just perfect (it always is because he is a perfectionist), Jon and Michael strung up some lights from the Christmas tree lot over the parking area in front of the Green Barn, pulled some tables out of a market truck, and created an outdoor party. We had done this once before last year so we knew what it should look like. And then people arrived with salads and desserts and drinks and we sat outside on the most beautiful summer-like evening at the end of another warm spell. Coincidentally, a beloved worker from the 1970s was coming for a visit, driving down from Ithaca NY, and he and his wife arrived with the rest of the crowd, and they knew many of us because many of us have been here for 40-some years. It would have been hard to arrange a more appropriate event for them.
Not every week is like this. This one was extra chunky.
