Community

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

  – Mother Theresa


“Heroes didn’t leap tall buildings or stop bullets with an outstretched hand: they didn’t wear boots and capes. They bled and they bruised, and their superpowers were as simple as listening, or loving. Heroes were ordinary people who knew that even if their own lives were impossibly knotted, they could untangle someone else.  And maybe that one act could lead someone to rescue you right back.”
-Jodi Picoult




“The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship
to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still
shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we
bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing
the world.”

Michael Pollan



       
*  Blogger is being wonky today with typeface, I apologize for the annoyance. 


 


  My husband and I are just a small part of an incredible group of volunteer citizens who are collectively restoring Parmelee Farm  so that this once dilapidated town owned farm can be a recreational and educational gathering place for generations to come. So many people have shown their generosity with their time and skills, and I can’t describe accurately how wonderful it feels to see all the accomplishments of these good hearted and visionary people, and to contemplate all the possibilities for the future.  No one here is a Rockefeller.  It’s blood, sweat and even some tears that are getting this job done, and a whole lot of heart. 


   Community.. we all need it. If you are able in any way to get out into your own community and give of yourself in any way that feels comfortable to you and your lifestyle, I recommend it highly. You give of yourself a little, and you are paid back in spades, I promise.   In these troubling times, when it is so easy to feel powerless and overwhelmed by all the bad news we are bombarded with daily, the truth is we can indeed be the antidote, each one of us, in little ways, taking small steps.


 

Updates on Parmelee:  Due to a STEAP grant, 

the farmhouse has been restored and is the new home of the Historical Society.

 





What was once a Turkey shed is now being refurbished as a pavilion
for future events for the community – weddings, farmers market, dances, etc.

Many local contractors,generous civic groups and citizens have stepped up to get the job done.

The Little Free Library is a big hit…
..and it all started with the vision of a certain resident, who created the Community Gardens..
still in bloom on this late September afternoon.

 

Many of you, my blog friends, have been giving to your community already in the many different ways that this is accomplished. Some of you have raised foster children and made them your own, some have taken in stray animals that needed your care, some of you have donated your time or money to your own communities – the library, a hospital, the Goodwill Store – …  I could go on and on.  


 

My hat is off to you, my friends. Together we all make a difference, never forget it, and keep on truck’n. 


 

It’s a new day, all.  Make it a good one ~


 

 

 

Little Free Library

 We installed the Little Free Library yesterday!  After much thought I decided it would be put to better use located on a community property where there is more traffic.  Parmelee Farm gave us permission to install it next to their community garden gate.  I received some very thoughtful contributions from my blog buddies and I want to thank you for enriching our little library.

   I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my husband of almost 25 years for supporting my animal and community efforts. I couldn’t do it without him, and I will always be grateful.

To learn more about the Little Free Library movement..
click HERE
To learn more about Parmelee Farm..
click HERE
It’s supposed to reach 80 degrees in Connecticut today…
I am doing a happy dance.  Have a good day, all –
– Karen

Little Free Library

    I saw this on FB the other day, and I loved the idea so much I asked if this could be my b-day present. The Mr. said yes. Soooo… I’ve ordered one, and it will soon be out in front of This Old House, next to the vegetable cart we are apparently resurrecting this summer.  If you’re a local and you know where I live, feel free to borrow, keep or donate a book any time. I’ve been such an avid reader over the years, I have hundreds of books.  What a great way to share!… and even though there is a library here in town, encouraging the practice of reading, unplugging from our gadgets,…. it can’t be a bad thing.   My Little Free Library will be located  on the road at the second driveway  (brown barn entrance). Help yourself!

“Little Free Library was started in 2009 by Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, who decided that giving away books from his private collection would serve as a fitting tribute to his mother, a teacher. With the help of a community outreach expert, Bol was able to spread the concept. Now there are almost 18,000 library stewards as Bol calls them, who have registered their own Little Free Libraries in 45 states and dozens of countries. Each owner pays a $25 to the nonprofit organization to get a sign and a number, and to be on the locator map at    http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/

It’s a beautiful thing