I pretty much spent the morning weaving since I need to have my loom one by today since there are guests who signed up after me.
Ok, I had my first mouse yesterday...I didn't get it myself. Actually, I always make fun of girls in the movies who are standing on chairs and squealing but that was definitely me last night. Luckily, my friend Brandon (who is built like an ox) was downstairs at the Lift. He heard Allison and I screaming and evidently assumed it was a mouse instead of some kind of emergency. He showed up with an wrench in his hand running around the snack bar yelling, "I'M GONNA KILL IT!!" He was LITERALLY throwing all the benches and tables in the snack bar around trying to find this tiny mouse so he could kill it. After a while of not seeing it, he moved a bench again and there was a dead mouse under it (that wasn't there before). It was smushed in the searching process. I tried to get him to dispose of it humanely in it's natural habitat (the woods) but he said no, it came in the snack bar and therefore must be executed. I was a little upset about it. He's here as long as I am so I told him that I would give him 1 free scoop of ice cream for every mouse he disposed of. Ugg. I wish you could have seen him throwing furniture and running around with a wrench looking for the smallest mouse I have ever seen.
For vespers yesterday, the choir sang this neat song. The two musicians are amazing and they studied for a while in Tanzania so everything has these really neat and hearty harmonies that is just a lot of fun to sing.
That's all for now, I'm hungry and I hear they have eggs for breakfast! I promise to post more later.
Amy
XOXOX
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
I guess it's not quite summer yet, it's still cold(ish).
Yesterday morning, I started my weaving down in the craft cave. I took a picture to share but I keep forgetting to put it on my computer. I spent a long time in the morning weaving, and in the afternoon, weaving. I took a break to go and wave off the first bus, so did most of the rest of the village. The only problem was, nobody was leaving on it. There was a lot of fake crying and yelling after the empty bus to please don't go. We saw the bus driver a while later when he came up with a big pile of new guests. After a while, I went to go see Pat off, who was leaving today to go home even after my constant nagging her to stay. She reminds me a lot of Mom. At 2:00, the snack bar opened, hardly anyone showed up. Last night though, after Vespers, we had another anonymous donor come and pay for everyones ice cream! It was a different person than the last time. Some man came up to me, handed me a $50 and said, "I want to buy everyone ice cream, let me know if you need more." I told him I thought that would be fine and thank you so much. He came back later after examining the line and gave me another $20. After that, people just kept giving me the money that they wanted to buy their ice cream with saying, "well, add this to it when the pool runs out." Holden Village payed it forward in ice cream last night! What's funny is that the guy who donated the original money sat at the end of the bar watching me tell everyone that the ice cream was free and watching it make everyones day. It was a great night, a lot of fun! I definitely have the best job in the village. After the snack shop closed, we all hung out in the dinning hall and played games.
This morning I sat at a table with a bunch of people I kind of know. We talked about the Peace Corps ( I don't know how it keeps coming up).
In about an hour and 20 minutes I have my first area head meeting. Dish team at 11:30. Staff meeting at 5:45? 6:45? I should check with someone. I'm mostly writing this down so I'll remember. Wow, the power just went out but my computer has a blackout buster so I saved and am just going to keep going. Everything is beeping!
This morning I sat at a table with a bunch of people I kind of know. We talked about the Peace Corps ( I don't know how it keeps coming up).
In about an hour and 20 minutes I have my first area head meeting. Dish team at 11:30. Staff meeting at 5:45? 6:45? I should check with someone. I'm mostly writing this down so I'll remember. Wow, the power just went out but my computer has a blackout buster so I saved and am just going to keep going. Everything is beeping!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Everyone is leaving
I have officially been at Holden one week. I know most staff members in the village and a lot of the guests. Yesterday, today, tomorrow, and Thursday, people I know and have become close to are leaving the village. This is just the first turnaround since I've been here, I need to get used to it.
Yesterday, after packing, cleaning my room, waiting out the rain, and procrastinating as long as humanly possible, I made the move to chalet 1 (my new home). I enlisted some friends here and we made it in one trip! I am now all moved in...even my toothbrush has a home, which can be tricky moving into a house with 8 other people already living here. I am happy with it because I think it is as close to a commune as I will ever get.
Before dinner I went to read on the arc, when I found out there was a jam session going on between a bunch of Minnesotans. I listened to all the folk music they played for a long time until the dinner bell rang. During the jam session, I overheard the person next to me mention that he and his wife were in the Peace Corps together. Obviously we chatted about that for a long time. When I mentioned that I will be going to Africa all the people around us sort of jumped into the conversation. I didn't get any reading done. In fact, I'm not really getting a lot of reading done because I always end up talking to the people around me (I blame Mom and Dad for that personality trait). I literally sit on the arc for a few hours and just chat and chat and chat with whoever comes along and sits within speaking range of me. I've never been an arc chatter, I guess I am now.
After dinner I went to choir practice (represent choir kids)! The guest musicians are fantastic!! Everyone in the congregation was dancing, which doesn't happen even at Holden. It was the best service I have been to in a looong time. I realized after Eucharist that I never really get into the Holden swing of things until a Eucharist service. I never noticed because we normally come up on Sundays, when I came on a Monday this trip. I've been homesick and mopey and thinking about T.V. and the internet all week. Since last night's service, it hasn't been on my mind. Who knew that was really what put me in the Holden mindset?
Today the snack bar opened in the afternoon for the first time! Woohoo. Our very first customer put a $50 down and when I started to make change for him he told me that it was an anonymous donation, he wanted to pay for the first $50 worth of ice cream! People were very please, and he sat and watched everyone smile for a while when I told other customers that the ice cream was free. It was adorable. The money didn't even last a hour, surprising because we've been really slow after Vespers.
Andrew left today, I don't think he knows but a lot of people were crying as the bus left. I got to (ready for this Diana?) play the drums twice today!!!!! Yes folks, the holden drums. Word is getting around the village that Allison plays djembe so, as her friend, I get to play too! Awesome!
I'm having a great time and I miss you all!!!
Amy
XOXOXO
Pictures coming soon! I know I promise that a lot, when will you learn that I'm all talk?
Yesterday, after packing, cleaning my room, waiting out the rain, and procrastinating as long as humanly possible, I made the move to chalet 1 (my new home). I enlisted some friends here and we made it in one trip! I am now all moved in...even my toothbrush has a home, which can be tricky moving into a house with 8 other people already living here. I am happy with it because I think it is as close to a commune as I will ever get.
Before dinner I went to read on the arc, when I found out there was a jam session going on between a bunch of Minnesotans. I listened to all the folk music they played for a long time until the dinner bell rang. During the jam session, I overheard the person next to me mention that he and his wife were in the Peace Corps together. Obviously we chatted about that for a long time. When I mentioned that I will be going to Africa all the people around us sort of jumped into the conversation. I didn't get any reading done. In fact, I'm not really getting a lot of reading done because I always end up talking to the people around me (I blame Mom and Dad for that personality trait). I literally sit on the arc for a few hours and just chat and chat and chat with whoever comes along and sits within speaking range of me. I've never been an arc chatter, I guess I am now.
After dinner I went to choir practice (represent choir kids)! The guest musicians are fantastic!! Everyone in the congregation was dancing, which doesn't happen even at Holden. It was the best service I have been to in a looong time. I realized after Eucharist that I never really get into the Holden swing of things until a Eucharist service. I never noticed because we normally come up on Sundays, when I came on a Monday this trip. I've been homesick and mopey and thinking about T.V. and the internet all week. Since last night's service, it hasn't been on my mind. Who knew that was really what put me in the Holden mindset?
Today the snack bar opened in the afternoon for the first time! Woohoo. Our very first customer put a $50 down and when I started to make change for him he told me that it was an anonymous donation, he wanted to pay for the first $50 worth of ice cream! People were very please, and he sat and watched everyone smile for a while when I told other customers that the ice cream was free. It was adorable. The money didn't even last a hour, surprising because we've been really slow after Vespers.
Andrew left today, I don't think he knows but a lot of people were crying as the bus left. I got to (ready for this Diana?) play the drums twice today!!!!! Yes folks, the holden drums. Word is getting around the village that Allison plays djembe so, as her friend, I get to play too! Awesome!
I'm having a great time and I miss you all!!!
Amy
XOXOXO
Pictures coming soon! I know I promise that a lot, when will you learn that I'm all talk?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Getting comfortable
This was my first Saturday I've spent in the Village, during summer, for a long time. Sunday is all a buzz normally with different schedules and services and all, but Saturdays seem pretty leisurely. The day pretty much consisted of hanging out with different groups of people in different areas.
I checked out my room in Chalet 1 (I'm moving tomorrow) and it is nice. I will be facing the road. I'll also have a roommate, which I'm sort of excited about. We're on completely opposite working schedules so that will also be just dandy. She did tell me today though (within 5 minutes of meeting her, finding out that she was going to be my roommate, and finding out that I was going to have a roommate) that she sleepwalks, so we'll see how that goes.
After dinner a ton of us headed out to 10 mile falls. I still have no mail from my family after sending 2 letters now, one of which I sent out today and won't be there for a few days (hint hint). Vespers was in the VC for the first time, the decorations are neat. I'll try to get pictures up sometime. Directly after Vespers, all of the area heads had training. The meeting kind of dragged on for hours (literally) but I suppose all of the information was necessary. It was a culmination of supervising volunteers 101, upcoming meetings, and a rousing game of "Name Your Supervisor". I rocked that game. I didn't have to run snack bar tonight because of the meeting, so the Coffey's were in charge of that.
I just found out also today that guys will be out numbering girls 4 to 3 in Chalet 1. I've never lived anywhere with those sorts of ratios. I'll probably have to get used to it being a little smelly, not because of the ratios but because of the positions everyone holds. I'll be living with the head maverick, cook, head waitri, lawns and gardens person, kitchen staff and one to be determined person. I don't know if these are all semi-smelly "professions" or if Holden just requires you to really get your hands dirty. Either way, after finding out some of the people I'll be living with, and spending some time with them, I'm feeling a lot more optimistic about the change. I'm not looking forward, however, to moving all of my stuff tomorrow after I get back from a hike to Hart Lake with Allison.
OH! I can't believe I forgot that graduation was today! Graduation was wonderful, it came complete with Pomp and Circumstance, something left out of my own graduation... The first speaker was fantastic, I feel like he made of for the horribleness of the speaker at my graduation. Speaking of that speaker (haha), today in Vespers, someone read one of his poems. Interesting. Ok, word on the street is that there is a bon fire, so I guess that's all for tonight.
Amy
xoxoxoxoxo
I checked out my room in Chalet 1 (I'm moving tomorrow) and it is nice. I will be facing the road. I'll also have a roommate, which I'm sort of excited about. We're on completely opposite working schedules so that will also be just dandy. She did tell me today though (within 5 minutes of meeting her, finding out that she was going to be my roommate, and finding out that I was going to have a roommate) that she sleepwalks, so we'll see how that goes.
After dinner a ton of us headed out to 10 mile falls. I still have no mail from my family after sending 2 letters now, one of which I sent out today and won't be there for a few days (hint hint). Vespers was in the VC for the first time, the decorations are neat. I'll try to get pictures up sometime. Directly after Vespers, all of the area heads had training. The meeting kind of dragged on for hours (literally) but I suppose all of the information was necessary. It was a culmination of supervising volunteers 101, upcoming meetings, and a rousing game of "Name Your Supervisor". I rocked that game. I didn't have to run snack bar tonight because of the meeting, so the Coffey's were in charge of that.
I just found out also today that guys will be out numbering girls 4 to 3 in Chalet 1. I've never lived anywhere with those sorts of ratios. I'll probably have to get used to it being a little smelly, not because of the ratios but because of the positions everyone holds. I'll be living with the head maverick, cook, head waitri, lawns and gardens person, kitchen staff and one to be determined person. I don't know if these are all semi-smelly "professions" or if Holden just requires you to really get your hands dirty. Either way, after finding out some of the people I'll be living with, and spending some time with them, I'm feeling a lot more optimistic about the change. I'm not looking forward, however, to moving all of my stuff tomorrow after I get back from a hike to Hart Lake with Allison.
OH! I can't believe I forgot that graduation was today! Graduation was wonderful, it came complete with Pomp and Circumstance, something left out of my own graduation... The first speaker was fantastic, I feel like he made of for the horribleness of the speaker at my graduation. Speaking of that speaker (haha), today in Vespers, someone read one of his poems. Interesting. Ok, word on the street is that there is a bon fire, so I guess that's all for tonight.
Amy
xoxoxoxoxo
Friday, June 5, 2009
Foam Henge
Here is the promised picture of Foam Henge. Yes those are giant foam blocks.
Also, I learned tonight that they're moving all of the area heads (including me) into the chalets. I will be moving to Chalet 1. I haven't quite decided how I feel about the move since I'll be leaving some good friends but I'm sure it will be fine. I have to be moved out of my room in lodge 1 by the 8th. I walked out to the Labyrinth today with a few people. After lunch I went to the snack bar and scrubbed EVERYTHING! That place is so clean now! I finished there right about the time when the barge came so there were truck loads of stuff to unload. We formed a sort of bucket bregade and shuffled all the food into the three coolers: Larry, Curly, and Moe. After that we hung around for a little until dinner. After dinner I went to set up the snack bar for Allison because she was opening by herself because I had an area head meeting right after vespers.
After I finished setting up I helped with the BOOKSTORE BLITZ! We moved everything from the temporary bookstore to the new/old bookstore in the Hotel Basement. It took until right before Vespers. Before Vespers I spoke with some woman who was from Copenhagen. I told her about Meredith falling in love with the city and she told me that it was dirty all the time and there was too much litter and graffiti. I thought that was funny. After Vespers I found out I was moving and then ran over to the snack bar. I made it there right before opening. It was slow again and the group from Trinity Lutheran in Lynnwood scooped. After cleaning up and closing Allison and I hot tubbed for a while until we got tired. Now we're here e-mailing our family members.
I think I just figured out how to get pop up here for the snack bar! Woohoo! Well, I'm pretty tired, all this getting up before 9am stuff kind of tuckers me out. I'll update soon. Enjoy foam hendge!
This is one of the Dutcheresque decorations in my room. This is hanging on the front of my door. One of the others I won't post here because it has Esme's address on it. You get the picture.
This is the sweet "Great job graduating" card Lee sent me. I just thought the cover, being his face and all, was so awesome I had to share.
That's all for now.
Amy
XOXOXOXO
Also, I learned tonight that they're moving all of the area heads (including me) into the chalets. I will be moving to Chalet 1. I haven't quite decided how I feel about the move since I'll be leaving some good friends but I'm sure it will be fine. I have to be moved out of my room in lodge 1 by the 8th. I walked out to the Labyrinth today with a few people. After lunch I went to the snack bar and scrubbed EVERYTHING! That place is so clean now! I finished there right about the time when the barge came so there were truck loads of stuff to unload. We formed a sort of bucket bregade and shuffled all the food into the three coolers: Larry, Curly, and Moe. After that we hung around for a little until dinner. After dinner I went to set up the snack bar for Allison because she was opening by herself because I had an area head meeting right after vespers.
After I finished setting up I helped with the BOOKSTORE BLITZ! We moved everything from the temporary bookstore to the new/old bookstore in the Hotel Basement. It took until right before Vespers. Before Vespers I spoke with some woman who was from Copenhagen. I told her about Meredith falling in love with the city and she told me that it was dirty all the time and there was too much litter and graffiti. I thought that was funny. After Vespers I found out I was moving and then ran over to the snack bar. I made it there right before opening. It was slow again and the group from Trinity Lutheran in Lynnwood scooped. After cleaning up and closing Allison and I hot tubbed for a while until we got tired. Now we're here e-mailing our family members.
I think I just figured out how to get pop up here for the snack bar! Woohoo! Well, I'm pretty tired, all this getting up before 9am stuff kind of tuckers me out. I'll update soon. Enjoy foam hendge!
This is one of the Dutcheresque decorations in my room. This is hanging on the front of my door. One of the others I won't post here because it has Esme's address on it. You get the picture.
This is the sweet "Great job graduating" card Lee sent me. I just thought the cover, being his face and all, was so awesome I had to share.
That's all for now.Amy
XOXOXOXO
The Snack Bar Continues
Yesterday morning I had my first garbology duty. I was told that there wasn't very much stuff so it didn't take very long. Here's what happens. You collect all the compost and recyclable materials from the village. Then bring it to the garbo loading dock. Sort the recyclables. Then go up to the second level where all the compost stuff is and mash up the compost stuff...then put it in it's place in the compost area. Spread saw dust on top, then ash on top of that. The ash keeps the smell down and the saw dust absorbs liquid. I stepped in some really raunchy garbo goop while shoveling and now my shoes smell so bad I had to put them on the porch to air out. Yuck. For the rest of the day I pretty much lounged around and relaxed, read by book and hung out with various people.
After vespers (we had them right after dinner at the tables) I ran around with Allison collecting all the things I need to set up for t he Snack bar later that night. Mostly staff volunteered so it was as easy as it could be. That was quite a relief because it was the first day with a lot of people showing up. It went pretty smoothly. After we finished closing and cleaning up, Allison and I headed over to this lady Beth's room to hang out for a while. We met her on the boat up and she was leaving today, she's a pastor on sabbatical.
After Beth's we headed over to the Lift where there was a hipster party. We danced and hung out for a long time. After that ended we soaked our feet in the hot tub then headed to bed.
This morning we said goodbye to Beth and her son Will. I think I'm going to be deep cleaning the snack bar so it doesn't constantly smell like ice cream today. Tonight I have my first area head meeting. There was talk during coffee break about all of the area heads moving into Chalet 12? Weird. Anywho, that's all for now, I have some things to do so that's it. One day I'll drag my laptop over here and put up pictures of foam henge and other things, I promise!!
I miss you all and am always thinking about you! xoxoxoxo
Amy
After vespers (we had them right after dinner at the tables) I ran around with Allison collecting all the things I need to set up for t he Snack bar later that night. Mostly staff volunteered so it was as easy as it could be. That was quite a relief because it was the first day with a lot of people showing up. It went pretty smoothly. After we finished closing and cleaning up, Allison and I headed over to this lady Beth's room to hang out for a while. We met her on the boat up and she was leaving today, she's a pastor on sabbatical.
After Beth's we headed over to the Lift where there was a hipster party. We danced and hung out for a long time. After that ended we soaked our feet in the hot tub then headed to bed.
This morning we said goodbye to Beth and her son Will. I think I'm going to be deep cleaning the snack bar so it doesn't constantly smell like ice cream today. Tonight I have my first area head meeting. There was talk during coffee break about all of the area heads moving into Chalet 12? Weird. Anywho, that's all for now, I have some things to do so that's it. One day I'll drag my laptop over here and put up pictures of foam henge and other things, I promise!!
I miss you all and am always thinking about you! xoxoxoxo
Amy
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Holden Village: The Beginning
Allison and I arrived in the village Monday afternoon after a long long trek from home. We were welcomed by Virginia and Esme Dutcher, complete with a sign! We had lunch and hung out for a while. They helped me bring my stuff to my room. When we got there they had decorated my room in a very Dutcheresque fashion (pictures to come).
After they left, the day pretty much consisted of getting to know a bunch of people, except for a short stint in the snack bar learning the very basics of what is supposed to happen. Yesterday (Tuesday) was a little more action packed. After breakfast, Allison and I went for a short hike to 10 mile falls. We made it back just in time for coffee break. We then attempted to play frisbee golf up on the second level but were not successful because of my insane lack of direction. We looked at the map in the hike haus after we came down and now we're pretty sure we can figure it out. After our frisbee failure, we read on the porch for a while and then hung out by the river seeing who could skip rocks the highest. We meet more and more people...some of whom I can remember names for :). I checked out t he candy at the bookstore and made friends with some people in there who soon after confused me with someone else. I found Paul, my direct supervisor here, we spoke for a while about expectations for the snack bar and where I am right now in my life. After dinner, the road exploded into a massive game of kickball. After that we all sort of went into the fireside room (where vespers are still being held) for an evening worship service. A little after the service, a bunch of us went in the sauna. By a bunch of us I mean A BUNCH OF US. We were in there for a long time; my hands got prunny. After the sauna, we hung out some more on the porch swing (sensing a pattern) then eventually went to bed. This morning we all woke up to a foam version of stone henge in the grass next to the arc. It's called foam henge.
Now, I'm just waiting for 9am to come, I'm going on up to the third level. After that I have my first go at dish team. Then, maybe Allison and I will hike to Hart lake? Who knows. I still have to get into contact with a lot of people about training me for snack bar, and ordering ice cream, and setting up my stipend. The Snack bar opens on Saturday under my care for the first time. I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed about all the things that need to happen before then (and being overwhelmed at Holden is a completely new thing for me), but what better place to deal with stress than the least stressful place I have yet to come across. Right now, there is a lot of "talk to this person, then talk to this person". I have no idea who these people are. I'm finding the staff wall (my picture is up, it's official!) to be very helpful!
That's all for now, I have to run. I miss you all very much and look forward to hearing from you! Hopefully it won't be so long between now and my next post!!
XOXOXOXO
After they left, the day pretty much consisted of getting to know a bunch of people, except for a short stint in the snack bar learning the very basics of what is supposed to happen. Yesterday (Tuesday) was a little more action packed. After breakfast, Allison and I went for a short hike to 10 mile falls. We made it back just in time for coffee break. We then attempted to play frisbee golf up on the second level but were not successful because of my insane lack of direction. We looked at the map in the hike haus after we came down and now we're pretty sure we can figure it out. After our frisbee failure, we read on the porch for a while and then hung out by the river seeing who could skip rocks the highest. We meet more and more people...some of whom I can remember names for :). I checked out t he candy at the bookstore and made friends with some people in there who soon after confused me with someone else. I found Paul, my direct supervisor here, we spoke for a while about expectations for the snack bar and where I am right now in my life. After dinner, the road exploded into a massive game of kickball. After that we all sort of went into the fireside room (where vespers are still being held) for an evening worship service. A little after the service, a bunch of us went in the sauna. By a bunch of us I mean A BUNCH OF US. We were in there for a long time; my hands got prunny. After the sauna, we hung out some more on the porch swing (sensing a pattern) then eventually went to bed. This morning we all woke up to a foam version of stone henge in the grass next to the arc. It's called foam henge.
Now, I'm just waiting for 9am to come, I'm going on up to the third level. After that I have my first go at dish team. Then, maybe Allison and I will hike to Hart lake? Who knows. I still have to get into contact with a lot of people about training me for snack bar, and ordering ice cream, and setting up my stipend. The Snack bar opens on Saturday under my care for the first time. I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed about all the things that need to happen before then (and being overwhelmed at Holden is a completely new thing for me), but what better place to deal with stress than the least stressful place I have yet to come across. Right now, there is a lot of "talk to this person, then talk to this person". I have no idea who these people are. I'm finding the staff wall (my picture is up, it's official!) to be very helpful!
That's all for now, I have to run. I miss you all very much and look forward to hearing from you! Hopefully it won't be so long between now and my next post!!
XOXOXOXO
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