Blistering. Today, summer finally started to show its teeth with temperatures around 102, and threatening to get worse in the next few days. But the Barnies, gathered in the LRB, fought back with our secret weapon - four flavors of ice cream. Oh yeah... much better.
Shielded from the heat, we spent some time mulling over an idea I had originally posted on Facebook, about the bartering/time bank concept. A friend of mine in Los Angeles is active in a Time Bank program there, and I've been very intrigued with his reports. This idea dovetails nicely into the thought I've had for a long time, that the JRF community could do something very similar.
In a community like ours, and many others, the members each possess lots of amazing skills, interests and passions. They also have certain weakness or needs. The beauty of community is that these strengths and weaknesses can fit together like puzzle pieces to form some wholeness. Sort of like the Avengers, we can band together and take advantage of all the amazing things each one of us can do. I help you, you help our friend, our friend helps me. It all comes back around. We keep the resources local, cut down on the need for cash (or debt), and we live Awesome. Sound interesting?
We have a lot more mulling and research to do, but I think we've started a very good conversation. To help us along, I sent a sign-up sheet around the room today, having any interested Barnies sign their name, list their skills (or Superpowers, as I like to call them) no matter how unusual, and their contact information. We'll build from this list. If you'd like to be included, please drop me an e-mail - the more the Awesomer. If you have any ideas about how you think this might work, please let me know. I'll be stewing on it too.
In the meantime, we packed the LRB with an almost-record-breaking group of friends - some old-timers and some first-timers, and shared our common thread (get it?) by knitting, crocheting, and spinning together.
Denise DOMINATED our Show and Tell time with all her State Fair entries! Wow, has this girl been busy!
Hanane's tri-loom piece, whipped out in very short order...
Annie takes a break from her stitching while Gin continues work on her very gorgeous embroidery piece.
Lisa takes notes and Hilary spins alpaca.
Suggie knits and enjoys her first time back to the LRB in some time.
Grandma Tutu, also absent too long, joins us again with a beautiful lace piece - with the right amount of stitches on the needles!
Rita dug deeeeeep into the stash to find this bright yellow roving.
Sweet Brenda was back after an extended absence. Life has a way of pulling us away from our true loves sometimes, but just for seasons.
Smokey navigated all the whirling spinning wheels without getting her tail caught. We were in awe.
Greta's soft yarn.
CJ's funny stories.
Solving sock issues.
Tutu's ride comes to fetch her. Hiya Phil!
We are an awesome band of Avengers. I hope you'll suit up with us to find out how we can all contribute to the shallow places in each others' lives, filling them up, rounding them out, and being filled in return.
