http://www.highvalley.org/High-Valley-blog.html Occasional contributions submitted by members of the High Valley Community. en-us High Valley Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:55:43 GMT Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:55:43 GMT highvalley.org http://www.highvalley.org/Occasional-Notes.html Occasional Notes added by members of the community from time to time Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:55:42 GMT http://www.highvalley.org/calendar.html Calendar of events at High Valley Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:52:02 GMT http://www.highvalley.org/Elizabeth-Cunningham.html Elizabeth Cunningham's books are show-cased here, as well as some of her poems relevant to High Valley. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:16:36 GMT http://www.highvalley.org/newsletter.html High Valley Newsletter summarizes last year's events. Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:54:28 GMT http://www.highvalley.org/High-Valley-blog.html#Lughnasad/Lammas High Valley has its own version of Lughnasad. I view the day as a celebration of summer, of the plenty that begins to overwhelm us in the garden at this time of year. In the Virginia countryside, it's said that people lock their doors in August to prevent their neighbors from unloading their excess zucchinis. At High Valley we made and decorated arepas (Venezuelan cornbread), then later we blessed them in ritual, before "eating the sun." Before that we wandered outside and looked for omens: I saw a very persistent and determined butterfly that kept on going back to a lush clump of tiger lilies overlooking "Lake Almosta." And I then ate some cloudberries, shiny red and a sweet distillation of the sun. Elizabeth watched a bee foraging among the beebalm and proclaimed "Pollination." We were going to have the ritual outside, walk the labyrinth, convene around a fire, but it rained all morning, and didn't clear until about a half hour before the ritual (we've had rain almost every other day all summer), so Cait and Elizabeth adapted. We gathered inside, chanted, danced and tranced, and then went outside for finding our omens, a kind of walking, humming meditation. When we came back inside, we chanted more, called out our omens, then concluded in a frenzy--and a surprise. Sue found her way to the center of the circle: she had an announcement. She noted that she and Rhianna had been together now for a year and a day; she ended down on one knee, asking Rhianna to marry her! Rhianna was completely surprised; then she said, "Yes!" After that, there was cake and mead as well as wine and arepas, and a whole lot else, including a peach pie that didn't last long. It was also sunny and warm and picnickers spread out on the lawns. About those zucchinis and the season of abundance: it is that time of year. Our two house-guests went back to the city with about three fresh squash apiece. I made the mistake in May of planting seeds on both the eastern and western ends of my garden; only the western ones are producing so far, but it's clear we're going to be overrun. Even with all the rain and clouds, the corn is almost ready, too. Thanks be to the goddess! Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:10:29 GMT http://www.highvalley.org/Fall-Color.html Fall color at High Valley Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:34:32 GMT http://www.highvalley.org/High-Valley-blog.html#Welcome-to-the-Community-Forum Members are here defined as anyone who has been at High Valley, either as a visitor, as a participant in our events, or as a former student at High Valley School, or a camper at High Valley Camp. What will be posted? Reminiscences, poems, ideas for the future (which might generate discussion), clarifications of other pages on this site, or anything that seems relevant to High Valley. This is a forum to help us maintain community. Probably not all submissions will be posted. The selections will be made by me, the webmaster. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:18:18 GMT