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<title>Call for Community - Blizzard 2010 or Did we know that
Sustainability also implies Community?</title>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Iona Conner
[mailto:ionaconner@embarqmail.com] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, February 08, 2010 8:15 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Undisclosed-Recipient:;<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Fw: Call for Community - Blizzard 2010 or Did we know that
Sustainability also implies Community?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Sent:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> Monday, February 08,
2010 6:15 AM<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Subject:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> Call for Community -
Blizzard 2010 or Did we know that Sustainability also implies Community?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>(hi all, feel free to share and have your
own community gathering... ;~)<br>
<br>
</span>It’s 4:45 on Monday morning and something has kicked my brain into gear
on this very cold February morning. Baltimore just received upwards of 36
inches of snow two days ago and ‘paralyzed’ is the best word I know to describe
my street, at least. We have not seen any sign of a plow here. Not to mention
most of the region, from what I’ve gathered. (From the internet solely – my TV
digital converter box decided to die on Friday night too. Ah, the timing…)<br>
<br>
So I lay in bed and pondered how to still my mind to return to slumber. Then my
heat kicked on. Mind was already kicked on, and the heat joined it. You see, I
keep my thermostat at 55º, so this house is cold. <br>
<br>
When the heat came on, I thought of two of my friends who lost electricity in
the past two days. One was without it for 24 hours, and the other for 8 hours.
Both of them lost their heat in these frigid temps. I’m mighty grateful for
having natural gas to heat my house. But then it struck me that I don’t even
know what will happen if my electricity does go out – will this affect my
furnace?<br>
<br>
We’re supposed to get another 6 to 12 inches of snow in another day and a half.
This will be on top of all that is on the ground. Is there such a word as
‘super-duper-paralyzed’? I mean, we’re talking about up to 48 inches of snow in
less of a week!<br>
<br>
But then again, one of my neighbors has a new land rover car which might, might
be able to get out. I have lots of butter and munchies in my larder. Maybe
another neighbor has an extra good supply of kitty litter? <br>
<br>
What if we all got together tonight for a fun block gathering, ala trudge in
the snow and got our heads together to see how we could help each other make it
through the next week or so until our roads are clear and we can pick up on our
‘normal’ lives.<br>
<br>
(Is anything normal anymore, with this climate chaos that we’re experiencing?)<br>
<br>
So I got the brainstorm to organize a community gathering tonight. We’ve got
several elderly widows in their 80’s on my block. Another older man has
leukemia. We’ve all got cabin fever of various levels. And maybe someone on my
block can tell me whether my heat will go off if we lose electricity. <br>
<br>
I’m going to suggest that we keep it simple, make some tea and coffee and share
some potluck snacks. We can bring a list of personal necessities in short
supply for the coming few days and see if anyone has some surplus. We can tell
jokes about the snow and wax poetic about its beauty. We might even get silly.<br>
<br>
But more than anything, we’ll remember that we’re a community and we can truly
behave like one. And if there is one thing about this whole concept of
sustainability that does not get aired enough, it’s that sustainability also
means creating community and learning to share more and listen to each other
more, and be there for each other – more. <br>
<br>
I’m looking forward to tonight. It’s going to be fun. And I’m tired of trying
to entertain myself at home alone anyway. Plus, I could use some more kitty
litter, soon. <br>
<br>
<br>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>-- <br>
Mare Cromwell<br>
Sacred Gardening Specialist, author, speaker<br>
410-448-3679<br>
<a href="http://www.sacreddogllc.com">http://www.sacreddogllc.com</a><br>
Blog: <a href="http://marecromwell.wordpress.com/">http://marecromwell.wordpress.com/</a><br>
<br>
“If I gave you God's phone number....Searching for Spirituality in America”<br>
<a href="http://www.tocallgod.net">http://www.tocallgod.net</a><br>
Read Now - <a href="http://bit.ly/8NlqZw">http://bit.ly/8NlqZw</a><br>
<br>
<i>"Not only is another world possible. She is on her way. On a quiet day,
I<br>
can hear her breathing.”<br>
</i> - Arundhati Roy<br>
<br>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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