Someday when I leave this earth, I hope people remember me thusly: "She loved to bring people together." In all aspects of my life I try to build community, or take part in strengthening my ties to existing groups. I go to dKos meetups as often as my schedule allows, and Netroots Nation without fail, knock on wood. I go to actual real-space music jams with musicians and fans I know from the online world of Second Life. This past weekend, Mr. Brillig and I took the kids and headed off to forge a few more links with another community of ours. Follow me below the orange ocean wave after a word from our sponsor...
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As do many Unitarian Universalist congregations in the region, ours goes on a yearly weekend retreat to Ferry Beach in Saco, Maine. For the past 5 years we've heard how amazingly wonderful this weekend was: quiet beach, campfires and s'mores, music, worship, and the Talent/No-Talent Show. And every year we had a reason why we couldn't go. Until this year, when K1 made clear we had to go because her youth group friends would be there and had told her it was the best weekend ever. Mr. Brillig was sold on the idea when a friend who goes every year told him that (a) the kids go off on their own, generally popping back around for meals and sleep; and (b) nothing is mandatory, you can do anything or nothing at all.
What followed was one of the best weekends I've ever had, on par with the spectacular times I've had at Netroots Nation and at SL Jams. Let me share it with you, and in the comments I'd love to know what if anything my weekend stirs up in your experiences.
We arrived Friday in a light drizzle, met by friends who'd arrived earlier. K2 launched himself from the car and ran off with his two best friends to play, while K1's friends helped us carry our stuff to our room. Whereupon I discovered that "dormitory style" did in fact mean bunk beds for all. For the record, Mr. Brillig is a top bunker while I got the below one :).
Bunk beds! Faces cropped out because I am sure posting pictures of the Ks sleeping will ensure I end up in the crappy nursing home later in life:
Accommodations were in several buildings, but meals were served buffet style in a large common dining room, with staff preparing meals/doing dishes and families signing up to take turns wiping tables and putting up chairs so the floors could be mopped. An actual bell was run to announce mealtimes. I was impressed with the variety... at every meal there were vegan and gluten-free options to accommodate our group's dietary needs. Best of all, hot coffee, water for tea, and iced tea/lemonade was available at all hours!
As it was raining Friday evening, we postponed the campfire and a group of us opted to make music until 11pm quiet hours. Guitars, drums, shakers and voices a-plenty, plus one incredibly musically talented family also brought violin, viola and ukelele (and kazoos!). A spirited game of Cards Against Humanity finished the evening. Several brave teens played with the older generation; K1 stared at me and refused, claiming she'll only play with other teens. I see that as a challenge to overcome next year :). Here's a view from my dorm building porch of the dining hall/communal sitting area, just behind the beach volleyball net and swingset:
The sun streams in pretty early on the Atlantic coast, and I found myself awake earlier than on typical weekend days. Saturday I slipped out before anyone else in my room was awake and took a walk on the beach:
Sunday I got up just a little too late to attend the waterfront meditation:
I did manage my own meditation, sitting in a rocking chair on the porch sipping a mug of "Thunderbolt" coffee:
Both kids had a great time NOT glued to electronics. K2 spent Saturday on that volleyball area playing games with his friends (he's one of the kids in that picture above) except for a walk on the beach with his Dad to hunt for shells. I have never before heard him say his feet were tired from playing! K1 had nearly 48 hours with her peers hanging out on the beach, eating together, and having the kinds of conversations and moments only extended time together brings. Here's K1 and friends contemplating the horizon:
What I enjoyed most about this weekend was how unstructured it was. At any given time some people were on the beach, others reading on a porch, napping, sitting in the dining hall playing Risk or knitting. Probably the most attended events besides mealtime were Preprandial before Saturday dinner where everyone brought an appetizer to share, and the Talent/No-talent show Saturday evening. There was another congregation there, and we forged bonds with them over food and music. There were marshmallows to roast after the talent show, with more singing once flashlights appeared to light up the songbooks:
Mr. Brillig got his relaxation time, and remarked how nice it was not to have anyone needing him. No work, no I'm bored, play with me Daddy, no chores or should-do's, and I'd left word that if Top Mojo borked he'd fix it Monday :). Just casual conversations and quiet time:
We did have a Sunday worship service, a short piece on noticing the world around us. Instead of breaking bread together, we shared the bottle of bug spray I'd brought! Surrounded by the tall trees, the diversity of religious experience that Unitarian Universalism encompasses all felt at home:
As we finished lunch, the children and youth had a spirited game of not-quite-volleyball. It was the only time everyone from elementary to high school were together, and Mr. Brillig and I remarked how seldom both our kids can engage in one activity and enjoy it:
I knew from past Netroots and Jams it would be hard to leave, and indeed it was. Going back to daily life after time spent in close community can feel isolating. While K2 slept in sheer exhaustion, Mr. Brillig, K1 and I reminded ourselves that in a few short weeks we'll be in Detroit with many of you, our dKos family. We can't wait!
Where do you find community, or retreat from it all to find peace?
One of the joys of this community is my collaborator BeninSC, who has shown me how much more fun writing nights can be when someone else takes care of the Tops. As you've probably noticed we often split the diary duties between us, and having I love it. Thank you Ben!
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
From Mopshell:
This comment title-only comment from ontheleftcoast in Jen Hayden's fine diary about a 93 yo voter in Alabama being turned away is just terrific! (Sadly out of recommendability, but please reply in the thread to thank otlc!)
From commonmass:
In Markos' diary about the Maine gubernatorial race, Davis X Machina sums up the perennial, narcissistic candidacy of Eliot Cutler in this excellent comment.
(Ed. note: Isn't that a great dKos nickname?!)
From Pam from Calif:
I have a comment thread nomination beginning with LaFeminista's Tip Jar, begun by this comment from ontheleftcoast. That comment and the subsequent comment thread are perfect.
From BeninSC:
I really liked this comment from meromorphic in Daily Kos Elections, with terrific California detail, complete with analytical observations!
From Yours Truly, brillig:
From Laura Clawson's Mega-rich Walmart heirs give almost none of their own money to Walton Family Foundation comes this gem from Catte Nappe with a little more info on Sam Walton*'s philosophy on charity.
I think Tinfoil Hat has it right about where the new front on open carry is, or should, be. Great thread. In Hunter's Open Carry Texas targets Target.
Some comment flags for tonight:
Flagged by 88kathy, this comment by itsjim has a mathematical twist!
Flagged by Yasuragi, this comment by dizzydean is out of recommendability, but still worth a read, on reparations.
Top Mojo for yesterday, June 3rd, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary
FAQing Top Mojo.
1) I broke up a bar fight, at a neighboring bar by Marcus Tullius — 196
2) I just cannot get into my mind why anyone by LaFeminista — 146
3) You really couldn't make this shit up .... by jrooth — 122
4) What I want to know is, what does "winning" by zenbassoon — 118
5) It was just a joke by Horace Boothroyd III — 111
6) You could, but you'd be howled out of by cai — 103
7) I'm sure that if Mitt Romney had made the deal, by commonmass — 92
8) Not as easy as that by elmo — 89
9) Forget even that: bullets don't stop by The Geogre — 84
10) Also, please forgive any by Marcus Tullius — 83
11) Beautiful. by One Pissed Off Liberal — 81
12) What's mind-boggling is how he and his ilk by Silencio — 81
13) About right by oofer — 78
14) Spot on by Justaperson — 76
15) "Learning stuff is French." :) by CenPhx — 75
16) GOP loves the thrill of war by 88kathy — 73
17) most of the open carry people don't seem to have by entlord — 73
18) I think what Sarah Palin admires most about by Susan from 29 — 71
19) I just reacted. by Marcus Tullius — 70
20) There's a whole bunch of stupid going on here... by markthshark — 69
21) Obama should've traded Allen West away. by ontheleftcoast — 69
22) He took an infant and a gun to a bar?! by brooklynbadboy — 68
23) The title of the diary is great :) by Silencio — 68
24) that worker is about to own a cotton gin. by G2geek — 65
25) He also demonstrates why we have to by cai — 65
26) If I expect that anyone will be "packing heat," by Radiowalla — 64
27) I hope he gets to tell his story before the by LaFeminista — 63
28) Regarding problems for seniors in TX by Catte Nappe — 63
29) Now if we can make the hypocrisy hit the MSM... by zenbassoon — 62
30) Learning languages is particularly un-American by EWembley — 62
2014-06-03 Top Comments with Pictures, courtesy of
jotter!