The time of year between September and December is filled with a sense of urgency as a natural builder. It’s the time when the last of plastering can be done, with enough time for it to dry before the cold weather sets in. It’s time to wrap up outdoor projects before we move into the building (now called The Hub) for the winter, to concentrate on indoor projects.

Liz here, to share the latest news from Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. 

K* and I worked hard on the addition concrete block wall, until we finally called it for the year when weeks of cold weather hit. We got pretty far, as all the mortaring is done (thank goodness!), “J” bolts mortared in place, ready for the sill plate to be attached in the spring. This concrete block wall contains a lot of human and embodied energy in it, which I hope is worth it for strength to stand up to storms and tornados. If there ever is a next time using concrete blocks for a wall, at least I’ll know ahead of time what I’m in for.

And as it is with a lot of hard things, the moment they are in the rear view mirror, I cease to fret about it, and I start thinking about what is ahead.

The last of the four visitor sessions for the year ended a week ago. Joe and Alex stayed on from the last session, moving almost seamlessly into community life. The Village Council (our governing body) approved next year’s programs with six visitor sessions, three natural building programs (one of them a women’s natural building workshop led by Danielle and me at The Hub), several student groups, and a women’s retreat led by Danielle.

October is frequently a much colder month than November, and this year is no exception. Survival instinct kicks in, forcing me to get ready for winter, with cleaning my stove pipe, ordering and stacking wood , stockpiling some food and sundries, and de-cluttering my house for peace of mind while I spend more time indoors. There are frequent arrivals of trailers filled with firewood for Rabbits as we settle into the rhythm of winter.

Today K* and I will put up the tarp on the west side of The Hub to protect the clay plaster from the onslaught of weather over the winter. We’ll do check ins and then turn our attention to starting the bathroom: tadelakt shower walls, tile floor, mosaic tile shower interior. Graham will be finishing up the kitchen cabinets. I’m hoping we can do some next steps on the masonry heater, such as attaching the oven door and installing a stone mantel. The pressure is on to be ready with a full kitchen and bathroom by next September for our women’s natural building retreat.

Halloween at Dancing Rabbit comes in the form of the Halloween Fiasco. Households sign up to be stops on a parade through the village by costumed participants, serving warm drinks and snacks. I heard it was fun and cold.

November is the on farm Board meeting, where we host Board members from the CSCC Board of Directors. We present reports from committees, share meals, coffee group catch ups, and a tour of the village. This year I gave an update on what the Long Term Planning Committee has been working on this past year. Connie cooked a fabulous dim sum dinner and Chinese food, with me and Cat as her chopping and assembling assistants. We made won tons, green onion pancakes and bean curd wraps, among other delicious dishes.

Lately I’ve taken on a (not so small) side project. Allium is a straw bale cottage and one of the oldest buildings at DR and I offered to give it a modest makeover. The building itself is in great shape, but has some minor plaster repairs needed on the exterior, some mold removal on the inside and general cosmetic things, such as painting and cleaning. There’s also a hole in the gable end of the building and raccoons have been able to live in the attic off and on, which needs to be repaired. 

Housing at DR is getting tight, so every available living space that can be offered is a plus. In the spring I hope to upgrade the building's exterior plaster, creating more of a tight connection between the bottom of the walls and the stem wall. This helps keep moisture out and rodents from being able to get into the walls. But still, this dear little cottage is in great shape for its age, and it will make me happy to see people living there full time.

As we head into a gentler November, but still heading toward winter, I am reminded that winter is the season of rest and dormancy. As I incorporate more self care habits into my day along those lines, I came across this quote from Heather Plett, who wrote a book and teaches workshops on Holding Space, and I leave you with it:

“I want to challenge the narrative around exceptionalizing self care, rest and living (and working) at a human, anti-capitalist pace, in places that nourish us. We should all have a right to live that way, and instead of congratulating those who do, as though they are some kind of unicorn for actually choosing a lifestyle where rest and care are prioritized, we should be asking ourselves why we haven’t collectively created a culture where we ALL get to do it, where it’s the norm.”

Liz Hackney is the editor of this newsletter, a natural builder, an acupuncturist and coffee group host. She is ready for a cozy winter, filled with fun building projects and coffee group in the morning.