I spent the evening reading Lawrence Lessig and learning new songs with my string band. We’ve been having practice sessions where we take turns introducing new songs to the group. For the sake of confusion I’m going to share two songs in different file 
formats so there’s a good chance you can’t listen to one of them. Charlie showed us how to play Joshua Fit De Battle Ob Jericho (WMA) and Pig Ankle Rag (mp3) is a song that Erin and Charlie taught to Kendra and I tonight. All the files hosted on the internet archive CC.
Category: people
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rigadoo – old time acoustic music
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Gardening only leads to more chicken photos
Today folks were relaxing in the yard.
While Kannan and JohnE dug a fresh bed. Wherever there’s fresh dirt, the chickens gotta peck at it.
(click on the picture to see it full size!)
JohnE tried to feed the chickens.
And then he did some majestic shirtless log juggling.
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House Meeting, march 16, 2009
I wouldn’t normally blog about a house meeting, but our meeting today was really enjoyable and I wanted to explain how we organize ourselves and stay informed. We set aside an hour each week to discuss things of importance related to the house. An agenda is made up on the spot as we begin by proposing what things need to be addressed. We depend on whiteboard and dry erase technology to keep track of the meeting, and notes are taken with someone’s computer. All notes get posted to our internal house wiki that contains a variety of things no one will ever see but us.
Today’s meeting was beautiful. Food was prepared and we ate outside on the pic-nic table. Fresh eggs served from cast-iron, mmm, mmm, mmm. We were short one housemate, Jacob, who was at a cybernetics conference in Washington. We had a lot to talk about but the meeting went quickly and we were soon done and working in the garden. With the warm weather and time-change I can sense that we no longer need to worry about seasonal depression. I have a bit of a sunburn to prove it, too.
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House Concerturtle
Last Friday, March 6, La Casa (under the MCery of friend & former resident Anna) hosted Concerturtle (!) – an evening of performances of (mostly) new experimental works. Three residents (including your humble narrator) participated in music-making. We packed our living room with delightful human beings, kept our guests in grape juice & popcorn, & followed the festivities with a talk-back session & a bonfire in our garden. I (for one) thought it went swimmingly.
The “Program”:
- False Statement Bulletin, by Jacob.
Hi there,
Do you remember this assignment? Here are two versions:
“Write a statement that you want to be true.”
“Write a statement that is unfortunately false in current society.”I want this assignment to linger in the air for a while. I find that I’m never quite done with it. Dr. Parenti recommends exercising your “desiring muscles” frequently enough that they at least don’t atrophy.
So, I’m starting a weekly bulletin: This Week in Desire Statements. Send false statements and related artworks & project links to unfortunately DOT… false AAT… gmail DOT… com, and every Friday (I hope) I’ll put
together something out of it.Thanks,
Jacob Barton- The Solution to the Problem btw Israel & Palestine, by JARband.
More about this piece here.
- Playing (with) Policy, by AnAndR.
- The Squirrel’s Nut, a story composed & told by elizaBeth.
- Bagatelle No. 1, performed by Snow Leopard & Jacob.
- Duke of Uke & His Novelty Orchestra, performed by Dave, Lorene & ?.
- Rigadoo, performed by JP, Erin, Charlie & Kendra.
Rigadoo plays some hot bluegrass & Celtic music with traditional instruments & a set of mesmerizing “chakra bowls”; the Duke of Uke plays funky tunes on ukulele (accompanied, in this instance, by electric bass, tuba, & backup singin’); Snow Leopard arranged Bagatelle No. 1 (by whom?) for keyboard & udderbot; elizaBeth shared a draft of a story for children pointing to the absurdities of capitalism with talking rodents!
We six La Casans have inherited a tradition of house concerts – a tradition I happen to adore. I can think of no better venue for a show than a good friend’s living room!
UPDATE: some photos from the event,
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Moona…luna…tuna… Heather and Maria’s cooking night!
I am smiling because cooking is one of my favorite things to do at La Casa, and tonight was my night to cook! Potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, wheat flour, soy butter, bouillon, curry, and nutritional yeast in a pot equals… moon soup! Over dinner, we decided that the soup resembled the surface of our lovely luna (which is one more word that rhymes with tuna and Unah, woohoo!) Although it’s not the most photogenic pot of soup I’ve ever made, it hit the spot on this cold night along with Maria’s mother’s recipes for egg tuna and tuna salad on fresh bread. Between these two entrees, and some delicious leftovers from Ronna and Andrew’s feast last night, we accommodated the vegans, vegetarians, and fish eaters of the house in one meal.
photos by JP
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Spring Comes Early in the Garden
Last Friday was a beautiful day. After a day at work I came home to find housemates and friends working in the garden.
Drew, Rob and JP clearing out bamboo to make room for fresh beds.
The chickens were out pecking for worms and enjoying the nice weather.
Sophie was really excited about the chickens.
The bamboo was burned.
And the resulting fire was strangely beautiful.
Just another day at La Casa. -
AndR self-description
I, Andrew Heathwaite, moved to La Casa (& Urbana) in fall 2008 to attend School for Designing a Society. I’ve never loved where I’m livin’ like I love this place. Living here, I feel free to work on the thoughts & conversations I want to have. Physical space allows for mental/spiritual space; intimate friendships allow for emotional needs fulfillment.
“I”:
I work on music, language, writing, performance, with an intention to generate alternatives & variety in Everydaylife (when is Everyday?) & in the spaces between. Most recently, I’ve enjoyed time (not “spent”) meditating, composing & performing music in 17 equal divisions of the octave (a juicy microtonal scale), writing poems, playing (with) policy, reading ancient Asian texts, digitizing Herbert Brün audio, participating in morning chats with Drew, walking Sophie, stocking shelves, digging holes, potluck hopping, & breathing.
I love it here, & intend to stay for a while. Visit! Let’s talk Universe.
Links:
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Garden Concert
(1) Braden Eliot plays guitar at a concert in the garden.
(2) It was a cool and wet spring, here is an image of the swale full of cold water, with the willow trees still dormant. -
Gardening Day at La Casa, April 20, 2008
Gardening Day at La Casa, April 20, 2008.
(1) an invoice for some perennials: the 25 Cavendish Strawberries were planted by the willow, and mostly eaten by squirrels, the Candice and Interlaken seedless grapes were planted on the west side of the garden, and in late April Rob built a trellis for them to grow on, (Rob planted the 2 Elderberries elsewhere).
(2) Kyra’s map of her garden plans, circa February/March 2008.
(3) Kyra with some herb beds she build around the Aronia and Gooseberry on the east side.
