Went to Tom Munnecke's first Boston get-together for Uplift Academy this Monday. It's an effort to stregthen and extend a network for those who do good on this earth -- a valiant effort still in nascent stages.
Met some great people there doing interesting things. Charles Mclean showed us pictures of the cohousing community he helped create in Portland, OR. It's a group of condos where everyone pitches in to help out, they share meals a couple of times a week, and they all get to use the communal toolshed, workbench, lawnmower, laundry, etc.
Charles has no biological kids of his own and is enjoying "having children" as much as, I'm sure, the kids' biological parents enjoy sending their kids over to Charles' place. It's not a dream world every day, because having a "family" that big and that close by is a lot of work; but it seems to me that it is a very good solution for growing old gracefully if you don't have family around to visit and take care of you -- and for raising children if you are maxed out with professional and other responsibilities. Like having a little "village" in the middle of a big city. Cool.
I also met Darlene Charneco and had a chance to look at pictures of some of her sculptures. I loved them! Her latest projects involve taking written work and encrypting it into nails on boards. The nails are hammered in at different positions according to the text she is following. People have actually been able to read her "writing" -- fascinating. See examples of her work on her homepage and her gallery.
Darlene gives 10% of her profits from everything she earns to charity. So if you buy her work, you're giving money "to help provide opportunity and education in developing countries" - a good extra incentive for would-be buyers!
Everyone else was doing cool stuff as well - thanks to Tom for getting us together.
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