Last Thursday’s Community Dinner was the first we have been able to hold on the patio that all three houses share, in back of the Overhill house. And, we’ve decided for the first time, to continue our Thursday dinners all summer long, rather than take off until IU starts up again in late August. Why? Well, I guess we must be having a lot of fun! Plus our dinners have become the principal time for people who are interested in what we are doing here to join us. If you come at 6:30 p.m., you can get The Tour. Otherwise, come at 7:00 p.m.

I don’t know if there has ever been a dinner that did not hold at least one person who we has never joined us before. It’s a merry roving band of outliers to the existing suburban culture of separation aiming to bring in the new multidimensional culture of sharing — within ourselves, with each other, with other species, and with the good Earth. As our motto puts it: “building community from the ground up.”

This past Thursday, we were  excited to know that after dinner we would all be treated to the one and only bassoon concerto in the western canon —

— featuring podmate (and newly awarded doctorate in music from IU) Andreas on the old piano that Annie, who often joins us for dinners, found on the side of the road, and Alex, on bassoon. She lives here at Overhill, and Dan, I, and the puppies are all quite used to the distinctive notes of bassoon tuning up behind her closed bedroom door. At first it startled. Now it’s just life!

THE DINNER

THE CONCERT

Trooping over to the second DeKist house, none of us had any idea what to expect. Alex told me they had practiced once;  that’s all they needed since both are such gifted and seasoned performers.

We all sat in respectful silence at one end of the big living room that former podmate Briana said years ago, was just made for music, and concerts. So, it felt fitting and right that Briana happened to be visiting from Valpariso on this night when we held our first concert!

Here we go . . .

All in all, very exciting. Jelene, standing in front, got it all on film. Maybe to go on our new youtube channel?

In any case, Andreas and Alex just helped us leap into yet another, even more expanded and differentiated cultural space of inclusion, sharing, generosity, arts, education, and huge huge fun.

You can just imagine the wild cheering at the end!

Alex told me afterwards that this is how she would like to do concerts. Barefoot. YES!