Our expanded Common Hourse

This is the finished Common House addition, in the foreground with a lighter finish than the original building. We have three meals together in this building as well as celebrations, parties and meetings along with the occasional community-wide brunch or lunch. The community started out with 12 families, we're up to 17, and the Common House was very cramped; the addition was definitely needed.

Our Common House addition is finished, and it adds about half again to the space. The old section now has enough table space for all our residents, should they all come to a common meal, though in most cases not everyone is there. We have a generous amount of space for guests in the usual course of events. Pix of the finished product coming soon; here's the frame, which gives a good idea of the size of the addition.

Two babies at Cantine's Island have really brought the average age of this community down. Top photo is Jen Triplett with her daughter, Charlotte, born February 22. Jasper is lying on the couch in our Common House. Lower photo is Leah Novak with her son, Jasper, who was born March 29.

Resuming a blog for a new year

I've been neglecting this site, as I'm not sure anyone is reading it. Also, I don't really know my way around this blog, and I haven't been able to do all the things I would like to in a blog. With the end of the year coming up, following a holiday party at which our newest participating members joined us, it seems that one New Year's resolution would be to keep this blot going.
The photos are from our party, at which we had a gift exchange, in which everyone contributed a gift, then people drew from the pile of packages in order based on a drawing. Participants could choose to "steal" a gift someone else had drawn or to draw one from the stack.
One of the nice things about this community is the number of kids, ranging in age from just over one year to 13, with some former young residents now grown up and on their own or away at college. We have two more on the way, so we are beginning to raise a generation that was born into cohousing. 

Looks like we may be finding a solution to our barge problem. Village Trustee Patrick Landewe will be coming to our meeting to discuss the village's removal of the old wreck. The barge was left by the former owner of the property, and it has gradually deteriorated to a mess of boards and shingles. Unfortunately, Kathy and I will be performing at the town's Old Timers Day, which includes a concert. Or possibly fortuanately; we've been looking forard to this for some time - we just didn't count on this being the day the barge options would be presented.

Making scarecrows

One of the great things about cohousing is the way people share kids. We all plan and participate in activities, and kids in this neighborhood have a wide circle adults they know and trust. We have a few kids of similar ages, but more would be nice - this is a fairly elderly community. But a bunch of kids building scarecrows in a room full of hay and old clothes can make us all younger.

We at Cantine's Island volunteer in the community, with members on the Library Board, several town committees and other community organizations. Some of our members volunteer with the Esopus Conservancy, and the community has agreed to maintain one of the trails. Doug Engel led a group through the trail we're maintaining so people would know which one it is. We're supposed to pick up debris and inform the Conservancy of fallen trees or other major work that needs doing. Along with seven adults, two kids, three dogs and a teenager hiked the snow-covered trail. It's steep, and was slippery in spots, but we had a beautiful day for it, and it was a lot of fun as well as a commitment to work.