Surprise!

We had October Retreat this past weekend in Voluntown, CT. It was at the Voluntown Peace Trust, which is this awesome sustainable farm. There are buildings on the grounds that were built for different purposes, like common meeting space, and sleeping. They are built out of materials that are cheap, but last a long time. The farm grows veggies that are then given to families in Voluntown if they choose to participate in the program, which entails paying a certain amount and then getting the veggies that are in season. It's really cool. It has been known as a hippie commune in Voluntown, but it's so much more than that. There was a lot of stigma around it, but the town and the people living there seem to be in a better place. The Voluntown Peace Trust is all about promoting peace. They have a ton of books on nonviolence and participate in a lot of nonviolent acts to end war. It's a way of living that I'm definitely going to look into.

So back to the surprise part. We decided on the drive back to Boston that since we had the van rented until Monday morning, that we should go up to Maine. We were kidding at first, but then we decided to just go for it. Jen, one of my Housemates, is from Portland so we went to see her family, and then we surprised the JVs in Portland by showing up at their house. It was so much fun! We went to the top of a hill to see all of Portland and then we went to the beach to see the ocean. Not that we don't have ocean in Boston, but it's beautiful in Portland. The trees were beginning to change color and the water was gorgeous. We ended up staying for dinner at the Portland house and hung out with the JVs for a while. We signed their tablecloth and then we drove back to Boston! It was really fun to just decide to drive up to Maine. None of us have a car, so we decided to make good use out of the one that we had rented.

Retreat was really great. It was a good break from the craziness of our jobs and a chance to relax in nature. It was near Beach Pond in CT, so we walked down to the water and it was nice enough on Saturday that 2 people just decided to go swimming. I learned a lot about my housemates and we just had an awesome time. We also got to listen to the debates on the radio on Thursday, which was great, because it never gets old to hear Sarah Palin say, "God bless their hearts" or some other term that she uses to make herself sound homely, and like a family person. Seriously, I don't want a person in power to talk like an everyday American. I want them to sound intelligent and like they have some sort of public speaking skills. I think it makes her sound inadequate because she then sounds innocent like she doesn't actually know what she is talking about. Oh dear, we are in for a treat on Nov. 4th. :)

Pictures of Maine are coming soon.

The book this time is: Feminism is for Everybody (bell hooks)