the old INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME THREAD is inactivated. you can still go there to read earlier posts. please also read the billboard information on the home page.

welcome michelle  and husband to our group.

So good to be here.

Today we became quite animated. The old Sun Toads "community" is for sale for an amazing low price with many benefits. We were very excited with phone calls, research etc. but we ARE practical about our limitations.

However, being a practical person I must share with others the reality check of any community. FUNDS and PEOPLE, willing to commit to those responsibilities, combined with labor, communication and love is what the foundation of a community is based on.

I know many people have limited funds (these days nearly 2/3rds) but with agreement, committment, vision and planning, 10 to 20 people could come up with enough funds to keep the payments on the land very very low. With planning and vision that land can not only pay for itself but help pay for its preservation.

We have a golden opportunity for this property and the one here in AZ but according to the letters I have recieved already, every one of those writing expect me and hubby to pay for it first, then they will consider coming to reap the benefits. Sorry I said, we share the whole load distributed as equally as possible or it will not happen.

Yes, I broke down the costs (via mortgage, payment, taxes, upkeep and development) for 2, 4, 8 to 10 people....on either property. Yes, I am willing to outline the basic vision, plan and how to manifest said plans so that everyone investing in the community will be equitably represented (for the 4 acre property AND the 160 acre property). Yes I laid out some very basic, interpersonal restrictions to avoid parasites, opportunists and zealots because those with that behavior can destroy a communty.

Sigh, So far this sharing has not been enough information to spur people into realistic, measurable action.

Hubby and I see the potential for a productive, interdependent community on both properties but it takes monetary investment. Community is not free folks, WE must invest in the land AND one another.

What do you think? This old mind yearns to know.

With all respect,

Michelle
aka Mama Bea

since this thread was meant to be a short introduction/welcome to new members, it would be better to star a new thread to discuss your situation in detail, as rod has done. please contribute to the other thread topics also, so that we can help each other. i will be happy to give you any feedback that i am able to and hope other members will also.

oh, i see you have started your own thread...see you there.

Hey there pickerel weed. I finally got around to joining Care2. Thanks for introducing me to it!

Hmm, now what can I say by way of introduction for my very first Care2 post? Well, my husband and I had tried to sell our house and move to an intentional community. But, it went on the market in Sept. 2007 and one deal after another fell through. So, we decided to try to create community where we are by turning our house into a semi-urban micro-intentional community called The House*. Our website is: www.thehousewithagarage.org .

The website needs to be updated since I decided to withdraw from the PhD program a short while ago. Of course, I'm still a engineer -- that will never change whether or not I'm employed doing engineering. Presently, I'm a stay-at-home-Mom 3 days a week, I run my own green house cleaning business 2 days a week, I help the local Hospice comply with new medicaid regulations, and I tutor online between 5 and 20 hours a week. In fact, this mix of types of work is exactly one of the things that we were hoping to achieve with the micro-intentional community, as nobody wants to do the same thing, all day, day in and day out.

We are looking for up to 3 adults and 3 children to join us at The House*. So far, we haven't found the right fit but the experience has been good. We've learned a lot from the folks who have explored membership with us, including that there is a Massage School in the Albany area.

Looking forward to connecting with all of you via Community IRL!



Crystal

thanks for joining! it's always good to have new perspectives. you have an inviting website. if anyone is interested in moving to upstate n.y., they should look at it. could you explain the semi urban a bit?

I say it's semi-urban because we are just 1 mile outside the city of Albany. Our neighborhood is one of the older ones that might be called a suburb of Albany, but it has many characteristics that are now more closely grouped with cities than with modern suburbs. Modern suburbs of the kind that my husband & I grew up in are characterized by long curvy streets ending in cul-de-sacs, houses surrounded with seas of grass, and no sidewalks. These places are strictly residential.

Where we live now, we have tons of sidewalk. We are half a block from a four lane road with park-n-ride bus station. Here's part of what I put on the website: "The House* is on a very quiet street, half a block from CDTA buses and walking distance to lots of businesses, including banks, doctor’s offices, daycares, restaurants, and cafés, as well as clothes, shoe & grocery stores. Plus, it’s 0.3 miles to Elsmere Elementary, 1 mile to Bethlehem Middle School, 1.5 miles to library, and 2.5 miles to Bethlehem High School."

The House* is a place where kids can walk to school and adults can walk to work! That's not even a remote possibility in many suburbs. Having mixed zoning is much healthier in many ways because there are things to walk TO. In many suburbs, there's nothing outside but seas of grass so no wonder so many kids prefer to stay inside.

I also say that the House* is semi-urban because we have a very small lot. It is only 0.15 acres. So, we can't have a huge organic garden on the property. However, we can get a large garden plot just down the hill at the community gardens.

Lots of people dream of living in intentional community in a sort of garden of eden. However, there are a lot of things that we can do right where we are to make our lives more sustainable. We don't have to wait until we have the money to buy a homestead somewhere else. And indeed, I think NOT waiting is very important.  More than 50% of the world's population now live in urban areas and we have to figure out how to become more sustainable in place.

We might not have enough resources to live off-grid or to be completely independent, but you know, we are never actually going to be completely independent. We are always going to have to rely on the sun, the wind, the rain, our families, our neighbors, our animals, the soil, the trees, etc. Oh and don't forget the Great Spirit / G-d / Good Luck / whatever you believe in.

I think it is important for us to dream of that garden of eden and then figure out how to implement it now where we are. It shifts the dream a bit in it's physical expression, but it doesn't change the positive energy behind it.

And also, I've seen over and over again the curious push-pull of people who want to live in a rural, garden of eden, intentional community but then feel that there aren't enough resources nearby. For example, when the nearest pediatrician is a 45 minute drive away, parents of little ones get nervous!

Also, cash in-flow becomes a big problem in remote locations.  It's taken me a year to develop a do-from-anywhere-with-internet job in online tutoring. So, while I could now earn money for investing in a rural, garden of eden, intentional community, I still need an internet connection! And it wouldn't make sense for me to pay a whole lot for satellite internet. If I did, then I wouldn't have much leftover to buy nails, tractor parts, cows, etc.

Eventually, I would hope that we could transition to a fully sustainable lifestyle where we could make everything we need on-site or at least trade with people nearby, but it takes a long time and a lot of money to get from here to there. In the meantime, we're getting lots of practice right where we are!

Oh dear, I see it's already almost 11:30!  I've got to run! C U L8R!

Crystal

okay, i think that gives us a clearer picture. thanks!

I just found this group..and what a nice surprise to see you Pickerel..

hi! and welcome! i always have to smile when i see that "hell o" emoticon because i like to swear and we aren't suppose to on care2. look around a bit and add your own 2 cents worth...we certainly need it! we're a nice bunch of people...we just don't post a lot.

hi jorge! glad you have joined our group. we look forward to hearing about your interest in i.c.

I've been searching for several weeks for a group that is interested in discussing the theory and practice of organising or managing intentional communities. As you might suspect from my screen name, I'm an old cooger. My professional life was spent analyzing economic development problems faced by groups of various size. I hope my experiences might be helpful to others and I'm certainly interested in learning about your experiences.

welcome to our group. could you tell us what you are looking for in community? once you look around a bit, you will see that we all have different ideas, but we try to support and help each other.

hi jerry...that last post was meant for you...i didn't realize i didn't put your name in it....sorry!

welcome daniel...this isn't one of the most active groups on care2, but we do get some interesting discussions going. if you look around at currwent threads or in the archives, you may find more on housing options. i don't think there are any very active groups on the subject at care2. there is at least one inactive group...i forget the name that may have some interesting things in their archives and maybe you could get them going again...i've never had any luck with that, but you could alsways start one!

hi kali...look forward to hearing from you. you can post here to tell us something about where you come from and where you are going...community wise, i mean!

Sorry it's taken me awhile to come and introduce myself here. My name is Karlene, but I like to be called Kali. I am currently living in the Greater Phoenix, Az area and have started an Intentional Community group here which just recently has expanded off into 4 different groups. I am starting a polyamorous IC starting with a shared house on the outskirts of the city with the intention of buying a good size plot of land a ways up north. We will be practicing sustainability and building an ecovillage using appropriate technology. We will be off the grid as far as water and utilities with the exception of internet access. We are not looking to become hermits, just gain freedom from the large utility companies. Cottage industries will be our goal for income as well as the sale of veggies and other products from the land. Anyone interested can find us on ic.org in AZ under Circle of One.

Namaste,
Kali

try messaging zachary...or he has a forming community on ic.org called freedom acres...

look around and if you have questions....message me...it's very quiet here, isn't it?

I am also interested in community.. I attended several workshops on establishing community with co housing proponents, and participated in several groups who attempted to start a co housing community. 

I ended up being a community manager and home salesperson, offering affordable housing solutions through both manufactured and park model homes. http://www.sutterstreetmph.com 

These days, I also write about sustainable development and green subjects, both in a green blog as well as several groups. I have written a book on intentional community, laying out what is involved from both the participant and organizer side. 

Bottom line, my view of intentional community has changed and shifted over the years. It is now much more inclusive.. I see this group as an intentional community. Granted, it is online and virtual, but it is a community and it was established intentionally. In my view, any group of people gathering for a specific purpose is an intentional community; whether for a day, a year or a lifetime.. What is done during that coming together time is what makes the difference for future generations.

Is the framework of the community oriented in a green direction? Is the decision making process oriented towards seven future generations? If the answer is yes, then your community deserves an award..

Anyway, see you around and stay in touch. 

i think of the group as a kind of intentional community too! there are many different kinds of real life communities and each member probably has a different idea of what is right for them, but here, i like to think we come together to help each other find what we are looking for and explore some of the possabilities which you know are many sustainability...permaculture...concensus...legal documents...finding a place...green building...core group...and i could go on...                        

Just for the record, I agree with both Eric S. and Pickerel W. that this group is an intentional community!

The following is copied from "Wikipedia" (an online encyclopedia) about what "Intentional Communities" are:
"INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY is an inclusive term for ecovillages, cohousing, residential land trusts, communes, student co-ops, urban housing cooperatives, alternative communities, and other projects where people strive together with a common vision."
Is there "a common vision" for this group? Just curious.

the common vision for this group is to help and encouyrage each other to find the intentional community they are looking for or trying to start. please look through the thread i reactivated for more community definition.

just looking over the newer members and jamie, i didn't even realize till now that i had written your name incorrectly...it's old age creeping up...please forgive me! there are a number of new members who we haven't heard from, but i hope you will join in discussions and threads soon! we need peoplel interaction like in a real community!

good grief bill, your avitar looks just like you! welcome to the group!

Huh? I'm in a group? Hey, Rosemary, how did I get here? Did I link through Facebook or what. I can't remember.

Can we use our own fonts? Like this... or this one?

i think you were just experimenting. i don't know. you can easily do what they call "unjoin"...there's a stupid word...talked to audrey this morning. what kind of hawks are they? a friend was visiting from chicago with her preschooler and recognized a hawk flying around over at my neighbor's house...pretty smart...goes to montessori school. anyway, if you're not interested in intentional community, i don't think you will find this very interesting...no one else seems to either!

~Turkey Buzzards (Vultures).

oh! well, i guess i can't tell a hawk from a vulture...silly me! much better than tires!

They are common in Indiana; We used to see Lots of Them and Wild Turkey's Too..

Oh and Hi Bill,

                       Welcome...

  You Look Like I feel sometimes....

they don't look so ugly flying around up there...some people are like that too...ugly close up. on the otherhand, it's a value judgement and maybe "only skin deep" life is complicated and hard to figure out...no, impossible! there is an interesting website for a group called "a greener indiana"...it's listed on the billboard.

Bill... really you are welcome here... stop by and pick on Pickerel any time... she'd love it... We have Turkey Vultures here too, and hawks... don't see them very often... but they are huge.... love to see them flying about...

i don't think they would mess with little pretty butterflies. pickerweeds are not very useful plants to anyone, i don't think.

A long time ago I came across a turkey vulture website which had an article (true, as I recall) about a turkey vulture which met a child at the school bus stop every day after school.

Couldn't find it again by searching for things like "vulture school bus child" and the like. If anyone is a search expert, maybe you can find it.

or maybe the kid looked like one of it's Young

bill see what you have done!!! maybe i should invite vultures to join here or start a community for vultures or former textile and clothing workers union members...no...maybe former employees of chicago ecology museum/ academy of natural sciences...that didn't work...cats, an intentional community for cats, but how would we support ourselves...a traveling cat circus? all creatures great and small...no, they'd eat each other.

rod, write the book!...maybe from a distance the vulture thought the child was small enough to swallow....vulture needs glasses!

please introduce yourselves!

i couldn't find it either, but this is more interesting anyway:  http://www.allearthecotours.com/vulture_medicine.htm

I don't know much about intentional communities. I dropped in here because I contacted Rosemary, a co-worker from "back in the day," as the kids say, about another matter, and she suggested it. Does a newsgroup or online forum count as an int. com.? And why don't you all come up with a more convenient name for them?

i told you about this group and you asked about joining care2, i think, and it all got muddled, evidently...i suggested that you could easily "unjoin"...not holding you hostage! if you can't get "unjoined", i can walk you through it, or if you would rather, i can do it for you.

good name...village of vultures...i like it!!!

No, no. I didn't mean I want to un-join. I see the link. I just didn't know if you want people in here who don't know much about intcoms. But if you want pictures of vultures and occasional random references to King Leopold of Belgium, I'm your guy!

----

 that is a fantastic picture? didn't know you were a vulture fan...did you check out the link i posted. you certainly are welcome to post pretty pictures, etc. the thread for non-intentional community stuff is called: backyard fence #4. if you are interested, there is some basic information and links on community on the billboard...the BILL board! and just some things vaguely related to community that are just cheering! splke thinks i should redo the billboard to help new members understand intentional community and the purpose of this group better...you would be a good guinea pig if you don't mind. i'm a bit tired with some irl issues, so i won't be making changes right away. if you want to, look around and give me some feedback. i've said this in the past and i'll say it again...i'd like constructive criticism from everyone. some of you have been very helpful and encouraging in the group, messaging, emailing, and by phone. i do appreciate that.

Yep, I saw the link. Interesting site.

Look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfBlUQguvyw

How dey do dat?

Does that count as transitory intentional community?

BTW, why is the link item (next to the "insert image" item) in the formatting options not active?

bill, please read home page of "group". i'm really swamped with real life kind of things and this group is just something else to deal with...plus cable people are coming this am so that i hopefully will get something like the reception i had before they force this new system on us...i NEED tv as an escape! i can't really afford any fancy cable. if i can get the economy internet box hooked up, i will email you. ok? and check out the youtube thing. talk later.

OK, good luck with the cable.

Meant to add, "no hurry." Just relax!

hi michael, wecome to care2 and intentional community irl. please tell us about your interest in community...then go to the bulletin board for further information.

hey john! sorry i'm so slow to welcome you. our group isn't as active as it once was, but that could change! i'm optimistic. i think there is a lot of interesting community related information here and feel free to start any related community discussion. i like gardening too...i'm much better with flowers than i am with veggies, but i try! there's a thread on gardening you may find interesting. how much space do you have for gardening?

New member, hello all.... My name is Darrell Clevenger and my wife Amanda and I are looking into a good IC to get involved with and help develop. I am currently active duty military stationed state side here in Indiana, working out of the Gary LAASF. My wife is currently still a Flight Attendant, and we are both changing our careers in a better more sustainable direction.

I am still contemplating Doctor of Naturopathy, or at least my Master Herbalist and Certified Aromatherapist certifications at a minimum. She is planning on heading into Massage Therapy at a minimum and natural healing as well. I have a strong love for nature and gardening, that goes back as far as childhood in the mountains of Tennessee. I am trained in design and installation of renewable energy systems and currently have a small business doing those systems for customers.

What else could I tell, well I could go on and on, but I think that is a decent resume for now, LOL...... Hope to help move things along I am ready to move into the woods and live sustainably.

The Clevengers

welcome to the group! maybe we can get some discussions going here. renewable energy systems sounds like a good business to be in. how is business? i know people like myself who would be interested if the initial costs weren't so high now, but i hope that things will get better. i'd get geothermal if i could get a good long term loan that would be closely equivilent to what i pay for heat now...i'd probably be dead before it would be paid off and the next person living here would get the financial benefit of it. it would be nice to have amanda join this group too, if she would like to.

hi sandra!

wecome and make yourself at home. i would like to make this a more active group again, but the topics surrounding intentional community don't seem to inspire discusssion or sharing information...i don't understand why. please feel free to post or at least make use of the information stored here.