Welcome - And Welcome Back!

After nearly a week of new and returning student orientation, classes got underway today.

As one might imagine, there have been lots of meetings in preparation for the first day of academic classes - community meetings, student meetings, house meetings, Ministry and Counsel meetings, advising meetings, and other meetings this blogger doesn't know happened. Students have begun their chore rotation, work study, and meal planning (with the interesting and respectful discussion around vegetarianism and veganism already underway).

The meetings were punctuated by activities that included bowling for returning students, a group "Goblins, Giants and Wizards" game (loosely based on "Rock, Paper, Scissors"), a scavenger hunt that included a trip to the "big swing," and the compost pile, and Capture the Flag.


Some students dug up potatoes during Tuesday's first work study, while others worked in the kitchen.

The first meeting of the geometry class discussed some of the basic definitions of Euclid's geometry:

A point is that which has no part...a line is breathless length...the ends of lines are points...straight line is a line in which all points lie evenly on itself.

(Some of the raw ingredients that make everything else possible.)

One of the writing classes had an engaging discussion about different types of arguments and various appeals to reason, emotion and faith.

Discussion was punctuated by a brief ode to (from?) Keats: "Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all/Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know," and Darien and Connor were charged with finding copies of the Quaker Peace Testimony on campus before tomorrow's class.

As the school takes a "technology sabbath" on Wednesdays, TMS blogger doesn't think that posting the Peace Testimony here means letting the cat out of the bag (or Skunk or Hipster in Bliss):

"We utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fightings with outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretence whatsoever; and this is our testimony to the whole world. The spirit of Christ, by which we are guided, is not changeable, so as once to command us from a thing as evil and again to move unto it; and we do certainly know, and so testify to the world, that the spirit of Christ, which leads us into all Truth, will never move us to fight and war against any man with outward weapons, neither for the kingdom of Christ, nor for the kingdoms of this world."

Welcome and welcome back, everyone!

Getting Ready for School

After a busy summer on campus we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our returning students on Wednesday, September 9th. New students will be joining us on Sunday, September 13.

Faculty are in the process of finalizing course preparations, organizing their homes to greet students, and planning a preliminary set meals.

(While on the topic of food, please note the photo of the brie, which was produced earlier this summer under the guidance of Laura Pepper from Keene Meeting. Two years ago, Laura sold her business of making artisan cheese in the Philadelphia region and moved to Hinsdale to work on reopening a hydroelectric plant on the Ashuelot River. She and Meg Kidd (former TMS staff) spent a day in July working with us to make cheese from milk from Bruchetta. A "Bruchetta Gouda" was also produced.)

We are excited to welcome Laura and Landis Brown, who are houseparents in Aurora. They have two young sons, Silas and Aidan. Laura will be teaching mathematics with Richard Kleinschmidt and overseeing the kitchen; Landis will be teaching courses in writing and social studies in addition to his role as Residential Life Coordinator. Their full biographies are available on our website. Welcome, Laura and Landis!

Meanwhile, under the care of interim farm manager Craig Jensen, the farm is currently producing copious amounts of kale (Lacinato, Red Russian, and White Siberian), beets, swiss chard, green beans, cucumbers, winter squash, red kuri, apples, and pears. Our root cellar is quickly filling up with beets and turnips. We have begun pulling flint corn and will be pulling sweet corn soon (which is late this year). Two work study activities for students soon after they get to school will be pulling onions (thousands of them!) and potatoes.

Last Friday we cut hay - several hundred bales of it - and would like to thank our neighbor down the street, Mark Wolterbeek, for offering to help out and even lend us his mower. The Meeting School mower has finally mowed its last field - when I asked someone "in the know" how old it was I given a look, which I interpreted to mean "ancient." Here's to neighbors helping neighbors!

TMS mentioned in The New York Times

Dan Hall (61') forwarded this article from the August 25, 2009 New York Times. The piece is about people who pay to vacation on farms and get a taste of farm life and work - with a focus on former TMS faculty Kate Marsiglio's farm in the Catskills. TMS is mentioned - favorably - as a catalyst for Kate and Dan's efforts to help reconnect affluent urbanites with the earth.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/dining/26farms.html?emc=eta1

Alumni Weekend at TMS

The Meeting School held its annual alumni weekend on August 14 - 16. Organized by Mary Ruth Crawford ('60), the weekend was a low key affair with sun, good conversation, and delectable TMS meals from the farm.

On Saturday afternoon, a memorial service was held for Elizabeth Waterman in the barn. Alumni, faculty, former faculty, family and friends came to take part in the service. Elizabeth, a former faculty member and beloved member of the TMS community, died in March 2009.

Jim Clark ('62), founder and owner of Black Bear Roastery www.blackbearcoffee.com came with a mocha java blend in hand. He left the "Charbucks" blend at home (visit the Black Bear website for more information about the litigation with Starbucks).

Visiting took place around the campfire, on the lawns, and in the garden. The meals used many ingredients straight from the farm. We invite you to try our Balkan Cucumber Salad recipe, which included cucumbers, yogurt, garlic, parsley, scallions, and dill right from our gardens.

Balkan Cucumber Salad (six servings)

1/2 c thinly sliced red onion
4 med cucumbers
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c yogurt
1 or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 tsp honey (optional)
2 tbs. freshly minced mint leaves
1/4 c finely minced parsley (packed)
2 scallions w/greens, finely minced
1 to 2 tbs. freshly minced dill
1 c chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Soak the onion in cold water for about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry before adding to salad.
While onion is soaking, seed cucumbers and cut them into thin rounds. Place in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients except walnuts, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Sprinkle walnuts on top and serve.

when more than was lost has been found

Rose Mohan, an alumnae of the class of 2006, returned to TMS on August 5 to volunteer on the farm for a week. While here, she took a few minutes away from the gardens to reflect on her experience with TMS Blogger. The interview took place in the living room of Mountain House.

TMS Blogger: So - academics first. What were your favorite classes at TMS?

RM: I'd have to say farm science, and a really cool poetry class. We studied and memorized the poetry of Pablo Neruda, ee cummings, Jane Kenyon (a poet laureate of New Hampshire) and others. We also had to write our own poems in the style of the poets we studied.

TMS Blogger: Can you still recite any of them?

RM: ee cummings..."it’s spring (all our night becomes day) o,it’s spring!"

TMS Blogger Note: The line comes from "when faces called flowers float out of the ground":

when faces called flowers float out of the ground
and breathing is wishing and wishing is having-
but keeping is downward and doubting and never
-it’s april(yes,april;my darling)it’s spring!
yes the pretty birds frolic as spry as can fly
yes the little fish gambol as glad as can be
(yes the mountains are dancing together)

when every leaf opens without any sound
and wishing is having and having is giving-
but keeping is doting and nothing and nonsense
-alive;we’re alive,dear:it’s(kiss me now)spring!
now the pretty birds hover so she and so he
now the little fish quiver so you and so i
(now the mountains are dancing, the mountains)

when more than was lost has been found has been found
and having is giving and giving is living-
but keeping is darkness and winter and cringing
-it’s spring(all our night becomes day)o,it’s spring!
all the pretty birds dive to the heart of the sky
all the little fish climb through the mind of the sea
(all the mountains are dancing;are dancing)

RM: I also really liked a course I took about the benefits and limitations of technology. It really made me think about the pleasure derived from doing things simply, by hand.

TMS Blogger: Tell me about your post-TMS experience.

RM: Well, immediately after graduating I went to work on a farm - an intentional community - called Cold Pond Land Trust, in Acworth, New Hampshire. I now attend Naropa University, in Boulder. I'm studying performing arts there.

TMS Blogger: How did your experience at TMS affect you?

RM: TMS definitely helped me figure out what I am interested in and influenced my choice of Naropa University. At TMS, my classmates and I were constantly discerning who we were - students here are encouraged to create and explore both our inner and outer worlds. I remember there was a student here who wanted to build his own bow and arrow. So he did some research, and then whittled and constructed the bow and arrows from wood he found at TMS. He also whittled a working flute. Other students built elaborate, insulated forts in the woods, and it seemed like there was always live music coming from somewhere. Also, I had never been part of a community like TMS and didn't know how important it is. Everyone feeds each other, and off of each other. Now I realize how important it is to me to be living and working and learning with a community around me.

TMS Blogger: So what are you doing during your week at TMS?

RM: I am going to help out wherever I can. So far I've blanched broccoli greens and kale for freezing, and processed a bunch of spinach, basil, and green beans.

TMS Blogger: Hmm...sounds delicious. Any final thoughts?

RM: I invested so much in TMS and TMS invested so much in me - I am so glad to be back! A big part of my heart is here.