growing a community garden

Summer is officially here and the summer reading group at the library is completely NUTTTTTS. During the school year they just have the regular reading times but during the summer they go all out and have some sort of AWESOME activity each day and the best part......YOU CAN WIN THESE AWESOME PRIZES. It is wild how many people showed up today to make these iron on t-shirts. over 100 people. Who knows how many people will show up for Safari Steve or Origami night or when the Lexington Children's Theatre performs for free.  AAAAHHHH  

I was a little taken back this morning and tempted to haul tail outta there but I stayed. Mainly because we walked all the way there mies well sit back and enjoy the crowd. It was pretty cool. The kids were handed a page to color whatever they wished and then that was ironed onto a t-shirt for them. So, Paul has a shirt with his art work on it!!!!  Pretty neat.

After the library I took Paul to a play group that I was just recently asked to be a part of. We were both excited. They were some of the kids that were in his preschool class and their parents. It was nice sitting in the gym (it was raining out so we couldn't go to the park) watching the kids ride bikes, play basketball, attempt to hulahup and chase each other around while talking with my fellow stay at home mommers!!  YAY!!  Paul was super excited to see his little friends from class. He had been missing them. And I was super excited to be around stay at home moms that aren't super wild and crazy. You know what I mean. The "I only talk to your baby and ignore the fact that you are there" kind.

I am happy to announce that we are slowly starting to meet people around town. It helps being so close to down town. You wouldn't believe how many people we have met just walking to and from places. It's great! A book that I just recently finished reading "New Monasticism"by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove explained it this way.  Making community is like growing a garden. It takes time and effort. You don't just go out there and sprinkle seeds and automatically have a tomato to eat. You have to work the earth, plant the seed, water the seed continuously, tie up the plant and then wait.  One day you'll walk out and there will be a beautiful red tomato for you to enjoy.   So, now that we have worked the earth (moved downtown and became involved in several activities) we are now planting the seeds (starting friendships). It will take a while for the tomato to appear but I am willing to put forth the effort to grow this community!