Monday, September 30, 2013

How Will We Top This Next Year?

Our fourth anniversary party was a huge success!  We had more than 35 people turn out for the house concert by new Zealand singer/songwriter Anna Van Riel.

What a wonderful treat that was.  Anna has a voice more beautiful than Joan Baez, accompanied by a Kiwi sense of humour and an amazing ability to sing in just about genre and any accent.

And she did this all while her two-year-old daughter, Matilda, was determined to steal the show, along with all our other singing, dancing toddlers at Pacific Gardens!

Then came the potluck, attended by more than 50 - or maybe it was 60.  I lost count.  I do know we almost ran out of plates and cutlery, which is saying something.

And what a feast.  We crowned it off with Myriam's beautiful, scrumptious cake, plus loads of yummy desserts, with everything from fresh raspberries and whipped cream to apple crumble.

We had speeches from founders, residents, and friends, including Chuck Durrett, the architect who brought cohousing to North America from Denmark, and who's working on cohousing projects in Vancouver and on the island.

I have only one worry, though - how will we top this for our fifth anniversary next year?

Kathryn


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congrats! Cohousing is gaining momentum in North America, with many senior and intergenerational neighborhoods developing or nearing completion this year. Cohousers get the fully equipped private home, tailored for their lifestyles, a clear step up from senior and assisted care facilities. The physically and socially supportive neighborhood is an added benefit that grows from the cohousing process and sets up residents for aging in community. It’s independence, stability, and friendship within a neighborhood, a community safety net.

Charles Durrett along with his wife Kathryn McCamant have a deep and diverse understanding of cohousing. They brought their research from Denmark and championed the concept in North America. Check out the third edition of Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities and the second edition of The Senior Cohousing Handbook: A Community Approach to Independent Living. Both are invaluable resources and I’ve learned that I have control over how and where I want to live and grow as a person.

http://bit.ly/Creating_Cohousing
http://bit.ly/senior_cohousing_handbook
http://www.cohousingco.com

Here's to living in community!

Bernice

Anonymous said...

Congrats! Cohousing is gaining momentum in North America, with many senior and intergenerational neighborhoods developing or nearing completion this year. Cohousers get the fully equipped private home, tailored for their lifestyles, a clear step up from senior and assisted care facilities. The physically and socially supportive neighborhood is an added benefit that grows from the cohousing process and sets up residents for aging in community. It’s independence, stability, and friendship within a neighborhood, a community safety net.

Charles Durrett along with his wife Kathryn McCamant have a deep and diverse understanding of cohousing. They brought their research from Denmark and championed the concept in North America. Check out the third edition of Creating Cohousing: Building Sustainable Communities and the second edition of The Senior Cohousing Handbook: A Community Approach to Independent Living. Both are invaluable resources and I’ve learned that I have control over how and where I want to live and grow as a person.

http://bit.ly/Creating_Cohousing
http://bit.ly/senior_cohousing_handbook
http://www.cohousingco.com

Here's to living in community!

Bernice