Poem inspired by the Kimberton Hills Weavery

Many thanks to our friend, Karen Izzi, for this beautiful poem:

Late afternoon I visit the weavery at Kimberton Hills

A last bit of sun peeks through the window sheer.

Caught in awe at the works of art left on the looms

The entire room creeks and echoes

As my body passes over old hardwood.

I cannot help but sense the energy in this room

Colors brightly project the meaning of things

And rush a chill, even on this humid evening.

Projects left undone, waiting for tomorrow

Wool draped over crystal door knobs and work benches sit uninhibited.

Thin denim strips dangle and colorful thread longs to be decided upon.

Lonely whites and naturals stay on their shelf, quiet.

I pass my fingers over them.

Knitting needles abandoned for suppertime dishes

Now rest in a ceramic cup.

I notice hand woven baskets holding bits of yarn and fabric

Offering them a safe place to rest.

Quite a nice break in the day, for me

As I pay respect to the artists that work here.

 © Karen Izzi, PhD 2013

ARRGGGH... in celebration of International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Each year thanks to the generosity of the Anderson Family, who donates their vacation home, and the support of the Morrie Huston Villager Activity Fund, two groups of villagers and coworkers from Camphill Village Kimberton Hills take a Village Vacation to the Outer Banks in September.

While they are there, a popular spot is the Jolly Roger restaurant - which is of course, pirate-themed.

ARGGH!

In the last two years, the group has also visited the Nags Head Fire Department where the pirate fun sometimes continues.

There have also been many trips to the aquarium, ferry rides, days on the beach and other adventures.  Research confirms that vacations relieve stress, increase productivity at work and improve health and relationships.  Everyone deserves some rest and relaxation, including people with developmental disabilities, and Morrie was deeply committed to nurturing these experiences.   If you'd like to learn more about The Morrie Huston Villager Activity Fund, which helps provide these great experiences for our villagers, please click here.  Thank you!

A quick look at a biodynamic farm in the UK

London-based food bloggers HEMSLEY + HEMSLEY stop in the High Weald of Sussex, a natural area of beauty and home to one of the UK's few biodynamic farms -- Brambletye Fruit Farm and Orchard Eggs -- and speak with former Camphill Kimberton coworker, Ellie.


Learn more about Camphill Kimberton's biodynamic garden at http://www.camphillkimberton.org/sankanac-usa/.

Wasted food is hurting environment

Around the world, we waste 1.43 billion tons of food — one third of what we produce. A report from the Food and Agriculture Organization which came out on Wednesday has determined that food waste is creating billions of tons of greenhouse gases, and costing us water and land. "According to the FAO, each year, we lose a volume of water equivalent to the annual flow of Russia's Volga River in all the food we throw away," says NPR reporter Eliza Barclay.

The full article can be found here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/09/11/221153037/wasted-food-around-the-world-takes-heavy-toll-on-environment

What can we do about it?

Camphill Kimberton has been helping to combat this issue by picking up some of that waste from three local stores and composting much of what would otherwise be in landfills.  We also separate the food items from the packaging and recycle it.

Have a suggestion or want to share how you cut down on food waste?  Share it in the comments.  To learn more about Camphill Kimberton's sustainability efforts, please visit http://www.camphillkimberton.org/sustainability/.

Birds and Bats at Camphill Kimberton

from Guest Blogger, Marilyn Michalski

This year’s birding season was successful.  Our nesting boxes were used by many pairs of Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows.  The “Bird Team” of Marilyn Michalski and John Tower continued to improve box design and placement.  We also installed seven new boxes.  We counted up the number of baby bluebirds and tree swallows that were added to the world.   This year there are 127 new Eastern Bluebirds and 107 new Tree Swallows – all from boxes at Camphill Kimberton.  Make that 130 new Bluebirds –  we rescued three orphaned Bluebirds on Aug. 19, after both parents had been killed by predators.  We drove the week-old babies to the Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Chalfont, PA, where they are being fed and cared for.  This was a close call, as the babies were near death.  When we left the Rehab Center, they were already taking food.

Both Bluebirds and Tree Swallows help farmers.  The diet of Bluebirds is mostly grubs and crawling insects. Tree Swallows feed while flying – they catch insects in the air.  Together, Bluebirds and Tree Swallows improve crop yields.

We thank the residents of Camphill Kimberton for their support of the Bluebird Trail and their respect for our feathered friends. Charlene Roth gives us news about bird behavior, and Bill Lewis builds us nesting boxes.  Martha Cownap organized a “Nesting Bird Walk” last May – a popular event, which we plan to repeat in 2014.  Helen and Grace Ann permitted us to install a Bat Roost on Sassafras House, and Mimi Coleman feeds sugar-water to hummingbirds all summer.  Others give us encouragement and support. 

Bluebirds and Tree Swallows are “cavity nesters.” They build nests inside a cavity or protected box. We construct boxes with features they like, and we experiment with new locations every year. We discovered that some birds are willing to nest in boxes close to roadways in the village.

Another great achievement this year is the construction and installation of a large “Bat House” for Little Brown Bats. John Tower completed a “Four-Chambered Bat House” in August and, with the help of Maintenance Manager Jeff Whitman, mounted it on the East wall of the Bakery. It looks like a dark brown rectangle – up almost 15 feet, where bats like to sleep. Female bats like a large bat house in which they can move around, to find the right temperature for their babies. Bats are the only flying mammal, and they do not have feathers, just fur. Bat mothers nurse their babies the same way human mothers do. Bats eat hundreds of mosquitoes every night, as they dart around the sky after sunset, using echolocation to find food. There is no need to worry – bats do not fly into people’s hair. They have natural “radar” that prevents them from bumping into anything except the small bugs they catch for food.


by Marilyn Michalski with John Tower, AKA Bird Lady and Bat Man

Marilyn has been a volunteer with us since 1992, working to help American Kestrels, the smallest falcons. John Tower has brought his expertise and energy to the Bluebird Trail since early 2011.  His key role insures that birds and bats at Camphill Kimberton continue to thrive, adding joy and beauty to the village.

Thank you to Teresa S. Thompson for the bluebird box photos. 

Camphill Kimberton hosts art opening and community art day, featuring Zentangle

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills announces the Doodle Days Art Show, presented by Philadelphia Area Zentangle, whose works will be on display in the Camphill Café throughout September. All proceeds from art sales throughout the month are being donated by the artists to support Camphill Village Kimberton Hills’ arts activities. 

A gallery opening will be held Friday, September 6 from 2-7 p.m. in the Camphill Café.  Light dinner, beverages and desserts will be available for purchase and the artists will be present.  Live Native American flute music by Frank Henninger will be performed from 5-7 p.m.

There is also an interactive component to the show.  On Sunday, September 8 from noon- 4 p.m. in the Camphill Café, the community is invited to come and create Zentangle-inspired art and for a small donation, enjoy tables of activities for both children and adults. 

Zentangle is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns.  Almost anyone can use it to create beautiful images. It increases focus and creativity andprovides artistic satisfaction along with an increased sense of personal wellbeing. The Zentangle method is enjoyed all over the world across a wide range of skills, interests and ages.

"We tangle to reduce stress, form a bond with nature, enhance our consciousness, unblock negative energy, break bad habits, and share this creative healing art, worldwide,” says Karen Izzi, Ph.D. CZT, certified Zentangle teacher and organizer of the art show at Camphill Kimberton. “Each pattern allows us to unwind as an overall lightness enters the mind, relaxing the body at the same time. As a wellness practitioner, I share Zentangle with clients to help them enhance their own lives. With each stroke, anything is possible. We create art with Zentangle, but most of all, we breathe.”

Karen Izzi, PhD. CZT, is the author of a Zentangle journal called, One Tangle at a Time, A Daily Diary of Zentangle. Signed copies will be available at the opening reception and it is available on Amazon.com.

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills – home to the Camphill Café - is located at 1601 Pughtown Road, Kimberton, Pa. Many GPS systems cannot find our location. Please use Google Maps for directions.

Phone line problems

Unfortunately our phone lines are crossed and not all lines are functioning properly.  Should you need to reach someone, contact either bernadette@camphillkimberton.org or teri@camphillkimberton.org and we will assist you. By calling 610-935-0300, ext. 10 and reaching Teri, she may also be able to forward your call to another office.  Thank you for your patience.