Joyful January Almanac 2025

I’m January
by Annette Wynne
I’m January bringing you
A year of days—all brand, brand new;
I step upon the frosty ground,
When chimes and sleighbells ring around;
You welcome me and children sing,
And joy comes into everything.
I bring you love and lots of cheer,
And work and friends for all the year.

As we turn the page to a new year, let’s take a moment to reflect on the incredible progress we’ve made in 2024. For Common Ground, this was a year of determination, vision, and teamwork. The dream of living on the Land feels closer than ever, thanks to countless hours of meeting and planning, digging deep into our relationships, and navigating complexities.

This special year-in-review Almanac celebrates the milestones, challenges, and triumphs that have brought us to this threshold. Here’s to the rewards of resilience and the joy of shared purpose!

Click here for the Delightful December Almanac

In the cold and dark of winter, we hearty souls of Common Ground look beyond the dreariness and discover the light within. While the world outside may feel cold, we find joy not in fleeting distractions or material gifts but in the warmth of shared moments, the glow of inner peace, and the resilience of our community.

At Common Ground, we can embrace the season as a time to cultivate gratitude, spark creativity, and kindle the kind of light that carries us through the longest nights.

Enjoy this Almanac, a document of our shared hopes and aspirations and a record of our work to realize those intentions.

Onion babies are tucked into the east tunnel for winter. Photo by Kai.

Nestling November invites us, like seeds, to nestle down and find our grounding as the season shifts. Though the days are still warm, soon enough the chill will settle in, and we’ll be drawn closer to the fire, pulling on layers and savoring our cozy spaces.

As we nestle in for the coming winter, we’re reminded of the vision we hold for our ecovillage—a place where we’ll all gather together, not only for warmth but for shared purpose and connection. This month, let’s lean into the warmth of community, planting the seeds of what’s to come.

Lots of love …

Roshana

Open-hearted October Almanac

I don’t know about you, but every year around this time, I start to feel a little … contracted. I pull my jacket a little closer around my neck and dig out my scarf from the coat closet. I make sure my boots are ready for another cold season.

What can I say? I grew up in Minnesota. 🙂

Here in North Carolina, it’s a bit different. There’s just a touch of chill in the evenings. And though we’re a couple of hours away from the East Coast, we are well aware of the calamities produced by wild weather. Our friends just a few hours west of us are really struggling after Hurricane Helene’s wrath. Some didn’t make it through that storm.

So, while I zip up my jacket, I don’t want to close off my heart. I want my heart open to those who are struggling. Because we’re all part of this one big community here on Earth.

At Common Ground, our aim is to serve as a model for others — a place where collaboration thrives, where we practice self-reliance while also caring for our neighbors, near and far.

Weighty aspirations for these autumn days.

These are not just fall days, but in some ways, fallen ones. The storms remind us how fragile things are—how modern life can unravel so quickly under the weight of water and wind, and how much our world is changing. That’s why having a strong, open heart is so essential. It’s not just for the season but for the times we’re in.

So, let’s keep our hearts open as we face our challenges together and continue building a more resilient and compassionate world.

Lots of love …

Roshana

Photo by Kai

Auspicious August 2024 Almanac

Pickles, the barn frog, knows how to stay cool in the summer. She’s a smart cookie, hanging out in the shower.

May we all be so smart, because, as we know, summers aren’t getting any cooler. Maybe it’s best to hang out where there’s a little water, a bit of shade, and friendly folks.

I asked ChatGPT 4o to write an ode to Pickles. Here’s what the chatbot came up with:

Pickles in the Shower

In the heart of August, scorching and bright,
Lives a little barn frog who hops with delight.
Named Pickles, she’s quite the charming lass,
With a shower in the village, she finds cool repast.

In the ecovillage, where nature thrives,
Pickles finds comfort, where cool water arrives.
In the heat of the day, when the sun is a beast,
Pickles seeks refuge, where warmth is decreased.

She lounges on tiles, so smooth and so cool,
Avoiding the sun, August’s fiery rule.
Water droplets glisten, a refreshing retreat,
For a frog in the shower, it’s life’s simple treat.

So here’s to Pickles, in her cool, damp domain,
Finding joy in the water, amidst August’s reign.
With each little croak, she sings with delight,
In her Common Ground shower, where all feels just right.

Jubilant July 2024 Almanac

In Summer

Oh, summer has clothed the earth
In a cloak from the loom of the sun!
And a mantle, too, of the skies' soft blue,
And a belt where the rivers run.

And now for the kiss of the wind,
And the touch of the air's soft hands,
With the rest from strife and the heat of life,
With the freedom of lakes and lands.

— Paul Laurence Dunbar

It’s been sultry, steamy and sticky! And summer has only just started!

Still, our common dream remains … to be an agrarian intentional community that is regenerative, collaborative, creative, and celebratory in all that we do. 

And we’ve done it again … experienced another month of collaborating creatively and celebrating life (and each other) in regenerative ways.

Yay us!

Here’s another look at our evolving adventure. Enjoy!

Juicy June Almanac

The Sleeper

By Edgar Alan Poe

At midnight, in the month of June,


I stand beneath the mystic moon.


An opiate vapor, dewy, dim,


Exhales from out her golden rim,


And, softly dripping, drop by drop,


Upon the quiet mountain top,


Steals drowsily and musically


Into the universal valley.

(excerpt)

Enjoy this month’s juicy Almanac!

Meaningful May 2024 Almanac

May has come in,
young May the beautiful,
weaving the sweetest chaplet of the year.
Along the eastern corridors, she walks.
What time the clover rocks the earliest bee.
Her feet are flush with sunrise,
and her veil floating in breezy odors o’er her hair.
— Thomas Buchanan Read

Hello, dear friends!

I think it’s almost impossible to be sad during springtime in North Carolina. Certainly the beauty all around us encourages us to look up and notice how fortunate we are.

We have another installment of the Almanac, with a slightly different take on a well-loved and well-worn idea that emerged from the heart and mind of Hope.

I bring it to you with gratitude and satisfaction that I can lift that responsibility from her shoulders as she and Paul go on a great adventure for the month of May … and beyond.

I have a long history as an editor at a daily newspaper. Putting the Almanac together brings back many memories of copyediting and laying out newspaper pages in Kansas for many years. It’s like putting a jigsaw puzzle together with pieces that morph and change as new bits of information are squeezed in at the last minute. But here, there are no pressmen becoming impatient as I bump up against a midnight deadline. Just the expectations of Common Grounders who want their beloved Almanac and its timely information at the end of each month.

And here it is. Enjoy the friendly faces of our wonderful community and the freshness of April as we move into the beautiful, weaving sweetness of May!

Roshana

Appealing April Almanac

The Spring season that is taking shape all about us, that will surprise us every day to come, is the product of a winter’s long night.  It’s the outworking of our hopes and dreams.  For who among us has not wished – hard – for spring?  And who among us has not made our mark in some way on what is soon to be born? 
            Hope Horton, Essay on the Vernal Equinox, 2013

With the unfurling of Spring comes a new look for the Almanac.  Roshana Ariel has created an artful and inviting design to tell the evolving story of Common Ground Ecovillage with freshness, clarity and beauty.  Meetings and community events follow newsletter items from our Circles and members.  Roshana and Hope would like to hear your thoughts about this new format.  Please email them at roshanamail@gmail.com and hopematrix@fastmail.com.

We are so grateful to Roshana for offering her seasoned publication skills in the service of this community and hope you’ll feel inspired by what you see to bring your unique gifts to this growing enterprise.  May the irresistible impulse of Spring rouse you to act on your dreams and make your mark where it matters most. 

See you at Common Ground