Re: Coho Community - when no Coho "Community"?
From: Connie Plice (conniepliceprovide.net)
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 20:36:07 -0500
Responding to your inquiry about common cooking in "regular" neighborhood=
s.  About twenty years ago my husband , two grade school age children and=
 I lived in a typical subdivision here in Ann Arbor.  Our house was on =
a court so that physical fact made neighboring happen more naturally than=
 when the houses are laid out in straight lines because we could see each=
 other coming and going.  Also four of the five houses on the court had =
children near the same age, and we had all lived there since he kids were=
 toddlers, so had been our in the court overseeing their play back in the=
 years when that was needed.

Anyhow, one summer we got the thought that you expressed about each house=
 doing all its own cooking "what a waste!".  So we set up a plan for comm=
unity cooking four days a week for the evening meal.  On Mondays I would =
cook a meal for 24 people.  When dinner time came I would call the other =
three families and say "Bring two serving bowls and a platter" or whateve=
r they would need for that meal.  Over came the other three mamas with =
their containers to collect their food, then went home to serve their fam=
ilies. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays the others took their turn. =
It was lots of fun.  It just lasted through a few months and then fizzled=
 out.  But I have always remembered the fun of doing it.

----------
>
> George Marx said:
> >>I wonder though why: Coho Principles - aren't adopted by more of us; =
=3D
>
> sharing Community - as best we can in a variety of ways - and not getti=
ng=3D
>  =3D
>
> in the Way of those trying to form and build "Real" Cohousing
> communities.<<
>
>         Not quite a year ago, my wife and I got interested in cohousing=
 a=3D
> nd
> got involved with a group in our area.  Only a few months ago, we dropp=
ed=3D
>
> out and bought a house directly across the street from my wife's
> grandparents.   We felt this move met many of our reasons for being
> interested in cohousing and was much more expedient.  (A few people on
> cohousing-L disagreed.)
>         So far, we've been delighted by the move and feel much more "in
> community" than where we lived before.  Grandma has introduced us to =
the
> family two doors up from us - whose son mows our lawn - and there's a
> community group here which organizes garage sales and the like.
>         Still, some of the simple things you mention have yet to occour=
.. =3D
>  =3D
>
> Common meals seemed obvious to me.  (We're one couple.  Grandma and Gra=
nd=3D
> pa
> are one couple.  The family up the street is a single father with two =
boy=3D

> s.
>   It seems a waste to spend time cooking such a small meal.)
>         I think my answer to your question as to WHY it doesn't happen =
mo=3D
> re
> is that it takes someone suggesting it and someone organizing it, for
> firsts.  Secondly, it's not natural.  That is, it's not presently part =
of=3D
>
> one's routine.  Often it's easier to stay in a routine even if you know
> there is a better way becaues it takes effort to change.
>
> Thos
> http://ourworld.compuseve.com/homepages/thos

> http://www.esperanto-usa.org
>


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