Blog: Musings on the Earth, Mindful Living, and our Connections
Bringing Forth Kindness: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
I returned from a 10-day seminar in the wee hours of Monday morning. When I woke later that morning to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I saw volunteer opportunities listed on my phone – how to put King’s vision to work and make this world a place of greater love and kindness. Then on Tuesday morning, I was inspired...
Light in the Dark
This time of the year we see lights everywhere we turn. It is ironic – or maybe practical – that during the shortest days of the year, we look to bring in light in every corner we can. We light the lights of Hanukkah. We see lights adorning...
#MyGivingStory—The Power of Compassion
The following is a story I submitted for this year’s #MyGivingStory, in recognition of some of the roots (no pun intended!) of In the Gardens. Parts of this story have been shared before, but here it is in its most updated form. Vote! #MyGivingStory is a storytelling contest created by the #GivingTuesday organization to foster...
Extending our Thanks: #GivingTuesday
Next week we will celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday that brings people together to reflect on and express their gratitude for the good in their lives. Yesterday I was talking with a gentleman in the grocery store. I don’t know him by name, but he has helped me ...
#HoustonStrong
I am honored to have participated in a trip to Houston last week for disaster relief after Hurricane Harvey. It was coordinated by an organization called Nechama, and promoted in Chicago through the Jewish United Fund. When I saw the email invitation, I quickly checked my calendar and...
A Wonderful Celebration!
Sunday was a stupendous day in the weather department. After several days of rain, the skies were clear and sunny. It was the perfect day for our Sukkot Harvest Celebration and Fundraiser. One of the day’s objectives was to thank ...
Spreading Gardens in the Neighborhood
The main purpose for which the In the Gardens main site was started was to serve as a source of food and education: for the congregation of ...
Spring Fundraiser – Join our monthly giving program!
Spring has come much too early this year. From those 70-degree days in February, plants took off early out of the starting block. Even though we’ve had a snowfall since then and some additional cold days, the warm weather is here, and it’s time to get all the goods into the ground. There are times during the season that we need to work overtime, and this is one of them. Our water system is in, but needs some fine-tuning. Some of our seeds are in, but lots more of our beds need to be prepped and planted. Trees and plants around the…
In the Gardens First Volunteer Day!
This past Sunday, April 23, was In the Gardens’ first formal Volunteer Day, and a great day it was. We tackled a number of projects. Early this week we brought several cubic yards of compost to the property, and the first objective was to use it in the rebuilding of the keyhole garden. A keyhole garden is a permaculture design term…