DINNER TALK AT THE AMH

The leaves are turning here in Maine and the temperature is dropping to the chilly side. This weekend our Addams-Melman House (AMH) mates worked in the garden to harvest the last of the tomatoes, squash, and green beans. We still have some other things in the ground and our newest housemate Maureen worked with Karen to rig up a hoop house over one raised garden bed so that we can grow veggies into the winter. Living in this intentional community, there are five of us here now, has many wonderful benefits.

Last night, after we all returned home from a panel discussion on the elections that was held in nearby Brunswick, I fried green tomatoes for supper while Mary Beth made a salad and Karen and Maureen went to the store to pick up a few things. Housemate Levi was camping in the mountains with friends.

We talked politics over dinner. Just what is going to happen with the economy now? How will we all survive if the economy collapses? When will the people rise up against this corporate takeover in America? What will the government do when the public has had enough? Will the government declare martial law and outlaw protest? What would we all do then? What will happen to the growing legions of poor people? How will voting and the coming election impact all of the previous questions?

A typical dinner discussion at the AMH.

In the meantime we want to expand our gardens for next spring and plant more fruit trees in our yard. We are thinking that we have to develop the ability to grow more of our food.

I need to go outside and chop more wood today. Our woodpile is growing as we bought a second wood burning stove because the price of heating oil doubled since last winter. Many Maine homes will be much colder this winter.

Life is changing. Americans have had it easy for a long time as we consume 25% of global resources even though we are only 5% of the world population.

If we could only stop using 54% of every tax dollar for military production and endless war and use those resources to build wind, solar, and rail our life could be much different.