STACKING WOOD AT AMH

The last two days I've spent many hours in the back yard stacking wood. It's a wonderful meditation and it's one of the few times in my life where I can actually begin something and soon see the results - not like in the political world where "change" is fleeting.

I spent quite a while on-line looking at pictures of different wood piles around the world but this photo I liked the best. It's a small wood pile, compared to the two cords worth I am stacking, but still a lovely shot.

We put our tomato plants in today so our garden is now pretty much totally in the ground. Housemates Maureen and Karen have done most of the planting. I've been doing the wood pile and Mary Beth has been working on the inside of the house. It's a real team effort and tonight we sat out in our garden for dinner enjoying the cool temperatures and all feeling pride about how much we have accomplished. Karen gave thanks for how well we all fit together at the Addams-Mellman House (AMH).

For those not up to snuff on the AMH it is named after Jane Addams who was regarded as one of the founders of the field of social work and was a strong opponent of World War I. She took a lot of heat for being against that war but won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.

The AMH is also named after economist Seymour Mellman who taught at Columbia University and is regarded as the father of the call for economic conversion of the military industrial complex. Mellman is also credited with originating the term "permanent war economy" and while alive gave energy and voice to the movement to reorient America toward an understanding that escalating military production creates fewer jobs and a weaker economy than alternative peaceful production.

So considering we have two social workers at the AMH, and that we are all peace activists, the Addams-Mellman name was perfect for us.

We are doing our best to bring the works and ideas of Jane Addams and Seymour Mellman into our home and into our community.

Stop by for a visit if you are ever in Bath, Maine.