There’s something magical about seeing Yellow-billed Magpies flashing their bright wing patches and chattering away right outside my home at Washington Commons Cohousing in West Sacramento. These clever, social birds — endemic to California and once nearly lost to West Nile Virus — are making a remarkable comeback. And so am I, after years away, I’ve returned to Sacramento and found my forever home in this vibrant, eco-conscious community. Magpies are part of the brainy Corvidae family (think crows, ravens, scrub jays), known for tool use, memory feats, and the uncanny ability to recognize individual humans. (Yes, they remember who’s been naughty or nice!) For fellow bird nerds, I can’t recommend John Marzluff’s “Gifts of the Crow” enough, a fascinating deep dive into how these birds think and feel. If you haven’t had the pleasure of spotting a Yellow-billed Magpie recently, consider joining a trip with Yolo Bird Alliance or Sacramento Audubon, both have expert guides and passionate volunteers. Or better yet, swing by Washington Commons; I’d be thrilled to point out a few local magpies myself. 🌿
Let’s keep celebrating biodiversity, smart birds, and community living. Follow Washington Commons Cohousing for more local wildlife moments and sustainable living inspiration!
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What I love about Washington Commons Cohousing: There are the obvious things, like living in a building that’s fully accessible, that has a huge patio where we and our neighbors and all of our pups can hang out, where we can walk up a short path and visit sea lions, where we can walk to breakfast at several lovely cafes. Then there are the less obvious things like the Yolobus stops about 3 blocks away that can take us to Downtown Davis or Sacramento, to the RT light rail, to the airport or to the Capitol Corridor train to the Bay Area. But the best thing is not a 'thing', and it isn’t obvious until you live here, which is the generous spirit of the people in the community, who help each other out, respect each others’ cultures (we’ve celebrated Christmas, Hanukkah, Korean Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day, and have had lots of impromptu common meals in the 8 months we’ve lived here), carpool to events together, support community organizations, and lend an ear to each other. What more could you want from your neighbors?
JANUARY Many of us rigorously downsized in preparation for our moves into Washington Commons. Anne visited the Friends of the Sacramento Library's Book Den many times in the first months of the year as she let go of many books. Washington Commons grew out of an idea from a seminar of Sac State's Renaissance Society This history is reported in January 2024 issue of the Recorder, the Society’s newsletter. It’s on the third page: HERE We also welcomed Patsy and Richard to our community. FEBRUARY PG&E Delay pushes our move-in to end of April; WCC co-hosted a cohousing forum with Berkeley Moshav and Mission Peak Village MARCH Dog-wash station installed, Washington Commons was featured in Mercury News and West Sac's Chamber of Commerce Newsletter APRIL We celebrated our community's sustainability at Sacramento's Earth Day fair; Oakland A’s future relocation spotlights West Sacramento; and WCC members traveled to view the total Solar Eclipse MAY PG&E delivers power to WCC just 5 days ahead of National Cohousing Open House tour at WCC. Frances channels Julia Child teaching us how to make Italian Bruschetta WCC is featured in The Sacramento Business Journal's "Redefining the Core" issue JUNE Mary and Lucas joined us just in time for our June 15th Grand Opening - view more photos of the event on our blog! Members watch the presidential debate JULY Many residents moved in, onsite home tours are regular events. Louise and Amy joined and made plans to move in. Our July 28th General Meeting ends with members gathering in the common room to light candles and support one another in mourning the sudden and accidental death of fellow member Tom earlier that day. AUGUST Our wonderful Breezeway performed beautifully in July and August. In the summer, West Sacramento is blessed with the cooling Delta Breeze coming off the San Francisco Bay. We designed our building to take advantage of it, and it does! The Breeze comes almost like clockwork in the late afternoon to cool us off - just one of many ways we live our value of sustainability! SEPTEMBER Residents meetings, movie night, and birthday celebrations have become regular events. Residents pitch in to care for Polly’s cats when she ends up in hospital. Bea takes neighbors birdwatching out in the great Yolo Bypass OCTOBER Community hosts a memorial for Tom, WCC celebrates Dias de Los Muertos. NOVEMBER WCC Members enjoyed their first holiday - and Thanksgiving - together in West Sacramento. Everyone enjoyed good food, good friends, and good conversation. DECEMBER
New holiday traditions have begun -- A Cookie Bake, Tree Decorating, a Solstice celebration, and our New Year's Eve Talent Show. The time eventually came when WCC homeowners Stu & Willa’s two daughters left for college and moved out of the house in Davis, CA they’d grown up in. When the couple retired a few years later, they realized the house that for many years was perfectly-sized, had become a bit more than they wanted to manage. “As you get older, you realize you’re taking care of this property with tree, roof, and sewer line issues - and for what?” said Stu. They also had seen in recent years a drift away from neighborliness on their street. They began thinking about what was next. “I was looking for a family-style neighborhood where you know the people that are there and you do stuff with them, have projects. Cohousing seemed like a great solution,” said Stu. In 2016, the couple attended an event in Berkeley about cohousing, and in the following years visited established cohousing communities in Davis and Portland, OR. After much thought and discussion, the couple had narrowed down their “wants” in a cohousing community and their next home and began looking at the future site of Washington Commons. They wanted a single-level home that had less maintenance and featured a sustainable design.
In early 2017, they became members of Washington Commons, and now are the third longest members of the community. Living in a walkable/bikeable area with the possibility of car sharing (they now share a car with another member – Willa’s sister) and with easy access to amenities and attractions such as the Crocker Art Museum and Old Sacramento added to the attractiveness of Washington Commons. When construction was nearly complete and a permit was issued in June 2024, they were among the first to move in. “I’ve felt that the things that attracted me to cohousing with more of a family-neighborhood has come to pass,” said Stu. Part of the appeal of Washington Commons is having access to large spaces such as a community dining room and large terrace - which they did not have in their Davis home - but here could share with others. Stu says it is the small things that are creating a strong community – living in a space where you often walk by each other’s front doors and dealing with the issues of a new building. Stu loves riding his bike along the Sacramento Riverwalk and looking for new cafes where he can get some work done. And that house in Davis? Stu and Willa sold it to their daughter and her family who can make use of the larger space and are just a 20-minute commute away. Our most recent members Mary and Lucas are relocating from New Hampshire. The above photo was taken just days after they joined Washington Commons and we can see that they are very happy. While we have speculated that cohousing can cause bouts of joy, Mary offers, "The trolls are magical."
Welcome, Mary and Lucas, and your connection to magic. We are so happy you chose Washington Commons for your next "living in community" chapter. Read their first person accounts of their journey to cohousing and West Sacramento: Lucas: To continue to grow in loving kindness is most important to me. Apart from life with Mary, I haven’t felt much sense of belonging since I left the LGBT community in Iowa City in the 1980s, and belonging is a big part of what drew me to cohousing and intentional community. I also feel drawn to social justice, diversity and the environment. I care a lot about reversing climate change, and have cut my carbon footprint in half this decade. Cutting it in half again next decade will be more challenging, and impossible while living in a single-family home! Initially I was thrown by the prices of the units at Washington Commons and by what seemed like a lack of diversity. Further research showed me that housing prices everywhere are quite high, and costs in CA are about 15% higher than in NH, where we live now. I called Shelly Parks, who was so friendly, and introduced Mary and me virtually to several members of Washington Commons community, each of whom is friendly and intriguing, and more diverse than they may at first appear in photos. On a more personal note, I play several musical instruments at the beginner or rusty intermediate level, and like the physical feeling of playing cello especially. I like to walk in the woods or along water, to ride my bike on errands and, when possible, to work. After 30 years as a family practice doc, I am switching to palliative care, drawn by the enriching conversations I have with patients who face serious illness. Mary: I’m Mary, and I’ve been involved in community for a long time. I’m the eldest of seven children, joined a convent when I was nineteen, left when I was 39, and then helped found a community of women writers in 2000. Joining Washington Commons seems like a great way to deepen the joy I feel when interacting with others. I love my work as a Humanist Celebrant, creating personalized ceremonies for life’s important moments: weddings, funerals, divorces, gender affirmations — whatever anyone would like to celebrate! I wrote An Unquenchable Thirst about my experience in the community founded by Mother Teresa, and also participated in the podcast The Turning: The Sisters who Left. Though I feel like I’m done telling this story, a television series based on the memoir and podcast is now in development. Like Luke, I’m looking forward to living in a walkable, bike-able community, and I’ve been impressed with the friendly care, personable respect, and the specialized skill of keeping meetings short and to the point that I’ve seen in our interactions with folks from Washington Commons. "When Lisa asked me if I would do the Happy Hour, I was like, "Oh no!" Then I said I would think about it. Then I said I would do it. I would do a Happy Hour as the Sicilian Julia Child, one of my all-time idols, making bruschetta. I'd do it as a hybrid in-person and Zoom presentation. The stage is set. Me, a short, Rubenesque and sarcastic Sicilian - actually Sicilian, French and Iberian (thank you, Ancestry.com) - woman, channeling Julia Child making bruschetta. One must envision me, 5'2+3/4" and very, very Rubenesque, channeling the 6'2" slim and refined Julia Child. But, alas, we both love FOOD, WINE, beer and spirits. (Story continues below photo gallery) The hour starts with me introducing the theme. Then, throughout the hour I intersperse tidbits of information about Julia Child with actual "how to" information on knife use, olive oil types and quality, coring and dicing tomatoes, different ways to dice, slice or mince garlic (garlic is its own food group), slicing and preparing the french bread, etc, etc, etc.
Did I forget to say that the in-person crew was enjoying wine and non-alcoholic drinks and tidbits of food? But, worry not, the attendees had to help put all this together. Finally, we enjoyed the bruschetta. We talked both in person and over Zoom and had a great time. Thanks to everyone who attended. I want to apologize to all of you who were not able to come in person. Soon, that will not be an issue. I love doing this stuff. A special thank you to Allyce. She makes it possible for me to do these things with her loving support." A great time was had by all as we gathered for a Happy Hour on “How to make Bruschetta” ♥️‼️Thank you, Frances (and Allyce) who graciously co-hosted the event. |
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