WC Member Rebecca C. Ambrose (RCA) writes almost daily to the President in her blog, ”Letters to the POTUS: Encouragement to Be Your Best Self (BYBS)”. The mantra above reveals her strategy (disarm with love) and hints at her purpose in adopting this disciplined practice, first with President Trump (DJT), and continuing with President Biden (JRB). RCA calls herself a political commentator, and as such she is a model for civil discourse. She treats both Presidents with great respect, yet speaks honestly to their foibles, chiding them at times, gently, with compassion. WC members will appreciate the shared history RCA chronicles from 8/12/18 to the present. What better way to learn about a future neighbor than to read her memoir? Read the 2/25/24 entry with her idea for our community on “disagreeing better, not disagreeing less”. “Becki’s gift to WC is her courage and ability to disagree with the majority, opening our minds in the process,” noted Anne. Readers who want to know what kind of people are drawn to cohousing will find a poster child in RCA. She speaks from her Quaker upbringing which instilled the “concept of a single human family & the belief that all members of that family are equal” (9/12/23 entry). Quakers embrace a form of governance like that used in cohousing communities, seeking to honor this equality and hear all voices. Reminiscent of “the Lazlo Letters” by Donald Novello, RCA writes to the Presidents (DJT) and (JRB) offering advice, suggestions to consider situations that could use some Presidential influence, asking that he not sell weapons to any visiting heads of state and encouraging each to BYBS. She writes with wit, intelligence, honesty, and compassion. She consistently mirrors what she expects the President’s state of mind might be from the most recent events which she has researched and connects with him empathically. We get a hint of RCA’s passion for women’s equality in this 8/19/2018 excerpt (one week into this blog): I hope you are busy planning celebrations for the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote. That's going to be August 18, 2020 so you have just 2 years to plan the biggest celebration that nation has seen. You can use the $90 million that you were going to spend on the military parade on it. It would be a great project to put in Ivanka and Melania's hands. I'm happy to help. Have a great Sunday, RCA To understand RCA’s purpose in this letter writing vigil, access the last letter RCA writes to President Trump on 1/20/2020, here DJT, and the first letter to President Biden on 1/22/2020 here JRB. If you would like to read more of this historical record, access the entire archive. Learn more about the author and WC Member, Becki, here (RCA)
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Each time I visit West Sacramento, I feel very comfortable there. Even though our location is considered urban, our neighborhood has a quiet and friendly hometown feeling. It feels womb-like and safely tucked away from frenetic energy of Downtown Sacramento, but we can take a short walk over the Tower Bridge to connect with the action in Sacramento whenever we want a dose of that energy.
I’m excited to be close to many mass transit options that are a short walk or drive away which will provide easy access to beautiful nature locales in the Sierra Mountains, Tahoe, and the Bay Area. Speaking as a gerontologist, the study of aging, I know how important it is to have a wide variety of quality medical care, fun activities, and exercise options close by. Research has proven that having strong social connections helps people thrive in body, mind, and spirit, and I've already experienced these benefits being a part of the WCC community for five years. At a deep level, WCC has enhanced my life beyond my wildest dreams.
Why did we do it? Here’s what drew us to this community right now:
Patsy & Richard visited WCC in December to see firsthand how walkable our urban location is! We’re most looking forward to sharing meals, choosing and learning to ride e-bikes, leaving our car in the garage for who-knows-how-long, tackling postponed projects of writing a book (just Richard) and arts and crafts, seeing how many flowers and how much food we all can cram into the 2 raised beds on the 2nd floor deck, and having casual conversations with neighbors who want to build “community at our doorsteps.” We’ll see how our two cats, each used to their own private floor, do in a flat that’s half the size. They won’t be able to enjoy the shared material resources of the Commons, but they will have folks to feed and care for them whenever we’re away.
Meet other members of Washington Commons HERE.
Focusing on destinations, I became inspired again. Yes, I even got excited about walking to a nearby grocery store. Setting off, I immediately was in the moment, noticing the leaves, the trees, the beauty of the outdoors. How wonderful is walking! Washington Commons, where we’ll be moving soon, is walkable because of all the nearby destinations. Here are a few examples. How about walking to coffee, lunch or dinner?
Attend a baseball game at Sutter Health Park - .3 Miles or 7 minutes Let’s go bowling at Capitol Bowl - .5 miles, 12 minutes How about walking 18 minutes to West Sacramento’s Civic Center including the West Sacramento Community Center and Museum, the Arthur F. Turner Library, City Hall and the Sacramento City College Branch? Just across the River, so many destinations:
WCC Members local to the Sacramento area recently gathered for a potluck to celebrate the holidays. Since the beginning of WCC and as we've grown, Members have made a conscious effort to create opportunities to build our relationships, this event being just one example! Member Anne graciously offered to host at her home, as she has for many WCC events. (Out of gratitude for Anne's hospitality, a Member recently joked that in just a couple of months, they'll be able to have her over to THEIR house!) Thank you, Anne, for always being a welcoming host. As it turns out, we have some fabulous cooks in our group (among other talents). We suspect we're in for a treat during future Common Meals! Looking to 2024, it's incredible to realize that next holiday, WCC Members will be together under one roof. We are excited to spend future celebrations together as a community, and can't wait to begin creating our community traditions.
Unloading the trackhoe "WCC has officially begun construction!" Thank you to everyone who has supported us along our journey. We can't believe our beautiful building is now nearing completion!
Downsizing is hard! At first, it feels like tearing off an arm. Then it’s just like ripping off a fingernail. Finally, a slight sense of well-being creeps in and now that it is firmly situated, I’m able to re-home things like a pro. After many trips across town to the various thrift organizations and Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, I wondered if and how I could just give things I have lived with and loved and used (and maybe cursed – like shovels and rakes and unwieldy garden hoses) to the people I have lived among - and loved - these last 21 years in Flagstaff. My solution was to invite them all to a Lagniappe Party. Patterned after northwestern Native American traditions, with a twist, the idea was to have them come to a “do” in my garage, visit with all my friends and neighbors and with each other and importantly, take stuff away with them. The twist is that the Native Americans have a least a touch of pride and ego involved in their fêtes, showing off how wealthy they are that they have goods to give away. No such notion here. It took weeks to get everything that needed re-homing into the garage and then it took 4 dear friends who came and worked 20 hours+ to arrange it all. But the party happened and people came! And “stuff” started flying out the door. Some were apologetic at first, “Can I really take this”? But soon the spirit prevailed. A new friend whose house burned to the ground last year in the Tunnel Fire on the San Francisco Peaks, was the first recipient. Boy! Did that feel right! She needed a lot of what I needed to dispense; down comforter, flowerpots, galvanized trash can to put her horse feed in, table made by Folsom prisoners way back when, good stuff to a good person who needed it. Another wonderful gardener took a cut crystal vase that I inherited from my Auntie Bea (I’m her namesake!) and immediately filled it with blossoms from her yard. It is so much better than I could ever have done and she promises to send me photos regularly. She took shepherd’s crooks to feed hummingbirds, too – shared love of beauty and living creatures.
The day was a little grueling, but at the end, so many things sped off to be loved by people I have loved and I feel like I have 2 arms again. And the best part is, I will soon be in my new home at Washington Commons, with just what I need and with friends to share a meal, go on walks, and even to learn a few things about how to live together. A darn big success, I must say! |