times are changing

This month marks our two year anniversary. At this point we have now been in operation for the equivalent amount of time that this project was in development. Time flies.

Two years marks many changes for us. Over this last year, and maybe more so the last months, many who have been here since the beginning have decided to move on. Only half of our original residents remain, and even fewer are those who used to meet for that year prior to moving in. Our directorship has changed as well as the introduction of an executive director position. The evolution of these things are what is needed to make this place sustainable and hopefully enable it to serve people beyond the investment of the founders. I believe it is a good place to be in, and yet I cannot help but feel a little nostalgic.

I don't believe that there will ever be people who will care as deeply for this place as those who put their life on hold to see it happen. Those who met weekly for over a year, who prayed and grappled with this concept and the feasibility of it, and those who spent every saturday and a few evenings a week in the summer of 09 doing reno's.

It has been awesome to have new housemates and new directors on board. Fresh energy and ideas to replace our weariness and remind us of the beauty of this place, and new people to learn of and from. I am grateful for the people that live here, for those who have been around since the beginning, those who are new, as well as those who we have loved and have now moved on.

Sophia

Shooter-Scare

We've got Dan's scoots on the road for the summer addition to our auto-share. Ghetto-fabulous scooter dates are all the rage around here. Tessa is in high demand seeing as she's got the second scoot. I think we are officially hooked and trying to scam a fleet if we could only afford it. We're trying out an online booking system in hopes of possibly opening up the autoshare to people outside of our residence. Let us know if you are interested... and watch out for us on the road. Cheers.

Summer in the Forest

Its the beginning of our second summer spent living at atangard. ( Third summer if you count the hand full of us who spent the summer of 2009 renovating the old hotel we now call home). Still, there are plenty of little improvements and custom upgrades being worked on all the time by our handy maintenance crew. Apart from the practical things, there are some subtle (yet...loud) changes in and amongst our some 8000 sf of inhabited space.

Check it out! Sophia had the idea to paint a forest in the laundry room (which, i might add, has had a serious face lift in terms of organization and functionality). Cool right? And, it worked out perfectly, because it just so happens that green and brown are the color of choice for feature walls in atangard. (hence the multiple cans of left over paint).

This was all happening last friday night, while another group of patriotic hockey fans were cheering on the canucks in what turned out to be a 1-0 win for us. (GO CANUCKS GO!!!!!) My camera battery died 20 seconds before the game ended, but I did manage to catch a debatably epic moment.

While were on the subject of improvements, I must mention the third official "bike art" piece composed by our very own Jenny Born. I believe this particular piece articulates very well the jenster adventures some of us have had the privilege of hearing a about/be a part of. (aka. bike tours across vietnam/ local green party bike ride/triathlon/bike to work week..ect.) Jenny B, you never cease to amaze me!

ATANGARDEN: We're baaaaaack!

There are hundreds of worms out there! We are pumped! They are busy working their magic on our soil, doing their thang, and we are thankful to each one of them. Without them, I don't know where we'd be.

We've spent a number of saturdays out in the garden prepping things; weeding those annoying lego plants, re-building the inukshuk with great care, transplanting compost, lugging cinder blocks, adding new garden boxes, talking with curious passersby, painting signs, pruning, more weeding of lego plants, PLANTING many seeds, and praying for sunshine. It has been RAIN town. But we have gum boots and gumption. So all is well.

This is a picture of me putting saw dust around Blueberry Lane, which Tessa has made a beautiful sign for. And Sofe is taking some compost from the mother box and putting it into other, smaller ones.

Here is another action shot of Sofe sharing the compost wealth. And also proof that the tulip bulbs Sofe picked up for free last year grew.

A rare sunny moment in the garden. I can't wait for more of this! (Dan + Vicki = lovebirds)

So far we have planted the following:

-brussels sprouts (started sprouting)

-broccoli (starter plants, about 4 in tall)

-kale

-potatoes (sprouting)

-garlic (sprouting)

-onions

-parsley (starter plant)

-oregano (starter plant)

-sage

-leafy greens (started sprouting)

-sunflowers (started sprouting)

-basil (it died :( )

-chives (came back from last year)

-mint (came back from last year)

I hope I didn't forget anything.

We plan on still planting zucchini, carrots, corn, tomatoes, and whatever else our collective hearts decide upon....

(All photography done by Tiffany Suderman, merci beaucoup)

Old Atangard Articles!

Articles from 1944:




Atangard Sold to Vancouver Hotel People! (article August 4, 1943)





Article from the Abbotsford News Feb. 8, 1939...

Keep Walking

I was asked the other day if people here have been let down by the expectations they had when first moving in. I can only speak for myself. I do not think I had specific expectations, only hope. With years previous spent living in different situations with different amounts of people I did not think it would be a walk in the park. I only hoped that whatever that walk looked like, it would be worthwhile.

People and relationships can be complicated and messy, but I would not want life without them. Sometimes people ask me how things are going. I usually respond that it is good but hard, or hard but good, depending on how I've been most affected lately. People seem surprised or curious. I imagine that most marriages, journeys, or life paths have been hard but good too. It's part of life. I believe that everything in life worth doing will have hard or unpleasant elements.

I've been living with a lot of these people for almost a year and a half now. Many of them I would not've come to know otherwise. The first year was quiet, a time of acquaintance, you could say. The last six months have more so been learning what it is to live together and with some to share life together.

I have at times felt defeat. That because things have been hard, or did not go as planned, that ambitions to live and love have been in vain. In such moments I have been advised this is not failure. This was in fact what I wanted, what I set out for. I just didn't know what it would look like. In that I find desire to keep going.

Some people have tasted and tried a year or so of living together and have lost interest and are ready to move on. Some people may've lost heart. To some it no longer serves their needs. As in every practice you must continue to go deeper to receive the benefits. I am so grateful for those who continue to come alongside me in this endeavor.

Sophia

Converge Magazine Article

Recently, Converge Magazine published the article below about our community. The magazine's website can be found at http://www.convergemagazine.com/