Greetings, kin-
How are you? This is a question we have become accustomed to asking and being asked, whether we usually answer it honestly or see it simply as a general greeting. Where are you? Another common one, usually for purposes of locating yourself physically.
When are you? That one hits a bit differently, sort of oddly. As modern people, we are rarely invited to consider our situatedness in the story of time and so our relationship with time is impoverished. Perhaps we are guilty of conceiving ourselves above time in some way, inattentive to the deep past, disconnected from the present, and heedless of our impact on the future. This Fall we have been reading Jamie K. A. Smith’s book How to Inhabit Time, which is a profound invitation to reorient ourselves to when we are and cultivate a sense of time-bound faithfulness. If you would like to join us in reading and discussing, or would just enjoy perusing our collective musings, click here to access the shared google doc. We would love to hear your thoughts!
|
|
|
Reflecting on film, walking among trees, planting garlic
One answer to the question “when are we?” at Kinship Plot is: we are planting garlic. Yes, it’s time. We won’t harvest until June, so this act of pushing cloves into the October-warmed earth is one practice of ordinary timefulness. A fun little fact is that the garlic plants will guide where to plant lettuce and kale in the spring, since this is a symbiotic relationship that keeps the aphids away.
|
|
|
Speaking of practicing timefulness, on Saturday we gathered at Ribbonwalk Nature Preserve for a contemplative walk in the forest, listening to the deep time keepers that are all around us: the trees! Ribbonwalk is home to a grove of beech, black maple, and oak trees, many of which are 200+ years old. Over the span of two hours and about two miles, we shared in five practices: naming and being named, forest bathing (shinrin yoku), touching bark, embracing entanglement, and deep listening. We look forward to more communal nature walks in the future!
|
|
|
Our Fall film cohort is in full swing! Last Sunday we gathered to reflect on our experiences of watching The Music of Strangers, a cinematic feast portraying the journey of musicians from distinct cultures coming together for kinship through music. Our conversation meandered through the possibility of collaboration while maintaining cultural diversity, the role of pain in catalyzing communion, and what mediums (in addition to music) might facilitate kinship amidst differences.
|
|
Help us reach our goal!
When someone commits to being a monthly supporter of Kinship Plot, it's a huge boost to our spirits and our finances. Right now, we are only $300/month away from our goal for 2022, and reaching this goal would enable us to devote more time to programming in 2023. For the next two months, anyone who creates a recurring gift to Kinship Plot will receive some homegrown or foraged goodness, whether habañero hot sauce, kinship tea, shelled pecans, or another taste of Kinship Plot. Just click on the button below, set the amount, and click the box that says 'make this a monthly donation.'
Thank you for believing in kinship!
Wes and Stephanie Vander Lugt
|
|
|
|
|
