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Pete Seeger’s song “Maple Syrup Time” has an introduction that calls us at this time of year:
Forget about the mess o’ merchandise the modern world is sellin’
Take a little time to take a little tip from Scott and Helen [Nearing]
Up among the maple trees – harmonizin’ with the breeze
I heard someone say…
It’s maple syrup time
It’s maple syrup time
Then the song tells you how to do it:
First you get the buckets ready, clean the pans and gather firewood
Late in the winter, it’s maple syrup time
You need warm and sunny days but still a cold and freezing nighttime
For just a few weeks, it’s maple syrup time
We boil and boil and boil it all day long
‘Til 97% of water evaporates just like this song
When what is left is syrupy, don’t leave it too long
Watch out for burning! Maple syrup time, maple syrup time
Towards the end of the song is the real message for QIVCers and others:
As in life or revolution, rarely is there quick solution
Anything worthwhile takes a little time
We boil and boil and boil it all day long
When what is left is syrupy, don’t leave it on the flame too long
But seize the minute, build a new world, sing an old song
Keep up the fire! Maple syrup time, maple syrup time
Keep up the fire!
(
read earlier news)
Who we are
We are currently a community of six member households and two families interested in membership, living close to the land on 135 acres of mixed woodland and pasture. We range in age from infant to 60s, with 14 adults and 13 children. We strive to live spirit-focused lives that are simple, sustainable, and joyful, benefitting from and enjoying our close connections with each other and the land. We don't all need to identify explicitly as Quaker. We welcome diversity of all sorts. (More about us)
Where we are
We are in the gorgeous Hudson Valley of upstate New York (2.5 hours from NYC/Boston, 10 minutes from our local Quaker Meeting), in the foothills of the Berkshires.
How we live
We are thriving in a range of green homes such as strawbale, slip and chip timberframe, stickbuilt, passive solar; many of us built our own. Many of us farm our land organically, raise chickens and sheep and other livestock, and produce piles of pesto, and we also support several local farms. We use Quaker processes in our self-government, including consensus that seeks God's will, discernment, and the clearness process, and we value equality, diversity of experience and viewpoints, and deep listening. We come together around five guiding intentions:
Our Five Intentions
We believe community can be a means to advance the following five intentions:
1. To increase the mindfulness, spiritual focus and God-centeredness of our lives by finding and living near others who share these goals and thus will reinforce, on a daily basis, our desire to live in worship.
2. To strengthen our family life both by creating a "village" setting in which to raise our and others' children, and by caring for our elders. This includes an emphasis on leaving behind cultural obstacles that interfere with providing the time and energy that healthy family life requires.
3. To examine carefully our participation in the national/international consumer economy and begin to build the critical mass necessary for viable business networks and sources of goods and services more appropriate to our Quaker testimonies.
4. To focus on a lifestyle that is environmentally sound and that attempts to give back to our planet as much as is taken from it.
5. To include a good measure of joy, fun, outreach, and service in our lives as we strive to meet the first four objectives.
We believe that our communities' success in achieving these five intentions will be aided by memberships diverse in race, age, ethnicity, sexual preference, and economic situations, and therefore it is our aim to gather communities whose members are diverse in these ways as well as others.
If you have questions about QIV-C and would like to find out more or visit us, please e-mail qiv-c@qivp .org or call Spee Braun at 518-392-0891 (between 9 and 9 please).
