Gardening the new building

So, I've been scheming about the guerrilla gardening thing - we just got rid of some hideous bushes outside of our condo and put in native, drought resistant and really nifty plants that should look awesome once they take off - and I noticed there is a ton of bare dirt immediately around the new building:


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I'm thinking we could do a lot of neat stuff with all that space . I also know someone who might donate some plants or would at least give us a good deal. If we get stuff started right then by next summer it should be looking great! I've got gardening gloves, shears and a shovel ready to go.

Greeley AKA "Sayyid Qutb's Sodom and Gomorrah"

Me and a coworker noticed on Wikipedia that Greeley had a number of alternate nicknames, just like a good episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle. One of those names is posted in the title. Look it up if you have a minute...

Anyways, this is just too freakin unbelievable. I'll just copy and paste out of the wiki:

Egyptian Islamist Sayyid Qutb studied at the Colorado State College of Education in 1949. In The America I Have Seen (1951), he portrays Greeley as a hotbed of debauchery, rife with "naked legs" and "animal-like" mixing of the sexes.

So, this dude apparently went to UNC (Before it was called such). He is now considered a pretty influential figure on Al-Qaeda and their ilk. And we live in a hotbed of debauchery. I must be hanging out in the wrong places. Or maybe Greeley has settled down a lot since 1949.

Restoration Debriefing

I think I speak for everyone when I say last night was basically made of pure win! I heard a lot of great feedback, and had a ton of fun doing everything. I thought it came off really well.

Anyways, Kim and I (and now Ben) talked and decided it would be kind of a bummer to just let the group dissipate, so is anyone else down for another get-together to talk about how things went and hang out and discuss where we want to go from here?

We could do a regular meeting like we have been doing, but it might could be nice to go ingurgitate some victuals at a local eatery.

Things I Ponder

"Everything I do turns into a disaster." ~Charlie Brown

There's something about Chuck Brown that makes me see a little piece of myself.

There's something about Chuck Brown that is part of the entire world.

We've been working on this project for just under 6 months now. It's stretched us, grown us, frustrated us, brought a new group of friends together that probably wouldn't have formed on its own. What an amazing microcosm of Christ's Church.

The work of restoration, of helping Jesus make things new, is a constant, trying process. It started when He came to earth as a little baby, and won't end until He comes back and wipes the earth's slate clean for one last time.

Sitting in practise last night, I looked at everyone there and realised that this night is amazing and powerful for the reason that it took labor, tears, sweat, lots of phone calls, amazing people willing to set aside time. Isn't this how restoration looks in life? We all break ourselves a little, do the work, get dirty, be willing to say what's said, taking something on ourselves to get done not relying on one person to do it, let go of the idea that I am the only person who can do it and do it right, and encourage those who fall along the side of the road.

Remember that cliff in the Sigur Ros video? This small bit we're doing for Sunday night...perhaps it will lead someone, or a group of someones, to jump.

Each of you are beautiful eagles. And perhaps on Sunday, you will remember you can fly.

May God's grace sneak up on you.

~H

Guerilla Gardening

LA Times just did an article on guerilla gardening - there's some folks that do some really amazing stuff on random unused and untended pieces of land. People do flowers, vegetables, fruit, pretty much whatever will grow in a given area.

I'm trying to think of places that would be cool to do this in Greeley, and also of plants that might do well. It's important to use plants that will thrive, and that also won't over grow and mess up other local plant life.

Do we have any gardeners in our midst? I don't know much about doing this stuff, but I would love to help someone who does.

Here's one of the coolest examples:



If you want to check it out:

Original Blog Post
LA Times Article
Guerrillagardening.org

to blog or not to blog?

The purpose of this blog is to talk restoration, and while the writer of this particular post acknowledges that, he does have one item of business that he wishes to discuss, that may or may not be relevant to restoration, but is perhaps relevant to the individuals who contribute to this blog.

That question is...

I am going to be gone in Chattanooga, Tennessee (a brief aside: Maybe it's just me, but I really enjoy typing words with double letters in them. It doesn't happen that often, but when it does it generally serves as a break from the monotony of all the other typing. That said I haven't typed "Chattanooga, Tennessee" very many times, but the length of the words and the frequency of the double letters is beginning to take its toll on me and the fun of double letter word typing is beginning to lose its nuance) this summer and I want to keep in touch with folks, especially folks in the Atlas community, and while technology has never been my gifting, I am considering creating a blog to record and relate the epic adventures that undoubtedly await me this summer. And so the question is, is this of interest to anyone? Would you guys be up for stoppin' by my blog, and reading/commenting and the like?

-Ryan

Band Question

My question is this:

Is the band rehearsing Wednesday night, and if so when?


Give me a call