(Note from author Virginia: I’m going to share a few anecdotes from my day, because I feel like they really show what it’s like here.)
This morning I woke up in a bit of a funk and stumbled down to the kitchen to find Raven bouncing off the walls with happiness. The second she saw me, she pounced on me, hugged me, and asked me if I knew how to make omelets. Since I didn’t have anything better to do, and I am the unofficial mom around here, I decided to make us breakfast. It turned out to be a ton of fun. We ended up with tasty omelets filled with carrots, celery, spinach, and cheese, with fried potatoes on the side. Mine totally fell apart, but I just stuck it together with extra cheese. It was really good, and I wouldn’t have eaten anything nutritious for breakfast if Raven hadn’t encouraged me. Things like that happen here all the time. If you’re down, something awesome will happen to cheer you up. It’s all about helping each other out and working together. Because I cooked her food, Raven did all the dishes. That’s a deal I’ll take any day. Pay attention, people, If you wash my dishes, I will cook you pretty much anything, and I am a good cook.
Then in the early afternoon, I was on the phone, talking to my awesome little sister Alison about puppies and crack squirrels, when the fire alarm went off. I was pretty sure the building wasn’t on fire, but the alarms are ear-splitting, so I filed out of the building along with everyone else. We all assembled in the parking lot, and a couple second after everyone else was clear, Lee walked out. He was wearing jammie pants, a towel, a sheepish expression, and nothing else. His super-curly hair was dripping everywhere, and he looked generally pathetic. It turned out that he had been taking a shower and didn’t turn the fan on, so when he opened the bathroom door, the billowing cloud of heat and steam set off the fire alarms. It only took ten minutes tops for the firemen to show up and tell us we could go back inside, but in just those ten minutes, a group hug formed for people to keep warm, penguin style. Wherever there are unschoolers, there is a cuddle puddle or a group hug. I think it’s a law.
I love it here so much, I have so many more stories like this, and I really need to write them all in my journal before I forget anything. That’s what I’ll do if this hurricane really does take our power out. For now, though, I really have to write. I’ve got short stories to finish, and a very cozy bed to sleep in afterwards. Peace out, y’all. May the cuddle puddle live on.