Why my legs hurt today

Yesterday we at Casa Nacho joined some of the Mennonite volunteers and their friends and some of the Presbyterian volunteers on a seven-hour, 10.8 mile hike up to the top of Mt. Wrightson and back. I had an absolute blast, and it was definitely worth it even though it probably put me back a week on my knee recovery. I was having trouble loading images on to this blog for some reason, so instead of doing that I posted them to this link. I hope that works.

We're at the library right now, about to head to a wine & cheese event that we've been invited to put on for some other Catholic volunteers in Tucson, I believe. Free food and drinks means we're going for sure!

Jeff

Ben's Bells and Brian Lopez

If you visited our house and just listened to what we talked about, you might assume that there was a fifth Jesuit Volunteer living with us by the name of Brian Lopez. Not quite true. Though my housemates love to talk about him, and are facebook friends with him, Brian is actually a local musician that Jen, Kaitlyn, and Erin discovered two weeks ago. They came home from a concert in a trance. I don't think I'm exaggerating because I think one of them actually said, "I'm in a trance." They showed me some of his music, and it's pretty good. Kind of ethereal and mellow, with a hypnotic beat. Reminds me of both Radiohead and Coldplay a little. So, lucky for me, I will voluntarily go along with them when we - as I'm sure we will - see him in more concerts here in Tucson.

Brian in his band Mostly Bears

On a different note, yesterday was Erin's birthday! She turned 22, and as something fun to do, plus as our community event, we volunteered for a couple hours at Ben's Bells, a local nonprofit that specializes in the power of intentional kindness. Here's how it works. Volunteers spend hours creating colorfully decorated clay bells, and then employees hide thousands of them around the city a few times a year. The bells are not for sale. They can only be found, and if you find one you're supposed to take it home and it reminds you of the importance of being kind. Some might write this off as superficial, but I loved it, and it's obvious that lots of others in Tucson think so, too. As it says on the website, there is a "therapeutic effect of working with clay" and it just makes me feel good to know that a company devoted to nothing more than kindness can survive and flourish in today's world.

The finished bells. Volunteers shape and paint the clay parts on top.

Other volunteers (we didn't get to) form the clay beads

We finished half-painted clay beads. Here's Kaitlyn working on one.

And here's Jen. Someday someone will find these bells!

By the way, in case you're interested, here are links to Kaitlyn's and Jen's blogs. Happy Sunday!

Community

Home.

Casa Nacho!

Living room, decorated thanks to thrift stores.

There. Just thought you might want to see what our house looks like. Uff, it hasn't been an easy weekend for me. The week was great, but now it appears that I am in one of those "funks" I fall into ever so often. I feel tired and sluggish, wanting to do something with my day, but I just wander aimlessly around the house, cleaning the dishes, sweeping my room, looking at a book but thinking about something else. I'm also irritable. Of my housemates, Jen, Erin, and Kaitlyn, I can honestly say that they're considerate, not messy, helpful, reliable - in other words, great housemates. But just the very act of living with people means you have to, well, live with them. Day in and day out. Mornings, evenings, and weekends. Sometimes (like today) it's a challenge just to make peace with myself, so of course it will sometimes be difficult to also share space with three other individuals who have completely separate - though not always dissimilar - life experiences, values, and viewpoints on the world.

In fact, I'm a little surprised at how easily we have managed our house business so far. What seems to make sense to each one of us, separately, luckily seems to make sense for the other three. The bread has mold? Then it's no good. We should throw it out. Now, I'm sure there is a rational person somewhere who would argue that one should cut out the mold and save the rest of the bread. Then a disagreement might arise. But so far, not in our house. We have no moldy bread eaters. Yet we do have differences, and quirks, and individual tastes. I may not understand why it's a terrible idea to put dirty clothes belonging to two different people in the same load of wash, but then again I'm the one who spent $13 out of my stipend on a bag of coffee so that I could have it before work, even though it's provided, for free, at work. I have my reasons. And what might just be my golden rule for a peaceful year is if I assume that she, too, has hers.

The Outdoors Post

I figure it's time I talked a little bit about the great outdoors here in Tucson. Coming from the temperate Pacific Northwest, I was a little shocked to arrive in a place as dry and hot as Tucson. Erin and I landed in the airport after dark, when the mountains and the sky were equally black. Hard to believe from the airplane window that the air temperature was over 90 degrees. When we walked outside, it was hot, certainly, but it wasn't as unpleasant as I had imagined; especially (as I learned later) because the sun wasn't also burning our skin. It was kind of like a low-temperature sauna. As I felt the moisture leaving my skin, I was thrilled to see my first real desert plants. They were saguaros, the tall, straight, noble kind with upward pointing arms. And these cacti weren't here for the tourists, but were placed inconspicuously in the dirt between parking lot curbs where one might see shrubs or small maples in Oregon.

The heat has been constantly annoying over the past few weeks, but I've learned to live with it, or rather, to hide from it, in air-conditioned buildings and buses. The desert plants, on the other hand, have been much more pleasant. Last weekend our house decided to explore the Desert Museum just west of downtown.

Saguaro [suh-WAH-roh] in the distance

It was a nice change, for one, to just get away from the city, but it was also nice to learn a little about some of the flora and fauna here. Saguaro, for example, only grow an inch or two per year. So the saguaro in the picture is likely close to a hundred years old. And the purple growths on the cactus in the picture below are actually a fruit that is harvested and served in local cafes as prickly pear lemonade.

Prickly pears on a nopal cactus

We also gained a valuable lesson in the dangers of leaving the trail. Erin, hoping to get her picture taken by a giant saguaro, had not taken two steps off the path when she came up short, due to a spine lying on the ground that had punctured her sandal. Luckily, her foot was okay.

Wear thick boots!

The desert plants do have a certain beauty, but this weekend we explored another region of Tucson with a more temperate clime - the top of Mt. Lemmon. This mountain is just to the north of the city, and is accessible by car all the way to the top. Vista points near the summit are impressive.

Kaitlyn, Jen, and Erin on Mt. Lemmon

We stopped in Summerhaven, a little town at the top. It felt like I was back in the Pacific Northwest! Deciduous trees, quiet streams, and - best of all - a cool 70 degree temperature greeted us. We explored a gift shop and considered buying crepes, but eventually decided to take a short hike.

Tucson? Or Forest Park?

We got lost on the hike, so just went back the way we came after a mile or two. As we drove back down the mountain, the rich green trees gave way to pale green saguaros, and eventually we hit the dry basin where the city lies. But now I know that if I ever feel homesick or am just sick of the heat, an island oasis of green trees exists only a few thousand feet above my head.

It feels like this past week just flew by in an instant, and that it was yesterday, not last weekend, when I was last in this library typing an update. Time flies when you're busy, I guess. I found myself struggling this week to remember what day it was. I think that's because I'm getting so used to my weekday routine that the days just kind of blur together. This week did have its highlights, however:

Tuesday morning I was at a farmer's market in that the food bank runs weekly right out in front of the building. It's a great resource for people who qualify for low-income or senior food vouchers, because they can pick up their vouchers in the warehouse and then use them to get local, healthy produce just out the door.

Some of the seasonal produce: lots of squash and cucumbers

It also was a nice break from working inside the office on a computer (although it's air-conditioned inside...). One thing I appreciate about the food bank is that the employees think it's important to know at least a little bit about all aspects of the organization. So even though my primary role is not with the farmer's markets, I was encouraged to help out with it and learn. My supervisor, for example, recommended I also accompany a truck driver when he or she takes food boxes out to rural areas. These trips usually take an entire day, which would mean a day that I wouldn't be learning about food stamps, but I would be learning about another program (food boxes) that perhaps I could recommend to folks who aren't eligible for food stamps, say. Also, on Wednesday, we had an all-staff meeting that included singing "Happy Birthday" to everyone who has a birthday in August, and a "sharing" time, where anyone could make an announcement about something personal or work-related. What I'm trying to say is that the food bank is a really friendly place.

Last night my casamates and I went to an outdoor showing of the movie MASH in a downtown park. There were maybe a hundred people in outdoor seating, popcorn was provided, and the whole event was free, donations welcome. Movies are shown weekly for about four months in the fall and spring. Cinema La Placita, as it's called, is in its 11th year. Cool!

The Catalina mountains, viewed from the northwest.

Today my boss took me and another co-worker on a field trip, you might say. Our trip took us all the way around the other side of the Catalina mountains (pictured) and so it was a great opportunity for me to get outside of the city. We went to a meeting of women who have formed a group with the purpose of supporting and educating each other regarding child-rearing and community involvement. They were interested in the possibility of starting a farmer's market in their area, and they had some questions about food stamps to which I was able to respond with at least a partial answer. Again, it was nice to do something other than type on the computer and answer phone calls. I hope I can keep up this balance of being in the office and out of the office through the year!

There is talk in the house of going hiking this weekend! I'll let you know how it goes.

Jeff

One week in...

Hey everyone!

We inhabitants of Casa Nacho have successfully completed our first week in Tucson! Here are some of my highlights:

1. The food bank. It's a really great place. I work with people who care about what they do more than getting the paycheck. My boss is a former community organizer, is from Peru, and has a lot of great experience and wisdom. And the food bank has a garden!

A view of the demonstration Nuestra Tierra garden at the food bank. They sell this produce at farmer's markets!

2. Harvesting cucumbers, peppers, and watermelon early in the morning at a local farm managed by the food bank, and then selling this produce later at a farmer's market. The farm I was at is just outside of Tucson, and a lot bigger than the garden in the picture above.

3. Going out last night with my housemates to the "place to be" in Tucson: 4th ave. We met up with some young teachers doing a Catholic teaching program kind of like Teach For America. New friends!

4. Taking turns cooking and enjoying pretty good meals on a tight budget. This first week we had: couscous and roasted squash, veggie stir-fry, some delicious pasta, and a chard-potato frittata.

5. Relaxing in our air-conditioned house, reading the Poisonwood Bible, or playing cards with Jen, Erin, and Kaitlyn. It's starting to feel more like home now :)

Picture!

Me, Kaitlyn, Erin, and Jen

This is us! Casa Ignacio Ellacuría, or just Nacho for short. As you can tell, we're in a library (Kate, I'll get a real library card as soon as I have proof of residence!), because our house doesn't have any internet access. So, I'll post a picture of the house later. By the way, our house's address is 1030 Unit B N. 13th Ave Tucson AZ 85705. That's a little different from what we were told earlier, so if you're going to send anything, make sure you get it right! Our house is, in a word, great. I was not expecting that our support community, including former JVs and friends of JVs, would not only furnish our house with beds and furniture, but stock our kitchen with cooking equipment, fill the closets with sheets and towels, install a washer and dryer, give us artwork to decorate with, and even plan activities for us during our first weekend here! Needless to say, I feel welcome in Tucson.

Cecelia, a former JV, drove us to our respective agencies yesterday, so I got to see the food bank! It's enormous, with about 100 on staff, and they had a shopping cart full of food for our house! I'm excited to start work there on Monday.

I'll post more later! Have a great day,

Jeff