Graduation Day...

...at Lakeland College. I wish them all the best. Full of hope, end of one phase, start of a new phase, and all that. I'm with you... Go out there and live! Good kids, and good adults. Congrats to all of them. Sometimes I get caught up in the day-to-day of my job, and I forget why we do this. Graduation is a good reminder, I need to get out from behind my desk more often.

I need to get some pictures of Bookworm Gardens, which is still under construction. I've been asked to join its board of directors. I wanted to go over there tonight, but Sam has a fever. Check them out HERE. It is a children's book-themed garden, intended to provide a space where children can read, play, and explore and learn about our environment. More pictures on their Flickr site HERE. I've been asked to be on boards before, but have turned most of them down. However, I really like the mission of this organization, and given the way my kids read and how much they love to play outside, it's a good match for me. And it is a group of people that I don't really know, so it's a chance to meet a new circle of friends with common interests.

I've also just joined the board of directors of Nourish. Nourish "creates collaborations between local farmers and volunteers to share meals inspired by fresh, local ingredients with struggling families who deserve to eat well." Visit their website HERE. Here's an example of what they we do:

Farm to Table Tour

A typical NOURISH Farm to Table Tour takes an afternoon and starts with a small volunteer group or family (roughly 4-6 people plus your NOURISH “tour guide”). We meet at 1:30 pm at one of NOURISH's sponsored farms in Plymouth/Elkhart Lake, where you will roll-up your sleeves and learn a bit about growing and harvesting sustainable vegetables. Next, you and your tour guide load your car with the freshly harvested vegetables and head down to one of the three culinary meal locations; The Salvation Army, The Boys & Girls Club Stayer Center, or Safe Harbor. There a professional chef guides your group, plus volunteers from the meal location, through how to make a delicious meal with the harvested vegetables and other locally inspired ingredients. At 5:30 pm we graciously share dinner together, family style, to approximately to 15-20 homeless adults or Boys & Girls Club kids.

I'm doing my first tour sometime in June.

Why these new activities? I want to keep busy, and spend my time on rewarding pursuits. I have a chance to do things I couldn't or wouldn't before. And they look like fun.