Shaun Groves
A few years ago a small group of friends formed in our neighborhood. We jokingly labeled our little circle the cult-de-sac on account of the unusually large amount of time and stuff we shared: kids, margaritas, tools, parties, lawn mowers, a massive swing set, food… You can’t have community without food can you?
The ladies started this meal co-op thing, for instance. It worked like this: Each cook was responsible for cooking dinner for every family in the co-op one night out of four, freeing whoever wasn’t cooking to hang out in a lawn chair with everyone else in the cult-de-sac and watch the kids play together. (The other three nights of the week we cooked for ourselves. By “we” I mean Becky.)
It was a great little system they worked out not just because it gave us more free time in the evenings, but because it gave us all more money too: it wound up being cheaper to cook a lot one day a week than a little every day of the week. Go figure.
Well, the co-op is making a comeback. Brian and Amy1 (and their six kids) are in, as are Becky and I (with our three). And we’ve added Andy and his wife Amy2 (and their four) this time around. It’s only the first week of meal swapping but so far so good great: creamy potato soup from Amy1 on Monday, followed by chicken casserole with mashed taters and green beans from Amy2 last night. (Are you sure you’re not Baptist or Southern?) Tonight Becky’s bringin’ it with some black bean enchiladas.
Mm.
Community tastes gooooood.
Oh, if only Ree and Sophie lived nearby. Please, Jesus, I’m just asking for a couple of little tiny job transfers. That’s all.
So, anybody else out there have a cost-saving or community-building tip to share?
Kristie says:
coupon swapping is great…but you probably don’t want to talk about that right now.
Kristie says:
also…if you’re really brave (we have friends with LOTS of kids, too), swapping off responsibility for a “kids’ night in” (parents’ date night out for the other couple) can save a bunch of money on babysitting.
Jonathan says:
We just had a discussion about how to improve our community in my small group last night. How do a bunch of single people that don’t live right by each other do something like this?
Kristie says:
When I was single, it meant lots of cook-outs and bowling nights….lots of ultimate frisbee for the guys and lots of pedicures and recipe swapping for the girls…and for those who don’t have the added responsibility of a spouse and kids, it’s a great time to look for outreach ministry opportunities for needy folks in your area. It’s much harder to replace someoneone’s leaky roof when your preschoolers are running around on the ground, but if you are only responsible for your own personal schedule and not that of 3 or 4 other people, it’s a great time to rake yards for someone who is wheelchair-bound, volunteer at a soup kitchen, or get really crazy and take a road trip to Biloxi to pitch in where they are STILL cleaning up and building new homes for Katrina victims. Working together towards a common goal builds community and makes great memories. Not saying those of us married with children can’t do those things—it’s just much easier when you don’t have to take pediatrician appointments, little league games, and your mother-in-law’s birthday party into account. 🙂
Krissy says:
Sounds awesome, except for the fact that having 20 or so kids wrinkle up their noses at my cooking (as opposed to just my three) could be fairly depressing.
Dawn~Canada says:
You are totally right about communities and food.
We spent a couple of years on a college campus while my hubby was finishing his degree in teaching and we totally had the communal living thing going on. Our area was a family housing rez. so lots of students, lots of kids but not a lot of $$. Almost every Sunday we’d all bring what we could to the common area and feast. And ate like kings! And oddly there were always left overs to share. The kids all played, the adults all sat around visiting or playing boce ball till dark. We miss those days, things we simple yet quite perfect. And please note, it was not a “Christian” or “church” group that gathered. Just people all needing one another.
boomama says:
Don’t you tempt me. 🙂
Rebecca says:
ok – if Ree moves in – I am totally there – that lady can cook! – at least the pictures look like she can 🙂
Rebecca says:
ok – if Ree moves in – I am totally there – that lady can cook! – at least the pictures look like she can 🙂
Jessica says:
Thats like how the Body of Christ should work anyways. Being there for each other, lifting each others burdens, sharing life. Its great! 🙂