Home         Diary         Building Projects         Calendar         Links      www.strawbalestudio.org

Journals, writings & evaluations by past interns at the

The Strawbale  Studio

         NATURAL BUILDING Program ofSustainable Living Skills

6/30/09

On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 9:10 PM, (Intern) Sam Runner <samrunner1@gmail.com> wrote:

I have a question to ask all people. What do you see as our future? If we can outpicture our current reality to something greater, then what can you imagine our future to be? Reply to this message and ask yourselves what you think could be a possible world that could be radically different from what we know today? By visualizing this potential reality, you are bringing it forth, and as I see in so many channelings, imagine this and imagine that, why not? It is a simple act of picturing something beautiful and utilizing our God given right to create. So this is what I see:

I see the planet as whole

The colors are vibrant and free

A wonderful place for a show

The end of duality

Our brothers and sisters from space

Are happy to see us awaken

They land on our soil with grace

They're happy to see we're not shaken

The seas and the oceans repaired

To the way it once was before

The earth and the resources shared

Gaia healed to the core

We all have more than enough

A house, clean water and food

The times are no longer tough

In essence I'd like to conclude

We all have something to share

Our love and our prayers and our heart

I know that you really do care

Now go ahead, it's your turn to start!

10/07

I was a volunteer on the project this summer for about a month and a half. I worked mostly on the Kensington Farm Kid's Cottage, and some at the Oakland Steiner School Playhouse Project.

Participating in the kids cottage project furthered my interest and confidence in natural building. Because of this I will be much more likely to initiate the use of natural building techniques in the projects i'm involved in in the future.

Since the project I've made plans to be a consultant/builder on a strawbale

house to be built by the Red Brick Community Land Trust in collaboration with Youth Build St. Louis here in the city of St. Louis. I also plan on building an earthen oven as part of an outdoor kitchen being built in the spring at New Roots Urban Farm and CSA, also in the city of St. Louis.

The most interesting part of the Kids Cottage project to me was watching all

different kinds of people, with all kinds of different ideas, building and

learning together. Noticing when this happened most smoothly was a valuable

learning experience.

Laura    La00@excite.com

An Intern's Journal ~ Amber Weber, Sanctuary of Mud, 2007-08

An Intern's Journal ~ Jason Howard. An indepth look at one Interns experience.

Unedited Notes taken 2/17/08 quoting Joan, Intern, who was all excited after being part of a gathering here with 12 students from Oakland University and Michigan State University, where we networked, shared, did an earthen plaster workshop, played music, and all:  "Sprouts, raw food, Kubicha tea.  Saukraut, Jared info, Permaculture Shepard.  Studied with him. Jared's sister is managing gardens where they put his information together.  Access to Seeds.  Earl.  Being a traveler.  Sometimes I feel REALLY strongly.  That I need to build my homea nd grow food.  In a community.  Going all these different places and SEEING the energy, and there are more, and more and more people doing it.  Being around that energy.  It makes me as fullin my heart as I did with Wes.  When they left, I could really see it leaving.  Earl called us seedlings.  Swapping seeds, Seed Savers.  I don't where oI am supposed to root doown.  IUntil then I don't want to loose that energy.    This building, building, building, internal energy that is preparing preparing, preparing, This place was a hub, it was vibrating with these kids there.  Oh my gosh, they just started coming in last night.  the cob workshop was good, we took a nap an the couch.  A knock on the door and it was earl, .  He got sick when he was nine.  15 years ago he had intestinal cancer, skin cancer.  already doing organic gardening for 10 years.  and then for 10 years he was on liquid food in a bag attached to his body.  Raw goats milk, sheep skins, Scars, cemo, IVS.  Good attitude.

kthety kept up the fire, knowing they were going to sleep there that night, pulle up the couch.  Allright, alright, let's tune in.   We took up the whole nook area, and they started chnating.  Trevor has a smudge stick going and one by one, they started chanting.  some were listening, Holly was making up music, too tired to chant.  Like nectar, like a beautiufl alian language.  She said she appreciede my singing."