Dear Friends,
Hats off to all you gardeners, farmers, and farmworkers! You keep us nourished, fed, and surrounded by beauty. Thank you.
"I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.” ~Abraham Lincoln
“Junebug” with Ryan Dugan in our community garden
The Summer Day
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down--
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
~ Mary Oliver
“The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project provides free legal services, social services, and advocacy to immigrants facing detention. Without the right to a public defender, both adults and children in immigration detention appear in court alone and without an attorney. They may be deported back to the unsafe situations they have fled.
Our team of attorneys and legal assistants provide legal education and representation to adults and children in immigration detention. Our team of social workers facilitate our trauma-informed provision of legal services and provide critical support to address our clients’ needs beyond their legal cases. Our advocacy team advances the rights of adults and children in immigration detention and advances systemic change.”
“Caregiving” - a brand new PBS Documentary Series
“From Executive Producer Bradley Cooper, this is the story of paid and unpaid caregivers navigating the challenges and joys of this deeply meaningful work. Intertwining intimate personal stories with the untold history of caregiving, the documentary reveals the state and the stakes of care in America today.”
You’re never too old to dance!
With gratitude to those who sow, cultivate, and reap,
Joy
Joy Zimmerman is a folk and acoustic roots singer-songwriter who creates community through music. Her latest album, Where the Light Lives, debuted at #6 on the Folk Alliance International Chart, adding to a growing list of accolades and awards. A multi-instrumentalist with a rich, clear voice, Joy blends insightful songwriting, fiddle tunes, and storytelling into performances that leave a lasting impact. Dani Goodband of Lakeside Music calls her “a show any host would line up to present.” joyzimmermanmusic.com