by The Land Connection Staff

Now that we have begun to return to the office – while remaining safe and wearing masks – we no longer feel the need to offer snapshots of our lives in isolation. That being said, we may provide more fun looks into the lives of the TLC staff from time to time, but for now, this will be our last Stay-at-Home Snapshots for the foreseeable future.

 

Julia

“One aspen tree is actually only a small part of a larger organism”. I stood in the mountains of Colorado as I heard this for the first time and snapped a photo. “A stand or group of aspen trees is considered a singular organism with the main life force underground in the extensive root system”. Our tour guide and friend continued explaining, “before a single aspen trunk appears above the surface, the root system may lie dormant for many years until the conditions are just right, including sufficient sunlight”. That day opened my eyes to the wonder of nature, creation and the power of light and lifeforce. I look forward to being in the TLC office and supporting the team. Let the sunlight in! Send the Sunshine!

 

Cay

No freak accidents, crazy falls, or outrageous stories this week and for that, I’m so very thankful. 2020 has been a wild ride so far with each day, week, and month bringing an onslaught of new challenges, excitement, and discouragement. I am happy to report that this week was different… After my family and I had a fun and uneventful camping trip we dropped the kids off with family in Aurora. While they enjoyed a mini-vacation, Kevin and I had some much needed R&R. Together we drenched ourselves in hours of liquid gold silence. We ordered take out and binge-watched Netflix. We went shopping just because. We even disregarded laundry, dishes, and grocery shopping. Day to day responsibilities, arguing teenagers, and acrobatic littles were, for a few days, put on hold as we enjoyed each other’s company and appreciated the small things. Yesterday, when I came home from work, I was greeted by my usual loud bunch of kids and furry family members. We gathered in the kitchen to make a big dinner, talked about the past few days as we ate goodies from the Tuesday Market, and finished our night with a movie. Life is good. 

 

Cassidy

I’ve never taken an improv class, but I’ve been told you do all types of body movement practice, like pretending you’re walking through honey. I kind of feel like I’m walking through honey lately. To get unstuck, I’m taking a moment for my mental health. I’m trying to spend more time in nature. I’m watching my garden. I’m preparing the yard for more flowers.

 

Taidghin

I find myself distracted by other things. I have taken on additional responsibilities and workload to help out a friend and farmer that I’ve worked for over the past couple of years. The food system needs farmers and we need to help and support them now more than ever. This time is difficult for everyone and more and more cracks are beginning to show. I just hope I have enough super glue to go around.

 

Jacquelyn

I am addicted to podcasts and audiobooks. Walking to work, doing chores, walking the dog – I can’t stop listening. Perhaps not the worst of problems, but I never seem to be able to satisfy my need for more information. I spent the better part of the spring listening to a variety of audiobooks, from Jonathan Safran Foer’s We are the Weather to Malcolm Gladwell’s David and Goliath to Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food, and the list goes on and on. I couldn’t find another audiobook that piqued my interest on the Champaign Public Library app, so I switched back to podcasts and wanted to share one that I cannot stop listening to this week. The podcast is called “This Land.” Hosted by a citizen of Cherokee Nation, this story details two crimes that lead to Murphy v. Sharp, which is a Supreme Court case that will determine ownership of half of Oklahoma’s land. I haven’t quite finished, but have learned a great deal about the rights of Native American tribes, something my history education fell short on providing me.