Hello all, it’s Serena back again! Last time, I spoke with everyone about meeting as a community or in smaller groups for our holiday or winter celebrations. It’s a great time of year to gather about the fires in our homes instead of the one outside in our center circle. But Kartik is going to talk about fires in an upcoming installment, so I’ll focus on the gatherings that happen around those cozy warmths. We don’t need a holiday or other excuses to get together, spontaneous gatherings happen all the time!
Recently, we have had our wonderful tenants at #2 take the lead on organizing tabletop game nights. These typically occur after the children have gone to bed and we usually gather at one of the houses where young ones are sleeping or devise other ways to play and keep an eye on the children, such as the older teenagers playing baby monitor, or the spouses of young children rotating attendance. At #5, we have a sizeable game library and we usually provide the games, though that’s not always true! #9 loves word games and we’ve branched out from strategic hobbyist games to party games that up to thirteen people can play!
Here at #5 we take our games seriously and we’ve traveled to Indiana to join in the largest tabletop gaming convention in the United States. We’re always looking for new converts to our craft, but we’ve also had spectators join in that enjoy watching just as much as playing. Playing for fun is always the objective, but playful competition arises as well. It’s typically an evening of laughter, conversation, and, of course, games!
As much as we love the chance to play games, however, other gatherings regularly occur. We hold monthly potlucks at one of the homes to welcome new people or join together to talk and bond over food. In the past, we’ve had piano or other instrument recitals performed for the community by one of our members. Halloween parties, birthday parties, and recently a peanut butter party was held as well! We provided the peanut butter and others brought food to go with the peanut butter. There was ice cream, crackers, carrots, apples, and even kim chi! The sticky affair was well attended and several members went home with well filled bellies.
In this culture of stressed commutes and the daily grind, it’s nice to relax at home after a long day. While some of us are more introverted than others, many of us enjoy chatting with friends and relaxing in other’s homes without having to get in the car and drive anywhere. A fun game, yummy food, or a relaxing and supportive conversation can be had just a few yards down the road.