COMMUNITY FUND RAISER FOR F.A.R.M. CAFE IN BOONE, NC !!!!!!!!!!!

It was an exciting weekend up in High Country!  I arrived in Boone, NC Friday evening and settled in at a charming Inn in Blowing Rock called the Ragged Garden.  They were kind enough to donate the room as part of their contribution to the FARM Cafe fundraiser.

Saturday morning Renee, Chris, Tracey and I met for brunch and talked about the evening event.  THIS GROUP REALLY HAS IT TOGETHER!!!!!  There are so many people excited about the project and involved.  They had many committees taking care of the food, silent auction, raffle, entertainment,...nothing was left undone.  It was time to just show up and let it happen!! 

At 3pm we could get into the venue and start setting up.  Everything went smooth!!!!

The evening was a HUGE success.  When the doors opened at 5pm there were already people lined up to get in.

Tracey unveiling the FARM Cafe fundraiser T-shirt!!

Shelly in the first One World Everybody Eats Summit T-shirt from New Orleans

Right at 5pm the crowds started to come!!!

One of the many local bands that performed on stage

I will just say the rest in pictures.

Community in Stuart, Florida

I am now in Stuart, Florida.  A place my mother and I have been coming to together for the last 5 years.

This year the local grocery which was just 1 block from our condo closed.  I was not surprised because each year I saw the store struggle more and more to survive.  This was a big deal for us since we do not keep a car here.  Fortunately since the day I arrived neighbors have offered to take me to the grocery store with them when they go.  My friends Dave and Jane Hutchins stopped at Publix on the way in from picking me up at the airport just so I could stock up.

Yesterday my friend Joyce called me and said her husband Don was going to the produce stand that afternoon, so be sure to give him a call later, he was waiting to take me.

I bought a ton of fresh produce for around $20. Example: 10 oranges for $1, 10 grapefruit for $1......

The Produce stand Don Staub took me to yesterday in Stuart, Florida

I realize now how hard it would be when the major grocery store goes out in a neighborhood , especially a low income one, where people do not have cars or access to efficient transportation, and there are no fresh fruit and vegetable stands near.  Are there any non profits yet that travel around to low income communities with a produce van?  I would like to do something like this if I get the opportunity as an outreach of One World Everybody Eats.  A sort of farmers market on wheels!!!  So much to do, so little time.

Community with the Sancta Clara Nuns in Canton, Ohio

Sister Gretchen and Sister Mary Ischmel having fun making the soup!!!!!

The best Tomato Soup!!

The third weekend of every month there is soup and bread for sale at the Santa Clara Monastery.  When I am home in Canton I like to help the Sisters.  We have fun making bread and soups and filling to go orders for three days. I love spending time with the Sisters. The environment is very peaceful.

They make a wonderful tomato soup, lentil, chicken noodle and wedding soup. Every soup comes with a bread stick. 

The money earned is used so that the nuns can sustain their monastery.  The sisters take special requests for prayers of the community and beyond. I learned today that they have been praying around the clock and each take a shift.  I forgot to find out how long this has been going on for.  I also heard they are turning their guest house into a small retreat center if you need a place to contemplate for a while.

Today I was filling orders with a woman and I thought she looked familiar......she was a high school teacher I had over 30 years ago!! Janet Tilletski.

ONE WORLD EVERYBODY EATS 2nd annual summit in SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

Hello everybody!! sorry I have not blogged in so long. 

We held our 2nd annual summit in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  I used to live in Santa Fe and it was so nice being there again.  It really made me homesick.  Perhaps I will get to live there agian some day.................

Our summit was fantastic!!   It was just like a family reunion.  All the cafes from Denver were there, Spokane, Salt Lake and people who are in the planning stages from all over.  What a great group and we had a lot to celebrate and many new plans to make.

Our guest speakers were Mark Winne and Regan Koch who were both excellent in their own right.

Giovanni speaking to the group about his year at One World Salt Lake     

Sandy ( Comfort Cafe) Brad and Libby ( SAME Cafe) and Cathy Mathews( Cafe 180) look on as Libby  (from Cafe 180)speaks on relevant issues

One of our summit posters from the lobby of The La Fonda Hotel     



Michael Patterson ( California) and Regan Koch ( UK) talk at the lounge after a full day, Keith and Jan Raschko ( One World Spokane) in background

 The summit next year will be in either Denver or Philly.  See you there!!!

COMMUNITY IN PEACEDALE,RHODE ISLAND

I met Susan Gustaitis when I was on location in Denver, Colorado this June.  Susan was chosen as one of the ten top executive directors in RI as a fellow to pursue her next " Big Idea".  It just so happens that Susan's next big idea  is a community kitchen in Peacedale, Rhode Island!!

So this December I went to Peacedale and Susan and I co-facilitated a community meeting to raise awareness about a possible community kitchen project. It was a great meeting with about 30 people in attendance. Many important questions were asked.

We spent the rest of my visit touring The JohnnyCake facilities and other non profit organizations and even attended a fund raiser event for a neighboring 501c3. It was a great trip!

We had lunch one day at a local soup kitchen.

Susan will know in January if she has the green light for her vision!

CATS OF THE AMALFI COAST and a very special moment regarding a cat.

Cat at the Piazza Ravello

Gato on a cold tin roof seen on my way down from Ravello to Amalfi     

Another reason I love Italy so much is their love for cats.  As I walked along I saw many cats.  I took pictures of a lot of them.

 My last day in Amalfi I was walking to the bus stop in the piove (rain)and this taxi driver Augusto stopped and asked if I wanted a ride into Amalfi from Ravello.  I expained I had a bus ticket but Grazie anyway! 

While I was sitting waiting for the bus I saw an older gentleman walking from the piazza area with a sack and I understood in Italian he was talking to this Tabby cat about feeding him.  I wondered if I heard right so I kept watching and sure enough he got a can out of cat food out and walked over to the bushes and cerimoniously dished out a big helping for the gato. I then put 2 and 2 together that this was the taxi driver from earlier. 

A bus come and he knew I was waiting and grabbed my suitcase and was going to load it on for me.  It was the wrong bus, so he repeated this when my bus finally came.  I asked him about the gatoin Italian, if it was his.....etc He said no, it was the Piazza's and the nearby resataurant's and he and the cat have been friends since it was a kitten.  He feeds it often.. I assume more adesso since it is the off season!!  

What a beautiful moment to observe this selfless act of kindness of a man to a cat.. I hope you can pick up on the pure simplicity, beauty and the feline connection in my humble photos.
Gazie Mille for people like Augusto on this planet!!!

If you ever go to Amalfi and need a taxi, you may want to call him +39 089 857013 or check out his card below.

I forgot to ask him the cats name......darn!! i hope I can go back some day and do this, or if you go there, please follow up for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are ever in Amalfi Coast and a cat lover AND in need of a Taxi!!!!!!!

COMMUNITY IN RAVELLO   * * * * *

FOOD WASTE REDUCTION  * * * * * ( Augusto even put food in several places for the cat, safe from the occassional dog!, nothing wasted from the can)

SAVED BY STRANGERS IN THE AMALFI COAST!!!!!

The Angels that saved my life, Elizabeth, husband Brett from Atlanta and driver Baggio

The man who nourished me! Guissepi from Ravello, Italy located right  through the tunnel and on the Piazza

A glimse of the Amalfi Coast so you can see how far I climbed down before my bosy gave out!!!

After the fabulous renunion in Napoli Abbi and I traveled to the Amalfi Coast to a small town called Ravello, way up above the town of Amalfi.  It had been Abbi's dream to climg the hills ( or I would say mountains!!) of Amalfi.  Unfortunately the weather was rainy and cold every day and even hailed occassionally so not much of that happened.

Although the first day we walked from the B&B to the piazza of Ravello and I attempted to climb down the side of the mountain from Ravello to Amalfi.  It was raining and the steps were typically old world and steep!!! It took my at least twice as long as Abbi to get down to the main raod, which was about 80% of the way.  At that point my legs were shaking and I could not walk!!!! I was sitting at the side of the raod wandering what to do when a taxi van stopped and asked if I needed a ride.  He also stated that he was busy right now, so hurry up and decide!!   I had already stolen a lime off a nearby tree and was trying to eat my way back to health and that was not working!! So I decided to get in!!! 

It turned out that a very nice American couple, Elizabeth and Brett from Atlanta had hired the driver Braggio for the whole day and had seen me and asked him to pull over.  I ended up getting a very informative tour with them from Braggio for a while and then dropped off in Ravello. 

I definetly needed to eat and stopped into the little bar I had cappucchino in that morning.  The owner Giussepi was fabulous.  Before I even was completely in the door he said are you hungry? some vino della casa?!!  I said yes and he called back in the kitchen for the spaghetti and they yelled back they were out, how about some gnocchi?  Fabulous!! My favorite with a nice glass of vino della casa, rosso.  I have never been so grateful for a meal and appreciative.  It renewed my vows to eliminate hunger and drove home the importance of a hot meal and a friendly greeting, especially in a time of need.

COMMUNITY ON THE ROAD ON THE AMALFI COAST ( LITERALLY!)  * * * * *