Breaking bread and nourishing community

This past weekend was special because I celebrated a sense of community while sharing a meal with my neighbors at my homeowners association's annual picnic. 

The event included music, games, and an assortment of good food. It also provided an opportunity to visit with neighbors I have not seen since last year's picnic. And it all took place under clear skies and comfortable temperatures.

We elected members to the association's board of directors, and we cheered as winners of a raffle drawing were announced and presented with their prizes. I didn't win anything.

I ate too much. But it was all worth it, I thought afterward, because the event seemed to revitalize a sense of community for many. 

I serve on the board of directors (but was not on this year's ballot because I have two years remaining on my term of service). I see others members of the board at our monthly meetings. 

I see other neighbors while walking my dog.  We wave or nod to each other. We exchange pleasantries, and we then resume our tasks. It's a simple exchange that typically lasts less than a minute. It's polite, but hardly constitutes a conversation. 

And that's why I valued the picnic. When we sit and share a meal with someone, inevitably we ask questions, we share information, we learn a little more about the neighbor we see throughout the year. 

Conversations allow us to learn and understand. Understanding fosters concern, and a sense of concern reinforces the fibers of community.  And community seasons life and can help lighten the strain of daily living. 

So my weekend was special, because my sense of community was refreshed and revitalized, and that doesn't happen every weekend.

-- Thank you for reading. Your comments are always welcome. You may share your thoughts here, or email me at kbotterman@gmail.com.

A few mid-June notes and observations

Notes and Observations on a mid-June morning

• I follow Major League Baseball, but not too closely at this time in the season. I usually pay more attention after the All-Star break in July, and then my attention stays high through the World Series. I follow the league standings throughout the season, and I am happy to see my two favorite team are doing well. My Minnesota Twins stand in first place in the American League Central division. The Twins, 44-22, hold a solid lead over the second-place Cleveland Indians, 34-33. That's good news to me.

And my Chicago Cubs are a half game out of first place, behind the Milwaukee Brewers, 39-29, in the National League Central. The Cubs, 38-29, recently slipped out of first place, but hold a four-game lead over the the St. Louis Cardinals, 33-33. It's a long season and much could happen, good and bad. But for now, I'm having fun as my two teams are riding high in the standings.

• A wet spring continues to impact agriculture in Illinois, according to the Illinois Farm Bureau. Only 45% of the state's corn is planted as of June 10, and only 21% of soybean farmers planted seed. And insurance carriers are seeing a record level of prevented plant claims, according to a Country Financial representative.

The Farm Bureau recently shared some details. Illinois recorded a statewide average of 8.43 inches of precipitation in May, making it the third wettest May on record. Parts of west central Illinois recorded up to 12.5 inches of precipitation in May. 

Fortunately, it's not all bad news for Illinois. Farmers in Coles County this week reported nearly all corn and soybean planting completed, and Macon County farmers reported corn planting is 80% complete and soybean planting is 60% complete. Several other counties posted similar reports.

• The Farm Bureau's weekly report included an interesting item about Illinois farmers who are using vending machines to on their farms to sell items such as milk direct to consumers. I look forward to following the practice to see if it produces positive results for the farmers. I hope it does.

• The news media frequently reports on the status of the Millennials (those ages 23 to 38), including their spending habits, their interests and their fears. I find some of the information interesting. But there are times when some of these reports seem tedious and leave me feeling a bit sorry for Millennials. Several "news" outlets shared a report earlier this week about a hot item on Twitter that compelled a number of Millennials to tell us they are "scared" of doorbells and ask friends not to use the device when announcing their arrival. Instead, Millennials prefer visitors to send a text stating "here." Several Millennials commenting on Twitter stated texting is their preferred form of communicating, and it reduces the chances they'll be victimized by the anxiety-inducing doorbell.

The reports sparked another round of Millennial bashing, which I admit was hard to resist in this case. I know several Millennials, even work with a few. I avoid speaking of them in generalizations as much as I avoid speaking that way about other groups. Do on to others as you would want them to do to you, I figure. Of course, it would help if others kept some of their anxieties and fears to themselves.

-- Thank you for reading. Feedback and comments are always welcome. Share them here or email kbotterman@gmail.com. Give thanks each day.