013 Carol Delmonico & Casey Davis: Living in Intentional Community

Modern Folk

Around Our House:

I recently went out and visited Higher Ground intentional living community here in Bend Oregon. While there I sat down and had a chat with Casey Davis and Carol Delmonico, two people who have made Higher Ground their home and their community. This was a really interesting conversation that I have been looking forward to for a long time, stemming from my own dreams to live in, or maybe even create, an intentional community. If you are interested in learning more about the ins and outs of living in community with others, what that means, what it looks and feels like, then you are in the right place. Stick around for the second half of the show. But first, here is what Emily, Clemence and I have been up to for this past month….

Since I last sat down to record an episode Thanksgiving has come and gone, as has Winter Solstice, Christmas and New Years. We have been spending time reflecting on what the holiday season means to us, and a large part of that has been centered around gratitude. One thing Emily and I have incorporated into our daily practice is closing out our day by having a talk about what we are grateful for. It is usually the last thing we do before we turn out the lights and go to sleep. It has been a really nice reflective practice and it has felt especially pertinent during the holiday season.

Another things that Emily and I have been talking more about is deepening our practice of spirituality and celebration that is tied to the cycles of the sun and the moon, as well as the observable changes of the seasons, the changing behavior of the plants and the animals according to these cycles throughout the year, and how all of this affects us and makes us feel. We have each always had deep personal connections to the natural world and a greater energy in the universe but now we are really trying to come together to understand one another’s beliefs and feelings and find traditions that we can share with our daughter and our community.

For starters, we have committed to doing a new moon reset with each new moon for 2019. Mostly this will entail paying particular attention to our diet during the days around each new moon. We will be omitting sugars, caffeine, alcohol, grains, and dairy. I’m sure there are other things as well, but those are the ones that come to mind. We tend to eat pretty well around here, but we thought that we would use the cleansing and renewing energy of the new moon to renew our commitment to eating well and respecting our bodies each month. The next new moon is January 6th, which is Sunday by the way, in case you listen to this in time and care to join us.

Also, coming up later this month there is a total lunar eclipse early the morning of January 20th. I am planning on getting up around 4:30 am and starting a fire in my back yard to observe the eclipse. I find total lunar eclipses to be amazingly beautiful. I remember the first time I really watched one closely and felt like I was observing the moon for the enormous celestial sphere that it is, a giant rock rotating the earth, rather than a glowing disk of light in the sky. That was a powerful moment for me and one I always enjoy reliving with total lunar eclipses. Anyhow, I have invited some friends over for 5am lunar viewing at my place. If you didn’t get the invite and you want to come and are in the area, let me know!

And finally, I have been busy with family time. Enjoying the company of my wife and my daughter and our wonderful community of friends. This winter continues to be all that I hoped, rest, reflection, gathering with friends and family, as well as some time outdoors. There has been lots of planning and dreaming in this time of the year as well. One of the Big Dreams we cannot stop talking about is how to create a community living situation for us and some of our closest friends. The more we talk about it, the more it seems like it could be a reality. Which brings me to our guest interview today.

Guest Interview:

Casey Davis and Carol Demonico Higher Ground Intentional Living Community

Casey Davis is a designer, mom, activator and community builder, Casey was born and raised in Bend, OR. She's done extensive informational design for environmental non-profits to visually explain technical data as well as informational projects for trails and wilderness sites for the United States Forest Service. She filters the work that comes her way, focusing her talents and energy into projects that create a world that works for all. When she isn't designing for businesses, Casey is passionate about community building, local activism and urban design. Her current "side" project is creating a new intentional community with the working title, The Bend Living Neighborhood Project. She served on the City of Bend's Central Westside Citizen Advisory Committee and currently is a member of the City's Citizen Transportation Advisory Committee. She recently self-published and interactive journal with Carol Delmonico entitled, Stoke Your Woke.

Carol Delmonico is a passionate crusader, and deep listener, a nature-lover, avid reader, crazy-good laugher, and mother of two children. After working 18 years as an RN in a hospital setting she wanted a change and embarked on an eclectic educational path: Life and Health Coaching Certifications, The Embodied Life, Laughter Yoga, Heartmath, Nonviolent Communication and reading zillions of books on human potential and spirituality. She has helped over 3,000 clients of all shapes, sizes and colors. Her creative self-expression shows up in her reverence for the natural world, singing and dancing, laughing, writing poetry, and facilitating “sofa sessions” and “soul circles” with friends.

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Support for Modern Folk comes from my wife Emily Wiggins. Emily is a Naturopathic Doctor in Bend OR.dremilywiggins.com