Erin: Cleaning? Fun? You Bet!!!!

I just got done cleaning our showers and I had a blast! I find that one of the things I have most been surprised at in our community is that cleaning has not been an issue. I figured that we would have problems with people not cleaning up after themselves or not wanting to follow our cleaning schedule but it has gone great! Dishes sometimes pile up during the day but usually they are washed before we go to bed. Our bathroom is usually very clean and equipped with all we need. For those of you that don't know the women (I think the men also) have a cleaning chart and we switch jobs every week so we can all do all the jobs at some point. I have not only been surprised at how well the cleaning has gone but also how fun it can be to clean and cook together as a community. Cooking meals and doing dishes together have been two of my favorite things to do because I am helping everyone in the community as well as having a good time with others.

Some of you might find this post as ridiculous but the fact is that we need to do the cleaning so why not have fun doing it!

Life at Ubuntu is always exciting whether we are having a bonfire and a hymn sing, singing in the kitchen till 1 am, or looking at bridal magazines and hanging out with each other! Come visit!

Erin: Exciting year ahead!

Well, I am finally getting a chance to sit down and write a blog entry.

I am really loving living in our community here in Riley court. My favorite parts of living here are the great community meals, conversations with others in the community, and the effort of everyone in the community to make this experience great!

I am really excited that we have already implemented many of our ideas such as composting, having a community meal once a week, meeting with mentors, and sharing cleaning duties. Everything is going much smoother then I ever thought would be possible.

As usual I am swamped with school work, practicing, and other commitments. This is sometimes really stressful and I regret not being able to be with people from Ubuntu more throughout the week. However, I still feel like a very important part of the community and I enjoy coming home at the end of the day to a great group of people and friends.

I am excited to see what the rest of the year will bring. I know that it will not always be as smooth sailing as it has been so far, but I know that we will learn a lot about each other and about living simply and in community.