I woke up Monday night with a bad headache. Tom (he is very sweet) brought me analgesics, decongestant, and anti-histamine. When I got up in the morning it had calmed down to a dull, nagging ache that I couldn't shake all day. I went to work, did half a day of data entry, stopped by and visited a friend for a short time, then came home. At no time did it stop hurting. I was feeling really dragged out by both the medications and the pain. This is the third major headache in a week and a half. I am definitely not liking this. By bedtime it had finally stopped but I worried about whether it would start again in the night as they so often do.
Today has been fine. I hope it stays that way.
I have been working on putting together the fall issue of Nest-to-Nest. This is the official CAW newsletter that goes out to each nest. It has been interesting contacting various nests to get submissions. I have seen responses to my pleas increase. I believe that this issue will have something from more nests than any of the others I have published in the nearly two years since I took this project on. It is very rewarding to me to see the increased interest and activity. Publishing Nest-to-Nest is an example of the efforts Scions in the Support Services track take on to help the church organization. It is very rewarding personally.
In my opinion, the heart of CAW is its nests. Here is where the real work of building tribe happens. The newsletter lets us reach out to other nests to share what we are doing and who we are. It is difficult to build a community when the members are so spread out. How do you go help them move? Or go baby-sit their children or their pets? Instead we try to build community through our online interactions (CAW has a number of e-lists focused on various topics) and our occasional face-to-face meetings at festivals or special events like the May Queen Potluck. But the nests are the real backbone of the community. Here is the crucible where the work of relating is done. Sometimes it is agonizing as very different kinds of people come together and try to work out a relationship which can honor their differences yet have enough commonality for acceptance. Our tolerance and openness is truly tested with our nests in these attempts to develop family.
Copyright © 2000 Kyril Oakwind