Friends, A feeling of deep gratitude for one another, and for all that each one has generously contributed has been warming both the space and our hearts! Teams of members have been hard at work since the middle of March, bringing their talents, with enthusiasm, grit and grace, to the work of preparing new space in the world for Anthroposophy. The church gave us the go-ahead to make it our own – and so we are!
Mark Hope has served as project manager, a big job in itself, and has also been involved with much of the work. One of his first acts was to install a keypad on the door leading into our space. Rick Knudson and Mark worked long hours together to repair water damaged walls under windows, and walls from which they removed glued-on cork board.
Then began the priming and painting of the walls, while Lisa Jones was hard at work in the Hope’s garage sanding, priming and painting cabinet doors and drawers.
Walter and Susan Rice joined the party, Lazure brushes and colors in hand, to transform the three prepared walls that don’t have bookshelves on them.
Pablo Feliz generously shared his brief window of availability during spring break to remove the existing counter, bring it all up to adult height, and install a new sink and faucet.
Amazingly, Christine Badura offered her tiling artistry for creating the backsplash behind the new countertop. She and Walter and Susan have gone so far as to coordinate tile colors with Lazure colors.
Meanwhile James Knight, displaying a talent for procurement that we hadn’t previously been aware of, scoured the internet to score, used and at a fraction of the retail price, the very bookshelves we had selected at Ikea.
Yesterday (the Saturday before Palm Sunday) the bookshelves went up, and major unboxing and organizing of the books began. The group made up of Sandra Burch, Lisa Jones, Donna Patterson-Kellum and Pamela Rico were just the right people for the job. As we worked with the books we had an experience much like the one we had when surrounded with the books while entering them into the catalog. A kind of elevation, a joy and enthusiasm infused our hearts as we read each intriguing title and description and moved it into its place.
And already yesterday Pamela Rico brought with her to the book organizing a set of glasses, dish towels, dish drainer, sponges, soap and a commitment to pick up and clean the towels. She even provided mesh bags to collect them in.
We are working toward a GRAND OPENING on APRIL 24, which will also serve as our Annual Gathering. A major focus will be to form small groups so that, while we are together in the space, we can envision how it can be used to serve Anthroposophy. It will be so good to be together in person again – “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) Stay tuned for an email with more details.
On another front of newness, Sara Genta has been continuing her work building a new Branch website – as you may have previously read, our old one is not so functional any more, but if you go to www.portlandbranch.org you can get a last look. She is now aiming for the website grand opening in May.
Given the way the new site will work, the format for the newsletter will also change, becoming much like those sent out by the American Society, the Goetheanum and many other groups – with an image, brief lead-in, and click-through to the full essay or other information piece. This allows it to be read on cell phones, and if you are like me, able to be printed out – just exactly what you most want to read and take in deeply.
If you would like to offer 2021 Membership Dues, or donate to the Branch and the space, you welcome to do so.
Respectfully submitted for the Portland Branch Council.