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Memories

12/28/2013

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Last weekend brought back memories for those of us who 'survived' the Great Ice Storm of 1998. Back then we lived 'on-grid' in West Potsdam and lost our electricity along with everyone else, for exactly one week. Ian was three and one half and MacKenzie was nine months old. The most difficult part was the lack of water. Not for the obvious reasons, but mainly because 'Kenzie Doodle', as we called her, was addicted to baths and accustomed to spending hours in the bath tub with her toys. Luckily, our bathroom was a very large room and I could set up shop with whatever project I was working on right next to the bath tub. That week seemed endless and very dark; bathing consisted of scraping ice and snow off the ground, heating it up and pouring it over our bodies while standing in the tub. By the time the lights came back on, we had a very cranky baby and a tub full of small twigs and debris.

This time around, we live 'off-grid' so had no worries about lights, heat or water. Our biggest concern was how many trees and branches had fallen into our road. However, the eerie sound of popping and cracking branches as they fell to the ground in a shower of ice brought back all of those memories from 16 years ago. Living in a forest is a bit more dramatic than our 'suburban' lawn with fewer than 20 trees to worry about.

Today the forest is warming up and ice chunks are falling from all of those trees. The shattering and creaking sounds become overwhelming when whisper quiet usually reigns over the landscape. The trees will be ready to start the new year less burdened, if a little more bent from the trials and tribulations of this past year.

May you too begin this coming year with accumulated wisdom and love, an appreciation for all that has passed and all that is yet to be learned.

Happy New Year!



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A Media BLITZ...
Look for articles in all of the local papers. Sue Mende wrote a piece about Deep Root Center that should be in the Plain Dealer today and possibly the other affiliated newspapers.

I also wrote an article for the NCTW that is on their website and had already generated over 100 hits on the website by noon yesterday. Folks are interested.

An open house is scheduled for Wednesday, January 8th at 7PM. A discussion about becoming an independent learner will be followed by a brief description of Deep Root Center and a question and answer period. All are welcome. The Center is located above 17 Main St. in Canton. Parking is available in the back lot off of Riverside Drive. Please use the back entrance with the Deep Root Center sign.

Please pass this on to anyone you think may be interested.

We are Opening our Pilot Program in ONE WEEK!
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Happy Solstice!

12/19/2013

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 The severely reduced number of daylight hours are just starting to make me a bit crazy (my family is reading this saying, “just starting and just a bit”) so it is a very good thing we are turning the corner towards longer days, even if it is not always actual bright sunlight, tomorrow.

The tree is up and decorated, and the few gifts we share are resting beneath it waiting to be opened Solstice evening. We will celebrate with a (very local) chicken dinner, music, and old family tales starting with, “remember when Ian or MacKenzie...” and ending with laughter as the dog attempts to eat the ornaments off the tree.

Later in the evening, if weather permits, a big bon-fire is started outside with a small piece of charcoal from the previous years Yule log.

This is the time we celebrate our family and all the grace accumulated throughout the year. This particular year has been an assemblage of blessings along with a multitude of sorrows. Both of which have provided a battalion of life lessons, new friends, and the joy of new beginnings in this amazing community.

Good Things this Past Week:

In case you haven't seen the facebook posts and the “News” on the website, we are an official project of Seedcorn, Inc. Which at the most fundamental level means we can start accepting donations. Please visit our donations page on the website to financially support our work.

Our first youth has signed on! (no more words needed)

We will have Internet from Slic installed, in a few days.

Our space is looking more and more inviting and homey as we add books to the shelves and lights and paper snowflakes around the windows.

Help Wanted:

Please continue to spread the word. We will be open in TWO WEEKS!

Seasonal Blessings to all!

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Ken Danford TEDx talk

12/13/2013

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Happy Friday the 13th!  There has always been a special place in my heart for the number 13, especially the ones that land on Fridays.  Just my usual contrariness of not following the crowd or something larger guided by the universe?  Who knows, but we did close on our land on a Friday the 13th almost 8 1/2 years ago and that was a successful venture.

I am going to take a break from writing this week and offer this awesome, powerful TEDx video of Ken Danford from North Star for your viewing pleasure.  Ken offers an opportunity, or maybe it is a challenge at the end of the video.  If you take on this challenge, one more kid will have the chance to be happy.  And, we all know the possibilities that are present when happiness is part of our lives. 

Just click the above link to see the video, or go to our videos page on the website.  I have watched this twice and cried the second time.  We are so fortunate to have this visionary amongst us who is willing to share his stories and wisdom to help others create spaces for young people around the world. Thank you, Ken.
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Thank you

12/8/2013

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Every day I am bowled over by the number of people who are willing to help get this project off the ground. Almost every person I have approached has been overwhelmingly supportive and has gone above and beyond in offering, advice, wisdom, physical labor, furniture, monetary donations, time, skills, future classes, and their best wishes for our success.

I am going to offer these photos as documents of our progress this week. As you can see, our space looks homey and comfortable. All we need to complete these pictures is kids doing their thing and their artwork on the walls.
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Now for the very long list of Thank Yous!

Thank you to Ruta at the SLU warehouse who allowed me pick out whatever I needed from the SLU discard pile and who came in to work on a Saturday to open the warehouse and facilitate loading it all onto a truck.

We are indebted to Anne Townsend, the volunteer services coordinator at SLU, and the crew of six students she put together to move all of the above mentioned furniture early Saturday morning. Not to mention the SLU rack truck she borrowed to move it all. There is no way we would have gotten that couch, large table and other multiple items up those stairs and through those (really narrow) doorways without them.

Another thank you goes to Shelli Prespare-Weston for the enormous bookcase and the time she spent helping to schlep, hoist and shove it up two flights of stairs early one very cold morning.

Thanks, to Bonnie, my mother in law, who purchased a book case and put it together, despite the instructions. And for all of her good thoughts and energy towards this project.

Thank you Sam, at the Canton Free Library, for facilitating the donation of the map stand, maps and atlases. You made one map geek very happy.

Kids will greatly appreciate the comfy barrel chairs Charlotte Ramsey donated to us.

Thanks to Val and Bill Pulver who donated a kitchen table and chairs and some money to use towards other needed items.

The mini fridge from Paul Hetzler and the old microwave from the UU church are a welcome additions. It will be wonderful to bring leftovers for lunch without carrying a big cooler and ice everyday and offering that luxury to any of the kids who want to take advantage of a warm lunch.

If I forgot anyone in this listing, please know that your generosity is appreciated beyond measure.

Open House News:

We will be holding the Open House at the Center this Wednesday the 11th at 7PM. Admissions counselors from SUNY Canton and St Lawrence University will offer information about applying to college as an independent learner. I will talk briefly about Deep Root Center and the process of becoming a member. We will all be available to answer questions during a question and answer period. Parking is in the rear of the building in the lot off of Riverside Drive. The back entrance is a white door with a Deep Root Center sign in the window.

Please pass this on to anyone you think may be interested in learning more about Deep Root Center.

Help Wanted:

I am going to start building the January class and workshop calendar. If you are interested in teaching a class, please let me know what the subject/focus is and when you would be available (day of the week and time) to teach it. I would like to have at least 2-3 classes each day on a schedule to just give folks a flavor of the variety of options. Always remembering that just because it is offered does not mean that students are required to take any particular class. That is where scheduling for truly individualized learning programs gets a bit complicated, but the results are so worth it!

Onward and upward. Only four weeks to Opening Day!
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© 2023 Whole Learners, Inc. 501(c)3
Deep Root Center
48 Riverside Drive, Canton, NY 13617

​315*244*3034/maria@deeprootcenter.org
  • Home
    • Contact
    • Our Story
    • Testimonials
    • Guiding Principles
  • About Us
    • Consultations
    • DRC-Canton Summer Program
    • Canton Afternoon Program
    • DRC Calendar
    • Resources >
      • Liberated Learners Network
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Sponsor a DRC Kid
    • Thank you
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