Inspired by my recent use of our downstairs bathroom, I chose today to post this article about The Freegan Establishment which NYTIMES calls“a bubbling stew of ideologies that draw on communism, radical environmentalism and old-fashioned frugality.“  This is SOOO JVC.  And so life in community, especially at cherry abbey (which when I originally drafted this, had not yet reached this peak of dirty.  I think it’s there now.)

Read the article for sure.  But just glance at the slide show and see how many similarities you spot to Cherry Abbey.

me in my room!

The bike room: our basement. Who knows where they all came from, but they live on unless deemed worth investment, in which case current JVs (cough, Elizabeth) fix one up enough to be rideable.

The fridge: more random yogurt containers filled with even more random leftovers, which have been there for who KNOWS how long.

We may not be an abandoned building, but we are fertile ground for squatting – our ‘guestbook’ is always growing and door always rotating…(our community DOES shine though while hosting guests – reference the photos from the beginning of the year until now)

Reuse and Recycle: ever heard of junk art?  we’re pretty good at it.  Exhibit A – our bent-into-fish-silverware mobile hanging above our table.  Exhibit B – The bike wheel we are turning into our chore wheel.

Large closet called the Free Store? : our basement.  Maria has been known to pilfer through and prize several articles of clothing from the depths…(e.g. the red terrycloth zip up bathrobe/cape, the purple knit poncho with tassels,  ugly Christmas sweaters from the 80s…..)

No attic room, but we do often discuss painting a mural on our white walls…that or a vertical wall garden….

“The dilapidated house has six fireplaces, a cavernous dining room, a library, several enormous bedrooms, servants’ quarters and an in-ground swimming pool filled with soil. Those who stay here often describe the lifestyle as “decadent poverty.”…our house isn’t exactly a mansion, but it allows for all 7 of us to have our own room and our living room serves as excellent space for large parties and potlucks : )

The “bedroom of a long time resident” photo grosses me out entirely.  But who knows what’s behind Robert’s door….

LOVE the photo of Uncle Rick with a meal prepared from Dumpster-diving. Like Freegans, JVs are dedicated to salvaging what others waste and trying to live without much of a currency budget…(Nick – remember us biking up the Cherry hill with milk crates rubberbanded onto our bikes and our backpacks busting with food bank gems??)

the mobile of forks and spoons hanging above OUR table...now if we could just figure out something to do with the bicycle wheel frame....

As we currently are hosting 5 guests, the anxiety of people being grossed out by opening what they think is yogurt and discovering waaaay forgotten leftovers, or encountering a bathroom that CLEARLY hasn’t been cleaned with bleach (I’m pretty vocal about missing chemicals…our bathroom is too) is less immobilizing than what it was 2 years ago, but still…there are some Freegan-esque features of JVC I’m ready to let go of and don’t see myself outgrowing discomfort around.