Enjoying meals together, local adventures, and plentiful butterflies
August 2021 Newsletter
• Summer in the Common House
• Kayaking
• Visitors and 1BR is SOLD
• Facebook Highlights - Pollinator Gardens - Leo Birthdays
• Join Village Hearth
• Info Sessions
August 17 and September 21
Visit the Newsletter archive to learn all about Durham, NC's Village Hearth Cohousing, the nation's first LGBT-focused senior cohousing community.
A 55+ intentional community for LGBTs,
friends and allies
Summer in the Common House
Our Common House has been busy, with regular Thursday night Community Dinners and occasional pop-up brunches, birthday parties, bridge lessons, and plenty of visiting around the Puzzle Table. Many of the work teams also meet in the Common House, sometimes in "hybrid" meetings with some members joining by Zoom.
Carol, Brigitte, and Nancy consider their toppings at the Sweet Potato and Chili Bar.
Brigitte preparing the Salad Niçoise and Sandwich Spread, with many options to build-your-own. Something for everyone!
Mary paying for her meal ($5 gets a lot at Village Hearth!). Chief Money Master Pat keeps track of who has signed in.
Dessert is an important food group. Tom and Barbara have started a "pie of the month" tradition, with other bakers joining in the fun. Patricia, Kim & Carol, and Jane have also discovered how much fun it is to produce home-made ice cream!
What could be better than enjoying good food with good friends?
Brunch gets a great turn out - this one was "Dutch Babies" (German pancakes), bacon, and fruit salad.
Village Hearth Kayakers
Some members of Village Hearth have been bitten by the kayaking bug, and they try to get out on the water as much as possible. They often go on trips with a local paddling group, usually to area lakes such as Jordan Lake and Falls Lake. Three kayaks are owned by Village Hearth members, and there are also rentals available just a mile up the Eno River.
The big 2021 trip for this group was a guided trip down the Black River, where they paddled through ancient cypress forests. Another highlight of the summer was a beautiful full moon paddle on nearby Lake Holt. Geri and Kim festooned their kayaks with little lights that glittered out over the lake, and they enjoyed a nice group picnic, capped by the $2 ice cream cones from the little cafe. Robertson Pond, with its course through a cypress swamp, is also a favorite.
Amazingly, other than the aforementioned kayaking bug, there aren’t many bugs at Robertson. Instead, there are large populations of roosting great blue herons, a plethora of turtles that like to sun themselves, and Virginia sweetspire hugging the roots of the cypress trees.
Exploring the best local river paddling options is a new group goal: Neuse River and Alamance Creek here we come!
Visitors at Village Hearth
This summer we've been able to open up for visits. We've been enjoying getting to know some wonderful people who were here to see if Village Hearth was the right fit for them (now or in the future), or to learn about cohousing. We have now inaugurated our guest room! And we are thrilled to announce: the home that was available (a 1BR/1BA) is now under contract!
If you are interested in joining our Wait List to be informed when another home at Village Hearth becomes available, or in visiting when it is safe to do so, email Pat or call Margaret (561-714-8009).
Did you see these Village Hearth stories on Facebook?
You don't need to join Facebook to view our page. Check out these stories, with lots more pictures by clicking the links!
We've been thrilled with the success of our pollinator gardens, with many species of butterflies and moths and bees flitting about. We've had swallowtails, monarchs, beautiful huge luna moths, dragonflies, and others - see more beautiful pollinator garden photos here.
Celebrating the SEVEN August birthdays, Barb hosted a fantabulous party featuring tacos, pupusas, fried bananas, and other treats. See more photos and stories!
Our continuing adventures in community meals, gardening, exploring, and other activities can be seen on the Village Hearth Facebook page.
"Like" us on Facebook to see what we are up to!
The most important part of a cohousing community is the people.
Virtual Info Session allows you to visit without leaving home!
Info Sessions: Tuesday, August 17 and September 21
Neighbor to Neighbor Socials
You are encouraged to join us for an Info Session. Learn about Village Hearth Cohousing's wonderful community, our 28 colorful homes on five developed acres out of our 15 total acres, and how to get on our Wait List for when homes become available.
Tuesday, August 17, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Tuesday, September 21, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
If you've been to an Info Session but would like to learn more, you are welcome to come again. Folks on our Wait List may also be invited to join us for social events, to get more of a feel for the people of Village Hearth.
Please email to register for the Info Session and get the link.
If this time doesn't work out for you, email Pat or call Margaret (561-714-8009) to learn the dates of future Info Sessions, or to set up a personal meeting.
Talk to Margaret at 561-714-8009 or email Pat to learn more!
