Updates on upcoming dates, and a few slept-on reflections:

July 18-- There will be our usual jam and people to come and stay over are welcome, but Hardi will be hosting without me-- I have to travel on family business. I will not be widely promoting it via eamil as I will be computerless while away and would not be able to reply to inquiries-- and Hardi lacks time to do it. However the jam is advertised on the local TV anouncements and we do anticipate at least moderate attendance.

Aug. 15-- A friend will open the house, lead the regular jam, and might be willing to host stayovers, but Hardi and I will be away on vacation most likely.

Sept. 19-- Back to usual.

Another word of thanks to all who helped us host this one, with things said and done for this one and in the past-- you know who you are, and I appreciate how much you have added to the special way these happen.

We had a very important day yesterday, dealing with a legal matter arising from our December, 2000 house fire. I am much surer than before that we will remain in this big ole farmhouse for the foreseeable future-- so I'm looking forward to some winter-wonderland gatherings, in the coming year.

To build capacity for these, I've started on a series of pages too add to our own website, describing what happens and what to expect, how to find us, what Mudcat is, and so forth. I've also compiled a set of links to the past Mudcat threads, so that it should be easier for folks to dig up details.

It was especially neat to have local people sleep over this time, for the first time. It added to the event for us all, that they were with us for more than just the Friday jam or a few hours on Saturday.

The still-developing Mudcat attic dorm worked well for late-RSVP/overflow guests, and we look forward to expanding the amenities up there even more, over the summer. I wish we could hold a work-camp!

Once again the weather confirmed that this is not a good site for outdoor tenting, as if the bears and skunks and mice weren't enough of a challenge! :~) Well, we're up in the mountains on a real, working hardscrabble farm, and that means critters and bugs and smells, and damp, COLD nights, even in late June. But the attic dorm is a great option for campers-- camp up there, as comfy or as rough as you like! :~)

This also was the first time all participants present, regardless of personal beliefs, chose to come along and help do the music for the Saturday night service. This adds so much to our growing Saturday night congregation's sense of the development of a rich music community! Since they form the core audience for secular music we've presented in the church's wonderful acoustics, it seems to me like two areas we've worked on for a long time are converging. It's exciting to see it happen, and it also helps increase the diversity factor around our church activities. Maybe a Mudcat concert on a Gathering weekend is an emerging possibility.

I marvel at the depth and eloquence of personal appreciation we receive after these-- we continue to get feedback that however many or few attend, there's something important happening here for people who don't just WANT to come, but DECIDE to come. We still have a long list of people who assure us they hope to come sometime... But people who prefer the reality to the hope are a really special bunch of people to spend time with, as they give us and each other that gift called "showing up." Maybe, next time, YOU.

~Susan