The Cedar Rapids Floods

  Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth. What you held in your hand, what you counted and carefully saved, all this must go so you know how desolate the landscape can be between the regions of kindness…

A Star in Flight

A star in flight— The woods brighter. Flashes with the stardust people. Come out and be with us, the woods say. You too are stardust. Come enter our family. All there Is, is here. All creation. Here—with stars glancing in between shadows on the snow saying come. The woods saying— It is time for stories…

Welcoming Everybody In

Our new blog, Everybody In: a Prairiewoods blog, focuses on various perspectives from people (and animals!) associated with Prairiewoods. Every other Tuesday, we will post a new perspective on ecology, spirituality, holistic health or welcoming “everybody in” to the center of life! Since we found inspiration for the title in Peter Mayer’s song Everybody In,…

Set the Pace for Peace

I’m Otis, Prairiewoods’ favorite squirrel, and I’ve taken over this blog for 2016 in honor of Prairiewoods’ 20th anniversary. You’ll hear from me or one of my friends each Friday. Marianne Abel-Lipschutz is a writer, frequent program participant at Prairiewoods and friend to critters large and small. And as she describes here, she is one…

O Little Town of Bethlehem

I’m Otis, Prairiewoods’ favorite squirrel, and I’ve taken over this blog for 2016 in honor of Prairiewoods’ 20th anniversary. You’ll hear from me or one of my friends each Friday. This Christmas, the critters and I would like to bless all of you with the words of the traditional hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem.…

UN Sustainable Development Goals

I’m Otis, Prairiewoods’ favorite squirrel, and I’ve taken over this blog for 2016 in honor of Prairiewoods’ 20th anniversary. You’ll hear from me or one of my friends each Friday. Prairiewoods board Vice Chair Chuck Peters is working hard to create an inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable community right here in eastern Iowa. He and…

Travel with Us to Assisi

I’m Otis, Prairiewoods’ favorite squirrel, and I’ve taken over this blog for 2016 in honor of Prairiewoods’ 20th anniversary. You’ll hear from me or one of my friends each Friday. Guess what, everyone, this squirrel doesn’t just hang around one tree, he travels when he has a hankern’ for Italian acorns … and boy, oh,…