Holden Village...
Michael and I met while working in the kitchen at Holden Village. Since then we've returned several times, as guests and as volunteers, including in 2007 when we had our wedding ceremony in the Village. Some things have changed, but mostly everything has stayed the same, and for that we are thankful. It continues to be a place set apart. So set apart in fact that it can be a bit challenging to get there, especially with two young ones. In order to drive the 4+ hours to catch the boat up Lake Chelan, we had to leave the house by 4:30.
4:30 A.M.
The girls did pretty well when we woke them at four and popped them in the car in their pjs. Holden was excited to see the stars, something she doesn't often see since she goes to bed before the sunsets in the summertime. They both napped a bit until the sun rose and then it was time to read books and eat breakfast. Or in Iona's case, eat books for breakfast. She still likes to gnaw on the corners.
On our way!!!
Holden loves all modes of transportation and luckily for her it takes a car ride, boat ride and bus ride to arrive at the Village. She happily explored every nook and cranny of the Lady of the Lake Ferry, while Iona succumbed to the magic of the Ergo baby carrier, coupled with the hum of the boat engine, and took a much needed nap.
Holden was all smiles on the bus ride up the mountain. It takes 45 minutes to drive the 11 miles up the steep and winding road. "The wheels on the bus go round and round..." just happens to be one of her favorite songs.
Our first day was busy! Between meals in the dining hall, there was the playground to explore, bags to unpack and Vespers in the evening. Holden danced during Vespers and received many compliments afterwards, including some very positive feedback from a professional dancer. Apparently Holden is a natural--but we knew that! :)
Above is a blurry photo (blurry because that's about how everything looked like through my eyes) of me laying with my feet propped up and an IV in my arm. About 24 hours after arriving in the Village, the dry air, high temperatures and extra nursings for Iona, took their toll and I became severely dehydrated. A first for me and an experience I hope never to repeat. At one point I was literally nursing Iona while vomiting into a towel at the same time. Ugh.
Luckily there is always a medic or doctor in the Village and I was treated quickly and professionally. Thanks to our new best friends, Michelle, Dale and Chancellor, by the afternoon I was feeling much better. And by the following day I was up and about and enjoying the annual first day of school bus ride extravaganza.
It's a tradition in the Village to have the school bus chug up Chalet Hill and pick up the children for school. Yes, there's an official one room school house in the Village for the children of long-term staff and yes, it's only a short walk from anywhere in the Village, but it's a fun time to be had by all as the bus makes this unnecessary journey and has to stop for many hilarious obstacles along the way. The bus was decorated as a cat, which Holden thought was wonderful. We followed along as it was forced to stop for school teachers snoozing on a couch in the road, a black cat napping, mimes, a bagpiper, a sasquatch ready for school, a giant person-eating fish, an artist hard at work and a woman knitting in her rocking chair...the stops were endless! We especially got a kick out of the forced bus wash stop (not pictured because we were busy dodging the hose) and the cross-cut log training that required a little help from a chainsaw-toting logger.
When the school children finally arrived at their destination we celebrated by having enormous scoops of ice cream in the Snack Bar. This quickly became Holden's favorite place and she learned to listen to the daily announcements during mealtimes to hear when the Snack Bar would be open.
Our visit to Holden Village was made possible thanks to Michael's hard work as a member of the Teaching Staff. He taught several sessions on Philosophy in the Cinema, as well as moderated a Socrates Cafe, and gave his first homily during thursday night Vespers. He put a lot of work into his sessions and they were much appreciated by those who attended. The Village generously compensates teaching staff by allowing them and their immediate family to stay for free.
We hope to take part in this again in the future.
(The photo on the right was taken in May of last year.)
The weather was warm (hot really) and dry, so we spent much of our time outdoors, hiking and exploring. Much to Holden's delight, everyday at 10:30 the bell would ring for Coffee Time--which meant there would be treats in the dining hall. One day we were on a hike when the bell rang, we heard it ringing through the hills. I've never seen that girl get up and go so quickly! We made it back to the Village in half the time it took us to get to the falls, and she devoured her frosting covered chocolate cookie like a prize.
Our room was homey and comfortable, and it made for good exercise since it was located near the top of Chalet Hill, in Chalet 12, which had 20 stairs up to the porch and another 20 stairs to get to our room on the 2nd floor. It was a journey just walking back from lunch. One that often required many stops. Yes, we stopped to smell the flowers.
Laundry, hiking, exploring, entertaining fellow diners with impromtu piano concerts...our days jumbled together as we relaxed into the flow of life in the Village. The bell would ring. Michael would teach. I would drink another glass of water (determined to stay hydrated). Holden would eat ice cream. Iona would smile. It was exhausting and wonderful all at the same time.
I hope to get the above photo enlarged and framed for Holden's room. :)
On a side note, the above photo was taken in the very spot that Michael and I exchanged our vows almost exactly 4 years before...
Railroad Creek, which winds its way through the Village, is beautiful but freezing! That didn't stop us from dipping our toes in though.
BEAR! Yup, that lump of brown in the berry bush is a bear. It wasn't interested in us nearly as much as we were interested in it. Actually Holden didn't seem impressed at all to be seeing a real, live, wild bear. It's as if these creatures are commonplace. Perhaps her generation is over-saturated by teddy bears and trips to the zoo?
We've gotten a lot of use out of our baby backpack!
The photo on the right was taken in the Village in September 2009, 2 years ago! Holden has changed and grown so much!
The picture on the left is smiling Iona, of course.
Did I mention we liked a daily dose of ice cream in the Snack Bar?
Holden with Dale, her dear friend who "helped Mama feel better".
Our day of departure.
It's always bittersweet leaving the Village. We were exhausted from long days and late nights, but also refreshed by the spirit of the community and the sweet air of the mountains. We know we will return. We know the girls already love this place as much as we do.
The girl with the Village named after her. :)
Goodbye Holden Village! Until next time....
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