House of Beth: That time Talia left ….. and taught a bunch of Americans how to play baseball

Once upon a time I left the city to face my fears. My fears about Poirot style murderers living in the woods, my fears about working in the elements whether rain or sun, my fears about leaving my dresses and home comforts for rough hands, insects that terrify me and mosquito bites, my fears that I wasn’t strong enough, fast enough, brave enough and my fears of being lonely, missing my familyand friends, bezzers, having no group, leaving Josh….

Sitting in the airport here I am leaving again. Though I am obviously so excited to go back to the arms of my bezzers, I am going home and facing new fears. Fears about sitting in an office all day, fears about staying vegan without support and sticking to my values in the city. Fears about loving my clothes again and remembering how to wear mascara. Fears about how I will wake up without goats, without getting my hands in the soil, without the lake, without being part of the food I eat, without my beloved farm friends who have become a part of me?

Well enough of me pouring out my emotions to the internet – this is what the farm has done to me! On to the Rounders bit…

There are some solar panels on the farm that power the main office. There is a little bed - of I think peppers? – down there. My work schedule which I get every Friday said there was to be a solar panel dedication with Tsuf (Janna and Arthur’s baby) on Sunday which I of course didn’t question. Why wouldn’t there be a solar panel dedication with Tsuf named as the leader? Well after a bit of an emotional afternoon of packing where I mostly just sat surrounded by all my things and moved bits of scattered collage pieces around the floor, trying to work out how I would get my 5 ft collage into my suitcase, I rode down there on my bike. There all my friends stood, under the huge maple tree and they ushered me, the last person to arrive, into a circle where we all had to huddle up and do a bit of singing and swaying – also a usual activity. All of a sudden they parted and there it was – a picnic table laid to the nines with Twinings English Breakfast Tea, Vegan Spinach Filo Pastry bites, Sourdough and a whole china tea set. After some odd squealing for about ten minutes where I kept trying to say something but high pitched type yelps kept coming out instead… things started to come together.

I remembered that time during lunch where Meredith had asked which kind of tea did I drink at home? And I went on an hour kind of soliloquy where I explained about all different types of tea, posh tea vs builders tea, the difference between tea-cups and mugs etc. I mean I went ON and she didn’t stop me!

I remembered that time I was hand weeding next to Janna for the afternoon when she asked me what kind of parties I liked. It was like nothing could stop me talking, I described Dad’s Moroccan party, Mum’s 1920’s party, the Alice in Wonderland party, various tea parties etc. I mean I thought she wanted ideas to throw a party – maybe for Arthur? So I just kept throwing out the ideas till it sounded like the Chain family were some kind of party fiends!

After I calmed down enough to speak, we drank lots of tea, ate a bunch and then sat in a circle where I got more and more embarrassed as everyone went round, gave me a special stone and said - like - really, really nice things to me. Can’t talk about that bit too much – still a bit embarrassed in a good way - I am English afterall…

We then played Rounders – a game which we had had so much chat about on the field. They even found the right bat and set up 'posts'. Is it like Baseball? NO OBVIOUSLY! This was proven by an epic game which I filmed a bit below... – though much of it was just me shouting rules which were probably a bit wrong... The tea party was beyond brilliant and I think it was the first time Rounder’s had ever been played at Adamah.

A bit more leaving…

I threw another leaving party Tuesday night (maybe we are party fiends) which of course was also fabulous with a loud/exciting game of salad bowl, some gin and tonic and vegan cake where everyone wrote me nice messages which I read on the cab on the way here because I couldn’t wait for the plane….

I stayed last night at Marisa and Eitan and crashed the second week of their marriage – thanks for the welcome guys!

This morning, though I was half an hour late having wondered around Union Square with all my baggage and my goldfish sense of direction I finally met up with Danny and Yemi at the Coffee Shop and had brunch - a great send off!

Time to go - they are calling my flight!

A note to my dearest Adamah friends - it has been an honor to know you all, you have taught me so much and shown me there is another way to live that I can align with my values. Though I go home to face new things, you have made me brave.

Please come and visit!