Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma – Page 4

Adapting to new normals

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | April 30, 2020

April passed in a strange blur as we and everyone around us struggled to understand the new reality we’re living in under the pandemic. We’re grateful that we’ve been in the position to be able to work mostly from home, but we are hurting for those who are at risk for all kinds of reasons.

Over the course of many, many, many walks this month to get out of the house safely, we’ve been able to enjoy the unfolding of spring with more attention than we might usually. We’ve especially appreciated the Portage River Walk Trail, a relatively new trail through the woods just a short distance from our home. In the absence of many of our usual social activities, we entertained ourselves with forcing forsythia blooms indoors and cheered ourselves, if not our neighbors, with a series of silly superhero bike rides (see above). We’ve been keeping in touch with family and friends by phone and Zoom—thank goodness for technological advancements that make this all possible!

In the midst of everything, Rob’s been coordinating a project to renovate a small house owned by the non-profit we help run here in town. We bought the house in December to house an on-site caretaker who will help with seasonal maintenance at the Huss Project, and hopefully also help out with the Huss farm. We’re very excited that our friends Dan and Margaret have decided to move back to town and take on the first term as caretakers. The house is looking super lovely and cozy as we look forward to welcoming them!

The beginning of a pandemic

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | March 31, 2020

Well, what a month. We could not have imagined when we returned from California that by mid-March, we’d be stuck at home waiting out a global pandemic.

One of the last gatherings we had before the shutdown was a funeral for our dear friend, Martha. We knew she was amazing, but she’s one of those people who, when they pass away and folks start telling stories, you see even more depth to their compassion and humor and wish you’d had more time with them. So many folks in our church and our community will miss Martha’s laugh, kindness, and commitment to equality. We’re grateful we got the opportunity to spend time with her and her husband Henry a few years ago in Martha’s home country of Costa Rica.

Following the funeral, much of our time was spent learning about safety precautions and making decisions around coronavirus—for the retreat center where Kirstin works, for the group of folks Rob works with at the farm, and for the fair trade store we help out with. It was especially difficult to make the decision to close the retreat center for a while, but Kirstin is thankful her organization is allowing everyone to work from home while we see how things progress.

Saving graces through it all have included things like long walks to watch spring emerge, recording a silly “happy birthday” song for one of our nieces, campfires in our back yard, and starting seeds for the farm in our basement. Overall, we’re feeling very thankful to have a place to live, dependable work, and plenty of preserved food in the basement and in the freezer, and we’re paying attention for ways we can support our neighbors in need during this time.

A visit and a California trip

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | February 29, 2020

February started out with a quick-but-lovely visit from Kirstin’s parents. Kirstin’s Great Uncle Marv passed away in 2019 and the family was looking for a meaningful place to go with some of the furniture and other items Great Aunt Barb wanted to give away in preparation for downsizing. We were very grateful to receive some lovely family heirlooms for our community development work, and also to spend some time hanging out and having lunch with Kirstin’s parents, who graciously offered to move the donated items from Illinois to Michigan.

*With Mom and Dad Vander Giessen at the Huss Project Imaginarium.*

The rest of early February, we spent getting ready for an epic trip to California. On February 11, we flew into San Francisco, rented a mini-van, borrowed some camping gear from a friend, and set out for five nights of camping along Highway 1. Each day brought a new hiking trail, a new landscape, and countless incredible views. We had never been to the redwoods before, and could feel the magic of such deep history with all five senses. On the ocean, we saw whales, sea otters, and elephant seals, and then took in a different sort of spectacle with a tour of the Hearst Castle bedrooms. We prayed vespers with the monks at New Camaldoli Hermitage, slept overnight in an apple orchard, drank morning coffee on the beach…it was truly a refreshing time of play, rest, and natural wonders.

*Hiking up a mountain in less than ideal shape.*

Our southern destination was an annual conference we’ve been wanting to attend for years. Each year has a different theme, and this year’s conference focused on knowing our own family histories as we seek to repair relationship with indigenous communities in our specific regions and beyond. There was a lot of time for self-reflection and sharing, and it was an experience of deep learning that is still very much ongoing for both of us. We are very thankful to be part of an extended community that is asking important questions about injustice in our world, and supporting each other in the work we need to do toward healing.

After the conference, we took the faster route back up to San Francisco for one full day exploring the sights and neighborhoods on foot, streetcar, and rail. Then, Kirstin dropped Rob off at the airport, picked up a group of folks who had just flown in, and continued on to a work gathering north of San Francisco. The mini-van came in handy again as there was a wonderfully welcome opportunity to continue camping out within hearing of the Pacific Ocean waves. As February comes to a close, we’re back in Michigan, enjoying the last of the year’s snow and settling back in to prepare for spring.

Welcoming a new year

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | January 31, 2020

A new year! After a nice break for the holidays, we kicked things off with our usual Friday night potluck at our *culture is not optional community house. The community house is where our interns, AmeriCorps members, volunteers, and visitors stay, and it’s also a space for building relationships and learning for our organization as a whole. 2019 was a pretty rocky year, with an unexpected move for our community house on top of some other major projects, so it was nice to celebrate with friends in a spirit of greater stability for the year to come. The historic three-story Victorian house we lovingly refer to as “the haunted mansion” has proven a wonderful asset for showing hospitality.

Potluck at the *cino community house — *Potluck at the *culture is not optional community house!*

In mid-January, Rob spent some time in Detroit for the Michigan Farmers Market Manager training, but came back in time to enjoy the opening reception for the annual juried art show at the Carnegie Center for the Arts, just half a block from our house. The Carnegie Center is a beautifully restored historic space—one of the original libraries Andrew Carnegie built around the country. Many of our friends had work in the show, including John, Gail, and Jonathon, who work with Kirstin at GilChrist Retreat Center.

*Carnegie Center juried show in downtown Three Rivers.*

We try to take things a bit more slowly in the winter, but one important annual celebration we participate in is a march, potluck dinner, and service in celebration of the life and work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Though it turned bitterly cold just in time for the march, we had a great turnout. The service featured live music from a number of groups, including the Brandenburg Concert choral group that Kirstin sings in, and some incredible, truth-to-power poetry from local poet friends. We look forward to this service every year as an expression of solidarity and diversity in our community, and Rob has taken on more a role in helping plan and organize along with a number of other community volunteers.

Holidays with friends and family

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | December 30, 2019

We started out the month with a trip to Grand Rapids that we’d been planning for a while, to attend a concert with the band Over the Rhine and celebrate our friend Ken’s last show as the director of the Student Activities office at Calvin University. We worked with Ken for five years in the SAO and, like many others, were deeply impacted by his intelligent faith and his passion for popular culture and social justice. It was a joy to be able to spend time friends from around the country and even the UK who came in for the celebration.

*Finally finishing the new bathroom at the Imaginarium!*

Work projects this month included finishing the second bathroom in the new Imaginarium at the Huss Project, which is one more step toward getting our official occupancy permit to be able to host events and programs there. We also hosted our annual Christmas potluck at our house, with a wacky gift exchange and, even though we still debate whether it’s actually a Christmas movie, a viewing of the beloved action film, Die Hard.

In mid-December, we received some unexpected news that Rob’s aunt (his mom’s younger sister) had passed away. She was in a lot of pain so there was some relief, but it was still very difficult for her daughters, who are about our age, to find themselves without a mother or father anymore. Their whole family had been a huge help when we started World Fare in 2003. It was good to be together as a family, sharing memories, food, and the rituals of grief.

Shortly after the funeral, we made the trip back to northwest Indiana again for family Christmas celebrations. Because things were a bit spread out this year, we had time to visit with friends (former high school teachers of ours) and also to get into downtown Chicago with Rob’s parents. We wandered around the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza for a while, and then headed over to the Chicago Architecture Center to view exhibits about the history of Chicago and skyscrapers around the world. Buildings and urban design are some of Rob’s great passions and it was fun to be able to share those passions with his parents in a new way.

*Visiting the Chicago Architecture Center with Rob’s parents*

We returned home on Christmas Day and after a few days of relaxing at home, we closed out the year with our annual New Year’s Eve party at our apartment, which doubles as an anniversary party. It’s hard to believe we’ve been married for 19 years! We don’t know what 2020 has in store for us, but we do hope that our path to parenthood becomes clear in the coming year. It’s been a long wait and we’re anxious to share our lives with a kiddo.

Sharing and learning from stories

By Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma | November 30, 2019

The month began with Rob at another conference—the Earlham Writers’ Colloquium in Richmond, Indiana. He spoke on a panel about the importance of imagination in rural communities, which is a topic right in line with our work at the Huss Project. While he was away, Kirstin attended the Halloween party across the street at the Riviera Theatre, dressed as none other than young environmental champion Greta Thunberg!

We also enjoyed a day trip to Kirstin’s parents’ house in northwest Indiana to have a “grandma dinner” (pot roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, salad…) in celebration of their kitchen renovation, which was motivated by making the space in their home more useful for our expanding family to gather. While there, Kirstin enjoyed looking through an old family photo album that included pictures a trip to Florida her grandparents made before Kirstin’s dad was born. Who knew Grandma Marge was so stylish!

In the midst of getting ready for the Christmas shopping season in World Fare, our intentional community enjoyed some retreat time together at GilChrist, where Kirstin works. We spent a couple of days deepening our relationships with each other, sharing food, reading poetry, and talking about things we’d like to work on as a community. The week after the retreat, we hosted another storytelling night at the Imaginarium—this one on the theme of “earth.” It’s always nice to hear so many different perspectives on the theme of the night and grow in understanding of one another.

Author: Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma