growing up in the netherlands in wartime taught christina...

An In-house Monthly ReView for Camphill Ghent and the Camphill Communities in North America 1

Growing up in the Netherlands in wartime taught Christina to appreciate the “little things in

life.” Christina was four-years-old when the city of Nijmegen was invaded by Germany. The

oldest city in the Netherlands on the German border, Nijmegen was the first Dutch city to fall

into enemy hands in 1940. “It was a good experience because it taught me to appreciate the


little things in life,” she recalled. Noting there was very little food, Christina remembers the

experience as “community building” as her family had to shelter in bunkers with others in

the city. “An egg was a beautiful thing you got at Easter,” she remembers. “An orange was

out of this world.”

The youngest of five children, Christina lost her parents when she was 16 and 18-years-old

and her siblings all left the Netherlands, moving around the world. Christina eventually left,

too, moving to her sister who was living in Toronto. She was 22-years-old and got a job

working for a family to learn the language, eventually getting a job in banking. Christina later

went on to a career in finance which she later left, unsure what to do next.

It was while she was going door-to-door to solicit ads for a program booklet to help

promote a friend’s exhibit that Christina’s life changed forever. She came upon a storefront

with a sign that said, “The Living Seed,” which was not on her list to solicit for advertising.

She began talking to people in the shop and someone gave her a book called, “Knowledge of

Higher Worlds and Its Attainment,” by Rudolf Steiner, a basic anthroposophical book.

Christina was fascinated by the concept and eventually went to live and work at “The Living

Seed.” It was during this time that she learned about the Camphill movement, which was

talked about frequently in the shop. It was around this time that Christina, now in her

thirties, decided to tag along with a group of people who were traveling to visit Camphill

Village in Copake.

“There was no doubt about it,” said Christina of her introduction to Camphill. “I knew

anthroposophy was my path. I knew it straightaway when I read the book and came to

Copake. I wanted to live anthroposophy, not just study it.” Christina came to Copake in 1973,

later meeting and marrying her husband, Reg Bould. The couple lived in a Camphill


community in England after that for about 10 years, eventually moving back to Copake.

While she did not really feel at home in England, Christina did learn eurythmy during her time

abroad. “I was ready to come back, though,” she said. “I felt my feet were in the wrong

shoes.”

Around 2000, the couple returned to Copake where they continued as houseparents until

her husband passed away in 2008. Living on her own in Copake, Christina was one of the

first retired coworkers to move to Camphill Ghent in February 2012. While the transition to

an independent lifestyle versus that of a coworker was an adjustment, Christina said it has

sorted itself out over time.

“I feel fortunate to be here,” she said. A self-described observer of people and nature,

Christina enjoys eurythmy, projective geometry, reading, walking and looking at the stars.

“It’s all related,” she said of her many interests. “It’s about finding the truth in life.

Practicing tolerance, listening and doing a good deed. You have to work at it every day.”

Jackie

Poem for My Mother Long before my birth Or even yours, Our lives were painted together By a greater hand. And if you were the Sun Then I was surely the shadow That was brought in for contrast. I was brushed into your too-perfect picture As a grain of sand, The one that gets into your eye And demands the truth. You are still a definite light-beam Yet growing delicately nuanced By multiple shades of gray. The picture still shifts Some colors are dimmed As others grow more visible. And I see, for an instant, The color of love Infinite and real. In love, our lives are bound forever As we become the right shade of color, light and shadow In the Masterpiece.

~Lois, February 2012, poem in honor of Anne’s 96th birthday


As Assistant Head Cook, Juan Cabrera

enjoys the friendly atmosphere of Camphill

Ghent and its beautiful surroundings.

Coming to Camphill Ghent as a kitchen

assistant in April, he recently assumed his

new role after Erica Livingston Mwape

relocated to Texas.

Juan originally hails from Tlaxcala, Mexico

and has lived in the area for the past 12

years where he perfected his culinary skills

working in local restaurants. He and his

wife, Emily, have two children, Juan and

Aleida, and live in Housatonic,

Massachusetts. When he is not at Camphill

Ghent, Juan works at Taft Farms, a family

farm, garden market and retail store in

Great Barrington.

In his free time, Juan enjoys spending time

with his family and especially loves

swimming. “People are nice and so

friendly here,” said Juan of Camphill Ghent. “The place is beautiful,” noting the expanded

kitchen garden which provides fresh vegetables for meals. “Not many places are as beautiful

as this.”

Jackie


What a wonderful start to our month with the dedication of the flow form fountain. Sara

Goldsmith, Patty Rudges’s sister, came with her family came to participate in this dedication on

July 1. Sara and other family members shared some words of loving remembrance of Patty and

of gratitude to our community. Nick and Kari also offered words of remembrances about Patty.

Rabbi Zoe came to sing and David and I played the recorder together. Have you had a chance to

sit in front of the flow form fountain? The rhythm of the water’s movement, surrounded by the

yellow in the flowers and the blue of our Adult Home – I feel they all harmonize together! I too

found myself sitting in front of the flow form and feeling serene.

I hope we get to sit together some time.

.


And on July 8, Jackie, Janet and I, and a few others (Mary, Libby, Ann, Naima, and Deborah)

attended the Chatham Summerfest where

our community had an information booth.

Our booth was in the parking lot of a bank

and so, even when it rained we were safe!

We got a few hellos from people who

knew us, all of them acknowledging the

value of having Camphill Ghent in

Chatham.

Towards the middle of the month, I got an

email asking whether we would like to

welcome a pianist and cellist offering a

free concert for us. Who could say no to

that? Marcus Macauley and Gotthard


Killian offered music from Beethoven, Schumann,

Kodály and more! They would like to come back next

year – and a lot of others feel the same way too!

Almost to the end of the month, David and I were

invited to join the Willow Lodge dinner party as

farewell to Linda who’s moved up to the Adult Home.

Thank you Rich for organizing the dinner party and

inviting us! Linda, we send you good wishes in your

new home, Aurora House.

Before I close, do you all remember the new video I

showed at our community gathering? I hope you still

do. This video is now posted on YouTube – so be ready

because you’ll all be viral stars! We hope the video will

be trending on social media.

Onat


I am pleased to announce that the remodeling of our two spa rooms is officially complete! A

huge thank you to our Copake friends Jos, Duke and Rich, and also Martin and Adam for

their work on the rooms and for making the space so beautiful and welcoming! We were so

pleased to welcome former independent living resident Linda Grubin into the new room in

Aurora on July 24. Next month we will welcome someone from the wider community to live

in the new room in Zephyr. Operating at full capacity and having two additional rooms in

the care houses are good examples of how much we’ve grown since our beginnings here in

Ghent. And we continually see new things come to light because this community is filled

with beautiful, amazing people who do many wonderful things.

We are currently hiring per diem

home health aides in the Adult

Home, if you know anyone

interested in care work please ask

them to contact us.

Thanks to the amazing gardens at

Camphill Ghent I am fortunate

enough to enjoy flowers on my

desk! To look at the arrangement

and know such beauty came from

right outside our doors is a truly

wonderful feeling. A big thank you

to all of you who work so hard to

make our gardens bloom and

bring such serene beauty to

Camphill Ghent!


A reminder that the Columbia County Office for the Aging has many services available to

seniors in the county. Currently they are providing Farmer's Market coupon booklets. The

booklets can be used at Markets throughout the County to assist in offering farm fresh

produce to your diet. If you are interested you may contact the Office for the Aging at

518-828-4258 or visit their office at 325 Columbia St. Hudson NY 12534.

The Healthcare Consortium continues to be a reliable resource for non-medical

transportation. The service is donation based and available to anyone in the County. This

service provides door to door transport to your medical appointments. You may reach them

by calling 518-822-8020.

As summer is in full swing, it is a joy watching staff, residents, coworkers, families with

children and our visitors enjoy all we have to offer here in Ghent. At any given moment I can

look out my window and find someone enjoying the gorgeous new fountain, someone

sitting amongst the flowers, a child happily riding his bicycle or friends sitting by or

swimming in the pool! Camphill Ghent is full of life and excitement and it is such a pleasure

and honor that I am part of this community!

Enjoy the summer!

Jo-An

tel:518-828-4258

tel:518-822-8020


We only have one picture this time so please do

share your wonderful childhood pix!


The mission of is celebrating strong and creative

movement among seniors of all ages and abilities. This is the 6th summer that artistic

director Naomi Goldberg Haas has brought this well-loved program to Camphill Ghent and it

is also open to the public. This summer’s classes included creative movement for adults of all

ages and abilities and also modern dance. Haas said of her work here, “By bringing our core

dance program to the Camphill Ghent community, we inspire greater mobility, self-confidence,

physical awareness and also social interaction”. (Photos by JBG for PS21)

growing up in the netherlands in wartime taught christina...

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