Progress Update: April 18, 2008

>> Committe Meeting:
We came together in harmony, talked in harmony and parted in harmony. Very good. Things generally look OK. Budgets approved, work projects approved, Ajahn Sumedho visit approved (2009), vehicles, new Buddha image, house… all just fine. Gratitude is such a lovely thread to have running through the fabric of any assembly. And, thank you. That you are reading this is a sign of your participation – however small.

>> Pantry:
One house project agreed was the conversion of the old basement water resevoir into a walk-in pantry. [photo] Did you even know we had such a thing? About 10’x5′, at the bottom of the stairs behind the laundry tubs. Currently just empty space. One advantage is that it will be relatively easy to render mouse-proof.

>> Steward:
Cathy (our kitchen steward) is away for nearly a month looking at a possible place to ordain. We wish her well with this. If it works out we will need a new kitchen steward. As you will have read earlier we are no longer going grocery shopping (including household products). We are only eating food that lay supporters bring directly so the steward’s work is mostly cooking and co-ordinating dana.

>> The Totally Efficient Office:
We have been restructuring office systems in an attempt to divide the work into logical ‘departments’ – that several people can cover independantly – and to simplify each department’s function. One aspect of this that you may encounter is “staying as a guest.” We would like *all* enquiries to be made using the on-line booking form. In the abiding aphoristic banal banter of the bumptious bureaucrat… “fill out the form.!” Two new email addresses: bookings & TBMtreasurer both ‘at’ tisarana.ca

>> Keeping Regular:
High (moral) fibre is certainly a part. Another part is meetings – together in harmony. We are delightfully regular with morning and evening pujas (5.30am & 7pm); 2pm meditation and evening Dhamma talk on uposatha (lunar observance) days, Saturday days-of-mindfulness (2pm, Dhamma talk 3pm & 7pm). Most of this is on the www. calendar of events.

>> Grace:
The tractor started this morning. Simple stuff 🙂 AK