Building Community one loaf at a time

I woke up this morning to news of the Euro zone financial crisis threatening to send us all into the abyss...not the calmest way to get the day going.  I got to my studio and walked to the bakery.  There is something very comforting in the short walk, hearing the rustling leaves underfoot, seeing the first rays of the sun rising beyond the Chester River.  Despite the gloomy world news, I feel much less alone seeing the morning "regulars"going about their own ritual...croissant and coffee on the way to work...half a dozen pastries for the office...a baguette for dinner this evening.
In order for a community to feel like a community,  there not only have to be people who value such things but just as importantly, places for those people to see one another, "bump"into each other, say good morning.  I look forward to greeting Matilda behind the counter, Kelley (Doug's mom) juggling between preparing the coffee, and doing paper work...it helps to ground me in a place...in a community.   (As I'm writing this a bus just pulled up with about 15 students on their way to Baltimore - a class from Washington College examining life in the Chesapeake watershed.)  They get it.

I'm hoping to be able to post a video of the "Chestertown Four" when they delivered 90 loaves of bread to "Occupy D.C."  They were well received, got introduced to the assembled people who in turned shared bread, thanks and conversation.  Below is a photo by Robbie Behr of the group as they were loading the two cars that took the bread to DC.  Check out Robbie's blog at http://idiotsbooks.com/