1b. Mealtime at Songaia

Rachel Lynette
What’s for dinner tonight? If I were cooking just for my family, it would probably be one of five or six somewhat boring, but easy-to-make meals. Luckily for my family, we live at Songaia and dinner could be…well just about anything.

• Curry chicken and tofu perhaps? That’s likely to be a Sadhana or Nartano meal
• Pad Thai? Well, that would be Fred, and we all look forward to those nights.
• African Ground Nut Stew? Stan makes this one.
• Salmon with capers? Could be Douglas or maybe Carol.
• If it is a burrito bar we know that Tom did the cooking.

Or maybe tonight is spaghetti. That could be me, or any number of others. I have my favorites, of course, but I’m not really all that picky – almost every meal at Songaia is yummy.

Tonight is a Monday night which means that we gather together and sing before the meal. I sit at a table with a few other adults, while my kids choose to sit with their friends. Craig is leading the singing tonight. We sing a couple old favorites with much enthusiasm, then one we don’t know very well. Even though we have songbooks, the melody is off, but we mostly just laugh about it.

People introduce guests next. There are a few tonight. Tom’s parents are visiting and there is a woman who is interested in learning more about cohousing. Then Craig asks if there are any announcements. There are a few about various events happening around the community.

By now, the cooks are ready to tell us about the meal. Susie is the lead cook and she has made a collection of dishes that, quite frankly, I have never heard of. One of them contains yucca. But, I have learned that even if it looks a little weird, it is always a good idea to try Susie’s meals. Susie is studying nutrition at nearby Bastyr University, and the meal turns out to be a yummy one.

The dining room is lively, with many discussions going on at once. We are talking politics at our table and at the next table over they are discussing something having to do with the chickens. The kids are having an animated discussion about their plans for a tree house. Monday nights tend to be a bit louder than the rest of the week, when the atmosphere tends to be more subdued. The energy on Mondays can be challenging and sometimes people (read children) need to be reminded to “use their inside voices”, but in addition to the noise, there is also a feeling of warmth and welcome that more than makes up for a little chaos.

Often there are activities after Monday night dinner – birthday celebration, a circle, or a meeting. Those not called off to another activity frequently linger in the dining room chatting, sometimes helping with cleanup. When I myself reluctantly get up to leave, I do so with a full tummy and a feeling of connection with my community.
—Rachel