If Tupperware Could Talk

I've measured community before by the number of people on our land. Today, it's measured by the number of friends' Tupperware we have to return.

Genevieve's will be the first to go today, taking with it the tasty memory of dinner at her house while my family was away. She sent me home with enough leftover chili for 3 lunches, figurin' i needed more than easter eggs and Doritos to survive the long lonely month. Guess Adam figured the same, 'cause his container came with moose sausages from our friend Gus' last camping trip.

Chantey and Justin both sent me yogurt cultures when mine accidentally got all eaten (forgot to save a bit to make the next batch). And Marty's tupperware contained a "scobie" - a floating jelly-fish-like thingie that ferments black tea and sugar into a nutritious sweet non-alcoholic treat called kombucha.

Add in the sourdough culture that Maki shared with us last year (and has since been passed on to many other friends), and we can easily taste our friends' love throughout the day with yogurt, bread, kombucha and leftover carnivorous treats. Very last-supperish.

This morning the boys are helping carry on another fine tradition started by our friend Mamata in Vancouver. We had brought her a pot of soup after her second son was born, and a few weeks later she brought it back full of a delicious Indian dish. Never return an empty pot, she told us her tradition is. So dear friends, I have not been hording your precious tupperware idly; I've been waiting for the boys to invent one of their recipe-less muffin creations to return the giving spirit. Full bellies, hearts and tupperware - now that's community.