Adventure 307: Filer, ID/Stoneybrook Farm/Post G

It seems as if every member of the Hooley family has a "project" on the side. That is, something that occupies their spirit besides the full time work maintaining the farm requires. For Sarah, both her passion and her collegiate studies concerned the notion of 'peacebuilding'. According to John Paul Lederach, author of The Moral Imagination, peace building (Conflict resolution in its simplest form) condenses to a single, complex question: How do we transcend the cycles of violence that bewitch our human community while still living in them? Lederach calls this question a statement of the problem, and after twenty-five years of delving in the the mystery of human interaction, he believes anyone who enters into the noble work of peace building must eventually face this question. Sarah's approach is to build peace through reconciliation, or relationship recovery. Her tiny house is a practical expression of her effort. She uses the space as a retreat so that those inclined can mend their personal relationship with their own essence. The tiny house, and the peaceful nature of the farm, along with the natural balance of things around the farm provide her clients a chance to grow personally in terms of accepting themselves. As most of us know, accepting ourselves is no easy task. At times, we're even most critical of our own efforts. This is one of many "side interests" Sarah has. She's also interested in peace building economically with her work with Ten Thousand Villages, especially the annual sale at Filer Mennonite Church. She also has (As yet) unformed thoughts as how to peacebuild through food. Right now, she's molding ideas in her head for ways to include peace building through food, such as using small groups of battered women as gardeners. As she says, "Nothing heals like repetitive tasks." I have no doubt she'll improve the world in some way, which gives the rest of us an example of a human being's best nature. In that light, how can anyone not believe that life is good, especially today.

Sarah's tiny house nestled back among the trees.

A back view.

A front view.

A kitchen view.

A storage view.

A view of the sitting room.

A view of the cooking gear.

An explanation of the composting toilet (Even this natural act is peaceful, especially from the earth's point of view).

A view of a most certainly peaceful morning.