Where there’s music there is love, where there’s children there is joy, where there’s food there is laughter

This weekend was one of the best ones I’ve had recently. After nights after nights of cough-interrupted restless sleep, I was finally able to have a full night of deep sleep on Friday, waking up to gorgeous California fall sunshine. Since I was about to run out of clean undies, I had designated the Saturday doing my laundry, and I was excited to find the day warm, crisp, and sunny for my line-drying. Alas, the water pipes in the main building (where the laundry machine is located) were being worked on, so seeing the machine covered with plastic tarp, I just assumed I couldn’t use it and decided to try out the Laundromat on Piedmont. So I stuffed my laundry bag and backpack, filled my pocket with quarters, and off I went to my neighborhood. Then I began to see peculiar things… a little monkey… a skeleton… a bumble bee… a wonder woman and a superman. A fall foliage fairy and a puppy dog. Unidentifiable monster, pirates, and Dracula… Then burly men in motorcycles swept in and started putting red cones to close off Piedmont… It was the Piedmont Halloween celebration! I had NO idea that such thing happened here, and I could not stop smiling. In between switching my laundry and running some errands, I just watched hoards of kids and parents all dressed up and jolly enjoying the neighborhood love and the immense sense of community. There were some really creative costumes too – ones that are hand-made, like oompa loompa mom and the baby. That was great. The parade part was lead by a little boy playing the bag-pipe, and he was absolutely adorable in his little red tartan quilt, white knee-high socks, and shiny brown loafers. And there were Mexican musicians playing on the street corner, with a woman dancing the folklorico with little ones, tapping her shoes on a wooden platform. Everyone was smiling and happy, and bobbing their heads to the music, and it was just so beautiful. All of it. The children, the music, the diversity, the open doors of the stores, the solidarity, the creativity, the sunshine. I was overcome with the warm feeling of being a part of a good community, and thankful that I am able to live in such an amazing place. For the simple fact that I was able to witness an abundance of love and joy just around the corner from my home, I am grateful.

Speaking of the sense of community, I attended the pumpkin carving potluck at Amanda’s on Sunday night. It was fabulous. First of all, food that convened was absolutely phenomenal. Second of all, the people who convened were even more phenomenal. Evening was filled with fun stories and laughter, and I enjoyed every moment, every conversation, every smile, every bite, immensely.

So the food. Man, I LOVE FOOD. I love GOOD food. I love socially conscious, health conscious, homemade food. There was Amanda’s hearty pumpkin curry soup, impromptu salad with beets and corn topped with Amanda’s Dijon mustard dressing. There was Lil’s black rice salad and coleslaw. And my experimental baked polenta with autumnally seasoned apple and butternut squash, which I was secretly worried about but contrary to my worry turned out wonderful. I think everyone enjoyed all of the food - once again, there was the abundance of happiness – it was lovely. And you know, I love sharing food with people. It builds community as it did last night. I made new friends, shared stories, and laughed together. This is the “healthy food” I believe in. Food for the body, heart, and the soul. Then the pumpkin carving. We cleared the kitchen counter and with knives we went, jolly from delicious food, drinks and good company – funny faces and monster faces, abstract shapes… imagination and creativity took over the kitchen. More laughing and hugging and singing. Then we lined all of our creatures on the ledge of the porch, lit each one of them, and went down to the street and admired how amazing they(and by default, we) all were in the cool starry evening of Berkeley. We turned the attention of anyone who walked/biked by to our lit pumpkins, and laughed even more. The evening was closed with Lara’s warm rum raisin pumpkin bread. Hmmmm hmmmm hmmmm. Scrumptuous. I had such an amazing time, and I’m still shaking from the happiness. I haven’t felt like this in weeks. May be months. May be years… I love my friends. I am grateful for them. As we parted, we decided this needed to happen more often. I think we’re going to try to start Sunday night potluck. I hope it happens. I will make sure it happens.