November 25, 2020
Counting Our Blessings
Photo by Fair Oaks EcoHousing member Subhash Chand
As we approach Thanksgiving 2020, it is time to reflect on a year unlike any other. After years of dreaming, planning, and construction delays, our homes were finished in June, and we started moving in. While moving during a pandemic created unique challenges, we are so grateful to be in community at this time, and would like to share a few of the ways our members count our blessings and express hopes for the future:
 
We’re grateful for…  
  • The many friends we have made in our neighborly community
  • Our three little girls, ages 5, 3, and 2, who run joyfully up and down the paths, knowing they’ll be safe
  • Our friendly dogs who are so happy to be petted
  • Our beautiful Common House which I know we’ll be able to use soon
  • The Community Garden plots and all the plants growing there
  • All who participated in starting our orchard, from the original proposal to planting the first eight trees this weekend
  • The gorgeous trees in our neighborhood with the bright red fall color
  • The hummingbirds that dive-bomb each other in competition for the bird-feeders
  • Modern technology, keeping me connected with family and friends
  • Neighbors who had my back when I sprained my ankle, bringing first aid, meals, groceries and clean laundry, and taking me to a voting center
  • The dog lovers and walkers of the community who are so diligent about cleaning-up after their pets
  • The new and long lasting friendships we have made in this community
  • Our shared resources
  • Practicing communication skills together
  • Friendships, and having basic needs met and more when so many do not
We’re hopeful that…  
  • We will work to heal our divisions in our country by listening to each other with love
  • By being vigilant with masks and social distancing, we can get Covid-19 under control
  • The vaccine will help prevent spread of Covid-19 and save many lives
  • Health care workers and essential workers will no longer be put at risk every day
  • Children can once again go back to school and get the support they need
  • The end of the pandemic will come soon, and we will get to know our neighbors better
  • Life will soon return to normal and we can enjoy close, healthy relationships with each other
 
We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving
and health, hope, and happiness in the coming year!
Photos of our first tree-planting courtesy of Fair Oaks EcoHousing member Marty Maskall
Our First Halloween!
Holidays during the COVID-19 era have become a hurdle that requires extra creativity and we at Fair Oaks EcoHousing have been blessed with a social committee that has met that challenge head-on.
Photos courtesy of Fair Oaks EcoHousing member Cynthia Winton-Henry
Giving this year? Give locally.
As we approach the holiday season, the ads for Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be overwhelming, and what used to be just Black Friday is now Black Friday Week. Instead of buying from a large national retailer, how about supporting local businesses? We have many choices when shopping for goods, services, and gift cards, so when making a wishlist or choosing a gift this holiday season, consider a gift certificate from a favorite local business.  Restaurants, coffee shops, salons, retail stores and many others have been deeply impacted by the pandemic, and every dollar we spend locally helps our community thrive.

Non-profit organizations have also been hit hard this year.  According to the Orangevale-Fair Oaks Food Bank, which has served this community since 2011, the need in our community has tripled because of the pandemic: "Many of these families are accessing the Food Bank for the first time in their lives. Most of them have had an abrupt job loss and an overnight change in their incomes. These are not strangers. These are our neighbors, our friends, our family. They could be any of us. The uncertainty that COVID-19 has brought to our lives can leave anyone at risk of becoming food insecure.” Give to the Orangevale-Fair Oaks Food Bank at https://orangevalefoodbank.org/donate/. 

And while this may or may not be local during this time of the pandemic, give a gift from the heart!  Write a letter to a friend, a loved one, or someone from your past, saying what you appreciate about them, or pick up your phone and give them a call — hearing from you is priceless!
On October 27th Washington Commons , our sister community in West Sacramento, submitted their application for a building permit to the City of West Sacramento. This step represents a tremendous amount of work on the part of their professional team and their community. It includes drawings, specifications structural calculations, a geotechnical report, an energy report, manufactured trust calculations etc., all in multiple copies. Now the City of West Sacramento begins its work to review the application. Once approved, they will be ready to break ground! They are thrilled to get to this important step.

Washington Commons is seeking members: those who want to live in an urban cohousing community just across the river from downtown Sacramento. The project sits on a ½ acre about a block and a half from the Sacramento River. The location is within walking distance of the Crocker Art Museum and many attractions on both sides of the river. 

They will have 35 one- and two-bedroom flats in a 4-story elevator building with 4500 square feet of common area, including an expansive terrace adjacent to the common dining room. They are looking forward to breaking bread together in a Covid-free future. 

For more information, go to www.Washington-Commons.org
or call Anne Geraghty at (916) 995-6629.
Each of these rolls contains one complete set of building documents!
Here they are submitting the building documents
Fair Oaks EcoHousing Tour
Photo by Fair Oaks EcoHousing member Subhash Chand
Fair Oaks EcoHousing is a beautiful neighborhood of 30 homes on 3.7 acres in Fair Oaks, CA, 18 miles east of downtown Sacramento. Because of Covid-19, we have postponed group tours for the time being.

Fair Oaks EcoHousing has no homes available right now, but homes will become available in the future. Please join our Wait List to be notified of new availability.

We invite you to watch the new film about cohousing. The Best of Both Worlds explores the lives of residents in four cohousing communities in Northern California, including Fair Oaks EcoHousing. For more info about the film visit https://cohousingfilm.com/
Want to Learn More About Fair Oaks & Sacramento?