DAY 2 - TO THE TABLE!

Today we woke up for the second time at the CVV house. By now we’ve settled into a rhythm of coffee - our compliments to the chef - accompanied by peanut butter smothered bagels. We started the nippy Tuesday heading to the Good News Garden (GNG), where we met Tom, who divvied up tasks for us. We broke into groups, where we began weeding, hauling compost, and distributing mulch. Despite the chilly spring air, we warmed up quickly. The time spent together served as wonderful opportunity to hold group conversations.

As we plucked spinach from mother earth’s fertile womb, we developed quite the appetite and a thirst for knowledge regarding the garden. Tom informed us of its history, beginning as a cut-through for students of Notre Dame (not the university) riding the school bus. The GNG has survived quite a lot, including harrowing winters, harsh summers, and the adjacent church nearly burning down.

Following a few good hours with Tom, we said goodbye and departed, but only after bestowing upon him some gifts. We were delighted to learn that The Table has several local gardens, including the GNG, and offers 100% of the produce to locals at no cost. After a quick lesson regarding the Table and its mission, courtesy of Barry and Ruth, we were free to chow down at their for-profit restaurant, Table Public House. After 2 days of the SNAP budget, the boys were very excited to indulge in patty melts, burgers, and chicken, with carbonated drinks to boot! 

As we returned to the house with full bellies and fuller hearts, we gathered around the piano, where we made the delightful discovery that 5 of the immersed know how to tickle the ivories! Whilst we were serenaded by wonderful melodies of Mozart and others, Oliver M. and Jonas braved the kitchen to prepare a wonderfully succulent rice pilaf, a dish of Slavic origins. We were delighted to find that it shared many ingredients as our dinner from Sunday, the delectable fried rice. Today marked our first night eating all around the table in the volunteer house and we engaged in many a (overlapping) conversation.

Following our dinner, we made our way to the television room, where we participated in a reflection of both our inward selves and the surroundings we experienced. To cap it all off, we enjoyed a sweet, refreshing treat of the cookies and cream variety while entertained by a special screening of our friends James P. Sullivan and Michael Wazowski in the timeless classic Monsters Incorporated.