Collecting & Cooking Wild Edibles

with Nathan and Christina

Nathan will guide you through Miller Park to identify and gather Spring edibles, while Christina interrupts him with medicinal & folklore tidbits. After our Harvest, we will create a satisfying and well rounded meal from what we have gathered.

Sunday April 21st at 12pm to 4pm-ish: 
Meet at Miller Park at the Arborview Street Entrance.

Please bring a bag(s) to gather plants, a hand shovel (if you have one,) proper attire, or any other fun things such as your favorite knife and a ripe appetite!  

Please RSVP with Christina at YesSheSaidAA@gmail.com 

Ficktion Book Klub: The Alchemist

We are back in ACTION! 

This time around we are reading the classic

  The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Beginning Thursday March 14th, we will be meeting every Thursday in the basement of 

Cafe Ambrosia.

              7pm

 If you are interested in joining us, please do!  We ask that you get a copy of the book and read to page 35 before the first meeting so we can discuss up to that point.  It's always a pleasure to meld minds with other Free Skoolers and great literature - come see what we mean.  

From Good Reads: "Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids.  But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transformation power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts."

Linux Class

There will be a two-part class on Linux, at the "All Hands Active" hackerspace on Monday, March 18 and Tuesday, March 19 from 8-10pm.

Part I, on Monday, March 18: This class is intended for people who have heard that Linux is a thing, and aren't quite sure what that thing is, or have the idea that Linux is something they want to use and aren't quite sure how to go about it.

In Part I, we will explain what Linux is and why you might want to use it. Also, bring your laptop and join the "let's all install linux on our laptops" party.

Part II, on Tuesday, March 19: This is a class for people who have installed Linux on their computers (perhaps due to their attendance of the Linux Part I class on the previous day) and want to become better at using Linux for day-to-day productivity tasks. Figure out what open-source programs you can use to replace the closed-source software you were using.

Announcing: Body Positivity Writing Workshop

Lia Perjovschi, Body Mind Map, 2006

Bodies are weird and complicated and beautiful and they are the sites of pleasure, pain, gender, sexuality, JOY, shame, and celebration. The Body Positivity Writing Workshop will explore these complex relationships with our bodies through writing and discussion.  

Never written about your body? It can be EXCITING and THOUGHT PROVOKING and HEALING. Consider these prompts:

• When are you most aware of your body?
• What part of your body do you specifically check out in the mirror?
• When did you know your gender identity?
• What did your parents tell you about your body growing up? 

Film Dubadub Dub

 Participatory Movie Going
Empowered audience participation, improvising musicians & voice acting over a silent film!

Join us for an evening, free of charge, comprised of:

• A brief improvisational workshop (acting and very brief music improvisation)

• Screening of a classic silent film "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"
• Live improvised acting and musicians (potentially you among them!)
• Community dialog on mindful media consumption and paradigms for co-creativity

While framed (and planned) as a fun experience, we hope attendees shall discover tangible themes of democracy and community in exploring opportunities for empowerment and participation.

We encourage attendees to bring their imagination, musical instruments (including some noisemakers), vocal cords, hands and feet, an open mind, creative spirit, and a healthy dollop of fun and/or silliness.

When:
7pm - 10pm on Saturday, February 23rd.

Location:
The Glass Room https://www.facebook.com/TheGlassRoomA2
617 E Liberty St #4
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

What's happening?!?!
It's basically a full-length version of the improv voice acting game "film dub" (i.e.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnkq-T0aW18 ), but with musical instruments, and audience participation set to a classic silent film followed by contemplative community discussion at the end of the night. If you enjoy the bizarre nature of a Tim Burton film (i.e. Beetlejuice, Nightmare Before Christmas), the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari should resonate well.

However, as a live group of empowered performers and audience members, we have the choice to shape the nature of the film’s narrative. In recognizing this, we can explore broader worldviews and paradigmatic implications that shape audience experiences in media, entertainment, and equitable governance. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is among the first horror films ever to grace the silver screen, but how will we choose to live our experience? As a Comedy? Tragedy? Horror? Drama? 

Using this gathering as an opportunity for transformative change, what other things shall we do as a community that we wouldn't be able to do as individuals?

Let's find out together!

 

RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/549145855104225/?ref=2

Local Politics Support Group

This is a support group for those seeking to understand the politics going on in this city, county, and region. This is not an activist group, so it is okay if we don't all agree on things. It's more like a book club for reading the newspaper. Staying informed will help us to be better citizens of our democratic society.

We will be meeting on second and fourth Thursdays, at 7pm.

The format of the group is like this:

A potluck is served at a member's home. A facilitator is chosen. A guest speaker may be invited. Someone who is a news-maker: A politician, a leader of some kind.

Guest speakers so far:
Thursday, March 14 - Yousef Rabhi, Washtenaw county commissioner
Thursday, March 28 - Lawrence Kestenbaum, Washtenaw county clerk and register of deeds, and maintainer of http://politicalgraveyard.com

The guest speaker will give a talk. There will be a question period, during which the speaker is asked neutral questions of fact. Once there are no more questions, free discussion period begins, during which people are free to speak their minds, and give opinions to the guest and to each other. This might give the guest speaker an idea of how the community feels on these topics.

Next, the news discussion. Each member pitches a topic for discussion. Possibly something from an article they've read on local politics, or something based on original research. Once all the pitches are made, each person casts a secret ballot of two votes. The most popular two topics will be discussed (this is in the interest of time; if time runs short, we will at least have discussed the most popular topics).

For each topic, the person who proposed it gives a little presentation. Perhaps a summary of the article they read, or a summary of their original research. Then, a question period and a discussion period.

Discussion must be kept civil and constructive, especially in the event of a disagreement. Remember, this is not an action group, so it is not necessary that we come to decisions as a group. 

(also, see the facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/254618858006512/)

Callin' all you Crazy Yoga Cats...

Ann Arbor Free Skool Yoga is back!

led by our favorite Certified Yoga Instructors: Carla and Karla 



• Noon - 1 pm on Wednesday, February 20th (K)
• 1 pm - 2 pm on Friday, February 22nd (C)
• 11 am - Noon on Wednesday, February 27th (K)
• 1 pm - 2 pm on Friday, March 1st (C)

A2FS Yoga will be held at the Ann Arbor Civic Theater
322 W. Ann (it's the PURPLE building hiding behind the Ross-Beakes Collison Shop)

Please arrive early and remember to bring:

1. a Yoga mat
2. a bottle of Water
3. as many Friends as you can carry

As always, our skillshares/workshops/events are completely FREE... 

                 ...but we would like share with you that A2FS will be paying $10 per session to use this studio. So, if you are feeling generous and you want A2FS Yoga to continue, please show your support by bringing a donation of a few dollars.

New A2FS Book Klub is starting up!

Want to make your own Cheese?

Welcome to Lactomancy 101!

Welcome to Lactomancy 101!  Watch as cheese aficionado and amateur lactomancer Holly Richardson makes fresh, delicious mozzarella cheese in about 30 minutes right before your eyes - and you get to taste the results!  Discover how you can make cheeses such as mozzarella, paneer, ricotta, and queso blanco right in your own kitchen using simple, inexpensive, and easy to source ingredients.  Resource materials will be provided, but please bring a writing instrument to jot down a few notes.

Where: 208 W.Liberty Ann Arbor MI

When: this Saturday, Feb 16th, 2pm- 4pm 

Science and Logic Discussion Group

If you have an interest in science and the natural world, then the
Science and Logic Discussion Group is for you! We will discuss topics
in the popular media ranging from biology to physics, with a special
emphasis on critical thinking and advocacy. Kelly will provide articles for
discussion, or feel free to bring your own!

Stop by and join the discussion this Thursday, Feb 7th over a cup of coffee at Cafe
Ambrosia in downtown Ann Arbor from 7-8 pm.

This month's discussion topic will be on the medicalization of
obesity: portrayals of illness in primary literature and their
resonance in academic and popular culture.

Hope to see you there!



Ann Arbor ReSkilling Festival this SUNDAY!

Check out what our friends from

Transition Ann Arbor and Rudolf Steiner High School

are up to this Sunday:

 

 

" The Ann Arbor ReSkilling Festival aims to help people learn skills for resilient, low-energy living—from canning to meditation to quilting and starting a garden. The concept of reskilling is about preparing for our low-energy future by acquiring new skills related to what we eat, wear, use and live in. As Transition Towns founder Rob Hopkins points out, “We no longer have many of the basic skills our grandparents took for granted.” Reskilling means providing for ourselves and our communities by growing, preserving, creating, building, and teaching.

 

Ann Arbor has hosted 5 day-long ReSkilling Festivals since 2009 — with our largest attendance at 225 people. The festivals are free and open to the public, and each one is pretty different! Localizers around the country have contacted us about our success with this event (notice that our event is one of the top google hits when you type in “reskilling”!)

 

The Rudolf Steiner High School (2230 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor 48105) graciously offers their building and grounds for the festival, and just visiting this high school building nestled in the woods is an experience in itself. During the festival, sessions happen all day long at the school — in classrooms, stone circles, the woods, and old homes on the property. The commons are vibrant all day with food and conversation. "

Here are a few of the classes and workshops of the Festival:

Winter Botany........................................................

............Cordage from Wild Plants...........................

............................Meditation....................................

..............................................Homemade Nut Milks

.................................Bike Repair.............................

.....................Rain Gardens.....................................

Firemaking without matches...................................

.....................................................and many more!!!

 AWWWWWWWWESOME! Right?

 

Visit http://a2reskilling.com/ for all the AA ReSkilling Festival details!

 

We hope to see you there!

with love,

              A2FS