Garbage Czar to the Rescue
In our tenth year of the Buttermilk Jamboree, after a two year hiatus, not only was the weather beautiful and full of sunshine, but so was the music, the workshops, the artwork, and the people!! Over the years of Circle Pines Center hosting what has been called one of the best music festivals in the state of Michigan, the stories that we take away are ongoing, inspirational, and even at times deeply emotional. But sometimes, the favorite stories are those that bring us laughter and shine a light on the comradery that Buttermilk leaders and participants feel with one another…
This past summer of 2022 was my second time teaching clay and ceramics at a summer camp, and my first time working at Circle Pines Center. Josh Behr and I began the summer by converting the People Barn into our summer art studio, repairing two kick-wheels we recovered from the attic of the goat barn, putting up lights and new tables and a large tapestry from last year’s folk opera. I never imagined the art activities we did to have the success that they did…
This September marked the 4th annual hosting of Circle Pine’s Fall Mushroom Camp. One hundred and ten mushroom enthusiasts from all over Michigan, the Midwest, and as far away as Alabama and California, gathered together to hunt for, learn about, and enjoy the amazing variety of mycelium and fruiting bodies (aka mushrooms) that the CPC property has to investigate…
Did you know that Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated at Circle Pines Center every year during a Spanish Language and Culture Weekend? You may have heard these weekends called Spanish Immersion, a former name that many people still use. These intergenerational gatherings were started in 1996 by CPCers Kathy Siegenthaler and Margaret Aguilar…
The CPC Membership and Outreach Committee had a kick-off meeting on October 17th. We are an energized group excited about putting ideas into action to increase and engage membership and continue to build a sustainable and thriving Circle Pines! We have set a standing meeting for the third Wednesday of every month at 3:30 PST, 5:30 CST, 6:30 EST. Got ideas? A skill to share? Want to participate in any way? Email 
When Grandma moved to an assisted living home, we inherited a pretty birdfeeder that used to hang outside her window. The memory it holds for me is not of it swaying in the breeze with a medley of seeds, but with of a heap of scrambled eggs leftover from breakfast set out for the birds to enjoy. In years since, I have never managed to entice a bird to eat the bits of egg I offer up, but I have seen tiny chickadees and titmice take off with giant chunks of eggshell…