The Beginning of the End

With the passing of Spring Break Village begins to draw towards it's close.

Cleopatra seems to be, for the moment, appeased with our general progress leaving Villagers free to work on a variety of projects with out undue stress. Of course we know that she'll be back and that we'll be expected to have things in tip top condition, but such is the nature of small Villages with Higher Powers to answer to!

Villagers continue to apply themselves to their Peeps Homes and properties, businesses continue to flourish, flounder and fade away, to be replaced by other businesses.

The government, after a rather slow start, has been meeting regularly to discuss maters of Village policy.
Villagers who had been managing at the Trading post, Bank and Accountants offices have put out job postings, checked references, interviewed applicants and made their choices for new managers.

Very exciting times!

Yours in Village,
Cheryl, Carey, Paul and Julie

A Government (Replete with Stump Speeches) is Born

So many things have happened in the last two weeks.

Cleopatra, who had intended to stay in Kemet Ptolemy for only one week, extended her visit. In her second week with us she toured the Village site itself, taking note of the farms and personal properties.

The outcome of her visit, as found in a letter from her Divine Majesty, which arrived last week, was a stern request to put more attention into both ventures as well as a demand to complete the Mummification Temple. It appears that the Romans are restless and it is upon us, as with all such villages in Egypt, to provide ample grain to feed and sustain the legions of Roman soldiers.

Our Villagers have applied themselves to their personal properties and homes with renewed vigor...less so with the Village farms. Well, we'll see how that turns out.

Meanwhile, the Village economy is booming. Managers of the Bank, Trading Post and Accountants offices are completing their terms of employment and calling for fresh applicants; some employees are moving up, others are changing jobs altogether. With all this change in employment comes a fresh round of resumes being written and references to give and check - always an eye opening process.

The results of the recent government elections were recalled last week due to a hasty process and a questionable final tally. The second round was, I must say, awe inspiring. The day began with an open discussion on what a government was for and what sort of qualities one hoped for in an elected official. Following that all candidates were asked to deliver a short speech declaring their qualifications and why they would be a good choice. Some were nominated with either no speech prepared or chose not to speak for themselves. In these cases speeches were given by the nominators. In all cases the speeches were humble but bold, honest and delivered from the heart.

This was just one of the many times that I have wished that you parents could be a "fly on the wall". To hear these amazing young people acknowledge themselves and each other for such qualities as honesty, compassion, diplomacy, visionary thinking, and all the rest was beyond description. I walked away inspired that these are the ones to whom our future belongs.

Of course there was crafting, journalism, planning, building and all the rest as well - It was, in short, another great day in Village!

Yours in Village,
Cheryl, Carey, Paul and Julie

A Welcome Fit for a Queen

Queen Cleopatra  Surveys the Goings On of Kemet Ptolemy

Many weeks ago Her divine Majesty Cleopatra sent Roman spies to discover the truth about our humble Village. Had we honored our agreements , or not? She had bestowed upon us fertile land and funds for the establishment of a Village, we were to have planted crops to feed the Roman soldiers, built and dedicated temples in Her Glorious Name, and  honored the many Sacred rites and Rituals of the Great Egyptian Empire.

What the Roman spies discovered was that most, if not all, of the Villagers were following their own whims and fancies; opening private businesses, pursuing personal interests and in general, letting the Empire take care of its self in what ever manner happened along. Hearing this aroused Her Majesty's wrath and a Royal Visit was announced, along with a stern reminder of what was expected.

Although it's true that some were heard to scoff and exhibit disdain for agreements, Romans and Empresses, most of the Villagers launched themselves into furious action and, with only a few weeks to prepare, produced stunning results.

First came the Feast, which was spectacular. The finest foods from far and near were laid out in a tempting array  - everyone, Peeps and Gigantors alike, ate and ate and ate. All were satisfied and contented. After Feasting Cleopatra held Audience and was introduced to all of the Peeps who contributed to the establishment of the Village. Thanks to the Primary Class the Nile River, along with it's flora and fauna, were represented. In addition there was a Temple to Isis , a Mummification Compound, a Roman style bath house, a Shrine to Bastet, a Throne and, to top it all off, the finest house in the land was outfitted for Her Majesty's comfort and repose.

I am happy to report that Cleopatra was quite pleased and She surprised us all by announcing that She would be staying for a week or so more. Cleopatra was so tired from her long journey, the Feasting and the Audiences that she had to postpone touring the Village site itself. She has, therefore, yet to see the farms that have been planted or the home sites, nor has she seen the fine handicrafts of the Villagers, which are rumored to be of high quality. It is our hope that she is as pleased with these things as she seems to be about the Public buildings.

Yours in Village,

Cheryl, Carey, Paul and Julie

Loyal Onlookers Onlook

Get Busy- Cleopatra is Coming!

Gigantors Construct a Temple in Her Queen's Honor.

With Cleopatra expected to arrive within the next two weeks, the Village is all abuzz with activity.

Two itinerant Roman citizens (or spies) arrived in Village this past week to remind us of Cleopatra's disfavor and the likely display of Her wrath should the Villagers not be prepared for Her Glorious Arrival. Apparently, She can be quite testy if things are not to Her Imperial Liking. And, of course, Cleopatra has the angst-ridden Roman Empire making constant demands of  Egypt to keep Her forever worried. If it's not one thing it's another!

In an all out effort to appease and impress her Divine Majesty, the Villagers have been busily planting crops, planning a town center, designing and building temples, creating honorary statuary, constructing a pyramid; there is a shrine dedicated to Bastet, exotic animals being collected as gifts, rare fruits and tantalizing treats of every description being gathered for a sumptuous feast...the list goes on and on and on.

The recently planted crops are doing well and it is hoped that they are sufficient for the hungry Roman troops that are forever clamoring for more.  The Primary class has been busily creating a mock Nile River, complete with flora and fauna; this is sure to please Her Majesty. We hope.

Optimistic Gigantor Constructs Her Peep's Home

Amidst all of this, of course, there is the work of the Gigantors (the over sized beings that are always lurking behind the Peeps). The Trading Post Managers, who have been running the Trading Post for several months now, have repaid half of their initial Bank Loan ($1000) and have subsequently announced their impending resignation. This has inspired a rash of new applicants for the coveted positions. Meanwhile, the local Journalists are drumming up news stories and scandal to print in next week's paper and houses are optimistically under construction.

On the political front, the Villagers held a vote last week to see if the Matriarchal Government (which won by a landslide vote several weeks ago) would allow all residents to vote in Village matters or only Girls and Women. The decision, again by a landslide, was that all members could participate in decision-making. It was difficult to tell if the Gentlemen were relieved or disgruntled. There was some back row muttering about the joys of not having to join in meetings....  Ah, the burdens of living in a liberated world!

We'll keep you all posted on the outcome of Cleo's visit - Wish Us Luck!

Yours in Village,

Cheryl, Carey, Paul and Julie

Spies Among Us!

Magnus- Ecstatic His Million-Dollar Bill Has a Taker!

As Villagers and Peeps settled into their many tasks last Thursday morning, some of the more observant may have noticed two strange Peeps in our midst. Ostensibly just travelers passing through, looking for a friendly Village to settle in, they were later discovered to be Roman spies sent by Her Majesty, Queen Cleopatra, to find out what's been happening in EcoPeeps.

Well, the report to her highness must have been unfavorable, because we later received a letter announcing her displeasure at the EcoVillagers lackadaisical approach to farming, temple building and the like. Cleopatra, it seems, will be dropping by for a visit in the coming weeks and is fully expecting to find bustling farms, markets and a Temple dedicated to Her Esteemed Self.

Needless to say, the Villagers burst into action. By the time we left school on Thursday, a Temple was through the design stage and well on into the construction phase. In addition, there was a Statue being planned and a mad dash to the Trading Post to purchase seeds.

After many meetings and discussions, a town government was decided on- a Matriarchy. Although some of the Gentlemen are understandably concerned over this recent turn of events, there was one who quickly adapted by adopting a female alter ego and joining his/her sisters in bustling about and creating law and order and other functions of government.

The town's Accountants have been engaged in auditing the Bank the last few weeks.The Bank Manager has been slow to deliver the required paperwork, but has, at last, managed to do so. Hopefully, all will go well with the audit. We shall see!

Magnus Magnusson (Dee's devious Peep) left the Village hurriedly a few weeks ago after having tried, unsuccessfully, to pass a one million dollar bill off in the Village. We continue to hear of him from the most unlikely places - most recently from a Walmart, where he was arrested for trying to pass counterfeit money, and then from the Spy Museum in Washington DC, where he claims to have found folks who will take his large bill. I have no doubt that he will soon find the U.S of A. a little too "hot" for comfort and will try to find passage to some foreign shore.

Elsewhere in the Village, the town journalists were at work writing for the paper, more bank loans were applied for, building materials orders were placed, business owners plied their wares, and other general affairs of plain living were engaged in.

Yours 'till next time,
Cheryl, Carey, Paul, and Dee (from a remote spy location)

Dinner Theater

C-  “The queen’s under a lot of stress.”

P-  “Her army has grown and food demands have increased.”

C-  “If Cleopatra’s armies grow week, Octavian will become the new ruler of Rome and Egypt.

P-  “Even villages like this will be under Roman control.

That means no more private property,

No more money,            

We’ll all be Octavian’s slaves.”

C-   “She has been a nightmare lately.”

P-  “Pigface, come rub my feet.”

C-  “Stupid, where’s my food?”

P-  “If those crops aren’t ready, I’ll light the match to burn this village down myself.”

C-  “What she needs is a good time.  She needs her feasts and her gifts.  We need to find out whether this one is ready for the match or the gold.”

P-  “Last we checked, they didn’t have a temple or even care for their dead properly.”

P- “Does it even have a bathhouse?”

C-  “We need to find out.”

P-  “Those fools won’t even remember us.”

C-  “What was my name last time we were here? ”

P-  “I’ll be Joe.”

C-  “I’ll be Charlesisius.”

P-  “Hello….”

Market Day in Village!

Maja and Hadley's Convenience Store Offerings

Last week in Village was our first market day and it was busy one!

Homesteaders spent the morning making all sorts of Peep items, both necessary and frivolous. The Trading Post did a brisk business in preparation for the mass shopping spree, selling everything from beads, baubles and feathers to clay, sticks and string. The clerks and managers were kept hopping until lunch time.

Once purchases were made Homesteaders went to work creating. There were rugs to  weave, dish sets to create, furniture to build, and perhaps most amazing of all, there were apple trees grown from seed to fruit bearing in only moments! Amazing, simply amazing.

With so many goods being created the Patent Officer was kept on his toes registering new inventions and making sure that people were getting their "cut".

The Bank too, was kept quite busy as Homesteaders withdrew money and exchanged large bills for small in anticipation of their many purchases. But it was not all wanton spending - Oh no siree. I met one cautious Homesteader at the Bank withdrawing only $11 - her expense budget for the day. Others arrived with only their goods to sell and no extra spending money at all, the plan being to make money before spending it.

Once preparations were complete and everyone got a good lunch under their belts the market stalls were set up and shopping began. For almost two hours Homesteaders of all ages shopped, bartered, bought and sold. Orders were taken, partnerships formed and new businesses launched. In addition to Peep goods  there were services and concessions. There were Peep snacks to partake of (made of Fimo, unfortunately) and even a face painter - Yes! Which was so fortunate as one Peep, I kid you not, was roaming the market with absolutely no face at all. Not in the front, the back or either of her sides, it was most distracting. Needless to say she left with a new face and a much improved outlook on life.

In all, Market day was a huge success and I think I can safely say that we all look forward to another one soon!

Yours in Village,

Dee, Carey, Julie and Cheryl

A Fresh-Faced Peep