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

Magnus' Tell- All and Get-Rich Schemes Hit the Marketplace!

If you're interested in purchasing one of Magnus' book on how to Get Rich, it is for sale now.

His Tell-All which aims to magnify "the corruption in the Bank of Kemet Ptolemy" will be forthcoming.  Perhaps, he is just upset that his million-dollar bill was not honored anywhere in the Village.  Amidst allegations of counterfeiting, Magnus is indignant while Villagers wonder if perhaps a set of laws might be in order.  Villagers are pondering what type of government structure might suit their needs.  It seems it might take a while.

In the meantime, Peeps and Peep activists alike are busy introducing themselves to their fellow Villagers.

Occupy Kemet Ptolemy!

Last Week in Village: Week 9

The Trading Post is Open for Business!

In recent weeks the Village Post Office has been sending letters back and forth between the Villagers and Cleopatra, traversing time, distance and imagination.

Cleopatra, our Benevolent, Gracious Sovereign, sent a letter granting us land and requesting that it be named after her magnificent Self as a sign of our appreciation. The Villagers, eager to oblige, decided on one name, thought better of it  and decided on another, all of which took some time. Her Majesty, tired of waiting for a letter with news of the Village and it's name, sent another letter with a slightly impatient tone, "requesting" news (imagine elegantly bejeweled fingers drumming on some fine, ebony table...). At last the Villagers decided on a fitting name (Kemet Ptolemy - which means "fertile Nile soil of the Ptolemy's") and composed a suitable letter for Her Majesty, which, in due courses, was mailed. Last week we received a Royal reply accepting our name choice and, as a sign of her pleasure, a grant of $25,000 in gold to back our bank, develop the Village, pay various employees, loan money to the Villagers for the developing of Homesteads and agriculture.

Hallelujah!

With gold to back our local bank the Villagers lined up to apply for loans. With money in hand people were anxious to spend, which created a strong demand for the Trading Post to open, and open it did.

In between all of this fiscal activity, people worked on their land, wrote biographies, made house plans, estimated home costs and so much more.

What will happen next?

Stay tuned to find out!

Yours in Village,

Cheryl, Carey, Dee, Paul

Village Week 8

Ciana's Temporary Structure- From Materials Found in Kemet Ptolemy.

Another busy week fror the newly re-named village of Kemet Ptolemy.  Queen Cleopatra awaits notification from our Village letting her know we have moved forward on the projects she has requested: planting crops tro feed Rome, naming the village to reflect her glory and to set aside a piece of property for the town center that will be suitably posh when she comes to visit.  Mr. Paul was on site to help the letter writing committee (Holland and ?) complete our missive.  Hopefully, Cleopatra will respond quickly by funding our Village and helping us get our economy up and money flowing.

Cartographers Juju and AJ completed a map of the entrire of the Village, which shows the physical features (including the Nile) as well as where the Homesteaders live in relation to the town center and to one another.

 Homesteaders were busy finishing projects that will allow them to apply for their bank loan.  Villagers were hard at work finishing their house plans and estimated house costs, their biographies (again, thank you Mr. Paul!) and beautifying their cardboard models experimenting with decorative painting, some in very Egyptian style.

We listened to some new cultural reports, including a detail from Phil on the type of roofing on homes in Ancient Egypt.  We await the last few reports from some members of the Dirt Devil class, which we will get to next week.