[GSBN] The saddest news...

[Bill Christensen]

Dear Matts & all who had the honor of being influenced by Judy (whether 
they know it or not),

Jeanine and I only had the pleasure of being with Judy a handful of 
times, though we feel her influence on a regular basis.  Two things 
stand out in my mind about her: that she was always looking far to the 
future, and the love that she radiated to all.

MattsAndJudy (written as one unit, as they seem inseparable to me even 
despite this physical separation) had a tradition of having the 
participants leaving notes to the future between the bales they'd 
stacked at the close of each bale raising.  It's a tradition many others 
have adopted, and I hope many more will.  It brings the awareness of the 
'big picture' view to the simple small act of piling up a bunch of bales 
and slapping them with plaster.

In a similar way, they looked beyond the straw and clay when they 
offered the idea of having each participant at the Natural Building 
Colloquium Texas write something on a prayer flag some time during the 
event, then at the closing evening distributed those prayer flags along 
with two more - one with an inspiring quote and one with their own 
reminder of the event which we'd all just shared - to each of us.  The 
flags we received still hang in our bedroom.

Her wide open heart was most evident to me in the way she and our son 
Robert immediately bonded at that colloquium.  He was completely drawn 
to her. She was like an ideal grandmother he'd always known. I suspect 
many many others feel the same way.

We have lost the physical manifestation of a great soul, but that soul 
shines on with each bale, with each person who discovers they can build 
with straw, and with each community bond forged in the process.

Fare well, Judy.

Bill, Jeanine, & Robert