In the Spotlight - Meet Carrie Black

-Submitted by Jan Crane

Hi, I’m Carrie Black, proud mum to four amazing boys. Gerry (18) newly minted UU student majoring in Musical Theater and trying to take classes in everything. Spencer (16) most obsessed with the visual arts and a dern good techie to boot. William (14) can't get enough of people and programming. Isaac (12) can be the sound effects of a movie all by himself and is constantly adding to his already encyclopedic knowledge of dinosaurs.

Calvin, my fantastic husband, completes the people part of our family. Some of the chickens and ducks have also earned names and family member status. All indoor spiders are called Carmen and treated as essential and honored guests.

Mostly I raise and home school my kids. On the side I raise an insane amount of food on our ½ acre (70% of what we eat), make useful things out of junk I find on the curb (last project useless closet turned into bunk-beds and dressers), and indulge a learning fetish (current area of study how we learn stuff and brain plasticity). I have a BS in Botany and need a T-shirt that says 'Chlorophyll Junkie'. I'm happiest in my garden with dirt under my fingernails.

One of my favorite quotes is "The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off." -Gloria Steinem

I came to the First Unitarian Church after leaving Mormonism (and then spending a few years recovering)- I was on the hunt for a new tribe. My kids don't have grandparents or extended family and they needed a place to belong just as much as I did. The first time I read the Seven Principles I burst into tears. The idea that a religious place could be a safe place for everybody was overwhelming, and, ultimately, deeply gratifying. We are social creatures, us humans, no way around it. We all need a safe place. I wanted a safe place that included a whole lot of get-off-your-butt-and-make-the-world-a-better-place kind of energy, a place where good ideals are given more than lip service. A place where short-comings are okay and progress is celebrated.

I attend the Women's Circle with the most amazing group of ladies. They make my heart happy and I hope I have returned the favor at least a little. I also attend one Small Group Ministry and run another. Civil discourse is good for the soul. With my kids in RE, we spend a lot of time doing dishes after fundraisers and events. Working together is one of my favorite parts of being church-family.

I decided to sign the book because "There is safety in numbers, but only if we count ourselves out loud." -Barbra Kingsolver I also pledge because family means giving and receiving- helping out where you can and being helped.