by Chloe Wilcox
After visiting Hutchmoot in person in Tennessee, I wanted nothing more than to bring all my friends with me to experience the joy of that gathering, but, given how challenging it can be to get a ticket to Hutchmoot, that may not ever happen. On the other hand, there is always more room for someone to host a Housemoot in their own home with many of the same Hutchmoot speakers. Hosting Housemoot is a rich, joyful “second best” that really isn’t much of a “second” because it is just so good. This will be my fifth year hosting a virtual Rabbity conference at home, and I've developed rhythms and systems that work well for my space and the beautiful group of people excited to join me each year.
I like inviting people to my home rather than trying to find a larger venue. We're comfy and relaxed here, and while it's a small house, it feels a bit hobbity in a way that makes people feel comfortable kicking off their shoes, curling up in an armchair, and making themselves at home. My husband and I haul our big T.V. up from the basement to stream the sessions. I typically have anywhere between five and twelve friends joining me, coming and going through the weekend. When I start planning, I send out a Google doc with all the sessions listed, and ask friends to mark the top three they want to watch. I've realized that planning a full schedule that runs from Friday to Sunday evening works best for my people. However, not everyone is able to come for all of it, so if there is a session that someone really wants to see, we prioritize that talk for when they're able to be here. I type up the proposed schedule and tape it on the wall, and I tell people that my job is just to be the keeper of the schedule so that they have a measure of predictability, but if they need to go for a walk or hide in the library to get some introvert time, they are completely welcome to do so. I try to remind people of something I heard at Hutchmoot: “We have a schedule, but we don’t necessarily a schedule for you.”
I have learned to schedule plenty of “white space” for our weekend. I keep space of at least a half hour between talks to allow time for discussion to grow naturally. By keeping some breathing room in the schedule, I allowed for both predictability and spontaneity. And even though meals are just in the next room and nobody needs to go very far, I like to allow at least an hour and a half for eating. Again, the conversations are usually so good that we want plenty of time for that to happen!
I love that the Rabbit Room provides wonderful recipes, but I want to enjoy the 'Moot as well and not spend too much of my time cooking for people, so we do guided potlucks through the weekend. This has worked really well for years, and we have had some wonderful meals that are easy for each individual to adapt to their needs, whether allergies or dietary preferences, like a low-carb or vegetarian diet. There are always snacks on the table—I start it with some good chocolate and mandarin oranges, then friends usually add cheese, crackers, nuts, and all sorts of lovely things. We typically eat all weekend while watching or discussing the different sessions. I keep ice water, carafes of coffee and hot water, and tea bags out at all times. My husband makes sure there is always coffee!
I've also learned that, if I keep art supplies on our kitchen table, friends will write quotes or illustrate something they heard about and I can tape them up on the wall next to the schedule as a growing collage of our weekend. I told my friends that my piano was our personal art gallery, and to please bring their work so that we can see it and enjoy the talent within the group.
As the years have gone, I've realized that we really, really like keeping Friday and Saturday evenings for "concerts." I’m choosing to save all of the Artistic Interludes for those times. I have found it is a lovely way to end the day because our brains are full and tired and we just needed to be cared for by the beauty of good music.
Having a virtual Moot to share has been a joyful, soul-nourishing way for me to love the people around me. Some previous attendees started asking months ago for the dates for this year’s Moot, so that they could plan well and make sure they could attend the whole thing! It’s becoming a cherished yearly gathering for our little community.
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