Make Stone🗿 Soup
A recipe for community organizing + the secret to happiness
Took a page from nature and did as the plants and critters do when it’s dark, cold, and wet outside — hibernate and gather strength.
During my quiet contemplative rest, the rain washed away the 2025 muck yet we’re only one week into 2026 and unfortunately wish I could go back into hibernation. I watch in horror, grief, disgust, exhaustion, numb detachment, and helplessness as we collectively witness a broken system eating itself, like a ouroboros — snake devouring its own tail.
The Year of the Snake isn’t done yet, and there is still shedding to be done before welcoming in the Fire Horse for the Lunar New Year. Buckle in, it’s gonna be a fire year, anticipates chaos and massive transformation.
Just like the Ouroboros, land ravaged by wildfire, and plants from the winter ground — creation emerges from destruction, and death leads to new life.
I am reminded to reserve my energy, stop feeding the chaos, and pour energy into building community — by making stone soup.
“To be happy is as simple as making stone soup.”
Vol. 55 // In this Issue
📹👀 The Story of Stone Soup
A Recipe for Community Organizing
Upcoming Events
Cookbook Club: Did Snoop Dogg actually write this?
Watch + Listen // Kathy Bates Reads “Stone Soup”
There are many different variations and interpretations of the classic European folk tale that teaches a lesson about compassion, generosity, and community. This one read by Kathy Bates is accompanied by beautiful illustrations and takes inspiration from ancient China.
The moral is that by sharing small amounts, everyone benefits, and a feast can be made from seemingly nothing.
Stone Soup: a Recipe for Community Organizing
“We all know things that need to improve in our communities (e.g., social justice, sustainability, accessible health care, loneliness, hunger), but many feel helpless and at a loss as to what to do about it. The first step to change is to change that helpless mindset with a simple recipe for community organizing.”
Start watching at 7:40 to skip to actionable community organizing steps
Upcoming Events
1/18 – Echo Park Repair Fair at The Hunt Vintage. Free repairs for clothing, bikes, knives, lamps, plant/seed swap table, and more. First come first serve. | Northeast Los Angeles
1/24 – DIY CBD Pet Treats at Fig Earth Supply with Grow It From Home. Learn about CBD for pets and take home CBD pet treats along with ingredients to make more at home. | Northeast Los Angeles
1/25 – CBD Herbal Salve Workshop at Tansy with Grow It From Home. Make a healing salve and take home your own jar. | Los Angeles (Burbank)
1/25 – Tea, Tokes, and #TrashArt x BuTeaDen. Sip tea, Snack and make playful collage art from found objects. Think junk mail, shipping materials, and packaging to play with color and texture. | Downtown Los Angeles
2/7 - Chai and Cry, a night for the Iranian diaspora to get together with others who are also feeling all the things hosted by POT Gardens. Connect, optional light crafting, play games or just hang out. Potluck style snacks, instruments, and games. | Los Angeles (West Adams)
2/12 – ILGM Grow Club, learn how to grow yourself flowers at this Valentine’s edition of ILGM Grow Club all about the birds and the bees of c*nn*bis. Featuring special guest Sue Carlton @rancheramami and ILGM x Crockett Family Farms seed drop exclusive Tangie Queen. Part educational workshop and part social sesh at The Artist Tree Studio Lounge. | Los Angeles (West Hollywood)
2/15 - Wild Mushroom Fair, hosted by the Los Angeles Mycological Society at the LA County Arboretum featuring wild mushroom displays, vendors, speakers, workshops, food, art, and photo contents. | Los Angeles (Arcadia)
3/7 – Herbal In Bloom, save the date for a wonderland speakeasy hosted by Jamie Evans, the Herb Somm, and The Herbal Cocktail Co. | SF Bay Area (Berkeley)
5/18-5/19 – C*nn*bis Baking Fundamentals Class at the SF Baking Institute with Grow It From Home, and guest speaker Vanessa Lavorato. | South San Francisco
COMING UP FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS
Cookbook Club: “Snopp Dogg’s Treats to Eat”
This showed up at my door unannounced with no note or notice from their publisher. Do you think Snoop Dogg has made any of these recipes? I’m sus and I have spicy thoughts about this book.
But let’s get baked and bake something.
Who’s gonna host a stone soup party? It’s be perfect for the cold soup weather right now.
I’m keen on doing a community fruit jam + jam sesh again this summer. Want to participate?
XOXO, Christina W.
Thanks for adding the #trashart event @ Bu Tea Den to the event roundup! :)