In December, 2001, the first group of households moved into Cornerstone, with the rest occupying their new homes in the Spring of 2002. Much of that year we focused on settling in, furnishing the common areas, developing common meal systems, beginning to work on landscaping, creating workspaces and gathering areas, and pursued many other efforts toward manifesting our dreams. What an incredible high after all the years of planning.

In 2003, we saw many of our objectives come into clearer focus as we got more practice in living together. This allowed us to refine and improve our ways of doing things -- an ongoing process of community evolution. The grounds around our buildings began to show the fruits of the previous year's work, which encouraged even more progress. We also began connecting to our North Cambridge neighbors, and we invited many of them to a barbeque at the Coho. Some of our members became involved in neighborhood activities, giving us other ways of getting to know and participating in our larger community.

Late 2003 and early 2004 saw a big baby boom! We welcomed five new babies in as many months, and it became a delightfully regular sight to see infants being passed from one eager "baby holder" to another during common meals. Sadly, we also experienced several crises. In the spring of 2004 we lost a beloved member of the community, and another in July. While we all wish such difficulties had not happened, the ways in which we supported and cared for one another deepened our personal and community bonds.

In the last few years, several of our original residents have moved on for various personal, family and employment reasons. Our loss of day-to-day contact with these friends has been balanced by welcoming new members with lots of fresh perspectives. These have enriched our ongoing examination and honing of group processes and our ways of dealing with personal and community challenges. New members who haven't been part of the "history" of Cornerstone have allowed us to become more aware of ways of doing things that perhaps became institutionalized over time without examining their current appropriateness. It keeps us all on our toes and growing -- and continually realizing that life in cohousing is all about personal and community growth.

In late 2007, we began physical work on our largest undertaking since the moving in. After years of planning by an incredibly dedicated task force, working with input from almost every member of the community at one time or another, we began to turn the open area in the center of our property from a parking lot and water detention pond into a gorgeously landscaped garden curving around and among flat grass yards, winding stone paths, a rock garden and dry pond, raised vegetable beds and a small basketball court.

The garden is bursting with color and an immense variety of trees, bushes and flowers. One of the first events in our new center yard was a Sunday dance recital choreographed and performed  by some of the younger residents.

With every year, we become stronger and more connected, and we are eager to meet the future together.