July 27, 2009
The kids are off to Hershey Park for a few days with Aunt Nancy, Uncle Gerard and cousin Aryana. They have certainly been looking forward to THIS! (So have I!)
Reflecting on our trip to Virginia, I'm struck by how comfortable it was with Thais and Bo in our conversations. We'd be discussing any topic, like the upcoming open-house Thais was organizing at the winery where she works, the necessity and parameters of installing a septic system, or the history of the farmhouse on the property. Every conversation was generously interlaced with comments of spiritual content to one degree or another. And there was no fear of what someone else would think about that. It just seemed so natural!
July 24, 2009
Heading home. We know for sure that Ryan does not care for camping. Public showers are cold and the doors hung way too high! Wasn't even impressed by the fact that we'd stayed in a very nice cabin, well-sheltered from the storm the night before last, which had washed out the road, collapsed a couple of tents and saturated the inhabitants and all their belongings-not to mention the thunder and lightening that went with the storm.
Yesterday Ryan and Laure met a couple of kids who'd been in one of those tents. They didn't seem any worse the wear for it, seemed to look at it as an adventure. I suspect Ryan would not have weathered it so well. =)
July 22, 2009
Yesterday we walked the property. My emotions vascillated between excitement, fear, anticipation and overwhelm at the amount of work this would take. I watched the kids' excitement, though, and was uplifted. They knew where different things would go-especially the tree house, made up names for the various landscape features-like Dragon Drool for the area of the creek where we crossed, and marveled at the plants and creatures we came upon. Just walking it was a lesson in breathing.
July 21, 2009
One of the things that happened last week was that Bo shared with another interested person and myself through an email that they'd done a feasibility study last year and found out that there were a couple retreat centers for sale in the area citing financial failure, because Floyd county is very small, a retreat center would need to draw from outside the area, a retreat center that could house a minimum of 20 participants would need to be about a million dollar operation and staffing the center would not be easy.
I'll need to talk to them about these things, but as soon as I read that email, I had an image of Noah, standing on the mountain, blueprints for the ark in hand, looking up to the Heavens and asking, "Shouldn't we do a feasibility study first?"
Based on the lessons I've been learning, I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to be doing anything by the traditional models. We'll keep listening.
July 20, 2009
Many things have happened this past week which seem to be confirming prompts to go to Virginia again to explore in more depth, the possibility of partnering with some others to develop a bed & breakfast/spiritual retreat center there. Several people have been drawn into the mix and we're excited every day to learn more and more about how things will come together.
July 12, 2009
Our bike rack arrived yesterday, but it took longer to figure out how to get 4 bikes on it than we'd expected. Today we went to the Manius River (about 15 minutes away) to check out their trails. I'll let Ryan and Lauren share their experiences. Suffice it to say the trails were a bit bumpy. Michael walked his touring bike a good chunk of the way. Guess we'll be shopping for another bike for him, one that is a little more compatible with those trails. And yes, there are a few pictures.
There have been a couple more people asking about the possibility of working with us on the retreat/B & B. And emails are flying regularly, sometimes several times a day among the 2 Bo's, Judith, and us. This seems to have a life of its own.
It's looking like we'll be spending a few days in Virginia again next week. Can't wait!
July 10, 2009
THE CIRCLE WIDENS. A friend, upon hearing about the things that have happened as a result of our first road trip, put me in contact with an architect friend of her's. The coolest thing was that when he responded to my inquiry, he shared some entries from his journal of a similarly Spirit-guided trip and exploration of a tunnel echoing our entry about the Paw Paw tunnel. We'll see where this leads.
July 7, 2009
Bo sent me these two websites to consider as we begin to explore possible construction of our retreat center: www.harmoniouspalette.com and www.flyingconcrete.com. I made contact with the owner of Harmonious Palette (another Bo--go figure) and we are starting a conversation about design elements and eco-friendly options.
These websites had links to others which I perused and ended up in a conversation with Judith of www.judith-l-williams.com/. We're checking out possible times for us to go to New Mexico and learn to build with papercrete. (See also, www.livinginpaper.com).
Some other fun things that have come out of the trip are several connections with my family members and the development of very interesting spiritual discussions. This just keeps getting better and better!
July 5, 2009
We took Dad to our favorite park to show him the fairy-tale grove. Check out our pictures.
July 4, 2009
We enjoyed a barbecue with Nancy & Gerard at their home, along with other family members. A few sparklers and fountains topped off the festivities and we headed home.
Louie is much better after a couple of days on antibiotics, medicated shampoo and a change of diet. Thanks, God.
We've started an email conversation with Bo & Thais to look at possibilities for partnering with them in a spiritual retreat/B & B in Virginia. This is very exciting!
July 2, 2009
Not a good day for Louie. Don't know if it's the illnesses, the medications, the change in diet or just getting old, but he hasn't been able to keep anything down and the scratching and weakness in his legs seem worse tonight.
July 1, 2009
We slept in.
Mom got Louie an appointment with the vet, who diagnosed an allergic skin condition and confirmed blood in his stool. She gave us a medicated shampoo and prescribed some other medications and a bland diet and wants to see him in a week.
It was really fun to play HORSE with Dad when he got home.
June 30, 2009
This morning Ryan awoke hearing the words, "Go home." Lauren agreed that she was feeling the same. Mom wanted to chat with Karen a little before leaving, so we all walked down to the creek where Ryan and Lauren explored while Mom and Karen discussed the ups and downs of running a B & B and Karen's hopes and wishes for the Miracles Farm. It was here we noticed Louie was experiencing more and more discomfort, so we packed up and stopped by the Abernethy's before getting on the road home. See TJ's page for more on these fabulous discoveries.
We pulled into our own driveway about 1:00 am.
June 29, 2009
Before we started our adventure, TJ had happened across the website of the Miracles Farm B & B in Floyd, VA and exchanged emails with Karen Osborne, one of the owners. Karen had offered that a Course in Miracles study group met nearby on Monday nights. So this morning it felt right to head toward Floyd and see what happened. We actually made it in time to check into the B & B and then go to the ACIM study group. WOW! What a great group of people. Bo and Thais Abernethy were the hosts and, it turned out, have had some amazing experiences with teaching A Course in Miracles. TJ asked if we could come back tomorrow to visit with them a bit more.
Oh, yeah, we checked out a tee-pee on our way south.
June 28, 2009
We spent the day at the Holiday Inn, getting the kids' computers running again (thanks Dad), updating our website and uploading photos. OK, we went swimming and ate at Shoney's (which brought back some wonderful childhood memories for TJ) as well.
June 27, 2009
Calvin & Carol showed us the sights around Cumberland. On our way to Dan's Rock, we passed Dan's Mountain State Park and stopped to let the kids play on the recycled tire playground. OK, Mom played a little, too and they even got a picture.
Dan's Rock is one of the highest points in the area, and you can see 3 states from there-Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. It being such a beautifully clear day, it seemed we could see forever.
Cumberland has a fabulous little down-town area, old store-fronts display local artists' collections and restaurants' umbrellaed tables and chairs line the cobble-stone streets. A little walk around there and lunch at the train station completed our Cumberland tour.
Back at Calvin & Carol's, the kids flew kites and played on the hammock some more, and Mom held their new granddaughter, Arabella, who would be spending the evening with Grandma and Grandpa while her mom and older brother and sister went out to play. But finally, we gave hugs all around and got back on the road.
We left a message for Uncle Kevin and Aunt Pat, thinking we might try to meet up with them somewhere in the next day or two and headed south east, down I-81. Not too far south of Hagerstown, we found a pet-friendly Holiday Inn with a pool and knew this was to be our home for the night.
A nice swim, a few minutes on the computer, a chat and chapter with Dad (we're reading The Knight in Rusty Armor each night with Dad joined by phone) and we were all ready for bed.
June 26, 2009
Lori, the waitress/receptionist/room manager for Grandma's Country Kitchen/Heritage B & B set us straight about what was fun to visit in Paw Paw. She directed us to the Paw Paw tunnel, just across the Potomac River into Maryland. This is a 3118 ft long tunnel that was cut through the mountain to accommodate the C & O canal. The sign at the beginning of the path encourages visitors to take flashlights, and we found out why. In the middle of the tunnel, you can't see anything or anyone. All that's visible is a very small dot of light in either direction. Luckily we'd heeded the sign's advice.
About one third of the way into the tunnel, Louie refused to take another step and sat down. So Mom picked him up and carried him a large chunk of the way. The walk seemed to take forever, but we did enjoy it. So, yes, if you're ever near Paw Paw, WV, be sure to stop at the tunnel. (And don't forget to enjoy a nice meal and visit with Lori at Grandma's Country Kitchen.)
We headed to Cumberland, MD after exploring the tunnel and finally had cell service again. We found that my uncle had called and said they would be free this evening and Saturday and welcomed us to stay there. He met us in the McDonald's parking lot and led us to his home, a few miles outside of Cumberland, just across the West Virginia border. He had a couple more appointments to make, but Carol came home within the hour and she and I got acquainted while the kids got their TV fix.
June 25, 2009
This morning we spent a couple of hours exploring Ft. Frederick and learning about how people lived 200 years ago. The fort had been in several wars, but the only action it ever saw was a single gunshot that passed by the gate-keeper. An investigation never revealed who the shooter was, but a lone Native American was suspected. See our photos.
After Lauren's listening led us to a McDonald's and got us on I-70 west, it felt right to go to the Cacapon State Park in West Virginia. But when we got there, they didn't have any tent set-ups, there were no available cabins and they didn't allow dogs in the lodge. We all felt disappointed and Lauren cried.
We tried listening for other options and ended up following Lauren's directions to a small town called Paw Paw. My parents had told me the night before that we were in the area to which my uncle and aunt had recently moved. We tried calling, but had to leave a message.
My parents had also mentioned Paw Paw as a place my uncle had brought them to visit. We thought it was a pretty cool coincidence that Lauren's listening had brought us to this town. But after a drive all around Paw Paw (about 6 minutes) we concluded that grandparents and grandkids had very different ideas about what "a fun place to visit" constitutes.
We stopped at the library and asked if there were someplace we might spend the night. The librarian directed us to Grandma's Country Kitchen and the Heritage B&B. We checked in and soon discovered that we had no cell service. In fact, driving around for an hour in various directions still garnered us no cell service. So we don't know if Uncle Calvin and Aunt Carol ever called back. We also can't call Dad to read together and say goodnight.
Mom has a headache and is going to bed.
June 24, 2009
Ryan listened today and an afternoon stop at a MD state park (can't remember the name) found us exploring the pond's giant gold carp, turtles and dragon flies. But finally, the gnats got the better of us and we moved on. Another state park, Ft. Frederick, with tent sites, was our stop for the night. Ryan was disappointed that there was no electricity, and they were both surprised that the fresh water pump was a half-mile walk away. Nevertheless, we made it through the night without incident.
June 23, 2009
We finally got started today. Mom was voted the first listener and heard "South." So, by listening and following, listening and following, we ended up in Perryville MD by the end of the day. After driving for the last 2 hours seeing only a few tiny towns, we were beginning to wonder whether we'd find any campgrounds, or even a hotel before it got very late. But suddenly we came upon a sign that said Perryville outlets and there in front of us (and apparently in front of the outlets) was a Ramada--pet friendly, no less!
THANK YOU, SPIRIT
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June 22, 2009
TODAY'S THE DAY! We can't wait to see how today is going to be the best day ever.
* * *
OK, it didn't turn out quite the way we expected. With laundry, bills and other things that had to be done before we leave, we didn't get the car packed until about 7:30 PM. So we're waiting to leave first thing in the morning.
Best day ever? Not so sure about that, but it was fine ... and good practice in listening.
June 16, 2009
In our meditations this morning, TJ heard SpongeBob singing, "It's the best day ever" and got the message that we should start each day with that intent. So even though we aren't quite ready to leave, we're going to start each morning with an intention ceremony and commit to making each day the best day ever.
June 9, 2009
We're getting a clear message that we need to TRUST that we will not only be guided about where to go and what to do, but that we will be supported.
June 5, 2009
We're getting ready for our trip. Listening for clues about what to pack. Listening for clues as to where we should go and what we should do. Listening for clues about what to do about Louie.
Divine Spirit, let us not get caught up in the details, but trust that You have already arranged all. We need only let things unfold naturally.
When Calvin got home, we all went out to Denny's for dinner. A heavy rain shower discouraged a walk around town, so we elected to go back to their house for Friday night movie night and watched Wall E.
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