There's been a lot of good buzz over the last few years around the concept of Re-Purposing.
Women's decorating magazines, homesteading websites and craft blogs
have been showing us how to take one thing and turn it into something
completely different...a colander becomes a hanging lamp...canning jars
become chandeliers...thrown out pieces of whatever become collage art pieces. You can find lots of ideas at this blog list if you are prone to reusing, recycling and re-purposing the things around you.
At Prairie Pond Woods,
mostly out of logistical necessity, my husband
and I started naming areas of the property right after we took
possession of it. We have the "fallen oak" area, the "larkspur slope"
and the "landing strip," to name a few. The landing strip is a long,
narrow patch of
land that separates two wooded areas and, if you needed to, you could
land a small plane there in a pinch. At the end of the strip sits an old
aluminum-sided lean-to. I never thought much about it, in fact there
was some talk about dismantling it, but lately I've been thinking about
turning it into a place of meditation and prayer. Yes, an old cow
shed...becomes a place to connect with God. Hey, it's happened before, if
you recall.
This
week, I will be feverishly working on the shed (alongside a wise, young
woman, who is bartering work at Prairie Pond Woods for a personal
retreat), in hopes of finishing it before the Bird Watching as a Meditation retreat this coming weekend. There is much to do for sure...poor girl has her work cut out for her!
Dead Sumac trees need cleared out and the wood cut small for the fire pit going inside
The Entrance obviously needs re-worked
The weeds on the floor have been killed and now a layer of mulch needs to go down.
The Honeysuckle and Crown Vetch have
been eradicated on one side. Now new native landscaping must be
designed and planted so that it facilitates a feeling of peace,
seclusion and joy upon arrival. My hope is that as women spend time there, the simple act of being quiet and listening might bring about New Purposes in their lives.
NAMING CONTEST!!
So, here's the deal.
By Thursday, April 26 at 12:00 AM, I would also like to have the shed
named, so that we can make a barn siding sign to hang at its entrance.
So...calling all creative types to think of a great name for it (I
started calling it the Med Shed...but it lacks a certain flair). If we
pick your Name, I'll send you a copy of one of my favorite books by Ken
Gire called, Windows of the Soul..Experiencing God in New Ways.
See you outside!
Cindy
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