THE YEAR OF LIVING DARINGLY: Week Two

When I started this adventure of living for nine months at Prairie Pond Woods...feeling a little like Thoreau (and a little guilty)...I said I was ready to be "inconvenienced by the things I love."  As mentioned in the Week One post, sometimes we can put parts of ourselves on hold or let them die altogether because we allow other things in life take over. 



For me, this meant finally putting all my loves in one basket and seeing where they take me...FOCUSING on the "businistry" of Heart by Nature, spending time outdoors, raising my own food (chickens!), getting a dog (after being dogless for 7 years), writing, reading and helping women connect with their own heart's desires through nature.  


Could I have done this in my life up North?  Maybe, if I was a different person.  But the advantage of years is that we learn who we truly are and accept it. I am not a highly disciplined person...and I am definitely not a multi-tasker.  I am motivated by passion, not productivity...and I do well focusing on a few things at a time with lots of time for reflection. It is who I am. In a book I read recently, The Artist's Rule, I recognized myself in the author's description of an "artist-monk," a person who is drawn to and more fruitful within a contemplative and creative lifestyle.  So when I finally realized I was being inconvenienced more by things I didn't love...it was time to make a change.



So, the change has begun...sort of.  Week Two was less about contemplation and nature immersion and more about business marketing.  For the upcoming retreat, Birdwatching as Meditation, I learned (was inconvenienced by, actually) a new Email Marketing program through Vertical Response.  Hopefully, you received a copy of my labors in your email Inbox or through Facebook.  And when I wasn't staring down cross-eyed at my computer...I watched snow flurries and resident birds out the window.



The other task...as boring to me as it is to you...was the sorting of paperwork into piles, then purging, then putting those piles somewhere that makes sense.  Piles for retreat ideas and hand-outs, piles of natural history resources, piles for writing piles of journals, piles of my life...all sorted and condensed.  And a pile of books, brought to finally read...  

I'll share my non-exhaustive Book List, which might be a bit less boring to you.  These are books I've read since I've been here, books I'm reading (or listening to) now, books I plan to re-read and new books waiting on the shelf.  Do they all look a bit similar?  They are...I call it focused.



The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren (and others not yet purchased)

Writing Down your Soul by Janet Conner

Listening to the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality by J. Phillip Newell

Prayers from Iona by J. Phillip Newell

Nature as Spiritual Practice by Steven Chase

A Field Guide to Nature as Spiritual Practice by Steven Chase

The Artist's Rule by Christine Valter-Paintner

Anne of Green Gables by J.M. Montgomery (never read it as a child)

An Obsession with Butterflies by Sharman Apt Russell

On the Unseriousness of Human Affairs by James A. Schall

Spiritual Ecology by Rudolf Steiner

Holy Silence by J. Brent Bill

Newcomb's Wildflower Guide

Peterson Field Guide of Eastern Birds

Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds' Nests

Moth Field Guides, Insect Field Guides, Butterfly Field Guides, Etc.

AND...if I can get my hands on it anywhere:

Phytogeography of Unglaciated Eastern US and its Interpretation by E. Lucy Braun.

SUMMER RETREAT

ECOntemplation
July 20-21, 2012

Creative and spiritual discoveries in journal writing, collaging, art and
contemplation in the new re-purposed shed, Kavanah, or on the Prayer Path

"What is going on in your innermost being

is worthy of your whole love"
 

-Ranier Maria Rilke    

As many of you know through the Facebook naming contest, we recently re-purposed an old shed on the property of Prairie Pond Woods. The new
name, Kavanah , means "the focus, intent and direction of the heart."  Our
hope is that as you sit in quietness, listening to the birds and
watching the butterflies on milkweed, your heart might be stilled enough
to pay attention to your innermost being and hear the voice of the
Spirit speak to you personally.  Perhaps God might even "re-purpose" your life there.


During this Summer Retreat, there will be plenty of time to experience solitude at Kavanah...or the swing in the Pine Sanctuary...or the Adirondacks in the Woodland Cathedral.  Participants are encouraged to bring a journal
for writing down thoughts, prayers or drawings from prompts that will
be given. We'll spend a few hours doing collage...a great way to have
fun, relax and perhaps discover something new within your soul.  An
easel will also be set up in Kavanah for some fun group artistic expression!

So, gather some of your dearest friends and take a
road trip this summer to southern Ohio.  As it is written in the guest
book over and over..."I never knew how much I needed this until I got here."     

Note
that there are two options for this retreat - a One-day and an Overnight.
Friday evening will be a casual time to unwind with fellowship under the
stars, a creative activity and simple snacks. We may even venture out for a
night hike...

Contact cindy@heartbynature.com for more info or to register
as an individual or group.

One-day - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm -$45.00 pp (5 max)
Overnight- Friday 7pm - Saturday 4/5pm-$75.00 pp (5 max)
Registration limited to 10
Deposit Deadline:July 4th (easy to remember!)

Phase ll - Naming the Re-Purpose Shed!

Friday morning, before the Bird Watching as a Meditation retreat began in the evening, I picked one name from all the submissions that I felt best communicated the purpose (or should I say re-purpose) of the shed as a place for prayer, meditation and hearing the still, small voice of God in our lives. It was a fun process and some of the submissions were very creative, but unfortunately only one could be chosen.

And that GRAND WINNER is....KAVANAH.  Now I know it isn't as clever as some others sent my way, or as silly, like "bovine cow tow now," (?) but it has a meaning that is spot on for Heart by Nature Retreats.  Kavanah is a Hebrew word meaning the focus, intent and direction of the heart. It is most associated with prayer, but can apply to the larger context of life, as well. I not only loved the definition but the sound and spelling of the word, as well.  

When finished, the sign will hang to the left of the door above the chair

So, during the time when some of the women at the retreat decorated bluebird boxes...I painted the sign...or at least the first part of the sign.  There is still some outlining and images to add...but like Kavanah...more embellishing will come with Phase lll!  And I'm still trying to decide if it should be Kavanah Place, Shed, Niche, etc.  To Be Determined later, as they say :)

Three of the Bird Watching as a Meditation participants, Linda,
Carmella and Julie holding the sign

and searching for the elusive
Yellow-breasted Chat!

By the way, the winning name was submitted by Marty Davids from the Chicago, IL area. Thanks, Marty...the book will arrive soon!  And thanks to all of you who took time out to use your brain power and send me ideas! 

 

RE-PURPOSING

 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.

To submit a name, go to
https://www.facebook.com/heartbynatureretreats
Message me

See you outside!

Cindy