Christmas Blessings!

The weather has prohibited construction on Anam Cara, so there hasn't been anything new to share.  Everything is in place to begin framing, but we need the weather to stay cold and dry.  Tomorrow morning the Stallons family is taking a field trip to check out the site.  I'll take my camera along and post a couple of pics!  Most of the family hasn't been out there since construction started, so even though it's not to us it will be neat to share with everyone else.

We had a spectacular Christmas with Mark's side of the family.  Everyone was here for Christmas Eve services and the Stallons family took over the choir for this morning's worship.  O Holy Night never sounded so good!  When we came to the part "Fall on your knees..." the only thing holding me up was the altar rail and a lack of floor space!  They truly sounded like an angelic choir!
 
May everyone be blessed with safe travels, good health, the blessings of family, and the firm knowledge of God's love for you all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The workers are rightfully taking time off from construction this week which also gives the concrete time to set before beginning the framing.  I pray this has been both a time of giving thanks to God for our many blessings, as well as a time of thanks-giving to others through radical hospitality and extravagant generosity.  May God continue to bless you to be a blessing as you show your love for God through your love of others!

WEEK 6: Concrete work is now done!

The warm dry weather came to an end and true November temperatures and precipitation settled in. The concrete guys were huddled around a camp stove when I arrived Friday at 1:00 pm and were cooking soup with a side order of spam for their lunch break. They were finally able to finish all the concrete work with the completion of the garage floor and the front porch. Everyone will take a week off for Thanksgiving with framing hopefully starting the first week of December.

Mark and I spent the afternoon walking the property with a landscaper who will begin clearing trees for the main trail leading people back to Eagle Creek and the site of our outdoor chapel and 1st cabin. The deer left us a nice primary path to follow, but there are places where we had to find creative ways of bypassing sink holes and water erosion. Our goal is also to make it as accessible as possible for people with mobility issues, so the trail has to be wide enough for an ATV. The good news is that we learned there are enough cedar trees on the property to just about pay for the land if we should choose to harvest them. We'll begin with some selective thinning of the cedars up close to the house for now so that the hard woods have room to grow and tackle the back ridge at a later time. Mark and I came home (as in back to the parsonage!) wonderfully tired from all the fresh air as well as exilerated by the progress of our long time dream. A walk in the woods always feeds my soul and refreshes my spirit! I can't wait until it is simply a matter of stepping out our front door!

WEEK 5: We have electricity!

There are not such obvious changes to the camera lens this week, but progress is well under way.  Our utility pole is in and the transformer in place so we are now electrified by our favorite utility, Owen Electric Cooperative!  The top soil has been graded over the septic system and the outside foundation walls have been back-filled.  The basement floor is covered with straw right now to protect it, but rumor has it that materials for framing will be here next week!

The utility guys removed several large slabs of rock when they were putting in the electricity.  The one on the left is approximately 2'x3' and the one on the right is an easy 4'x4'.  Each piece is approximately 5 to 6 inches thick all the way across.  Please help me brainstorm some ways to utilize these stones!  Right now, I'm thinking of making stone benches or table tops for down by the river frontage.

Eagle Creek crosses Fortner Ridge road just 0.3 miles from our driveway.   It then winds around to the east and south  so that our back property line nestles up against the creek for about 500 feet.  The drought has had a major impact on water levels in all the rivers and streams.  Most of the secondary streams are bone dry.    

For additional pictures, please feel free to take a look at our Picasa site: http://picasaweb.google.com/KY.anamcara/ANAMCARA#  

A green trinity knot now separates each week's photos.  Blessings!

WEEK 4: THE RUDIMENTS OF HEAT AND SEPTIC ARE IN

Considering the cooling temperatures and wetter weather, I've been amazed what the construction crew has been able to accomplish! The basement floor is now poured along with the geo-thermal system and the septic system is almost completed in the front yard.  They may be able to begin framing sometime next week!

Week 3: The basement walls are poured!

The forms are down and the walls are all poured.  It looks like a black sealant was painted on the exterior of the walls.  The northeast corner will be the location of two bedrooms and a bath for retreat use.  In the middle is a large common room, and the southeast corner (forefront/right of pic) will have a garden garage with a large eat-in kitchen directly behind it.  The very front of the basement, looking west or to the left of the picture is the storage area/storm shelter.  

Week 2: The forms are all set!

October 22, 2010
The forms have been set for the basement walls, so it looks like they'll be ready to pour the cement the beginning of next week! Everything seems to be going smoothly, so far, and at a steady pace.

Mark and I met with a forester, Steve, on Wednesday who walked with us through the woods and educated us on trees, critters, and streams. I learned that healthy walnut trees are a sign that there's good moisture in the soil; but, the fact that they don't like standing water means it isn't a flood plain. The silver maples and I think, Alder ( I wish I had taken notes!), like moister ground and may be in areas where there is potential flooding. For our paths, he recommended not using heavy equipment. Since a tree's root system spreads roughly the same diameter as the canopy, or branch spread, the bulldozers, Steve said, would "bruise" the root systems of the trees along side the paths eventually causing decay or a hollowing of the tree. We'll have to use a more labor intensive approach, but in the long haul it will be better for the woods.

We learned the terms for different types of streams, such as "ephemeral" and "perennial", and Steve showed us sink holes from underground streams. We also learned about the life cycle of a forest by looking at the branches of the cedar trees and the type of hard wood growth near by. Apparently, as the lower branches start to die out on the cedars, they're ready to be harvested. They've lived out their cycle and are getting ready for the hardwoods to take over.

From the sounds of it, we're likely to see all kinds of critters! He said coyote, fox, and deer, as well as wood and mallard ducks are pretty common. Deer are, of course, everywhere! There are also bobcats and black bear moving into the area but are rarely seen. Apparently, the black bear like the Kentucky River because it stays pretty rural and there are lots of tributaries for them to water and feed along side. They're slowly moving down from the mountains and making camp in our neck of the woods. The numbers are under reported, said Steve, mostly to keep people from panicking. Hmmm...I wonder what else we don't know! Wild hogs are becoming more of a nuisance too.

He recommended planting dogwood and wild plum next to the road to give us more privacy since they're native to the area. Another suggestion was to use the deer trails for our own trails since deer usually take the easiest route...a concept that Mark and I had already figured out on our many hikes in the woods! We also talked about the type of culvert or bridge we'll need to cross our little creek once we decide to build cabins or the outdoor chapel along the big river. The best option for the creek and us is something high enough for us to cross the creek, yet low enough for water to run across. That will keep branches from backing up in the stream during spring flooding as they'll be able to flow right over the top. So much to learn, but I love it! I could have tagged along side Steve all day! We're definitely going to have to invite him back!

WEEK 1continued

By the end of week one the basement area is completely excavated and we now have a gravel drive! On Monday they should be able to begin setting the forms for the footers and basement walls. Wednesday morning, Mark and I meet with a forester who will help us decide how we should thin the wall of cedars that line the back of our house site to give us more of a view of the creek that runs between the knoll and the back ridge.

WEEK 1: Construction begins!

We have a hole! Construction began on our property at Fortner Ridge, the future home of our Anam Cara dream. The site has been completely excavated, and thankfully the rock was only a narrow shelf under a shallow bed of soil. Once they got past the rock it was nothing but clay. We'll still have to have a large amount of top soil hauled in for the septic system, but at least we won't have to have a "lagoon"!

Bones or Stones?

I found these while hiking on our Anam Cara property.  Petrified bones or unusual stones?  Any opinions?

Here's the other interesting stone I found.  It's about 8 inches long and the ends are quite sharp.  My photo doesn't do it justice!

It's really happening!

We met with our builder on the property this afternoon and laid out the house site. The building contract is signed and excavation begins October 4th! Yay!!!! Our plans include a one-story home with a walk-out basement. The basement area will serve as a "lodge" for small group meetings or retreats. Over the years, we hope to build a couple small cabins/cottages as well. The big challenge for the cabins will be getting utilities/water, not to mention building supplies, back to the remote areas of the property.

Mark and I took the opportunity to hike down to the small stream that divides the knoll where our house will be located and the ridge on the back end of our property. The stream was completely dry...bone dry...not a spot of moister to be found. We walked the whole length of the stream bed up to Eagle Creek, which borders the back corner of our property, and didn't see any water until we came to the place where the stream enters Eagle Creek. Hopefully, the water table will begin to be replenished this fall.

It's a place filled with promise, though. We have a spot down by the river chosen for the outdoor chapel and a potential site for a cabin. A forester person is going to meet with Mark to help us decide which trees to remove to maintain healthy tree growth and give us more of a view from the house/lodge. Right now there's nothing but a solid wall of cedar trees between our building site on the front 1.5 acres and the remaining 22.5 acres. On our return from the hike I found what appear to be petrified bones. I have pics of them which I'll try to upload to this site. If any one out there is an archaeologist, let me know what you think!

My goal is to provide weekly updates once excavation and building begins. Stay posted!

Blessings to all!

Judy

I think we're finally feeling "settled" in our new home in Midway, Kentucky, yet my heart has already planted itself on Fortner Ridge, the location of our Anam Cara dream. We are still working over our budget and carefully planning what we will be able to do on the property. The builder and plans are ready, just waiting for us to give the thumbs up! We've bought the property outright which makes things a bit easier, but we want to be good stewards of our resources and make sure we're not overextending our budget. I keep hoping we'll be able to break ground this fall, and that still may be a possibility! As our dream project unfolds, I'll post pictures on this blog! Thank you for all your prayers!

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN!

CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED!

We found it!

What we thought would be the location of our home and Anam Cara wasn't to be, but we found something so much better! God is good! We've settled on a price with the owners of the property and should close by the end of April. We will soon be the owners of 24.17 acres in north-central Kentucky, 11 miles west of I-75 on County Road 3096 (Fortner Ridge). There are approximately 2 acres of cleared land with the rest being heavily wooded. A small stream separates two knolls on the property with the northeastern most edge of the back knoll butting up against Eagle Creek. We've hiked the property line twice and can't wait to go out again! It's absolutely beautiful!

I've fallen in love with some property that seems to fit well my vision of a "thin space": a small spring-fed pond, the sound of a gently flowing creek near by, hills and valleys, lots of trees.... I can almost picture the location of the labyrinth, our home, and a couple of one room cottages! There are still lots of details to be worked out. I never dreamed purchasing land would be such an arduous task! We are also trying to think of a name for this ministry. There seems to be several "Anam Cara" type ministries listed on the internet, so I'd like to search for something fairly unique. I'm drawn to the Michaelangelo painting in the Sistine Chapel of "The Creation"... God's finger stretching towards a reclined Davidic figure with just a thin space separating their finger tips. If only humanity would deign to stretch in God's direction just imagine the possibilities! Maybe the overarching theme calls for a name such as "THIN SPACE MINISTRIES".....

The journey...

Anam Cara, a place of renewal for clergy and their spouses, has been a dream of mine for years. Mark shares this dream with me and we see it as a mutual calling to minister to those who need a space to "listen for the heartbeat of God." I first heard the words Anam Cara, which is Gaelic for "soul friend", while reading J. Philip Newell's book Listening for the Heartbeat of God: a Celtic Spirituality and also Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O' Donohue. I was struck by how seldom we take time to listen to God...to still ourselves until our heartbeat mirrors that of the Divine. I also have come to realize the importance of "soul friends" who will journey with us, tend our wounds, and give us the space we need to enter into the healing presence of our Triune God. This blog will be our journey to answering God's call to this ministry.

The journey began with our move to the beautiful rolling hills of north central Kentucky in January 2009 It took awhile for our property in southern Illinois to sell in an incredibly depressed market, but God's timing is perfect and we are now ready to begin our search for a "thin space", a place where heaven and earth seem to almost touch, that will become our home and the location of Anam Cara. Serious property shopping begins this weekend! Preliminary plans have been drawn up for our home with a walk-out basement that will serve as the initial retreat space with future plans for small cottages around the property, prayer trails, and a labyrinth.

Keep us in your prayers that we will be obedient to the purposes of Anam Cara as we shop, design and build. We will let you know when Anam Cara is ready for you, our "soul friends", to spend a bit of time in quiet retreat. May you all be blessed to be a blessing!