MOVE DAY

I will post some photos soon since we have moved all the big pieces of furniture into the house. We have draperies in most room, trash cans, most furniture in place except the chairs in front of the fireplace.

WOW

...I was speechless when I stepped onto the back patio to see the large orange sun setting in the western sky and the orange full moon rising in the eastern sky, same time, opposite ends of the sky....breathtaking...awesome....unbelieveable!

I have never seen this before...didn't think it was possible to see....both beautiful, so beautiful that I kept turning my head from side to side to look at each. WOW ...what else can you say? Has anyone else seen this?

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

...it's hard to believe we are one week into a New Year..and the changes continue. The contractors are having a slow start as no one showed up on January 3rd for work...or the 4th....and so after many calls, Jim Donaldson reported that the cabinets are still not complete. Disappointed.....but it made for an easy decision to return to Shreveport and WAIT. We plan to return at the end of the month, that is if the floors are finished and then we can begin to move furnishings into the Gathering House/Main House.

I am having mixed emotions about all this...and I am not sure I can explain it. The house is beautiful and well done, classic, timeless...truly a work of art per my friend, Dianne Gosslee. However I am at the brink of tears most days....not sure I understand how all this happened. Humble to have the opportunity to create, to see this home realized in respect to what was only in my mind's eye. Emotional about the possibilites....the present, the future. Emotional about the gifts....many many gifts...

Merry Christmas 2011

"Home: understanding the little and often ramshackle shed of spiritual life that holds such immortal treasure of the soul and thereby vast energy for being and doing- and this little testudo, little refugio, like a turtle's shell, even though it often looks far less promising, is a beautiful protective carapace for the soul, and far exceeds burying oneself in the securely appointed castle filled only with "treasure" of ashes with no phoenix", from my new favorite book, Untie the Strong Woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD, page 229.

Home: understanding that it is far more than the stone and mortar, brick, wood or hay, it is a symbol of all there is, all the possibilities. On one special night, our blessed Mary and Joseph made their home in a stable as they traveled through Bethlehem. They carried their home on their backs much like a turtle. These two disciples are courageous examples of faith and love. Thank you to the first Christian family for saying YES.

This year is our first Christmas with our 3 married children spending their holiday with their new families, their in-laws. We feel grateful that they each have receptive, loving new families. Christmas 2011 is special because Yaya is with us and we await the Morrell Family for a reunion on Christmas Day. Home is where the heart is, right?

Changes ....more and more changes....

...tonight I am not able to sleep. It's not because there is anything wrong, I am just pondering, that is, trying to mentally catch up with, all the changes. Tonight I am wishing that life would stay still for a bit while I catch my breath. It feels like I have been running and just need a "water break", so I can tie my shoe, breathe, re-evaluate my course, wipe my brow, before running again. Truth is, change is necessary, important, good....it's just that I feel like I am "chasing daylight" ...however, when the sun comes up in the morning, I will be good to go!

about this change thing....when we started OMESA, Nicole was living with Ashley in San Francisco, Ellie was unmarried, studying medicine in New Orleans, and William was unmarried, working and studying in Houston. OMESA was a dream. The plan was to build a home to live and gather everyone together, a place for recreation, solitude, restoration, enjoyment, rest, refreshment, contemplation...you got the idea? Well, we are about to complete this home and everything has changed. Nicole and Ashley are moving back to their beloved Virginia, Ellie and Matt are considering a committment with the Family Doctors in Shreveport, and William, Jorie and Liam are moving back to Shreveport and just bought a home 2 blocks from our Gilbert Place home.

So will we ever see our children in Fredricksburg? Will any of them have the TIME to visit? Will my precious children slow down long enough to watch the sunset, the sunrise, the birds soaring with the wind, the clouds moving in and then moving out, meet the resident porcupine strolling along side the barn, or just having a glass of tea on the back patio and sharing TIME with their 'ol mom. Not sure how all this works...this thing called life...we work our lives to be able to afford the enjoyable TIME with our loved ones but about the TIME you can sit for a moment, there's no one there to sit with you. It's this that is keeping me up tonight.

So here's what I think.... I am watching my children do what I did...hard to see at times....racing around as they build their careers, building their homes, their lives with family and friends, balancing responsiblities with commitments and taking them all seriously. I guess I was a good mentor for this, because they are all doing this life-thing in a similar fashion: all very successful...whatever that means. So I imagine they will look up in 35 years and see their own children gone, their bodies tired, some family members gone and burned out on their careers ...and maybe ask of themselves the same question, where's everybody? Maybe then they may hear OMESA calling them "home". So with Bill traveling and staying "busy"...I guess I will have TIME to sit at OMESA and ponder...so I will let you know what I conclude, that is, unless something changes!....

.... so it's with gratitude that I pray...."thank you God for the changes...for children who are living their lives fully, working, loving, growing and living good lives for you. I pray that they can be still long enough to feel your presence in their daily lives, to feel your love and know it's okay to stop running and breathe, to take a water break and visit their 'ol mom at OMESA.

Tonight I think about the love of St. Mary saying yes to you, Lord, as she left her family to join Joseph in their adventure with your Son. During this Christmas season, I am reminded that changes are a part of life, that we can plan all we want as long as we remember YOU HOLD THE ERASER. "


We hope to have all the children in Fredericksburg between Christmas and New Year's. Maybe they will meet Pat ( the OMESA resident porcupine)....and maybe they will want to come back to OMESA again and again...maybe, just maybe....

I hope this home on a rock will feel good to their hearts and they will want to be there to refresh their soul...and sit with their 'ol mom...that is before something changes AGAIN!

Furniture for Cabinets

Our cabinet maker, Ward Johnson, is finally working on the kitchen. We are using Gene Smith to paint the cabinets ( furniture)....you see, Ward says he is taking longer then normal because " I am not building cabinets, I am making furniture".... hmmm...his reason for taking forever....but they are certainly worth the wait! We have also moved some furniture into the casitas with hopes that we can use at least one of them for this Christmas. The casita #one entrance is shown above. What's that broom doing in the picture?...yep, we are cleaning up and getting ready to move in!

Advent 2011 Getting Ready

My last blog entry was the Scripture readying Matthew 7: 24-27. In today's Word Among Us, December 1, 2011, the reading is the same with an emphasis on getting ready and livng our lives with faith in God and his word. "Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord", will enter the kingdom of heaven. " Matthew 7: 21.

Yesterday I went to see O'Mesa after spending Thanksgiving in Shreveport with our whole family. Yaya, Fritz and I drove to Fredericksburg on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to "get ready for Christmas". How synchronistic is this! As I am preparing for the arrival of my sister, her husband and all her children and grandchildren, I am reminded that this is the beginning of Advent and the beginning of our preparation for Jesus and for His Second Coming.

I am Getting Ready...that is getting ready for my own passing into the life eternal, preparing for Christmas and the birth of Christ and all that his life and death means to us, preparing for our own celebration of His awesome birth into a world wrecked with pain, preparing our home to welcome guests, visitors, the sick, the weak, the lost, the sinner, ALL OF US who by virtue of being human, need shelter from the world. Jesus' birth gave us HOPE, to live in this world, a temporary, short-lived existance with HOPE for a loved-filled eternal life.

So today as I begin my journey into Advent, I open to the same scripture reading that I opened to the day we broke ground on O'Mesa. Synchronistic? SMILE Because when you know and believe, God communicates and relates to each of us this way! He is awesome! There is no accident, chance, mistake ....no, it's God's way of reminding me AGAIN, to keep my eyes focused on his gaze, that O'Mesa is built on a rock and it is sacred ground for all who come through the gates, pass the equal arm cross symbols on the lamp posts, and leave their worldly attitudes at the bottom of the hill. O'Mesa was built on this prayer and today this prayer is re-remembered as we complete construction this month and as we enter into Advent, a birth of a new life, a beginning, a HOPE for the eternal, the fullness of love ever-after.

And so I pray: "Jesus, you came into this world as a humble, sweet baby, to have allof us look at ourselves in a different way. You brought HOPE to each of us and taught us that there's more to this life than what meets our eyes. I ask for the courage to recognize my own sinfulness, confess and reconcile my weakness and journey into Advent with the peace, love and joy of this season. It is my prayer that O'Mesa stand firm on the rock it is built upon, that everyone who visits, leaves restored, their hearts at peace and the spirits filled with your love. Let us forever keep our focus on our true rock, YOU, our true Lord and your promise for eternal life."

We are heading into the "home stretch" this month as we complete this home on a rock. I am forever humble and grateful for the opportunity.

Matthew 7: 24-25

" Therefore whosever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock".

Back Yard Fire Pit made of stacked stone from O'Mesa

Hand Forged Iron Baskets on the Fountain Wall

Patrick McClanahan did a great job making these iron baskets for the fountain. The holes in the fountain wall have drip lines for the fresh plantings.

The Courtyard Garden with St. Mary on a Cross

The Swimming Pool Water Color is Beautiful!

The O'Mesa Symbol

Patience...it will get done!

What a beautiful day in Willow City! It is now 50 degrees in the morning and evening and 75 degrees during the day...such a relief from the summer heat. SO I am happy to report that Joe Cross, Landscape Architect and his men are putting in the sod/grass around the pool and firepit in the backyard. It looks so good! There were 6 Mexican laborers putting in the sod, hand watering each square and fitting each square piece with the one next to it. You can't imagine how hard this is on your back unless you have worked to do this. They worked until they ran out of sod.

The swimming pool is amazing ( if I have to say so myself!). It is a simple, classic, timeless design with natural stone coping...but it is simply beautiful. Amy Slaughter and Jim Donaldson helped me make the final decision to select the color JADE. I worked with Pebble Tech consultants for 2 days and researched all their colors, looked at a hundred photos ( never knew there were so many colors of blue), took into consideration the sky, lighting, surrounding elements and decided JADE would be the color closest to torquoise, which is the color we are using for some of our accents inside the house. The color is PERFECT! I am very pleased. It is a refreshing, rich, dreamy blue/green color which blends perfectly with the fabrics on the patio. Every decision adds to the total "look" of this home and it is really coming together. PATIENCE is paying off!

This week we are finishing the gate, fencing and Bevelo lighting at the entrance. The driveway looks very handsome with the grey pavers, cattle guard and chip and seal road. The barn is nearly complete as we landscape with a granite pad for the firepit and build the dog houses and kennels for our pups ( Bulliet, Maggy, Kinsey, Trey, Gus and Fritz)....we love our pups! We are still waiting on cabinets and here's where the patience comes in....waiting waiting waiting....we will be blessed to sleep in the house this Christmas but it will not be ready for us to cook, dress, office, or play there ...we may have a bed in the house but the kitchen, closets, study and entertaining areas will not be complete until after Christmas. DARN....

The good news is now we have security, cameras, automatic lights, internet, phones and Direct TV...This home looks like it's 150 years old but we are up to date with our technology. We have a cell phone booster which will help our phones receive good signals, our internet is Bee Creek which is really fast and working well. We also are self sufficient with rainwater collection for the house with our cistern completely full ( 30,000 gallons). Our generator will service a large portion of the house, our cistern connected to our well at the base of the property will service the irrigation and the swimming pool which is totally full of water. It is looking like a home.

....I think it's just one more miracle in my life...to be able to physically see what was in my minds eye, my imagination, come to life...take form.... be realized...is truly a miracle. I look at the home and think of all the folks who gave their time and talents to contribute to this sacred ground. SO it's with gratitude that I write this...it's with love that I gift it to my children...it's with hope that it is a still, quiet place, blessed by the Holy Spirit, it's with charity that we all use it for gathering of family and friends, to share fun times and JOY.

Patience is a virtue....I know this first hand...

Feng Shui....Balance in Everything

...so maybe I should have thought about Feng Shui before we started building O'Mesa but like so many things in life, hindsight is wiser. The art and science of Feng Shui is a 4,000 year old understanding which originated in China but is used around the world. Most folks don't understand why or how it works but simply accept that it does work, that is...to balance the energy of one's environment and create harmony and peace. Now that sounds really good to this tired soul! So here's some of my learnings and what I intend to do to Feng Shui O'Mesa. ( a little Chinese mixed with Hill Country Hacienda should be just what is needed, right? The country folk around these parts will say, "forget that business and drink yourself a long neck beer"...)

The word Feng Shui means Wind and Water....we will have plenty of wind on top of O'Mesa and the swimming pool is big enough for all of Willow City to enjoy! The Chi which I prefer to call the "Breath of Life", God or the Holy Spirit is our life force and has been called many things by many cultures. The bottom line is we want this life force to be with us and surround us in every way everyday. There's a way to achieve this in our environment by encouraging the energy to move around the home, the rooms, fill the space so people can feel it, can be soothed and comforted by the "Breath of God". Positioning of doors, windows and furniture help to direct the Chi ( Breath of God) to circulate...flow. In the case of O'Mesa, all the beds are placed against a strong wall with solid headboards used for support. The beds are across the room from the primary point of entry (door) which is the point of entry for the Chi.

Since our bodies are made of 80% water, it's not an accident that water is important and feels good to us, a natural attraction. We enter the home with the sound of water from the fountain and a beautiful reflection/swimming pool overlooking Enchanted Rock. To keep the flow of Chi in the home, we used doors and windows with panes to break up the flow and an antique buffet table behind the sofa. Off the patio there are stone steps and turf before the pool begins and at the far edge of the pool there will be potted plants in low flat containers. This keeps all the Energy flowing back toward the home.

Interesting enough even the water in the toilets is important. Each toilet closet has a door or antique saloon doors to keep the energy from leaking out. It is said that your lids should remain closed so money doesn't leak out especially when you flush!! Funny how this works but water is a drain on your finances/money if you don't have a way to keep it from leaking (flushing down the drain).

The other interesting concept about water is it's direction. Thankfully our pool is facing NORTH and not NORTHEAST, which is the worse direction for water! North is an acceptable direction and the fountains in the front of the house are on the Southeast wall which is excellent! The courtyard will be a very balanced peaceful gathering place for us with both water, fire from the fire pit, and plants in the pots. The ideal for us to achieve is free-flowing, vibrant energy. With a little bit of adjustment, O'Mesa will be in perfect harmony, a Feng Shui Masterpiece!

View of the Barn from the West Ridge

Fountain

Front Courtyard and Backyard Pool