OGT DAILY Day Two Hundred and Twenty Three RENEWAL

It's been years since I spent time in this house.  My parents named it Bird Haven because of the numbers of birds that visited the feeder outside the panoramic picture window of the kitchen.  It was the house of their retirement.   In the breezeway between the house and the guest bedroom where I spent so many nights, I found the acrylic painting I made freshman year in college for an intro to painting class:

It's kind of a quirky odd still life, but it brings to life an even earlier era in the home where I actually grew up that is now long gone.  But you can see the sliding door to the dining room reflected in the mirror.  It may be the only image left from the rooms of my child hood.

Chris and Meghan have renamed Bird Haven - Bird Haven Ranch because they now have horses and paddocks and a barn there. They intend to buy sheep as well so Meghan can spin and weave her own wool.   It was a refreshing pleasure to renew my relationship to this property as well as to my brother and his little family.  It was wonderful to see how they are transforming the property into a productive and creative working farm.   Meghan has a worm farm for making natural fertilizer for organic farmers.  She's planning to cultivate the abundant hollies on the acres for holiday garlands.   Her weaving business involves turning recycled t-shirts and blue jeans into rag rugs and table runners.   Then my brother makes things out of recycled woods and metals.  He created my frames out of packing crates for elevator parts!    Their kids make toys and paintings on scraps of wood and are learning to weave and handle tools and ride horses and build stone walls.   It's exciting to see the creative energy in all their efforts.  My parents would be very proud.