Plant Them and They Will Grow

Frey's Greenhouse, Lebanon, PA

The time has finally come to see the fruits of all of our labor last month! The sea of color is starting to emerge as Bellis, Primroses, Violas, and Pansies fill the tables. Round two of plants is already in full swing. I look forward to seeing all of the changes that each day brings.

Lancaster Greenhouse

Lancaster Ready for Customers

Coming Full Circle at Mel's Diner

51 weeks ago today Aletheia and I moved to downtown Lebanon. After an exhausting move, we lunched here, at Mel's Diner, a local favorite. 

2 1/2 months earlier we had officially launched Space to Spire. After four months of dreaming, talking, planning, and getting all legalized, we were both excited and terrified of having our own business. 

The last 19 months have been full of so much:
--2 moves
--Events in 8 states, offering to churches, schools, individuals and families, universities and seminaries, non-profits, kids and young adult camps, markets, retreat centers
--2 new resources (Visual Prompt Cards, Be Messy Journal)
--Partnering with 3 ConSPIREators
--Meeting so many new and spending time with old friends 

We've been so encouraged by so many of you, offered so much help so often (thanks especially to our lawyer, Mark, our mentors Ken, Steve, Angelique, our amazing house hosts Doreen and Myron, and our families who continue to support us so profoundly). 

So here we are again. At the same restaurant where much of it began.

And the winds of change are once again upon us. Together, we've decided that we won't continue as partners. While Spire isn't going anywhere, it's leadership will change. I will be moving on and Aletheia will be Spire's sole owner. 

Thanks again for journeying alongside of us this past year. We couldn't have done it without you. 

--A and H

Winter Hike

March is one of the more unpredictable months of the year. February has passed and one feels the itch of spring rise within. I feel the need for Spring more than ever; however, there is something so peaceful and truly lovely about a fresh snowfall. It outlines each branch of a tree making you take notice its construction. The normal stroll through Stover's Dam was a bit harder to navigate but it made me appreciate that wonderful place as if seeing it for the first time.

Winter Survival Tip: Crochet a Rug

When facing the chilly days and nights of the Pennsylvania winter it is important to keep your blood moving. One might take to the activity of running in place as running outside on the snowy, icy sidewalks is more of a health risk than a benefit. I for one prefer to find an activity that keeps me moving in some regard while I am safely tucked in some nice warm blankets. Is this really possible you might ask?

My solution this season: crochet a rug. Not just any rug mind you, a rug made from T-shirt yarn. The making of the T-shirt yarn alone has increased my deltoid strength not to mention the arm workout I get from turning the heavy rug as it gets larger and larger. The added benefit too of that heavy rug adding yet another layer of warmth to shield against the drafts that seep through windows as the cold northern winds blow fiercely. This project keeps those days spent indoors much more enjoyable and productive bringing a small glimmer of hope that you may just survive yet another winter and add a slash of color to those grey surroundings all at the same time. Happy crocheting!

Caution: Trying this project in the summer could cause excessive sweating which could lead to dehydration and fatigue. Proceed at your own risk and remember to drink lots of drink water.

Frey's Season 2

A new season is here. The snow still covers the ground outside and the heater rumbles next me. Soon Les will bring in a cart full of plugs to be transplanted. One tray can have over 500 plants started. The first tray of hundreds. Each day has a rhythm and muscle memory has already started to kick in. 

Les and Gloria work hard at feeding tray after tray of pots through the filler. There are moments when I think I will beat them. With only 50 trays to go, I will wonder if I will get to ask to have more filled. Nope. I never get the chance. Like a sixth sense, Less will walk in and start filling more trays when I only have 10 left. After 30 years, he just knows. I am still amazed as I watch him drive a front loader full of soil into this tiny transplant house to put another load of soil into the filler and then back it out again. His muscle memory too has kick into gear. 

At this point I am still working part-time at Hobby Lobby. Having two completely different jobs give the week great variety. I almost feel like two completely different people. I can walk in wearing the same 3 layers I wore the day before here. That is just the norm. Not the case at the frame shop where business casual is required, and so I stroll in looking smart while trying to clean out any remaining dirt from under my fingernails. I try my best to wear gloves, but there is something about feeling the soil and mud and then wiping those dirt hands on my already dirty clothes.

As I plant this year I have decided to try and educated myself. I am venturing into the world of audio books and language lessons. For thirty minutes of my day, one might walk in and hear me practicing my Spanish. I remember thinking last year how much I would have appreciated someone telling me all about the plants I was planting while I was planting them. My wish won't entirely be granted as that specific information is hard to find on an audio file, but I am resolved to believe that listening to a reading  of The Secret Garden while planting flowers will only make the story that much more magical.  

(Insert ear buds) So it begins. 

Mouse Chronicles

The tight budget of this year’s life style has made this winter that much harder. The thermostat is set at a very low temperature keeping the house at the equivalent temperature of a cave. So, when I first saw a mouse scurry across the kitchen floor one afternoon in November, I wondered why in the world he chose our house out of all the houses on the street.

For the majority of November and most of December, I saw very little of him. I assumed he stayed close to the food source whether in my house or the neighbors with whom I shared wall on either side. My lack of attention to him seemed to give him permission to become bolder and more adventurous as one morning I was awakened by the rattling of my trash bag in my room. Naturally I snapped up in my bed. My surprised response caused him to jump out of the plastic bag on the floor and proceed to scurry to the closed door and flatten himself into nothing as he disappear beyond it.

This was the beginning of a long line of encounters with this little guy. I would lie in bed and here his tail hit the radiator as he scurried underneath it. From the comfort of my layers of warm blankets I would grab a dowel rod and start to tap the radiator to scare him away. Was I generating that much heat that he always wanted to be in my room at night? What on earth was in my room that he could possibly want?

One night, I was lying in bed with my head buried under the covers. For a while now I had been sleeping on an air mattress on the floor and often felt like I was camping. The sound of a nearby creature encroaching on my space made it feel like camping even more, and I was beginning to loose my sleep and sanity. I heard the rattling of plastic again. I looked to the door where I had hung the plastic trash bag. But that didn’t make sense. The sound was closer than that and how could he even get himself in there? More rustling. I whipped out the dowel rod and started hitting the floor around my bed. I waited. Again the noise came and it seemed to be right next to my head.

At this point I couldn’t stand it. I whipped back the covers and dramatically sat up. In an instant I heard the little scurry of feet and the ping of the tail along the radiator.

The next day I investigated. I searched for the cause of my sleepless nights and discovered that I was to blame. Next to my bed, hidden under the corner of my pillow was an empty popcorn bag I had left folded on itself. One corner was cleverly chewed spilling out the small crumbs I discarded. Who new that popcorn was part of the mouse palette? I assumed it was just cheese and peanut butter.

The popcorn episode pushed me to get a trap. I couldn’t bring myself to get one of he wooden ones. I had too many memories of previous mouse-catching experiences gone wrong as the trap only caught the tail or the noise of the mouse thrashing back and forth as it tried to escape. Instead a kind co-worker who was completely filled in on my mouse saga offered to let me try one the mousetraps he had at home. This model lured the mouse into a small compartment that had a spring-loaded door that pinned the mouse inside when triggered.

Why not give it a try? I have to admit I had little hope. After a few more episodes of rattling wrappers in other parts of the house the following episode happened while I was texting my housemate in the living room downstairs. The following conversation is not edited or fabricated in anyway.  The several typos bear witness to my haste in typing and surge of excitement. 

Reflecting: My Be Messy Journal

I am not sure why I am always surprised when I start working on a journal entry and realize hours have passed when something brings me back to my surroundings. I am trying to let all that is in my mind flow out while processing the life that I am living at that place and time.

doodle all over

 Taking Notice: Sightings- Mist rising off the snow after a day long soft snowfall

2014 Stats

Be Messy Challenge

I have asked myself time and time again: how is it that I can create a journal that I expect other people to interact with but never plunge into the process myself? How could I live with myself? Aletheia has done some of the pages, what is my problem? I freely admit that I have been attempting this very act for weeks. I would tell myself every Sunday, “Heather you need to do a page of the Be Messy Journal. It is winter. Do the snowflake page. It will only take you like 10 minutes.”

Finally, I found the perfect opportunity to kickstart my Be Messy Journal jaunt. With time and friends on my side, I pulled a journal from a box in my car and asked the Messerly sisters to join me in one of the activities. The task: Start a design or picture. Ask a friend to add to it (or two friends in my case). Continue trading until it is complete.

I pulled out my pencil and drew a swirl. Then I passed it to Ellen who added a star to the swirl. Leave it to Laura Messerly to pull out the crayons, markers, and colored pencils. She just had to add color.

The journal hadn’t even made it back to me yet and something inside me had already been triggered, and not in a bad way. I was completely aware of how I was reacting to each new idea being added by both of them. At the beginning I was curious to see how it would all play out, admittedly caring little about the end result and more interested in the process (how fitting that this activity is in the Process section). I found myself wanting to be challenged. At the beginning, each was adding to the things that I drew. Finally, Ellen took the plunge and added a back-and-forth “scribble” line to a large amount of white space with a pencil. This was a bold move, and caused some concern internally as the picture was already taking shape.

Funny, as I think back on it I could have just picked up an eraser.  I see now that I entered the activity with the mindset of whatever was added stayed. So I took one of those colored pencils and started filling in some of the negative spaces, trying to see past the line to the shapes the lines created.

Hours passed. Ellen did have to leave halfway through, but Laura and I pressed on. 

In the end, the activity did what I was hoping. I found myself flipping through the journal to see what I would work on next. By the end of the day I had created a picture with friends (complete with venturing to the questions on the Spur Trail), interacted with glue and my snow flake scraps, played an intense game of extreme tic-tac-toe, stuck a fresh piece of gum to a page, and had 4 jewels and 3 coins added to my treasure chest.

And so, through the sharing of this experience, the Be Messy Challenge was born. Laura and I made a pact. By the end of 2015, every activity in our Be Messy Journals needed to be complete. I am thrilled to see what will surface during this process. I know that some of the activities will be very challenging, asking me to venture into the less visited places within myself. But that is also the beauty of its design as I have the opportunity to focus inward on one page and then reach out and continue to invite others to play and create with me on the next.

May I take every suggestion on the instructions page to heart as I dive deeper into my creative juices and embrace the messiness in my life.

A Much Needed Adventure

As I was working on my Annual Stat Card (see here, here, here, here, here, and here for past statistics), I discovered that I managed to make it through the entire year without boarding an airplane. Sure I traveled to several other states, but all miles were covered via car.

Unfortunately, I can’t say that I weaseled one flight in the friendly skies before the New Year; however, my adventure meter has been so low that I was bursting with excitement at the thought of traveling to Washington DC to see Fiddler on the Roof via the DC Metro.

I don’t know what it is about the act of traveling that gets me so excited.  I relish in the idea of seeing new places, navigating unknown lands (to me anyway), and using my “street smarts” when I get turned around. I even went as far as ordering a pre-loaded SmarTrip® card so I could board the Metro with ease doing my best to fit in with the locals. Yup, I enjoy the research part as well.

I do have to admit that although the travel part of it all was a good time, seeing the show was a nice thick layer of icing on the cake. The fact that my roommate’s sister (Dorea Schmidt) was part of the cast gave everything a sweet layer of sprinkles, especially as I got to sit next to the rest of her family and experience their reactions.

Being on a round stage made the production more intimate as no one had a bad seat in the house. I am always amazed how such a small stage area and minimal props are used so effectively. The singing and dancing were captivating as well as the much needed wit and charm interlaced through a heavy tale.

The evening ended with dinner out on the town with the Schmidts and an evening ride on the Metro.  I am sure the Metro has lost its magical powers for the thousands of people that ride it everyday; but for this journey junkie, this much needed transport to a far off land came at just the right time.

#insidejob

My second book layout assignment this year came as somewhat of a surprise. I knew my brother-in-law was working on writing a book, but I had no idea where we was in the process or what the book was even about. So, when I got a text from him asking me to design a cover I was a bit taken back. 

With my job schedule picking up momentum, I was a bit hesitant to commit to anything. Nevertheless, after getting a general idea of what the book was about, I did a quick sketch of the first idea that came to mind. Well, it seemed my one thought was enough, as he liked it better than any other conceptual designs he had seen.

On October 3^rd I joined the journey to make #insidejob a printed reality. That one initial sketch led to other interior designs as well as the layout.

His book launch came at rapid pass, with plenty of hurdles to figure out how to jump along the way. Getting it in hand was down to the wire, but all in all I think he had a successful event. And for me, another huge learning curve is yet to come: Getting #insidejob ready for electronic viewing as an ebook. I have high hopes that the process will be as simple as it appears to be.

Humble Pie

It seems that having been working at Hobby Lobby for over two months now, I still have the ability to walk home at the end of the day feeling like a complete idiot. I walk into work each shift thinking I am a clever, well educated, quick learner who is getting the hang of it; that I will remember what is needed when a customer places a piece of needleart in front of me, that I will remember that spacers are needed when a piece of art has no mat; but I don’t. Instead, I walk in to find that I forgot to shut the compressor off the night before when I closed or that I didn’t fill out one of the forms correctly or I forgot to make a note about using photo corners verse tape.

You might think I am being hard on myself. It is true that I am getting better. It is also true that my experiences of ignorance have come in handy in empathizing with Aletheia when she comes home from her new part-time job feeling the exact way I have felt time and time again. So now, we come home comparing notes and stories, wondering if we will make it though a workday without making any mistakes. Instead it seems everyday contains a least one piece of humble pie, a tough flavor to acquired a taste to but essential none the less.

Hidden Treasure of Lebanon

Even in the hardest times, the hidden gems of this city find a way of introducing themselves. 

A spontaneous journey of local exploration led me to one of those hidden treasures. 

Like stepping into a different world, I enjoy walking this trail more and more each time my shoes hit the path. 

The colors of autumn only enhance the experience. 
 

The most shocking and enjoyable fact about his place is that to be transported into this world I only have to walk one mile from my doorstep.

Such a gift.

The Non-traditional Wreath

One day, I approached our front door and said to myself, "We need a wreath of some kind." Of course, the next step was looking up images of wreaths to get inspiration. After all, I couldn't just go out and buy one. Where is the fun in that? 

After gathering some inspiration, I took an old bicycle-tire wire that I had previously wrapped in ribbon and wired some beads to it in a beaded-garland fashion I had done in the past. Add the final touch of a centerpiece that changes with the seasons and ta-da. finished. Credit goes to my mom for the leaf ornament in the middle. Now to make the snowflake for winter.....

Being Messy

Three huge boxes arrived on our front porch today. As I dragged them inside, I felt several things. When you put so much time and energy into a project, there are moments along the way when you can wait for it to be all said and done. I will admit that I had some of those moments while working on the project. I try my best to pace myself, to divide the tasks into manageable steps that won’t require long chucks of time in front of the computer.

The process of producing a book, no matter how many times I do it, has a level of messiness. As I open the box and pull out a fresh copy of our Be Messy Journal, I know that those messy times when my eyes felt like they would go on strike and my arms cried out to be in some other position than bent on a keyboard need to happen. Otherwise, the overwhelming feeling of satisfaction would never take place.

The Pennsylvania Pin

From the winter of 2011, I have been trying to prepare myself for this moment. Part of me expected it to happen sooner. But it just kept being pushed back, landing time and time again on the back burner. My car hasn’t been running great for the last couple of years. My freezing visit to Michigan I thought solved that problem and was ready to continue my days with my constant companion: my car. It seems though that Pennsylvania did not like that idea. After taking her in for the state inspection, I was issued a laundry list of things that needed to be fixed. Unfortunately the cost to fix them all was more than the car was worth. It felt like I was socked right in the gut. This was the car that had been with me for the past 11 years; the one that became my home on a few different occasions. How could I just send it to the junkyard?

The real smack down hit me the hardest when I realized I had no choice. My inspections tags would expire in two weeks. After that, I would be illegal to drive the vehicle. I was pinned.

In a great whirlwind experience that was quite stressful, I managed to purchase another car.  Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful for this new vehicle. It has way more whistles than my old car like power windows and locks, a sunroof, CD player, roof rack, and keyless entry.  I know God was definitely working as all seemed to fall into place in a very short period of time. Still, I can’t help but miss my old car. She was always dependable for great gas mileage.  I could sit and imagine where everything would fit when it came time to pack her up for another move. It didn’t even bother me how the radio and AC didn’t work.

I never imagined that getting a new car would fell like this.  Many people have been congratulating me on my new purchase. I want to be excited, but at this stage I am still in mourning. I am sure I will someday feel the same way about my new car. The knowledge of what my old car used to be able to do will fade.

And so, here is to another step in letting go, but never forgetting.

1998 Purple Chevrolet Cavalier

May 2003- August 2014.

We had a good run.

Creativity is Awesome

August 18-22, 2014

After last year’s Art Camp, Aletheia drove home bursting with ideas to make this year even better. 

First step: change the name from Art Camp to Creativity Camp; opening more doors of possibility. 

 
 


Second step: give each day a theme that focuses on a different branch of creativity whether writing a story or making wearable art.

Third step: add a day at the end that lets the campers exhibit to friends and family all they had been working on throughout the week.

All of the planning and preparation was well worth it as the girls had a fabulous week!

My First Flower Garden

Just days before we for Michigan, I couldn’t help but wonder if my flowers were going to survive our two week absence.

 I ask Aletheia’s dad to give them a watering if they didn’t get any rain.

Now, I am happy to report that only two flowers died in my first attempt as at a flower garden. 

However, I won’t see the result of some of my efforts until the spring. Will the bulbs I planted (at the wrong time I later found out) make it? Will the perennials survive their first winter? Is mint as hardy as they say it is? Only time will tell, my fellow-novice gardeners. Only time will tell.

Hershey - More than Just a Chocolate Bar

Can one live 15 miles away from the Sweetest Place on Earth and not dip into some of the chocolaty possibilities? I have to admit; it did take Aletheia and me a while to experience some of the sweet spots of Hershey, PA. Living in such an easy distance to one of the tourist hotspots of Pennsylvania has its advantages: you don’t have to pay for hotels or eat out in a restaurant for every meal AND the odds of meeting someone that works at one of Hershey attractions is very good.

Stephan came into our lives through work Aletheia was doing with a local church. They were like old friends instantly, which led to him coming over to hang out at our house one evening. As conversation progressed, Stephan started telling us about his job working on the trolley tours that ran out of Hershey World. As he described what he did and told us some of the history of the town, he started to light up. His admiration for Milton Hershey spoke volumes. I wanted to experience Hershey though the eyes of someone who had been teaching Milton Hershey’s legacy to people for a decade, so I asked when his next tour was and how to sign-up?

Thus began our experience of Hershey, PA. A few days later, we were on a trolley, touring the town of Hershey and hearing an amazing story of how one man made it through multiple bankruptcies to one day build a town and a school and change peoples lives all around the world through chocolate.

Thanks Stephan for opening our eyes to all that is packed into the name Hershey!

24-hour Turn Around

Aletheia and I are always reminding each other that it only takes a split second for things to change – one phone call, one knock on the door, or one answer to a question can really truly change the course and pace of your life. The hardest part is waiting for that moment. I have been operating in the waiting mode for so long, that when that moment finally arrived it happened so fast that it almost didn’t seem real.

For the past couple of months I have been living a life that did not include any predictable income from an outside source. Yes, I have been earning a little money from Space to Spire, but it is very unpredictable concerning when and how much I will receive. For the first half of the year, Frey’s Greenhouse played the roll of steady consistent income as a part-time job so I would still have time to work in the Spire realm. With the greenhouse season over, I need something else. After many inquiries and filling out many applications, all seemed to be lost in the large abyss of job hunting.

I have plenty of experience on the job hunt front but I still find it tricky to know what to do. I have turned in an application, but how much time needs to pass before I call and ask about it? Should I do it in person? After two week, I went for the plunge. After all, what would be the worst thing that could happen? I wouldn’t get the job? It seemed that that would be the case anyway, so why not?

After walking around the store for a while, I spotted one of the managers on the phone. While keeping my actions casual, I looked at the nearby merchandise all the while planning what I was going to say once he was off the phone.

Once his phone call was complete, I approached and issued my opening line. I managed to miss understand his response and continue in my focused, pre-meditated fashion. This got a chuckle out of the manager as I soon realized that his reply didn’t even register. After clearing up the misunderstanding with light and witty tones, I asked if they would be hiring for the holiday season anytime soon and ending the paragraph with a short phrase about not wanting my application to get lost in the “great abyss”. Yes I did use that phrase. And, why not? I had already made a spectacle of myself, why not jump in with both feet? Right?

Yup it was risky. I walked away feeling like somewhat of an idiot. I finished some of my other errands which included picking up another job application to a different store. I relayed the story to my roommate when I returned home, which resulted in some laughs about it all. When I got to my room, I look at my phone and saw that I had a voice message. It seemed that the intro to one of those moments had arrived. The manager found my application and wondered if I could come in for an interview the next day. Less than 24 hours later, I am officially hired as the newest Hobby Lobby employee assigned to work in the frame shop. My first day: Aug 25^th. Let the new adventure begin.