It's been a week since my road trip that found me off the road. The part I didn't mention was what exactly I was doing in Steam Furnace anyway. (See posting a week ago, and while you're at it, fellow-blogger, Tom Barlow wrote a piece on the history of the area.) See, about a year and a half ago, I went on a sort of do-it-yourself-get-a-way to Hope Springs Institute. Hope Springs happens to be near to Steam Furnace on a pristine bit of property complete with a homey farmhouse, a meeting area/guest house, and a spirit house and acres of woods and fields.
Even if a friend of mine hadn't invited me to meet up with her there last week, I would have gone back again one of these days anyway. It's sublime. The food, the kind that makes you feel that you are finally eating right and it's so delicious that you buy the Hope Springs cookbook so you can make some yourself; the other interesting people who are staying there who offer stimulating conversation if you want that, but also have the need to be quiet to give creative energy a boost; the shelves of books that could keep you in ideas for months; and Suzanne who owns it; and her husband Al who is great at hauling people out of ditches and is an awesome cook are all reasons to head back again and again. Oh, there's also an amazing collection of teas and coffee at the ready--you just help yourself. Actually, I'm not sure why I haven't just upped and moved there. Ah, but that's fantasyland. In reality there are several opportunities to go back throughout the year. In January and February, (I'm telling you this now, so you can plan) are some organized retreat opportunities to treat yourself and rejuvenate.
The first, Jan.19-21, is "Proprioceptive Writing for Women" designed to help you write in a meditative way. Another, Jan. 23-28 is called "Patterns of Fate" that looks at the combination of astrology and perceptions-basically, the blend of astrology and psychology. And one is called, "Entering the Quiet" from Feb. 23-25 that is a silent retreat for women. One another longer retreat than the called "Women's Way," a nine-day seminar/retreat for women from Feb. 13-11 is tentatively scheduled.
One other great thing about Hope Springs is that it is open to anyone who is looking for a place to have hers (or his) own group's retreat, whether religious or secular. It's also not a women-only place, although the retreats I listed are for women. As a person who has been there twice, I highly recommend it. If you see Al, tell him thanks again from me for getting me out of that ditch.
