I love change! Actually, I love doing renovations in my home and always have plans for how I can improve things. Cleaning up my space, decluttering and organizing my space and I am in my happy place.
As a Professional who works with people who struggle with clutter, you might think my home would be perfect. Not at all! I really like the lived in look and want my home to be a sanctuary, a safe place and also a place where I can relax and be myself. Having things around me that I love, books I am reading or things I am working on help me to feel comfortable and at home.
I am excited to tell you about my Grotto and my backyard space. It’s really my most favourite place. Welcome to my Grotto.
Dictionary Definition
A grotto is a small cave, the kind of place where you feel comfortable, cozy, and protected from the harsh realities outside.
It is also described as a secret location near water and because my space is near a pond, I thought this was the perfect name for this space.
Here is a pic of my pond.
A number of years ago this is what this space looked like
but with some determination and a focus on my goals this is how the space looks now.
The grotto is a sacred and safe place. Our motto is “what happens in the grotto stays in the grotto”. It is a place where women (well, it has been mostly women but we welcome men as well) can come to relax, be at peace, enjoy nature, sing, do art, drum and share stories.
We have had workshops in the grotto, birthday parties, girls nights, potlucks, visits with friends as well as a meeting with the POC London Chapter. The very best time for a gathering is on a hot breezy night with the windows open, the curtains blowing in the soft breeze listening to the sound of the waterfall nearby. I really love a nice warm rainy evening in the summer. We are so close to nature and can enjoy all kinds of nature sounds and wildlife. The wood stove takes the chill off on a cool morning or a chilly evening and adds a touch of ambiance.
We spend almost all of our free time outside in the summer and can hardly wait to get out there to create a beautiful, peaceful and serene space. We look forward to our new adventures this summer.
This post was created for the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival: A Sneak Peek Into an Organizers Home.
Thank you for following along and I welcome your comments or feedback.
What a wonderful space! I can see why you spend so much time out there.
Thanks for stopping by Janet and thank you for the help with my blog 🙂
Such a fun space. It is a treat to have a little place to escape to for fun and friendship and even simple reflection. A true indulgence – thanks for sharing!
Thank you Seana – I feel like you and I could have a lovely visit there 🙂
I love that you have a grotto and this wonderful personal space. I can tell from how you so enthusiastically write about it that you love this space. But what also impressed me was your first sentence…”I love change.” That’s not something I hear that often. As a matter of fact, I’ve only heard one other person say it. Most people I know fear change. It’s a beautiful thing when you can embrace it so whole-heartedly.
Linda, I suppose that is true about change. I do love change but I am sure I can say that it does depend on the type of change. As long as it is positive its all good. Thanks for your comment.
Determination + Focus + Purpose = fabulous new space!!!
Yes, thanks Olive – now the clean up from the winter. But the goal is to get it cleaned up so we can enjoy this space once again.