The Birth of Adytum

Adytum began in 1995 as a spiritual dream. It began with a relationship that was spiritual in its inception. We fell in love spiritually before we did intellectually or physically…Before that, there was desire. Desire for Adytum, the dream that was growing in each of us before we knew each other. Adytum has roots outside space and time. Just as our lives were coalescing into a soul mated oneness with incredible speed once we met (a whole other story in itself with God's fingerprints all over it), so this sacred space was already planned and determined by God.

I wanted to live in a spa setting, a healing retreat, and share it with other like minded individuals. Donn wanted a soiree; a meeting of other great minds. Both of us wanted a spiritual retreat. It was our individual dreams…and now apparently our shared dream.

We discovered this early on in our relationship as we talked late into the night one April in my living room at Rosebriar. It was so astonishing to discover that we both wanted the same thing…and we were strangers just months before. In many ways, this shared dream brought us together – that and our shared spiritual journey -and it has taken 16 years to materialize it and all the faith we had and more.

Donn married into a full household, three children and a five acre hobby farm with horses and a large organic garden close to the Capitol Forest. Between leaving the world of personal training and assisting in teaching the Diet and Exercise class at Tumwater Valley in Olympia, Washington, I began to work with Donn learning to manage Medical Vision Center in Morton – about an hour and fifteen minutes away. We commuted ten solid years, while raising my children and growing in our spiritual life. I had asked God before Donn came into my world for “a man I could work shoulder to shoulder with, serving the Lord.” My prayers were being answered on multiple fronts.

When my children were raised, I promised to move closer to our practice. I was so bonded to Rosebriar, the little farm and wasn’t sure that promise was really for sure. I hoped we would just stay. But I was true to my word and strangely, God allowed me to keep Rosebriar and it has never sold... We settled on a five acre parcel overlooking Lake Mayfield, and both the Cowlitz and Tilton Rivers which flow into Mayfield. To the south, we see the DeGoedes Bulb Farm and the blueberry fields now owned by Pan American Farms but for years they were privately owned. And lovely farms, valleys, and mountain ranges all around…I can see for miles and miles and miles.

I never dreamed when I asked God, back at Rosebriar while doing the dishes one day and looking back to the end of our land to “enlarge my boundaries”that Adytum would be the result. I had no idea about the “Jabez” book either that was telling others to ask that. I just knew in my heart I had to see farther…more. I became like the sight hound, the Borzoi, I owned…it was necessary to see far for her. And so it was for me too.

The day we decided on this life at Adytum in Mossyrock, we stood on a stump trying to imagine what the view would be like. Evidently we were shown this very parcel of land once before and turned it down…God must have been in angst that we were missing it yet again…strangely…miraculously no house had ever been built on this land. Only the Cowlitz tribe had passed over her back…The owner hadn’t opened up the view to the lake the first time we saw it, and all we saw was a very hard road in and a closed off forest of alder, Big Leaf Maple and Grand and Douglas Fir. Nothing worth moving for. Or so we thought.

This time, God sent in the heavenly troops. I had been reading Bullinger’s “Number in Scripture” and was familiarizing myself with Biblical numerology, the significance of numbers in scripture. First two huge raptors flew in. To this day, I’m not sure what they were. Then another two. When they started circling over our heads, this caught our attention. Then another two and another two until there were eight all flying in a circle over Donn, Paul the realtor and myself... As we stood overlooking the lovely Lake Mayfield, still indecisive for some reason unbeknownst to me at this moment…we realized that a clear omen was being presented. You see, in Biblical numerology the number eight is the number of new beginnings. And we signed on the dotted line, at full asking price, for our new beginning here on this land.

So this is how it all began. One day I will tell you how God began to provide financially for building the Castle Adytum. We never called it that but it seems everyone else does. And so perhaps it is with her stone walls, her three turrets and spires thrusting up into the sky on the hill overlooking Mossyrock.

Suffice it say, we are living daily in “the realm of all possibility”, as Emily Dickinson would say. It is a world of life by faith, calling down miracles and creating means out of thin air. It is practice for heaven where our word (and here…) is a creative force and we are co-creators with God. We have received provision for the next phase over and over again when all resources were exhausted. We have received strength to go on when that went by the wayside as well…

Building Adytum, then building Adytum into a Retreat to share with others has been the biggest step toward the life of faith we could have ever imagined. It is simply so far beyond us, and our original vision, that we know it is of God and therefore, God continues to finish what He started back in 1995 with our shared dream.

We are learning to dream big, to “go out on a limb because that is where the fruit is”, as Frank Skully once said, and to “never, never, never, never, never give up” as Winston Churchill admonished, no matter how impossible the dream seems and how worn thin we become.

We had the realtor return to Adytum who sold us the land. Paul said, “Some people talk about their dreams. You two are honestly the only people I’ve ever known who actually accomplished them…”

Well Paul, it was all God. If it were us, we’d be woefully embarrassed. We’d have the frame of a castle and nothing more. God took our “green-ness” into account and made provision for that too. Not only did He provide financially, but He has proven to be full of grace and an unusually great sense of humor while our lessons are being administered.

Creating Adytum for many to share has also entailed creating a depth of spirit in each of us that we never dreamed of. Hillary Clinton said, “It takes a village to raise a child”. Well, it takes all of heaven’s angels and God Himself to build the Castle Adytum. And He isn’t done yet. Day by day we turn in dependence upon His grace and mercy to meet the next round of expenses and pay the faithful workmen He sends.

Consequently, the halls of Adytum, the very walls have absorbed countless prayers as has the soil of the land where prayers are laid down with each footprint…our walking meditations asking day by day for what we need to complete this enormous four year project.

People who come never, ever fail to comment on the great peace that rests on Adytum and her lands. Those that are spiritual and those that are not all feel it. You will feel it too. Adytum, if you didn’t know, means “sanctuary” in Greek. But it isn’t a sanctuary like one might think. It is the sanctuary entered into without a door…the sanctuary of the human heart where God resides if we let Him…the sanctuary where we commune, fellowship and sup with Him as friend and Lover. The sanctuary that remains regardless of any outward circumstance…

Rumi, great Persian poet and mystic from the 1200’s said he could be walking through a baking hot desert with his camel but in reality be “in a garden communing with the Friend”….he understood the sanctuary, the Adytum within…it is no place, it is the Reality in each of us.

It is now June 2010 and Adytum is nearly complete. It is actually sixteen years since the first night Donn and I sat in my humble Rosebriar house in Olympia, sharing our mutual dream of living in a spa, sharing it with others as healing retreat, and enjoying the great meeting of the minds with our guests. We know that God is already drawing those to this sacred space who will come to be blessed, and also bless us in return. It has begun to happen…and it is immensely, intensely gratifying to us both…

We are still living as though in “the heavenlies”, practicing His presence moment by moment…living in the secret Kingdom where our faith and our words create out of thin air, literally. We live there symbolically, but literally too as Adytum and her turrets and spires are thrust up into the atmosphere…the sky is our home like the birds of the air…the upper canopy of ancient, tall trees that have been long on the earth our view…the inspired music we fill our home’s walls with lifts us further into the 4th dimension and we know without a doubt that we live with angels here….

Adytum Opens Memorial Day 2010

Adytum will begin her second round of “soft openings” Memorial Day weekend. We weren’t planning to officially open until some additional projects were completed and things were “perfect”, but events transpired that accelerated everything. Namely, people want to experience what we’ve created here not caring if things were quite ready yet–so ready or not- we will enjoy the awesome season together, and keep working and as we go along.

Somewhere along the way, the house seems to have become a driving force in her own right. It sounds strange, but the Adytum house and the lands all seem to be conspiring to bring opening day about. Having worked on novels, this is the same phenomenon I’ve observed when I cease to drive the story forward and the characters themselves take off and create their own reality.

Most people remark that they feel Adytum herself extends a huge welcome and draws like minded individuals here who love the spectacular natural beauty, appreciate the spiritual life and nature while respecting the integrity of the land. . Luxuriously appointed suites, fine art and sculpture, romance and indulgences….magnificent natural beauty viewed through this house of glass….this is Adytum within.

Adytum will always be a work in progress, the work of a lifetime. While the Star of the North Suite, The Orion Suite and First Light have largely fulfilled the romantic and spirit nurturing visions we have for them- encompassing every extravagance, the 15 ¾ acres will always be evolving. We and our staff are committed to doing the work by hand, forgoing chemicals, pesticides and herbicides, carving walking and meditation paths out of dense, thorny brush and supplanting weeds with natives.

Soon trails will be marked and a walking labyrinth achieved as we connect all the paths and trails. One day the gardens around the house will be maintenance free…meantime, we have made peace living on the edge of wildness in the Pacific Northwest. We’re learning to enjoy the nettles and dandelions in ways we never dreamed possible….gastronomically…

Starting the morning with a walk in the woods overlooking the lake and valley is sumptuous in the extravagant privacy of the land. The air is full of birdsong, croaking frogs, the wind in the ancient Fir and Maple, and the air is fresh and clean…Inside the main house, classical music or smooth jazz plays softly. Suites are IPod/I Phone ready for your own music selections. WiFi...

Celebrating the spectacular sunsets at days’ end in the library or in the hot tub with a glass of wine is an honored ritual at Adytum. In suite couples massages can usually be arranged to extend the deep relaxation. Nights are simply extravagant here. With the absence of light pollution, the stars explode overhead. The Milky Way and constellations you’ve never seen light up the sky, particularly in the winter. But the summer sky is intense as well. Reconnecting with the beauty of the night is such an amazing venture.

After a nourishing gourmet breakfast featuring an organic, vegetarian and largely gluten free menu and the best coffee from the Italian made Miele built in coffee machine, Lake Mayfield beckons so bring your kayak, canoe or fishing gear. The Tilton, which feeds into it, is heavily stocked with Rainbow Trout. We are a registered wildlife habitat, bird sanctuary and a working Fir and Alder plantation, so bring your binoculars. The plantation is home to many nesting birds who return year after year. Hawks and Eagles soar, along with local ultra light pilots right outside the windows. If you’re into mountain biking there are many trails nearby. We like to ride around the DeGoedes Bulb Farm fields and through the little town of Mossyrock.

Ike Kinswa is 5 minutes from Adytum and has some lovely hiking trails, even a rope swing to jump off into the glacier fed Cowlitz water. The Mossyrock Dam attracts visitors from all around. Further east is Morton where the Logger’s Jubilee is held every August and the Packwood Flea Market and, of course, Paradise and Mount Rainier are the crowning jewels of this area that welcome people from all over the world. My favorite time to go is when the lupine and wild flowers are blooming so profusely that the air smells like heaven…late summer.

When it’s raining, we love to sit in the Tower Room, so named for its 24 windows overlooking the lake, rivers, blueberry and flower fields, and watch the storms come in off the lake. Play the baby grand digital piano, listen to music (the acoustics in this room are awesome) or take advantage of the Spa using the Far Infrared or Turkish Steam Sauna. Or perhaps we read in the library or play chess on the third floor by the fire. We’ve stocked Adytum with DVD libraries to watch on the flat screen TVs, movies, and books on a multitude of topics, chess and board games. When the sun comes back out, there is bocce ball, croquet, football, Frisbee golf, taking a salt water hot tub or making s’mores around one of the fire pits.

We love to read and sip iced tea under one of Adytum’s signature orange umbrellas while we watch the boaters on the lake. The magical beauty here captures everyone’s hearts, and guests always linger, reluctant to leave the deep peace and relaxation that emanate from the house and land. Adytum is sacred space. It is a world unto itself…a destination.

We look forward to meeting you and know that you’re in for an unexpected indulgence that will become a new ritual in your life.

 

 

 

 

Great Art and Beauty Nurture The Contemplative Spirit of Adytum

“A day spent without the sight or sound of beauty, the contemplation of mystery, or the search of truth or perfection is a poverty-stricken day; and a succession of such days is fatal to human life.” Lewis Mumford wrote those insightful lines.

We’ve created many lovely spaces inside and out that are conducive to the life of the interior~ the contemplative inner life~ at Adytum. Beauty uplifts and elevates acting as a gateway into our soul and spirit. It’s our intention to continue adding benches throughout our walking meditation trails to encourage the life of the mind and spirit; the artistic, creative and meditative life…to add to our collection of books on great wisdom, art, poetry and literature - to create nooks to draw, to write, to read, and to think. Life at Adytum is meant to be lived slowly, savored, and lingered over like a fine meal. We need the equilibrium achieved when we journey within.

“Contemplation and wisdom are highest achievements and man is not totally at home with them.” Gabriel Marcel

After a momentous trip to Hawaii, where we were introduced to great sculpture by Diane Klieforth of Lahaina Galleries, we’ve had the pleasure of living with museum quality artwork and sculpture at Adytum which feeds the spirit and elevates the mind. She had met the greatest sculptor of our time, Frederick Hart before his early death, comparing him to Michelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci and urged us to live with his inspired sculpture.

Frederick Hart believed that truly great art should reflect goodness, truth and beauty. His bronze sculpture possesses these qualities and emanates a palpable spiritual presence both here and at the Washington National Cathedral where it adorns the tympanum and entrance in the form of the Ex Nihilo series (out of nothingness, out of the mind of God). Europeans have lived with great art for centuries, with masterpieces and frescos on the walls of their churches from past ages. We seek to surround ourselves with that which inspires and leads us to higher levels on our evolutionary journey into better “selves”.

Another great sculptor, Auguste Rodin said, “Art is contemplation. It is the pleasure of the mind which searches into nature and which there divines the spirit of which nature herself is animated.”

Great art grounds us into Reality; it drives us inward to the vastness within us. Great art, which embodies truth, beauty and goodness, will connect us to God and to our selves, so we are committed to filling Adytum with it and sharing the experience of it with our family, guests and friends…Adytum has already been host to one of the foremost impressionist painters of our time, Don Hatfield. We plan to be patrons of the arts not only in support of the artists through our purchases, but also in creating space for them to work here.

There is more to life than seeking fun or the next activity, the next vacation or trip…The balance is found in contemplation.

“A string of excited, fugitive, miscellaneous pleasures is not happiness; happiness resides in imaginative reflection and judgment, when the picture of one's life, or of human life, as it truly has been or is, satisfies the will, and is gladly accepted.” George Santayana

There are many activities to choose at Adytum. I’m grateful for the rains that drive us inside and invite us to explore the hidden, inner spaces~ as Rumi said, “World power means nothing. Only the unsayable jeweled inner life matters.” I couldn’t agree more.

Talking Kitchen Tools

When Adytum had her “soft opening” and Chris and Julia enjoyed The Orion Suite, they noticed details in the kitchen the next morning at breakfast that they wanted to incorporate into their new house construction and their kitchen. Later when I was getting a hair cut from Julia at her Moda Capelli Salon in Olympia she asked more specifics: “Where did you get your round cutting board? What was the pan you served the fritata in?” We talked tools for awhile and how fun they make time spent playing in the kitchen.

I have, like I shared with her, a list of “musts” that I’d never be without. The Boos round chopping block she was admiring was a gift from my kids. It was inspired after reading, Nicole Mones’ “The Last Chinese Chef”, a book I highly recommend.

Not only is the writing impeccable and the story fascinating in its depth of Chinese culture and the art of dining but in a personal email to me, she admits she is entirely self taught. Having studied classical music she says, “When I try to describe something I think first of the sounds that would be there. That's not all I describe but that is often my way in (to the scene she’s writing) These chopping blocks become family heirlooms. Years of knife cuts achieved with the steady thrum of knife to wood begin to carve a story in the wood, both audible and tangible, that speak of hours of loving preparation for those we love and care for. It is one of my treasured tools. It will be with me always.

My chef son, Phillip Gritton who cooks a lot in the Adytum kitchen, introduced me to Shun knives out of sheer desperation I'm sure... He couldn't find a good knife in the lot. So another gift and one I really cherish. (and hope he adds to!) After using it, I can’t tolerate the lesser knives on my magnetic wall rack anymore and will hopefully get a whole set of Shun knives. There’s a certain pleasure that accompanies a precise cut. It feels like slicing butter, no matter what I’m working on.Definitely adds an element of delight…

When we were in Vermont at one of Phil’s restaurants years ago, we inquired about the tiny matchstick cuts on salad carrots and on the garnishes; thin long ribbons of beet and zucchini. We were told it was a Ben Riner. I thought they were talking about someone, but that’s the name of the cheap looking little mandolin that creates these awesome and fast cuts. We bought one home from the Culinary Institute’s kitchen shop in Hyde Park, NY; where Phil was a student. The razors are dangerously sharp and each of us – except maybe Phil- has nearly cut our fingers off….but what can I say? It’s worth it for the time saved and the finished look of the dish. I use it every day.

Before Julia left her stay at Adytum, she had taken notes on the pan her Frittata was made in – All Clad; another treasure of mine. It starts on the stove and ends under the broiler and is served in the same pan with incredible appeal. I use the Ben Riner to create a mix of mushrooms, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, etc. that the eggs will accompany. It’s all so quick and easy, yet looks elegant and appealing.

The last “essential” I’ll share today is my Vitamix blender. Not only do we use it daily for our Metagenics Medical Food shakes for breakfast, but before the 4 eggs went into the All Clad Frittata pan to make breakfast, I whizzed them in the Vitamix.

Years ago, a chef taught me to use a tablespoon or two of water- not cream- to make the eggs steam up nicely in an omelet. Magic. The instruction, the fine cuts on the filler for the frittata…where would we be without good tools?

May you always have loved ones around your table.

Birdsong and Watermusic

My guest walked up the long, winding drive where she’d left her car below. When I met her at the front door she said, “I got out of my car to be met with the sounds of birdsong and watermusic!” That just about captures the heart of Adytum. We love living life with the birds here; being part of the flock and being shown such a beautiful way to live.

As I explained to her, the birds were here long before we were. When we viewed the land the first time, we felt we entered a party in full swing with all the noise and action…Since there’s never been a house on this land; it is a natural bird sanctuary.

We brought in feeders, fountains, birdbaths and birdhouses to enhance their natural habitat and encourage more to come. Most who see Adytum’s bird life are inspired to begin their own bird sanctuaries bringing in feeding stations and water features, bird houses, leaving some brush piles for cover and providing sugar water for annual migrations of hummingbirds.

Hundreds of birds visit Adytum lands on their migration raising young here annually or staying year round. It is a lesson to us all as we see different species feeding in peace, side by side; the feeding stations a kaleidoscope of yellow, red, blue, black, brown and white feathers, large birds and small.

In ancient literature, birds have been portrayed as messengers. They bring us the message of living in peace with all nations, of bringing beauty and song to the planet, and of trusting Source to provide no matter what.

There are also many natural springs that create little creeks and waterways, but we’ve added ponds and fountains to assure year round water supplies for the wildlife here on the hill. A flock of about a hundred Cedar Waxwings come annually to eat from the wild cherry trees here; they always make time on their migration to play in the waterfall. It’s an anticipated event at Adytum, like a festival. They play just like human children, darting under the flow and splashing their friends. It’s amazing how like one another we all are at the heart level.

We climb several flights of stairs and reach the third floor. Here we’re in view of the canopy and can observe bird life largely undetected due to the reflection of the windows. I explain to her how amazing it is to watch the birds nibble lichen on the vine maples after their meal of black oil sunflower seeds or cracked corn that we’ve provided in feeders below. We see their private interactions with each other. Later outside, we feel very much like we’ve been received into their flock family as they show fearlessness with us. They continue feeding if we sit in the hot tub with morning coffee, adding to our pleasure and perhaps theirs too...

Later, walking the trails, I recognize the voices of each of our feathered friends. The sweet voice of the shy Nuthatch and Goldfinch, the cheery Robin, the Towhee’s call and the hawk overhead; the raucous Evening Grosbeak flock that comes daily for breakfast and stays all day long. The whir of the hummingbirds in the fields, the Canada Geese overhead, the wren calling from a brush pile, beautiful song sparrows, the inevitable Stellar Jay’s shrill alarm, the noble Eagle, crow and raven, owls and doves…we are never alone here.

As I write, we have classical music playing, but the sound of the communal bird choir pervades the house as constant background music. When I open the French doors to the deck, I know it will be just like walking into the crescendo of nature’s composition- the voices of all nations raised as One.

We love living life with the birds; being part of the flock and being shown such a beautiful way to live in peace with acceptance, trust, and play, encouraging us to bring our own beauty and song – our gifts- to enhance other’s experience on Earth.

Dirt Therapy at Adytum Retreat and Spa

Dirt therapy is one of the plans for guests at Adytum…those that are so inclined anyway. Grab a shovel and dig in! There’s always a flat of flowers to plant, or bulbs to set in the fall. There are always fir, cedar or pine seedlings to slip in as we reforest the land. And yes, we have lots of weeds too! Some which I’ve learned to eat, like my adventure with my first Stinging Nettle on the menu here a few weeks ago.

Whenever I get restless and out of sorts, when I’ve been working too hard and not having enough fun it’s my signal to get down and dirty -on my knees in raw earth, with Mother Nature. The old maples have made such loose, dark, rich soil here. Very fun to play in…yet getting past that initial “oh…I’m getting dirty” part is critical. Once that’s achieved, its childhood revisited from there on out.

My mom skipped the dolls in my youth (except “Chatty Kathy” that seemed to have made an impression that stuck so I’m told) and just bought me a miniature John Deere when she was hosting a TV agriculture show. The land holds such irresistible appeal. Maybe it’s just being outside, sunshine or not. It’s beautiful here all the time whether the boats are slapping waves on the Lake Mayfield in brilliant summer sun or if a storm is blowing in off the very same Lake and the sky’s dark and brooding. But to be outside planting or tidying up…well that makes all the difference.

To this day, all my money goes to buy plants and books… Forget that I might need some new clothes or shoes…We all have our priorities and this is mine. Today, while planting in a biting wind that found its way down the gap of my jeans as I kneeled over azeleas, mugo pines and violas, I had an idea: what if guests that came brought a few things from their gardens to share at Adytum? and they left with something in return so we could each remember each other?

When I look around at the trees, flowers, and shrubs on our nearly 16 acres, so many of them came from dear friends. I immediately think of them every time I walk by something they’ve brought to fill Adytum’s bare land or to tuck between maple roots. The lilies near the Koi pond came from a close friend after lunch one day as we stopped into DeGoedes Bulb Farm on the way back to Adytum. (I should work there…way too much money finds its way there from my pockets) Countless plants, bushes and trees came from a neighbor who loves plants as much as we do and is constantly offering more. We always tell him, there is so much of him here in his many green gifts.

The plants that may very well come to mean the most to me, however, are from my mother’s garden, in her 82nd year. They will live on with us as a perpetual memorial long after she has gone. Maybe it’s her who made me think of this idea of sharing plants. She never comes empty handed, and taught me the same.

Whether our friends and guests come with plants to fill Adytum’s land with something from their own gardens,or if they just come, there will always be the chance to get down and dirty in ours. Many of us just like to know there’s something to do besides just relax or read. Adytum invites you to leave the orderly, clean and sophisticated adult world behind and lose yourself in play. It’s part of her re-creative charm and appeal.

I really feel like I’ve lived if I have something to brush off and clean up when the fun is done for the day. It’s marvelous therapy, the healing that comes from playing in the dirt. It’s making a lot beauty too for everyone to savor when they’re here and leaving much of ourselves on this land we’ve been blessed to oversee during our stay on Mother Earth.