Goodbye Neighbours, Hello Friends Last month I started posting about all my little walks through the Gardens at Annesley. In my heart, I was working through a long goodbye fueled by a full bodied presence of great Thanksgiving’s for all this place has been for us. On the day we moved, our dear friend Heather came over and asked Cal what his favourite things about his new room were. He said his bed and his dresser that Poppa Mark built. One quiver followed by one look and our eyes transmitted all the news we could not speak aloud. We hugged and an hour later we were gone too with a package of biscuits and jam in hand. Since that moment I have not quite known what to say, how to feel or where to be because the truth is, change is hard. We have come to know so many of the Community at Annesley as friends who are just like family. We arrived next door two years ago, stunned, startled and shrouded in the darkness of our great sufferings; we were empty, exhausted and terrified of the world all the while standing by the promise on our hearts that this was exactly where Gods hand was leading us. It’s His simplest known self really, to be all the things we need especially when we never knew or thought we needed them. It did not take long for us to know why. It was The People. For us, It started with Mark and his friendly giant wave that gathered us straight up in his arms and into the pews. It was how he and Linda made Calvin know he was loved and watched over as he walked by to and from school. It was how they filled our home with hand crafted care. It was how that same care, that same love came from each and every person we connected to, communed with and consulted in. It was the way we felt seen, heard and valued without ever having to ask. Truth be told, we could not escape the love that came as a result of being Annesleys neighbour. Because of it, filled we left knowing exactly who we were and where we stood not just with God, but as people ourselves. As a family who needed the support of each and every hand that reached out to touch us, we are beyond Grateful for all that this place has been for us. Today, our whole home has pieces of this truth, from tables to hutches, sheet sets to books, biscuits to jams to grasses to herbs on the deck and an almost embarrassing picture library of every plant through all their seasons in these stunning gardens. The ones where, in the beginning, I found myself crawling hand over belly, dragging my legs behind just to nestle deep down into. Ohhh These Gardens that offered me so much of what I needed each and every day of our stay. So Thank you ALL for everything you do for the Community of Markdale and beyond. It’s Welcoming, it’s Accessibilty it’s Warmth and Shelter for all those who need it. Supported foundations are the pillar of the good life. After that, who we are on the inside can begin to radiate from the very ground we stroll across to the atmosphere all around us. We look forward to returning as friends of the community. Love 💕 The Lahtis (fb)

A walk with Me from Yesterday to Today! Oh me oh my, what wonders await deep inside the Gardens at Annesley. On Monday it was all about the Peonies! By Tuesday a Clematis caught my eye and now today 😍 Oh yes today, there are two Clematis flowers rounding the Corner Stones. There are 50 shades of Purple exploding through every view and the Maroons, mixed amongst these Crimson Queens, these Buds sitting perfectly pretty, awaiting their moment to burst fully into Life! Oh my oh me, there certainly is a lot to see at Annesley! (fb)