ABOUT US

My name is Jo Ann. I am a blessed mother of two boys, a dog (Isabella) and a granddog (Shadow). My oldest son, Brian, is in medical school and my younger son, Daniel, is an officer in the US Army. I could not be prouder of both my boys, as they are both polite and thoughtful young men. My husband, John, has worked for the United States Postal Service for 32 years and my biggest supporter.

 

A little history about me and what prompted me to buy 16 acres in my sixties!! I went thru a 20-year difficult marriage and eventually a horrible, painful divorce. (I know that they all are) After my divorce, EVERYTHING that I was familiar with in my life completely changed. I felt I was a ship at sea without any type of compass trying to navigate huge, unfamiliar waves. The only thing that saved me was knowing the God who was steering my ship. Being a mother was my life. In a matter of a few weeks, I was completely alone, had no money, my sons were not speaking to me, and my pain was literally unbearable. I was cleaning homes of friends where I had once been a guest, because I it was more lucrative than working as a secretary. I had only worked in my ex-husband’s medical practice without pay, so I had no proof of employment. I had always been a Christian, but I soon realized my religion was not enough to get me through. Just getting out of bed to face the day seemed an impossible task. I literally begged God to please take me in my sleep every single night. I missed my family so very much and had never felt more alone.

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In the depth of my pain, I prayed probably one of my most earnest prayers and asked God what I could do to ease the hurt in my heart. I felt God responded by asking me to give from my need. What??? I wish I could say I eagerly agreed, but I did not. I wanted someone to minister to me. I did not want to meet someone else’s needs, mine were also great. However, I was desperate, and I told God I would give it a try. I had nothing else to lose. If I needed kindness that day, I gave it, whatever I needed I gave it. God also reminded me of something I used to do with my children when they were young, setting a timer to control unnecessary crying. I starting setting a timer for myself for 30 minutes. I would cry, scream, or kick the bed, then when the timer went off, I would go make something, do something productive. I did not want to go deep into my grief tunnel, because it became too difficult to pull myself out. Within months, I was regaining my strength. I still hurt for my losses and the grief was still there, but with each day, I was getting stronger. I was also blessed to meet my husband John and we have built a peaceful and wonderful life together.

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From that point on, as I saw my relationship with God grow and my religion decrease, it became my deepest desire to help others who might be experiencing that same pain and loneliness. As I matured in giving from my need, I felt God was leading me to reach out and connect those experiencing loss.

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Last year my husband and I decided to open a studio with some of the forgotten arts, such as pottery, to bond family and friends, but to also provide classes for those who are grieving and experiencing loss. No counseling, just allowing those hurting to connect with each other and hopefully heal as they create something new. I learned from my experience that healing came through my creations.

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We attempted to buy three separate pieces of property and they all fell through. In August, we found 16 acres of land with no address, no improvements, but so much beauty, serenity, and possibility. As we went deeper into the property, I knew it would be a perfect place for a wedding venue. I could actually see it! We also want to provide a place for families to make memories, and neighbors to get to know each other. We want to connect people and bless our community. As this progressed, we also decided that as God blessed us, we would like to feed back into the community donating 10 percent of our profit each month to local charities, which are listed under the settings tab.

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Having a wedding venue was a dream of mine for many years, but it somehow was forgotten. My goal is to help every bride have her dream wedding at an affordable price. I got the advice of a photographer about the perfect placement of the venue for best photos and a white interior also producing clearer photos. I wanted the bride to enjoy every second of her day. That is why we rent our venue for 24 hours. You have 24 hours of your day, no hurrying, no stressing, plenty of time and support (from me) to prepare for your perfect day. We would feel beyond honored to share your day with you. Our goal is to show you in every way that once you pass our gate, you become family, you are loved, valued and appreciated.