ANNOUNCING PLANS FOR A NEW HOME FOR ABODE!

After reviewing plans and costs for a total renovation of the old home at 8916 Post Oak Ln, we have decided to build new. It is cost effective, and will be built to better meet the needs of our guests.

We wanted to share these architectural renderings with you, and tell you about its special features.

exterior front

Features planned for ABODE Home:

2778 sq. ft. on .79 acre, live oak-shaded property
3 bedrooms, each with an ADA designed bathroom, and
Bedrooms have access to a covered back porch overlooking the property
Family room
Chapel or quiet room will be in the front of the house, separated by an outdoor fountain and garden.
The dining room opens into the kitchen with a breakfast bar.
Laundry room
Pantry
Plentiful storage
Small library or study with ADA half bath
There will be a feeling of spaciousness and light throughout....

Help Build ABODE Home

There’s no place like ABODE in San Antonio or Central Texas...yet!! ABODE will be a warm, caring home for up to 70 people yearly near the end of life, at no cost to the guest.

YOU can help build the ABODE home by

Help build the vision of ABODE Home!

Aromatherapy for Compassionate Care

The Aromatherapy Workshop for Compassionate Care was a great success. Read what Lyn Belisle wrote about the workshop on her blog:

This afternoon the Studio will take on a different role as a workshop space for ABODE Contemplative Care for the Dying. More than 20 hospice workers, counselors and social workers will attend the presentation. You've heard me mention the good work that Patsy and Edwin Sasek do with this beautiful non-profit organization, and today they have asked Dr. Bill Kurtin and me to discuss essential oils for end-of-life care.

Chemaroma

Bill and I maintain an educational website about Aromatherapy as an art and science. It's called Chemaroma, and I invite you to visit anytime for research-based information about aromatherapy – there's far too little of that, and we hope to provide more of it on our site. There are also some formulas for skin care and other fun things. – look around!

Resources

Researching today's presentation took me far afield from visual arts (sort of), but I discovered some wonderful resources. One of the best discoveries was the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe. The abbot, Joan Halifax Roshi, is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, and author. She has worked in the area of death and dying for over thirty years and is Director of the Project on Being with Dying. It's a fascinating, if not cheery, subject. If you'd like to know more about what I've found out, you are welcome to look at the Resources I've gathered for today's workshop.

ABODE is...

a home where contemplative care for the dying is provided to guests in a simple, welcoming, peaceful environment.

ABODE is also a community education center that honors death and dying as a natural rhythm of life.

What is contemplative care?

Contemplative care offers an environment of compassionate presence. It creates stability, confidence, and accepting relationships with our guests. ABODE volunteers are skilled in personal practices, such as prayer, meditation, and art forms that develop these qualities, honoring each person's journey through dying.