Healing Gardens in Rogers Just the Destination We All Need

Pamela Cicioni is a chaplain.

You know -- spiritual, kind, connected.

Pamela was my chaplain when I had knee surgery. I want to stay in her good graces. I need all the connected people on my side I can get.

So when Pamela invited me to lunch, I went.

Pamela, you see, has plans -- big plans -- to create an outdoor space for healing on property connected to Highlands Oncology Group at 808 S. 52nd St.

She's not ready to talk publicly about all of it -- fundraising, you know -- but we aren't just talking a few flowers and trees.

She sees paths leading near water features, meditation areas and a chapel.

The gardens won't be open just to the patients at Highlands and their families. Pamela sees it as a refuge for all.

Scott Eccleston, director of grounds and facilities at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, talked at an event Saturday about finding "bubbles" of peace in our daily lives, according to a story by our Tom Sissom.

"We need a place to retreat and get away from our burdens," Eccleston said.

Amen to that.

Around here, I retreat to the bathroom where the telephone, cellphone, scanner, email and human beings can't get to me. It may only be for a few minutes before someone figures out what I am up to, but in that few minutes, I can try to get my thoughts straight.

Some place like the healing gardens would be much more pleasant.

I was sincere when I told Pamela I can see the gardens becoming another destination location for Northwest Arkansas. People seek out beauty, and the gardens will offer that hands down.

How long will it take before the gardens come to fruition? Well, of course that all depends on money. Knowing Pamela -- and she tells me she has a go-getter group on the board of directors -- I'd say they will have made good progress within the year, and, in less than five, will likely have the entire project complete.

Pamela makes me an optimist.

For more, go to the website www.healinggardensofnwa.com. There you will find opportunities to volunteer and to give.

•••

I did my part to ward off the s-word. You know. Snow. It hurts me to type that word because it is too darned early to have to be thinking about it, but thinking we are.

I don't hold much with forecasts 10 days out, but, the one for this weekend has had that white stuff -- or other kinds of frozen precipitation -- every day since it was posted. They could be right.

To forestall Mother Nature's temper tantrum, I winterized the house as much as possible: put the covers on the outdoor furniture -- they blew off -- and put all the plants away; got the storm glass in the doors; stained the front porch; winterized the whole house fan; bought ice melt. My theory is, if I do all that, it won't snow.

And I took vacation days Friday and Monday. OK, you should probably prepare for snow.

Looks like it will be a short fall this season. As a friend posted on Facebook: "Did you enjoy that week of fall we had?"

She is in Texas, so that is probably about all she had. We had a bit more. The maples were pretty, but the color we saw south of us was pretty dull. The wind and cold will probably take care of whatever chance we had for a late color push.

I'm not ready for winter. I'm not ready for Christmas -- although the Heritage War Eagle band sounded fine as they rehearsed Christmas carols Monday morning. Heck, I'm not ready for Thanksgiving.

Time, however, marches on. I know no magic charms to slow it down.

Commentary on 11/13/2014

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