The house smelled of earth and smoke and a subtle ether of womanly visions. ~Ink and Honey
While I was writing the story of Ink and Honey, I frequently made little sketches of the physical place that was Belle Coeur…the house and sanctuary for the sisterhood. My imagination and senses reveled at the earthy colors, the tactile elements of stone and earthen floor, the smell of lavender and chimney smoke, and the sound of women’s whispered prayers when gathered around the hearth.We’ve experienced Belle Coeur community and created “Belle Coeur House” during our various retreats at a country farmhouse on the Iowa plains, within an aging convent in Colorado, in a lovely gathering place in Mississippi, and while nestled in the Oklahoma woods. Now, however, we have a beautiful new Belle Coeur House right here at BelleCoeur.com thanks to our creative sister, architect, and designer, Frances Banks.
The Spirit is definitely moving us forward as we observe this particular Holy Week and the life-affirming miracle of Jesus’s Resurrection. It’s the season for new life and rebirth. Life is verdant with hope-filled possibility.
So, dear sisters, from the first description of the medieval Belle Coeur house in the pages of Ink and Honey… to the present moment and the birth of our virtual Belle Coeur House with it’s welcoming Hearth, inspiring Scriptorium, sacred Chapel, and creative Atelier, we are blessed. Please share your wisdom and ideas with us here, Sisters, and if you’re a visitor, please “Get in Touch” and tell us a bit about yourself.
Belle Coeur blessings as onward we go…
Thank you so much for this beautiful place to go to and feel connected, even if only on my computer. For a long time I felt singular in my thoughts and imagination of how I wished to experience friendship and creativity. Not caught up in consumerism, or the drive to have more, as others around me, I live simply in garden and kitchen and journaling and celebrating the beauty of the everyday gifts. I loved Ink and Honey. I am seventy and assume at this age one should feel complete, but I feel a longing to be more, even now, like there is more of me that I can share and be. So life is. Blessings to you.
It’s lovely to hear from you, Joyce, and to welcome you to Belle Coeur. Thank you for your kind words.
Blessings, grace, and gratitude.