This is where John works. Well, it is the greenhouse attached to the main house where he spends most afternoons. The castle was once the estate of a family whose patriarch invented the autogyro. In 1930 Harold Pitcairn was invited to land his prototype on the White House lawn. He shook Herbert Hoover's hand. They probably served him a nice lunch. 

None of the descendants have chosen to live there so it has morphed into an office building. Perhaps not what the original architect had in mind, but there it is.

Conferences happen in a room with hand painted tiles, and the pillars in the courtyard have autogyros carved of stone. What was once the children's room has fairy tale characters painted on the walls, and the gardens were pristine in the last century. 

The greenhouse is designed to capture both light and heat. This enhances the environment for growing flowers. Originally all power came from the sun. The illumination you see in this picture is a recent addition. 

Being lit up from the inside is a magical feeling. It is not in my repertoire this morning, but there have been days when it was. Like when our whole family was together a year ago for our oldest daughter's wedding. Or watching the twins play volleyball. Well. Or cutting the last thread on a quilt for someone, knowing for certain that it will be loved. 

Looking at this picture, which shows me what happened once and could well happen again, gives me hope. Even when my days are gobbled up by pursuits that were not what I had in mind.

It also suggest to me that the the shadows that slink in on a regular basis will not rule for all time.