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At Lothlorien: “ANOTHER DIMENSION, OR . . . DEMENTIA”?

October 11, 2026

Long story short . . . After the furious tirade I sent to Danielle on fb, in fact, within the hour, a mysterious figure walked up the stairs and knocked. It was Dragon. Here to pick me up and take me to Lothlorien.

REALLY?

Yes. Danielle had sent him. “Go get Ann.”

So he drove for 40 minutes in her car to Bloomington from Lothlorien to come get me.

WOW! I hurriedly repacked my bags, including sleeping bag in big plastic bag (take note of this, because it figures in a later post . . .), he helped me carry them to Danielle’s car, waiting in the driveway. We’re off!

And thus commenced a day (it was supposed to be a day and a night, but the sprinkling with the threat of actual rain changed that — more later, in another post), that feels now like I was transported to an entirely other dimension. Or, as someone wryly asked, in a circle we had later, was it dementia? Which is how this post got its title.

Corrections to yesterday’s post: Danielle doesn’t live there, but here, in Bloomington. However she’s been on hand for ALL the festivities for 16 years.

She tells me the 43-years figure is correct. What they have is 150 acres, 100 acres of which are protected in perpetuity. They can do nothing but run paths through it; their 50 acres sits inside.

Danielle gave me a personal tour. I took 56 pics total while there. Then spent much of this afternoon putting them in folders. I will feature one of them here, THE STAGE. More to come.

THE TOUR

The Stage

This structure has been there for a long long time. The painting, however, is new, and still being painted. I feature this painting here to indicate the incredible artistry they value so much. This place, a Nature Sanctuary, used mostly for feativals, with camping or short term stays by members ($50/year), really does feel like a freewheeling playground for adults who retain their childlike need to express themselves.

 

Details:

 

 

 

Update on Lothlorien Adventure: WHAT? KEY TO CAR GONE? DISAPPEARED?

October 10, 2026

Lothlorien was denied to me this morning. After yesterday’s fun, electric, easy-going time at dinner there. I was wanting to start out from home at 9 AM, in plenty of time to get the 10 AM tour of the place, which I think someone said yesterday, totals 170 acres. (I will check that.)

Started loading the car with my overnight stuff at 8:15. Then, when I was about to slam the hatch and climb inside the driver’s seat, noticed the key was missing. Not in my pocket. Not on the ground below or where I had set the stuff before loading it. Not inside any of the stuff, not on the floor in the back. Not inside the house, in case I had forgotten it somewhere there, though I knew it was with in my hand when I went to load the stuff, thinking mistakenly, that I would have to unlock the hatch. I must have gone up and down the steps to the house 20 times . . . more and more furious.

Obviously, I need to chill out. Stop identifying with the imagined, longed for, near-future!

Stay present, Ann. Be here NOW. Live inside the spacious presence. Like the trees, which once again I thanked for their service to life on earth on my forest walk with Scampi at dawn.

 

Waiting for Marita to return from morning task; she’s sure she will find the key.

I sent this fb post to Danielle, who has lived at Lothlorien for 16 years, and who had wanted me to come to this “Intention Convention.”

Yes, I heard yesterday that Lothlorien was established 43 years ago; with some of the original founders still living there. An unusually grounded intentional community.