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August 30, 2006

Star Window

Throughout the design phase of our home, we have always tried to create unique elements that will make our home something special. Not only for us, but for visitors to the winery, and to the community as well. The most recent addition to this philosophy is a star window, which will adorn the peak of the vineyard-facing wall. Many reasons for this. One is the vineyard brand - our tag line is "Wine - Music - America" as we believe these are the three themes the vineyard will support.

The biggest challenge with the window has been due to the fact that we added it so late in the building process, and the frame has already been cut. Thus the optimum placement for the window turned out to be right in the middle of a crossbeam. So we had to push it up toward the peak a bit, but it still turned out pretty cool. Check out the elevations.

New side elevation
Bent 1

On a more personal level though, the star window has turned out to be a memorial to our grandparents. Shannon and I both wanted to include a special place dedicated to their memory. At first we thought about putting their two favorite chairs in a corner with pictures, among many other different ideas.

My Grandmother, Mary Hanich lived in Middletown, PA and then Elizabethtown, PA after she remarried Walter Lightner, and I remember as a kid driving up to visit. The two-hour drive seemed like an eternity "Mom, are we there YET???" But we always knew when we were getting close when we would pass the Star Barn, which sits on the side of 283 a few miles west of the exit for Middletown. A distinctive part of the landscape, the barn always meant Grandma's place was near!

Check out the Star Barn

Even deeper than that however, was the final line from a Christmas poem I had written for her in 1989 (while I was supposed to be studying for midterms at the University of Miami) which reads:

"If I could have a single wish in my passing it would be
To become a star and forever shine at Christmas upon my family"

I never imagined we would make that wish come true.

Posted by Stephen at August 30, 2006 8:29 PM