They Say It Takes a Village

They say it takes a village.

Around here, we imagine that village tucked beneath the trees, gathered near the path, learning from one another as we wander deeper into the Grove.

Grove of Growth began as a family project: part creativity, part survival, part learning how to grow things, and part laughing at melodramatic cabbages along the way. It is not finished, and we do not think it is supposed to be.

Our home is full of different ways of thinking, noticing, learning, making, forgetting, remembering, problem-solving, and beginning again. Some of us are neurodivergent. Some of us are not. All of us are learning how to live, create, communicate, and grow together with the minds and gifts we have been given.

That difference has shaped the Grove.

It has taught us that growth does not always look tidy. Learning does not always happen in straight lines. Sometimes it comes through stories, games, tools, trial and error, hands-on work, humor, repetition, curiosity, and the stubborn hope that something useful can still take root.

We wanted a space where learning did not have to feel sterile, where growth could have dirt under its nails, and where play could be taken seriously without losing its joy.

This Grove will grow as we do. For now, we are walking the paths, tending what we can, and seeing what kind of village takes root.

Not every path through the Grove is made by one person. Some corners belong to keepers, makers, builders, artists, readers, researchers, storytellers, players, gardeners, wanderers, and people who are still becoming.

This is not a gated village. It is a place at the edge of the trees, where a few signs are beginning to appear and more paths may open with time.

Meet the Keepers:

April Gardner, M.A., Resident in Counseling

Lady Ellistrey, Keeper of the Grove

April is a Resident in Counseling in Virginia and the creator of Grove of Growth. She is interested in the places where story, healing, creativity, faith, research, play, and everyday life meet.

As a neurotypical wife of a neurodivergent husband, April is often learning how different minds experience the same path in different ways. Her work explores how imagination, reflection, and practical tools can help people understand themselves, care for one another, and build something more meaningful together.

Ted Rainey

Myndaz'seneth, Keeper of The R’lyeh Casefiles

Ted tends one of the darker shelves of the Grove through The R’lyeh Casefiles, a space for scientifically informed gaming articles, creature notes, strange observations, and casefile-style reflections.

He is a well-read wanderer of strange libraries, dark lore, games, stories, history, monsters, mechanics, and the odd little questions most people know better than to ask too loudly. His humor often lives somewhere between dry observation, eldritch footnote, and “this is probably fine.” Ted has ADHD, and his mind does not always move in straight lines. It gathers connections, turns ideas over, follows interesting trails, and sometimes finds the hidden door everyone else walked past. His corner of the Grove reflects that kind of learning: curious, layered, practical, strange, and sharper than it first appears.

Alexis Rainey

Sammanna, Keeper of the Creative Corner

Alexis is the hands of the Grove: creative, generous, capable, and willing to get things done. Where some of us wander through ideas, she is often the one figuring out how to make them real, useful, sturdy, beautiful, or at least less likely to fall apart.

Her skills range from automotive to zip-ties. She brings craft, strength, flexibility, and practical creativity to the village the brawn for our brains, the maker at the worktable, and the steady reminder that imagination matters.

Become a Villager

If  this sounds like a place you would like to wander, you are welcome here.

You do not have to arrive as an expert. You do not have to have everything figured out. Villagers are learners, makers, players, readers, growers, thinkers, artists, researchers, storytellers, and people who are still becoming.

If you want to share an idea, ask a question, collaborate on something creative, or simply find your way into the Grove, you can reach out.

The path into the village begins here:

[Lady_Ellistrey@groveofgrowth.net](mailto:Lady_Ellistrey@groveofgrowth.net)