The Blooming of the Green House

After receiving their teacher accreditation in Albuquerque, NM in June of 1999, Caroline Guilott, Linda Kleinschmidt and Bitsy LeBlanc returned to Lake Charles, LA full of inspiration and eagerness. They took Ed Altman’s advice and began teaching T’ai Chi Chih right away. Questions were asked and answered. Where, when and how? A decision to team teach was reached and finding a place to begin teaching was sought. The local restored Arts and Humanities building, one of the oldest existing school buildings in the downtown Lake Charles area, offered a very reasonable hourly fee. Supplies such as videos, books, music and other supplies were brought to and from each class. There was no place to leave these items on the premises. The key for entrance into the building had to be picked up and brought back to the main office before and after each class. When having night classes, this always involved going back the next day. After eight months, these, along with a few other hindrances, (even though minor), began to become just that…..a hindrance.

Around that time, Caroline had mentioned to her husband, Robert, the idea of using some of the space of their business rental house for teaching T’ai Chi Chih. (It was being used for storing cleaning supplies). No immediate favorable reaction was noticed so Caroline dismissed this idea. A few months later, Robert asked Caroline if there was still an interest in using the “Green House” (a name that refers to the color and has nothing to do with being a nursery). Well, the seed had been planted and the “Green House” was about to begin budding.

Linda decided to venture on her own and teach yoga. Caroline and Bitsy assessed the possibilities of revitalizing and pruning the neglected “Green House.” A local artist and student of T’ai Chi Chih, Melinda McFillen, volunteered her time and ideas to help with this project.

An interior wall was removed to create a larger space for teaching and also accommodate room for taking care of business (phone, desk, files, etc.). A separate room with its own entrance located in the back of the house would prove ample for the storage of Robert’s business supplies. A soft sculptured wall was formed from using shelving units and covering them with castaway drapery fabric from the local Civic Center. This allowed for a foyer entrance. Attics were scavenged and local junkyards and residential curbs became a definite interest. Rejected paint was purchased from a local paint store for $4.00 a gallon. The walls were painted a soft buttery yellow and the existing paneling was washed with a coat of diluted cream paint. New commercial carpet was installed over the cement floors. A TV/VCR was also purchased for viewing T’ai Chi Chih videos. Part of an easel was transformed into a display table for books, tapes and other offerings. The ugly fluorescent ceiling fixtures were covered with bleached muslin, creating a soft ballooning effect. New door locks were installed, mirrors carefully hung and old lamps revitalized. Wallpaper in a Chinese red shade was donated by a friend and applied to the bathroom walls. The bathroom, having lots of cabinets, provided ample storage space for the students’ shoes, bags, etc. A bulletin board was mounted on one of the walls hosting pictures of local students, one of Justin with the two teachers and various announcements. The house had its own ceiling fan and central air and heating system. This was a definite plus.

The exterior of the house was washed and the window and door frames given several coats of a creamy white paint. Philodendrons, ferns, aspidistra, climbing jasmines and liriope were planted along the exterior walls. A T’ai Chi Chih sign made from a rattan headboard and flanked with bamboo (made from plastic PVC pipe) stands proudly in the front yard. A honeysuckle vine finds its way onto the bamboo frame. A swing was hung from a pecan tree in the backyard. The front and back doors were painted a deep magenta color. Lots of energy and time was devoted to this transformation.

Caroline and Bitsy shared much more than hard work and determination. They shared ideas and emotions. Laughter, the making of a deeper friendship, and love, kept them company along the way. They had the generous help and support of their husbands, Robert and Daniel, who helped make this growth possible, not only financially, but emotionally as well. Just about anything that was asked of them, if possible, was granted. Neither Robert nor Daniel, at this time, are students of T’ai Chi Chih, but they are definitely part of the T’ai Chi Chih Family. They helped make a little ordinary green house bloom into a warm and welcoming T’ai Chi Chih Center. By the way, the Center is located on Center Street. It is still referred to sometimes as the “Green House.”

Costs were kept as low as possible, but it did take initial money to get it started. Robert has been very generous in not asking for any expenses toward the rent or other monthly costs. Caroline and Bitsy don’t want to take this for granted and look forward to being able to meet their share of expenses.

The T’ai Chi Chih Center gives Lake Charles students an opportunity to be able to learn and practice T’ai Chi Chih in a comfortable and peaceful environment.

For T’ai Chi Chih teachers, new and old, explore your possibilities! One never knows when the seed has been planted. A flower might bloom for you, too!

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As I reflect on the establishment of the [Lake Charles] Center, a few T’ai Chi Chih principles come to mind. When it first opened, upon entering, I felt it gave TCC a certain rootedness in Lake Charles. It was no longer just something new and intriguing being taught in an available public facility. It was a place that was more than a building with an address. It was a space that effortlessly brought one in contact with the supreme ultimate. The environment is simple, with character, but not elaborate or exaggerated. The teachers, too, are a part of the identity of the Center and also a reflection of it. Students easily detect the “Teh” there, the power of inner sincerity and integrity that is both grounded and natural in and around them. And as we return to this same place, this same space, our practice is enhanced by the continuity of all of the above.

– Miki White
Student of Bitsy LeBlanc and Caroline Guilott