Taking Advantage of the Weather

The weather is pretty fine today. It is a good time to get some work done on many of the outside projects I have been putting off for just such an occasion.

My raspberry patch needs thinned.  Because they are good plants I can't just throw away the plants that I don't keep. I have found I can get a pretty good response if I offer them on Craigslist for free and I figure it is pretty good karma too.

I took my nephew out today. He "helped" me in the yard a bit. After his mom got home, I returned him to her and returned myself to my yard.

It was 70 degrees. There is something about being in the air and the light that quiets the noise. Maybe because there were no devices. I don't know.

I have a black kitty who has gone nearly feral. She comes to hang out with me when I work in the yard. Companionship and quiet and I got a little of the raspberry patch thinned too.  More to do. Lots more to do.
Later

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Spring Time . . .

. . . well, okay, maybe not entirely. There is green beginning to bud in the trees and brush. And daffodils are everywhere. Those flowers to me are the harbingers of spring. Although, considering that there is usually some nasty weather after they make their appearance, they often seem confused, as well. And, indeed, this year, nice weather, daffodils and then, this last week, snow.

But the springtime I was really referring to was the kind that shows up in the stores with packets of seeds, garden tools and baby chicks.  It always makes me feel excited and hopeful. I always start out with high hopes.

 I bought my chicks a few weeks ago and they are in that awkward phase right now.

I started some seeds a couple of weeks ago and they are approaching that awkward phase too.

The weather is supposed to be better next week. It should be a good time for projects like building a new coop and getting the garden beds ready for some of these starts. The greens and the peas, anyway.

Three Good Things
1. Seeds
2. Peeps (Chicks)
3. Better weather is on the way.

House Hunters vs. Tiny House Hunters

Sometimes I watch HGTV when I am doing stuff around the "big" house. I'm pretty sure the "Big" house costs less than what most of these people will put into a down payment. I wonder what it is like to have that kind of money and why you would want to go into debt if you could pay cash for something that requires less up keep and fewer utilities. They aren't just taking on 30 years of debt to purchase a home, but cleaning, utilities, repairs, maintenance. I don't understand the people who want the 3000 sq. ft. house.  But then, I imagine they wouldn't understand me with my tiny house that is 30x smaller.

I remember visiting some people many years ago who were having an addition built on to their family home. The woman declared that she couldn't wait for the addition to be finished because they had been living on top of each other for so long.  When I was in high school, my family lived in a two bedroom apt for a couple of years.  There are six kids in my family. I wondered at the time what they would have thought about that arrangement.

Anyway, for those of you interested in a little comparison, here it is:

VS.

Today I woke up to snow and cold. We knew the snow was coming. All the same, I have all of this wonderful time right now, while I'm looking for work, that I could be working on my house, but the weather is not cooperating.

There are stalwart souls like my sister R who enjoy the cold weather. I can't function when it's too cold. During our last work party in October, the weather was cool and I was okay for most of the day, but by late afternoon I was done. The cold had soaked through everything and settled into my bones. I think my body was spending so much energy just trying to stay warm, I had nearly lost the capacity for rational thought.

So, today while I lament the fact that I cannot go outside to play, I am dreaming and collecting wisdom and considering what I want to say here this week.

This is Dee Williams. I could say a lot about her and probably will. For today, however, I just want to share this lovely little video that embodies a lot about the tiny house movement and simplicity.

Sometimes, over the past few months, I get to wondering if my house will ever get done. But when I go down to the site and go inside, even though it is far from done, I feel calmer and get excited for the time when I can get it finished and move in.

I like to take a little inspiration from others who have done things. I like that this guy has gone way simple. Also, check out the garden. Off grid, inexpensive and everything you need. This whole place is a dream.

Build Update: Where we are now

So, yesterday it was sunny and 60 degrees.  This morning I woke up to snow.

I began building my tiny last summer. What is done so far was essentially done by November.  A little has been done since then but in October we began working 60 hour weeks and could no longer work on the tiny. After Christmas we returned to 40 hour weeks but the weather hasn't been great.

I know: "Excuses, excuses."

Now that I am unemployed again, I am hoping that the weather will give us two days together with out any precipitation so that we can get something accomplished.

Here are a few other pics of current progress.

Myths of the 40 Hour Work Week

I like TED talks.  Informative, intelligent and interesting. But, I'm going to let this lady do the talking for me. The sun is shining and I have been sitting in front of this screen for too long today.