I hate when there isn’t a photo to post…but, so much has happened in the past several days.
Plans for a November island working vacation.
Rethinking the size of the house.
The reality of the money situation.
Fall leaves beginning to turn.
Our son is married.
Outdoor Education week with 6th graders.
So, you need to envision golden leaves, a white veil, the island in November, a smaller home and keep this thought; Life is Good.
I opened a plastic bin. I rediscovered these squares. They were from a crochet internet group I was a part of. We made squares of a certain size and sent them all over the world. It was so fun. Each package was a treasure. I packed mine away in one of the infamous plastic bins to be dealt with at a later date.
This is the later date.
I took them out and began stitching them together. I began with a random selection and it was horrid. So, I tore it all out and began again. I tried to make some sense of the plethora of colors, patterns, and squares. Some of the pieces still had tags on them from South Dakota, New Zealand, Maine and more. What a special piece this will be.
When I work on this blanket, my mind wanders to the numerous afghans my mother made. I remember and still own, several from Nana D, my mom and even quilts from my grandmother. Working with my hands is good for my spirit. I love the tactile flow of wool, the odd colors of synthetics and the stitches that bring them together. I love the click of the knitting needles and the warmth of a crochet hook in my hand.
This is why I love to manipulate fibres of any sort. Leaves, twigs, bamboo, grasses, and more. At school, I am currently creating handmade paper with a very eager student. It is always my dream to pass along my love of fibre to youngsters surrounded by steel, cement, and uninspired architecture.
Manipulation…it’s a good thing!
Diane and I spent several hours Sunday going through engineering plans for the current list of potential houses – the current leader is the Vashon II built by Timberland homes in Auburn WA. It’s larger than we would like, but realistically we will probably need the space for an office, guest bedroom and storage. We have been in one at their Mount Vernon display and really liked the layout…
Vashon II
The bikes have a new home and a good one! The minute the new owner laid eyes on Mark’s 60’s bike, he began to rattle off all of the bike’s fabulous features. Good times ahead for bike and owner.
We have been looking at house plans. Again and again and again. I think it’s time to break out the pencil and paper; list what we must have, need and want and draw-up some plans. It is all overwhelming. Never done this before and sure don’t want to screw it up.
Fall is in the air and the plants are beginning to set seed. Every year, I collect copious amounts of nasturtium, cosmos, scarlet runner bean and marigold seeds. I plant them the next year. This year, I was going to let them play out their game and not collect seeds. I won’t be here next year…maybe. Mark talked me into taking the seeds to Whidbey Island. I balked at first and then realized it would be a great thing to look around at my Colorado flowers in a different setting.
Mark has been cleaning out pantries. He loves his sauces, herbs, seasonings and all. He would have to cook for a crowd to use them all before their expiration dates rolled around. That’s something we’ll have to adjust for in the new place.
I used my last bottle of body wash…ewww. I am going to switch over to bar soap. I got to thinking about recycling on the island and how I could cut down on the amount of consumable packaging in my own home. I recycle all of the plastic bottles here, but I see no reason to rethink my approach. So, plastic containers of body wash; gone.
Gave away a jigsaw puzzle. Put it together and that’s one less thing to take. I love jigsaw puzzles. I may try to put together the ones I currently have and then pass them on. I know where the thrift stores are on the island and I can always buy more puzzles.
Also rethinking the books that remain. Today, I need to choose one to read. It will be interesting to see what I kept. I have a feeling I will be saying, “Really?”.
Today, I walked into the teacher’s lounge. There was the display of books on sale.
I picked one up. I remembered I am on a book diet for a year.
That does not include grandchilden’s books, I hope.
Why do some things sell and others do not? Items have been given away, sold for ridiculously low amounts and yet, others linger.
Back at work and in a state of flux. I need to get a calendar and have the determination to do one thing everyday that gets us closer to the move. Sort through a box, toss out flotsam, look again at the remaining books, open a linen closet and look again. Five minutes, ten? What can go? What seriously needs to stay?
Yesterday, we went to the Habitat for Humanity home, again. 900+ square feet of the most amazingly well thought-out space. That little house gives me such hope that we can do the same. Solar panels on the roof that were unobtrusive and such a great investment. Well-made cabinetry. Closet space. Mud room. It’s time to sit down and really think through our wants and needs. When you come to visit us on the island, do not bring numerous suitcases! You’ll have to rent a storage facility (one of mankind’s most stupid inventions).
Look around your room; right now; wherever you are. What could you toss? Why don’t you?
We left California in the late 70’s. We drove the Ford through the redwoods, along the Oregon Coast, through Washington coastal lands and up into Canada. We waited for word on the AlCan Highway and found out it had washed out. We decided to take the Cassiar Highway; an untamed, solitary, one lane, gorgeous drive. We awoke to voracious mosquitoes and ran to the truck for cover. We wandered through the Yukon. One spot offered up electricity and running water; a true, true luxury. The Ford pulled the trailer up and down hills, past lakes and valleys, and we landed amidst the permafrost stunted forest of the Alaskan border. I cried. It was ugly and desolate.
The Ford took us to Fairbanks and a small cabin outside of town. No garage. No running water. In the midst of winter, the truck had to be plugged in for hours before we could venture to town.
We left the following July and drove down the AlCan. Mud, dust, frayed nerves. The entry into Bellingham, Washington was overwhelming. I cried. It was such a big city.
The Ford dragged the trailer for several camping trips on Whidbey Island. Whidbey was a welcome respite from the city. The ocean, forests and small towns were wonderful. Who knew we would land there so very many years later? Not me.
The Ford made trips to California, Colorado and back to Washington. The final trip, our weathered vehicle earned a ride to Colorado. Imagine! The trailer had to be sacrificed. I cried.
The Ford sat in retirement in the Black Forest these past many years. It was somehow comforting to look out the kitchen window and see her there. But, it is time for the next move and she, too, needed a new adventure. Adios. May new adventures be in your future. I will never forget you.
So – we have lots of computing hardware capability, but no open source CAD program that can take in dimensions and GIS coordinates to play with for clearing and placement of structures on the land…
So, using snipit tool, Google Earth (thanks), the Island County GIS overlay of boundaries (which is off by about 15 – 20 feet from the pins Diane and I found), paper and scaling – we are starting to think about something like this:
The grid is around 75 feet on the white area, which would be 2 cleared acres. That might put us in the “low impact” for the size of the land, but also needs to include the existing road and meadows for a total of <= 2.2 acres. If we go over that, its “mid level” impact up to 3.9 acres total. Those titles determine whether we need to be 75 or 125 feet from the wetlands near the north end of the road. The main house on this diagram is ~1400 sq feet, a casita of 600 sq feet and a shop/studio of 900 sq feet – actual placement depends on the rolling topography which doesn’t show on the sat pass at all…
> 130,000 miles – over 5 times around the world since April 1978; 33 years, up and down the ALCAN highway when it was still > 1200 miles of dirt, ditches and mud, Camille in the middle with a spinning speaking toy that always seemed to hit the rooster … I never thought we’d part with the truck, I considered many times turning it into a planter… but we can’t take it with us so off it goes into someone else’s life – hope it does as well for them as it did for us. And they don’t make chrome bumpers like that any longer… still shiny after 39 years of neglect.
I wonder what this land looks like today? Have the sword ferns died? Is it still summer and they are plugging along? Has the moss deepened? Have new plants grown and we have yet to see them?
How are the frogs? None here in Black Forest.
Dragonflies? Mosquitoes? Gnats? Flies? Butterflies? Moths? Grasshoppers? Slugs?
It will all be new.
I want to be there, but today, in the hallway at school, it was terrifically exciting. I love the first days of school. Fresh, new, excited. I wondered how many times I would be in tears? I love what I do.
How about you? Why do you love what you do? How would you change what you do?