dream home

It is the first day after spring break and I have so very much to do! But at the moment I have to take a break to say, ohmygoodness I want to live like a hobbit too! This house is gorgeous and green and did I say gorgeous! Though cities are exciting, the fam and I were roasting marshmallows in our big stick burning bowl in our back yard yesterday evening to clear out some of the sticks our big tree drops and it was so happy, and we were really enjoying our outside space. And this past weekend I planted onions and peas and carrots and spinach while Zoe ran around the yard playing in dirt and wow that was fun. Now that I have decided I like space and yard and dirt, imagine living in the dirt? In a completely sustainable and beautiful home? If I could still walk to a coffee shop that happens to sell really great icecream, then it would be perfection. So, adding to the list of my goals in life: build hobbit home. Apparently it only takes 4 months and less than 5000 dollars (ok, ok, and perhaps some skills).

DIY!

Several days ago our washing machine started pouring water out the bottom when trying to wash clothes. Im afraid it had been leaking steadily more and more for some time, and we hadnt noticed until it became a veritable flood. So, once we noticed, of course we stopped all laundry activity. Last night we finally had time to investigate and see what the problem is. At first we thought it was beyond our ability to fix. Then we realized a repair person would be really pricey with no garauntee of a fix and that to buy a new energy star washing machine would be at least 500$...so we looked again. We tore that machine apart! Opened it up into several pieces and got inside its head. We found the leak! We ordered a new part (half price on ebay) and now, assuming we can put it all back together when it arrives and it works, will have spent a mere 20$! Oh I feel so industrious. We are so proud. I sure hope it gets working again soon. I have baby clothes sheets and diapers to wash in preparation! It would have been nice to replace it with an extra efficient machine, but I dont think this one is too bad, not too old....and we dont have 500$. So its best to keep working with what youve got, and here's hoping our burgeoning appliantology skills pay off!

inside the side of my house

there are birds in the side of my house. INside the side of my house. right above the window of the bathroom, which is where i heard them, while i was in the bathroom, and it scared the pants right on me. sounded like they were comming right inside and although birds are lovely when heard outside, there is supposed to be a seperation between nature and my house - nature is what happens OUTside my house and that sound, of birds, should not be heard inside. I went outside to see, skated on the thick crusty icey heaps of snow and saw the hole in the side of my house. luckilly the bird cannot actually come inside the bathroom, only into its wall. which is only slightly less disturbing. luckilly we are dropping an unseemly amount of money on new siding this spring. oh the lucky luck. boring way to spend money, let me tell you, but at least i wont hear birds while i am trying to potty.
but it is true that there is an odd distinction about our homes and nature. or, my home and nature. it is true that i want nature to stay outside when nature is alive and crawls or flies. but, at the same time, i want inside to somehow be nature-like. i want bamboo and earthen colors and i desperately love eco-architecture and wish i could build a new house with strawbale walls and earthen floors (did you see the nyt article on mud floors?) and a solarpanel roof. but for now we try to piece together this place the best it can be pieced together and hope, simply, to keep out the birds.