The House

This drawing was a rather rough sketch that isn't really to scale, I didn't use a straight edge, and the perspective isn't terribly correct (it was drawn in the car on the way to visit family). Regardless, it does give an idea of, roughly, what I expect the house to look like. Until all the permit mess is worked out, this is all subject to change, but I fell in love with the craftsman style homes and little bungalows that populated some of the less tourist frequented areas of Savannah. I loved the attention to detail and developed a particular love for decorative, exposed rafter tails and the idea that a house didn't have to be massive to be a dream home.

I tried to be very realistic about what we did and did not need when formulating this plan. There have certainly been times in my life where I have dreamed of living in some massive mansion with a room for every whim, but the majority of my thoughts center on the idea that more space is more to clean and maintain without any truly notable benefit.

Not to say the plan is without indulgences. I did want a kitchen with lots of counter space, a living room AND a family room, wide hallways to be lined with built in bookshelves, and a dedicated work space. Cal wanted a space to paint and an outdoor kitchen. The other side of that is knowing where we're willing to make sacrifices. I've learned that I am completely satisfied with a bedroom that is only large enough for a bed, space to move around said bed, and storage for clothing and personal items. I've also learned that, while I want a dedicated place to work, a desk in a closet is plenty of space for my computer and I generally prefer to draw outside or at the table. For that matter, I've also realized that a separate dining room is not something we generally use if there is space for us to sit and eat as a family in the kitchen. The current design is approximately 1600 sq. ft. I'm sure we could manage with much less (Cal and I have mostly comfortably shared an apartment of roughly 700 sq. ft. that featured a side room we didn't really use until Mellie was conceived and it got pegged as the baby room), but I believe this will be a good size for our needs and desires.

One of the central ideas behind this project is to spend as little as possible while maintaining the integrity of the structure and the design. We plan to build this out of pocket, skipping the 30 years of debt that seems to have become an American tradition. So far we've purchased a sizable chunk of our materials for just over $1000 by shopping around and keeping an eye out for a good deal. This includes all the doors and windows, a good portion of the wiring, pipes, outlets, and fixtures needed,  roof trusses, one load of rock for the exterior, and (hopefully) all the cement block we need.

Another concept at the heart of this plan is to be as self sufficient as possible. While we will likely be hooked up to the grid, the design is intended to be functional off of it through use of solar panels, a rainwater reclamation system, a grey water system, possible use of well water, and design features to provide some natural heating and cooling. Covered porches on the south and west faces of the house will offer some insulation to the most exposed sides of the structure from the sun during summer, while an outdoor kitchen gives a place to cook a hot meal without heating the house. A parallel set of doors on each side of the house should offer air circulation on a warm, but breezy day. A centrally placed indoor kitchen can heat the house while a meal is cooked during the winter.

My dream is fairly simple: a home for my family, gained without a mortgage, that gives us what we need without going overboard.

Oh Yum!

Today was a bit of a crazy day, but I did get a chance to sit down and enjoy some of the gourmet marshmallows I had ordered from my friend Kathy's new Etsy shop. (This package was the cause of the hike up to our mailbox mentioned in the previous post.) Her shop is named "Oh Yum", and the name fits!

I had plans for smores and hot chocolate, but they didn't last long enough. While I can't say how they are toasted, I think the fact that every marshmallow has been consumed in the span of two days, in a household that eats few sweets at that, speaks volumes. The coconut went first, followed shortly by the almond. The fruit flavors I was a bit more hesitant about, but after trying them I'm in love. While the almond is still my favorite, lemon flavored marshmallow goes amazingly well with a glass of iced tea after garden work on a hot day!

If you have a sweet craving that needs sating, need a very tasty party or wedding favor, or just want to help support a very awesome work at home mom, check these out!

Signs Of Autumn

Autumn seems to have begun overnight. One day the world was lush, green, and hot. Then, one morning, we woke up reaching for a blanket and gazing out the window at a handful of the first golden leaves on a nearby tree.

Autumn also tends to be a time of many deadlines for me, so the last few days have been part of a mad rush to get submissions ready for a handful of gallery shows I wanted to enter this year.

We did get a chance to sneak out for some family time, and a walk to the mailbox, during which we saw yet another sign of autumn; there were muscadines (a wild grape native to this area) everywhere! They're somewhat tart, but have a great, very unique flavor. Calvin entertained Mellie while I climbed around in the wood line a bit trying to fill a bowl with dark purple fruit. I didn't get as many as I had hoped, but not a bad haul either!

Pick A Goat, Any Goat

Whether or not to involve livestock in our little homestead adventure was a subject of some debate.. except when it came to goats. I've always liked goats. They're curious, intelligent, outgoing, quirky little creatures. They like to play and explore. Plus they're kind of cute. Calvin fell prey to goat fever pretty quickly as well.

After developing a mutual desire to have a dairy goat or two, the next step was to address the practical aspects. We needed a shelter, secure pasture (both to keep them in and to keep predators out), a plan for care, and to choose a type of goat.  Shelter worked out neatly, since this whole endeavor was well timed with the building of a storage shed anyways. Pasture along the wood line provides browse (brush type vegetation for happy goat munching) and a mix of sun and shade. The plan for care mostly resolved itself by location (their proximity to the driveway makes it convenient to check in for anyone on their way in or out). That left breed.

Our goats are Dwarf Nigerians. I looked at several breeds, but in the end it came down to La Manchas, Nubians, or Dwarf Nigerians. While I was much enamored with the cute little elf ears of some La Manchas (not ideal for the breed, but I like them), and the rounded faces and floppy ears of Nubians, in the end Dwarf Nigerians won out. My research led me to feel like they were ideal for our situation. They give birth easily, require less land per goat, don't mind the heat, have a great temperament, give a respectable amount of milk for their size, and are small enough to be managed with minimal effort, even when they're dishing out a generous portion of stubbornness. So far, these little goats have been a great fit for us!

Fall Planting

When it comes to home grown produce, summer crops are great, but cooler weather plants are where my heart is. I have a long standing love of root vegetables and dark, leafy greens. Beer braised kale with garlic is something I'm happy to make a meal of. Mixed greens in a spicy peanut sauce is another well loved recipe, and a root vegetable soup is my favorite cold weather staple.

Today had a definite hint of autumn in the air. This morning a light jacket even felt appropriate before the sun was fully up. The tomatoes have stopped producing well, the eggplant and beans are clearly done for the year, and the few remaining summer squash are busy hardening to give us seeds for next year. Even the massive number of margiold (calendula) plants scattered through the garden are making the transition from blooms to seeds.  I've been taking down plants that seem to be completely done bearing and replanting for a few weeks. We canned the last big handfuls of tomatoes week before last and most of the tomato plants are now replaced with broccoli, brussel sprouts, onions and lettuce. Our peppers are still producing plenty, so fall plantings are going in around them as carefully as possible.

We started a number of our fall plantings inside back in early August, but it's never too late. If you're interested in planting a fall garden, most root vegetables, leafy greens and winter squashes can be planted any day now for a late in the year harvest of fresh produce. Arugula and radish are particularly fast growing, if time is a concern. Heavy mulching around the bases of plants (as insulation for the roots), cold frames, and hoop houses can also greatly increase the length of your growing season. I'm personally a big fan of mulching, but this year I'm hoping to try a small hoop house for growing greens in winter. My fingers are crossed for fresh turnip greens in February!