Luciferous Terra

Farmer Tom

2009-06-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

I call him "Farmer Tom." In addition to the edibles we eat, he's given away hundreds of dollars worth of bouquets to neighbors and passers-by at the lot. I like calling him Farmer Tom because that means I'm the Farmer's Wife. A role I like!

Here's a quote that fits us. It's from Extreme Simplicity, by Christopher and Dolores Lynn Nyerges.

In our view, "thinking like a farmer" means looking for
every opportunity to use your own land (even if it's a small urban lot) to
produce as much of the food.....and other userful materials that it possibly can."

Early summer at the lot

2009-05-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

View of lot, while I'm standing on the wall across the street

A friend asked for more photos, so here they are! Taken this morning, after a delightful bike ride. (It's bike to work day!) We've mowed the lot twice this season. We meaning Tom. :-) He also tends the flowers. I admire them and love them. That's important, too!

Spring at the Lot

2009-04-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here are a few flower photos from the house lot. These are a few weeks old, so much more color and bloom now. At the bottom is a picture of the clearing work that Tom is doing.

Tulips that we did not put in. Last year they bloomed. I'm hopeful for this year!

These crocus are another gift from former residents.

I think this is squill. We put this bulb in last fall. (We = Tom)

Some tiny, tiny daffodils that Tom put in.

He's been taking down a few trees that are either dead or in the way of the sun. The limestone chunks were buried in the back. We think "they" just dumped it at the back of the lot when they cleared the house, or it could possibly be from Banneker across the street.

Ground Breaking

2009-02-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

Tom and I, along with friends, celebrated our ground breaking on February 1st. That's when we celebrate the first day of spring, and we thought it would be an appropriate ceremonial start.

Photos by Anna. (Thank you!)

Although it was a warm and sunny day (in the low 50s), the ground was frozen and covered in snow.

Friends brought things to honor the ground breaking, like this bird's nest and pine bough.

And cornmeal that we all sprinkled on the snow.

Tom and I always throw out lettuce seeds in February (usually on Valentine's Day), and we did so this year at our new lot. It's pretty amazing how they'll melt through the snow and actually grow!

Two sculptures on the lot that Tom has made from found materials.

Special thanks to all our friends and family in attendance, either in spirit or in the flesh!

Solstice at the Lot

2008-12-22T13:10:00.000-08:00

Tom spent yesterday, high noon, at the lot...watching how the sun falls onto the property.
How cool is that?!!!?

Trees and Boxes

2008-12-11T13:12:00.000-08:00

Tom has been clearing scrubby/dead trees on the lot and making a house model out of carboard.
More coming soon, including pictures.

From Alexandra Stoddard

2008-10-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

Alexandra Stoddard is one of my (Steph's) favorite authors. I love how she approaches life and design. Here is a quote from her most recent newsletter. The quote rings true for me in our home creation process:

"The number one question asked us is, 'When will the renovation be over?' This is not a question to be answered with any accuracy. The restoration of our cottage will be finished when the necessary work is done. In the meantime we are enjoying life to the fullest, we are finding joy in our work and in our relationships with others, and we feel richly blessed by great people, known and unknown to us, who let us know that we are making a difference in their lives."

Cool gifts

2008-10-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Tom found some old blackberry and raspberry bushes on the property, buried in an overgrown area. He lovingly dug them out of the weeds and replanted them in the clear. Given that blackberries are on of his favorites, I'm sure he'll give them lots of T&C!

This lot has given us so many amazing gifts...

Marbles and other treasures from the dirt
The very cool limestone sidewalk/round space
Surprise flowers - tulips and crocus and others
The chance to love and tend the earth

Plant Thinning

2008-09-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

What you're seeing here is part of the moving process! We, well mostly Tom, are turning our current yard (shown) slowly back into grass, as we promised the landlord. We're moving some plants to the new space, and giving away lots and lots. We certainly won't be out of the current house by next Spring, but Tom won't have as much time to spend on these plants. It's all part of the great, big organic process of building our new home. This process is moving slowly, but it is moving and at a pace that is comfortable for us....and our plant children!

Bits and Pieces

2008-09-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

We don't have a house plan, but we recently acquired some bits and pieces. On a recent visit to family, we salvaged this antique cupola with a copper roof and fun weather vane. We think the cupola may have once topped my sister's home, which is listed on the National Historic Register.

We also brought home this hand-made door, fashioned by my (Steph's) grandfather. It has three ornately carved panels on each side. This door means a lot because it's one of the most recent pieces that my grandfather created. His woodworking has slowed to a halt.

The idea is that these items will be incorporated into our home.

With Autumn fast approaching (or here), we'll be adding some perennials to the lot (more blooms for spring), part of the slow process of moving plants from our current home to the new one. Tom has also been at work taking down some "bird-poop" trees - that is, scrubby trees (mulberry) planted by aerial bombings of birds.

Fruit of the Land

2008-09-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

Tom grew these lovely cantaloupes at the lot. They turned brown recently and we gobbled them up over the weekend! Tasty!

New American Gothic

2008-08-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hello from Luciferous Terra,
Well it seems as though this spot of earth (may) want us as occupants. It is a learning experience. Actually my attempt at doing a blog post, a first by the way, is a learning experience. An old dog can learn new tricks. This photo is of me, Tom, or as a fellow the other day called me the Stone Man. He was walking by and stopped and chatted for awhile. He was wondering if I would give him a piece of limestone so that he could carve a memorial stone for his dad. Well, the deal did not transpire but I hope it does in the future. For anyone who wants to criticize my spelling or grammar or whatever, feel free to do so----- cause this ain't English class at this point, it's about fun and sharing. Who knows, maybe it will get more academic with time. This could be the beginning of that book I always thought I'd write.
So this is a plot of various perennials and annuals surrounding a piece of yard art affectionately called "Grilled Cheese Sandwich".

This photo is not a crop circle. However, it is proof that someone else did love this property at some point. What you see is what appears to be a circle of stones, probably a flower bed that seemed to surround a stone in the center, where I can easily imagine a bird bath sat at one time. There is a beautiful limestone sidewalk leading up to and beyond the circle. The discovery under x amount of soil was thrilling. This and the other discoveries so far help me to believe that helping heal this piece of wounded earth is what the rest of my life is about.

A better shot of "Grilled Cheese Sandwich".

Oh yeah---- someday we will build a house on this lot, or maybe it will rise up out of the soil in a somewhat organic fashion. I wonder if it's ok with the FDA if I use the word organic in such fashion? Don't "THEY" pretty much own that word and charge folks to use it these days?

Well, I best stop now before I start waxing poetic, or sarcastic, or caustic, or earth only knows what else.

Tom

Are You Building a Park, or Something?

2007-11-30T11:08:00.000-08:00

Tom was working on the lot today and a guy stopped by and asked the question that titles this blog. The answer is: No. And yes.

We will eventually build a house here. It would be nice to break ground in 2008, but we're letting the schedule take shape organically.

We are building a park - our own beautiful space and a space to share with neighbors, affectionately called "Luciferous Terra" - a place on earth providing light or mental insight.

What we are doing now is getting to know the property. We are letting it talk to us. Letting it show us what it wants, how it greets the sun and rain, how it moves in the seasons. We are becoming familiar with each other (the lot and us) so that it will be happy and willing to receive us. We're planting things and making it beautiful, letting it know it's cared for.

Tough Love

2007-10-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Several plants at the lot have been given tough love. Basically, they've not been watered since T put them in. I'm surprised at how well they've done, especially given the extremely DRY late summer and fall that we had. The red Texas sage looks particularly fine.

Queen Victoria and Small Houses

2007-10-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

"Things taste better in small houses."
-- Queen Victoria

Absolutely, we agree!!!

Over the Hump!

2007-10-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

The big hump in the middle of the property is gone! T spent yesterday working to remove it, bucket by bucket by bucket. My fantasies of finding great archaeological treasures are gone, but he did find several marbles!

Green Flooring Options

2007-09-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

There's a great article in the current edition (Sept) of Living Green magazine about green flooring options.

Update and Geothermal Heat

2007-08-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Wow - it's been far too long since I made a post! It's been a busy past month of travel (personal and for work). We're still in the considering phase of the house building. We're constantly looking at house plan books and home magazines.

One of our good friends (and champion of the planet) sent us this excellent explanatory video on how geothermal heat works. Enjoy.

84-Sq-Foot House

2007-07-20T12:28:00.001-07:00

A friend sent me this video. Incredible! This woman lives in an 84-square-foot house. She limits herself to 300 things. I am impressed!

Here's the video link. Warning: You may need a Yahoo account.

Tom and I don't have a house quite that small in mind, but we are looking to build something that maximizes the use of inside space so that we can keep the total footprint small.

Grilled Cheese

2007-07-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

Yard art made of wood, limestone, and steel. All found/rescued materials. Artist: Tom

He calls this Grilled Cheese. Why? Why not!

Yard in Organic Garden Tour

2007-06-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

Our current yard is going to be in the Organic Gardening Association's tour this Saturday, June 30th. Our house, plus another on our street, will be featured among several others. Come to visit us! I can take very little credit for the garden - it's all Tom's work. He tends it and my job is to love and admire it. ;-)

To join the tour, meet ab B-foods East around 8:30 am. The tour is from 9 - 3.

Here are a few photos for those who can't make it in person.

What's the rock for?

2007-06-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

In alignment with one of our guiding principles, to build an earth-friendly home, we strive to use salvaged materials as much as possible. One example is the salvaged concrete chunks that we (well, Tom) rescued from an apartment complex in town that is being rehabbed. These limestone-looking chunks are being used as borders to terrace the slope in the north end of the lot.

Guiding Principles

2007-05-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Our guiding principles are to build a home that is:

Earth-friendly
Within our budget
A place of beauty, peace, fun and mental insight

The Lot

2007-05-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

Photos from January, 2007 - just after we had closed on the lot.

Our street

Standing in the road, facing the lot

Standing in the back of the lot. The big building in the end of the photo was constructed by the WPA in 1938.

Concrete blocks that might have been footings from the original porch. There was a house and a stable on the property originally.

Luciferous What?!!?

2007-05-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

Luciferous Terra is what we've named our little piece of land on which we'll build our home.

Luciferous - Providing light or mental insight

Terra - Earth

Luciferous Terra - A place on earth providing light or mental insight

We like to think that our home and gardens will be such a place for us, and for all those that visit.