Update and Geothermal Heat

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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.