We go to a home group every week.
We love it.
Sadie loves it too.
She gets to play with things she doesn’t normally play with.
Like last time we were there…
Daddy showed her a gun they had. He thought it would be a good educational experience. She needs to learn about guns at some point.
Obviously she knows that guns are serious business.
Once daddy showed her how to shoot it, she went huntin’.
And she bagged her first bear!
Daddy’s so proud of her! (he hasn’t even got one yet)
Since I was 14 years old I’ve been designing houses for fun. It all started when my dad was working for a log home building company and I fell in love with log houses. The first house I designed had a huge prow-front and massive kitchen with the fridge on one side and the sink at the other side, with an island in between. Lots of walking. It had two lofts. One was the master bedroom and one was a whatever room. With a bridge between them and a spiral staircase in the middle. They were both open to the floor below which meant you could see across from one to the other. Hmm. There was one other bedroom and no bathroom on the main floor. And did I mention this house was about 2300 square feet? LOTS of open floor space. LOTS of wasted space. Cathedral ceilings. Yeah, ridiculous.
I have since gotten a little better at designing houses for families instead of basketball teams, I hope. I’ve amassed a binder full of sketches on graph paper and spanish and chemistry notes, most of which are trash, but I can’t bring myself to get rid of them since they’re a chronicle of my progress as a designer and I like to look back at how amazingly awful they were and what terrible rooms I visualized in my head while I was daydreaming in math class.
Sometimes in my dreams (at night) there’s a house that’s really cool and I try to look around at all the rooms while I’m there so I can remember it when I wake up. I usually have to go through the house at least twice, but I start to wake up near the end of the second tour and then I have to make up the rest as I draw it out the next day. They usually end up being mansions.
It is so much fun designing houses for people that if anybody asks me to draw one for them, I start asking them a zillion questions about what they like and what they visualize in their heads and put all the pieces together in my head, then fill in all the blanks as I draw it out, and I feel complete again.
Sometimes people ask me if I’ve drawn up my dream house. I have to say no because there’s no way to design a house without seeing where it’s going first, unless you just want want to plunk a box down on the ground and call it home with no thought for views or sunlight or privacy or prevailing winds or landscaping. I will design my dream house once I see where it’s going to be built. Until then, I practice.
I’m not in too much of a hurry because I still can’t decide if I want round or square logs, and I have to resolve the chinking problem (to chink or not to chink…Darryl says no, I say maybe yes). Then I see how cool straw bale houses look and I want to build one with round walls in some places and little surprise stairways and gardens. And then I don’t know what to do. So I practice designing strawbale houses too. My MIL wants to build one in Saskatchewan so now I’m playing with designs for her. Here’s a couple I did yesterday.
They are not to scale or anything but they’re designed for passive solar heating and protection from the cold north winds in Saskatchewan. That nifty stone wall in the master bedroom (in both plans) would have hot water pipes from the stove or whatever other heating option is used so that the wall gives off heat. Perfect for cold winter nights. Both houses also have wraparound porches and roof overhangs to protect the walls from driving rain.
One thing I love about strawbale is its versatility. You can make a curved wall wherever you want, and put a little diamond-shaped window in it, or embed some colourful glass bottles into it. Walls can be fluid and irregular. There doesn’t have to be any harsh corners or angles and you can create something that’s fun to live in as well as being functional. I think having curved walls makes it feel like you’re living with nature instead of away from it since nature abhors a straight line and curves feel more soothing to the eye. There’s nothing new age about it. It just feels better to be in a house with curved walls.
There’s not many curves in these two houses because they’re designed to be easy to build, though I don’t know how easy the curved window walls would be, and I’m still practicing. I’ll get bolder with house shapes as I play with more plans.
So there ya go. If you’re wanting a beautiful home (or gymnasium) designed, write me with your wish list and I’ll see what I can do. Don’t be surprised if I e-mail you back with an exhaustive list of questions. It’s all part of the process.
Remember this photo of my driveway?
Now look what it looks like!
Yayy! It’s totally springtime up here now. And I’ve been progressively busier and busier with outside work.
It’s great.
There’s lots to do.
I finally got a used baby carrier (it’s no ERGO, but it’s a similar design and just as comfortable…for $15) so I can take Sadie with me when I’m working, instead of sneaking out while she’s napping to get a couple loads of horse poop hauled. Sooo much better. I hauled three loads today with Sadie on my back. No sweat.
Frequenting online classified ads definitely pays off. I traded some LED christmas lights for some pretty grasses and some perriwinkle groundcover. I potted them today so they will stay alive until I figure out where to put them.
And all those patio slabs stacked up behind the plants? Those were free.
I also scored this pile of rubble from the online classifieds. For free.
Can you figure out what it is?
It’s very exciting. I can’t wait to reassemble it.
I’ll give you a hint.
It protects life and facilitates growth.
I took all the mulch off my beds the other day. This is the current status of my garden.
Before I know it it will be time to plant and I won’t have any seeds yet.
But for now, I have plenty of raking to do. I did this patch last week. It was covered with sticks, rocks and pine cones before.
Now I don’t know about you, but on days like this one…
…it’s physically impossible for me to stay inside. I have to be out even if I don’t actually get anything done. It’s a whole lot more fun to get stuff done though. Partly cause Sadie would rather not sit in her stroller not moving for very long, and partly cause 5 minutes of raking makes such a big difference that it’s addicting.
Yes, I’m addicted to raking.
It’s one of my favourite outside jobs. Right up there with setting up my hammock.
Once I start, it’s impossible to stop until my hands have turned into one solid blister. Then I rake up the last little bit. And the other spot I missed. Then I stop raking and go dig something.
Like this.
This is one of my many ambitious projects for this year (we’ll see how many actually get done). I’m turning this empty corner of dirt next to the house into a patio area. Sounds simple enough.
But to do that, I have to level it so any furniture I get will sit flat, then install my free patio slabs in an exotic pattern, then build terraced rock walls on the uphill (house) side, then plant nice things in it, then set up the gazebo frame and use it as a trellis for growing gourds (or any other climbing vegetable if the gourds don’t work), then figure out how to keep the feathered raptors chickens away from the whole thing.
I was thinking about building wattle fences around it. But that’s another project.
Oh, by the way…in case you’ve been in utter suspense for the last several months waiting to hear the final verdict, we’ve agreed on a new name for the white horse.
It’s Sonny.
(Did I tell you that already? I can never remember.)
The weekly riding lessons I’ve been giving a friend of mine (in exchange for piano lessons) has been great cause I get to take Sonny out and work him a bit too. Darryl looks after Sadie for me. He’s so great.
And you didn’t think you could get through another post with no pictures of Sadie, did you?
She was watching the chickens in this shot. Then I got her attention.
And got a smile.
I love it when she cranes her neck. And I love her toque.
I forgot to show you the before and after of one of the projects we completed last year.
The following photo of our (ugly) shed was taken last summer. (the lean-to part on the right is the chicken coop and the rest is storage) We decided to put (free) siding on it last summer so it wouldn’t be quite so hard on the eyes.
Now it looks like this.
Ahhh, much better. Darryl did a great job. Now the shed looks better than our house.
My parents gave us this bench when they deserted us moved. It spent the winter on the porch, but now it’s in just the right place to enjoy the afternoon sun. Once summer comes I will move it somewhere shady.
I quite like using junk and found objects for purposes other than their intended. Like this concrete deck support turned end table.
Wait till you see what else I have planned.
Oh, and the pile of scrap wood I showed you before is my new (free) greenhouse! Just in case you didn’t figure it out. 
If you haven’t been on The Pioneer Woman’s blog yet, you’re missing out.
At the very least, check out her Tasty Kitchen website, where she and many other people with amazing culinary tastes gather to share their delicious recipes.
That’s the first site I try when I’m looking for inspiration.
It has lots of pretty pictures.
Pretty pictures of food.
It makes me want to make everything so I can eat it all.
I definitely try different recipes more often.
Darryl even commented last night, “Thank goodness for the Pioneer Woman, hey?” As I was making a yummy salmon filet with an orange and balsamic vinegar glaze.
It was good!
And easy!
I love good and easy when it comes to food.
Everything I’ve made on that site so far is to die for.
Like the Salmon Pico De Gallo Tacos.
Sounds really strange, but I guarantee you will LOVE it! But wait until you have fresh tomatoes and peppers from your garden. That makes it even better.
Or the Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas.
Oh My Gosh! They were a bit more work, but soooo delicious I will definitely make them again!
I’ve also learned a few cooking tips that make preparing food easier, like how to chop an onion.
I also learned that I love alfredo dishes! I don’t usually have fettucini noodles so I use whole wheat spaghetti noodles, and I often add diced chicken, mushrooms and sometimes peppers.
So good!
And easy!
My favourite combination.
The recipes on the Pioneer Woman’s site make it look so easy cause she shows you a picture of every step, then makes you want to make it by showing you the finished product on her pretty dishes…with a bite or two missing. Mmmm.
Go there.
Let me know what you made.
My grandma turned 80 on March 7. Her birthday is easy to remember because it’s the day after mine.
My dad flew out from Prince Edward Island and a bunch of her old friends (some of them were quite old) came to visit with her.
That’s my dad, standing up.
My uncle and aunt came from Edmonton. They’re the ones on the far right and the far left.
Luke and Steph came down from Bill’s Puddle (Williams Lake). They stayed with us until dad flew in, then they went to Hannah’s and dad stayed with us. That’s Luke in the foreground, sidled up to the trough and grazing happily. It’s his favourite pastime.
And here’s Steph wishing she had a baby. Hee hee.
Here’s me showing Steph that moms can still be Hot.
Did I mention I love my hair?
We had Grandma’s little shindig at Hannah’s house cause mine’s too small and the only couch I own is on the porch cause it wouldn’t fit into the house (we tried valiantly).
Hannah’s neighbour made a really nice cake.
We all ate way too much, but we had fun looking through some old albums with black and white photos of grandma’s grandpa and her dad and her brother and the foxes they used to raise in Saskatchewan way back when there was a market for them.
Hannah and Steph and I made a banner for the event.
It’s one of those things that we do for every birthday or baby shower that occurs for anybody that goes to our church.
It’s like a tradition.
Or a bad habit.
Some large paper balls were part of the decor.
Along with some pretty balloons.
Grandma had a great time reading cards from all her friends.
And opening presents.
And watching dad try to figure out what they were.
I think this one was a shawl.
Grandma really enjoyed herself. Hopefully enough to stick around a while longer.
She promised us she’d make it to 80, but maybe we can convince her to hang around long enough to get some photos of her with some more great grandkids.
If she agrees to that, we might be able to keep her for another 6 or 8 years.
My birthday party was the next day, also at Hannah’s. It wasn’t quite so exciting (for Hannah), but we finished off all the appies and Grandma’s yummy cake, and I got to visit with my friends, and chat with my mom on Skype.
I got to open presents too.
I like opening presents.
I wish birthdays came around more than once a year, except that we’d all be a lot older than we are now.
Maybe that’s not such a good idea.
PS. Hannah took all the pictures in this post. Thanks Hannah.
PSS. In case you’re confused, my birthday is on the 6th and Grandma’s is on the 7th, but she had her party on my birthday and I had my party on her birthday. I hope that clears things up.
I really wish Sadie was in focus in this picture because I love it.
She used to be able to stand up next to the stool and her head would just fit under the keyboard.
Here’s her cousin Micah showing her how it’s done.
Well now she can almost reach the keys.
Maybe if she puts some shoes on…
And maybe if she stands on her tippy toes and reaches as far as she can…
There!
She’s growing so fast that those jeans, which used to be too big for her but I made her wear them anyway are now just right and will be too small in 4 days.
Growing is good though.
That just means she’s closer to making it through one day without falling on her head.
I worked yesterday…for money.
Though it didn’t really feel like work other than driving around between sites. I used to mow parks, so driving around town was a normal part of work.
But I wasn’t mowing parks today (not that mowing parks wasn’t fun, I just had to find something a little more flexible).
I was taking pictures.
Yup.
I was getting paid.
Real money.
To take pictures.
And drive around town on a gorgeous sunny day.
A friend of ours from church is a realtor and asked me to take pictures of some houses he’s listing. I did four houses yesterday.
The first one was a nice new home that was staged. I spent an hour fiddling with settings and taking pics.
On my way to the next house, the 4-Runner started sputtering anytime I accelerated. Uh oh.
I called Darryl and asked if we could switch vehicles for the rest of the day. He was about to head into town from 20 minutes away to work at a site that was on my way. Lucky day.
Until the 4-runner quit in the middle the intersection of the highway and a very busy road. Right in the middle. While the light was changing.
While living out one of my worst fears, I had to jump out and try pushing this very large, heavy burden off the road, meanwhile some rude person honked at me as if I was doing this on purpose to ruin their day or that I just hadn’t noticed that I was stalled in the middle of the intersection and was blocking all the traffic. Thanks, I’ll get right on that.
It must have been some heavy duty adrenaline that helped me get that truck rolling on flat ground. That, and leaning over so far to push that I could have been lying flat.
Before I got it out of the intersection, which seemed like it took HOURS, some lady had to turn left in front of me so I had to stop pushing to be polite, and a nice man ran out and helped me push. We got it off the highway and stopped in a quiet turn lane.
I called Darryl, who was on his way, then ate my lunch.
I must have been humiliated in this often enough in my driving career that it doesn’t phase me much anymore.
A few minutes later, just as I was thinking I should take a picture to post on here so you could get a better feel for what I was going through, a couple of guys knocked on my window, apologized for interrupting my lunch, and offered to push me into a parking lot. They even had a lady stop traffic for us. So I don’t have a picture for you, but I’m sure you can imagine it. Don’t let it ruin your day though.
Darryl picked me up and drove to his work site a block away and let me take the truck for the rest of the day.
I got the other three houses photographed by almost 3:00 and picked up Sadie (she was at Hannah’s). By the time I was back in town to pick up Darryl, I never wanted to see another clutch again.
Overall, I had a really fun day with a little setback thrown in, but it was nice and sunny out and I was getting paid to take pictures.
It could have been worse.
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