Building
We’re nearly two weeks into construction and holy smokes…this house sure is changing. Eric likes to say that so much of what we’ve done here so far has been subtractive, and he’s right. For months we’ve been diligently clearing out brush (the last two piles are finally gone!!), trash, and weeds - but now we’re finally adding. And we’re adding in a big way.
Here are a few photos to show you where we started…
Basically just a box. Inoffensive. Browny-grey. Perched up on a little hill. It’s modular, meaning that it was built in bits and pieces in a factory before being assembled here, and when we arrived everything was worn but functional. That being said, it did sit for sale for more than a month before we went to look at it last December - something that has been unheard of around here for the past couple of years. I think it’s just little things, like the tiny nook of a kitchen and the fact that the whole south side of the house, which has the BEST views, had only three window.
But it’s got more than three windows now.
My dad and his crew came in like a whirlwind - pulling out the old windows, framing new openings, getting absolutely everything sealed and fixed and set just-so. He makes construction look easy and like art - no small feat.
I can now see the horses from the space that has become our living room. There is light cast upon the staircase that leads to the basement. Everything seems to be glowing - and yet the summertime temps aren’t roasting us alive because these beauties let the sun in while keeping the heat out. For some reason I was still holding my breath, after all this time - thinking maybe this dream was going to fall to pieces. But now, taking in the view, I’m catching myself thinking about how we get to STAY and I’m so grateful. When things get a little farther along, I’ll share another round of photos…you won’t even recognize it!
I did have a mini crisis the other day, because the west is on fire and Europe is flooding and NASA wants to mine the moon. Windows seem SO SMALL a thing to have obsessed over the way I have. But then (and maybe this was just me justifying it all to myself) I started to think about how these windows were made in Minnesota. And we’re supporting my parents’ company by having them do the swap. And our house will be SO much more efficient now, allowing us to use less energy to heat (and maybe someday cool). Maybe it’s a project that didn’t NEED to happen…but the ripples have to count for something, right? It’s just a house, but we’re trying to do this project in such a way that it will maybe touch a few other lives, too.
Down in the depths of the basement, I’ve gone and blown all of my business savings, just like I was scared to do. Just like I said I probably wouldn’t. Just like I KNEW I would. The first big buy was a new computer - because I’ve finished outlining my jewelry e-course and will finally be getting back to filming next week. Eek! Yay! It’s going to be a learning process but I’m more sure than ever that I have something to say and something to teach.
The other buy was something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid - stonecutting equipment.
Honestly, stones were probably my biggest draw to jewelry in the first place. I have carried them in my pockets since I’ve had pockets - or forever, if that’s longer. Bright, shiny treasures that caught my eye and trapped little bits of my heart.
I remember finding stones at Lake Superior, painting them with clear nail polish (to simulate a REAL polish), wrapping them in wire, and hanging them from braided embroidery floss necklaces to give to my friends. I remember stowing chunks of flaky, glittery mica in my hiking pack so I could set them on my dresser to twinkle at me in passing. I remember starting our stonesetting unit in college and feeling like I’d been waiting my whole life for that very day.
This was simply the natural progression of things. The day HAD to come when I started to cut my own stones.
When I was in Oregon with Emily, we spent some time looking for agates in the river…and we actually managed to find one! I pulled out the chunks this morning and, this afternoon, took them to the saw.
The stones ended up being rather…crumbly. But I did manage to reveal a couple of earthy swirls hiding within the nuggets! While perhaps not jewelry grade, this first foray into lapidary has me hungry for more. Luckily I’ve got a couple more days before I can put the upstairs studio back together - so between now and then, it’ll just be me and the rocks in the dark, cool downstairs, searching for hidden nature-paintings and squealing with each new reveal.
