Super Human Strength

Imagine a roof in this photo... 

Some of my readers know I have been without a phone for several weeks... Some of my friends and family want to rip my face off because its annoying as hell to try and get a hold of me. Personally, I am loving it! A wonderful new friend of mine gave me a phone to use, but I have been putting off hooking it up to service. I am simply loving the feeling of being disconnected from constant contact. Those who know me well, know where to find me. Others, message me where I can respond within a few days. One downside is I haven't been getting pictures of my progress on the house. Since this last photo, I have added the second top plate, all the roof rafters, the facia, and all the plywood accept a small strip I need to measure, cut and nail in place. I also floored the boys loft this evening. 

Let me tell you about my day. I spent the entire day, after a pit stop at the beach following my morning school drop off, nailing up facia to my roof rafters. For those of you who don't know what facia is; look it up. For those of you that do, welcome back after looking it up... I used some grey reclaimed barn wood cut against the grain that was given to us by Nick's kindergarten teacher and her family. It was such a loving kind gift, and I was so happy to use it today and instal it on the house. It is officially the first piece of the house that won't be covered up. Everything else so far that I have built will be covered up. 

After finishing my facia, I did another school run, and then picked up some plywood for my roof. My Dad scored some beautiful cedar tongued plywood from PenPly (a local mill) before they shut down, and was gracious enough to let me use it on my home. It is going to save me so much money, Ill be owing him favors for a long time! Grass mowing for eternity? I guess its worth it. Any who, my friend helped me load up about 9.5 sheets in my trusty beater of a truck and the boys started in on some roller hockey while I worked. I lifted 8 sheets up onto the roof by myself. Let me share some insight with you all. Im a stubborn fuck. Sorry for the language Mom... I know she reads this sometimes, because last week she asked me why I was feeding all my friends soup on the weekends...lol 

So... I am so stubborn I built the entire roof myself. I had friends offer to help, and even want to help. But, I felt that I needed to go at it alone. And, I said to someone the other day, its not like I can do it all alone... its not like I can hand a sheet of plywood up to myself. Well, I have proven myself wrong. I can do that. It wasn't too hard, just heavy. It was a great workout. Each sheet is probably at least 30 pounds, and I lifted each one up the latter 13 feet and onto the roof. Bam! Then as the sun set, I began laying them out, fitting the tongues together and nailing them mostly complete, and got all eight nailed down, most of the way (the circumference mostly.) There was minimal grunting. 

At around 7:30, Nick found me a head lamp and I decided to cover their loft too. After finishing that, I invited them up there and told them it was their room! We then talked about a ladder or stairs or a cat walk or sliding ladder - still trying to figure that part out. I was able to see the stars so bright when I was up on the roof. I cherish the clarity of the country. I could see so many constellations, and probably planets, who knows... I was able to be still and imagine climbing out the sky light in my loft and laying on my roof to enjoy the night sky, without a care in the world. I can't wait! Actually, I don't have to, maybe Ill head out there right now. 

It sure feels fantastic to build a roof over my families head. This is a magnificent labor of love. And, I must love my family a hell of a lot, because I felt super human with all the work that I accomplished today. To finish off such a wonderful day, I fed the boys the rest of my weekend soup, made them a fresh smoothy with frozen bananas pineapple and peaches that were all preserved from the warmer weather, and fresh lemon poppyseed almond muffins. Take that Martha Stewart. 

The Roof is on Fire

In moments of waiting, I have been pressing forward. As far as my house goes, I have been drilling holes in my framing for the electrical and water tubes to go thru. I was filling my time with extra odd jobs to make some extra money to buy lumber. I am so close! Not much lumber left to acquire, just the 2x6s for the roof, some sheathing for the roof, and then the metal roofing. But, I was stuck in a holding pattern... until I had a very kind generous friend donate $27 to my cause. I had all but forgotten about my Go Fund Me link, as I have not really been pushing it, just having it there "in case." This same kind generous friend then went to some of his kind generous friends and asked them to donate $27. And I am sitting here typing this post feeling so grateful for kind people in the world. I was able to go buy all the lumber for my roof today and got 5 rafters notched out and installed, even though I am sicker than a dog. Thank you to those people who donated to this tiny house adventure, we are grateful beyond measure, and were pretty speechless than we didnt even know 11/13 of them that donated. Thank you!!!!
I believe in karma. I teach my children about karma, and they know it well. Depending on how you believe, karma can be instant. I believe it is more often then not, fairly quick. Throughout this entire journey, I have felt so blessed by the people we have encountered, and the help we have received and the love that those around us have shown. This kind dear friend of mine also reminded me of something I was forgetting. I had forgotten my goal in all of this. Its obvious I am doing this as a place to live, and a home for my children, and no financial burdens of a typical home, but all the wonderful benefits of one.... but beyond all of those reasons is a deeper reason that I have held in my heart and not really shared. I seek to free myself up, to give more of myself. As I have been on my own personal journey, I have realized that I feel most happy when I am giving. I am trying pretty hard to give too much right now, and have to keep myself in check constantly. Reminding myself that this goal will get me there. I give so much I run myself into the ground.
It is so important to have balance. Cant you tell I am a Libra?? ha! I seek to balance taking care of myself with giving of myself. When I get this house done, I want to give all I can. I want to give advice. I want to teach people things. I want to give service. I want to make good food and share it. Have any of you readers had my weekend soup? Those close to me know what I mean... It has become a small challenge of mine to see how many people I can share my weekend soup with. I travel with my soup pot every weekend (it has been cold enough here that is stays good in my car) and I see how many people I can feed off of that one pot of soup. Last weekend was 9+ people. I make it on Wednesday and take it with me to work/friends/projects/mastermind meetings/house building/parties all weekend until its gone. Its good hearty soup, with brown rice, beans, vegetables, turkey stock, lentils and whatever else I can find in my Moms fridge to put in it.
When our home is complete: I want to travel to foreign countries and open peoples minds to love. I want to take my kids traveling and open their eyes to the way other people live, and think. I want to build houses in Mexico, and teach children in Africa and make jewelry on beaches all over the world and give it away just to make someone's day. I want to go to India and see what's so cool over there! My intentions are to give as much as I can, and then more. I want to help people heal, physically, emotionally and in any other way they may need to. I want to continually write, because you never know how your words may influence someone.
I want to ask you, as the reader to take just a moment and focus on your heart space. Do you know where that is? It is the dead center of your chest. Take just a moment and think of something you love the most in the world. Feel the love for that person or object or experience right there in you heart space. Concentrate on it. Feel it grow. Harness it. Feel it build in intensity and heat.... Now send it away to someone you love. Send it to someone you think might need a little boost. No matter how near or far they are from you, imagine them receiving it. Distance and space don't hinder this one bit. You have given something very powerful. We don't have to have a lot to give. It's amazing how $27 can change someone's day, or week or year. I challenge you all to give of yourselves. If you can't give a meal to someone that is hungry, or a ride to a hitchhiker, or a hug for someone who is having a hard day, then get into your heart space and send some love... to anyone. And then, watch it come back around to you.