In the midst of the hassles associated with construction of my new home, I lose sight from time to time of the gratitude that I feel so deeply to be in this pursuit at all. I have lived in a total of 9 different rental homes since moving here to the Baca with my son 9 years ago. We have created a strong sense of stability in the larger community, in spite of our transience, but nonetheless, we have moved often. The opportunity to create my own home is such an overwhelming blessing, I can hardly express. I am so grateful for the rich variety of homes in which we have lived, for they each give perspective on the kind of home I want to create now. I am so grateful for the assistance I am receiving in building this home. My friend Tom has been generous beyond what anyone could expect in supporting me in this endeavor. Many people have lent their skills, support and positive wishes in this project.

I am truly blessed

IN THE CONTINUING PROCESS

Now that the house is set, work is starting on another level. At this point, I am aware of the end in sight, which is a great reassurance, given what feels like an eternity to come to this point. There have been so many behind the scenes, and literally under the cement details to cope with, it is amazingly gratifying to look out the windows of my new home at my own views. I met with contractors at the site yesterday, discussing placement of recepticles, light fixtures, an add-on utility room and dozens of other details.
The home is very well built for a modular home--Barvista brand--and I would strongly recommend their line. It caused me no allergic reaction when I visited the factory which is a big plus, as I have tended toward environmental sickness. Contractors walking through the house with me have commented on the quality of construction. Other modular homes that I looked at ranged from tolerable to totally intolerable. With one line, I began to wheeze and get a headache just opening the front door. Many are made with various chemicals, plastics and other non-organic materials. My new home is stick-built, with standard construction materials and very high quality things such as cabinets and pine wood doors being standard.
I am working with a solar engineer to add in a solar hot water heating system to the home. Already there is a radiant floor heat system under the cement in the full basement. Now, panels will be mounted on the roof, and radiant 'warm walls' added to the upper stories of the home. THese will have the hot water tubing with adobe over the front of them to create a radiant heat source. I am so excited to have the earthiness of adobe walls, and the comfort of solar heat (no petrochemicals!!!)
It will be a little while longer before we can move in and it should be worth the wait!

ANOTHER PIC FROM MOVING DAY

There is a large Ponderosa pine between the house and the crane in this shot. I so much wanted to save this tree, and the crane operator was creative to swing the home around it with each set. Here you can also see the foldover section of roof that expanded out and up when the roof was unhinged and raised into place.

COUNTERBALANCE ON CRANE DAY

On Friday when we had the crane here, this guy sat on a load of lumber to keep it from sliding out while the crane moved it to a different area of the worksite.

MORE PICS OF THE HOUSE ASSEMBLY

Here is where both halves of the house have been dropped onto the basement, and are being worked together. What an amazing process. The crane had to swing the house pieces around a tall Ponderosa pine to place them where they are here. The exacting nature of getting the two halves together was amazing to watch.

A new home in process

Here is a shot of the cross section. The upper area was created by the hinged roof that came on the modular unit. It will be a very spacious bedroom/studio for me. The main floor has a very large great roomwith kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bath. The basement will eventually become a rentable apartment. For now, will be Damien space.
The day was very stressful, but completed with a wonderful feeling of reality and satisfaction in that I will have my own home.

MY HOUSE IS ASSEMBLED ON SITE

Here is what it looked like, the crane suspending my new home over the basement. What a day it had been, a long cold Colorado winter day--wind, sun, driving snow, etc. Some friends came forward to save the early day when we discovered that the sill plate needed to be added to the foundation at the last minute. The very expensive crane was sitting, primed to go and this last minute detail needed attending to. So, Steve and Jay came and volunteered a few hours to make it happen. At one point, I think there were 22 guys working together to make my home a reality.


WOW

The inner process of home creation

Those of you who know me well, know that I always take my journey inward, as I also traverse the outer regions. For me, house creating has been a rich and sometimes treacherous journey of discovering parts of myself that have needed exposure to light. I have not owned a home since 1989, when I let go of the home I shared with my first husband Lee. Due to some of my own issues surfacing at the time of my divorce, I nearly lost that home in a foreclosure. I bailed at the last moment, but left with nothing ahead--a break-even proposition on the money and my credit rating.
So, when it came to building a 'permanent home' for myself, I have had a lot to look at. As I had the excavation dug for the basement, it took me to depths unexpected. Do I deserve a place? What does it mean to commit to being here (on the planet as well as in Crestone, Colorado?) Is my path to really have a home? Can I remain in one place without sacrificing my commitment to be of service?
The opening for the manifestation of this home came from an experience last summer whereby I was experiencing extreme environmental sensitivity. My current landlords hired a carpenter to work on this home, and he was here during a road trip that I took. When I returned to a house filled with sawdust, drywall paste spattered, a total mess, including cigarette butts put out on my living room floor, I panicked. Not only did I feel violated in my home, but I also got very sick. That night I went to bed, feeling unsafe, and changed a prayer that I had always had. The previous one had been "Let me be of service in the place where I live." On that night, the prayer became, "Let me have a stable home so that I may be of greater service." That simple and emotionally based prayer was the beginning of this amazing manifestation. Over the greater part of the past year, my home has been growing itself--first as a dream, and now as a beautiful physical container. The adventure continues, inside and out.

Yesterday, I enjoyed sharing my new home with my friend Kathryn. She took these pics while we were there. As you can see, the half of the home we are standing on has still yet to be united with its other half, and finish work done. It is amazing though to walk through and have a fully finished kitchen, windows, doors, walls, ceilings, floor tile, etc etc all done, with no further decisions to be made. I notice how much there is to do in all these areas when you are building from the start. The basement portion is just begun, with a lot to decide as we go. Although my new upstairs looks tacky with plastic wrapped on two sides, I believe I am going to like it. (although I feel like a cold-footed bride the night before the wedding....have I made a grave mistake? what if it doesn't work out? will I still like it? I am not sure I do....this is a decision for such a long time. Can I back out now? is it too late? last summer he looked so handsome there on the sales lot, but now????)

BEGINNING WHERE I'M AT
Well, I have threatened for a while to start a blog, and this might just be it. Having started a project last summer of creating my own home, my house came down the road today. Literally.
The process of making this home happen has been longer than I thought it would be, and more expensive. I am worth it, have learned a lot and am getting the idea of patience and trust again.

Here is the view of half of it coming down Road 'T' toward Crestone.