The House That Love Built

This time of year sunshine is something to savor and it seems that mornings start out bright and clear only to  cloud over by mid-afternoon. 

When we do get sunshine, the passive solar design of our home allows us to turn the heat off completely. 

Most of the energy efficient, double pane glass faces South to capture as much warmth and sunlight as possible. With the low angle of the sun this time of year, maximum benefit is achieved. 

The framing was built with 2x6's instead of 2x4's, allowing extra insulation. Exterior 3/4 inch plywood, covered with clear cedar lap siding, and interior walls of wallboard covered by fir tongue and groove insure cozy warmth despite cold weather. Our trusty wood stove with built in fan circulates heat throughout the home. 

We have two of these - one here and one at the opposite end of the house in our bedroom. 

We only use the second stove during extreme weather or power outages, which are frequent in our windy and stormy winters. 

Electric baseboard heat supplements the wood stove when not in use. 

As an owner built home, we were able to custom design our home the way we wanted it. 

By owner built, I mean truly - 'owner' built. 

My Mr. did the majority of the work, with occasional hired help with some of the major work such as the framing and setting the roof trusses. 

It is a modern 'Salt Box' design with a tall, 2 story front, steeply sloping to a single story in back.

This allows for open ceilings with large beams and skylights for added light in our dark Northwest winters. 

When we moved onto our 5 acres of undeveloped land, we were very young, still in our 20's.

We had just lost our first home in Oregon due to the same type of housing crisis experienced recently, only instead of the banks giving out faulty loans, it was the savings and loan industry giving out faulty developer loans.

In the one year (1980) that we lived in our brand new home, our interest rates skyrocketed from 9% to 19%.
We were unable to afford the payments, although we desperately tried.

We were expecting our third child and I had to go out to work on the graveyard shift.

It was not to be and we couldn't keep up.

Meanwhile my parents had moved to Washington State and bought land. When we came to visit, we fell in love with the breathtaking scenery.

The properties for sale were former logging lands in the foothills of the Cascade mountains, which hadn't been logged since the 1930's.

They were located on a steep, undeveloped logging road that had to be hiked into.

When we first hiked in, I was 6 mos. along with my 3rd child and had to climb over and under fallen trees.

My Blue Eyes had previously hiked in and knew the way. He tenderly guided me and coaxed me along as I made my way through thickets, getting scratched and bruised, and carried me over obstacles.

Just when I was ready to sit right down in the middle of the forest and go no further, he looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and said, 'Turn around'.

And there was Mt. Rainier rising up from the mist.

It took my breath away.

I have always had misguided angels hanging over me,

and so I decided to take the leap.

Oh the hardships we suffered - but that is a story in itself.

No electricity, no water, no money - just hope.

We sold everything we owned, bought a 32 foot vintage 1961 travel trailer with a full kitchen and bath, and an equally vintage International Scout 4 wheel drive.

We put $2000 down to secure our little piece of paradise, hired a bulldozer to push a road in,

and then we prayed.

My Dear young husband built this 16'x20' building, complete with wood stove, with only hand tools and we pulled the trailer in front and connected the two with a built in passageway/ storage room.

We set up a cistern to collect rainwater, and propane supplied fuel for appliances, a pump, and heat.

And then we started saving and dreaming.

And praying some more.

With the help of neighbors (which included my parents), we all put our funds together to improve the road and bring in electricity.

Because it was a private road, we had to pay for this ourselves.

There were 5 properties sold by then.

We  had gone a year without electricity.

Our dreams seemed so out of reach, but we kept our faith.

Next time: We break ground

Misguided Angel
by
-Cowboy Junkies-

I said 'mama, he's crazy and he scares me
But I want him by my side
Though he's wild and he's bad
And sometimes just plain mad
I need him to keep me satisfied'

I said 'papa, don't cry cause it's alright
And I see you in some of his ways
Though he might not give me the life that you wanted
I'll love him the rest of my days

Misguided angel hangin' over me
Heart like a gabriel, pure and white as ivory
Soul like a lucifer, black and cold like a piece of lead
Misguided angel, love you 'til I'm dead

He says 'baby, don't listen to what they say
There comes a time when you have to break away'
He says 'baby there are things we all cling to all our life
It's time to let them go and become my wife'

Misguided angel hangin' over me
Heart like a gabriel, pure and white as ivory
Soul like a lucifer, black and cold like a piece of lead
Misguided angel, love you 'til I'm dead

(my favorite song)

xoxo