Land, Ho!

This month will go down in my history as a major "FIRST".  I bought land!  I married into 40 acres that Weldon already owned; but these 30 acres we eyeballed, calculated, negotiated, and signed on the dotted line for together. This post is about land ownership -- an integral part of our homestead -- but it is just as much about a more subliminal subject: money.  In a day and age when this topic is politically hot and socially taboo, our culture is motivated by excess and plagued by financial illiteracy.  I'm no financial expert, but in the last five years I've taken my education into my own hands in a desperate search for balance, simplicity, and security.  So far, I'm living on the smallest paycheck yet, but with a greater sense of abundance and the most financial freedom I've ever had.  Had we not had enough of our greenbacks in a row, we never would have been able to scribble our signatures on a deed when the right moment fell in our lap.

Demolition Derby: And The Walls Came A Tumbling Down

Nothin' but blue skies

We're coming down the home stretch in our crusade to tear down an older brick house as we salvage building materials for our dream cabin-y cottage. Saturday was another major milestone as the crew (which this time included my husband, brother-in-law, and our good friend along with three of his buddies) finally took apart the frame from rafters to sub-floor. I finished the day with Sheetrock dust in my hair, tiny splinters of framing lumber in my forearms, sore (and stinky) feet, and a killer t-shirt tan. Don't worry, I only did enough sweaty work to earn the ice cream cone for afternoon break...I was otherwise in charge of photo ops, lunch feast, first aid administration, and hydration patrol. As the photo above makes plain, it was a highly successful day.

Demolition Derby: She's A Brick House...Or Used To Be

I'm speechless...well, almost. I was tempted to post only pictures for this one because, as they say, they're worth a thousand words. However, my affection for the written word cannot be suppressed. While the photos throughout will tell almost all of the tale, I'll obligingly provide the embellishments.

Demolition Derby: Bringin' Down the House

I confess I'm feeling muscles today that I haven't felt in quite a while. I suppose five hours of hammering, chiseling, squatting, bending, pulling, and wrestling with a pry bar could be the culprit. Yesterday was the official start of our newest homestead project -- a house demo.

Living Room Flooring Before

Living Room Flooring After