rebuilding – Page 6

Things Happening

Published on November 2, 2018May 24, 2024 by Jen18 Comments

Now for a little catch up on the house construction!

Do you recognize my signature view of the mountains?

Foundation poured, and floor joists going up , photos just taken less than an hour ago, during the workers’ lunch break.

Then a few hours later….

Watch this space, things are really happening now. Next week construction starting on the road (we’re forced to put in a road to rebuild!) and also starting next week will be the posts & beams of the timberframe going up!

♥ ♥ ♥

Emma is thirteen & a half today!

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Yesterday I took Emma out for a little walk, although not very far. I’ve been rather quiet about things going on with Emma, but now she is on the mend, I will mention that she seems to be slowly recovering from a serious illness which came on in the first days of September rendering her completely unable to move on her own, and with very little appetite. I thought I lost her and was enormously miserable for weeks as I nursed her , but now she’s able to walk a little on her own, getting stronger every day, and eating a lot!

My constant companion Emma ~~ she’s such a soldier!

day one: digging

Published on September 28, 2018August 25, 2026 by Jen17 Comments

2:30 pm, on day one of rebuild. Excavating really deep for footing (the county building codes are so over-kill now). The first time, in early summer of 2000, Jeff and I did this by ourselves, not even half this wide or deep; Jeff operating a simple little back hoe, I moved the dirt in his lumbering old Ford 420 bucket front-loader, and lots of using pick and shovels too, and it took us a long time. Three men digging and moving dirt, with Jeff supervising, and five miniature Dachshunds standing by, the excavation will be finished today!

A celebratory crumble..

Published on September 28, 2018March 12, 2019 by Jen8 Comments

jenjoycedesign© apple crumble Hearing the excavator scraping away against a very rocky volcanic earth for a new foundation at 7 o’clock this morning was absolute music to my ears, and watching the gradual additional equipment arrive up one by one on our dusty road is just making me blast off into an orbit of happiness. I welcome the noise of production finally, over the deafening silence of waiting . Starting rebuild construction, twelve days short of a year since the wildfire, and no more waiting! I have in fact, made a celebratory apple crumble to bring up to the workers this afternoon, when things settle in a bit. Here’s my totally improvised recipe …

Jen’s Apple Crumble (from the Tiny Oven)

Sugar Mixture: blend 1/2 cup brown and 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.

Apples: Peel, core & quarter 3 large tart apples. Blend 1/2 of sugar mixture with 3 tablespoons flour then into the apples, place in bowl and set aside.

Crumble: In small processor, grind 1 cup of rolled oats (or just use quick oats), empty into large bowl. In processor blend 1/2 cup cold butter and 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour, finely as for pie crust, and add to oats. Add the rest of sugar mixture in with flour & oats and toss with just enough ice cold water to make it bind a little when pressed together, but much of it still very crumbly & loose.

Assemble: Press a little more than half the flour/oat/sugar mixture into bottom of an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Layer apples evenly, but not touching dish, then sprinkle the rest of the flour/sugar mixture on top. Sprinkle additional sugar on top to taste.

Bake at 350F until crumble is golden and apple layer begins to bubble. ( In our Tiny House tiny oven, most things burn, so I waited until the fruity syrup began to bubble before taking out of the oven, at the risk of a little burn)

shifting

Published on September 20, 2018September 24, 2023 by Jen13 Comments

Frantic artful ‘good mood’ music because things are shifting into action! Meaning that we have been issued our building permit finally, after a grueling long wait, and house rebuilding can start at last! The Autumnal Equinox is Saturday, and I am going to celebrate!

This music reminds me what I have been missing, a familiar manic wave now only whispering, approaching me without touching, as if to assure me of its return, and that all will be in a far better place very soon.

Oh, and this trio just hits the spot doesn’t it! Be sure to listen to Trio Brasileiro videos as they queu up, because these tunes are deservedly among my favorites and might become yours too!

waiting

Published on September 6, 2018March 12, 2019 by Jen22 Comments

Red lines painted for excavation & string elevations in place of where the rebuilt house will be.

Yesterday took a turn for the worse for us. The previous Friday we were told we’d have our permit, and too soon did we think we could just start building. Our building permit got held up because of yet another detail some engineer at the county building department was chewing on ; we now have to change the plans to do more fiddling, as we have done several times already, until its become utterly impossible & ridiculous. This means more time to wait, and worst of all , more money to build, and it also means more debilitating frustration in our lives, but we are coping and won’t give up. Our county building administration is notoriously harsh and very difficult to get a building permit through on the best day, and don’t for a second think they are in any way being lenient to the many who have lost our homes to the wildfire, now 11 months later. Our contractors are ready to start, we have the batter boards & string line up for the foundation elevation, and had the foundation sub-contractor up here spraying lines in the dirt and scheduling a start as soon as permit is issued. Since its costing us more, we’ll end up having to do more of the building ourselves, and live in this teeny tiny space longer. Not really glad about things right now. I’ll let you know when things really start, as many of you have no doubt been wondering. I’ve just put this out there so family & friends will have an update ~~ apologies if I seem like a complainer, I’m just angry and at a breaking point.