The problem with ...homes

The problem with an owner-built home is...well...the owner feels vested in living in the home, at least for a little while...at least this potential owner does. And the problem with living in a home is that it requires...well...staying in one place long enough to make it work--financially and otherwise. At the moment S and I are not all that happy with our present location. Suffice it to say that the "War of Aggression" is still alive and kickin' here. Hell yeah! And...uhm...we are the aggressors. I used the present tense "are" because we northerners are still trying to change the south. We are trying to drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century. You know, where an African-American is president. Where several states have laws permitting same-sex marriage. Where at least one sane state permits an honorable, health-care assisted end-of-life program. But you see, this is exactly the problem with the south. They don't want our help. Yep, that's right. Stay out so we can stay dumb. Which as teachers, makes our daily lives a real grind. And stifles the desire to build an owner-built home. But, I will continue to research and occasionally post, so stay tuned. I know you are listening...I can see you...

Begin the Begin

Zen and the Art of Homebuilding is a blog designed to document our quest for the (almost) perfect owner-built home. We have only just started the process...and by "just" I mean we have spent all of about 4 days thinking, reading, and discussing our options (not including the years of day-dreaming). My lovely wife (who we will call S.) only last week came home from a trip to NY with an arm full of interesting, old, "back-to-the-land", owner-builder books from the 1970's & '80's. So far we have spent all of one afternoon and one evening searching the internets for ideas, plans, discussions, tips, tricks, etc. Needless to say, I thought a blog about the process would serve at least two purposes: (a) stimulate discussion and input from those who have built their own home and (b) serve as a guide and helping hand for those who wish to become owner-builders. My plan for the blog is to describe the process, the ups-and-downs, the fights, the make-ups, the break-downs, the progress, the heartache, the joy, and the smashed fingers (photos only on request). I'll leave it at that for now. Next installment will be a detailed description of my values and how those will shape our future domicile.