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.