Simple Living

The focus of attention

2012-01-12T15:43:00.000-05:00

Today my attention is drawn to snow finally falling from the sky and the peaceful sounds that come with the years first snow (including the laughter of children). Recently my studies and meditation have been on how we has humans control our attention, and how when we loose control of that attention we tend towards problems, and can our personal/environmental/social/political problems be from a mis-direction of our attention and if so, can the solution only be found when we make an formal intention to direct our attention back to where our attention should be. (That was a long sentence with a lot of "ands")

How do we as humans get ourselves into any situation, environmental, social, missing a turn when driving, to whacking our finger with a hammer. I believe it comes down to the focus of attention. Most of the time our attention is on the task at hand but once our mind finds the task routine it wanders off to find something else to pursue and wham-o we end up with a sore finger. Humans have been so caught up in our own survival for so long that our global attention is constantly diverted away from the damage we are doing. We are at a point where things are getting pretty shaken up.

The whole globe is shook up, so what are you going to do

when things are falling apart?

You're either going to become more fundamentalist

and try to hold things together,

or you're going to forsake the old ambitions and goals

and live life as an experiment

making it up as you go along.

Pema Chodron

How do we focus our attention and "live life as an experiment" and get out of our fundamentalist thinking???

We need to get control of our attention. Our attention to everyday details. When we walk, we walk and when we sit, we sit. When we are with someone, we are truly with them. Now, this is not easy, but I believe we can do it. We can sit with each other and embrace our fundamentalist views with compassion and honesty and together choose to direct our attention to that new experiment. We may need to make it up as we go, but any new journey requires this. We cannot expect to walk a new path and know what lies ahead for us, but if we take that path with compassion and non-judgment, hand in hand with others we will will never be alone. Each new moment will unfold before us and we can savor its beauty and wonder with an open heart, and see each individual snowflake as it graces or terrestrial footing which grounds us in our humanity.

Change of mind and heart

2011-12-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

The last post was meant to be a transition to a new blog and site. I have struggled with this as I could not leave behind what this blog has been and done. So I have decided to continue here and not abandon. This blog started out as a story of our transition to simple living and the construction of our shelter. The problem is, a shelter can become so much more and ours has. What I did not understand four years ago was that the thought process that we used to construct this beautiful shelter could be described in one word.

Mindfulness

This word like the words simple living have been overused and commercialized, but the essence and the definition of this word has rung true for thousands of years. This simple word has guided many individuals and entire societies toward both inner peace and global peace. By its very definition (it has many) it is a non-judgmental compassionate view grounded in the present moment that can be a beacon of light in our darkest days. So now when someone says how did we build our house? I can say mindfully.

So where is this blog going to go? I hope down a path that can bridge the ideas of simple living, health and community, but whatever path it takes I hope that I can do it with my full efforts on being mindful and in full awareness of what is good in me and society.

Here are some words that motivated me to start posting to this blog again.

"Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief.

Do justly now. Love mercy now. Walk humbly now.

You are not obliged to complete the work,

but neither are you free to abandon it."

Rabbi Tarfon, The Talmud

A smile to anyone that reads this blog

Ben

Turning Point

2011-01-15T17:57:00.000-05:00

How to end a blog? In the spirit of impermanence this blog has to end at some point. I have been writing and posting for 2.5 years now, documenting my thoughts and data on the house. We have maintained a stable set of data and it is time to transition from a construction project into a farming project. The final data point is this...

Energy costs are $0.88 a day and one cord of self sustaining wood (dead, dying or downfall) a year.

So theres the data and as you can see from the blog I have interjected some of my thoughts and opinions so here is my final thoughts....

"Even our scientists can see that there is no technological fix, no amount of computers, no magic bullet that can save us from population explosion, deforestation, climate disruption, poison by pollution, and wholesale extinction of plant and animal species. We are going to have to want different things, seek different pleasures, pursue different goals than those that have been driving us and our global economy." What we need is "a great turning of human consciousness." Joanna Macy

This is not all doom and gloom, I have seen and feel this shift coming. We have to look at environmentalism from a whole new point of view. A view that holds the same passion we place in our spirituality. Every religion makes references to protecting nature and providing for those in our society that are in need. We need this spiritual shift and awakening to make the difference for all creatures on this planet. Please keeping doing all the little things, but fundamentally change your life and be the change you want to see. Look deep within and be completely honest about what needs to be done. Forget what the science supports or does not support. When you strip away all that science or religion teaches you about a beautiful flower what is it that deeply moves you. As Jack Kornfield writes in After the Ecstasy the Laundry "this transformation is not automatic. In every area of the mandala of awakening we need consciously to face our conditioning and habits." Grab hold of your habits and shake them loose. Challenge your thinking and be completely honest with yourself. Make the very hard internal commitments to change, but above all hold compassion close to your heart and spread joy to all that you meet.

A smile and a bow to everyone.

Ben

New blog coming about our farm. Check back soon I will post the link.

Compassion and Simplicity

2010-11-07T20:31:00.000-05:00

These two words came up during a long drive back to Maine. We were discussing with the children who is more important - President Obama or the check out clerk at the grocery store. We realized (and thank goodness children did) that both have value and neither has less value than the other (even if someone does not have a job they still have value). However, if we want someone who can run the country President Obama might be the better choice but for running the check out computer, hands down the grocery store clerk. So each person is very important but for different reason and no one is any less important than the other (I am sure that President Obama could learn the register and the clerk could also do well in a political role). But where we ended up was a discussion on compassion. To me, compassion is more than placing yourself in someone else's shoes. It involves really trying to understand that persons point of view and allowing yourself to feel the emotions which come from that understanding. When we strive for simplicity, it is a quest of compassion for ideals and concepts that are known and unknown to us. I can feel compassion for my impact on my local ecology but I will never know what my impact may be on someone or something on the other side of the world. I may know my immediate impact but what about the future implications. I guess the idea of linking compassion and simplicity, returns to a understanding of being mindful. Mindful of all our actions, great or small. We may still choose to do something, but at least we have taken the time to contemplate compassion around our decision.

So I am announcing a new political party

The Compassion Party

Let me know if you want to attend the convention???

Peace

Margaret Mead

2010-11-01T21:07:00.000-04:00

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does"

I came across this quote again the other day and it touched my heart. Every day I meet people or see things that embrace the idea that it all starts with each person. I hold out hope that small groups of committed citizens will help to heal our communities and world. These small groups looking out for each other and standing to support each other in times of need. Live simply so that others my simply live (Helen Nearing). Hold your interactions with each other sacred and hope for the interactions of the future. Slow down and see what you may have missed. Walk at 1/3 your regular speed, Talk at 1/3 your regular speed, Think at 1/3 your regular speed, but love with all your heart.

Namaste

Ben

Days are shorter and soon solstice will arrive

2010-10-20T22:01:00.000-04:00

I love this time of year. The raining down of acorns and leaves. The animals getting all fuzzy and storing food away for the winter. The cool fall days that seem to be just on the cusp of a frosty wonderland. We just had our first soft frost, but I prefer the first real hard frost, when you walk out in the morning after being all warm in bed and take a deep breath in and feel the cool air going all the way to your core. This is the time of the year when the building and growing stops and we transition to more cerebral pursuits. A time of the year to rest for a bit before the darkness sets in and we all hunker down for the winter. I like the break, it gives me time to plan next years garden, expand my knowledge and cozy up with the family by a warm fire. I recently returned from a conference that was all about using the mind to help heal the body. I think that winter time is a good time to focus on this. A restful healing time to restore ones vitality in preparation for the next growing season. Nature seems to know this and humans seem to have forgotten this. I plan on doing a whole bunch of healing this winter. I am planning on a good tune up of my mind, body and spirit. With these three in balance next summer is looking to be a bountiful year.

Now for the house stuff
It is now October 20th and we have yet to turn on the heat or need a fire to heat the house. The house temp has stayed between 66 and 73 degrees and we have at times needed to open some windows to cool the place off. After collecting data for 2 years, I think we have shown that you do not need to have 1ft thick walls, fancy systems or new power plants. We have the technology to live greener right now. Through conservation, good construction and mindful consumption our society can protect the only home we have.

Namaste

I am available for lectures or teaching please feel free to email me at bensimpleliving(at)gmail.com

The middle way

2010-09-20T22:55:00.000-04:00

Can all the little things we do save the planet????

There is a long list of "green behaviors" that we are told help the earth: change our light bulbs, shop local, avoid toxins, eat organic, car pool, take the bus, buy second hand (Michelle really scored the other day on an organic cotton Patagonia dress for $4.99), but will it really make a difference. Or do we have to accept the plant as is?

I don't know if the current green trends will change the world, but we can change the world with green thoughts and actions. I have never liked arguments about who is greener or what is better for the environment. How each of us lives our life, is our own personal decision and I am not the one to judge how someone chooses to be green. From my view I am choosing to be as light on the earth as I can. I am choosing to show my children how to respect and have reverence for our great mother. I am choosing my path as it is because that is and it is not because that is not. Being green is not about two choices or the lesser of two evils, we have to move beyond that discussion and find the middle way. My point of view is just that, a point, if I move to another point I will have a different view.

My own actions may not stop the climate (or they might) from changing, but my current behavior and actions will directly influence how my children will live in the future. As I have blogged in the past "I cannot change my past carbon footprint, but will do everything I can to change my children's". Some people have made statements that there is only a small fraction of global citizens making green choices and that in order to affect the change that is needed that fraction needs to be significantly larger (like all the world). I believe that a small fraction of people making a calculated consciousness shift can bring about the change needed to make a real difference. That rumbling sound we hear in our future is not the waves of the rising oceans but the sound of the middle way racing out of our collective consciousness to lead us to compassionate living for not only our earth but our fellow beings.

We live on the edge of a new era. An era in which we cooperate with all earthly beings, accept an economy which does not grow at great neck speed, design and build with compassion, live within our means, share our joys and comfort each other in times of sorrow. An era where we all know our neighbors and where words of moderation and compassion guide us to mutual understanding and acceptance down the middle way.

Peace

McDonalds and a Mud Earth Bread Oven (warning sarcastic posting)

2010-08-09T21:44:00.000-04:00

The other day after giving a talk on active solar and simple living I had to run to the hardware store. On my return trip it was bumper to bumper traffic backed up for over 2 miles. What could have caused such a back up?? Maybe a major accident, road construction, Obama in town. No, the grand opening of a McDonald's, Gas Station and a Bank all in a new building (a perfectly good near empty one was right next door). This grand opening was very important, so important that they stationed a police officer with lights flashing in the middle of the road. This is a significant watershed event because now you can drive from Portland to Damariscotta and stop at a McDonald's every 15 or so miles (after eating there you will most likely be hungry again in 15 miles). What I also found amazing, is that in this one big building we find the three big troubles our country is facing; unhealthy eating, over consumption of non-renewable resources and a financial institution. So what is a person to do. I could have set up a protest, wrote letters or blogged about it, but that would not have made a difference. What I did was have a wonderful mid-summer party with about 30 people, shared a local vegetable meal and the next morning built a mud earth bread oven.

This oven cost me nothing, uses no fossil fuels, and cooks food that is good for the soul and body. In addition I had the pleasure of seeing 6 children and 2 adults working together to build and learn. Every time a group of people gets together to do something like celebrate the mid summer, eat a local meal together or get their hands dirty building an oven our society takes another little step in countering the drive to consume more.

We cooked our first two loaves tonight, from our own made up bread recipe. Its not hard, most of the world does this every day just to survive.

Peace and build a mud oven (just don't cook a big mac in it)

Local challenge

2010-08-04T21:22:00.000-04:00

We are now 5 days into our eat and buy local. So far so good. Thought we would have a problem with toilet paper, but Seventh Generation is a Vermont company. Had to start to think of alternatives to TP, but luckily was able to stop before any implementation. This eat and buy local is a really cool experiment that I hope we can incorporated into our life. We are definitely saving money in that impulse buying is gone. By having to consider where or how something is made causes you to pause for a moment to consider do I really need this item. A new term thanks to Radical Homemakers

Extractive Economy - What we have now

Life Serving Economy -
1. Respect and care for the community of life
2. Ecological integrity
3. Social and economic justice
4. Democracy (true), nonviolence and peace

"our wealth is sunshine and water, not fossil fuels or other nonrenewable resources, embrace the principles of social justice and non-exploitation, and agree that our exchange of dollars must not come at the expense of someone else, whether they are local or on the other side of the planet."

Hope to see any readers at Shelter this Saturday.

New Photo

2010-08-01T20:54:00.001-04:00

The gardens are in bloom and making vegetables. The house and grounds are really starting to develop. We continue to put any waste vegetable matter back into the soil and keep decreasing the amount of "lawn" to plant food.

We have both high bush and low bush blue berries planted and we are looking forward to a little fruit next year.

We have also set a new challenge this month. We are only going to buy things that are made in New England. We have just started and all ready it feels right. As we continue to try and extricate ourselves from the corporate economy and engage with only local economies it feels like a more sustainable way to live. In addition we are starting a veggie swap soon. This is where you can bring your extra vegetables and trade them for ones that you may need. No need to collect any taxes on this as there is no net income (a carrot for a potato) and 5% of a squash is just the stem.

I am reading a new book called "Radical Homemakers" by Shannon Hayes. This is a must read for anyone who is looking to "Reclaim domesticity from a consumer culture". Now that we are starting to step away from consumerism and can now see back a little I realize how unhealthy it can be. People are bombarded with advertisements saying they need the latest greatest thing-a-ma-bob and when they cannot get it they are told they are not worthy. When they do get it, there is good chance it will break or the next latest and greatest will come out. This is a never ending cycle of want and greed that can be mind boggling and from my experience leads only to depression and feelings of self loathing. In addition, on every cycle of the wheel the corporations siphon off a few more of a persons money (aka time) getting wealthier every minute. All hope is not lost as as we transition to a local economy that require less stuff so that we can keep more of our time (aka money) and spend it on raising our children and making those deep social connections that we all need.

Eat local

I am giving a talk at Shelter Institute this Saturday August 7th. Check their website for details.

I am back, now with high speed

2010-07-24T20:22:00.000-04:00

We finally had to break down and get high speed internet. We tried dial up, but most web pages now are written for high speed. We tried using the library, but they were either closed or we never had enough time. So we have connected to the world of high speed.

House update:

Garden is in full bloom and producing veggies.
Squash and Pumpkins taking over the world
Down to 4 guinea hens
Solar systems are working better than expected
Blueberry's, elderberry's and our apple stick are still alive
House is running on about $0.88 a day (heat, lights and pool)

Personal update:

Recently gave a talk at FW Horch
Planning a talk for the Common Ground Fair
Continuing the quest for a simple life and extricating myself from the consumer corporate world

To quote from my recent reading - Radical Homemakers

"By rebuilding our home lives according to values of social justice, ecological sustainability, and family and community security, we begin the process of dismantling the extractive economy and creating in its place a life-saving economy that enables us to meet our needs while thriving in harmony with our earth and spirits."

I will post photos soon. We now have the ability.

Namaste

It has been a long time.

2010-05-12T09:33:00.000-04:00

It has been a long while since my last post and so much has happened both in the big world and in our own little world. The big thing is the oil “spill” in the gulf. In my house a spill is when you accidentally knock over your milk, and we know that there is no sense crying over that, but when you purposefully drill a hole in the bottom of a perfectly good cup, insert a straw, then that straw breaks and the milk leaks all over the place, that’s something to cry over.

I wrote a talk recently about how I was the cause of the stock market crash. (I being the collective I and not the personal I). When the first reports of the spill came out, I was taken back and reminded that we all shoulder a little blame for this spill. Everybody is going to sue BP over this and the fingers are already pointing both directions in the circle of fault. We all have contributed to this problem by demanding cheap oil. We have created a demand in which it is now profitable (subsidized) to drill in water over one mile deep. Had this leak been on land or in shallow water this thing would have been stopped the next day. What we are witness to is two things. First is another example to support the end of easily obtainable oil (peak oil) and second is that once addicted the addict will increase risky behavior to get a fix. Why else would we drill for oil in a place that we cannot even shut off the valve? Over and over just like the addict we ignore the warning signs and then when it is to late we wonder how we got into this mess. Enough about the bad and onto the good.

Our house has been published in a magazine called Design New England.

http://digital.designnewengland.com/designnewengland/20100506#pg67

The article is well written by William Morgan. Although there are a couple of minor technical errors, over all it is a really great article. The other good things are the garden is going in, blueberrys, elderberrys and asparagus are planted and it is almost building season again. This year’s projects are a garden fence, small woodworking shop and small barn for goats. We had the sawyer back and sustainably harvested 1500 board feet of pine. I will post some progress photos as I get going. In addition I have several speaking engagement in the works and will post these once I have more details.

Hope the world is well

The most useless item ever invented

2010-04-13T21:35:00.000-04:00

I recently came into possession of the most useless things ever created by a man or a women. It is toy which electronically simulates popping bubble wrap...

Let me say that again....

It electronically simulates popping bubble wrap.

This thing is a battery powered devices with a metal key chain. It has 8 buttons on the front and a reset button on the back (Why you would need to reset this device is beyond me). It does nothing but make the sound of bubble wrap popping. My mistake, about every 40 pushes it makes a "random suprise sound". If this is what humans are spending time inventing, designing, producing and using; then we as a species are really far down the road to extinction.

The best is the instructions which came with the device.

"Play games with your friends! Pass the Pop Pop around with each person pressing a bubble. First one to get surprise sound loses!"

Cautions.

"Do not 1) aim toy at anyone 2) hit anyone with toy 3) poke anyone with toy 4) swing toy at anyone 5) Do not stand on toy"

The last caution is listed because serious injury may result. I am sorry if you own this toy and spend hours electronically simulating bubble wrap popping, but this kind of stuff needs to stop. We as a society can not afford to waste the precious time we have and destroy our earth for "simulated bubble wrap popping". I shudder at the number of these things that have been produced, sold and disposed of.

I am appalled that people in the world go without food, clean water, shelter and medicine; while others sit around and simulate bubble wrap popping. I would love to hear the other side of the story on this device. I would love to have someone argue with me that the world needs this device.

Scroll down if you would like to see what this useless thing looks like.

May my mind think pure thoughts, my mouth speak kind words and my heart always feel compassion.

Ben

Solar House Data

2010-03-27T20:00:00.000-04:00

Here is the latest data. Not quite a $8 electric bill this month, but we are closer.

Average Kw used/day - 5.19
Cost/day - $0.93
Yearly energy costs - $341.18

Over the past 16 months we have

Bought 3651 Kw
Sold 961 Kw

This data is a $0.03 reduction from last month. I think it is fair to say now that we have built a house that runs on a dollar a day.

Change

2010-03-24T20:33:00.000-04:00

It finally dawned on me the other day that I cannot change someone else. Maybe this realization comes with age or I am just a slow learner, but either way I just figured it out. I am a change agent. I like change and believe that change is what keeps us going. Keeps us looking down the road and wondering what lies around the next corner or over the horizon. Change is what motivates us to rise out of bed, greet the sun and experience a new day. The problem with change, is that it does not always take us where we expected we would be, and then suddenly we find ourselves in a place that is less comfortable than we are used to. This is not always bad and sometimes opens new doors and directions that we would not have chosen otherwise. Our journey to a more simple life has presented numerous opportunities for change. Some have been good changes and others less than comfortable, but I would not trade any of them. We made the change to a more simple life and have been enjoying its rewards, but this change would not have come had someone else tried to change us.

True change comes from a compassionate honest introspection into ones own life.

Namaste

More house data soon. I should have all the winter data and our new carbon footprint.

To Be Hopeful

2010-03-16T20:58:00.000-04:00

Here is quote from Howard Zinn

“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places–and there are so many–where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory”.

How well does solar heating work?????

2010-03-10T19:34:00.001-05:00

We have been running completely on the sun for the past 5 days. Our house has been toasty warm and we have had plenty of hot water. We also have not had a fire in over 6 days and our yearly wood use is just over a cord. Today we generated just over 7Kw of electricity and our last electric bill was about $24. So the answer is solar works.

Nothing to say from a philosophical perspective, but don't worry I am brewing up something good.

The Constant Struggle

2010-02-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

Choosing to live a simple life can be a constant struggle. Our project this year is a barn. The struggle is in the desire to build a bigger barn vs a smaller barn. Whenever I start planning a project my tendency is to oversize and overbuild. Use a 2x6 where a 2x4 would be more than adequate. Make it 14x20 instead of 12x18. How much of barn do we need?? Just enough to do what we need to and no more or should you build it bigger for future needs?? I constantly have to push aside how my mind has been programed and think smaller. For my entire life it has always been "bigger". Just look at the size of soda bottles over the past 40 years. This programming of bigger has done nothing to help me and only caused me to consume more. Others (Corporations) have made out at my expense. No more, I am building a 12x18 workshop and a 12x12 place for the future goats. Whatever I cannot build in the barn will have to wait until summer and get built outside.

A common question for our house is how many square feet. I used to give the standard answers of around 1100, but recently I realized that this is the wrong answer. The correct answer is 217,000. This is the size of the land we "own". Our house is only but a small percentage of that and the fact is we live in much more than our physical dwelling. So my construction costs were $1.53 a square foot. Not too bad.

More house data next electric bill, however I am hopeful that this month will be the $8 month. We have had lots of sunshine and solar heat has been cranking. In addition we are just at 1 cord of wood for this year, which is a reduction by 1/2 cord over last year.

Quote of the Day

How do you measure beauty. "Heres the yardstick: That which deprives another cannot be beautiful"

William Copperthwaite from A Handmade Life. In search of simplicity

Message to the Lexus and the F350 owners parked in my spot at LLbeans

2010-02-14T22:49:00.000-05:00

Tonight we made a trip to our local LLbean store. LLbean is trying to be a little green and offer two spaces close to the door for "Low emission/fuel efficient cars". I applaud the idea and encouragement for those of us that drive such a vehicle. I usually take one of the spots to proudly display my car which get 45-50mpg (no it is not a hybrid), however not today. Parked side by side was a Lexus and a F350. These two vehicles are no where near meeting the requirements clearly posted on the sign, which is very easy to read in great big green and white letters. In fact these vehicles are so far out there it was almost hysterical. I wish I had my camera. So to the drivers of these two gas hogging modes of transport.....Your car is not fuel efficient, nor is it low emission. Even if you pushed it from your house to LLbeans, you still wouldn't have qualified to park where you did. Yes it is a free country and you can drive whatever you like, but stay out of my deserved parking spot and I will stay out of the gas station line as you wait to fill up your tank.

Seriously now....

After seeing this we had a discussion about climate change and the current state of our environment. Even if you do not believe in climate change, you have to agree that we have a finite amount of natural resources on this planet. Everyone knows that you can only get a gallon of milk out of a gallon jug. Why else would the oil companies be spending twice as much to extract oil from the tar sands as pumping it. I have to think, that if there was still enough oil to just pump out of the ground they would rather not waste profits cleaning it out of sand.

Conservative - someone who conserves.

Conservative - someone who wastes and spends more than they have.

Even if I wasn't a tree hugging, liberal, green; with my current lifestyle I can work less and have more cash flow. By simplifying my life I no longer have to work as much, earn as much and can just enjoy life. When you seek only what you need it becomes easier to find the things you enjoy, and to enjoy the things you already have.

Namaste

Also... I am available for speaking engagements. Contact me by leaving a comment.

Cranking out the BTU's

2010-02-14T09:41:00.000-05:00

We have had a run on sunny days and we are cranking out the BTU's. Yesterday our tank was at its max temp and was dumping excess heat into the house by noon. This meant that on a mid February day with a 14 degree night and a 32 degree day we used nothing but the sun for heat. How is this possible????

Keep the house size small
Insulate and seal drafts

If so.....
Then install a solar heating system

If not......
Install a solar domestic hot-water system even if you house is large and drafty

Solar hot-water works. As I say in a lecture I give on solar. This is a no brainer. The answer is as clear as the sun coming up every day. We no longer need to debate this. Solar hot water is the way to energy independence and to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels. It uses nothing but glass, copper and existing technology. It can be retrofitted to any house with a sunny exposure and is cheap (30% federal rebate and in Maine you get $1000)

"A 1000 sq ft house will always be greener than a 2000 sq ft house and a old house (retrofitted with good windows and insulation) will always be greener than a new house."

I have a new book recommendation....

Hot, Flat and Crowded. The author is opinionated and a bit ego centered, but presents a compelling argument for a re-tooling of America to lead the world on sustainability and eliminate support for the dictators that control the worlds oil reserves. Basically how to stop America from buying the rope that is going to hang us. Just a warning.... The first half is really depressing.

Ben

Giddy with Solar Excitement

2010-02-01T20:55:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day we have not added any heat to the house. We had an 18 degree night, the sun was bright and the house went to 70 degrees. We did not have to burn any wood and had a completely carbon free day. We also created over 6 Kw of electricity. So this is proof that a solar home in the cold coast of Maine works. I am looking forward to the rest of week as the forecast is for a run of bright and sunny days. I should have more data soon and am still after the holy grail of an $8 electric bill. Maybe February will be the month.

Sometimes is takes 40 people to encourage you

2010-01-30T13:46:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been frustrated with the general publics ability to embrace even the most simple enviromental changes (A pay as you throw program for garbage). Even if we are not driving off the cliff of global warming, there are things we can do to make our environment a little cleaner. I can get so mad, angry and just want to retreat into my own private world and give up on my enviromental convicitons. Untill.....

30 people give up a Saturday morning and show up at a talk on solar energy. Not only show up, but are thirsty for knowledge on how to move themselves or family to more renewable energy. What a feeling to have a diverse group of people about to embrace something as important as solar energy, give of their time to listen to me speak of my experiences and convictions. I am truely humbled.

Recently I started reading a book call "Mindfully Green" by Stephanie Kaza. She talks of the green movement making a transformation from a green lifestyle to a green lifeway. In addition she writes of methods to allow the frustration of making progress to be transformed into new energy. Stop. Breath. Let the feelings of frustration wash over you. Breath. Let the feelings awaken what lies at the bottom of your convictions to help carry you through. Often when I am in meditation, I have a vision in which I see this quiet peaceful movement of people, a movement that is hidden from view and obscured by critics. It is a movement that is slowly growing and putting down a solid foundation of mutual trust and sending out branches of peace. It is a movement that will grow quietly in the shadows until one day blossom, and at that time the momemtum will be so great that even the critics will be silenced and we will all live once again in harmony with our earth, its creatures and each other. I see this movement every time I talk with someone who has simple living in their heart. (This last sentence given to me by my 7 year old).

Speaking to groups of people always reminds me of how expansive the movement can grow. Two people speak to 30. 30 people speak to 60 more. 60 more speak to 120, and so the movement grows.

Stand true to your convictions and speak out to those that will listen. Together we can all be the change we want to see in the world.

Stay warm, surround yourself with positive people and stay close to them.

Photos, Solar and a little Gaia Worship

2010-01-23T21:11:00.000-05:00

Photos

Here is a link to see more photos of the house. These were taken by our friend Blueberry and were taken just after we moved into a 95% done house. We are now 97% done.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ShelterInstitute/SmallFootprint?feat=content_notification#

Solar

There will be a free talk on active solar at Shelter Institute this coming Saturaday January 30th. Give them a call if you are interested. Revision Energy will be there to talk nuts and bolts and I will be presenting our house and how we came to live in a solar home.

Just as a disclosure I have no financial interest in any of the companies on this blog, but if anyone wants to take a financial interest in me that would be OK.

Gaia worship and simplicity

I recieved a comment giving me compliments on my blog with the suggestion that I don't let it get sidetracked into Gaia worship. I have been pondering that over the past several weeks and I don't see that happening, but here is the problem.

We can all change a light bulb, use less energy, drive less, eat local, live in a small house, ditch the television and do every thing that all the "green" books tell us to do. This is certainly a great step, but until society has a cosmic shift, call it a spiritual shift, we will never attain what is needed to truly live in harmony with our world. Modern society has lost a connection with the earth, which is one reason it is so easy to trash the place. Whenever, through out history, one group wants something another has they justify their actions by making the rationalization that they are better, or that the other group is not civilized. They hide behind a religion or government to deflect the shame and guilt that the actions have created. I would dare make the assumption that most of the population of the United States could not sit in nature for 30 minutes and just be there. We have shielded ourselves in a maze of concrete, steel and glass that isolates us from that which gives us life.

What we need is more Gaia worship and less Gaia destruction. What is Gaia??? It is that which sustains our lives, gives us life and provides the inspiration in all that we see as beautiful. I do not think that we need to set up a Gaia Worship Religion, nor do I think that we need to change or challenge anyone's spiritual beliefs. What I see as necessary is a refocusing and an integration of our green actions with our spiritual beliefs, what ever spiritual beliefs those are.

I will try hard not to let this blog become a Gaia worship blog, but I will encourage people to make that spiritual leap to simple living.

Namaste

Simple Snowman

2010-01-16T20:00:00.000-05:00

Simple snowman, but highly intelligent.

Glorious Sun Shine Down on Me

2010-01-13T20:05:00.000-05:00

   The rays of sun touch every square inch of this planet. They touch every living thing (except those funky looking sea creatures at the bottom of ocean and the mold growing in my refrigerator on that 2 week old burrito) on this earth. In addition every creature, fungus and bacteria depends upon our closet star we call the sun. (When I speak of fungus I am referring to the mushroom variety not the political.) We have recently had a run on sunny days and the solar has been cranking out the BTU's. What is it about the sun???? People have worshiped it for eons and one could make the point that as humans gained more knowledge about our solar system, the sun was no longer a mysterious thing, so humans created "god" to replace what they could not explain. What is that common thread that connects all living things, and what does simple living have to do with that thread?

   My family has recently started to weave. Weaving involves a very long thread intertwined with other very long threads. Everyone know what happens when you loose control of a very long thread. At least when I do I end up with a big knot. There is no problem with a long thread as long as you keep it away from itself. You could lay out a mile long thread and never get a knot as long as it never doubles back on itself. So, if everything on the planet is connected by a common thread, then what happens when something along that thread decides to gather more.

   We humans only comprise a very small segment of this thread (compare our numbers to the variety of plants or insects on the earth) and we have only been a part of this thread for a very short period of time, but we seem to be bunching up this thread and taking more than our share. We have essentially created one huge, nasty and tangled knot. Now for the sticky part.

What happens when you cannot get the knot undone????

You get the scissors and cut it out.

Guess who owns this thread.......

I don't know the answer. Some say Gaia, Allah, God, Great Spirit, Gods, Aliens, Dolphins, or no one. But, I can be sure that it is probably not the humans.

Namaste

More house data soon. We are on target to use only one cord of wood.

Want to learn more about solar?

2010-01-07T19:50:00.000-05:00

There is a free workshop on active solar on January 30th at the Shelter Institute. Come learn about solar hot water and electric. There will an representative from Revision Energy and I will be talking about our house. There will be time to answer any questions after the talk. This is a free course and if you love good quality tools you will not be disappointed. Shelter Institute has one of the best selections of hand tools. Click on the Shelter Blog link and let them know you are coming. See you there.

Affordable solar

2010-01-06T21:53:00.000-05:00

Everyone always talks about the return on investment when it comes to solar. When are my panels going to break even? How many years? This to me is a silly question. No one ever asks when the refrigerator, TV, furnace, car, video game is going to break even. I consider my solar a integral part of the house, something that the house couldn't be without. I have not found the solar additions to the house any more expensive than say a regular furnace. What we did was eliminate some to the things that we felt are not neccessary in the house and shift the costs over to the solar. This is what we found we could do without.

1. A basement (our last one was a storage space for stuff we didn't use anymore)
2. Extra bathrooms (each bath costs about $5,000 not to mention the time to clean each one)
3. 1000 sq ft of living space, but we opened up to the outdoors. Cozy in the Winter and ever so spacious in the summer.
4. Dishwasher
5. Microwave
6. Television (I had a TV addiction)
7. Extra kitchen space
8. Hallways
9. Storage space (we gave away most of our extra stuff when we moved, and now we have a reason not to accumulate more stuff)

So all this allowed us to put up solar with no additional cost to the construction. Now if we could only get the world to cost shift what we spend on weapons we could cure hunger, poverty, and provide an education for every child in the world.

To paraphrase John Lennon

If everyone in the world wanted peace as much as they do a cell phone we would all know everlasting peace.

Latest photo

2010-01-04T21:32:00.000-05:00

This is a recent photo of the back of the house. Solar hot water tubes on the roof and the awning over the windows is the solar electric. We haven't made much hot water lately, but hoping for some sun soon.

New House Data

2010-01-03T21:34:00.000-05:00

December was as always a cloudy month and it was reflected in our solar output, but the good news is the days are getting longer. Solstice has gone by and we have nothing but more sun to see every day. Good thing I lit the bon fire to wake the sun up.

Average Kw used each day 5.34
Cost per day $0.96
Wood 60 cu ft (1/2 cord) over 2 months

January should have more sun and hopefully we can get more heating days out of the solar hot water.

Happy New Year

A Story for Copenhagen

2009-12-18T20:36:00.000-05:00

   Once a deverish wandering through a forest happened upon a fox that had lost its legs. "How does the poor thing manage to survive?" the dervish asked himself. Just then a tiger happened along, carrying its prey. The tiger ate what it wanted and left the rest for the fox. The next day the dervish came back, and the same thing happened.
   "So that's how it's done," thought the dervish. "I'll try the same." So he went home, sat in a corner, and waited for the universe to provide for him. He waited for days, and nothing came. Finally, becoming famished , he heard a voice: "You're following the wrong example. You have legs. Be like the tiger, not the fox."

   This story is from "The Sufi Book of Life". I have been following the climate talks in Copenhagen and have been mystified that all these people are gathered and each is looking out for their own interests. They are missing the point completely. It is not about any one persons or countries interests it is about our collective survival. Even if global warming is not caused by man, we still need to rely on each other to survive day to day. I am not rich and cannot donate large sums of money to help others, but my donation is my simple life style. Taking only what I need thereby leaving more for others. Every day I am amazed at how much I have and am blessed to be living where we do. I have unlimited access to heat, water, food and intellectual stimulation. I am able to get up each morning and not worry about my survival. I have legs.

Namaste

My opinion about Copenhagen. We cannot rely on our "leaders" to save this planet, we each need to do our own part and lead a simple life.

Climate change and the story of our stuff

2009-12-08T22:00:00.002-05:00

www.storyofstuff.com

"The period from 2000 through 2009 has been “warmer than the 1990s,
which were warmer than the 1980s and so on,” said Michel Jarraud, the
secretary general of the international weather agency, speaking at a
news conference at the climate talks in Copenhagen."

I heard/read several things today in my travels. One was the above quote. I think we can all recall our childhoods when winter seemed to last from Thanksgiving until at least early April. I remember deep snow and cold. No longer, now it can rain for weeks in January. I know that there has been debate about whether the earth is warming as a result of human activity, but my take on it is that even if us humans are only contributing a small amount that small amount is toxic. I recently read a report of fish changing from male to female because of the hormones that are disposed of into our water system. Who cares what is causing our planet to warm, we need to be part of the solution. In addition it seems that the only ones that are saying it is not warming are the ones that have a financial stake in our continued use of fossil fuels. We have been trapped into believing that our survival is dependent on our continued growth of our industrial society. The industrial revolution started a couple hundred years ago and it is time for it to come to a close. We have invented ways for humans to live comfortably on earth and not destroy it at the same time. We need to slow the progress and enjoy the fruits of our labor. We have excreted CO2 for 200 years and it is now time to pay back the debt. If you are interested in a couple of good documentaries on our use of stuff and the current plan of Cap and Trade check out www.storyofstuff.com

Be a part of the solution. Be vocal. Spread the word. Respect our earth.

May my mind think only positive thoughts
May my mouth speak only kind words
May my heart feel compassion
I honor you great mother earth

Namaste

Back up options for a grid tied house

2009-12-06T21:53:00.000-05:00

One of the problems with a grid tied house is that when the grid is down the house is down. We decided early that we did not want to use batteries. We had talked with several people and battery storage is not all that easy. The batteries are expensive, wear out and have a tendency to leak explosive hydrogen gas. So what are the back up options? What do we really need to run?

Water, heat (all set have the cookstove), solar circulators and refrigerator/freezer.

We thought of a generator to do all of these, but we would need about a 7500 watt 220 generator as we have 220 well pump (more efficient, but draws more on start up).

I then found a company in Maine that has modernized the old fashioned well pump. They cost around $800 and can pressurize your pressure tank with a couple of pumps. Check out www.bisonpumps.com So this would fix the water problem. Now by eliminating the large pump load we could run the house on a smaller generator and would only need to run it a couple times a day to keep the food from spoiling. So for the price of a large generator I can purchase a small generator and a hand pump. This arrangement will use less fuel and create less pollution. I could also consider a PTO generator and run it with my tractor. Any other ideas?

जगति यत्परिणामं दिदृक्षसे तत्त्वं भव

2009-12-01T21:55:00.003-05:00

"Be the change you wish to see in the world" Ghandi

262 people have viewed this blog. There have been people from all around the globe and right here in Maine. We recently took a trip to Quebec (don't expect drivers to stop for you in a cross walk). It was wonderful being immersed in a place that you do not here English as a primary language. I have not been much of a world traveler, and I do not speak French, but there are a two things that are universal across the world. The sound of laughter and the look of love. Both of these are very simple expressions that sometimes only last for a fleeting glance, but linger for hours. Simple things that are done every day all around the world. Done by every person regardless of religion, race or age. Done at the spur of moment or planned for days. Simple in expression, but complex in their power. Each has the ability to heal and nourish both the body and the soul.

So when I build I am going to build the change I wish to see in the world.

Namaste

Solar Hot Water

2009-11-23T21:25:00.002-05:00

I haven't spoke much about our solar hot water system. Most of the data I track is related to the electricity use, but what allows us to use so little electricity is the solar hot water system on the roof. Over the past year it has logged 954 hours of operation and generated near 100% of our domestic hot water use and now supplies us with heat for the house. Of the systems in the house this one is the work horse. It clearly carries most of the load and requires no maintenance. It is also gets used every day. It is a great feeling that my morning shower water was heated directly by the sun. So 954 hours of operation with the best solar window from 10am to 2pm (4 hours) thats comes out to being in operation 238 days of the year. That is remarkable because we live in Maine and we get a fair share of cloudy days. I cannot imagine how well a system would do further south. Solar hot water systems for domestic hot water are by far, hands down, no debate, the cats meow best investment anyone can make. It is not complicated and can be plumbed into many current systems, plus with 30% off federal taxes and state rebates ($1000 in Maine) its cost is within reach. In addition most of the technology is allready here no need to invent new panels, storage devices or complicated computer controls.

My recommendation is that after sealing up the house from drafts and installing insulation the next best step is solar domestic hot water.

If you would like to learn more about solar, Shelter Institute offers a free class on Solar. Check the website for the next session.

Decisions in simple living

2009-11-17T21:39:00.003-05:00

Every day I am challenged with decisions that I make. When we built our house the decisions were numerous and daily. What is the best insulations material? What about roofing? What about windows? What about cement? What about heating methods? These were decisions that could most of the time be supported by data. Although some times the data was twisted by each interested party. The decisions that I find the most complicated are how I interact with people. Should I take a leading tone? Should I just listen? Should I direct? Should I ignore? Should I redirect? These decisions about how to interact become much more difficult when the topic of interaction is something that you are passionate about. I am passionate about simple living and leaving a light footprint on the earth, so when I interact with someone who could care less about recycling I find myself in a quandary of thought. One side of me wishes to educate and the other just wants to.... I find it hard to choose the "compassionate road" and considering the other persons thought process, feelings and reasons. Building the house was the easy part of simple living, following the spiritual path of simple living has challenges around every corner.

House update:

So far this year we have burned about 19 cu ft of firewood (full cord has 128 cu ft). The house is toasty warm with the past few bright sunny days. Today the inside temp was 65 in the morning and at 5pm was 69. I have a feeling that this might be our first month with a $7 electric bill we have been making about 5kw of power each day. ($7 is the lowest your bill can be even if you use no electricity)

Next post ---- Backup solutions when the grid power is out. Any suggestions.

Peace

Anyone have $400,000

2009-11-13T20:55:00.003-05:00

Just up the hill from our house is new plot of land which was divided into 6 lots and is now for sale. It would make the perfect setting for a eco-village. Several small homes all low impact centered around a green space. All I need is $400,000 to buy the lots and then start building, any one is welcome to send a check.

Why the interest...we need to counter what just happened up the road from us. About 2 miles away the land has been stripped of trees, dirt removed, rocks blasted apart and wildlife displaced, all for a new McDonald's. It is really sad that during these economic times the one business that is building new buildings is McDonald's. Its not like we need another one. You can travel route 1 from Portland to Damariscotta and stop at a McDonald's every 15 miles. Maybe they need to put them so close because after about 15 minutes you are hungry again. What if McDonald's only served humanly treated meats and vegetables?? I would still not be happy. Maine has lost 30,000 jobs and the costs to build this one building would do much more if the same money was invested in almost anything else (nuclear and coal power plants, Humvees, 3000+ sq ft houses, bombs and little plastic crap excluded)

What are humanly treated animals and vegetables??? Ones that have lived the good life without the interference of chemicals, can stand out in the sun and rain, and don't have there genetic structure tweaked by some mad scientist. I don't mind mother nature doing the tweaking as she has about 100 billion years of experience.

So anyone got $400,000

Peak Oil -- Not the end of oil, but the end of easily extracted oil.

2009-11-10T20:29:00.003-05:00

So today a little known news story was run in a British paper. The story was about a oil industry whistle blower who has accused the group that predicts energy reserves for most of the major countries (funded and sponsored by countries and the energy industry) of over estimating the amount of oil in the ground and being pressured by the USA to do so. The long and short of it is that peak oil happened this past year and from here on out the amount of cheap easily extracted oil is only going decline. In addition we can expect a 6 degree centigrade rise in global temperature over the next 20 years. This is very concerning in two ways. First this is the organization that up till now had the "no worries" attitude. Second this is the organization that works for the oil companies. If they know this is the end, then who is left to defend the perceived unlimited supply of oil thinking. At the same time this article came out, another was published in response to say "don't worry". From my 39 years on this planet whenever someone says "don't worry" what that really means is "you shouldn't worry, but I am scared as hell". When I look at two sides to a story I try to look at the middle ground. Lets cut the temp rise in half, only 3 degrees centigrade. This is still really bad. I am glad that I am up 100ft above sea level. I should have ocean front property in about 25 years. What is the peak oil thing all about. Here are my thoughts.

1. There will always be oil available, but getting it out of the ground may take more energy than the product will provide.

2. The costs of getting out of the ground will make it very expensive for consumers.

3. Other than the middle east countries most countries are either pumped out or close. The US pumped out in the early 1970's.

4. As the economy recovers people will use more oil, demand goes up, supply goes down, prices go up.

5. It wont matter how much is left if we keep burning it because mother nature is going to clean house and will not allow such a dramatic shift. For every action there is an equal reaction.

6. No matter how much solar power, wind power, tidal power, nuclear power we build if we don't start using less we will never be able to keep up. The first step to a green economy is using less.

So believe what you want and deny what you want, we are all in for a wild ride if we don't curb our consumption.

Here is my prediction.... We will be paying $6/gal for gas in the next 18 months. Not because of increased demand, but because of decreasing supply.

I leave you with a quote from a friend

"When are we going to stop building bombs and little plastic crap"

Back to the basics

2009-11-06T22:42:00.001-05:00

Enjoy the simple....

Sitting with a friend for hours listening, learning and being present

Catching your daughter in one of her running hugs when you get home from work

Scratching your dog behind the ear and seeing the complete happiness in the tail

Getting phone call from a 3 year old who is coming to a tea party tomorrow

Marveling at the Lego creation your 7 year old just invented... Realizing it is better than what you could have created

Sitting in silence while the world turns around you

Finding joy in something you never thought you would

Watching your wife curl up with a little one to snuggle in for the night

Knowing that you get to do it all again tomorrow

Peace

What is right???? Getting a little political here.

2009-11-05T20:08:00.003-05:00

Winter is nearly upon us so the building season is coming to a close. Time to cuddle in by the fire and contemplate life.

Read the whole thing and I will tie all this to Simple Living.

The other day I came home to find three posters around the house. Each one eluded to the "Golden Rule". Now I am not one to follow any organized religion, but this one rule seems to hold true for both religious types and those of us who find our spirituality in other ways. It seems that this is the one rule that binds all humans together whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Gnostic, Pagan, or practice any other spirituality. Some will say that this rule is silly, in that if you are ok with someone stealing from you, then you can go out and steal. This is missing the point. This rule is about being true to your own spirit and holding that each human has the right to its own life on this planet. That we should all first consider how our actions impact those around us and that simple act of consideration can guide our behavior towards others. I have had two experiences recently that have held this belief. The first was my mother telling me about a person who made the statement "Who would Jesus cover". Cover meaning health insurance. I thought about this and surely if we apply the "golden rule" then he would cover his fellow man before himself. The other is who is able to have a civil marriage. I am not talking about a religious marriage, as a religious marriage is between you and which ever god you believe in. I am talking about the legal marriage granted by the government which is supposed to be by the people for the people and blind when it comes to religion. If the golden rule is applied here then any two people can enter into a legal contract (Marriage by the legal definition) that affords them the rights given by a government. I think we have all become hung up on the word marriage. So I propose the following.... From now on we should all refer to each type of marriage with its full name. Kind of like how we name animals (homo sapiens) We have a civil marriage and a religious marriage. You can have one, both or none. You can be married by your god and not have any of the civil rights, you can be married by the government and get the civil rights, you can have both or you can have neither and just live together. As a non-religious person I do not have the right to tell anyone that they cannot have a religious marriage and I would expect the same (think golden rule) that anyone religious person would not deny anyone a civil marriage (we live in a free country able to practice any religion we want or not at all). I am glad that the my government does not tell me which religion to follow.

How does this go with simple living... I think that if we all focused on using just what we need a little more and spent less time on worrying about how others live then we all would get along just a little better. When we resign ourselves to shift our focus from doing what is right to doing what the crowd does we lose our focus and become blinded and society as a whole is drawn deeper into this divide that we now call the right vs the left. We all feel good when we do good for others and we all feel rotten when we hurt someone. Lets all do more good.

Thank you for reading...

Namaste

One year of data

2009-10-29T20:04:00.005-04:00

Here is the final first year tally.....

Cost per day: $0.93

Kw created on site: 1415

Kw sent out to the grid: 700

Kw purchased from grid: 2614 (wind and eco-friendly hydro power)

Yearly Cost: $339.86

Monthly utility Cost: $28.32

Total Kw used: 3329

Propane for cooking: 25 gal

Wood: 1.5 cords sustainably harvested from the land

So what is a net carbon impact this year??? The only thing that wasn't made on site or in Maine was the 25 gal of propane. Our last house used over 700 gallons propane, 3 cord of wood and 5000kw. I have to say that these number are impressive and have exceeded my expectations. I owe a huge Thank you to all that helped on this project.

Michelle and the kids

Karol Kawiaka (guiding us and keeping us on the path at the beginning)

Blueberry, Gaius and the crew from The Shelter Institute

Fortunat, Geoff, Jen and the crew from Revision Energy

Ray Robison Concrete

David Cressey of Cressey Electric

Barbara West (plumber)

Torri from Androscogin Bank (what a home town bank should be)

Andrea and Lisa from Remax Riverside Real Estate

Aqua Pool

Mike and family

George and Kelly

The Bank of Moms (our short term capital supply)

Chuck at Home Plans Software (doesn't know it but the final plans drawn with his program)

All the friends and family that helped hang siding, paint, pound nails and everything else

Everyone who helped along the way

We all have succeeded in building a simple, durable, easily maintainable, sustainable, energy efficient house that the average person can afford to build. It can be done, but we need to remember that conservation of resources is always the first step. We all need to use less and leave more for everyone else that will come after us. What is the next project???

I thought about retrofitting old houses, but I think the next project will be spreading the word about simple building and living. It has been such a relief to know that my utility bills are less than $30 a month and in building a small house my mortgage payment is affordable and sustainable long into the future, no matter what that brings.

There is a new project....

Raising a small flock of dairy goats and a small flock of vegtables. Any one like goat cheese???

Namaste

Loss of a Guinea Hen

2009-10-21T16:59:00.002-04:00

We lost one of the hens. No idea, but one day there was nine. It is still remarkable that we have had them free ranging for the entire summer and have had no fatalities until now.

The house continues to run well even with the colder weather. The third rack of tubes have provided 100% of our heat on sunny cold days. Year end data should be coming soon. We have started planing for next years projects. Top of list is getting the vegetable gardens ready for planting. Second in line is a barn/shop. It started out as a garage, but the more we think about it the more we have concluded that a car does not need shelter. So the car sits outside. We currently are figuring out how small a building can be to house 10 Nigerian dwarf goats, small tractor and a wood shop.

One bit of advise on guinea hens.....They will eat your garden. Many books out there rave about how gently they are on a garden. They are not.

Fall is here and Winter close behind

2009-10-14T17:18:00.002-04:00

The guinea hens are settling in for the long winter, the dog is growing more fur and we had to light the cook stove last night. The house went from 66 degrees to 72 with only 6 pieces of wood. This is the first night in which we needed to supplement the house with a little heat. With the addition of the extra rack of hot water tubes we have had more than enough hot water and gain some heat towards the end of the day. What a difference the more tubes have had already. I think this will allow us to cut our wood use by 1/2 cord (goal is one cord a winter) and certainly will cut our winter time electricity use.

Over the past several months we have had an increase interest in our house and the more people I talk to the more encouraged I am that society as a whole is turning to a more sustainable direction. I have found more people shying away from the 3000 sq ft homes and really looking at what they really need. We recently took part in a solar tour and someone reminded me of a very simple fact.

"A 1000 sq ft home will always be more green than a 2000 sq ft home"

We are still at a $1 a day to run the house and I should have the final one year data soon.

Talk I gave to the Midcoast UU Fellowship

2009-10-12T21:49:00.003-04:00

I caused the market crash of 2008 and global warming, I took and ate too much of the pizza…. Maybe I did not personally bring down the entire market, but my actions over the past 39 years have certainly helped. When the news first came about the recession I was filled with both sadness and joy. Sadness for people that worked hard their entire lives, followed the “retirement specialists” advise and had it all vanish in a matter of days. My joy was that maybe now we could get off the perpetual cycle of greed that we are told is what drives our countries economic engine. How then can I take some of the blame for our current situation? When I was growing up we had only the basics and lived just barely above the poverty line. It was my mother and her remarkable financial skills that allowed us to live in a small 3 room cabin with an 18% mortgage, have food on the table and clothes on our backs. The food was not fancy and the clothes were not name brand (the other kids had Levis I had Wranglers), but my mother would cash her paycheck and put dollar bills in envelopes, each labeled for a particular family need. My mother, sister and I managed to get by day by day. We split our own wood, grew some of our food and relied on the kindness of friends and family to get by. We did not have health insurance, life insurance, retirement savings or any money in the bank. What my sister and I had was a mother that instilled an unrelenting work ethic. In addition when I look back, many of the skills that my mother used to help our family survive are now some of my core skills that I rely on today (I split many a log mid winter then and still split my wood by hand today, and continue to resist the temptation to rent a log splitter). What I did not know then is that we were living the simple life. We lived simply more out of necessity than choice.

As I was finishing up high school (My mother recently found an old report card. I had a 50 on a final English exam) a guidance counselor gave me the following advice. “You should really consider the trades, you are not college material”. From that day I set out to prove him wrong. That single statement created in me a drive to succeed, not in the direction of my heart, but in a direction dictated by society. From there I applied to one college, was accepted, took out loans, faked having health insurance, did well, graduated sum cum laudi and went onto my career today as a physician assistant. This is where I lost my way and was duped into believing that the more money/stuff I earned the happier and easier my life would become. I was caught on this rat wheel going round and round, and at every revolution I had the opportunity to step off, but didn’t. I would earn more, buy more then need to earn more. I was putting money into my retirement, but at the pace I was going would need to continue to work and earn more each year in an never ending cycle until…. One day, one moment for whatever reason a thought came into my head. I had everything one could want, a nice big house, great family, two cars and a dog, but I was without a purpose and just spinning downward. My life had become complicated. What was missing was simplicity… I stepped off and slowly began to restore a connection with the most basic human need, a need to be connected to the earth.

As I was searching for a way to restore my connection with a simple earth centered spiritual practice a friend loaned me a book about Anna and Harlan Hubard. The Hubards did what HDT did, but not for only two years, they did it for a life time. As a nuclear power plant was being built across the river from their homestead, they did not walk in the picket lines or write letters. They opposed it because they were opposite to it. What could be more radical than to live abundantly with no need for electricity. They lived simple so that others may simply live. (Elizabeth Seton)

I wondered would a life like the Hubards be possible today? With a family? Also why? Would this be the spiritual connection that I have longed for? So this is where I went.

· We put our dream house on the market. I looked for a job with a schedule that offered myself and family a rhythm. We are now able to share a meal each day, celebrate holidays together, and I am there to kiss my children goodnight.

· I took a 30% pay cut and now think about every purchase in relation to its total life cycle.

· We built a smaller simple home powered by the sun

· We increased our use of local food and products, using recycled stuff when available and started a plan to be self sufficient with gardens and a goat farm

· We decreased our electrical use by giving up a dishwasher, dryer, microwave and television (I wished I was aware of Wendell Berry’s method he said)

“My own idea of an ideal negative action is to get rid of our TV set. It is cheating to get rid of it by selling it or giving it away. You should get rid of it by carefully disassembling it with a heavy, blunt instrument. Would you try to get rid of any other brain disease by selling it or giving it away?”

· I stopped eating meats and vegetables raised inhumanly

· And I began spending time on my own personal spiritual journey.

So I was part of the problem that had been responsible for the crash of 2008 and global warming, but I hope that now I am becoming part of the solution. I do not have all the answers, nor can I demand that others follow, for this is a journey that we each may choose freely. A journey that has been walked by many before and hopefully many more to come. I travel learning from the rich history of the past, but always holding the present close and looking to the future. A future where we can…

· Establish loving relationships with family and friends when society seeks only to separate.

· Embrace and honor a connection with the earth.

· Make co evolution our personal aspiration and hold it forth as the highest aspiration of our species.

· Be led not into Salvationist destruction, but marvel in the earthly wonders that abound all around us.

· Extend a warm embrace when others wish to do us harm. Not “go shopping”

· Deflect the daily influx of violence constantly streamed into our homes

· Follow our heart and be true to our souls

· Be conscious of our footprint on the only home we have and not take more pizza than we truly need.

· Realize that we will not always succeed, but with the help of others we will persevere along this wonderful spiritual journey.

So I leave you with a quote by Fridtjof Nansen a Norwegian explorer and humanitarian

“To require little is better capital than to earn much, the need to earn much enslaves a person, while the ability to do with little make them free. Those who need little will more easily strive toward the goals they have in view and will in general lead a richer, fuller life than those who have many wants”.

So what’s the solution, I know not the answer, but for me it’s connecting simply to the journey. Peace

Interior Photos and The Tick Patrol

2009-09-30T15:23:00.008-04:00

Here are some photos of the interior. I will take some updated exterior soon and post them.

This is a photo of our bookshelves as designed by Michelle. I like to think of this as our alternative to a television.

The sliding doors were recycled from an old building. They also save space as they do not need to swing open.

This is our entry. Bathroom to the left and kitchen to the right

This is the cookstove on which we do most of our cooking in the winter. It also provides heat.

These are our Guinea hens numbered 1-10 They have eliminated our tick problem.

Data

2009-09-30T15:14:00.003-04:00

Finally I have made it to a place that has high speed internet. It is not that we cannot get high speed at home, but I refuse to have both the cable company and phone company sending me bills. When we made the decison to simplify our lives, decreasing the number of companies that we owe monthly bills was top on the list.

Data for the past 11 months

Average Kw/day 5.03

Cost per day $0.95

Yearly cost $348

Kw purchased 2433

Kw sold 647

Total Kw used 3103

These numbers are on target with where we wanted to be. Our last house used over 6000 Kw a year, so we have cut our total Kw by 50%. In addition the electricity we purchase is from a ecologically friendly hydro and wind produced in Maine.

I expect these numbers to decrease next year. Our biggest winter use of electricity was in heating domestic hot water. We have just added a third rack of solar tubes so this should provide near 100% of our hot water needs. In addition we expect to pick up some more space heating which should decrease our wood burning a little bit.

More data to come at the one year mark.

Bad Blogger and House Data

2009-09-08T20:04:00.002-04:00

Ok....

I missed August, but who can be blamed after spending June and July soaked with daily rain. I am back and have the latest house data.

Average Kw Per Day 5.44

Cost per Day $0.98

Yearly Cost $357.51

Monthy Cost $29.79

This has increased since the addition of the pool, but still under a $1 a day. Not sure how to lower from here, but we are adding the 3rd set of hot water tubes. This should lower our winter electrical usage and allow more heating of the house. Revision energy had designed for 3 racks of tubes, but I wanted to see how the house ran with two. Turns out they were right. The bonus is that we were able to get about 50% paid for with federal and state incentives. Now is the time if you are considering a domestic solar hot water. Once you have 3 racks you really need a dump zone for the summer, ours will be the pool, so who wants to swim early may?????

See you all at Common Ground Fair

Ben

Respect the Piglet

2009-07-18T19:58:00.002-04:00

The other night Addison wrote down some rules for her bed. Why does a 5 year old need rules for her bed? I don't know, but I was interested. Here is rule number two.

"Respect the Piglet"

Everyone knows about Piglet and I do believe we need to respect him. Here is a small creature that manages to live quite a happy life in the shadow of Pooh. As I was pondering this rule I found that it made more and more sense to me as a rule to live by.

Simple living is respecting what may seem small and insignificant. Understanding that even small steps can make a big difference. The other day I overheard someone talking about something they bought at the "Christmas Tree Shop". "Only a $1.50 what a deal" was the main point, but the the point was clearly missed. Whatever 'it' was, certainly cost more than a $1.50 when you look at the true cost; from resource extraction to disposal. It will probably cost more that $1.50 just to haul the thing to the landfill. So the little things like supporting your local farmer, builder, restaurant, retail store, musician, artist or just being cognisant of where every thing comes from and where it goes can make a huge difference. If everyone took just a couple of small steps eventually we can all cover great distances.

So....

Respect the Piglet.

BTW check out a local musician Josephine Cameron

www.josephinecameron.com

Sweat equity and the road to financial freedom

2009-07-07T21:11:00.003-04:00

Wikipedia defines it as:

Sweat equity is a term used to describe the contribution made to a project by people who contribute their time and effort. It can be contrasted with financial equity which is the money contributed towards the project.

Our house could never have been built had we not enjoyed the finacial freedom that was created by the sweat equity (SwE) we put into our previous houses. When we moved from Vermont we were able to turn that SwE into cash to lower our mortage for the new house. We not only cut our house size down, but our mortage was cut drastically. Over the past years we have always done some to most of the work ourselves saving a lot of labor costs. Not only did it save us money, but we were able to put a part of our essence into each house that will live in that house for years to come.

I am a sort of Jack of All Trades and building has always been easy for me, but each project has produced new challenges and obstacles to overcome. With the help of books, magazines and the internet there is an endless supply of knowlege to help even the most technically challenged person learn the skills of building. In addition if you prefer a more traditional model of education the company that did our frame offers classes that are geared to the owner contractor. They offer classes in general contracting, electrical, plumbing, concrete counter tops, chainsaw maintence and many other skills. My recommendation it to take a vacation to the coast of Maine and take a Shelter Class. It may just be the best investment you make. See the link on this page for Shelter Institute.

So how does this equate to financial freedom?

When I finished school everyone was after me to put money into the market. Put away 10% of your salary they all said. They were finacial advisors that made money from my money no matter if I did good or bad. Many people would call that a swindle. Here is how it works. Convince 1 million people to give you $100. Charge them all a fee of one dollar and the swindler just made a million dollars. Now put a statement at the bottom in small print about no guarntees of a return and you have a legal scam artist. This never sat well in my stomach. Sure my investments have taken a nose dive this year, but I have not paid the swindler and my money is still there. So here is what I did.

1. If your company puts up a match put in enough to get the match. This way the company is paying the scam artist.

2. Invest in stuff that makes you feel good.

3. Leave it in there and do not watch it. Remember it is only money. Its worth is only what society dictates.

4. Try not to owe anyone any money.

5. Stay away from the ultimate scam (credit cards). We have one that has saved our bacon many times, but be sure to pay it off as soon as possible.

6. Buy less so you need to earn less.

Now for the important part.

1. Invest in yourself. Learn a new skill, plant a garden, raise some chickens, take a new class, start a hobby, build a shed or help a friend build a house to learn how.

2. So what if you screw up a project, you still have learned something.

3. Put in the SwE. It is not only good for the wallet it is good for the sprit.

4. SwE is a real and tangible object that projects your essence. Money is just a piece of paper that helps to assist in trade. We all need money, but it does not define who we are. (we wont get into how society has transformed money to self worth)

5. Teach your children as you learn. My construction skills have always been my back up. Once in college they were building new swimming pool. I went over to the foreman and told them I was a tile setter. He put me to work and I was able to make some money grouting the pool at night.

Here is the challenge>>>>>

Learn one new skill in each year.

If you decide to take the challenge please post a comment about the skill you have chosen.

peace......

New Data and back to house stuff

2009-07-01T14:05:00.002-04:00

So here is the new data with a couple of comments:

1. We have had only 7 sunny days this month

2. We used the well pump to top off the pool

3. The pool pump has been running

Here is the data:

Average Kw/day = 5.05 from the grid

Cost/day = $0.91

Yearly Cost = $331.50

Monthly Cost = $27.62

The struggle with the pool is fading, but still there. It has been really nice to see both children expand their swimming skills and as an added bonus I am starting to float better. We also have found an additional benefit. The pool acts as a large heat reservoir and the crawl space under the house is warmer. Hopefully this extra heat will carry us further in the fall.

I will be posting more photos and video soon (once I get access to some high speed)

I would like to know about any other similar projects that people are working on. Please leave a comment or photos.

Namaste

Good news

2009-06-03T20:11:00.002-04:00

Momma sparrow has hatched some little ones, has figured out the screens and is bringing home little bugs. She also is fond of the pool and can be seen skinny dipping often. I think she is going to be a fine single parent.

Screen porch and a death

2009-06-02T19:43:00.002-04:00

When we were thinking about our house one recurring theme kept coming back...

Every action has consequences.

I was recently reminded that as humans we have immense power over other creatures. Here is the story.

We had a screen porch framed in and did not have a chance to screen it in last fall. So this spring a goal was to get it done before the black flys started their yearly blood letting. Well as the days went by and the screen porch was not done a barn swallow pair decided to build a nest. I thought of encouraging her to build the nest elsewhere, but figured I would not get to the screens before she hatched her young. Things happened and I managed to get the screens on, but there are no babies yet. We decided to leave the door off until the babies flew the coop. Daddy bird soon figured out how to use the door and was doing a very good job, until the other day. For some reason he came flying in, but was on the opposite side and struck the screen. I heard the sound and went to investigate and found Daddy Sparrow on the ground dead. He not only died, but had a little green worm in his mouth. He must have just caught it as it was still wiggling. He died trying to feed his family all because of our screens. Mommy sparrow sat on the nest waiting and today she ventured out. She has figured out the door and hopefully she can now raise her young as a single parent. I sure hope mother nature has this one figured out.

So why choose simple living......

Because as humans we have a duty to respect not only each other, but all creatures. We have to remember that all of our actions have an impact on the earth, even if they are minor actions like building a screen porch. Whether you believe in a higher power or not we are all connected.

Which of my actions can I change to make the world a better place.

Namaste

New Data

2009-05-30T21:22:00.002-04:00

Here is the current data for the past 217 days

Average Kw per Day - 4.76

Cost per Day - $0.86

Monthly Cost - $26.09

Yearly Cost - $313

Estimated Yearly Kw - 1739

Total Kw purchased - 1550

Total Kw sold - 516

Total Kw produced - 822

Propane used - 20 gal

We are using a few more Kw than we make, but we do purchase green energy. We will have to make a decision at the end of year about adding more PV panels to offset this difference.

Best wishes

Ben

Solar overload or at least maxed out

2009-05-28T21:59:00.002-04:00

The other day was the first day our solar hot water system hit its max temp. With only the power of sun, we heated our hot water tank to just over 180 degrees. In addition our solar electric system created over 7Kw of power.

In all the confusion about solar there is one thing that is a pure and simple fact....

If you have the southern exposure.....

Solar domestic hot water is worth every penny spent. Period.

If the federal or state government wanted to really stimulate the economy they should have subsidized a domestic hot water system for every house or business. Here are the numbers.

Number of households = 111,162,259

Assume 25% have southern exposure = 55,581,129

Assume $6000 for cost of solar = $167 Billion

Stimulus package was $787 Billion

For 21% of what they used to bail out banks, wall street and the automakers we could have had solar domestic hot water on 1/4 of all households in the USA.

In addition the number of manufacturing, installation and service jobs would have been huge.

All this with technology we have today and that we used on our house.

We should have more data soon and are looking forward to our first electric credit.

Back from our trip and new data

2009-05-01T20:58:00.002-04:00

We just completed our trip to Denver to see the family. This time we rented a Toyota Prius for the drive. We had a great time and saw lots of really cool stuff, but in relation to simple living here are the highlights.

We saw 15 wind farms on our trip a significant increase since our last.
We drove by several feed lots while holding our noses. If anyone ever needs convincing that this is not the way to raise meat, take them downwind from one of these places. Most of the crops grown in the mid west go to these feed lots. I prefer to see my cows happy and in the pasture.
All the hotels have information about not washing towels and a "green" commitment.
Many of the mid west towns which grow our food need help. It is obvious that the money we spend on food is not going to the people that actually do most of the work.
Several towns had signs for farmers markets.
The Prius gets an average of 46 miles to the gallon. I am waiting the the plug in kind.

House data

Daily Kw 5.43

Cost/Day $0.98

Yearly $356.50

Monthly $29.71

We are starting to see a drop in KW usage as the solar hot water is more plentiful and not diverted to heating the house. In addition we are putting into the grid about 3 Kw a day in excess.

2009-04-08T12:12:00.000-04:00

Taken by Willian Morgan Fall 08

2009-04-08T12:02:00.002-04:00

Here is the front of the house Fall 08

New Building Project

2009-04-07T21:08:00.003-04:00

So the new project is.....

A guinea hen coop. I know that I have not finished the story of the house yet, but there is something exciting about a new spring project that will bring new life to our little corner of the world.

Recently I re-read one of the books that encouraged us to change (Radical Simplicity). The first time, I did not do any of the worksheets and read it for the global meaning. It was written by Jim Merkel who gave up a "lucrative" job in weapons development to live the simple life. This time I did the worksheets. Instead of calculating your carbon footprint you actually calculate the number of acres that you need to sustain your life.

Currently I need 5.84 acres to sustain me. This may seem good, but we would need 1.66 planets if everyone lived like me. I only know of one. (The average US citizen uses about 23 acres.) I make out good in the housing, goods/services, auto and air travel. Where I run into issues is my carnivorous ways. So in comes the guinea hen coop, which someday will be the chicken coop. Which someday will provide eggs and meat (don't tell Michelle, but chicken may show up in the freezer mysteriously wrapped in a nice package just like from the store).

I can decrease my footprint by the following:

Eat no meat
Eat less meat
Eat only meat that is raised humanely and has it life honored
Eat meat that we produce here on our own land

Any of these gets me to about 4.74 acres. Option one is not likely as I am an omnivore (so get over it). So on to the other options. The coop is almost finished. I was able to use some of the wood from the land and other scraps, but these hens are going to live in style. I will be posting photos of the house and coop soon.

First 6 months of data

2009-03-26T17:29:00.003-04:00

Here is 6 months of data

Average KW per Day From Grid 6.24

We purchase renewable Maine made hydro/wind power

Cost per Day $1.25

Yearly Cost $455.64

Monthly Cost $37.97

This past month has been our best so far.

Electric Bill of $16.91

We purchased 154Kw

We shipped out 85Kw

In addition over the past 2 weeks our solar hot water has been meeting 100% of domestic hot water and also adding heat to our house.

Down side is that CMP charges us about $7 even if we use none of their power. I am hoping that Maine starts to promote solar by enacting a law to reward local clean generation of power. Any way I cannot argue with a $7 electric bill.

Simple living with some luxuries

2009-03-24T22:24:00.003-04:00

So here was my dilemma. Can you subscribe to a simple living lifestyle, but still have some luxuries that are a bit over the top?

This questions would be easy if it was only me. I could most likely live in the woods in a Thoreau cabin, use a outhouse and grow my own food. You throw three others into the mix and you have a different scenario.

The luxury I speak of is a swimming pool. I have tried to justify it to myself several ways, but always had this feeling that I was not being true to the faith.

Here are my justifications:

1. Heat dump for the solar

2. Fresh water storage

3. We don't travel much, so vacation at home

4. Kids will learn to swim (which I never did and to this day sink like a rock)

(I can swim, but have to maintain so much forward speed that I tire out)

5. Great place to hang out and get some Vitamin D (3/4 of Americans do not get enough)

I would go round and round about this. Simple, but it would be nice. Simple, but what would others think. Simple, be a purist.

Until one day someone said the magic words

"Get over it"

As we were building our house we faced many of these same decision points and many times there were no right or wrong answers. I could argue both sides and each side would win and lose. So in the end when faced with this dilemma we needed to just "get over it".

By the way the pool is going in, the kids will be better swimmers that I and you will find us (with friends) soaking up what limited vitamin D the Maine summers have to offer.

Thanks Michael

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essentials facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived" - Henry David Thoreau

Data

2009-03-18T21:57:00.002-04:00

So here is the data to date from 10/08 to 3/09

Carbon footprint in Vermont was about 16.5 tons
Carbon footprint in Maine is 5.6 tons
$1.44 per day total cost to run
Yearly energy costs $525
1 to 1½ cord of wood

We hope to see these numbers come down once the summer comes. In fact we have used no outside energy for the last 5 days.

Simple Living

2009-03-18T21:16:00.003-04:00

Simple living?????

I have read several accounts of people simplifying their life. The Nearings, Wm. Coperthwaite and The Hubards. Each took simplicity to a level that I could only imagine. Each did it without children. So the question is -- What is the definition of Simple Living? I was inspired by Coperthwaite's statement "The main thrust of my work is not simple living......My central concern is encouragement - encouraging people to seek, to experiment, to plan, to create, and to dream. If enough people do this we will find a better way."

"To require little is better capital that to earn much. The need to earn much enslaves a man, while the ability to do with little makes him free. He who needs little will more easily strive toward the goals he has in view, and will in general lead a richer, fuller life that he who has many wants." Fridtjof Nansen

So that is what we tried to do with our house (seek, experiment, plan, create and dream) and require little. A house can be essential to a family. No matter the size, style, cost or location it is what anchors a family together and provides protection from the elements. The house should connect the family unit together not segregate each individual spaces shut behind closed doors. Now to connect net zero to simple living.

Is simple living devoid of technology??? Using the latest technology to create energy and sustain a family could become pretty complicated. What then are simple things? I turn to Coperthwaite.

Low in cost
Simple to make and easily replaced
Easily cared for
Pleasing to the eye and the mind
Not dangerous to use, make, or dispose of
Durable, aging well
Made with care and affection

This is what I wanted my house to be. This is how we came up with our guiding principle for construction of our new home.

Try to use only our fair share of the world
Utilize local products and crafts people
Consider the life cycle of products
Keep it simple
Attempt to keep construction around 1000 Sq Ft
The house should help reconnect the family unit
Things should have dual purposes
It should feel right
Less we spend, the less we need to earn, the sooner we can disconnect work from money
Build a house the average person can afford

After all the quotes and contemplating, how to I define simple??? Do what your spirit tells you is the right thing, follow your hopes and dreams and remember that no one way is the right way.

2009-03-04T21:08:00.002-05:00

What is net-zero?????

As we were considering our move and lifestyle change, a definition was in order. Net-zero is a tough word to define. Given that everything that humans or animals do has some impact on the earth nothing is truly net-zero. I guess that if energy can never be created or destroyed only change form then everything is net-zero. What does building a net-zero home mean. Just building a house takes energy. The construction of solar panels takes energy. The splitting of wood takes energy. Everything that happens on this planet takes some form of energy.

It seemed that some sources claim net-zero only if you use all solar technology or green building techniques (another tough thing to define). Others feel that burning wood, as long as it is sustainably harvested is net-zero. How does one then create a net-zero home? German passive house use energy.

I feel that net-zero is a personal definition. My definition, for my life, is that it is my choice of lifestyle in which I strive to minimize/equalize my impact on the planet and not take more than I require to sustain/enjoy life and leave some for future generations.

One reference that I used early on was the book "Radical Simplicity". This helped me define my net-zero in that if I sat down with 7 friends and we shared a pizza with 8 slices each of us would get to have one piece. That is unless one or more us decided to give a part of our piece to someone who needed it more. To confirm this I posed the question to my most reliable source. My 6 year-old son. His answer only confirmed mine.

Why we did it.....

2009-03-01T19:53:00.003-05:00

What motivates a family to up root and move to another state. This was the first decision we needed to make. This decision was a culmination of several events. First, I had spent nearly 11 years practicing emergency medicine and needed a change. Second, we wanted a strong family conection and working nights, weekends and holidays did not seem to fit. Third, no matter how we tried to fudge the numbers we were tied to a large mortgage with the Vermont house. Fourth, in order to move to a more carbon neutral family it was clear that we needed to downsize a lot of our life.

Downsize.....

House

Life

Money

Stuff

Starting Point

2009-02-20T21:34:00.000-05:00

Simple living and a family of four in a house that reconnects the family unit. Alot of people have been asking me to post the story of our move to Maine and how we built our house to match our family values. This blog will be a way for me to publish my thoughts and keep people posted on the data about our house.