The process was actually pretty simple. We contacted a draftsman, described what we wanted to build, and over the course of the next few weeks worked out details. They were emailed to me in pdf format. After googling blueprint printing, I found a local company a few miles down the road and gave them a call. An hour later I emailed the PDFs to them, and wa-la-poof! By the end of the business day I had them in hand!
The roll was bigger and heavier than I expected. We had ordered eight copies. One for me, one for a friend who is helping and six for getting our bids and for the other contractors I may be hiring. When the gal at the counter handed them to me, I felt a sense of pride, and awe. Now, it’s official. We are building, and this will be my job for the next six months. Everything else will have to be put on hold. Depending on how hands on I have to get, I am thinking I may hire a house cleaner to come in every couple weeks so I don’t get stressed over a dirty home.
It’s exciting and a bit scary at the same time. I am going to be in charge of getting a fairly large shop built, that needs to stay on budget and get done properly. I hate making mistakes, but I need to accept that mistakes will happen, I just have to deal with them as best as possible. When I say shop, it is more of a multi purpose building. There will be a garage storage space for a tractor, tools, and stuff. Above that will be a space that will double as a space for friend gatherings that might not fit in our living room, quilting space, crafting space, and maybe movie night space for grandkids visits. The remainder of the downstairs space will have kitchen counters and a sink for preserving the harvests. I am not much of a canner, but I do want to begin freeze drying foods. I have been using freeze dried foods for years in my cooking. For the past couple years, I have used up freezer space for the extra apples, plums and nectarines we grow, but that has taken up a lot of space. I would rather make jams and freeze dry them so they can be shelf stable and leave freezer space for things I prefer not to dry. There will also be space for my honey to putter with some woodworking projects, among which will be my raised planter beds.
The next couple weeks will be tricky for me. This week I am preparing for the upcoming spring feasts that we celebrate. It is a full week of celebrating with friends each evening, and I host. I love the process of making different types of Unleavened Bread and praying for the guests who will be joining us. Cooking and hostessing is a joy to me. However, during this week of preparing, I also have my granddaughter’s first volleyball game to attend, all the paperwork to fill out to obtain our permits for building, and a few last minute bids to obtain. It is time to coordinate and put together everything I have been collecting into a timeline. I have to get the permitting done over the next two weeks to take advantage of our counties opt out program, which goes away at the end of the month. It means I do not have to go through the extra structural inspections and permitting lag time. Our blueprints have been structurally engineered to code, and I trust our framers to follow them. This means we can begin as soon as the first of next month.
I am actually looking forward to being involved with wiring the house, laying the in floor heating tubes and more. My priorities will have to be set and adhered to. Time for me will have to be given a place in each day. Time to walk, focus on breathing and express my gratitude for nature to the creator. Time for an epsom salt and essential oil bath at the end of a physical day. Sunday will have to remain gardening day here at the house we will continue to live in.
That is, if we don’t get the house we are going to bid on at auction in a few days. I forgot that part. We have been looking for a home to buy at auction that would work for the three of us, but still have some space for when our daughter visits with her family. We figured that if we found one and could get it at a decent price, we would move into it, and sell our current house to take advantage of the strong market. Financially, it makes sense. Then we would have the money needed to start on the house on the property next year. We are trusting God that if we are supposed to do that, he will let us get the house. If we are not the successful bidders, then, we I’ll trust that whenever we are able to sell, we will still have the equity we are hoping for. So, a possible move during May might be added to our lives too!
Seems we either have a lot of plates spinning, or none. As much as I like the plates we spin, I admit, the older I get, the more I treasure the no plates spinning times of our life.
Here’s to a few more plates!
An Ordinary Life 