This Snowy Eve ~ Connections




Earlier Today

  My husband and I built our home ourselves, We began this adventure in 1997. It is warm and safe in the midst of a forest covered in snow. We can look out our windows at a river far below our mountain. I say our mountain because it is. Today a Red Cardinal sat on a limb staring in at me at my kitchen window. My husband feeds the birds all year long. This is one of his greatest pleasures. I reap the benefit of his willingness to go outside all winter to keep these birds around. This morning he filled the feeders before he walked up the gravel road to our truck that we have to park on the paved dead end of this one way road with two way traffic to go to where he works.When I think about the fact that we hammered every nail in this building I can hardly believe it is true, but it is. When I wash dishes I look at my kitchen sink and remember the day we installed the faucets. I am thankful. When I turn on the lights I remember when an electrician and my husband wired this entire house while I put all of the insulation in every place it was needed. I wash my kitchen floor and am pleased that I have a kitchen floor. I am grateful that my home and everything in it is payed for with blood, sweat, and a whole lot of tears. The day we climbed upon the roof to anchor a little round window was a day like today. I can not believe that we had to tie ourselves to the building to keep from slipping off and falling. We did it though. It is a really cool little round window. I recall the day Jim and I began sheet-rocking the first room. It was a day to remember because of the snow outside. The power went out all over the region for ten days. Luckily, we had a wood burning stove in the basement where we made ourselves a bed on a plywood sheet placed upon a few cement blocks and covered ourselves with sleeping bags. We couldn't get out of here for a week. It was one of the most challenging and fun times of my life.

The training I received when I studied art has come in handy. I learned to use saws and equipment that I needed to use to help build this house. My hubby and I renovated other homes in other places and it prepared us for our daunting tasks to come. I promise this is not turning into a book. I am almost to that point of getting to  my point. . .which is. . .even when I am confined to this space. . .being "snowed-in" I am so grateful for everything. The connections we make in our lives with people and places are the most valuable evidence of our existence.

I exist to connect and I connect to exist.

I celebrate the people in my life, I celebrate the children when I teach art, I celebrate my family, my friends, and all of the sharing that will come when I exist to connect and connect to exist.