This is a photo taken by a friend just a day or so after we moved up the mountain to this home built by Tim. He was up on there for a week with the other men, who were also building their homes. They worked in groups and got the frame up and the roof on each home, then they worked alone. Then we were able to move up with whatever we wanted to bring up for 6 weeks, food and all.
I see that I had hung the curtains in the living area - our table and benches were in that corner - we had two big windows (with only screening) that let in tons of light and air. We had a window on our door, and in the front there. He also built us a couch, bed platform, crib for Nate, kitchen counters, and stove.
Yeah, he's pretty amazing.
My job was to get us settled in and to put my touch on our home. When this photo was taken, we were still working on the inside, getting everything put away, and built.
Do you see the black plastic at the end of the house? That was our bedroom. Tim built a platform for the bed, so we could have storage underneath and built Nate's crib into the corner right under the window. We had fresh mountain air to breath in every night. We even had a shower in there.
A week later, we turned our attention to the outside of the house, and made a stone walk way and steps, we dug up ferns from the woods and planted them around the front steps. We slung a hammock between those two trees in front. It was home.
Can you see Nate sitting out front? He had a blast! He was 13 months old when we moved up the mountain, and had only been walking for about a month. He trip and fell a lot the first few days but then he became fleet footed! He loved being outside!
This was training for living on the mission field and getting used to having life be completely different for you from what you are used to. We had to can all our food ahead of time, bake our bread, wash our clothes with a hand agitator, wring it out, rinse, wring it out again, and hang it on the line.
Simple living does not mean it is easy. We got into a daily routine and things became normal for us. I am thankful for this experience. It has taught me many things, that are still useful to me 24 years later.
1. You can live without electricity.
2. You can be very happy and contented with less.
3. You can make a home anywhere, if you have the heart to do it.
Oh, so many things.
I am trying to find the photos from that 6 week period of our lives. I'd love to share more with you.
What were you doing 24 years ago?
9 comments:
Very interesting. Love how you hung curtains even there!
That is a photo of the original Creekside Cottage. :)
Since it was only for 6 week I would have been tempted to just get through it and not invest the time in it like you did to make it a home. Like the curtains in the window or the ferns by the steps. But I think now i would would.
Let's see 24 years ago i was 6 and enjoying my last summer at home before heading to Fanda.
Amazing and I hope you find the photos. My husband built us our first home too, all on his own, not in a group of friends. He wrote a book about it.
I love this story! And I have no trouble believing that you made your little plastic house a home. Of course you did!
Hmmmmmmmmm. Not NEARLY the adventure YOU were experiencing :)
It was my husband's last year a President of a small denomination headquartered in Fort Wayne IN. Our family was just on the brink of some changes (not the first and not the last we've weathered).
Amazing! such a beautiful post, loved the thoughts about what a home can and is, I hope you find the photos and share.
Blessings, Sue
Let me think. 24 years ago I was living in a small town on the edge of the Amazon jungle in an airy wooden house beside an airstrip. I learned years before that that living without electricity is easier than living without running water. I also learned that beauty can be found anywhere,and that a home is created by love and care.
I've never lived in a plastic house, though. I'm sure you have wonderful memories of your 6 weeks there.
How wonderful is this!?! I'm so glad you shared it. It brought to mind a pioneer spirit like the the one Laura Ingalls Wilder describes whenever they would build and/or move into a new place. They always made it home. Your reason for doing this makes this all the better.
Hmmm... 24 years ago? I was in the process of being deceived by the deceiver into trying to continue teaching school after becoming a mother.
But God...
I was pregnant with my third living in Kansas near the base honey was stationed at. I was missing my daddy so much because I had never been out of the state without him. Fun times. Tiring times!
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