Resolutions

I'm not much into New Year's resolutions because, as most people will agree, most people fail miserably at keeping any resolution.  The general idea is to change a habit or behavior but that is a real problem for most people including me.  I'll admit to having as much trouble as most people keeping any resolution or goal.  It is generally agreed that most resolutions have faded into a dim recollection by about March, IF they make it that long.  Here are the top ten suggestions for how to stick to your resolution or you might check out Yahoo's suggestions for success.

Takin' things easier

Ryan Mitchell of The Tiny Life has posted a very relevant article about lessons learned from life.  The story is recounted from a nurse on another blog titled Inspiration and Chai where she tells of the regrets that many people have as they attempt to make peace in the last days of life.  It is a very interesting perspective on living, which is interesting because my first thought, based on the contents of the article, would be that it would be about dying.

Slowin' down

I don't know about y'all but I feel life slowing down for the holidays.  And that seems contradictory to what I have been expecting because usually it seems that we feel the pressure of the holidays pressing in on us and just want to run away and hide, like in a Tiny House.  (Maybe that's part of the allure of a "Hideaway" like a Tiny House?)

Designing: Two doors, or not two doors?

Laura and I have been discussing the idea of having two doors in our cabin/Tiny House.  This design issue presents a large number of questions that must be answered before the first board is laid down.  I like the idea of having two access points but I am even more enamored by the idea of having two exits.  I have been thinking a lot about this design issue for a few weeks and I keep turning it over and over in my head because of a number of issues.

The obvious problems became crystal clear to me as I was reading a blog posted by a fellow minimalist and blogger, Ryo Chijiiwa of Laptop and a Rifle.  I have been reading Ryo for some time and was reading some of his older posts when I came across a July 16th, 2010 post relating the details of a very harrowing experience that focus the light of attention like a laser beam on this issue.

Virtual Tiny House Conference

Event announcement:

Gregor Folouk hosts a blog called Towards a Better Tinyhouse that I check out regularly.  Greg has shared some very valuable information but he has decided to take sharing to the next level and host a virtual event in the form of an online conference for people interested in chatting about Tiny House subjects.  Greg's conference will have a number of chat rooms that will have a predefined topic for discussion as well as some open forum areas for individuals to share personal experiences and stories as well as ask general questions of those who already have experience in the Tiny House arena.

Taking liberties...

I debated about posting the following information because while I believe in referencing other blogs through the obvious employment of links I was not sure I wanted to reference something from so very long ago.  The post to which I am referring is from December of 2007 and was originally included as content on a Tiny House blog that I found while researching related links for building information.  I've taken the liberty to borrow the concept from Kevin and recirculate it here.

Windows

I went to pick up the free windows offered by a friend and found that I may not be able to use them.  Sadly, the casement was not included and I am not secure enough in my woodworking skills to be able to rebuild the window case/frame.  I bet that windows could prove to be one of the most expensive parts of a Tiny House.  I intend to investigate this more this morning but I would welcome any comments about this problem because I am still feeling afraid of these windows but also wishing that I could use them.  They include the wood frames around the panes as well as the spring loaded aluminum side tracks as the opening/closing mechanism.

I've been offline

I contracted a viral infection that knocked me off my feet for a few days but I'm back.  I probably could have managed to only be out for one day if I would have taken better care of myself but I pushed ahead when I should have laid down and taken it easy.  Maybe some day I'll learn, but maybe not...

Anyway, I have an appointment to collect a load of used windows being donated by a friend who is remodeling their house.  This includes an excellent 32" exterior door with a window.  I think this is a rare find because most doors, particularly exterior doors tend to be wider, say about 36" and may be hard to fit into the end of a Tiny House or cabin.  This 32" model should be a perfect fit and I'm pretty excited to have scored it.  I'll see if I can get some pictures when I get them home.  Of course, I would have already had these treasures at home and safely stored away if I had been able to get out this last weekend to get them.  So, I missed my first chance and am feeling pretty lucky that my friends have been so accommodating as to hold on to these supplies for me.  Many places would have disposed of them if you're not on time to collect the pieces being offered.  I feel blessed with good friends like these.

Hey, thanks for stopping by.  Let's get out there and make it a great day!