Walkin’, slow cookin’, shoppin’, swingin’, and Face Timin’.

Posted on by David Maxwell

It was a busy day. We started with a walk at the greenway, and it got hot quickly! Like hotter by eight than it had been by noon on previous days. Liz bought some bread at the farmer’s market after we finished walking.

I had to get some groceries at Kroger, then picked up a few goodies at Harbor Freight. The most exciting item was the propane torch, pictured below. I will use it to kill unwanted weeds and grass.

I have been using the slow cooker a lot recently, and have been trying new recipes. I just haven’t posted many pictures. The dish that I made today was one of the all time best, I would say. I am trying to add additional vegetables to everything I prepare.

Luke spent some time in his swing on the front porch this afternoon. It had been a while since he wanted to swing in it, so that was fun. He watched a lot of cars drive by.

Between dinner and bath we Face Timed with Liz’s parent, brother, and Luke’s cousins. Everybody really enjoyed that, and Luke was able to show off his walking skills.

The next big adventure.

Posted on by David Maxwell

It’s funny how time changes things. Heals all wounds, as they say. Well, just a few short months ago I swore that I would never build as much as a dog house ever again. Building the farm house wore me out and beat me down. But everything happens for a reason, and it has become apparent that I need to utilize the lesson learned building this house, and apply them towards building more houses. Can’t believe this is happening, but let’s go.

So I bought a lot up in Monteagle a couple of years ago with the idea of building a small house on it. I obtained a building permit, designed the dwelling, and started preparing the land. Then Liz got pregnant, we bought the farm in Columbia, and the small house faded to the background. About three months ago I was thinking to sell the lot, but also started thinking about building on it. At first I told myself it was a crazy idea, but it began to grow on me. I began sketching plans that took a lot of cues from the farm house, but also improved on the design. And then the next think I know I’m getting a new building permit and speaking with subcontractors.

So where am I now? Waiting on the excavators and tree guys to prepare the site and dig footings. The block man, framers, and roofers are all lined up. I’ve started purchasing materials and storing them in a rented storage unit about two miles from the job site. I am very excited about this project and think it will be a lot of fun. The inside of the house will look very familiar to anyone who has visited the farm house, both in terms of materials and design.

I had hoped to start a couple of weeks ago and be done by Thanksgiving, but that is looking unlikely, since I don’t even have a start date yet. Construction should go quickly though, especially if I can find a reliable helper or two. It will be a bit difficult to be away from Liz and Luke during the week, but it is for a good cause, as they say.

The house will be a touch over 120 square feet and will have two bedrooms, two full baths, and a sunroom. It will also have a massive deck – even bigger than the one at the farm! The lot is 1.29 acres and has a lot of trees, most of which will be left in tact.

I came back to Columbia today and will be working on things around the farm until I get a call from the excavator saying that he is ready to go. Hopefully that will be soon! In the meantime I’ll try to use my time wisely and enjoy being with Liz and Luke. House renderings below.