Windows and special finds.

My request for my fifth wedding anniversary gift was a window for the tiny house.  My husband replied in his usual way, half disbelief and half shock.  Where you going to put it?  You're not starting to build yet.  What do you want that for?  I've learned over the ten years we've been together; that we work better together if I give him time to adjust to what it is I'm looking for.  He does not like change, any change.  Even something as simple as moving furniture, throws him for a loop.  I tend to think fast and be a little chaotic.  So to keep the peace I spring things on him in small chunks.  He is still disgruntled but short of sheer panic.  This way we both get to be happy in the end.  Our anniversary was 3/12.  We didn't have a chance to go to the Restore until 3/14 but I was still holding out for the tiny house window.  I wanted something decorative for the front of the house, back of the trailer.  I had searched on line and the prices were enough to cause shock and panic.  I was holding out hope for the Restore.  We actually have three Restores fairly close by.  The third one was the charm, the mother load, the cats butt.  I found four decorative windows and two sliding vinyl windows for the kitchen area.  The first trip we bought a decorative window for $35, yippee.  It fit in our Honda and we were off.  During the afternoon I kept thinking about getting one more decorative window and the two vinyl sliders.  By four O clock, I wanted to go back.  They closed at five and are closed Sunday.  My husband is making a book shelf and he wanted to go get supplies for that so, we were off.  I explained to him that I would prefer to use Restore windows on our build rather than order new ones when the time comes.  If you are willing to be flexible with the size of the window you can get them from the Restore and plan the construction around what you find.  He reluctantly agreed.  Because we were buying so much they gave us a discount.  The second decorative window was $25 and the two sliders were marked down to $110 each.  I feel good about our finds.  The final picture is of a glass doored cabinet I bought a couple weeks ago for $15 at another Restore.  I added a couple more shelves and a lip to prevent items from sliding forward on the shelves; plus I loved painting it wild and crazy colors.  I enjoy finding these special finds for our tiny house build and working some magic to give a splash of color and fun.  What joy this brings.  I wish you all joy in the simple things life has to offer.

Pee, Wewe, Tinkle, Whiz, Dodo, Poop, Cakah, Popo

Guess my title tells you this blog post is about my new composting toilet.  I have shocked many people with my plans to build a tiny home.  The composting toilet usually brings the biggest looks of horror and shock.  My husband was the most shocked with the whole idea of a composting toilet.  You want to do what?  You mean you want me to shit in a bucket?  My answer was "Well, ya".  What do you say?  He did come around and dove in with the building.  I am fortuate that we can work together on these projects.  I have been thinking about what I can do in preparation for building my tiny home and the composting toilet was one item I thought I could research and build easily.  My research phase found many great composting toilets but the cost for most were about $900.  I also explored the option of ordering the Separett from www.Separett.com (Separett-USA) and building my own base for it.  This was my choice.  I learned that to control smell it is best to separate urine from stool.  Both can be safely composted as fertilizer.  I also ordered a vent fan for the toilet from Amazon.  It was a Best electronics and machinery co. 120 mm x 25 mm 110 V ball bearing ac cooling fan model BT12025B1L for $14.  I plan to wire this to a dimmer so I can adjust the spead.  I won't be able to install the fan until I have installed the toilet into my tiny home.  The total cost for us for the toilet was $239.  We chose Spruce wood that was pre glued so that added to our cost.  I think it could be built for less than we did.  The Separett (privy 500) was $129.  Please check out their website.  A couple other web sites about composting urine that I really enjoyed are:  modern farmer.com/2014/01/human-pee-proven-fertilizer-future/ and nwedible.com/how-to-use-pee-in-your-garden/  Live life large by expanding knowledge about all the possibilities.  We are so fortunate.

Down sizing

I have been down sizing for years.  I gave myself very liberal standards at first.  An example would be if I hadn't used it in five years it is time to go.  That helped me to let go of some things.  One excuse I had for holding on to, say, my kayaks, was how valuable I thought they were.  Then I had this thought that very little gets better with age and how selfish I was preventing someone else from enjoying these items.  That did it.  Out, out, with it all, lol.  Even looking at my kitchen, I had a couple homes worth of dishes and pots and pans I could shed.  I started with things I didn't think would be too painful, like dishes.  I bet I passed on to others more than 10 baking pans alone!  Who needs to hoard baking dishes?  Ten really, I had them so stacked that it was hard to get any that weren't right on top out.  Watch out for the avalanche.  Another excuse I have for holding on to something is that it is part of a set.  So what I never have used what ever it is, I cling to it like my life depends on it.  Crazy really.  What will happen if a set gets broken?  Will it be on the news?  How many dishes does a person need to function?  My husband washes our dishes, I know I'm spoiled rotten.  Naah not rotten, just happy.  We rarely if ever use more than four plates down my pile of say 20.  I did thin the plates but it is hard to let go of more.  I will do battle from within and reduce to no more than six of any one item.  The sink will never be full of dishes and have the whole family show up at once for a multi course meal.  I do not need to be prepared for the ten year storm.  It really is okay.  
This last fall I convinced my husband that we really didn't use the rocking chair we had in the living room and we should pass it on to someone that would enjoy it.  When he agreed it could go, I quickly loaded it in the car before he could change his mind.  Off we went to leave it at the free area of our dump.  I love the dump, have I told you that before?  Before I even left, one of our dump ladies brought the rocker into the building.  I went up and told them with a big smile, "I am so glad you liked the chair and it will get used."  The wonderful woman in charge of the dump told me it was top of the wish list for someone.  Boy that made me happy.  Just as I had gotten my stainless steel sink, someone else will have a rocker to enjoy.  When I look at the place the rocker sat for years, I smile.  Boy it feels good to let go.  I wish for you all the joy of giving.  It is so much better than hoarding. 

Introduction.

Good evening, My name is Sandra Christensen Mariani.  I am 52 years old.  I have had a very unusual life thus far and I highly doubt that will stop now.  I am a mother of four adult independent daughters and a grandmother of two.  I am a retired nurse of 27 years.  I am married to a man I love who is older than I.  We met hiking and we both enjoy hiking and traveling.  Now you know most of the vital statistics.  I became a long distance walker after my kids were independent.  I have walked the entire Appalachian Trail ( over 2 years, 2005-6) approx. 2174 miles; The Via Alpina in Slovenia, 144 miles; The John Muir Trail and side trails, 250 miles;  The Camino De Santiago (2 routes), 998 miles;  The West Highland Way, 102 miles;  Two trails in Denmark, The E1 and The Haervejen, 280 miles, The Ochsenweg, 60 miles, and I am currently working on The Florida Trail, so far 500 miles.  I have what I call a wonder lust.








In 2009 after the economy crashed, My husband and I were out hiking in winter on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina.  It was damn cold.  Our food was freezing before we could eat it.  We spent the night in a three sided shelter on the trail, in our tent, where mice tormented us playing king of the tent most of the night.  What to do?  Lets get out of here and go stay with my daughter in Florida.  We have wonderful friends, Kenn and Susan, who picked us up and delivered us to Asheville, NC to pick up a rental car and we were off to Florida.  Some how during the five weeks we spent in Florida we decided to buy a home there.  Prices were very low, taxes absolutely unbelievably low. We bought a home a few doors from my daughter.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  We planned to move to FL and sell our NH home.  We did not foresee the real estate down turn lasting as long as it has.  We were unable to sell our home in NH, even for $40,000 less than we have in it.  I also discovered that I value my northern friends and I want a continued relationship with them.  To make a long story a little shorter, I needed a solution to maintain a close connection with my northern friends and to be able, I hope, to sell the New Hampshire house.  The taxes in the north are worse than a mortgage.  I have felt like I have a ball and chain around my neck with no hack saw to cut it off. 


All that being said,  I remembered my dreams as a child of building my own tiny house.  Making a small home myself.  I would like to build a home on a trailer that I can move around the northeast.  I can stay connected with my friends and hopefully sell the house in NH.  I yearn to be free of the responsibility of owning a home in the North and yet have the freedom to share life with friends.


My husband and I plan to spend much of 2015 traveling.  The big part of our building the tiny home will be in 2016 but I have been anxious to make even the smallest of progress.  In the end of 2014, I asked our wonderful "dump" ladies in NH to keep their eyes out for a stainless steel sink.  Sure enough a double sink came in and they saved it out for me.  I was so psyched.  It was as though I had been given the hope diamond.  My dream had started.  My husband has been a few steps behind me with each bit of progress.  The first thing he says usually is "where are you going to keep that".  I have learned to be prepared with an answer.




I will be posting soon about other items we are preparing for the tiny home, the home naming process (grin), trailer searches, and our progress toward building.  I hope you enjoy the information we can share and lots of humor along the way.  This is a crazy idea.  Most people I have talked to about my dream see it as very impractical but that has never stopped me before (smile).