Natural Building and me

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Writing to you again from the Strawbale Studio.

As i write this i am sitting next to the Rocket Stove - Sitting on its pipe warmed bench.
It is in the 20s outside, about 40 degrees in the room, and i am WARM in a sweatshirt and blanket sitting on this heated couch.
The past few days i have worked on cobbing the outside of the rocket stove - playing in the mud, realizing how nice warm water feels on my hands, staring at the fire, and stacking and smooshing clay around.

I am learning so many new things about natural building - It is starting to get more HANDS-ON here which is wonderful since i can learn so quickly that way. I am realizing how simple this type of design is - it isnt hard to understand and it is straight forward to do. The simplicity as been inspiring me to imagine all the things i want to build - and i have been planning and sketching them out. Ive been daydreaming about the Rocket Stove Bed that i want to sleep on in my Tipi.

Learning: I can live simply and be comfortable
Crazy.

In other news:
Things i love:
- The days getting longer
- Nutritional Yeast all over popcorn
- New friends and the local/simplicity movement in the Detroit area
- Thinking about purchasing my first car

Devouring with my mind
- Tom Sawyer
- Rocket Mass Heaters - by Ianto Evans and Leslie Jackson
- Humanure Handbook - by Joseph Jenkins
- Shelters, Shacks, and Shanties - by D.C. Beard (1914)
- Ecovillage Living - by Hildur Jackson and Karen Svensson
- Wild Fermentation - by Sandor Katz

Easy things I Like To Make
GRAIN SPROUTS
Sprout just like any other sprouts.
Step 1 - In a Jar - Soak grain in water for 24 hours (close jar with cheesecloth fastened on with a rubber band). Keep it dark warm place (cover with towel)
Step 2 - drain and rinse a few times. Place jar upside down in bowl to let the water drain through the cheese cloth. Cover With towel for a few days, Rinsing every morning and evening (dont let it get too dry or wet/moldy).
Step 3 - Once little tails appear - set in the sunlight during the days to let it grow stronger. keep rinsing.
Step 4 - eat up

ESSNE BREAD(dried sprouted grain bread):
3 cups Buckwheat/Spelt/Grain sprouts ground or crushed somehow (i used a meat grinder)
1/4 cup sourdough starter
salt
spices (i used oregano, chives, and dill)
anything else you want (i added a grated carrot - next time im thinking about raisins)

mix together and let sit in an oiled loaf pan in a warm place for 2 days with towel over it.
Dry in oven at 200 degrees for about 4 hours - flip over when halfway done.

REJUVELAC(tonic to help digestion of grain)
3 quart sized jars
3 cups Spelt/Buckwheat/Grain sprouts

Put 1 cup of sprouts in the bottom of each jar. Fill jar with water and let sit in a warm place for 2 days. Strain and drink (or refrigerate the tonic water)
Put the sprouts back in the jar and fill jar with water. Let sit in a warm place for 1 day. Strain and drink batch number two

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Photos

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T finishing up some writing to go with the holiday gifts.

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Christmas feast time with the B family

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Finding the beauty in Saginaw, MI

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shiawassee national wildlife refuge, MI

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Crazy bark design

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Sunset in the snow - looking at the field where 20 plus deer were gallivanting in the snow

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christmas in the snow

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crazzzzy lights

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the day the frost never left

Comments

[Shannon]

yeah grrrrrrl
I also am a big fan of the nutritional yeast on popcorn....yummm. Beautiful pictures, good reads, brilliant thoughts! I promise to call soon...I have to get a new phone, but very soon! If you stay here for a big longer I would love to come visit :o)

[abbied]

shan - i would love to eat popcorn with you and be near you - this post was in face inspired by the letter i just finished to you.