The Day Before April Fools

I spent a few hours on our land yesterday with my friend, Joey Brost. It was good to get outside after spending a day short of three weeks at work on the North Slope. We built a fire, drank some beer, and just had some guy time. My faithful wife stayed home and minded the youngin's, baked a pie, mopped the floors, darned some socks and waited expectantly for my return. (Ok, ok, I'm just going to tell you that I'm full of crap, plus I've had a couple of beers and I'm just making stuff up. It's also April 1st......so.......)

The sun was shining and it was great to be outside. It occurred to me today that what I am searching for in a home is built of and includes the things of nature that we enjoy. The natural light, the random and uneven lines, the raw elements. My love of homes and structures built by nature have developed to the point that driving through a modern neighborhood brings upon me a feeling of un-naturalness. It's hard to explain. It's as if something elemental is missing. These straight lines are out of place.

Now, I have to stop, and before you guys get all offended, I understand tastes are as unique as the people on this earth. So I understand that my own feelings may be unique. I know that we all strive to transform whatever house we may choose to live in into some sort of home, with our own personal touches. Now that I got this out of the way....

The types of home that catch my eye are ones that incorporate elements of nature into it's design. They use curves and irregular surfaces. They use stone and natural wood. They are build by the hands of people who love what they are building. I love reading blogs that chronicle the experiences of those building their dream house, and especially if that house it one that uses it's environment to its full potential and minimizes the use of non-renewable resources.

In the future, we intend to give you a little glimpse into the decision-making process as settle on the plans to build our own home. It's going to evolve and change as it goes, much as nature does. I can't wait to see how it turns out. But for now, there's just too much to write about and it's a bit overwhelming to pick just one topic. Hopefully in the coming posts we'll be able to narrow it down a bit.

So what does all this mean? It means I'm enjoying an evening at home with my family, dreaming, and loving life. It means that this blog has no agenda but to include you into our lives and give you something to read when you are bored. So go love your family, and dream the things that make this life full, and then start making them possible.

Take care,

Justin