Looking Back on 2021

Well, here we are again. Another year (of mud, timber, gardening, challenging weather, the pandemic, parenting, life on earth) for the books. In many ways, 2021 was a continuation of 2020. So many ups and downs. So many glimmers of both hope and despair. We all need a collective pat on the back, unironically. It’s impossible to pretend that things are “normal”. It’s hard to know what to say after a while without repeating myself. And so this annual recap exercise takes on some new meaning.

Beyond the pandemic and the continuing torrent of challenges, there’s a host of things to remember and celebrate. I can fall prey to pessimism pretty easily these days, so this is good practice for me. Life is indeed full, and here’s a glimpse of some things worth remembering in 2021.

Weather Challenges

The year started with some wild weather, including a rain-ice-snow-flooding storm back in February. The first day, it rained heavily and then temperatures promptly plummeted. Everything turned to ice and stayed frozen for a week. It snowed shortly after the rain froze, so trees were weighed down beyond what they could support, and many trees fell and limbs snapped. That first night, you could stand outside and listen to large branches cracking every few seconds. The icy trees, grass, and road covered in snow were absolutely beautiful, but it also meant we were stranded at home since our roads are not maintained super well. Oh, we also lost power. And water, phones, and internet. For 8 days. No mail delivery for 10 days, either.

Luckily, we were able to keep warm and prepare meals with our wood cook stove. That week was probably my favorite of the year, despite some of the difficulties and uncertainties of the situation. The freedom from the distractions of a phone ringing or a bunch of email was liberating. There really wasn’t much to do except keep warm, cook, take a daily walk or two, and play with our kiddo. It felt like a throwback to some of our earlier life patterns. April and I used to live with candlelight exclusively for a while. We were able to relive those memories for that icy week. It’s times like these that feel like a redemption (for lack of any better word) for choosing this kind of life. It’s good to know we’re able to adapt when needed. Not to mention, we have great neighbors looking out for each other.

Oh right, about a couple of weeks later there was historic flooding due to a separate storm. With the ground so utterly saturated, there was nowhere for even a small amount of rain to go. Never mind the many inches we actually got. I’ve never seen so much water in my life. Luckily, we were spared any damage but many in Kentucky were not.

Tons of Plaster

Early in the spring, I returned to a light clay straw construction project to plaster the home interior and finish the exterior. It was full on mud-spreading for a few weeks. Yummy, creamy clay plaster inside, and a lime finish plaster outside. My body started to protest by the end of it. Applying literal tons of plaster by hand by yourself is very taxing.

These days, everything feels like a dichotomy. I was thankful to have the work. I felt proud of the end result. Yet I mourned the fact that there’s almost no culture of plastering here, and similarly almost no other people who do it. The more time passes, the more I want to work consistently with other people and not just by myself.

I returned to that same home later in the year and installed an earthen floor, not without hiccups that were eventually resolved. But it was a big reminder of the fussiness of working with natural materials — just when you get comfortable and think you have something worked out, one change can upset your whole approach. Ack! This time it was using a different source of clay, and even though I accounted for it, my accounting was still not enough and cracks resulted. Never a dull moment. The lessons never stop.

Return to Workshops

This year, we returned with two workshops towards the end of summer. The problem of planning has not gone away, what with the unpredictable trajectory of COVID. This year was no different. We did go ahead and host two Natural Building Essentials Workshops, and luckily they went off without any issues. It was a refreshing return to hosting after a full year off.

We hosted everything outdoors and getting to connect with new folks was a definite bright spot. I love the energy people bring to classes — it reminds me of why I fell into natural building so hard so many years ago. Hosting classes is the endeavor that brings me the most joy and feels the most meaningful in life. The feedback is validating and encouraging. When things wrap up and people head home with smiles on their faces, my sense of accomplishment is wholehearted. Who knows how 2022 will shake out, but as it stands we have a full slate planned.

Home Front

There was little time left for projects on the home front with income projects, gardening, workshops, and all those life responsibilities that add up in the course of a day. However, we did build a long-awaited outdoor shower in time for folks to use during the workshops. It was a good reminder that even the simplest of construction projects take time, never mind the big ones. Especially when it’s being fit in around everything else. The shower is very pleasant to use and has been serving its purpose well thus far.

Tomatoes for Days

April and I had another big year on the veggie front. We planted more tomatoes than ever before, which meant more tomato processing, too. I can’t remember doing much other than canning tomatoes in August. In total, we made 197 quarts of tomato sauce. The peppers were on another level this year as well. We’ve never had such large plants before.

Plenty of stuff didn’t do as well as we had hoped, but the others seemed to make up for it. Every year is another chance to learn and try to improve how we do things. Gardening is the ultimate mix of reward, exhaustion, delight, frustration, uncertainty, and… hope.

♥ is Pizza & Ice Cream

Where does all of that food go? Well, part of is featured in our monthly Pizza Nights, which we did every month of the year in 2021. Pizza Nights feel rewarding in a similar way to hosting workshops. They require a whole lot of work, but the effort always feels appreciated. Likewise, April and I are so happy that people will actually make the effort to come out for these events. It’s one of the ways we try to tap into and support the local community, provide a place where people can come and enjoy a great meal and a beautiful setting, and give folks a different kind of “eating out” experience. Everything is centered on the cob oven and outdoor kitchen. And using really great ingredients and putting everything we’ve got into it.

This year, we introduced homemade ice cream alongside our pizza, and that’s been well-received. April and I have making homemade ice cream in fits and starts over the past 10 years or so, but it’s on another level of quality now that we have a really really nice machine. Oh man. I do love me some good ice cream. You may not know but food is often the motivator in my life. Did I mention the strawberry sorbetto with the homegrown strawberries? Definitely a highlight of the year right there.

Slowing Down… Trying to…

For a variety of reasons, we haven’t taken a real vacation in a long time. This year, we prioritized doing just that and I’m so glad we did. We went to the beach, where I haven’t been in about 13 years. After that length of time, returning to see the ocean was pure magic. I kind of forgot how beautiful it really is. And our kid is the perfect age for his introduction, too. Hopefully we can prioritize one annual family trip in the future. It’s so important to step away from life for a few days.

Timber Framing in Winter

This fall and winter, I’ve been helping a friend build the timber frame for his future home. I’ve coordinated the purchasing and delivery of the material, and been leading the layout and cutting work. It’s been going as smoothly as I could possibly hope for. A nice way to close out the year. The freakishly warm temperatures this December have been concerning, yet it’s made working outside super easy. Once again, every project is a chance to improve. The tractor is totally clutch for moving these monster white oak timbers around.

Looking Ahead…

For the past two years, I’ve avoided making too many long term plans. But on some level, I have to plan ahead to be able to fit the jigsaw pieces of life in place. Uncertainty makes that more difficult. Everyone has their own version of planning with looming uncertainty. Since much of our schedule is seasonal, we at least have some baseline framework to guide us. We also have an entirely new level of routine with Hazel in school now. We’re going to attempt to host a full workshop schedule this summer. There are other things I’m looking forward to, but I’m being careful not to get attached to a specific outcome.

That’s hard for me, but it’s part of learning to live through this time we’re in. Best case scenario, we make progress on our dry stone patio and outdoor kitchen countertops, finish our pond, and tie up other loose ends on existing projects. If things go off without a hitch, we’ll have additional new workshop infrastructure on site — a large timber frame social pavilion. We shall see. One day at a time.