100 Good THings
A blog about two folk, a dog and a tractor,
building a minimalist house and life in the country
Five years ago, my husband Phil and I embarked on building a solar passive, off grid, architecturally designed minimalist house in a paddock in rural NSW, Australia. I know what you are thinking: “a life in the country” means a big house and lots of land. Well, not so much. We have a bit of land and started out with a paddock consisting of two trees and a whole lot of grass.
This story documents the experiences of two folk, a dog and a tractor, and what we achieve as we build our house, learn to manage our land and realise the 100 Good Things that have earned their place in this adventure.
It has taken some years, but I've realised you don't need lots of things to have a good life - and it turns out there are many folk out there who already know this! There is an entire movement called minimalism with some amazing speakers and promoters (see The Minimalists blog), Brooke McAlary has written about slow living on her blog and in her book Slow, Live Life Simply, and a guy called David Bruno wrote a book about how he changed his life based on a strict interpretation of the idea. So it's not a new concept and whilst it is affirming that others have reached similar conclusions to me, what stands out is we can all have different techniques and reach the same outcome: a less complicated life.
But it takes time and purposeful effort. I've had hints that this adventure might reveal unexpected and humorous outcomes as our lives shift to a minimalist life in the country. The rhythm of the seasons, the dictates of the elements, land and animals, independent but with a growing sense of community, blah blah blah and its TRUE! The corker is how our minimalist sensibilities have dovetailed so neatly into this new world we glimpse and how glaringly impossibly they don't!
So what started out as an owner builder project has evolved to represent our statement of faith in the possibilities of our own abilities and growth. This blog details our experiences.
Lee Towle
2020
Sept-oct-BER
Spring has powered the steps of the 2 folk, the dog and the tractor (maybe not the tractor) during September and October. The rains have saturated the colours of our landscape.
August
August for the 2 folk,the dog and the tractor was a happy one, with the tractor saving the day. We got stuck! Let me translate. We received very good falls of the right sort of rain. Our paddock soils became sodden enough for our ute to be “paddock parked” – unexpectedly. We don’t use the word “bogged” because it’s a bit of a negative word and it seems at odds with the joy of receiving rain.
July
July's story for the 2 folk, the dog and the tractor is a deliberate diversion. We spent the first half of July in deep sadness at saying goodbye to our much loved flock of merino wethers. We need time to process the emotions. The knowledge, 'The Boys' were due for sale, has weighed heavily for months. I admit to an element of avoidance.
June (not sure where May went)
May and June were busy months for the 2 folk, the dog and the tractor. Farm work dominated as we built (yet more) wicking beds and planted the garlic crop, conducted shearing, and managed livestock. Big or protracted events and projects demand so much of us, in the lead up, then the event itself, and then any fallout. Here we spend so much of our time feeling like we are flying by the seat of our pants, learning on the run, (of which there is so much) and getting things done in time for.... I can't pick just one reason. Properly thrilling.
February
February is all about extremes for the 2 folk, the dog and the tractor. We started the month surrounded by drought-affected paddocks and an empty dam. We have finished the month with green fields and a half-filled dam, which is a really very good outcome! We were lucky to receive rain in the last month, yet to be confirmed as ‘drought-breaking’ but enough to soak deep into the ground, our minds and hearts. The land is responding, plenty of new shoots everywhere, millions of seeds have sprouted and we are better for it.
August
August for the 2 folk, the dog and the tractor involved a lot of hard physical work, all of which were just mere baby steps towards a future end goal. It reminded me of that saying “look after the present and the future will look after itself” (attribution unknown). So we persevered, we progressed and we stayed present.