So, I have fractured my tibia and am going to be on crutches for the next 4-6 weeks. Although a “short” amount of time, this will be the most I have had to navigate, and I am both excited and nervous about the experience. Nervousness comes from my dependence on others, particularly my partner, Lena, but also this family and Community Rebuilds (CR). I do not like the idea of being a hassle for others. Really, I tend to prefer being consistently helpful and contributing towards all those around me. I am going to need shoulders to hold me when traveling around sometimes, I am going to be mostly unable to transport myself outside of campus/home. But already, we and I are getting the hang of the situation, and I am truly excited and curious what this experience is going to behold for me and those around me. I truly love these people and this organization: what it stands for, who and how we help, and the overall production with CR. Within moments of this change, my hurting myself, I had such love, empathy, care, nourishment, attentiveness, and total support. One of our lead builders, Jason Pronovost, was immediately letting me know I can both take whatever time I need, and (knowing me) said that when I want to come back that they will find tasks I can do, no problem. The tasks even included interesting skill developments like mixing plasters for later in the build. That evening, another instructor, Alex, stepped aside from our house party to talk to me about working in the office, learning about Quickbooks, and contributing in that way. Rikki even messaged me at 10:30PM that night saying that they could use my skills in the office and that I am a good facilitator. I feel so blessed to be valued and recognized in so many ways. What is it that I have interest in learning & accomplishing during my adjusted state? Office: Quickbooks, Scheduling, Bidding/Ordering, Social Media, Curriculum Information, blogging, and studying. Campus: Prepping beans, rice, lentils, pizza dough. Perhaps educating on the next steps of the build. Games, wood burning, and other activities. Studying. Site: Handicapped work – plaster making, woodcutting, sanding, organizing work. Presence, situational awareness Self: Independence and communal capability, expressing needs and wants with openness to no’s and yes’s. Perhaps figure out post-CR life some. Clear through phone tabs, read some books, general and personal upkeep. Study: Greywater for Moab, etc.
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We got to put up the trellises for the shack in the back, continued filling gravel, and got most of the box beaming done for the twin home. It is quick and satisfying to get the trellises up! But the detail and finish work takes quite a while for sure.
For those interested in Seattle, particularly permaculture food forests at community colleges, please read the article, and support this if you can. I would love to see South Seattle College adopt the Community Orchard of West Seattle! Read the article here:
http://westseattleblog.com/2017/08/food-growing-future-which-way-should-community-orchard-of-west-seattle-go-to-keep-growing/ Throughout the week, we finished the concrete foundation on the twin homes and started putting up the posts for the "shack in the back." It was satisfying to calculate, measure, bend, and cut the rebar for this more-complicated building. I love getting to work those kinds of puzzles and it is always fun to work with these brilliant people. This second time pouring the concrete for two houses took only 50% more time to complete, and with no faults. Overall, it was quite a well-executed and mostly flawless project!
The rest of the week, we were able to get posts up and the shack in the back got its "box beams", which were then stuffed with straw, and trusses up and installed. It looks amazing to have such a great amount of development in one week! The twin homes started getting sill plates, posts, and the "party walls" up as well. Amongst all that, we even moved a few dump truck loads of gravel into the houses to start the flooring. We had a modified week this week since we had Monday off. So we started on Tuesday and had our make-up day as a "Stomp" party on Saturday. The shack in the back is basically a pergola now, having gotten the sheeting and gravel installed, and we got all of the trellises up for the twin homes! It was definitely a slower week, and I definitely felt inclined to stay late one day to feel like I got anything much done for that day. It's incredible to see the twin homes looking so developed as well! And we got to move more gravel into the houses, yay.
We got one of the foundations set and poured at the end of this week, ready for the other houses the beginning of next week! Working has felt hard and tiring, and I have noticed that I need to work a little less hard to care for myself even though I very much do not want to. The diverse roles available for such a large site and crew has been great with naturally coordinating tasks depending on want and capability.
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Gary Michael ForesmanWritings about my projects, adventures, questions, & more. Categories
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