I’m in Vermont again, this time to teach the first two weeks of Yestermorrow’s upcoming Certificate in Residential Design & Construction. I’m so glad to have tacked on a few days at the front of the trip to work at HELM’s office, visit a house I helped design, participate in the Vermont Lu’au, and catch up with dear friends.
community, design, downsizing, minimalism, planning, Workshops, Tiny Houses
I’m excited to be teaming up with Sal Link to teach a new e-course, Tiny House Roadmap, starting in October. Participants will walk away with a rough but well-informed design of their tiny house, having made many of the decisions they need to make before building and an understanding of whether they’re able to commit to the process. Come join us in October!
building, ADUs, workshops
I had just gotten back from Wrapping Up Tiny House Design-Build Cert 2025 when Chrissy called to ask if I’d consider teaching Women’s+ Basic Carpentry. This was the first Yestermorrow course I ever heard of - nearly 20 years ago now! I signed up for the catalog - which was snail mailed back then - and I’d flip through it, circling all the courses I wanted to take. It was a couple of years before I finally signed up for the Sustainable Design-Build Certification and got myself to Yestermorrow. But I’ve been going there ever since! So it feels like I’ve come full circle, having the opportunity to teach the Women’s+ Basic Carpentry course.
Community, Intentionality
It’s been a couple of weeks now since we moved next door to my best friend from both college and grad school and her husband. The benefits of community have already been lovely - and quite tasty! Having my fairy godfamily help us unload our stuff the day we arrived and then join us for take out on the living room floor was just the beginning of our participation in this lovely reciprocal community.
Travel, Community, ADUs
After A Week Long Send Off, My Round the World Trip kicked off with eight days in Maui visiting my sister Sarah who has split her time between Hawaii and Alaska for many years. What an epic way to start this adventure! There was mist falling when my sister greeted me at the Kahului airport on Maui a week ago, so she teased me about bringing the rain from the mainland. We headed straight for Paia where she presented me with a young coconut and a lei, accompanied by the chant for the gifting-of-a-lei.
Travel, Planning, tiny houses
A number of circumstances collided recently to compel me to move the Lucky Penny to my property in Walla Walla where I have a ground bound small house called Valencia Cottage. So on Tuesday trusted tiny house movers Linh and Stephanie Pham helped me move the Lucky Penny safely from Portland to my place in Walla Walla.
