SoL (Bahay v.2)

Summer of Love (Bahay v.2)

Chairs from the swapmeet experiencing a staining project today.  I got 3 out 4 done although they are in need of one or two more coats.  I chose this color, Bombay Mohany, deep, deep, dark color.  It ain’t turnin’ out like that, at least not yet, but all good.  We’ll see how the stain and wood match and settle with one another through the night.  Needs about 6 hours before next coating.  I have a feeling though the satin finish will be shinier than I’m gonna like, so we’ll see.  I’ve been at Home Depot consecutively for the past several days.  What a trip!   Luckily, it’s close by to the bahay.  Painting with oil-based is no fun!  Definitely got all these drips all over the place.  We’ll see if I can sand down or something.   Oh well, it’ll be all right…I HOPE!

And I’ve been lookin’ at Craigs List for a dining table to join the four chairs.  No hurry though.

After the chairs, what’s next???

Fence painting project.  I’m leanin’ heavily towards my green palette.  My whole house is gonna turn some shade of greeeeeen inside and out!  Gotta get a grip

Summer of Love 2008!

Summer of Love (Bahay version)

Summer of Love!

Summer of Love!

Returned chainsaw to Home Depot today and found out they have a wood chipper / shredder for rent as well! I’m starting to look forward to hangin’ out at Home Depot. I wouldn’t call myself a handy type of guy but there’s all these things around the house that my Summer of Love time is allowing for and so, in addition to the wood chipper for rent, I’m lookin’ to paint/stain the fence a dark “slate” color is what the name is…or a dark brown. And trying to decide between a dark earthy blue or green for the outside exterior. It’s stucco, so it’ll best to paint-spray versus paintbrush it on. I’d like to do the paintbrushing, though I know the paint spray will do a better job. Perhaps, I’m thinking I could take my time and make this a summer long and then some project. But, let’s hope I don’t let it go on for too long and lose momentum. I gots lots of time now, but when the school year opens — it’s all about the kids then…fortunately and unfortunately at times.

Also, later on today, the People of Color Mindfulness Gathering will take place here. Not sure how many folks will actually show since the change of place and summertime schedules and our own transitions as a sangha. Lots of new questions and directions to communicate through to figure out how best to continue…

But…

Summer of Love (Bahay version), indeed!

The house looooves visitors.

Lastly, went to the swapmeet and found these pretty cool chairs (minus dining table). I haven’t had a dining table all this time I’ve been here. I have a bunch of small side and coffee-type tables which have suited me. “New chairs”: I’d like to sand down, then stain or paint them. From the label below, it looks like they are made of American oak. Sturdy and old wood look, but needing some freshening up. I’m not expert or have knowledge in this at all, but all good. Summer of Love, summer of learnin’ about house things. Paint, stain, sand, wood chip, plant, rest…

Hope you enjoy the new moves inside and outside the house, dear Bahay. And I know you sayin’, “So, how about the garage and the office and your closets, and the backyard???”

I didn’t realize maintainin’ Home could take up so much time and energy. All good. Its own praktis, definitely its own praktis. One section, one sweep, one trash bag, one breath at a time.

Perhaps, will get all my stuff and see what I can sell at the swapmeet one of these weeks!

Greywater Guerrillas – San Diego Events (July 24, 25, 26)

“Unpluggin’ from the water grid.” Interesting expression. Kinda like unpluggin’ from the matrix of all kinds. All these things that we’ve grown use to and now out participation may involve waste, destruction or other kinds of violence on ourselves, others and the planet. Worked with students on a Water Crisis unit in the spring towards the end of the year. I was learnin’ right along side them. So many things that we are doin’ that no longer (if they ever did) serving the collective good. I’m glad to see folks are workin’ it out (and I’m sure have been workin’ it out) to offer, teach and give us alternative ways of living. I’m sure this kinda thing has always been around, ages even…only waking up to it now…oooooh, i better wake up!

Greywater Guerrillas San Diego Events

July 24: How to disengage from the water grid: Greywater, Rainwater, and Composting Toilets (San Diego)

July 25: Greywater Design Workshop and with Hands-on component (San Diego)

July 26: Hands-On Greywater Workshop (Carlsbad)

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Thursday July 24: How to disengage from the water grid: Greywater, Rainwater, and Composting Toilets

Location: Pearson Fuels/ EcoCenter 4001 El Cajon Blvd San Diego, CA 92105

Tel: 619.243.0410

Time: 6:30-8:30 pm.

Cost: $5 donation

For more info: Contact Joann with Food Not Lawns <jocofran@gmail.com>

We will connect the water in our lives to local and global water struggles, look at rainwater as a resource, explore options of reusing greywater, and contemplate waterless (composting) toilets. From the apartment, to the house, to the city, ecological sanitation offers a path to a sustainable and just water future.

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Friday, July 25: Greywater Design Workshop and with Hands-on component

Location: San Diego (once registered you’ll be emailed directions).

Time: 5:30-8:30 pm

Cost: $20-40 sliding scale

To register contact: Stephanie <scauchon1@cox.net>

Interested in reusing your greywater? Want to learn more about it and how to build your own system? Come to our design workshop. We’ll present you with information on the most common, low-tech, low-cost, effective, residential greywater systems. Then we’ll break into groups and help you plan a system for your own home. Participants will be emailed a greywater planning sheet, that you’ll fill out and bring to the workshop. We’ll also look at an existing greywater system from a washing machine and do an “upgrade” so you’ll get some hands-on practice too!

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Saturday, July 26: Hands-On Greywater Workshop

Time: 11am- 3pm

Location: Carlsbad, north of San Diego. (Once registered you’ll be emailed directions.)

Cost: $20-40

For registration contact: info@yardfairy.com

Questions about the workshop contact: laura@greywaterguerrillas.com

www.greywaterguerrillas.com

Workshop will include a presentation on greywater reuse, the design process of the system we’ll be building, and the construction of a greywater system from the washing machine to ornamental plants. Activities will involve digging, measuring, cutting pipes, observing, and more!

Chainsaw, trees and mulch

Peace Ones,

Woke up this morning and visited front yard plants and said a prayer and kind words to tell them that today, I would be borrowing chainsaw and doin’ some cuttin’ out…

A pine tree right close to the house wasn’t doing so well…

Two overgrown jade plants (my bad) were right up against a retaining wall, that isn’t retaining anymore…

Those palm trees which grow and do not shed their fronds and end up dried and droopin’…

Another pine tree in the backyard…

Now, there are big piles of tree cuttings and hopefully there’ll be a mulcher I can rent from Home Depot that I can use to shred/mulch these cuttings…

I hope so

Friend said that in Thailand, it is believed that trees house devas and devatas. Luckily, there’s a statue (Buddha roopa) beneath one of the trees and he said that a Buddha roopa can house all of the devas, especially the ones that have had to transfer based on our cuttings and clearings today.

Inspirations for what to do in the front yard are coming up…

I am leanin’ towards having a deck built in the front. And painting the fence and the exterior of the house. Right now, thinkin’ dark brown fence stain and dark earthy blue on the exterior of the house. Or green! Oh and bought two lil’ lavender plants. Gotta stay within some budget (????) this summer…though its been a fun day of movin’ the energy around the front yard. Because Dear Pine Tree in the Front Yard is no longer with there, more sunlight during the afternoon now enters the house. I used to have this bamboo shade in the main window which I might need to re-install. The trees definitely provided a sense of “privacy”, moreso that now, but then again, there is a feeling of more openness with this current phase. I like it! Thanks, Brother F. for helpin’ me out.

I have the chainsaw until tomorrow morning, maybe I’ll be inspired to do some more cuttin’ …

SUMMER OF LOVE around the front yard!

Went to Home Depot and saw all these folks in the nursery, carts filled new starts, flowers, etc.! Fun, fun, fun! Not sure I wanna go in that direction right now, but all good to see all this plantin’ . . .

Earth Bodhisattvas!

Lookin’ forward to learning about place, pace and space, on my knees, dirt in my hand, and finding the dharma praktis in connecting like this to my living environment.

Thank you Trees and Jade Plants and other living things who have been with the front yard..and happiness to the new growth that will be happenin’ in these areas!