Windows, Stone Paths, and Singing Hearths
Big Wins from Kijiji
Well, friends — Kijiji came through big time this week! Not only did I score a load of pallets for shingles, but I may have also found a source of free broken stone for garden paths and picked up two-thirds of the windows I need. On top of that, I managed to get a sliding glass patio door for the upstairs patio.
Epic doesn’t even begin to cover it.
These windows are no small victory either. They’re massive panes that now stretch above the front door, flooding the living room and kitchen with morning light. One by one (and with plenty of sweat, laughter, and a few backaches), we got them installed.
✨ The other night I stood there looking out at the moon through those new windows — a reminder of how far this little dream has come.
The Hearth That Sings
The sunken hearth has been a big project, and it’s slowly coming together. Adjustments are constant: testing drafts, monitoring heat, tweaking chimney spacing and protections.
🔥 The goal: a daytime-only heater, fully stocked with wood to radiate warmth all night long. For overnight comfort, a small cast-iron stove will keep steady coals going with hardly any tending.
But it’s already paying off. The hearth has:
- Dried laundry
- Heated the house
- Cooked pizzas with my dad (yes, they turned out amazing!)
I think burritos are next. Maybe even a birthday pizza-burrito mashup celebration? 😅
And then there are the quiet moments: listening to fire crackle inside while rain falls outside, sipping homemade fermented lemonade on the patio. Honestly, it feels like living inside a prayer I whispered years ago.
Walls, Chimneys, and Small Fixes
Progress is never just “big moves.” It’s the thousand small ones that make a house feel alive:
- Bathroom wall framed in with a firewood hatch.
- Chimney nearly finished for the cooktop (backsplash stone coming soon).
- Butcher table temporarily serving as my dinner table.
- Small fan and powered blower added to keep airflow moving.
- First set of dishes done (worth celebrating!).
- Chicks moved from the brooder into the chicken tractor — growing like weeds.
Even the “not pretty” fixes, like Styrofoam insulation on screen doors for winter, make a huge difference. The house is warmer, though it also revealed a stove leak. (Tanner, consider yourself promoted to smoke detector.)
The Roof and Beyond
The roof is officially covered. 🙌
That said, Home Depot shorted me 85 sq. ft. of Tyvek compared to what was labeled on the roll. Not impressed — and yes, I’ll be following up with them.
But progress continues:
- Rooftop hatch finished.
- Wind turbine up.
- Waterproof membrane in place to protect and insulate the frame.
- Shingles are beginning to be laid
Meanwhile, my old yurt is being slowly dismantled. A little bittersweet, since the kids never got the chance to enjoy it fully. Still, the A-frame feels like a new chapter — sturdier, warmer, filled with possibility.
Looking Ahead
Two weeks from now I’ll be celebrating both my birthday and a house-warming of sorts. So far, three people are confirmed. Whether it’s three or thirty, I know it will be good.
In quiet anticipation, I even left my children’s slippers by the front door. Someday, they’ll run across these floors, fill these rooms with laughter, and maybe even help me with dishes.
Until then, I’ll keep laying stones, hunting drafts, chasing leaks, and listening to the rain. And when I sit outside just to sit, I finally understand why old folks do it.
Scripture & Reflection
“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”
– Isaiah 32:18
For my Christian friends, this verse speaks directly into my heart as I build. For my non-Christian friends, I’d say this: we all long for a home that is more than shelter — a place of peace, safety, and belonging.
That’s what I’m building here, one window, one stone, one fire at a time.
💡 Thank you for following along on this journey. You’re always welcome on the patio — pizza in the oven, tea in hand, laughter in the air.