Hello World

The "Rhodes End" started off as a school project of David's, a name for a fictional restaurant. Over the years, it's become more of a tangible goal. An endgame for our family. We have big dreams of owning a farm with lots of land, and animals for food, companionship, and wool.

Or maybe we'll sell everything we own and build a tiny house off the grid somewhere.

Or maybe we'll live out of a camper and travel.

The end goal is still a work in progress, as I imagine most end goals are. And it's still a long way off. We're currently homeowners outside Pittsburgh, with "technically" three acres, but most is wooded cliffs backed up to the interstate. Two insane kids and five insane animals keep us on our toes. The house needs a lot of work before we can sell it (finishing projects started years ago /cough) and David's job is close by. The neighbors are awesome, and we love Kelsey's preschool, which Evan will attend in another year. So we're a little "stuck" for now, but not by miserable force.

While we're here, we're developing some skills by combining a love of history and a desire to create with our hands.

David is a beginning woodworker. He's practicing whittling and woodburning, and built the kids' swingset with little help. We're slowly acquiring tools to add to the shop so he can expand what he can do. He's a jack-of-all-trades and will try any handy-man task. He's updated a bunch of the old (unsafe) outlets, installed a chain link fence, managed our little garden, redone hardwood floors, and taken the toilet apart to save The Potty Pirate that Evan doomed to a stinky grave. He's a software engineer during the day, so he'll try any manual work that sparks his interest.

Complimentary to the outdoor stuff, I've been learning how to use both pressure and boiling water canners to preserve what we grow (and buy). I've been crocheting for four years and picked up knitting needles about a year or so ago. Naturally, that led to learning to spin wool on both a wheel and a drop spindle. I learned of an ancient Viking needle craft called nalbinding that I'm stubbornly pursuing. Related to the kids, I've dabbled in hippie stuff, like essential oils and cloth diapers, and I make our laundry detergent. They'll eat the hell out of some hot dogs and yard dirt, though, and that is just fine.

I used to have time to draw out comics related to the animals and the kids, but they take a very long time and I get frustrated leaving drawings and coming back. I have to work them through beginning to end. So this blog will tell stories about parenthood, give recipes, and possibly some tutorials on the things we learn to pass on. If you're just joining me, feel free to browse Fuzzbutts to get a feel of my style. I hope you'll enjoy coming on this journey with us, wherever it may lead.