Stuff

The Lightbulb Above My Head

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Laura

So, I finally started the hooking up of the solar system.  The battery is hooked up to the panels and hopefully charging/charged. After reading about solar systems a quite a bit, I decided to put in a full 12 volt system into THO and use 12V LED lights and install only a single outlet for the inverter which I can use when I wish to charge my phone, computer, or run a small vacuum – whatever.  I decided to go this way because then I do not waste energy on adapting to a different form unless it is in use.  This, I decided on a long time ago but I found that finding LED lights was something that was nearly impossible to do.  The on line companies that I looked at seem confusing and really meant more for cars than off grid situations.

Yesterday when I was putting the battery into the yacht battery box (to keep it dry) the lightbulb went off in my little head!  Marine supply!  Of course!

I promptly called the good people at Vandervoort Hardware in Kingston because they carry a good deal of marine supply and spoke to the man who runs this section.  He said, yes, we have them.  We carry lots of LED lightbulbs, and a couple of lights, basically you come in and order what you want and in three or four business days they arrive.

This morning I arrived at Vandervoort’s just as they opened and he pulled out the catalogue.  Turns out that THE marine supply store in Canada is called Brewer’s, and they are located near one of my favourite cafe’s on Guise Street in Hamilton, Ontario.  Oh the irony!  This is just a few blocks from my house there.  The guy said, you might as well go there because there you can touch them, look at them and also see the price tag.  Gotta love a small business man who sends you somewhere else when they know you can do better there.  He also said that there are three distinctive types of LED lights so I should be mindful when I select them because it will make installation easier.   So, I guess I will take a trip to Hamilton next week!   It will also give me the opportunity to look a the Dickenson marine stoves too and since I want to see my niece and nephew off to Germany, it works well.

 

Categories: Environmentalism, Off Grid, Ontario, Simple living, Stuff, Tiny House Ontario | 3 Comments

Solar Panel Prep

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Laura

Tiny House Ontario does not get a lot of direct sun because it is located in the middle of the forest.  The clearing where the garden is located has also got enough space and light for the Tiny Solar array.  I decided to build a small deck for it to sit on so that the ground cover plant will not hinder the sun rays getting through.  This location will mean that the wires will have to run about 50 feet before they enter Tiny House Ontario.

I am really looking forward to having this up and running!

Categories: Forest, Nature, Off Grid, Ontario, Simple living, Stuff, Tiny House Ontario | 2 Comments

My Self Shelf

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Laura

Space is an issue at Tiny House Ontario.   I have read a lot of words from other Tiny Housers and they all have different strategies but for the most part containing yourself within a Tiny House takes some thought.  I am fortunate because I have a lot of time to transition because I own another home in another city but even so, living in and containing myself within Tiny House Ontario is my objective.

My strategy was to bring the things that I knew I would NEED and also to bring the things that I feel that my life would not be complete without.  Margaret Lawrence wrote in her book, The Diviners, something to the effect that she need not have kept it because her head was sturdy enough containment and I suppose she is right.  Even so, there are things that simply ground me and I guess they feel spiritually important to my person.  I have two shelves with just such items on it.  This contains:

 

A large photo of my family on Violet (grandma’s) side.

An oil burner from my trip to the Czech republic which is made by burning it under the earth in the old way.

The Black Maria pewter icon from Germany.

A Pope Joan tile from my friend Ginny.

A 75 year old mutant sheep foot.

A graduation gift from my friend Aaron it is the Queen’s shield on pewter.

Photos of my late dogs.

A Chutski from Professor Kobayashi who was one of my mentors.

Altar items such as my grounding stones, essential oils, a burning shell, tarot and medicine wheel cards, ritual oil burner.

A Tiny glass globe which makes me hope that everything in the world will become clear.

A sign I made from a slice of a tree that was removed for my driveway which says: Treating yourself like a precious object will make you strong. ~Julia Cameron

A yogi from Bali.

An inlayed box from BC made my the Haidas.

A few things that my son made for me when he was wee, as well as a soapstone carving he did when he was about 20.

Rosie the Riveter on a little black box.

A penny jar that says hopes and dreams – I put found change into this because I read once many years ago that found change has a spiritual significance, if you pick it up – it brings good things to you whereas if you ignore it, then you are throwing away your opportunity at good karma.

A photo of Violet and Bob taken near the end of the Great Depression when things were just starting to look up for them and others.

The Artist’s Way work.

Books that I am writing.

If you had only about 2 square feet to contain your favourite things, could you do it?

Categories: Family, Forest, Friendship, Laura Moreland, Materialism, Stuff, Tiny House Ontario | Leave a comment

The B List

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Laura

The last few hours at Tiny House Ontario have been eventful because of the high winds and rain.  I know that we needed the rain but I am glad that it is over.  I braved the wind on Baby because I had to get to town to deal with my B list.  Bitter, Beef, Blog, Bread -n- Butter

The first two items on the list are for the dogs, while the beef is probably obvious as dog food, the bitter is for the garbage cans because one of the dogs has decided that she really likes to get into the garbage.

Can you guess which one before I show her guilty little face?

Minnie!  Three times in one day with her nose in the muck!  I am hoping a little bitter apple will fix up this problem.  It is funny that she started doing this at 7 years old I think.  Lucky for her she is so cute!

Blog… well this is obvious because here I am…

Bread -n- Butter – I have to go to Glenbernie Grocery so that I can get the bread I like (which is Rudolf’s whole grain Bavarian) and Organic Meadows butter.  When I became vegetarian I gave up all animal products except the organic items from this Ontario dairy.

So, that is the B list.  Just to wreck my B theme though, I might just get some tomatoes too, but only if the greenhouse has fresh ones.

 

 

 

 

Categories: Dog, Food, Forest, Ontario, Open your eyes, Stuff, Tiny House Ontario | 1 Comment

Rubbish Books Re-use

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Laura

While in Gananoque a few days ago I stopped in at a cafe called The Socialist Pig.  I won’t go again even though they have internet and the coffee was good.  The reason, I did not enjoy it is because the smell of bacon from the place next door was overwhelming.  I was with a person who eats meat and even for them it was “too much of a good thing”.  I wanted to use my computer so I stayed for a quick coffee and while I was there I witnessed four other people pivot out instead of sitting down, for just this reason.  I don’t know if anyone else finds that the chemical used curing bacon takes your breath away while it cooks?  I really cannot breathe at all when I smell this.  Perhaps it is another in my long and dragged out list of chemical allergies?

While I was not a fan of the smell of the cafe, I thought that they had an interesting idea for dealing with old unwanted books (instead of sending them to the land fill).

Of course, Tiny House Ontario has no use for a bar that would hang out of the ends of the house because is is so huge, but I think, if I ever have the opportunity to build that 380 square foot straw bale “green” home that I am always dreaming of, I may very well use this idea as the dividing wall (or part of one) between the living room and bedroom.

Categories: Environmentalism, Materialism, Ontario, Re-Use, Simple living, Stuff | Leave a comment