And I say, let it stay that way.  I want this house to sit where it is, as pretty as it is.  John and I decided she (the house) needed a name and so, may I introduce you to Stella.

This picture of Stella is a favorite of mine.  It shows her as intricate, well formed and sturdy, made of the earth, with possibilities as open and limitless as the sky – she is our shining star.

Stella’s framing has come a very long way since I first wrote about it on May 2nd in the entry, “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way.”  Every step of the process has been very exciting.  Watching a house get framed, one might think it as exciting as watching grass grow, but for John and me, it has been extremely exciting.  We’ve been fortunate to be there every day and for the most part, the entire day.  It’s been tremendously beneficial to us to be there.  Our framer, Andy Thornton, is able to ask us things because we are there.  He’s a superbly skilled framer and has this remarkable eye.  One might say he has this eye because he’s superbly skilled and while that is true, I feel it also is true that he is superbly skilled because he has this remarkable eye.

In any case, John and I have benefited not just from being there to see Stella take form, but have benefited because Andy has been able to run things by us, immediately, right there on the spot.  He has changed the house from the original plans in wonderful ways, ways that were simply cool and ways that made sense where there was none.

While framing has been taking place, John has acquired a new Asian girlfriend, although she was assembled in the USA.  Her name, Lurline Kubota.  He first laid eyes on her May 9th.

Lurline Kubota

John, Sharon and I have had such fun with Lurline and with doing other things while framing has taken place.  We cleared land, spread horse manure and have planted a garden.  We’ve watched it rain and rain and rain and rain again.  We’ve used the small chain saw to cut wood for our future fire pit and we’ve collected wood scraps from Stella.  Also, Sharon has built wooden bins from Stella scraps.  We’ve killed poison oak and ivy and thicket.  It has been great fun when John has given Sharon and me rides in the bucket of Lurine’s front loader.  One day when John was giving Peggy and me a ride, Peggy said, “It’s feels like I’m on a ride at the State Fair.”  I asked, “The ferris wheel?”, Peggy said, “Yes!”, and we commenced swinging our legs back and forth as they were suspended and dangling in the air.  We’ve climbed in and out of Stella what seems like a zillion times, each time as excited as the very first time we were able to walk on her subfloor.  Stella has stairs leading to her attic now and Oh! My! God!, what a fantastic space the attic is!  Trevor visited us this weekend and I couldn’t wait to show him the attic, it’s so big, bold and beautiful up there.  I mentioned to Trevor how great a nursery a portion of the attic would make.  John said it was all Trevor could do not to trip and fall as he with haste left that portion of the attic.

I’ve fallen more deeply in love with Stella with each driven nail.  She is beautiful.  She stands graceful and majestic in the open field where we once grew strawberries, tomatoes, corn, peppers, beans, okra and such.  She has not blushed or flinched or dismissed our cat calls.  Oh no, she just keeps getting better and growing more beautiful.  I can’t wait until she opens her doors wide to us and says, “c’mon in, make yourselves at home!”

Last of the trusses

Attic

Don’t forget to visit the photos section and see all the pictures of Stella being framed – http://leehallfarm.com/foto/index.php/The-Frame?page=1