I’ve been in Asheville visiting with my friend Cindy and her family since Saturday. The weather has been amazingly perfect and everything is in bloom. She lives close to downtown and other things so we’ve been walking and biking pretty much everywhere.
Cindy and Blake just remodeled their house to make sure it fit the way they want to live for the rest of their lives. I know right, wouldn’t it be a blessing to know where you sleep today is where you want to spend the rest of your days? I can’t even imagine what that would be like.
Anyhoo, they added on a back bedroom and bathroom, and amazing back deck. They also added a second story over half the house which has Hattie Mae’s bedroom, a guest room, and a bathroom. But here’s the stuff that’s really inspiring, and I know I’m not going to get this all right, so sorry C Mama if I get it wrong.
The Esselstyn family likes to live their lives with minimal impact on the environment and they like to reduce and resuse what already exists. So here’s all the fun stuff I’ve learned about on 40th North St.
-Shower water (gray water) is reused in the toilets
-Solar panels heat radiant floor heating and water for showers.
-A 660 gallon cistern in the ground that collects rain water that they use for watering their garden and not sure what else.
-Their kitchen cabinets (which are gorgeous) were built from an old gynasium floor.
-Some of their wood floors are original and some are from trees hauled down from New England from Blake’s family’s property.
-The stairs and railing are made from the Walnut tree that they cut down which was near their garden and not good for it.
-Retaining wall and stairway on the side of the house was built from old concrete that was going to end up in the landfill.
-Countertops are made of a type of recycled paper but I can’t remember the name.
-Marmoleum is used for the kitchen flooring. (It is made up of linseed oil, rosins, and wood flour, pigments, and calendered onto a natural jute backing (tiles have polyester backing). Its performance is enhanced by time, as exposure to air serves to increase its color, and durability.)
-Things like low flow toilets, dimming CFLs, etc.
After my first shower I had to run to the basement and look at the tank to see how much water I used. I did shave but that’s no excuse, I used 20 gallons of water :( I felt better knowing I was going to pee in it later that day :)
Well, I know I haven’t given much detail about what I’ve been doing, but let’s just say it’s been a little of this and a little of that. All good stuff with good loving peeps. Great sustainable community Asheville is with a good bit of southern charm.
Tomorrow I head to Hot Springs, NC for the French Broad River Festival where I will work in an NRS booth. Should be a lot of fun. Can’t wait to soak in my cabin’s hot tub. Oh Yah, as Hattie Mae would say.
till next time…
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“A community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for human beings. You, the people must git it this soul.”
~Pope John Pole
We miss you Buck.
HME