Meanwhile back at the blog…

…nothing has been happening!

All the action the last two month has been in REAL life as we moved ourselves and my mom into the new, almost finished, house. 

Mom’s cottage is completely done, but the main house still requires a lot of work, largely in the area of moldings, built-ins, a few remaining light fixtures, etc.

Without really intending to, you can see that I took a long blog vacation. But I’m back and I intend to try and catch up on the story of designing and building our house starting with a few images from Halloween and Thanksgiving, inside and outside the house in the Sunset Hill neighborhood.

Goodnight Moon

There is something wonderfully satisfying about walking in the neighborhood at night under a bright moon, seeing lights glowing inside houses.

A Tribute and Prayer for Our Neighbor Japan



From Seattle's Japanese Teahouse Garden in the Arboretum

Although across the Pacific Ocean from us, Japan has always felt like a close neighbor. Seattle (and the Pacific NW) and Japan have a long history--both cultural and economic--and the tragedy of the recent earthquake is affecting many people here in our area.

Reading about the recovery efforts and seeing the photographs is heartbreaking, especially considering the loss of life. Seattle is earthquake country too and it is sobering to see just how much devastation a quake can create.


Oddly enough, I find myself reflecting upon my own personal connections with Japan--or rather, Japanese culture here in Seattle.

What All the Fuss is About

View of the Olympic mountains and Puget Sound from our attic window

With Seattle positioned between the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, Lake Washington, and Puget Sound, you don’t have to work too hard to see sparkling water or snowcapped mountains. The topography of Seattle itself with its many hills makes for plenty of lots with prime views. And those views—of water and mountains—are what all the fuss is about!

Starting in the Middle

Welcome to my blog about building a house on Sunset Hill! I'm starting somewhere in the middle of the story, with a site already purchased, a design already created, a permit already issued, and a foundation already poured. A chronicle of those steps alone could easily have filled 100+ posts. At this point, there is no other option but to jump into the story and fill in the background as needed along the way.

The purpose of this blog is to create a record for ourselves of the process of building this particular house. If it is also of interest to family and friends who are following our progress, we'll consider this blog a success!