Thursday, June 24, 2010

Living off the Grid

Continuing my obsession about home,  I urge you to pick up this new and wonderful book by William Powers. It's a beautifully written account of his time living in a tiny, twelve-foot by twelve- foot house that is owned by a medical doctor who decided to release herself from the burden of material wealth.  Surrounded by an organic garden and makeshift shower and so much more, this book will inspire you and, in its gentle, embracing way, ask you to reflect on how you live now. Bill Powers has lived in other cultures and brings his global awareness and experiences to this jewel of a tale.  His story shines with the viability of alternative lifestyles and points to other, less traveled pathways to happiness.



It's a paperback original, so it's affordable, but you can also find it at your local library.  Enjoy!

4 comments:

  1. I've ordered this on your recommendation and am very eager to read it!

    I have had a little plan for awhile now - to build a small sandplay studio on the front of my property, and a slightly larger cabin (same basic size but with a sleeping loft) on the back side of the farm. I don't want to do wiring, or water lines, and I want the to be very organic to the forests they will adjoin. I'm not sure if this is one of those plans that fall by the wayside or come into being, but I'm having a lot of fun thinking about them!

    I thought of you and this blog today - the house and property across the lane from us has been empty and off the market for over a year now - but the bank that owns it is finally re-listing. I walked over there to take a look and am having grand ideas of two very different homes right across from one another. What would it be like to have two separate spaces to make my own? Where would I stay if I had both? What would pull me from one to the other?

    I have the odd juxtaposition of being a home-body and a gypsy. Except this would be a very short trip to go from one to the other! Which works well when one has all these animals.. :)

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  2. Billie,
    I love this idea of two homes and when you told me about that property I wanted to see it immediately! I'm already salivating. What does it look like and is it falling apart? Come back and let me know your thoughts after you've read Twelve by Twelve.

    Jessica

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  3. It's not falling apart at all - but the previous owners did strip the interior of light fixtures, appliances, etc., right down to the wall socket covers... :/ Still, that's not damage per se - would simply require replacing all that stuff, but at least one could pick the new fittings.

    The property was actually for empty and for sale back when we bought our place, and our realtor made us look at it, as it has 10 acres. Seeing it yesterday made me realize how much the trees and woodland has matured since then. It is truly like a small park over there right now. And they have reduced the price by 100k.

    If I had money I would buy it and make a mother-in-law area and a writing retreat. And maybe a teen's independent living center for the two who live here. :)

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  4. Hi Billie,
    Sounds like you're thinking creatively! And I hope you enjoy Twelve by Twelve, thanks for reading.
    Bill
    www.williampowersbooks.com

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