For now, this site is a digital version of a well organized, but empty school binder, complete with all the hopes and aspirations of a new school year.

With absolutely no reason in particular, I decided to launch it to the world on November 1st.

Well, maybe there was a reason.  Hopefully, it sets in motion more self-imposed deadlines as the project progresses.  Next siginificant deadline/milestone is December 1, when we hope to have our rough sketches and list of housing hopes a dreams polished and pruned so as to start tearing things down and apart and live in shambles for longer than expected, the then longer.

Over beer at Barley's Brewery, we made a haphazard and incomplete list of some specifications.  This will be the start of a more polished list to be added to this site later.

• A one bedroom apartment at the rear of the car garage
• Demolish existing car garage, rebuild in Rastra.
• Fix leaking roof and make energy efficient
• Upgrade HVAC et al for energy efficiency (solar panels, tankless water heater)
• Remodel kitchen - new appliances, add island
• Arrange living room to make room for home office
• Use plaster wall cubbies in living areas
• Tiling
• Get rid of popcorn ceiling
• All rooms wired for TV and Internet
• Redecorate all rooms

Sometimes, just a taste of something, opens up whole new worlds.  Intensified, that was the case with us. The original plan was to build an RV garage.  Our contractor introduced us to Rastra and used it to build our new garage.  Initially, the interest was for the insulation it offered.  As the acquaintance grew, however, the pleasures and benefits of green building seemed to sink into us from the very recycled elements of our thick new Rastra walls.

The love grew with every hot day of summer.  I, dg, full time resident of Lake Havasu, hid within the cool walls as the temperature soared without.  Hidden from the heat in my cocoon of Rastra, I researched and learned more reasons to love Rastra and Green building.

First, on Rastra. Rastra is the name of a company that makes insulated concrete forms(icf).  Rastra is:

"The RASTRA® Building System is the only stay in place insulated concrete form system (ICF) of its kind. RASTRA® is a sustainable, energy efficient, environmentally correct construction system. RASTRA® is produced out of recycled, post consumer plastics - such as expanded polystyrene, which is mixed with cement. RASTRA® offers the structural strength of concrete paired with high thermal insulation, sound attenuation and fire resistance. A truly "green" building material for houses and commercial buildings."

The next phase of construction, and the topic of this web site, is to play with more Rastra blocks, demolish then rebuild the car garage, and update the rest of the house to be as energy efficient as possible, as our own contractors.

The plans are all tentative at this point, and the research continues.  This diary, and this site will be the pad on which we plan, sketch, mull, share and seek feedback for the project we have in mind.