The Zero Area

In permaculture, the areas of a property are numbered by their use and the frequency one interacts with them. The home is considered zero. It's the space we spend the most time in; it reflects what we tell ourselves and how we tend ourselves. Currently, our zero area reflects our priorities and where we find comfort.

We have the majority of the house covered in wide pine boards, and this was a huge lift in cleanliness and comfort. Phaedra had found the house much too ugly before her room had new pine floors. Jason and the carpenters will have these floors all sanded and finished by this time next week. I actually am eagerly anticipating how clean and smooth the floors will feel.

I have been painting and painting and painting, which makes everything brighter and cleaner. Our love of color shows throughout the house. And, like I said, it feels cleaner.

Today, Jason and Todd began laying the new subflooring in the dining room and kitchen, carefully leveling the most troublesome spots so that the flooring will be less problematic. Again, the floor already feels cleaner.

Other points that we have hammered away at- we have a wood stove and wood for it so that we won't have to rely on oil. We have a nice new set of french doors that let in lots of light and allow easier access to the clothesline; they also facilitate moving in our furniture which is still sitting in the barn.

I am anxious to move in our furniture so I can feel settled in this house. And the floors, the painting, and the doors were all the first steps to getting our zero point set so that we can spread from that point into the other areas of our land.