Last night I delivered Output 6, the Final Review. It was a lot of work and of course there is always room for so much more and improvements. Now I will tighten up a few loose ends, sort my papers, shuffle around and then will need to get going on some IS work. Fell free to congratulate me and celebrate!

I am in the middle of the Final Review. It is getting a little bit tight, as I have still not completed the writing and want to add photos and other links on the other hand , right now at lest I feel not too concerned. I have maybe about 60% of the text completed. Now I am working on  the future learning plan, which- is supposed to be about 3500 words. I am not sure what I am going to write about all that. We'll see. If it is less it is less. I am working to get all the text mostly done by tomorrow night and then over the weekend add pictures and links and hope that when ready on Monday morning or Sunday night it still will be accepted for.
It took me a while to find a format in which I wanted to present the learning that has happened. During this whole program for every output I have been reflection a lot of what I have been doing, how things felt, how I learn, etc. So far nothing really new sprung to my attention during the time so far while working on this output.
I find it too bad that the final reviews form Germany are not made available, inlcuding some feedback if they are appropriate and the level of work acceptable or where it stands. This would help so much to find a course for myself. On the other hand this is like a pioneering effort - which is fun too.

Sometime towards the end of August, I think it was the 26th or 27th, I delivered output 5, which is implementation 2. This output was fairly easy to create for several reasons. It was a continuation of output 1, although thinking about this, next time I probably would for the first output part do more the design work, drawings, maps, plant lists, research certain elements more, etc. and then start with the implementation in the second part. Also, as I have been doing several outputs now I am much more familiar and have developed a structure, on my website, to present and layout the information. I also realized how to automate some photo resizing work, so that was faster. Just before delivery I got the feedback on output 3, analysis and design, from Andy, which is really great. He probably got the top output I have produced so far. The implementation outputs are more oriented to the actual work and I did not spend so much time to develop the content.
After delivering this output, I cought up with IS work for my clients and then continued implementation work. Berta was going to move back her office to the house and we had to get the driveway ready for clients to be able to work to the door without obstacles, or negotiating dirt piles and ditches. So the end of August and beginning of September I worked hard on that. It was all quite new type of work for me. At this point we have decided to use clay bricks for a footpath from the sidewalk to the house, as the landing form the deck that leads to the entrance and on the East side of the North part of the driveway. So the whole parking area for the car would be surrounded. I read a few articles on how to lay bricks. So I set boards to build a defined frame. This I had to redo several time to make it work right with the size of the bricks. Then I had to add more gravel, bring ti to the right height, which was very tricky and took me a while, then compact the gravel. Realizing I had to add more gravel as I needed the right height for the next layer of sand and then the bricks on top to be more or less flush with he framing boards after compacting the finished footpath. After the gravel I added sand, about 1'' and started laying the bricks. For the footpath I had finally to cut a few to make them fit around the corner of the house and then decided to also to the landing. More framing and the whole process again. Once the bricks were in, I spread sand on top and compacted everything. First I did a test if I could run the compacter without the sand - which showed that bricks that already had deeper cracks would break apart - the others held. So I did one run without sand - some broke, most of them held - but I stopped quickly and added the sand before compacting. This process leveled the bricks out pretty well. Then it was time to seep the sand between the cracks. As the sand was wet I let it then dry out and swept sand 2 more times into the cracks. All this I was doing over the weekend of labor day. I enjoyed it a lot - my body though was getting really tired and started hurting. To clean up and move the tools back into the shed - oh boy. Then I fixed up the remaining portion of the deck that was quite unstable and had areas without decking. And our pears started ripening - so we start collecting them and giving them away a lot, to friends and the food bank and some we eat. The garden is also in its peak of production - so harvesting, cleaning, preparing, etc. And this weekend Berta has a medicine class at our home. So, no time to be bored!
Anyway, sometime starting yesterday a began working on the final output - the final review. First thing I did was going through the info on the website and the portfolio master course reading the final review section. From that I made an extensive mindmap. Here we go!

I have output 5 basically ready, just want to go over it again - editing, grammar, word count and a few layout things.
One thing I realized is how I can get more fun out of describing the implementation of various talks/elements of the design. instead of just narrating the different steps, materials, tools, etc. I can list all the factors that weigh in for an "ecosocionomic" evaluation of the particular steps, materials, tools, etc. As I realized this really late I did it only for the last element I am covering in output 5, the Northern part of the driveway. But it was a lot of fun and re-inspired me!
Another thing I realized is that yes, planning and designing is good to do in advance - due to time limitations I sometimes felt I had not enough time to that properly, which is true - on the other hand what happened is that I tried for each step to see if that reduces my future options or not. So as not everything was designed, planned and decided I looked for the solution that kept most envisioned possible options open - not a bad way - and allowing for a lot of flexibility. This could be integrated in the original design, but I was ot quite as aware how that is possible. So this is somewhat a design by deciding which options are not taken into account as the don;t fit with some core value or concept - so its excluded. then it looks at the remaining options and looks if they are all till possible and if not if it is possible to take the next step to keep them possible - even if necessary going mabey back a step or two if it makes "ecosocionomic" sense.
I also realized that there are differences between the project plans depending in which phase they have been created. The one done in the design phase includes a lot of the design thinking, the one for the first implementation part is focused on the timing, scheduling aspects and the one for the second implementation part on detail steps realistically being possible to complete.
I also ran into one thing that is very common in project management. As you go, new tasks show up that were not anticipate and need to be integrated into the plan. Or new tasks are chosen for various reason - like just a little more effort and it can be complted utilizing the help that is available at the moment, the set up of tools and materials, so not to have be repeated or suddenly without this task the original one can't really continue, etc.
Ah - I love thinking about design and project management!

I am ecstatic! Andy's review of my output 3 gave me such wonderful poistive feedback. You know, I was a little concerned. Andy has such a wide and diverse background, so many skills, lots of experience, knowledge practical and in designing and and ... so I was wondering how what I produced would hold up to a bright, knowledgeable, intelligent review. I am quite happy. Now of course I am wondering about the next one, output 4, the first of the implementation, as they are quite different. Much more to the point, quite practical, maybe dry, not so much depth to them. Mhhhh - anyway - and I really would like to catch up with the one thing I have been feeling all along - making a few more design drawings - I will try to add some of the ones Andy mentioned. Both, this feedback and the one about the length of some text paragraphs being too long - I agree.

Anyway - I was celebrating a little bit yesterday by taking off a few hours and now I am fully back into it for about another month. Really 3 weeks. Need to finish up output 5 and then jump totally into output 6 - the final review - grrr - scary that is the one that goes to the external reviewer - So I want to be it really good - and see myself of having probably only 2 weeks - well actually 3 weeks time for it. Well, if I can take 3 full days out of the 3 weeks for the final one - that should be possible. Maybe I can get a few tips for the final review from Liora and Andy.

In the meantime we filled a little bit more gravel in the driveway and I have been working on output 5. The text is mostly there in its rough form - now is all the editing, adding updated spreadsheets, pictures, video clips, links, literature review, navigation, etc. Not too hard, but time consuming. So far this output was the easiest in terms of producing it - it is maybe not the most comprehensive and shining - but I have still time to polish it up. I was hoping to be able to go Kayaking with some friends and Berta over the weekend, but I think I will stay here and finish this.

This last week the main things we worked on was the porch. Finally the wall of faswall blocks for the porch is up. These blocks are interesting to work with. Not totally uniform it is sometimes tricky to line them up. After the first two rows it was getting a little bit easier. We also had not enough corner blocks - so we used regular ones from which we trimmed off the groves to make them flat. We also went to see what kind of gravel we might want to put on the top layer of the driveway - if at all. I am thinking to use gravel and later on maybe also put clay pavers down. We also checked out the clay pavers - the cost for the total area of the North part of the driveway would be somewhere around $350. Not too bad - and then some sand and lots of labor. So I will need to start soon on that in order to be ready with some sort of foot path and access for Berta's clients.
Also I will need to complete the wall, using some cement to close holes and close edges, set rebar and dig out more space for the outside future plastering. And then have another inspection before pouring, which we want to do coming Friday.
In the meantime I also started working on the next output. So far it is going well - much easier than the last one. Hopefully today I can complete another section of it.
I am reading currently a book called "balance point" by Joseph Jenkins and like it a lot. It expresses very well many of the ways how I have been looking at things - we are spiritually out of balance and by loosing our balance point between self awareness and selfless awareness lost connection and understanding of the Greater Existence we are all part of and become destructive to the very planet that nourishes us.
Reading this book brings back strongly the vision for the ultimate lifestyle I want to develop - beyond the project for the degree work. For the IESD the defined project is for existing fairly regular buildings to make them more sustainable. This is, as I am experiencing a process that will take a few years at best and easily up to a decade. What I really feel like doing is developing a polycultural garden micro eco-shed way of living. A small shelter, here where we live it can be 200sf living space without needing a building permit, which is about the double size of the room I am working in.  All made out of local and natural materials - foundation rubble trench, dry laid, or in lime plaster, rock as bond beam, straw bale or cob walls, preferably round with a self-carrying reciprocal roof that is thatched maybe or with cedar, clay tile, slate shingles, the walls are finished with earth plasters and lime washes or similar, the floor is clay. For the building no cement, plastic and metal is used. The toilet is a sawdust/composting type, water is piped in using bamboo, etc. It is very open to the polycultural, permacultural designed garden. If electricity, it is provided by solar panels for light and communication needs. Everything else is done by hand. This place could be in the backyard and there is a zone of transition, an edge, between that and the existing house our home. I have such a strong wish for this and would like to be able to implement this soon - a little bit more area would be great in order to have space for some projects, like developing some income producing crops, distilling alcohol as fuel, do carpentry and crafts and for research. I will keep this dream alive - a simple living in terms of material things and complex in the relations and connections to the urban human designed environment, allowing nature to come back as much as possible.

This was a long break from the journal, whcih was caused by several reasons. To get implementation 2 off the ground was quite some effort, then Berta's newphes left and we had to get our household back together to fnction normally and it allowed me to proceed in a different pace and I finally could catch up with work and other personal things.
so in the last few weeks I continued on cleaning up, finishing up little things on the project. Now There are a few things I would like to finish before the rainy, cooler season starts setting in:
The driveway, the North part, including the footpath to the house.
Researching some of the options I settled on the one I feel is using natural materials, holds up well enough and is affordable.
Of course there is the option of more concrete  - which I really do not want to do, because of all issues with concrete.
Another otion is to use asphalt, no way - similar to me than concrete. Mostly - it would be hard to maintain and repair and it is mineral oil based, and, and
Then there are pavers, ther are also so called eco-pavers. And pavers are made out 0f - what - concrete again. The ecopavers are designed so that water can easyli percolate through them. There are also types that have holes in them and grass can grow through them. Some of htese pavers need a underlayment of a plastic grid to keep them in place.
compacted dirt would be possible - with the amount of water during srping and fall this would get really messy, then there is the break up period - melting on top and frozen still below. Its a mess.
There are plastic covers, paver type things made out of recycled tires.
The criteria I am looking at are:
Holding up to the weather - water and freezing
Holding up to car parking
Easy to maintain and repair
Natural materials - locally available and potentially could be made locally
Looking pleasing

I did not really look into natural flag stone - it seems very prizy

So here is what I ahve settled on: Using clay pavers for the footpath and where steppin gout on the other side of the car and small gravel for the main car parking area. Discussing this with Berta there are a few issues we are not sure how they will go:
1.The looks, Berta is quite unsure about it.
2.Snow removal might be an issue - kickking up a lot of gravel and dumping it on the yard where things are growing.
3.Kicking up stones when moving the car on and off of it.
4.Cleaning off any debris - like leaves and branches
5.Having things starting grwoing in it.
Here my "solutions":
1. Getting some colored round gravel - river rock or pea gravel
2. Shoveling carfeul and if snowbloing service is used to make sure they adjust the distance to the ground setting it high enough
3. Drive slowly
4. Well - maby racking could work - maybe with a racke with narow teeth. Different colored rock might also help in blending anything on it into it.
5. We put a good base of gravel under it and compcat it. Decide not to use street fabric - such man made materials form oil again, not my favorite.
The porch

The planting strip

The front yard beds

The fence

Rain gutter on west side with rain barrel

Sorting the wood in the backyard

Fixing the window opener upstairs

Sorting the shed


Personally I am doing actually pretty good for the most part - yesterday was actually wonderful. We watched the movie "Stardust". I just loved it and felt touched and reconnected to the deep feeling of love in my heart that I cherrish so much. This is so strong and important to me that it always makes me think - "what else does really matter". Over the years I learned that there are other things that matter - or at least that this is a feeling whcih comes and goes, at least in my awareness, even though I believe it is an undelrying quality of our very essence - I just don;t know how to  feel it all the time. The one area I am not quite happy about is my learning about design - I feel like putting together information, seing connections, could probably read for ever and research the wazu about it - but designing like nature - it seems I have not gotten much further with that.

Another week has passed and we got further ahead in implementing the front yard. Officially the first part of implementatoin is completed and the 2nd part has started. After finishing the foot path  on the west side of the house, we started working on the so called planting strip. This is an area that is owned by the city. It is where the sidewalk is, the driveway approach and an area between the sidewalk and the street, often containing lawn and trees. First thing we had to clean up all the left over concrete. The large pieces we sorted out for later use and the small one and loose rubble I wanted to use for a herb spiral. It turns out we do not have a good location for it currently. After discussing this for a while we decided to bring it to the refuse site - mhhh, not my preferred solution. Again, it seems to me, in order to move the implemention along I am taking a shortcut that is not quite right. This seems to be part of the lessons I am learning - in order to truely live sustainble, there just needs to be an understanding for all involved that things take time - and it is important to be aware of that and plan for it. Planning for this is possible and then everyone can relax and figure out what the best solution is. Anyway - a lot of the smaller pieces we used to build a dry stacked retaining wall for one of the flower/perennial beds - and it looks just great!! Now what with all the dirt we dug out and have no space for and is piled up on the planting strip? As it happens our neighbor across the street is building a house somewhere else and needs back fill. So we brought so far 2 trailer loads to his place. We laid cardboard around the perimeter of the planting strip, cleaned up the curb and are trying to sculpt the remaining material into something gently sloping and waving. This is not as easy as it sounds - at least for us. Also, we completed already the driveway approach, fixed the wobbly stairs out of the backdoor and got the building permit for the front porch approved. Yeeppee! Now the framing for the footing is already in. When I looked at it from the top it seems really tiny. For all this effort, is it worth it?  I think it is - it will give space for starting seedlings and allows growing through the colder time of the year. Of course, only after we developed the porch into a greenhouse growing space, which will take a while.
And today I hope to finish to complete Ouput 4 so far that I can deliver it! Working on this I found interesting information on quack grass for food and as a medicinal.

The last few days we have been working hard - lifting heavy concrete pieces into place building the footpath that goes along the West Side of the house. It turned out pretty well and I am curious how it will hold up over time in stability and drainage. It was quite challenging to level the pieces correctly to the slope goes away from the house. A maybe 1'' - 1.5'' long strip with covered with cardboard and filled with soil for groinwg some plants. Have to find out plants that are fine with shade and some sun during the day when it falls in betwen our house and the pretty close neighboring house.
I have been reading a little bit about greywater systems and browsed in the Gaia's Garden book and at one point asked myself if building the path was the right thing to do - instead of somehow leave it more grown over. Well, at this point I think it is lairght as we want to use this area for storing our bikes, kayaks and some firewood. We are chronically short of storage space and that helps with it. We also need to transport tools, equipment and material through there as well as the garbage can and recycle box. So with a footpath lined with some shade loving plants seems to be right. The access on the other side of the house from the back to the front requires stepping up to the deck which makes it sometimes hard lifting things up and down. We did design it in a way that the rain water from the roof, this side does not have a gutter yet, drains towards the front in a channel filled with gravel under the path and ends into a little underground round gravel area form where the water can percolate in an existing flower bed. We will see if this concepts work. Testing it with spryoing water on it has been not conclusive - although water did not stand for very long on the ground, which is one other concern. The soil has some clay and water stands easily in it for a while. As during rainy periods there was never really standing water on that side now with all the vegetation and soil removed the soaking up of the water is maybe not working as well than before?
This weekend I was planning to work on the output - which yesterday did not happen at all - and I am working on it today and would really like to finish it!
Some days ago we watched a video in regards to Codex Alimentarius. This is part of the WTO organisation and is worded in a way that removes the choices for consumers to purchase vitamins and other supplements in therpeuthical effective doses, like vitamin C! Hard to believe that there seem to be interests to control close to everything about a human people. I alawasy start joking about this, probably as a release to some intense feelings about hthings like this (and others, like NAIS, the organic food stanard, GMOs) and clain to invent a metered air-intake mask that everyone will need to wear so every breath can be counted and charged. In case someone is behind with payment of this or tax obligatoins, etc. it can be remotely controlled and the air inflow can be reduced - what a dark joke - I wold not be surprised someone has already invented and patented this, maybe in connetoin with an air filter - now it can be looked at it as a health device! I seem to see so much lip service to great ideals from many and I also see many doing everythign to make their own live more in sync with mother earth and living lightly. It is a fascinating time - and challenging to personally be rooted in an even footed, happy and joyful existence, where laughter, loce and happiness are directing my thoughts, feelings and actions and always for the highest good of all!
I just talked to my mom and somehow feel sad that things are not working out nicely in my brothers family - it seems a lot of mistrust has creeped in over time since my brother and his wife split up - making it really hard for my brother. Now where he also takes care so much of my mom, the business always in a difficult situation and my mom having a lot demands due to her disability and with my stepdad being in hospital and rehab so much recently - he has it not easy. After graduation this year I think I will go to Germany and help where I can.
Berta is currently in Utah teaching a class of 140. Everything goes well and is is quite tiring. Looking forward to see her in a few days - I probably will pick her up form the airport. Need to see how I can plan work for the nephews the next few days so I don't have to be outside much and catch up with work.

What a roller coast today. First thing in the morning I was looking for the plans for the deck and could not found them! I had made some notes during a conversation with Ryan in regards to dimensions and construction details - nowhere to find. Draw everythign again....what a pain, caused by my disorder. So I  started working on new drawings for the deck to deliver to the city for the permit. Yah - well - it turns out I don't know how to draw what I want to do - all these curves. And I don't know what is behind the exterior siding. It is probably balloon framed, so where does the rim rafters get attached and how? I try - and after a while I give up. It is already 11 AM. Next, I start answering my email and take care of the most pressing things. By now I have this clump sitting in my stomach - a sinking feeling of - "how am I ever going to get through this?" - getting output 4 done, ready for the boys to come back, organizing all the things for the next projects and catching up with work?
Berta comes home from errands and I ask her to help me to figure out what the best order would be to tackle things. Soon she mentions, lets forget the deck for this year - we don't know what we do for the rain water catchment, greywater system and the deck might just be in the way. Lets just make sure we have good, save stairs at the front and back door and then lets concentrate on the front. What a great idea - I feel relieved. We talk about the order of priority for the front and make a list.
Alright, I continue with emails - which takes quite a bit as some work is involved to answer them. Now it is 5 PM and I have not even started working on the output. And the day after tomorrow the boys come back - grrrr - when I am going to do this - when they are here they take a lot of my attention. And I still need to do research for the porch. Tomorrow I plan to deliver the plans to the city and apply for the building permit. The neighbor shows up and asks if I can pick up the paper and mail for the next 4 days as she goes on a camping trip, Berta is leaving any moment and I have not done anything on the output yet but I am quite tired.