Sharing a passion for design and building by hand.
Growing up around a community that celebrated independent thought and cold weather, nearly everyone I met was either building, planning, or designing, houses with one thing in common. Handmade.
Interesting that it takes a grid-locked economy to suggest these techinques are "cool" again,
while they been in use for centuries around the globe, or hidden from view.
My husband Jeff is very project oriented and with both us working with this enthusiam, we've been able to complete our 5th restoration which features Italian stuccos, and American Clay in Calumet, Michigan.
One creation that remains as mysterious and functionable as ever,
is the native american indian tepee which I lived in, and built, for over ten years.
Our green restoration project in Calumet, Michigan: 2010
Lily's Organic Market and Cafe
Traunik's General Store Rebirth 2008
Stone Farm House Stonehouse Project 2000-2005
Bohemia Printing 2015: Northern Michigan's First 100% Non Toxic T Shirt Printing Company in L'Anse, Michigan.
Facebook Hello
and the Home of...
A j ~ F I S C H E R ' S
M U S I C ~ S I T E
Performance Guitarist & Composer
Northern Michigan
A Music Story
CD Baby
Reverb Nation
there on the road. Minnesota
once Lakota - riding the plateaus.
And I dreamed of Indians out there fighting for their lives, thought about the pioneers.
Gets awful cold out there at night...."
'Austin Chronicles
9th Book of Songs
Aj
What's on the Spinner:
I
could never make this list complete,
but here's some real special folks & tunes:
Loudon Wainwright III "Daughter"
Performers Most likely In My Ears:
Annie Ross, Etta James, Massimo Gatti
Brian and Roger Eno, Astor Piazzolla
Micheal Franti, Tosca, Stars of the Lid,
Iron & Wine, Mico Nonet, The Handsome Family,
Planxty, The Pogues, Amon Tobin,
Dj Cheb, Django Reinhardt, Romane,
The Meditations, Wailing Souls, Bob Marley
Diana Krall, Ella, Chick Corea, Steve Tibbets
Richard Shindell, Jason McGuire, Kronos
The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid
Joe Pass, Beppe Gambetta/Carlo Aonzo
Eric Satie, Any Putumayo Record, some: Greg Brown
John Mclaughlin, Ravi Shankar, Bill Frissell
Daniel Lanoir, The Rice Brothers, Stan Rogers
Frank Zappa ( the god of all ), Jim Cole,
Ernestine Anderson, James Hunter, Ray LaMontagne
Rani Arbo & Daisy Mae (You Tube) "Farewell Angelina"
Slaid Cleaves, Devendra Banhart, Turtle Island Quartet
Yorgui Loeffler ( incredible gypsi jazz guitarist )
Gina Forsyth
Gare du Nord (you tube) "Dish of the Day"
Steve Baughman
And our all time favorite:
Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan
After 13 summers of building and living in Tipis,
I got a hair-brained idea to construct a small cabin on my tipi site made from cordwood masonryThere was lots of snickering.
With no access to water or electricity, it was bound to be a challenge.
Hand mixing cement, filling and carting fifty galllon barrels of water, laying courses of wood in an old growth forest, battling roots and buzzing clouds of mosquitos - I would do it again in a heartbeat..
Every mason will tell you that working with lime plasters is hard labor
and unforgiving, but a totally rewarding experience. After 2 summers and a little help from my friends, I had a very snug,
beautiful little (900 sq ft) house to live in..with a cost of about three thousand dollars and just wee bit
of sweat equity.
I didn't hear anymore snickering.
Girls can do anything...
Geminids Meteor Shower !
December 12-14
The most reliable meteor shower of the year, the Geminids are characterized by their multi-colored display--65% being white, 26% yellow, and the remaining 9% blue, red and green. They come in at a moderate speed of 21.75 miles per second, therefore they are bright and often produce fireballs.
Equal Exchange
Café Campesino
Peace Coffee
Equipment
Leave no Trace
Invest in Good Reading
Aj's Kayak: P & H
Aj & Jeff in Snowbound Calumet
- Read
Co-op America Quarterly
Independent Media Center -
ProgressiveThinking
Sun Magazine
Alger County Upper Peninsula, Michigan
State Parks -Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region
Lake Superior Kayaking Adventures
Lake Superior Weather Report
McCormick Wilderness Area
Dania Beach Garden
Melrose Lake House
Upper Michigan Stone Farm House
Lily's of Traunik: 1922 General Store Restoration
Italian Beauty in Calumet Michigan
Current Project 2015: 20 South Main L'Anse Michigan Commercial Building.
Photos Coming Soon !
Portland, OR
Ann Arbor, MI
Dallas & Austin TX
Leadville, CO
Gulfport, MS
Abbeville, LA
Seattle, WA
Southhampton NY
Traverse City, MI
Jekyll Island and
St. Simon's Island, GA
Pasadena, San Francisco,
Los Altos, CA
Key Largo, Melrose, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Calumet, MI
Where I lived in Alaska
E v e r y M o m e n t C o u n t s
aj AT stonemice DOT Calm