What are we doing to our kids? They are healthy? Children, babies, hearing impaired, autistic, most special needs people need to see our faces for healthy social interaction. Maybe you are so afraid of Covid that you are ignoring all that we are sacrificing for your health.
What happened to all the awareness campaigns? It seems to me that our society has cast aside all the work that’s been done to help the ME TOO movement, AUTISM awareness, DOMESTIC, VIOLENCE and SEXUAL ABUSE? I assume that these are more casualties of Covid19? In college I took sign language and it gave me a great awareness for the people whose world is completely silent. I cannot help but think what a lonely world this must be for the hearing impaired who lean on lip reading?
Some people believe masks are going to keep them safe, fine for you not for me. You will not convince me that restricting my breath is for my health, or any one else’s.
When you know the real laws you don’t have to follow lying leaders, and it’s wonderful! Some business owners never caved in to the Governor Newsome’s over reach. All of Governor Gavin Newsome’s executive orders have all been ruled unlawful, illegal, null and void! Furthermore, the judge has ruled an injunction for him to stop using executive orders under the California Emergency Services Act, which is what many of these fraudulent leaders are using formore power & more money.
Some people believe they are SAVING LIVES by wearing a mask. Why? Because of the California Covid campaign of coarse. Credit: Peggy Hall@ thehealthyamerican. Launched on billboards, flyers, brochures, commercials, wear a mask-be a hero-save lives is rolling on the TV ticker every time he speaks.
If you choose to ignore the science that masks are 100% unhealthy and can lead to warm bacteria festering around your face then you have not researched enough or trained people how to properly use and dispose of PPE. The state of California Department of Public Health website has a section devoted entirely to Staphylococcus, it’s an interesting read for sure.
I am so thankful for the businesses in Humboldt that do not attempt to control, oppress, intimidate, manipulate, bully, or give an ultimatum over mask wearing. It is illegal to enforce a medical device on anyone. Pandemic or not, only a medical physician has the license to prescribe a medical device, and even then we get to choose based on informed consent. I have heard personally from employees of other businesses who told their boss they had asthma, and their boss gave them the ultimatum, no mask no job. What in the world? Deprivation of rights under color of law is a serious crime people?
I am not playing games with my breath or health to make other people “feel” safer by wearing a mask. I am not convinced they are the safer choice, and I do not enjoy concealing my identity as others do. I know I am not a hero if I wear a mask or not, that is just a slogan. I do not care. I know how to use a tissue paper if I need to cough or sneeze and keep my hands clean. Some of my fellow professionals are out of their ever loving minds drunk with fake power or fear, not sure which sometimes?
This Governor is a liar and none of his executive orders stand today. It’s great news for those of us who know he has been wrong all along, but it hasn’t changed much in Humboldt county because we have a lying “resigned” public health officer here in Humboldt county who has abused her power and platform just like Governor Newsome.
Dr. Frankovich, aka pediatrician physician and supposedly resigned.
Here is her latest “order” requiring all individuals to wear face coverings. She has ZERO authority over anyone’s body, or anyone outside of her department. Look at the codes she sites?
Read these cited codes for yourself and tell me if you think this woman is abusing her power or not? Here are all 3 that she references.
Health and safety code 120175
See what the lawyers that represent WORKMAN COMPENSATION INSURANCE for the state of California say about how Covid spreads.
Now re-read Dr F’s order now and compare it to the lawyers. Notice what she is omitting? The part about touching the infected surface, then touching your own body parts like eyes, nose, mouth. There is a lot of touching talk, no airborne talk. Do you really think it is by accident that she left this part out?
Will you still believe the lies after people are exposed, convicted, and sitting in prison? Seriously?
I am not convinced that the measures been imposed on our society isfor our safety. In fact, I am sure that the illegal mandates, guidelines, and orders some of our leaders are imposing are cruel and unusual punishment on human beings, and intended to crush the small business.
More of lying Dr F’s “orders” as if she has the authority.
There are no new legal obligations for us “individuals” under one woman’s orders, think about it? How absurd, arrogant, and incredibly insulting? Who does she seriously think she is?! Public health officer, yes. Control over her department, yes Individuals, all residents of the county, that’s a big NO. Businesses have been intimidated by this public official and many of our local media outlets by pushing these illegal nonsense orders, mandates, and guidelines, which are not enforceable in any way whatsoever!
Please open up your business as usual? Our Humboldt county Sheriff is a constitutional peace officer. There are no citations to be found for any of these new “guidance” documents, orders, or mandates that can be written against you.
If people continue to comply with masks how far do you think these people will go making decisions about your health? Are people really going to be obeying lying Newsome and lifting their mask up and down in between bites?
Masks are for the sick/and or compromised.
It has been the time for nourishing the old faithful friends, making new ones, and supporting the good businesses that do not discriminate and are not afraid to continue to operate FREELY. Like Basilico’s in Huntington Beach and the hidden gems in our community. Don’t you think that many of the same businesses that discriminated and segregated us with the “no mask no service” will be the same to discriminate again with a vaccine? Support your local businesses that follow real laws and honor their staff rights.
For real scientific analysis from a collaboration of resources weekly check out Dr. Pam Popper. She has a major lawsuit filed in federal court w/attorney Tom Renz and also just co-authored and published a new book “Covid operations”
I have said a few prayers for those people who have discriminated/persecuted me. It is either fear or control that drives them? Either way, I feel sorry for them. I am happy to be myself, and to let others be their self as well. I am a grown up who realizes and knows full well I have no control over anyone else’s body, mind, or spirit. I know how to stay home if I am sick, use a tissue, and take my temperature. Those are things we can all still do for ourselves. Feel free to change your mind if you have been listening to liars? It happens.
The Governor of California has over 30 lawsuits against him currently. One of the suits will begin early this month. He has been trying to pass laws under “guidelines, orders, mandates, and executive” through his departments. He has no power over individuals, he cannot create new legislation over the people, only his governing bodies. Hear him backtrackin his own words on how he (AND truly no Governor) can create a mandate. Credit to Peggy Hall for getting him to eat these words!
Govenor Newsom making staement, “As you know, I can’t mandate anything”
California citizens were fooled into thinking this Governor could mandate laws over individuals. This has led to countless discrimination charges from store managers, clerks, and business owners. Any “public accommodation” business that denies entry to a citizen for not wearing a mask is violating established law. Citizens of America have an irrevocable right to enter, shop free and equal access. No pandemic gets to violate established law. No private business gets to create a policy that VIOLATES established law, such as civil rights. Just as no business can deny entry for someone in a wheelchair, they cannot discriminate to anyone who refuses to wear a mask. They must provide free and equal access to all citizens.
Any Ca public health department, state and/or any county that has not declared State of Emergency invalid by now is in violation according to Ca ESA section 8558
US code title 42 12181 A-L is a long list of public accommodations, 7e=Grocery stores
Ca code 51 All persons within the jurisdiction of this state are free and equal, and no matter what their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever. [Curbside is not free and equal access]
To deny entry into any public accommodation for not wearing a mask is discrimination and deprivation of civil rights title 18 US code 242 and is a punishable crime. To do so while concealing your face elevates any crime penal code 185.
Ca regulation 1591 the unlicensed practice of medicine. Mask=medical device. An M.D. and informed consent are required. Even then a patient has right to reject medical advice. #9b
BCP (business & professional code) 2052 defines any person who practices or attempts to practice, or who advertises or holds himself or herself out as practicing, any system or mode of treating the sick or afflicted in this state, or who diagnoses, treats, operates for, or prescribes for any ailment, blemish, deformity, disease, disfigurement, disorder, injury, or other physical or mental condition of any person, without having at the time of so doing a valid, unrevoked, or unsuspended certificate as provided in this chapter or without being authorized to perform the act pursuant to a certificate obtained in accordance with some other provision of law is guilty of a public offense, punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both the fine and either imprisonment.
I have some questions for you/us as a county I hope you will consider.
How long do our leaders plan to keep us on lockdown mode since they have not told us?
Do you remember when we were asked to stay home for 2 weeks back in March? Do you realize now that it is NOVEMBER?
Do you like following rules that are not laws? What if our leaders are governing unlawfully, do we plan to continue following blindly?
Have we forgotten that we have rights as Americans that would actually protect our individuality?
Do we not realize that no Governor, public health officer, mayor, or grocery store clerk has a right over our own bodies?
Have you read about “state of emergencies” and how long they can last before they expire? According to the California Emergency Services Act (ESA) Section 8558-b: a state of emergency can only be called if the threat overwhelms the current resources of the state. Furthermore, the state of emergency has to be terminated at the earliest possible date.
When is the last time you have looked at your civil rights? Do you realize that no public business can create laws that violate established law, such as your civil rights section 201a and by Ca code 51? Can you see that there are laws that protect your rights as an individual for disabilities, as well as religious exemption and that you should never be denied service anywhere that is a “public accommodation”? Did you know that standing curbside is not FREE and EQUAL access? Under Section 242 Title 18 discriminating is deprivation of rights under color of law and is a punishable offense.
Did you ever seen assistant to Attorney General’s statement about Covid and not allowing FEAR to violate established law? and how the constitution is never suspended.
Have you noticed how many stores are discriminating in Humboldt lately based on guidance documents and mandates that are not enforceable, but not allowing for exemptions based on same documents?
Have you checked out the CDC recommendations lately and notice anything missing?
Do you realize how many community members have been shunned, discriminated, hassled, shamed, blamed, for simply knowing their rights and trying to exert them in Humboldt county?
Did you know that one of the Department of public health’s jobs is to “police the unlicensed practice of medicine”? Did you know that a mask is a medical device? Did you know that legally no one ought to be giving medical advice, demand you wear anything without a proper examination from an on-site physician, or take your temperature? Did you know that you can even deny such procedures based on “informed consent” which is the actual law? Did you know that according to Regulation 1591 pushing medical devices without giving informed consent by any unlicensed person or any suspended, revoked, or unlicensed practitioner to engage in the practice of medicine or any other mode of treating the sick or afflicted which requires a license to practice constitutes unprofessional conduct? Did you know this includes grocery store clerks, hostesses and store managers? Did you know that anybody that discriminates against you is personally liable for discriminating and violating established law, and that you can offer this notice of discrimination (CREDIT: Peggy Hall, thehealthyamerican.org) to inform them of your rights to file a charge against them, which may persuade offender to serve you, and even change their practices altogether now?
Did you know that all business have public non-discrimination policies and when they violate their own store policies a simple “summary judgement” request is often all that is needed for a judge to see they are in violation?
Have businesses not read these laws? Are they worried they are liable if someone contracts Covid in their place of business? Do you realize that small businesses have been threatened, intimidated, and harassed to comply with suggestions that go against standing law? Understand that according to health and safety code 120290 businesses are not capable, responsible, obligated, insured or trained to keep the public safe based on case law for 50+years? Watch this hour long interview about what’s going on with the Department of Public Health. CREDIT: Peggy Hall (thehealthyamerican.com) interview with John Jay (privacy fight)
Please follow real laws as business, or a customer. The law is the same as it always has been.
We are Humboldt county citizens and we are informed.
This is my reaction to everyone telling everyone else to stay at home. I assume you must be very comfortable financially and clueless with what a “non essential worker” and/or small business owner is going through right now. They have bigger fears than Covid 19.
Unless someone owns a business or knows someone closely that owns one they will never get it. They cannot realize that owning a business is not just part of your life, IT IS YOUR LIFE! Many small business owners have it like this:
No paid vacations, no health insurance, no sick days paid, no severance pay, no unemployment insurance, no IRA, no income if you don’t work-period! But you have a reputation, clients, debt, and plenty of bills without a safety net to fall back on. Typically a small business owner wakes up and gives it all they have until they lay down, every day, year after year. If they have employees they worry about them constantly and in many cases treat them as family. Their everyday routine and income has been taken from them since the “slow the spread” has began.
We were declared “essential” and thankfully our business was never shut down. Our service falls under “sanitation” was therefore deemed necessary from the beginning of the shutdown/lockdown.
Looking back to the start of this crisis beginning in mid March I know that we were all scared. However since our crew cleans mainly “essential services” (banks, auto shops, medical facilities) we were able to keep cleaning. We had to immediately reconfigure our office space so that every administrative employee could have their own room-thankfully a task we were able to achieve easily. We decided for that first 2 weeks we would postpone all day work; no maids services, window washing, carpet cleaning, vacancy cleaning. Our day workers day to day lives came to an abrupt STOP. Our nighttime workers were all grateful to be able to work. I am sure they were scared and felt as though they were risking their lives but they needed and wanted to work.
Usually when people don’t work they don’t get paid. With no day work on the calendar we thought day workers would need to be laid off? For how long? But wait, what’s this? The government passes CARE ACT that incudes a (PPP) paycheck protection program, and another EIDLE economic injury disaster loan advance. We applied day 1.
My husband and I could hardly believe it but on Tuesday morning of April 21st we received a deposit from the US Treasury for 10,000; the first part of the government assistant to small businesses, EIDL. The 2nd round for the paycheck protection program opened today (April 27th) and so we will wait to see any more aid comes from that. EDIT: We received a substantial amount of money to cover our entire crew, no one went on unemployment. A couple of employees took off for the CARES ACT but our crew banned together & we covered all the work.
The weekend before the slow the spread 2 weeks was imposed on our country I had 2 people in my immediate family get admitted to the hospital-my mother, and my daughter. At first we could see our 21 yr old daughter but after 4 days in the ER St. Joe’s hospital (and the entire nation) went on lockdown. Back in Chicago my mother ended up in an ER the same weekend. My mother was in the ICU and septic, and nobody from our family could visit her. This was a living nightmare for our family for nearly a month with my mom. Finally after 4 weeks of hospital and rehab my mother was released and is doing great, and our daughter has recovered also.
Having a person you love in the hospital and not being able to see them when they need you the most is agonizing and infuriating. I do not know the solution for this, but it is something you should all be considering because I am sure that we do not want to see our hospitals say NO VISITORS forever.
The thing is our business never stopped working. As far as Covid goes we believe at least one of our crew members may have had it back in December, but as of now we do not know for sure. What we do know is that we have continued working through this “pandemic” and have all survived. Not one of our 38 employees have been diagnosed Covid as of today and we continue to pray that they do not. My husband and I were in and out of the ER room back in Humboldt county’s height of Covid cases, which I believe was 28 at most? When we were hanging out in the ER we had resolved that we just might get Covid, but were were willing to take that risk to be with our daughter. We made sure to quarantine ourselves and saw no one for those first 3 weeks after that. We had no masks at the time and neither did the staff in the ER wear them.
I hope you can see from my journey so far why I am not afraid of Covid and I totally understand why people are protesting. I hope I have made my point well enough for you to consider what exactly has been asked of the small business owner that has been deemed “non essential?”
How do you like some of those drunk on power governors telling Americans in Michigan and other states what “essentials” you may and may not purchase? I hope that nonsense has ended?
For the last 2 weeks here in Humboldt county we have had several days in a row with no new cases. And yet I still see people getting so AGRO about staying at home? We have had 52 cases in total and yet flights come in from LA and SAN FRAN all the time so when will it really stop? How long will the fear go on? Does anyone think we will ever be sterile enough?
We just received a a new commercial that was created for us by a media company that will be played soon on the radio. The original ending said something about “so do your part and stay at home!” We did not like that and had it removed. If I am afraid, I will stay home, but I will not ask you to stay home because I cannot imagine demanding others do anything, much less demand they lose their businesses because I am afraid?!
Businesses and “non essential workers” (I despise those words) on lockdown in America after 5 weeks over Covid 19 fears and deaths is literally causing people to descend into poverty. Asking people to stay safe at home because you are afraid and comfortable while they wait, and wait, and wait, because they cannot work is asking too much.
2014 NPR interview discussing government power quarantining people against their will.
I’ve been doing workshops with kids and friends for years. My best friend Shay taught me wood working in the same wood shop that I work in today. Back then when she was my mentor we were very pregnant and making lots of Christmas gifts late into the night-those were the days!
These days I am mostly inspired to build things for my homestead that I cannot find here locally in Humboldt county California. I usually want things that are built with wood so sometimes the shipping is more than the build. That’s some inspiration sure to move you brightly!
I build a lot of things from plans with Ana White if she has them because I like the way she teaches, and her plans are affordable, easy to understand, and build. I have built a few vegetable produce bins with her plans, herb planters, step stool/ladder combo, and the biggest was the Wild Rose Tiny house. This lady pro is an Alaskan Native and my one of my biggest mentors and Go To’s for building. I love her story and how years ago some of the locals laughed her out of their store instead of taking her offer up on some consignment furniture. Look who’s laughing now?!
I have designed some of my own builds like a tea cabinet, a few different carrying trays, and a jewelry rack. My friend Beth actually came up with the jewelry rack idea/design and we built 2 of them together. They turned out so nice and since then I have made several as gifts.
Workshops are private and scheduled. Email me with any questions or to schedule a time and hear about options for your build, cost? Please let me know if you are interested in an individual or group session.
CREDIT: ANA WHITE for cedar herb planter. This is my cousin Simone & her son Kane. Together they made this planter stand. They both loved the nail gun! Easy peasy.
We built a tiny house for my mom and her bed got moved in on February 24th 2018. She has been warm, dry, and very happy in her new home ever since! This past year our family, friends, community, and even a few strangers all took part in building a tiny house for my mom!
Timeline and bullet points.
When I first started talking about building a tiny house my cousin Tim was all about helping out. His wife was on board too, so that was a real good solid start. I knew they would make the trip to Cali and help me put some kind of shack together, but I had no idea how instrumental they would be in this project? Believe me they didn’t either! But we were going for it and excited to take on the adventure. Once I told my sister we had them on board she knew it was getting real too. We had a lot of time to try and gather donations, so that’s what we focused on from the start.
Jill Bottger and her siblings
Tim and I first started talking very seriously about the tiny house at our family reunion in thesummer of 2016. My mother grew up with 12 siblings and most of them wanted to help her somehow. From siblings, to cousins, to 2nd cousins, to distant cousins. All the buzz at the reunion gave our generous Bottger (and extended) family lots of time to gather interest and donations.
Christmas 2016 We started a go fund me campaign and the Bottger family raised $500. Even 2 ex-wives (of my mom’s brothers) donated for her tiny house because they love my mom!
Dennis RMI and mom
RV moving out day
April of 2017 We sold off the old RV and then had $4ooo to cash flow the house project. We weren’t sure if we would use the 4k for the trailer or finance it? We could have purchased a smaller one outright, but in the end we decided to finance it to give us some spending money, and get a larger trailer. The one we bought is actually an auto transport trailer that can hold 10klbs. It is not a trailer that was made specifically for a tiny house, but it works just fine for one. We bought it from Dennis at RMI in Eureka Ca. We were told it would take 6-8 weeks, it took 6.
Leonard Rosseau Jill Bottger
May-July Once the trailer arrived our friend Leonard picked it up and delivered it to our property.
I got a phone call one day from my cousin Tim because he had made a phone call (to APEX) and scored 4 triple paned windows for FREE! Really nice windows!
Sometime in the spring we discovered Ana White’s tiny house “the wild rose” and Tim started to work that model into our tiny house more and more with a little tweak here and there for flair. Amy encouraged me to build the dual level table Ana White designed to be a coffee/dining room table. It’s in mom’s house today in front of her 2 long narrow windows.
Amy called to let me know she had scored a FREE fridge/freezer (bottom freezer even!) and a FREE stove/oven from A-1 appliances in Minnesota. Cute, little, tiny ones! I scored an antique Jotul wood stove for $100 from facebook marketplace. My uncle donated a skylight that we temporarily put in the roof of the tiny, some older pictures show it installed. Even though we ultimately took it out, and didn’t use the wood stove we’d scored, at this point it seemed like the tiny house would come together with donations alone!
My cousin Tim worked (and worked and worked) the plans for the tiny house into his CAD program to ensure we didn’t go over weight. He is an engineer that helps people make their dreams come true all the time with his business Genesis TEK. It was great to have his expertise help and to be able to see the model of what the tiny would look like in 3d. There was a lot of talk about “brackets” to extend the width of the living space, but this was not an easy find! It was a nail biter up to the very end/beginning of
the build. These brackets are the unseen hardware that can allow you to
$600 brackets
build out to the end of the wheel wells, aka wider living space. Some trailers floors already go that far, but it was looking like I would have to travel to Oregon to get one. If you’ve never been to the REAL northern CA (5 hrs N San Fran) then you cannot understand what “behind the redwood curtain” means. Some things are not worth traveling for, I decided early on, as tempting as the home depot 1.5 hrs away was, I would look for my needs right in Humboldt. I’m perfectly pleased with our trailer, and cannot thank the people at North Coast Fabricators for getting our brackets done in 1 day!
Tim, my sister and I were in talks with our family about when we could all be out here at the same time. Beginning of August 2017 it would be.
I blogged about the first few days working on the house, but ever since we got started, taking pictures and building was about all I have had time for. I knew I could finish blogging once the house was complete, especially if we took many pictures, which we did.
August-Our family arrived on the 2nd week of August and we began the build. Tiny house: Day 1
Brian Bottger Jr. Thomas Bottger
We threw a fundraiser pizza party for the tiny house while my family was here and raised $350. My sister, mom, and I decided to give the money to our cousins for the cost of renting and hauling the U-haul trailer full of donated appliances and windows. Too bad their engine blew up on Amy and the kids on the way back to Minnesota while Tim was still
Tim, Amy, Devon, Caitlin, Kiara Bottger
here working on the tiny house. I still feel bad about that one! They REALLY do love their aunt Jill!
In the middle of this project we had some special guests from half way around the world come in support of my cousin, my mother, and really our entire family. A man from China that does a lot of business with my cousin Tim happened to be taking a trip with his family around the states. The two had talked about meeting (for the first time) during this trip somewhere in weeks prior. He was unable to make it to our fundraiser the night before, but we had our own little party the next day, and it was so great! The kids were fascinated watching how we make our pizza, and they loved eating it. That day in my home was so special and I will never forget that sweet family and how they blessed us so generously!
My cousin Tim stayed long and worked hard even after the rest of the family had returned home. He was here almost a full month. He had wanted to make sure we had the windows installed, the roof done, the exterior walls up, and that the house was wrapped. He really had high expectations! We did all that and felt good at what we were able to accomplish. Of coarse there were times we wanted things to be moving faster, but early on we decided we would not be rushing or stressing unnecessarily. We stayed on point to enjoy the project and the process, and to roll with the changes.
September-October-November Afterthe whole family left William and I were left to finish up the fully framed, roofed, and weather wrapped shell of a house thinking it would be done fairly quickly? Ha, ha. Maybe it would be for 2 people who didn’t have anything else to do, but that is not us! We decided to hire our good friend who is super hard working, broadly skilled, righteous, professional builder. He was there for us every.single.time. whenever we needed him. And boy did we need him!
Matthew Mullaney
When Matt Mullaney would show up on site, everything was well in our world again. We didn’t really know how to build a house, c’mon! Matt was consulting with us all the way from day 1 of the build. But even closer to the end he and his right arm man (& bro in law) Kristian helped to
Kristian Josang
batten down the house. They ran all the electrical and plumbing, put up the interior walls and ceiling, exterior walls, and finished up bunches of odds & ends. They basically killed it night and day, rain or shine, dry or super muddy! Matt hooked up the on-demand hot water heater. On one of his earlier trips up Matt advised me on what types of jacks I ought get. So before he cut us loose on the house for good he made sure we were secured with the jacks and brakes, stabilizing it. Matt mixed up some cement and put it inside the tiny house in the bathroom where the shower was about to go in. I was like, “um, what are you doing?” He explained to me how it helped support the shower and keep it from sagging into the floor, both getting ruined over time. I had no idea? Matt was looking out for us, and taking care of business in ways we couldn’t even see, like a good contractor should. I seriously don’t even like to imagine what this mammoth project would have been like without him!
Throughout the build there were lots of mini projects and helping hands to get them all done. So many of our friends were interested and excited to help us out. We are so thankful every person who help support this project and want to also give a shout out to all of our prayer warrior friends-you know who you are!
women of this tiny house build
Michael Pulley hard at work
Daryl Messina shedding some light
Deven Teixeira Tim Bottger
Cody Starr making her shine
Chris Menzel aka “Felix the cat”
Jill Bottger family tiny house August 2017
William Hardwick
I didn’t really want to be dependent on my husband to help me with this project. (HAHAHA!) I knew I would never truly be alone in the whole thing, but there was a time (less than a year ago from this day) that I hadn’t had much of a clue as to how it would all come together or how long I could really get by without his help? But he always knew I would be completely dependant on him! Initially we were sure we were doing the right thing but sometimes we were just in way over our heads! My husband mustered through the punch list from start to finish on every detail of this labor of love. Sometimes we worked together, sometimes we worked alone. We pushed ourselves to the limit with time and money to finish this as soon as we could.
While my sister was here she did all the hard work of putting together the tiny house expenses into an excel sheet. We only have things logged up until September, but it shows all the donations we got, and most of the biggest expenses. Receipts are still rolling in, bills are still getting paid. Dust is still settling over the Hardwick homestead, but I would say we are looking at somewhere between $22-25k for this build. Some money was cash flowed, some was borrowed, some was donated. I would guesstimate that William and I owe $12k for the build. Much of the labor was free, BOTTGER family style. I estimate we paid anywhere from $7-10k in labor and materials on top of the original receipts that have been logged. I will know better after this month has passed.
Winter 2016
March 12th, 2018 We moved my mom’s bed in this past Sunday, February 24th 2018. Before this week, I had been restless. Really, restless. From the day we put a gigantic tarp over my mom’s 5th wheel to shield it from the rain. It’s obvious from these photos why I was so determined to build something better for her. She clearly has a great spot.
1st week in tiny
kitchen, bathroom, loft
lost spiral stairs
This dream of building a tiny house for my mom turned into something much bigger than I could have ever imagined! I don’t mean the beautiful tiny house alone, although it does still take my breath away because it’s just so cute! Our faithful friend Joe Kent would always say “it’s so much more than a project” and he is right. With this tiny house build we saw outrageous generosity from strangers, friends, and family…lots of volunteers…moral support…we welcomed special guests from China…there was an epic backpacking trip… a spa party…we crashed an Aunt & Uncle’s 45 yr wedding anniversary dinner with writing in the sand they could see from moonstone grill…we had beach dinners…my sister’s flight from San Fran was cancelled but my husband was already going to a CUBS/GIANTS game (GO CUBS!) so she got to crash that…our home was stuffed with family…from North Carolina, Minnesota, Chicago, Idaho, San Diego…we had crazy pizza concoctions…we had a mini West Coast Bottger family reunion….and build a tiny house inspired by an amish style barn raising… all in honor of our mom! William Hardwick and I are once again in total amazement and do wish to give God all the glory! Believe me, a little faith went a long way on this dream!
So you want to build a tiny house, where should you begin? Hire a contractor. In our situation the expert help we got was clutch. And also having plenty of time. If you have unlimited money, that makes a difference for sure, but in any case-plan well. There are many steps in building a tiny house, (just as many as a regular house) but if you are building on a trailer then the first step would be researching the exact right one. Either way you will want to know these things early on.
Once your house is built you will need a spot for it. This may take some time to find all the things you are looking for.
How big do you want your tiny house?
How much will it cost to complete it?
Will you be off grid or need hookups for electricity, water, toilet? In our case my mom had an RV in place before so all the hookups had been put in by my husband years before. Hooking up a septic system is no small task and I’m sure that’s why so many opt for a composting toilet. Electricity and water can be pricey too if you have a long run to a power/water source.
Get plans, if you can with a materials list. If they are custom plans then you (or someone) ought to use a computer program (in my case, my cousin) to help keep track of the overall layout and weight of materials.
Ask for help building. Ask for donations of cash and materials. Look for deals and free materials on CL and facebook marketplaces. It’s not begging to give people an opportunity to give. In our case strangers donated high end windows and appliances! People love a good cause, and lots of people have a soft spot for seniors.
I suggest budgeting and estimating the costs for the work you know you will need to hire done, and be ready to add to it. When I first started thinking about building a (much smaller) space for my mom, I didn’t have any real plans outside of purchasing a trailer and building on it myself however long it took me. But fortunately for me plenty of people came alongside to help us finish it. Thank you all so much!
friends for years. My best friend Shay taught me wood working in the same wood shop that I work in today. Back then when she was my mentor we were very pregnant and making lots of Christmas gifts late into the night-those were the days!
24th 2018. She has been warm, dry, and very happy in her new home ever since! This past year our family, friends, community, and even a few strangers all took part in building a tiny house for my mom!
all about helping out. His wife was on board too, so that was a real good solid start. I knew they would make the trip to Cali and help me put some kind of shack together, but I had no idea how instrumental they would be in this project? Believe me they didn’t either! But we were going for it and excited to take on the adventure. Once I told my sister we had them on board she knew it was getting real too. We had a lot of time to try and gather donations, so that’s what we focused on from the start.
Tim and I first started talking very seriously about the tiny house at our family reunion in the summer of 2016. My mother grew up with 12 siblings and most of them wanted to help her somehow. From siblings, to cousins, to 2nd cousins, to distant cousins. All the buzz at the reunion gave our generous Bottger (and extended) family lots of time to gather interest and donations.
FREE stove/oven from A-1 appliances in Minnesota. Cute, little, tiny ones! I scored an antique Jotul wood stove for $100 from facebook marketplace. My uncle donated a skylight that we temporarily put in the roof of the tiny, some older pictures show it installed. Even though we ultimately took it out, and didn’t use the wood stove we’d scored, at this point it seemed like the tiny house would come together with donations alone!
My cousin Tim worked (and worked and worked) the plans for the tiny house into his CAD program to ensure we didn’t go over weight. He is an engineer that helps people make their dreams come true all the time with his business 
talked about meeting (for the first time) during this trip somewhere in weeks prior. He was unable to make it to our fundraiser the night before, but we had our own little party the next day, and it was so great! The kids were fascinated watching how we make our pizza, and they loved eating it. That day in my home was so special and I will never forget that sweet family and how they blessed us so generously!
make sure we had the windows installed, the roof done, the exterior walls up, and that the house was wrapped. He really had high expectations! We did all 
that and felt good at what we were able to accomplish. Of coarse there were times we wanted things to be moving faster, but early on we decided we would not 
be rushing or stressing unnecessarily. We stayed on point to enjoy the project and the process, and to roll with the changes.
family left William and I were left to finish up the fully framed, roofed, and weather wrapped shell of a house thinking it would be done fairly quickly? Ha, ha. Maybe it would be for 2 people who didn’t have anything else to do, but that is not us! We decided to hire our good friend who is super hard working, broadly skilled, righteous, professional builder. He was there for us every.single.time. whenever we needed him. And boy did we need him!
everything was well in our world again. We didn’t really know how to build a house, c’mon! Matt was consulting with us all the way from day 1 of the build. But even closer to the end he and his right arm man (& bro in law) Kristian helped to
down the house. They ran all the electrical and plumbing, put up the interior walls and ceiling, exterior walls, and finished up bunches of odds & ends. They basically killed it night and day, rain or shine, dry or super muddy! Matt hooked up the on-demand hot water heater. On one of his earlier trips up Matt advised me on what types of jacks I ought 
get. So before he cut us loose on the house for good he made sure we were secured with the jacks and brakes, 
stabilizing it. Matt mixed up some cement and put it inside the tiny house in the bathroom where the shower was about to go in. I was like, “um, what are you doing?” He explained to me how it helped support the shower and keep it from sagging into the floor, both getting ruined over time. I had no idea? Matt was looking
out for us, and taking care of business in ways we couldn’t even see, like a good contractor should. I seriously don’t even like to imagine what this mammoth project would have been like without him!
would never truly be alone in the whole thing, but there was a time (less than a year ago from this day) that I hadn’t had much of a clue as to how it would all come together or how long I could really get by without his help? But he always knew I would be completely dependant on him! Initially we were sure we were doing the right thing but sometimes we were just in way over our 
heads! My husband mustered through the punch list from start to 
finish on every detail of this labor of love. Sometimes we worked together, sometimes we worked alone. We pushed ourselves to the limit with time and money to finish this as soon as we could.
March 12th, 2018 We moved my mom’s bed in this past Sunday, February 24th 2018. Before this week, I had been restless. Really, restless. From the day we put a gigantic tarp over my mom’s 5th wheel to shield it from the rain. It’s obvious from these photos why I was so determined to build something better for her. She clearly has a great spot.
