I’m Liz and this blog will share the story of my dream to build an offgrid cob home.
Yup – dirt and straw and clay and water. Cob to the experts and Mud to everyone else.
It’s a mixture of materials that are local, sustainable and natural.
Cob allows you to create curves and shapes and really express imagination.
As with everything in my life – I will bring my head, heart and spirit to the whole building process.
I love beauty & design & sustainable living.
I want to create a home for my older age that will be offgrid and sustainable – and beautiful. I’m also learning about permaculture and biodynamic growing and companion planting. I’m not one to take on teeny weeny challenges – although I am a champion at lolling as well.
I plan to research and learn through 2007 and 2008. I am already booked on 1 course in April 2008 and hope to attend a 9 day cob building course in September 2008. The actual build will start in the March of 2009 and be completed by October 2009 – ever the optimist!
I will be publishing a workbook/diary of the whole journey with stories of other cob builds in Ireland through another of my micro social enterprises Lippylala Publishing. Walnut Books will be selling the book. I love them and have bought over 20 books recently that have really built my knowledge and motivation.
I still have heaps to learn.
I live in a beautiful part of Ireland (Ballinamore, Co Leitrim) that has a quiet beauty – full of lakes and mountains and really lovely people. I want to live here until I die (hopefully at a grand old age after drinking a few glasses of champagne with friends.).
I run an ethical consultancy (Focused Solutions) that delights me – and thankfully my clients.
And I love learning – which is handy as the learning curve for me to build a cob home is going to be HUGE.
I see tears, laughs, swearing, frustration, exhaustion and sheer joy ahead.
Can’t wait.
Best regards
Liz 
HI Liz, just read your story, about your cob home.
I am in a similar position as you, now I am looking for clay hemp and a person who can teach me. I need these mixture for insulation between old cottage stone wall and a timber wall to fill the hole there. Now I live beside Carrick on Shannon. I would be glad if you could give me advise.
Olaf
HI Mudwoman meet mudman have taught natural building for several years here in santa fe amd also an artist and have created other mudworks that can be quite beautiful.Am interested now in teaching [and have written a book that needs a femine perspective] “Mother Earth Speaks Remembering to Listen” or so it seems that we all experience to world once step removed from experience[intellectually through one form of tecnology or another] nice to know theres a mudwoman out there drop me a line if you are so moved blessings mudman johnson
of this that i am
i hold a little adobe
earth ball the size
of a peach and *
remember
of this that I am
without distinction
or separation,
you and me little earth
in union and community.
my mind my body
and the earth together
once again
making love to the world,
which is our calling
and I gently ask
you who reads this
to feel
the warmth of your heart
beating and alive
with me and this
astonishing Earth
with absolutely
no separation
no separation
at all… at all,
and is what
I believe
the bible
calls
“heaven on earth”
* called an earthprayer for peace
robert-francis “mudman” johnson
earthprayers@hotmail.com
the unofficial poet laureate of polaco street