Milestone

Sliding door pulls from Fukuoka, Japan

Recently, I reached a milestone in my little house fund - the halfway mark.  After informing my dear friend J of the happy occasion she said, "you should do something to celebrate."  And so, this suggestion, our discussion of Western Doors v. Eastern Doors (pull-out doors v. sliding doors), and the fact that I've been drooling over these door pulls for at least a year, wondering how I could possibly justify purchasing such glorious items, all culminated in my buying myself a milestone present. I purchased them from an Etsy shop owner in Japan. They are metal, approximately 3" in diameter, feature a pair of phoenixes (or phoenii, as L suggested...I like it), and were manufactured circa 1960. The phoenix feels suited to my life's particular brand of nonsense - burning down to ground zero and beginning again - a common theme in many people's lives that has no doubt maintained the popularity of this symbol. More positively, though, phoenix reminds us that although things do end, life goes on; creation and profound change can occur in the wake of destruction and abrupt endings, indeed, at times they depend upon it.

The little house I would like to eventually build will have only two doors requiring these pulls, the bedroom and bathroom, where the type of door would have the most impact. The beauty of a sliding door, or pocket door, is that they do not intrude upon your space as a traditional western door does. For a western door, you must leave the space in its path clear, thus rendering that space unusable. The sliding door makes no such demands. 

It took a little over two and a half years to reach the halfway mark. My salary is rather average, but I am able to keep my cost of living low and save a significant amount every month.  The goal is to cover the materials and labor costs for the little house without a loan, and should I need a loan for land, to have enough for a significant down payment.