The Tree House Family McNamara

A Natural Day In The Life

By Roman McNamara

Our typical daily life began to take shape about twelve years ago while we were living in a traditional farmhouse in the mountains set back from the ocean behind Dulan. My wife Emily was pregnant with our first son Forest. We were running a guesthouse (Taitung Sea Art Guesthouse) and I was teaching a few hours a week in Taitung city. Every evening on my way back home, I would stop at Jialulan and marvel at the magnificent night sky. Having spent my first ten years in Taiwan in the big city of Taichung, I would always feel so thankful to be in such a pristine environment. I also began asking the sky to help me find a permanent home on the east coast to start a family.

As has often been the case in my life, when you ask you will receive. One serendipitous morning we were visited by a man, who many months earlier had introduced me to the majestic Rainbow Waterfall and its abundant river systems in Chenggong. At that time I had told him if he ever heard of any land for sale in the area to please let me know. That morning he brought me to a place with which I felt an immediate connection, fulfilled my heart’s desires and set our family on its current path. As with much of the land on Taiwan’s east coast, it is sacred to its traditional indigenous custodians. I would be remiss not to mention the deep bond Emily and I felt with the proud Amis grandmother named Tsen Mama, who so graciously passed on the land to us. As she walked us up a steep hillside, Tsen Mama told us that much of the land was planted by her father, but that it needed attention and enjoyed company! She also told us stories of how her family would walk from Chenggong town and camp on the land for days at a time hunting, fishing and foraging the multitude of wild vegetables. I can still vividly recall how she gently held my ear and told me that the care of this land was in my hands now, and to remember to treat my pregnant wife with extra patience.

Twelve years, three kids and two knee surgeries later, I have built my family a home (the “Tree House”), studio and playground on Tsen Mama’s family land. We are proud to have the honor to continue developing and sharing the space with people of all ages for exercise, natural learning, creativity and spiritual growth. In the summer months and during winter vacation for students we host Earth Child camps for kids. During the fiveday, four-night camps we reintroduce kids to the wonders of nature. There is lots of exercise, hands on art projects, group cooking, and exploring the rivers and coastline with big open hearts! Anyone interested in upcoming programs or hosting an event at Taitung Tree House can contact us.

My wife Emily has taken to natural living very well and has planted a variety of edible and medicinal plants to makes our shampoo, soap, insect bite healing skin cream, and anti-inflammatory remedies. She practices Tibetan meridian/chakra singing bowl therapy, Thai yoga massage and is several years into yoga training. Emily also creates beautiful pyramids and pendants with genuine crystals and gemstones, carefully designed to an individual’s needs. Our goal at the Tree House is to keep a steady flow of positively oriented activities and training courses happening all year round. We are hoping to create an environment from which our children can learn sustainability from the land by gardening, fruit growing, preserve making and bee keeping, while also sharing our good fortunes with others, both for learning and for pleasure.

Our three kids Forest, Bruin and Aja are happy, healthy and well balanced. They work hard to keep our house and property maintained. They take good care of our pets and keep the gardens watered and weeded. It is not always easy trying to keep them away from TV and technology, but we do our best to avoid over-saturation and make sure their hands and feet are in the soil and water as much as possible. I spend my days building, woodworking, landscaping, water maintaining and planning for future projects. Tree houses, Hobbit houses, bee houses, dog houses… All while trying to stay healthy and mobile, and hopefully holding off Father Time long enough to make it all happen!

As the hot but very fun summer months come to an end, daily life begins by struggling to get our kids ready and motivated for another school year. All three really don’t want to go! We always had plans to home school, but the reality of spending a good portion of everyday of the school year assisting our kids through their curriculum requirements, while completing our own jobs has proven to be more than we can sanely handle at this point in time. So while the kids are at school Emily meditates, practices yoga, and answers customer enquiries for pyramids, pendants, soap, shampoo, creams and my wood products. She is also always busy designing and arranging the details for various Tree House events to be held throughout the year. When I get back from taking the kids to school I get right to work repairing, maintaining, gardening or creating around the house and property. Artistically much of what I have created is made of fallen or washed up driftwood. Taiwan has a great diversity of high quality trees. I make everything from beds, chairs and tables to walls, weapons, totems and toys! I still sometimes paint and do leatherwork, and my daughter also likes to keep me busy making outfits for her. All in all there are not enough daylight hours—thank heavens we are doing it in Taitung!

Everyone in our family plays a part in making things flow smoothly. My lovely and talented wife Emily has taught me that anything the mind conceives it can create in reality, and the kids give it all a purpose. We feel that the spirits of this land from generations gone by are working through our hands, minds and hearts and we are very blessed and inspired to continue growing, creating and sharing in this magical space in Taitung County.