What to write about?

Hmm… what’ll it be this week? (1) pharmaceuticals for fictionalized maladies; (2) the new Mom’s Club documentary on the radical right-wing’s blatant infiltration of school boards, including those in Southern California; or (3) the building material and methodology for our home rebuild, RSG-3D? I can only pick one.

“How can you write a column, week after week?” I’ve been asked that question many times over the 33 years I’ve been writing “Consider This.” My stock answer has been, “Usually, I write about whatever is bugging me most. Given that I’m easily bugged, I never run out of material.” My biggest problem is that there’s often so much to write about that picking just one topic is a big challenge. I keep a running “Topics” file, which helps a little. When evaluating, I ask myself, “Can I do this topic justice within my 850–950-word limit? Can I get it to my editor in time so it makes sense for the reader, since the column runs a week or 10 days later?”

Eenie meenie, miny moe, catch a tiger by the toe… I pick Option 3: my recent field trip to the Palisades to see two projects using the RSG-3D building method, each at a different stage. RSG-3D is a relatively new way to build a house without wood, using a foam-type material sandwiched between steel mesh and covered on both sides with shotcrete. After leaving our original Super Adobe idea in the dirt — it simply wasn’t practical — my husband and I chose RSG-3D a year ago. It can be shaped to look like any style and can withstand earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and, most importantly here in Southern California, fire.

Joining me on the field trip were our architect, Colleen “Cole” Butler of ButlerBlain Solutions, and our interior designer, Gregory Parker of Parker West Interiors. They are both stellar teammates. It was a scrumptious day with crisp blue skies and the Pacific Ocean glistening in the background. We’d planned this trip for weeks, but at the last minute, Justin — our RSG-3D Super Subcontractor — suggested we not go to the Chattaqua site because they were going to be doing a lot of messy work, and instead visit another site five minutes from that one. The second site is not as far along as the Chattaqua home, which has already received a lot of media attention in local and national news.

According to a recent report, RSG-3D is currently advancing more than 50 residential rebuild projects across the Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Malibu, and surrounding communities, helping homeowners move from recovery to reconstruction with faster, more resilient building solutions. In a recent interview with KTLA, Jonathan Scott of The Property Brothers highlights one of these projects, sharing why he chose RSG-3D’s Resilient Panel Building System to rebuild a Pacific Palisades home. Scott said, “From wildfire resistance and durability to long-term energy efficiency, the technology is helping redefine what’s possible as families rebuild after disaster.” There was also a similar CNN story a few weeks back highlighting Mr. Scott’s participation. His embrace of RSG-3D will further the use of this building method in more disaster-prone areas.

I was taken aback by how emotional I was in the Palisades. I have, more or less, thickened my skin to being in my burned-down village of Altadena. I was surprised by how intensely I was triggered in the Palisades and Malibu. Grief gripped me by the throat and shook me a few times. I am also consumed by fury and jealousy at how far ahead of us Pacific Palisades is, in general, on these RSG projects. Plus, I’m overwhelmed by having to figure out how to cover our shortfall.

While insurance covers $1M for rebuilding the structure, our general contractor submitted a bid more than twice that amount. We lost half our income due to the fire; add tariffs and a worker shortage stemming from potential ICE raids, and the uncertainty only deepens. I’m losing sleep over the shortfall, and we have to make tough decisions. We’re caught between a burned-out wall and a prickly cactus, as we’ve already sunk a lot into the planning stages and can’t afford to walk away. We’re also still paying a mortgage on a home that is no longer there. When you hear about why so few homes have been rebuilt, now you’ll understand.

I’m aware that we are lucky in many ways. Some people were uninsured or underinsured, or had to go without a roof over their heads. That said, it’s pointless to compare suffering because suffering is suffering… and I am suffering.

Gregory Parker demonstrates how light RSG-3D panels are.

I am going to see if the RSG-3D folks are aware of a foundation that would like to help us while promoting them, even though we’re no Jonathan Scott. In exchange for a grant, we’d be delighted to host monthly open houses where people could see our rebuilt home, presuming, of course, that we pull it off. One hurdle our architect has been able to clear is the LA County planning department, which initially applied protocols for building a wooden structure. By sending the CNN clip featuring Jonathan Scott, the planner was finally able to see what Cole had been trying to describe.

My husband, who couldn’t go on the trip, asked, “What was your main takeaway?” After a beat, I said, “That I need to get out of this apartment so badly, and that RSG-3D is a good choice. Even though it’s 10% more expensive than a traditional wood building, it was inspiring to see them frame an entire house in only four days. It may take more time on the front end, but once they get started, we’ll be able to go home.”

So, yet again, I chose to write about what’s bugging me most this week: I long for home.

If you’re interested in Ellen Snortland’s online creative writing class, send an email. Also, there is still a much-needed GoFundMe to help Ellen and Ken recover from the devastating loss of their home and possessions. You can donate here.