Cara Brookins was left emotionally broken when her second abusive marriage ended. She got well by building her own house, which she did after seeing YouTube videos on how to do it.
The mother of four started looking for a new house in 2007 after being forced to sell the Bryant, Arkansas, home she and her soon-to-be ex shared. At the moment, though, anything the computer programmer analyst could afford was too tiny. Brookins too felt obliged to take action to bring her family back together. She admits, “But I had no idea what that should be.”
Brookins, therefore, came up with the idea to build her own house from the ground up. According to Brookins, 45, “If anyone was in our situation, they wouldn’t do this.” “No one else viewed it this way, and now that I think about it, I understand it sounds crazy.”
One acre of property cost Brookins $20,000, and she obtained a building credit for about $150,000. She then started watching YouTube tutorials to learn how to do things like run a gas line, build a wall, lay a foundation, and install plumbing.
Her children, ages 2 to 17, helped her throughout the nine-month construction of the 3,500-square-foot home. At the time, Drew, who was 15 years old, helped Brookins make the preparations. Jada, who was 11 at the time, transported water from a neighbor’s pond using buckets because there was no running water on the property. She then combined the water with 80-pound sacks of concrete to create the mortar for the foundation.
It felt impossible the entire time, according to Brookins, who worked when the kids were in school. After school, Brookins drove her family to the five-mile-away construction site where she worked late into the night on the new house.
YouTube videos previously were vague and provided numerous solutions to a task. Brookins employed a part-time firefighter with building experience for $25 per hour to help with some of the more challenging tasks. She remembers, “He was a step ahead of us in knowledge.”
On March 31, 2009, Brookins and her kids moved into the five-bedroom home. She gave it the name Inkwell Manor in recognition of her desire to become a writer.
In the years afterwards, Brookins has written numerous middle grade and young adult books. She has also written a biography titled Rise: How a House Built a Family, which will be released on January 24.
Building the house helped Brookins emerge from her depression. We were ashamed that our best option was to construct our own shelter, Brookins adds. “We weren’t really proud of it,” In the end, it proved to be the best thing I could have done for myself.
She says, “You can do anything you set your mind to if I, a 110 pound computer programmer, can build a complete house.” Choose one goal and stay with it. Find the big thing you want to do, move slowly in that direction, and take those who also need healing with you. That has a lot of influence.
Inside George Clooney’s Short-Lived Marriage: Who Was the Woman Who Made Him Avoid Marriage for Years
George Clooney, known for being a charming bachelor, has always captured fans’ attention with his love life. Although he once vowed to never marry again after his first marriage ended, he later found a second chance at love.
Let’s take a look at George’s first wife, whom many of our readers believe is even more beautiful than his current wife, Amal.
Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney had a short-lived marriage that ended in divorce, and he claimed he’d never get married again. However, destiny had other plans. His love story with Amal, from their unexpected meeting to his unforgettable proposal, is truly captivating.
But who was his first wife, and why do fans think she’s even more beautiful than Amal?
This feature explores George Clooney’s relationships with both of his wives, focusing on his unexpected journey to find love with Amal, the public’s view of who is more beautiful, and the differences between the two women. First, let’s look at how George and Amal met in the most unexpected way.
George met Amal unexpectedly through a mutual friend. This chance encounter happened right at his home. Amal was traveling in Italy with a friend who decided to introduce her to George at his place near Lake Como. George’s agent humorously predicted that Amal was “the one” for him, but George laughed it off.
When she arrived, George’s parents happened to be visiting. The two spent the night talking and instantly clicked. Amal later sent George some photos from that visit, starting an email exchange. Soon, George traveled to London to see her and even invited her to a movie scoring session at Abbey Road Studios. Amal, despite her busy schedule, accepted.
George proposed to Amal on April 28, 2014, but it didn’t go as planned. After dating for six months, he set up a romantic dinner with music by his late aunt, singer Rosemary Clooney. George asked Amal to light a candle where he’d hidden the engagement ring. When she saw it, she thought it was left there by mistake. “It was a disaster,” he joked.
After a while, he got down on one knee and said, “I couldn’t imagine spending my life without you.” She was speechless, and after a long moment, he gently asked her again to say yes. Finally, she accepted. Their wedding in Venice in September 2014 was a beautiful event, and George often says how lucky he feels to have found Amal.
When a side-by-side photo of Amal and George’s first wife was posted online, fans shared their thoughts on who is more beautiful. Some thought Amal was elegant and refined, while others believed his ex-wife, Talia, had a more natural beauty. One reader even commented that the two women look like sisters, with many agreeing both are lovely in their unique ways.
Born Amal Alamuddin, Amal is an accomplished international human rights lawyer. She co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice with George, working to promote justice worldwide. Amal has taken on high-profile cases at international courts, fighting for victims of human rights abuses and representing victims of war crimes.
Amal also teaches at Columbia Law School and is an author of a leading law textbook. Her education includes degrees from Oxford University and NYU Law. Though her fashion is widely admired, it’s her legal work that defines her.
Before Amal, George was married to actress Talia Balsam. They met in 1984, fell in love, and got married. But the marriage lasted only three years, and George later admitted he wasn’t ready for marriage at the time. Talia has since remarried actor John Slattery, and they have a son together. Both George and Talia have moved on amicably.
George and Amal’s relationship continues to thrive, built on love and mutual respect. In 2017, they welcomed twins, Ella and Alexander. George often expresses how lucky he feels to have found Amal, describing her as the perfect partner and best friend. Even ten years later, their bond is as strong as ever, making them a power couple admired by many.
Comparisons between Amal and Talia highlight their unique qualities, each having had a meaningful impact on George’s life. Both relationships helped shape him into the person he is today.
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