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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Make A List

I read some good advice over on the Cold Antler Farm website (which rocks, by the way.  Just sayin').  Jenna suggested that the best way to make your dreams happen is to write it down.  Seems simple, and I am fairly sure I have heard this advice before.  So this year I am doing it.  And unlike the usual New Year's Resolutions, I am making my list public.  I hope that will make me more accountable.

So here we go, in no particular order.

Jen's List 2011

    The Knitter's Year: 52 Make-in-a-Week Projects-Quick Gifts and Seasonal Knits
    Boxwood Cast Iron Wood Stove, 63,800 Btu RTS Home Accents 5510-000900-5600 50-Gallon Rain Water Collection Barrel With Brass Spigot - Brown
  1. Knit or sew one project per week.  I admire people who set these types of achievable projects with a one-year deadline (a la A Year of Slow Cooking, and the Julie/Julia project).  So, with this book as my guide, I am going to do something similar.  One knitting or sewing project per week.  Maybe I will finally run through my yarn stash.
  2. Chickens.  I would like us to have chickens by the end of 2011.  That means saving up for and building the coop.  We already have volunteer help from family to help build the thing, now we just need the financial end to line up.
  3. Wood-burning stove.  The heat pump just can't hack these winters.  It is running constantly, even at its low setting, and I am always cold!  So this summer, we need to look into installing a wood-burning stove.  Pretty sure we know where it would be most efficient, now we just need to get saving.  What's more, if we get an old-style one, we can cook on top of it if the power goes out (or just for fun!)  And our property already has some dead trees that need to be cleared, so we can season some firewood ourselves!
  4. Financial end.  We need to get these medical bills paid off and our nest egg rebuilt.  This is a priority, obviously.  Maybe the right job will open up for me, locally.
  5. Financial, part two.  I am going to keep up with our budget on a weekly basis.  I already told this to my husband, so it has to happen.  And I am starting this week.  Not waiting until January 1st for this one!
  6. Garden!  My super-smart husband has an idea for drainage in the garden, so maybe the babies won't wash away this spring.  I am also going to start the plants inside and not sew the seeds directly, unless I have to.  I already have seeds stored for tomatoes, peppers, edemame, and pumpkins.  We also want corn, potatoes, onions, squash, carrots (in raised beds) and melons.  Add mulch and compost to this list, because we still need to work that soil.
  7. Rain barrels.  We need to water the garden and orchard, so we are finally going to make our rain barrels.  We have one, pre-made, that the 7-year-old won at a fair, and barrels for 2 or 3 more.  This should be a weekend project, all we need are the connectors.
  8. Mud.  Grr, mud.  With three dogs and red-clay, mud has become a major issue.  Basically, the dogs have created a mud patch at the bottom of the deck stairs, from which they track the mud back into the house each time they go out.  We had nice carpets six months ago when we moved in; now they are almost a complete loss.  I just can't get them clean.  Which leads me to number 8.  I can't rage war on mud, so I will just brick over the mud patch!  We are going to install a brick walkway from the deck stairs out to the fence line.  No more mud patch.
  9. Then I am getting the carpets cleaned!
  10. Keep trying one new dinner recipe per week.  I've been doing that for a while and discovered some delicious meals.  Maybe one day the kids will try them!
So that's the list, for now.  And now I am accountable for it.  What is on your list?

2 comments:

  1. Do you mind if I steal your "one sewing project a week" idea? I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Be my guest. We can compare progress!

    ReplyDelete

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