A New Year, A New List

Posted January 12th, 2007 by JennyWren


Today is when my New Year really begins. Every year, on January 12, I'm a little bit older, although I doubt I'm any wiser.

Usually I spend the day getting lots done around the house, determined to make this day "the first day of the rest of my life," etc. This year, it's a little different; I'm feeling run down from a week of sitting up with a sick kid. But my brain still wants to accomplish something. And what better to satisfy that need, than a good old-fashioned list?

While I'm at it, I think I'll make a few, just to give myself a bit of a marker, something to gauge "progress" by. If I don't like how that makes me feel, there's always the delete button! ;) And today I can make my lists with ease, thanks to our new text editor!

Here goes nothin'…



Big things I need to/would like to accomplish this year

1.

Um…okay, that's a little too much pressure. LOL

How about this, then:

Projects

1. Winter sowing
2. House cleaning
3. Homemaking - really need to focus on this
4. Homeschooling - I'm having the usual middle-of-the-year curriculum doubts; must decide.
5. Working (and writing) on this site
6. Cooking and eating better, more natural food
7. Growing more of our own food
8. Actually getting things planted out this year
9. Starting new flowerbeds
10. Starting seriously composting
11. Painting
12. Organizing all of these hobbies
13. SEE HOW THIS IS TURNING INTO A TO-DO LIST?
14. Help hubby finish horse shed
15. Work out a way to set up hoophouses, coldframes, or a high tunnel

Crafts I'm in the middle of:

1. Huge tiger latch hook rug for 10yo
2. Two different cross stitch tigers for 10yo
3. Cross stitch of a piece of cake
4. Cross stitch of golden retriever for sis? May be too hard.
5. Crochet - rose, green and white afghan
6. Crochet - Black, grey and white cat afghan for 10yo
7. Baskets full of yarn need to be decided on
8. Paint fox by door in livingroom.
9. Repaint kids' room walls
10. Paint Bambi or some such with projector, in kids' room
11. Make some aprons with sewing machine - I have the materials, just need to do it
12. Make curtains

Wow, this is cool.

How about seeds I've wintersown so far this year:

1. American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
2. Ivy from Mom's house
3. Poppy - Lauren's Grape
4. Hazelnut
5. Hazelnut
6. Almond
7. Lavender (Lavendula stoechas)

There, I feel better already. :)

Okay, rolling up sleeves for some real listing…watch out: ;)

In a lovely world with limitless time, I would:

1. Choose the perfect curriculum and teaching style for each of our kids, and follow through with the daily schedule, or say forget "standards", let's just live; you'll learn!
2. Grow or raise all or most of our own food.
3. Get more bees
4. Train the horses, using natural horsemanship methods
5. Paint
6. Write
7. Dance
8. Sit out in the woods for an entire day, just breathing, and watching.
9. Banish telephones
10. Make lots of garden beds
11. Go fishing!
12. Invite friends to come and sit a spell (and keep my house clean enough to do that spontaneously)
13. Spend most of my time outside (the opposite is true now), I have a theory about what's natural and healthy
14. Never sleep, unless it's for the relaxation or cuddle time
15. Love on my kids more, and read them more books

Now, see, that's not an impossible list (except for the sleep part, but I'm betting it would be more relaxing). I just have to forget about all of the other lists, the "to do" lists, and the wants, needs, shoulds, etc. Hmm. Worth pondering!