Soup is on, and the bread is rising December 30, 2009

Ok – we’re having Home-made chicken soup and bread for dinner tonight. That is also one of my resolutions for the New Year – menu planning, and working on my time management skills…or lack there of It’s not that any one here ever skips a meal, but I enjoy baking and there are times when I’ll be cooking the evening meal and think “oh wow, I should have made bread, rolls, or bread sticks to go with this” So yeah, I need to plan it out a bit better. Of course, the fact that I hate my kitchen doesn’t help. But, that’s another story, and part of the renovation dreams 😉

Coincidently, I received my first seed catalog in the mail today. Quiet nod to another thing on my list – plan the gardens in advance. We don’t have a lot of space to work with, so in order for us to make the most of it we really have to learn to garden better with the seasons. Last year, we really over planted – we ended up with collard greens, pumpkins, and cucumbers in the front yard with the strawberries and mint. Now that the strawberries are spreading like wild fire (not to mention the mint), I doubt we’ll get away with that this year too.

    

While I am not adverse to planting food in the front – I think we’re going to have to till the other ‘side’ of the front yard to add much more this coming season. I’m thinking edible and medicinal herbs. I’ll still keep some in the pot arrangement I had this year, very convient for grilling, which we do a lot of.

I would like to have the entire place landscaped in edibles. We plan to add a few dwarf fruit trees, grapes and blueberries this year. It will be years before we see much from it, I know – but some things really are worth waiting for 🙂

Still working on my jump-start into 2010. Bit by bit – I’m getting there. Off to work on my afghan now while the bread bakes.

Jump Start on Goals for the New Year December 29, 2009

Well, the hustle and bustle of Christmas is behind us – I hope you all had a wonderful one! Ours was a little…off , in some ways. My Mother spent Christmas Eve in the hospital, her oxygen had dropped dangerously low. She is home now, and hopefully on the mend. We’re worried, but will stay positive. My daughter’s future FIL had a stoke on Christmas, not his first I am afraid. Other than that – we did spend the holiday together with family and friends, and it was all it should be.

Still and all, it’s behind us – what lays ahead no one can really know. I however have learned to focus on things I can and do have an impact on, and let all else come to pass as it will or won’t.

That being said – my focus for 2010 is something that has been on my mind, and something I will be writing about some. It’s not so much that I plan to make any grand changes – but I do want to add onto some of the changes I have been working towards through the years.

Right now, I have 2 crochet projects in progress. One is an afghan for hubby and I to use on our bed.

throw for living room

Afghan for master bedroom

The other project I have in progress is a throw for our living room. It’s also done in an alternate stitch, sc and slip stitches. It’s going to take a LOT of yarn for such a small thing. But, I love it. I apologize for the pictures, it’s not the camera this time – it’s me, LOL. My Dad gave me his camera which is a much nicer one than I had – I just have to learn to use it properly. Also something to work on into the new year 😉

Needless to say, one of the things I am focusing on this year is making things for our home. I have always dreamed of having a home filled with hand-made items, both for function and decoration.

I also plan to get started on making gifts for holidays and personal occasions through out the year – and not just starting in the fall. Procrastiation is not a virtue – which sucks, since I have such a skill for it.

Now the house is full – and it’s time to start dinner. See, I should have started posting earlier. Oh well, I guess I have some work to do in that one area.