cleaning house...

bear with me while i tidy up in here a bit! (these are just notes to myself for what i had up on the side bar...)

winter to do

-start onions
-printer cleaned/repaired
-etsy shops updated
-create a craft item daily to post on etsy
-moon kits completed (need to sew pads mostly)
-sketch out certificate design -transfer finances from the bank to the credit union in process
-open business account with credit union and close bank account
-start wood carving
-plan out garden
-make soap for busy season for business
-figure out what to do about lack of chickens laying eggs (no eggs=no money from selling eggs)

to be purchased list

-pigs next year
-turkeys
-cornish and rock chicks to start our own broiler breed searching for heritage breed to replace these instead
-baby buck
-broilers
-shelving for root cellar
-vacuum sealer
-berkey water filter
-fiberglass cistern for rainwater collection
-butter churn
-straw for mulching garden using existing goat bedding and old hay
-replacement fruit trees: granny smith and honeycrisp apples, bartlett pear, bing cherry, peaches
-2 or 3 more pregnant or freshened does
-refrigerator for egg and milk storage
-more bee hives/supers
-6 n-c lamb ewes
-apple press
-cherry pitter
-harvest basket (the kind that straps to you)
-cheese press
-honey extractor
-more hives/deep supers
-sheep shears
-seeds
-suture kit/multiple stitching needles
-dental tools/kit
-otoscope
-sawyer extractor
-forceps, suture needle holder
-tooth repair kit

future purchase list

-navajo-churro ram
-pigs for orchard estimated for spring 2009, need to research heritage breeds
-khaki campbell ducks
-replacement fruit trees: asain pear, plum
-gooseberries, cranberries, blueberies
-4 more turkeys

goals for 2009

outdoors:
*animal feed: try, try again to grow hay and root crops for the animals

*gardening and animal efficiency: be more effecient on the garden front and on the amount of animals and our set up with their care/maintenance (this means cutting back on numbers because we cannot afford to feed them all or the time to care for them all)

*farmwise, i'd like to see us doing:
-more fencing for goats/sheep (take back the land the farmer has been using for free and put it into pasture/hay field)
-shed fixed up (it has been falling down and needs to be repaired)
-garage renovated into guest cottage
-gutters on buildings for water collection (very important)
-research solar/wind since there are new incentives out there
-outdoor solar shower

household/personal:
*gardening journal book:
-update it and get back into the routine of using it daily

*photographs:
-i have several years (2001? - 2007) worth of photos on the old computer that i need to upload to snapfish, develop and delete off the old computer. that is quite a task.
-put all commitment ceremony photos into their albums
-make files on laptop of etsy, lhc and place all business photos in their correct files so that when i need a specific picture, i can actually find it!
-keep on top of ordering and copying current photos

*homeschooling:
-get into some sort of routine with it. nothing too formal but would like to be a bit more organized, perhaps plan books to read, etc. each week

*budgeting: grocery bill needs to come down, this goes with the effecient gardening. also need to cut costs elsewhere??? as well as try to bring in a more steady income with my herbal business and my new crafting business

*less dvds for the kids, more real play

*purge junk toys and other stuff:
-slim down kids' toys to make room for new ones (and purge some of the plastic crap new ones that relatives (who know us the least) purchased for the kids)
-purge stuff
-organize craft area and purge/make more useful
-find another furniture item with drawers (such as a buffet) to store more craft stuff and create a mini wood working area (see the wordworking for kids video for my inspiration)

*during the summer take a field trip once a week to a nature preserve in the area and spend the day, pack a lunch and just have fun and explore

*complete the wedding certificate. yeah. it's still. not. finished.

*get back into a household routine that includes cleaning. on a regular basis. like daily.

*15 minutes (minimum) a day to play:
-hooping (a friend gifted us with a hoop for the holidays. i've been using it more than the kids. maria is my inspiration!)
-knife throwing (ok, this isn't really 'play' but it is a good source of stress relief and good to have a self defense skill. when i mentioned to a friend that i planned on practicing from several distances so i could hit my target no matter how far away i was from it -within reason, of course- my oldest son choked on his lunch he started laughing so hard. not sure what was funny about that comment, i think i scared him a bit and it was a nervous reaction)
-mandolin (i have had this darned thing for 5 years now. i used to play every day but then came sage)

*more effecient with computer usage

2008 herbal focus

peppermint & wild mint*
st. john's wort*
nettles
plantain*
wild cherry*
burdock*
black walnut*
self heal*
astragalus
ashwaganda
mugwort*
calendula*
monardis*
elder*
ginger
skullcap*
chamomile & pineapple weed*
echinacea (augustifolia and purpurea)*
marshmallow*
chickweed*
pine*
rose*
lavender*
comfrey*
cleavers*
motherwort*
violet*
melissa*
mullein*
poke*
golden rod*
garlic*
hawthorne
vitex
eyebright
yarrow*
sumach
juniper*
dandelion*
red clover*
catnip*
blackberry*
raspberry*
yellow dock*
gotu kola*
ginkgo
wood betony
chicory*
sage*
rosemary*
thyme*
basil, regular and holy basil*
willow*
peach*

* denotes those i already have growing on my property. the rest i will start this year.
those in italics mark plants i have managed to start this year.