Projects and Resolutions.

I've been absent from my blogging for a while.

I think part of the problem is being busy and tired, 

and the other part has to do with the winter blahs.

On the busy end of things, I've been doing small projects around the house.

On the To-Do List is getting the attic organized.

So far that task hasn't been crossed off the list.

Part of getting the attic organized is getting the garage organized (also on the list).

We need to get stuff put up in the garage storage loft

so Big E can get his workshop space organized 

and get the tools from the attic out to the garage.

Not only do we need to get the garage ready for tools, 

but we also need to make sure the car can fit in it again.

We've also been putting up closet doors 

so the brat child can have a closet that will magically help keep his room clean

(Yeah, I don't buy it either).

  And of course with the New Year came resolutions.

Or rather, just one resolution.

This year, I resolve to be selfish.

Yes, I said selfish.

What I mean is that this year I'm not putting my plans or ambitions 

on hold

for other people.

2016 was not a great year.

It brought a lot of unwanted drama

and an immense amount of stress.
It was a year that showed me that volunteering
just isn't something that's worth doing much any more.
And it's not just me.
This was a post from a volunteer fire department,
and what was said sums up my thoughts completely:
 Erie County Fire Depts

October 25, 2016 ·

The biggest killer in the volunteer service isn't the calls, it's the egos, the drama, the he said she said. That's what's killing the volunteer service. Can you imagine what it'd be like to drop all that, to come do your job do what needs done and worry about yourself? It would make this service a very beautiful thing. The passion and desire to belong and be involved in a department would thrive! The passion for some, many, is slowly dying because of these reasons, that's why volunteers don't care to volunteer, or to continue volunteering.

So, I'm going to be selfish.

My time belongs to me and my family,

and I'm not going to give it away easily.

I've been saying for 3 years I wanted to go get a library card 

and hang out at the library. 

I finally did that this past week.

I managed to get a rewrite done on the Georgia section of my book

and started on the next section.

And this summer, I have several backpacking trips planned,

and some adventures waiting in the wings.

So, yeah, I'm making this year about me

and about enjoying my life.

Doing It Different

It's that time of year again.  That time when people make a list of things they resolve to do, many of which tend to be ways  to change to be better.  After reviewing my list from 2014 and realizing I didn't get too much accomplished, I opted for a different strategy. 

This year, I have one goal- Hike the Maryland section of the Appalachian Trail. 

January 1st I managed a small hike (after being sick the night before with a stomach virus and a fever) so I've already started the ball rolling.  And in preparing for completion of this goal, I need to be healthier and in backpacking shape, things that were typically resolutions on their own.  Now they're just part of the larger picture, not the focus. I'll be blogging updates on my progress over the next 10 months, and eventually blogging about the trip itself. 

This is going to be MY year!

(You can read about the trip plan here)

Good Luck Beans

For years I've heard about how it's good luck 

to eat greens, black eyed peas and pork and sauerkraut

on New Year's Day.

It occured to me that I've never fixed this particular meal

on this specific day

and maybe that's what I'm always so desparate

for the New Year to be better.

So...

I threw some sauerkraut and porkchops in the crockpot 

and made up a black eyed pea recipe.

I chopped up a piece of ham steak

(I wanted a ham hock or shank but the store was out)

I didn't use the whole piece of ham.

I saved the leftover to throw in my egg in the morning for breakfast.

I chopped up some fresh kale.

And by fresh I mean I went outside and picked it from the garden.

I didn't use all of it as I was unsure about liking it

so I just saved the leftovers for throwing in a scramble egg.

I threw in 2 cans of black eyed peas.

I'd rather use dry, but I had a time issue.

I added some chicken broth and a little salt

and simmered it on the stove for a couple of hours.

I was quite pleased with it

and plan on making it as a side in the future.

 Here's the lucky meal,

black eyed peas, mashed cauliflower (in keeping with the low carb diet)

pork chop and sauerkraut.

So why do you eat all this?

Pork- said to bring luck in the coming year.

Black Eyed Peas and greens- because they resemble money (greens dollars and peas coins) it's said they will bring you good fortune.

Sauerkraut- an old German tradition says you should eat sour cabbage  for a sweet new year.

Here's to a luckier, healthier, happier New Year!

Resolve

re-solve

1. v. settle or find a solution to (a problem, dispute, or contentious matter).
2. v.  decide firmly on a course of action.
3. n. firm determination to do something.

 It's that time of year when people write out lists of things they want to change in the coming new year.  

I'd wager that most people start out with good intentions and 

plan on following through with all of their resolutions.  

Sadly, most give up and fail to accomplish anything on their list.  

Despite the fact that I fall into the never-accomplish-anything-on-my-resolution-list category, 

I figured I'd give it another go.  

So, thinking that sharing my list might make me more inclined to stick to it 

(the whole accountability thing), 

I'm posting it here.

Being Healthier:

1. Walk at least 2 miles 4 days a week (I'm hoping to make it 7 days a week, but I think 4 is more realistic).
2. Go back to a Low Carb/Good Carb diet (like South Beach).  I did this once and lost a lot of weight and just felt better over all.  But I'm a stress eater, I'm stressed and planning meals and grocery shopping is a pain.  No excuses though, time to get back to something healthier.
3. Lose 30 pounds. I'm pretty sure that if I manage #1 and #2 this one will be no problem.  
4. Drink more water. 
5. Cut back on the amount of soda I drink.  I like iced tea and green tea so I should work on drinking that.  Plus, making iced tea is cheaper than buying soda.  And it really bothers me that I drink something that is used to clean the corrosion on car batteries.  
6. Find time to meditate at least 3 times a week.  Ideally it should be every day, but I'm being realistic as meditation is not so easy with a 7 year old about. 

Finances:

1. Save some money using the 52 week challenge.
2. Put at least $25 per week in my savings account (hopefully more than that per week, but a minimum of $25).
3. Cook my own breakfast each morning- don't eat out (this is also a healthy thing).
4. Pack my lunch at least 4 out of 5 days.  I'd say all 5 days, but again, I'm trying to be realistic.  This could potentially save me about $200 a month.  That's a lot.  In fact it's a car payment. 
5. Eat dinner out only 2-3 times a month.  This is going to be a tough one.  When you've gotten into the habit of eating out on a regular basis, it's hard to break that habit.  Who wants to deal with planning meals or doing the dishes (the cooking I'm okay with).
6. Pay off the Credit Cards.  Tough, but I've already locked them away in the safe, and I have a plan. 

Organization:

1. Go through my 7 year old's toys to see what can be donated.  He wasn't too receptive to the idea, but he has more than enough to play with (and doesn't even play with it all).  I'm thinking of making this something that is done yearly  before Christmas- you know, making room for the new stuff.
2. Clean out my clothes.  I know there are things that are in my closet that haven't seen the light of day in 2 years or more.  I obviously have no need for them, but someone else might.
3. Plan out meals a month at a time.  I know I can do this because I have done it.  It makes live easier when you do- you save money on groceries, save time on shopping and on cooking (especially if you use a slow cooker on a regular basis).
4. Organize recipes.  I have a few, some written down, some saved on Pinterest, but I'd like them all in one place like a recipe box.  
5. Declutter in general. Find a better way to organize mail, school papers, product manuals, warranties, etc.
6. Cleaning the basement and the items you have in storage there.  This includes my whole family and a trip to the dump.  I'm hoping to get my items better stored and organized at a minimum and help my parents and siblings get rid of the junk as a bigger goal.

General:

1. Get to the point where I am blogging 4-5 days a week.  That's tough since I have several blogs, but something I have been continuously working towards.  
2. Learn to use my DSLR camera in something other than automatic mode.
3. Take some time to go take photos with the DSLR camera not in automatic mode at least every other week. Ideally I'd like to take a trip somewhere closeby to take photos at least once a month.
4. Start writing a book.  Doesn't matter what the genre is or the content or that there's an expectation to finish, just start.
5. Build 2 polytunnels for growing greens in the cold winter months.  
6. Plant a more efficient vegetable garden. 
7. Plan out time for canning to be faster and more productive.
8. Plan weekly family night. Either planning on playing a game or watching a movie or some type of outing like bowling or mini-golf- and sticking to it.
9. Plan weekly or bi-weekly date night. Because alone time with the one you love is important and sometimes life is so busy you forget.  So weekly is the main goal, but building to that is okay.  And date night doesn't mean that you have to spend money.  Could be dinner at home and a movie or going for a walk or a hike.

That for the most part is my list.  

My goals and resolutions for 2014.  

Throughout the year I'll check back regarding my list to see 

how I'm doing or 

if I'm doing.  

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

Be at War with your Vices, 

at Peace with your Neighbours, 

and let every New-Year find you a better Man.  

~Quoted in Benjamin Franklin's 1755 Poor Richard's Almanac, December