I have been spending some time reading blog posts written on or around the new year. Some of the posts have been a look back at the year just ended; things accomplished, projects completed, favorite or most viewed posts. Some have been posts looking to the future; goals, resolutions and plans. I have done neither. My friend Kim at Exquisitely Unremarkable has done both. She recapped her favorite projects here and then looked forward by choosing a single word as her inspiration for the year here. Jim and Mary at Old World Garden's blog who are my inspiration for my garden/farm set their top farm goals for the new year here and then planned their garden layout for the new year here.
I think that I am going to try to do both, a look back and a plan going forward.
Since I don't have a bunch of finished (finished being the key word) projects to share I will share a memory. Looking back on 2014 what I will remember most was the absolutely viral ice bucket challenge. We did our challenge fairly early (August 16) and then watched in amazement as the numbers of dollars donated just grew and grew and grew. Not only did people contribute nationally (and internationally) but our state ALS organization blew past their fundraising goal and our walk team, the Jay Walkers, exceeded our goal as well. Many of our family contributed recipes to an ALS cookbook and then purchased said cookbook at the walk in September. All in all it was a really good year for the folks trying to combat a really, really awful disease.
Looking forward I have been spending a little time considering what single word would inspire me all through the year. I am just drawing a blank. I have considered and discarded several. Nothing just seems right. I will keep working on it. I do have a partial list of goals. The obvious one: finish painting the house and the ongoing one: to add new fruit to the farm landscape each year and the same one that nearly everyone has: to eat healthier, get more exercise and lose weight. I have started brainstorming garden goals and have decided that I will organize my list by area. Making a goal or two or three for each of the different parts of the farm and then separate them by requires mostly money, requires mostly labor, needs help from the kids or parents and quick (one day) projects. I will post it when I get it done. Happy New Year!
Lorri, that was so very nice of you to mention me today! Honestly, I enjoy doing the recaps, because I forget what I accomplish during the year. I plod through each day, crafting and updating, among the chaos of the kids' very busy schedules. Most days I don't feel like I get much done. It's not until I look back at my blog that I realize I did take some time for myself and I did complete something of my very own. The one word post helps me to focus when the new year starts. I am a planner and a pencil and paper girl...I've been doing it for years. Your farm is a living entity. I think that while you may not think that you have completed a lot this past year, you did. Your fields produced crops, your animal population grew...and you still had time to make homemade bread and puppy treats!! I am completely impressed. Perhaps you don't need a word to define your goals and one hasn't popped into your head, because you are busy living in the now! I think that there is something wonderful, enviable even, about that! :) Happy New Year, my friend!
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