A New Year

bringing with it new things to try and do.

I had hoped to have a new finish to bring in the new year but other things kept pulling me away from the finish line.  Maybe I can get it completed for my birthday (which is later this week…)

LHN – Little Sheep Virtues

The January chart has been revealed! Now Im just waiting for a call, email or txt from my local shop so I can get this started. This series will be on my list to keep up and finish each month.

Other stitching for this year is to have more finishes.  I have quite a few charts kitted and ready for the first x to be added but Im really trying to hold off starting a bunch of new things (Little Sheep is not included )

Health

As with most New Years D and I try and place ourselves and the family on better habits, this year being no different.  More walking/hiking, camping and general just doing instead of sitting.  All that goes with eating better.  I will say we have done pretty good with the eating better over the past few years.  Its rare when we eat out and we are spending a bit more to eat more organic and natural foods.  We can both tell the difference when we drift away from the better foods.

This year Im looking forward to eating more grains and possibly homemade pastas than we have in the past.

D found a wonderful “local” place to go hiking, LL “Stub” Stewart State Park by Vernonia, OR.  We took the family there on the 30th for our Anniversary and had a wonderful hike.  We were there for about 4 hrs and walked over 4 miles.  The view from the Unfit Settlement was wonderful.  There are 25 different trails, some not accessible to all forms of transport (horse only or bike only) as well as a 18 course disk golf course mixed in.  We walked bits of at least 3 or 4 trails.  If you are able to go – do take a map with you.  There are sign posts but its easy to get turned around.

View from the Hilltop day use area.  There is a covered eating area with a couple bbq and sink and lots of picnic tables.

Garden

This will be the year of my garden.  I spent most of last growing season reading, learning, inhaling as much as I could and now its time to put all that to use.

I spent most of today getting the seeds I wanted listed.  Then after seeing the damage have been trying to narrow it down – a lot.  Some I need to get soon so I can actually get it planted for a spring crop.  Others I can hopefully hold off for a month or so.

A cool site I found today really helps in figuring out what should be started when, http://sproutrobot.com/.

Next on my garden list is planning the layout.  Front yard will be the main garden this year.  We will be using dirt from the back yard and adding whats needed for planting.  I want to have a hoop green house in the back so I can go crazy with tomatoes.  Ive been going through sauce like crazy and would love to use my own.

This is my dream front yard garden.  Except I have a slope, huge stump in the middle and a huge drainage ditch in the front that Im currently planning on planning flowers on one side to help with curb appeal and drainage (oh and to keep people from tasting my garden )

So not a long list but it could get very involved.  And maybe it will give me more to share with you this year.