Reflecting on the goals from 2012-13

I haven't had the heart to look at the list of goals we wrote in 2012 before we moved in here because I knew that it would confirm the worst.  

This winter after our first year of homesteading, I've been feeling deeply discouraged.  We didn't accomplish what we'd set out to do. 
We had so far to go that what we'd done seemed like nothing.  Our chickens didn't lay eggs.  We weren't going dancing.  Our composting worms died.  Our greenhouse wasn't rated for the weight of Minnesota snow.  We weren't going on family walks.  Our plow truck died and our driveway was undriveable.  My kefir culture died.  I hit three deer after we'd taken the insurance off my van.  The dogs we tried were an expensive bust.  Our neighbors liked their view of the landscape and the wildlife better when this property had stood vacant in short sale for three years.  We watched more Netflix than we practiced productive hobbies.  Everyone we talked to knew more than us about pretty much everything.  I never finished anything but rushed around endlessly.

It's been that kind of winter.

Strangely, while prepping for this blog, I find that we've tried or accomplished almost everything we wrote.  I've put those in color. 


Tim

• sleep in past 2:30 a.m.
• eat food I grow
• 1 outside job 
• simpler
• more time wife and kids
• do meaningful things

Amy

• yoga in morning
• family walks/bike rides regularly (3x/week walks with friends)
• go dancing regularly
• good variety and diverse balance

Mark (age 5 1/2)

• play with Dad
• ride bike more
• play more soccer
• ax and saw
• sleepovers
• bow and arrow (nerf only until 3rd grade)

Anjali (age 10 1/2)

• woodworking
• chickens
• goat caramel (soon)
• maple syrup (soon)
• sleepovers

Also another page of lists included:

• invite people over
• get to know neighbors
• people at church
• get to know more deeply and share lives
• meaningful chores: chicken care, check fence, walk goats (soon), milking (soon)
• practical hobby
• music
• games

Topics

• mound building
• worms
• maple syrup
• guinea fowl
• chicken coop/tractor
• dog
• shelters for animals
• greenhouse
• cutting down trees
• plant identification
• nut preparation
• seed saving
• solar cooking (I know which solar oven I want)
• dehydration/drying
• farmers market

Now we haven't mastered any of these really, but for 18 months of novice-hood, this is not shabby.  

I'm really glad I decided to look.  I'm encouraged that we didn't fail at everything.  I'm also inspired to plan.  

I hope that inspiration + courage + experience + respect for limits = gentler goals at a more sustainable pace for 2014.