No.743: March in Review & Goals for April 2023

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FIVE THINGS I LOVED

1. the completion of all 365 days of the Bible in a Year podcast
2. watching the pigs’ absolute glee as they went back on pasture
3. a solid night’s sleep after a week of tossing and turning
4. new life growing everywhere you look
5. our new puppy

THREE LESSONS I LEARNED

1. I want to learn to butcher. // After reading this book and then following that up with the “On The Anatomy of Thrift” videos from Farmstead Meatsmith, I’m really inspired to learn how to butcher our pigs.  We don’t have the infrastructure to do this on the farm yet, but I’ll definitely be thinking about it for the future.  I feel a significant sense of duty to our animals that they get treated correctly, from start to finish, and that we do not waste the gift.  Now to train my American taste buds to enjoy things like paté and head cheese…
2. I need to make sure I take care of myself during this busy season. // Things got busy, I slacked on my intentional eating, forgot about my vitamin regiment, and…I was soon sick with a painful sinus infection.  I’m making baby steps in the right direction, though: while normally I would have just ignored it until it literally took me under, I instead took the day off from all the things, rested and even napped!  I felt completely back to normal in 24 hours.
3. Puppies are so much work. // It’s been four years since Lucy was a puppy and I had forgotten so much!  Samson cried and cried for four nights straight and we were all walking around a little zombie-like.  Thankfully, he seems to have turned a corner and we’re getting a bit more sleep.  Now to work on the chewing and the bathroom accidents and the cat chasing!

FIVE “LITTLE PEOPLE” WE SUPPORTED

1. Another family trip to the used bookstore
2. Art supplies from Jerry’s Artarama
3. Goods from a farmer friend
4. Greeting cards from etsy seller, Amy Heitman
5. A dress (for a formal event in April!) from a seller on Poshmark

FIVE GOALS FOR MARCH REVIEWED

1. ✔ Get everything prepared for chick arrival. // The first batch of chicks always seems to feel like growing season kickoff!  This year was smooth and mostly uneventful, praise the Lord!  I’m excited to have them here.
2. ✔ Install the fence around the garden. // Done!  We installed the Critterfence and now I can sleep easy knowing that my precious trees and plants won’t be gobbled up by deer and chickens.
3. See if we can find dining room chairs that will closely match the ones we already have.  (Maybe the Amish outlet?) // We had a few unplanned expenses come up, so this got put on the back burner for awhile.  Someday.
4. ✔ Purchase Easter basket goodies. // Considering this mostly done.  I still have a few sweet treats to get, but the majority has been purchased and tucked away.
5. Deep clean my master closet. // I quickly consolidated my stash of packing materials, but I definitely need a better system.  Considering this task an ongoing work in progress…

FIVE GOALS FOR APRIL

1. Keep track of how many hours I spend outdoors.
2. Start livestock guardian training with Samson.
3. Prep for duckling arrival and work on their housing.
4. Make a spring cleaning calendar to give me some focus.
5. Try to come up with some interesting things to post here on the blog.

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