hey friends! I’m back with another weekly roundup. I didn’t do one last week because I was traveling back from Vermont and the whole past week was either spent working or getting ready for Vermont and then having fun in Vermont! So you can read all about those adventures here. This week though….I do have some things to share. So sit back and let’s chat!
I have been working both at the school subbing and then coming home and working on my little business. It’s maple syrup time…ugh…why oh why didn’t I take a picture of that and share it with you all?!?! Well, I guess it’s because I’ve been so busy working and homesteading that I just didn’t take a ton of pictures this past week. I am settling in with the new camera. I’m still figuring out how it works and how it focuses. It seems to be different in that regards to my old camera. So I take lots of pictures and hope that I found the right settings and focal point! Anyway. So I worked a lot. But I did have some time to catch up on some other things too.
I made a loaf of bread with my fancy flour I got at King Arthur Flour last week. It was a little dense so I’ll work on that. I’ve been boiling the sap into syrup. So far I have 13-3/4 pints and 1-pint. I’ll can some more this weekend. I’ll hopefully get one more round of the sap. The weather is turning nicer and the trees are starting to bud but I’m hoping for one more run. We’ll see. I want to start using the maple syrup instead of white sugar so I’m hoping to get enough syrup to use for eating yummy things like pancakes and waffles, but also to use when I bake. I also want to use honey for baking as well so I should be okay with however much syrup I get.
So, as you all are aware, things are being canceled due to the coronavirus. Some of my classes have been canceled, which is a bummer, but I get it. We all need to take our precautions. We’ll reschedule all the classes so that’s a positive. Check back here often for updates and if you are planning on attending any classes, either on the homestead or otherwise, give a quick call to the venue to see how things are shaking out. And, if you know me, you’ll know some time on the homestead will be just fine with me! I’m such a homebody.
Speaking of. Now that I have some classes cancel and I’m ‘forced’ to be home for a few weeks, I’m thinking the next two weeks will be a good time to get some things done that are on the to-do list. Do you guys want to know what’s on that list?!?! It’s a long one! Here goes:
1. write a business plan (how do I still not have this done?!?!)
2. process grapes (remember them from last fall?)
3. grind meat and fat
4. write candles class
5. write cheese class
6. write crock pot soap class
7. freezer spreadsheet
8. order this years meat
9. sourdough starter
10. make face cleanser
11. make lotion
12. make shampoo
13. paperwork! Fun!
14. order seeds
15. order chicks!!
16. fix up chicken coop and run
17. send newsletter (sign up using the form in the sidebar if you haven’t already!)
18. finish chalkboard wall (this might be seen on a later to-do list)
19. paint upstairs (ditto)
20. organize class materials, order supplies needed
So not too bad. I have a few things on the list that I didn’t share, like blog posts. I have a few in mind that I need to do but I want to surprise you all. So I think in total I have about 28 items on my to-do list. I have 14 days to get it all done. Well, not all of it but the majority of it. So that’s essentially 2 tasks per day. I think I can accomplish that.
What else? I had my first after school program at a new venue. We celebrated a dear friend’s birthday! That was fun. All I can say about school this past week was it was a full moon the same week as friday the 13th. Whew! But it was fun too. I like teaching. But I also felt like I was runny on empty this week. I was going to bed later than I like and getting up around 6am every day. So today I actually slept until 8:30am! That is so totally unheard of. But I don’t feel braindead anymore. And I’m really looking forward to the next few weeks of getting things done.
Oh. If you read the post about Vermont, you might have noticed that I mentioned the trip was one of growth for me. I didn’t mention the details in that post but I wanted to mention it here. And maybe you guys didn’t even notice that I said something! Well, anyway. I just realized that things are good. Life is good. I’m happy. And if you’ve followed along for any length of time, you might have noted that I’ve been making some changes-some big, some small-over the past year or so. I started a business last year and saw some good success. I want to keep growing the business. I love it and I love what I do. I love sharing my homesteading successes, and failures, with you all. I’ve also made changes to my emotional and mental well being. I see things from a different perspective now. or at least I try! I’ve found my ‘tribe’ as far as friends and community goes. I feel like this place that we live is home and I strive to show that to you with my pictures and my stories. I have a wonderful husband, known as the Mister. He gets me. And I get him. We’ll celebrate 19 years of marriage this year and I honestly feel like we just keep getting closer and closer. But seriously y’all, where does the time go?
And I think Vermont, for me, was a culmination of all that growth hitting me and saying to me: you’re good. You’ve got this. And if there are things that you are not happy with or that don’t bring you joy, it’s okay to let them go. It’s okay to move on. To grow. To change. To stay the same. Just keep on doing and being you.
Okay. Enough of that! Let’s chat about you. How was your week? What brought you joy? Have you had to let things go recently? I’m back to this space full time now and I want to hear all about the things.
And before we go, how about some quick Friday Favorites?
A Little Bit of Everything / Momfessionals / Grace and Love
1. In case you missed the sourdough starter, I bought this one from King Arthur last week. I’m starting the feeding as we speak. According to King Arthur, you must feed it within 10 days! Here goes nothing!
2. A few posts ago, I promised that if I ever found the color of the walls in the living room I’d let you know. Well, I found it! It’s Valspar Inhale CI6. And I love it.
3. Let’s read this book next! And then let’s have some fun and make some pasta together! YES??
’til next time
-k
xoxo
Bekah
It sounds like your trip to Vermont was a good one in many ways. That’s awesome! It’s nice when we hit those moments of clarity about life as it is and can be confident that we are on the right path with the right people.
I hope you have a productive couple of weeks at home. We got the announcement that our schools will be closed for SIX weeks. Many events I have been helping with for the Master Gardeners here locally are canceling left and right. And some of our church services are closing. What to do with two teen boys for a month and a half. If it was sunny summer time, there would be hikes and road trips and camping and summer jobs. But, it’s rainy and cold. It actually snowed four inches yesterday…in the middle of March! I know I will have them help me make some soap (Chemistry lesson in the making), and I have asked that they help me plan and plant the garden. We’ll have to go from there. The libraries are closed too. So, I hope they already have some good books to read on their shelves. This cannot be six weeks of TV time 😉
The freezer inventory list has been on my “to do” list for quite some time. I even started a spread sheet but never finished it. Maybe that is another task I can assign to one of my boys! Let me know if you find a shampoo recipe that you love. I have yet to stumble on a homemade version I really like. I do make a body butter that is lovely and creamy and is my go to recipe.
And…get your business plan done lady! Don’t let yourself do anything else on your list until you get it done. It’s so important! And so probably not as fun as the other things. But do it for yourself. Think about your business and where it could be a year or two or five from now if you had lined out who you are as a business, how you want to grow, what you want to offer, and where you want to be. Ok. Now get to work!
Seriously though, I hope you have a great two weeks!
chickenlibrarian
Thanks Bekah! My two weeks has now turned into 4 weeks. I do have some things planned (I have 2 classes to teach that haven’t canceled yet and I have a few days working at the library just across the river in NY state. It hasn’t closed. Yet). It does sound as though you have some good things planned for the boys, but you are right. What to do with them during the season that isn’t quite spring but not quite winter either. If you lived closer, I would have them over for some ‘work days’ as well. HEHE. I could use an extra set of hands, or two, right now. I know the NW area has been hit much, much harder than where we’re at and I know you are taking care of yourself and that precious family of yours. I know we’ll be fine. I’ve been preparing for something like this for years. So we’re all good. And we live in such a small area that is rather isolated, I know things will be okay here. We have our little community, or tribe as i like to call them, that we can rely on.
Anyway, yes to the business plan! Thank you for kicking me in the pants. I have a couple of things to take care of today. Plus I think I want a ‘down’ day. I want to knit and just take care of a couple of easier items on my to-do list like change out the wreaths and feed the birds. Then tomorrow (and however long it takes) is dedicated to the business plan. The nice thing? I can do it in my pajamas! YES! But seriously. It’s priority number 1. Then I’ll write my classes and get all that together. Then I’ll start tackling the other items on my to-do.
Okay. Be safe. I’m thinking of you and everyone else.
-k
xoxo
Shugunna Alexander
Vermont did what it was suppose to do it seemed like, calm and peaceful; gotta go. Great post my blog buddy!!
chickenlibrarian
thank you Shugunna!! xoxo