A Bumpy New Year and Resolutions


Fourteen days into 2016.
Slow. Long. Not great days.
Rain. Cold. More rain. Sick kid. No sleep.
A new septic tank AND drain field in the front yard. All the mud all over.
Nice to have a new septic tank. Not nice the mud.
Four new tires and a crown on a kid's tooth had to happen.

The school restart button stuck and we painfully pushed through some long days where I thought I must be the worst mother and teacher that ever lived on planet earth. I was sure that within a week I had pushed my children in the opposite direction of yearning to learn. Blank stares. Big pouts. Pleads to be “done”.

All they wanted to do was read The Witches by Rhoad Dahl.

Fortunately, we’ve found a rhythm and the good guys win in The Witches and it’s headed back to the library. We’ve discovered some pretty cool stuff about Chippewa Indians and Wilde Rice and some awesome leaf cutter ants that live in the Amazon River Basin and Johnny Tremain is finally pulling us in instead of confusing us.

New Years. It slipped through my fingers. Fourteen days later I can’t believe I’m thinking about February and March. But, I did make resolutions. They are a huge reset for me. A chance to reflect on what I’m doing and who I am and how I’m spending my time and energy and money and how I want to be better or different or the same. This year, I had a pretty big list. It looks like this:

New Years Resolutions:

Wear more jewelry
Write more
Read more
Do more projects
Wal-mart once a week if not less
Greet everyone with enthusiasm and respect
Have joy
Use the Internet without fear especially for marketing our farm’s stuff

I really work to stick to them. The best way to do this is to tell my children what they are. They have a lovely way of reminding me about them. I’ve had fun with the jewelry. I couldn’t believe how much jewelry was piled in a knotted mess in the back of a drawer. I love how the pieces I have tell stories. They are from family members, friends, and special places. I like to tell their story to the children and remember and pray for the people attached to each piece.

I’ve writing and reading. I have not started a project. I have only been to Wal-mart two times and I’m on a good roll to keep that up. It is awesome. It would be a nonissue, but Wal-mart is ½ mile from my house. It is our “local market”. I am sad this is true. Limiting our trips is a start to weeding it out entirely. I’ve loved happily saying "Hi" to people I pass and meet. It has been fun to see their smiles and their relaxed shoulders and I’ve even made a new friend already.

JOY. Lost it pretty early on. Not sticking to that one at all. Seriously, this one is the hardest.

I have not been able to recreate my blog or use the Internet to sell our produce. I am determined to move toward that as the year moves forward. It is, after all, only January 14.




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