Whats everyones plans for 2015 ??

[Ryan Johnson]

Now the festive season has just about come to an end, I have had time over Christmas to sit down and work out what Id like to achieve around home and on a personal level for 2015.

A couple of things on my wish list I had planned to achieve over the holidays , but never eventuated so I have added them to " The Plan" for 2015.

Ill start with my list and the plan is to have them completed by the end of the year, Wish me luck

Complete My vegetable garden ( last two garden beds to be finished)

Install sprinklers throughout the gardens and along the driveway for the driveway trees.

Fence two more paddocks for my kids (minis)

Stick to my healthy eating plan.

Stick to a healthy work/life balance

Finish curtaining the rest of the house.

Plan a holiday for some stage in 2015

and most importantly enjoy every day to the fullest.

Whats everyone else got planned for the year ahead ?

 

[amysue]

Just thinking about it exhausts me. I am aiming to fence in the front paddock, re-string the electric fence in my back pasture, finish fencing in the cows yard, finish siding the heifer barn and finally finish the stalls in my pony barn. It has been on hold because hubby and I have been undecided on how to configure the stalls. Somehow I let him persuade me to let him keep cows on the outside row and put in a head lock feeder leaving one side open the way it used to be. Its all about compromise right? I also intend to re paint the four calf sheds because the little holsteins lick the paint right off the boards. I need to put up new trim soffet around the roof line on the milk room so the raccoons stop getting in. I really need to get to spraying weed killer around everything before the weeds grow up. By the first of June this place looks like the jungle. Electric fence doesn't work well through weeds and it never makes out well after I use the weedwhacker. But....we'll see if I manage to accomplish anything this year.

 

[lkblazin]

Ohhh my

Build two new stalls before babies are born

Cut back on chickens

Keep up with the weed wiping

Trim the trees/weeds on fence line

Maintain the burn pile

Finish my gardens

Fix the waterfall on the koi pond

There are probably others that my brain is depriving me of the prevent overload lol

 

[paintponylvr]

OI - can some of you share pics of what youre working on? Want to see gardens - especially.

My list - hmmm -

Finish fencing and set up feeding areas for the ponies (soonest).

Build the water feature in the pasture

Build the bridge over the water feature

Gardens - want to do several square foot gardens

build simple wood furniture for grandchildrens' use (table, chairs, bed?)

build simple endtables to be painted/stained black to match rest of living room now

rip out carpet

Mbath - ceramic tiling?

dining/living room - hardwood(bamboo) floor

Laundry room - either new vinyl or ceramic flooring

Need to learn about swimming pools - ours looks great so far - have to know how to maintain it

Clean out not one but two storage sheds (the previous owners left both usable stuff and LOTS OF TRASH

Go thru the two tractor trailers left on the property - become small rent-able trailer homes (have had several people say they'd like that) or storage for hay?

Train ponies - have to get some out to shows - both local and ASPC

Drive ponies

train now getting older, arab mare. Not a filly anymore. Can I ride her? If not, send to trainer??

Learn more healthy cooking

make laundry/bath soap

make lotion?

quilt? Want to make horse oriented quilt out of old army uniforms - have several designs think will work now...

some of this - not gonna happen this year!! Others - I totally see it happening.

 

[lkblazin]

Do you want pics of flower gardens? Thats all i do. Veggies and me dont mix lol. I don't have anything blooming yet. I can find some pics I had from summer.

Also how do you make soap...? I'd love to try

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Ill take some pics over the long weekend

Paula, that is an extremely long list but very exciting for you at your new place, I remember my first list when we brought where we are now. it was a lot like yours

I picked up a really cool homemade outdoor table and bench seats last year from someone that was throwing them away.

I don't think I could find anything like it in the shops here in oz. Will take a pic of those too, its the best entertaining table

 

[paintponylvr]

Ryan -

Yep - it is. And it's nowhere near complete, LOL... That's why I stated that i could see some being done in 2015 and others - not. Funds will also play a part (large one) - and will slow projects down a lot. Also - there are always things that "come up" - such as already replacing a bit of the floor & installing a new water heater when the water heater rusted out - during that cold spell we had a little over a week ago! At least this house had a cut off valve for water - the other one didn't and we were on county water there and had to turn it off at the road. A pipe also burst between the well/pump house and the house - but was "closed" enough that we still had water in the house and didn't know it was broke at first. REALLY GLAD it didn't also burn out the water pump!

Throw out a home crafted table? Are people crazy?? LOVE TO SEE PICs. One of the tables I miss the most was a "little one" we had in Germany. It was a trestle type table - and had NO SCREWS or NAILS anywhere! It was awesome. I sold it over there - not realizing that finding one like it here would be next to impossible - the ones here are 1) huge, 2) expensive & 3) have nails and screws - so to me they aren't true trestle tables. I can't even find plans that are similar to what I had in GE...

I'm still learning about gardening - still have a mostly brown thumb(s)... so yes, any pics are great.

IKBLAZIN - I don't really do flowers - mainly because I've always thought they were too complicated to do anything with (and remember I have 2 brown thumbs)...

However, I have slowly changed a bit BESIDES there are at least 4 varieties that repel flies/mosquitoes - so will try some of those around our chicken coop/houses and the "barn" area.

As to soaps - Laundry soap is probably the easiest to start w/. Not too many ingredients and the last time I checked only pennies on the dollar in comparison to commercial laundry soap(s). I want liquid so here are some of the recipes I'm looking at - gonna have to go thru my saved favorites - can't find one that was on Utube that I was planning on using. Not sure how it compares to these - but thought it was different... You can google it

Naturally Thrifty's recipe

Tales from a Cottage

Later, I want to make body soap from goat's milk. Will be using essential oils too and will do some bar soaps (want to do some simple bars and some shaped - in molds) as well as liquid...

 

[lkblazin]

Well I know what I'm doing Sunday! Makin soap!!!! :-D .

I understand the two brown thumbs. If I water my flowers die if I leave em be, they grow out of control ( like jack and the bean stalk style). Most of my plants are for the wildlife. I love bees so they are welcome. In all types. For some reason they like me but hate my family. So I guess I have my own watch bees lol .

 

[Marsha Cassada]

There is a topic on the Craft forum about soap making that might be helpful.

I am planning to get my new horse working well in harness.

Managing the arthritis in my older horse.

Hoping to do some community work with them.

Keeping fingers crossed that this is a better year for gardening.

 

[bevann]

My plans for 2015 are to get my arthritic body working better.I have been in physical therapy after knee revision for replacement since Sept of 2013.Knee therapy messes up the back and back therapy messes up the knee. My goal is to get all body parts functional again without severe pain.Water therapy is helping lots but Medicare will run out for that. Trying to find a pool so I can continue in the water PT. My goal is to get on the exercise bike and treadmill again. After living in the same house for almost 50 of my 75 years LOTS of stuff I don't need or use has landed here. Major sorting and pitching is in order in the house, barn, kennel and other outbuildings. Need to get floor in my family room insulated so my feet are not constantly cold in winter.Got to get a VERY SMALL person to go under the house in the crawl space from heck. I am our local kennel club only surviving founding member and club historian so I have 50+years of records to sort and put in bins.The list keeps growing but not nearly as big as some others have posted.

 

[lucky seven]

My number one plan is to beat my cancer. Then I need to reconnect with Seven, I haven't been near him since October as my favorite horsey smells make me sick. Also if funds can be found, I need to finish a paddock that I started in the fall. Also make raised beds for my garden.

 

[lkblazin]

You are in my thoughts lucky seven. I hope your list goes as planned

 

[Helicopter]

Oh dear, your lists make me feel so tired.

 

[chandab]

Well, I didn't put it on my list, but as soon as it's warm enough, I have to stain our new wood siding we just put up. Don't know if it'll wait til warmer weather, or if I'll be doing it while it's still somewhat cold out. I hate painting, but it has to be done.

I'd like to breed a couple mares this year, it's been 3 years since my last foals were born.

I need to paint my gelding shelter.

I'm sure the list will grown, but I really can't think of anything right now.

 

[Sonya]

Sending prayers and good thoughts Lucky Seven.

We are moving our veggie garden this year...making raised beds and bringing in a huge truckload of nice soil for it, we are including a potatoe tower in it and also making an underground root cellar with garbage cans. We are going to plant grass and put in permanent horse shoe pits where the old garden was. Those are the only 2 major things we have planned for this year.

 

[Silver City Heritage Farmstead]

Lucky Seven...my very best friend is a three year survivor. We'll add you to our strength and survivor prayer list.

Ryan--I've been mulling this since you posted it. For now:

1) Set-up my records in binders and label them English/Spanish for my husband (in case of emergency).

2) Update will. Include provisions and directions for my dogs and horses.

3) Set-up the conditioning and training schedule to prepare for the Area 3 show that's being held in NC this year. I am acting as if I will be attending. If finances prevent it I'll at least know I COULD HAVE been competitive!

4) Tell my forum friends that Paula at LP Painted Ponys has allowed her colt Dan D to become part of our family. Post an introduction thread with pictures.

5) Prepare truck to be able to haul my own horses.

6) Have at least one 4 x 8 square foot garden box at home and one at work. I work at a community thrift store that has an emergency food pantry. I'd like to be able to provide fresh vegetables in addition to the non-perishables we currently provide. We serve an average of 8 families per week. Our week consists of only 3 days and 18 hours open. For example, we had 5--yes 5!!--families come in for food boxes and sent out food bags with 2 homeless men.

7) Begin sewing my horse "dress-up" wardrobe for parties and community events.

8) Attend all of the Small Farming for Profit classes that start 2/3/15. Take thorough notes to share with others. (I was able to attend without having to pay the $100 fee...what a blessing!!)

There's the basic list. After a couple days I may add more, as I'm not sure where God is calling me to minister yet. I do frequent testimonials, this year I know will be more structured.

Wow. Writing it down makes it more REAL and definitely encourages me. Thanks for starting this thread Ryan!

 

[Silver City Heritage Farmstead]

Oh...almost forgot!

9) Do a feasability study on a special trustee project that I got the idea from while reading a thread on this forum.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Sounds very exciting Julie

Extra excited to hear about number 4 on your list

Looking forward to hearing how everyone progresses with their 2015 plans , hope you will all post pictures of your projects, underway and complete when you have time.

 

[Silver City Heritage Farmstead]

Here's a tickler pic of #4.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

What a lovely Boy Julie , he sure looks like one of Paula's. She breeds such lovely Paints

Best of Luck with him , the warmer weather will be upon you soon enough.

Have cleared all the dead pines that run along the right hand side boundary. Unfortunately they had all died and it was only a matter of time before one took out the neighbours shed.

Now we have a rather large Bon fire to burn during winter. No fires allowed at this time of the year due to the heat.

Vegie garden is going great guns , the only thing I was disappointed in was the snow peas, but will grow them up a stronger trellis next year.

Ill be putting my list on hold soon enough with the colder months due to set in. But I will be looking forward to seeing how everyone elses lists go once you all have defrosted