April Goals

I hope to be fully recovered from surgery before mid-April but did list things that I can do if I am not up and around much.

Daily: Flylady  habits: shine my sink, 15 mins decluttering, Get dressed with jewelry,and make the bed.All of these I do most days anyways.

Food:  Each of us eat 2 1/2 cups of veggies and 2 cups of fruit,eat from the pantry. I need to
inventory all 3 deep freezers, refrigerator freezer and pantries.I'll know if I need to get any staples in but at this point I don't think so.This will also let me know what we need to grow this year.

Gardens: condition straw bales(doing straw bale gardening as an experiment especially for growing potatoes)  refresh square foot gardens and till the in ground garden section. Prepare and plant pots.  Plan gardens based on what we need (which is why I need an updated inventory) for storage and what we are going to eat as fresh only. Armenian cucumbers for sure. Weed flower gardens and check on herb gardens Amish auction where we get most of our plants from is April 15th.

I will start picking up canning jar lids and supplies, for my vacuum bag sealer a little bit each time I go to the store.

Education: I have a nutrition class twice a week the month of April, taking a class of norm for me but this one has extra homework that I'm not used to so I will have to allow Homework Time also.I have down loaded a couple books on finances I want to read and a couple other "classes" that concern gardening and such.

I found a pattern for a skort which is what I prefer to wear in warm weather. I will have to get material for it this coming week. I need to catch up the mending I had planned to do while down now that I can wear my glasses so I can see what I am doing.I have an apron I prefer (based on 1940's canning apron) and will be making a pattern of it to sew more.I have worn out the aprons I have even though they aren't what I prefer.

My flowers are not coming in much yet, so I might if I find a good sale buy a couple more bouquets before May. We have a local florist that has sales pretty regular and has shown me how to make them last a couple weeks.Last batch I got from her lasted 3 wks. Not something frugal (she charges $15 and uses my vase) unless you count it's cheaper for me to be happy there is flowers on the table than depressed and back in for meds. I have S.A.D. so I save up through the "sunny" months to pay for "sunshine" items through the dreary ones.I was hoping my daffodils would be blooming before this bouquet died off.

I am still working on getting a good routine for the home blessing and garden work and food processing. I think the change is going to be me getting up earlier.

We have increased our savings and plan to pay off another bill with in the next 2 wks. Our goals of the last 5 yrs when we lost over 70% of our income for over 2 yrs(and our home) was to rebuild in 5 yrs. We had 28 debts and are down to 5. We decide to not buy a home in this area because when Hubby retires we won't need to live here and can move closer to the kids, grandkids and great grandson (due Aug). We are paying less here on the farm than if we were renting an apt.plus our landlord is okay with my gardening. He usually ends up with some of it anyways.

We have maintained the retirement even when we lost everything else. We could have borrowed against is but we wasn't willing. We can work and go without now instead of having to work in our 70s. We increase that amt every Jan.Better off than others our age but not where we want to be.

We have decided when we retire to living in about 1400 sq ft.with a 2  1/2 car garage or a 2 car garage with an 8 x 10 shed. SO we have chosen to start clearing this home(we rent 2200 sq ft, 2 1.2 car garage and about 20 x 30 storage) so a yr before we buy we are already living in that amt. We measured here and I know what rooms  have to be cleared.If I stacked what is in the storage up like I would a storage unit I could get by with a 10 x 10. This downsizing part will start be actively worked on  weekly starting the first week of April.

Have a blessed week.