Happy New Year!

My year ended with a trip to my childhood home.  I had not been there in 28 years.  Many reasons but the two I'll share are that I was estranged from my step dad and it's an 8 hour drive each way.  Most of us don't get to go back to our childhood homes so I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity.  It gave me pause to be back in that old house.  It was much smaller than I remember it and filled with memories.  And I was surprised that it still felt like home. I went to the church where I was baptized, I visited with long lost step family and I planned to go back and visit again in the summer.  It was not how I was expecting to close out 2014 but my step father's passing came much quicker than we expected.  It left me in peace.  In 2014 I turned 40 years old and this along with my visit home has me thinking a lot about my mortality and my legacy.  What have I done in my lifetime that people will remember about me?  Am I being a good role model to my girls?  Am I instilling good values in them?  Is there anything more I can do to live my one wild and precious life?  Am I really only 10 years away from being 50?!  Our move to the farm has certainly enhanced my life in so many ways.  My plans for this weekend and 2015 include:

• Making a leftover soup (everything in the fridge that is near expiration will be put in it).
• Organize the kitchen for some serious cooking this weekend.
• Games nights with my girls and starting a puzzle.

In 2015:

• Re-thinking how water is used in our house.  We are on a well and don't pay for water but do you ever think of how wasteful it is to let all that cold water run down the drain while you wait for the hot water to come?  That could be water for the dog!  Water for the kettle!
• Paint the kitchen.
• Replace the carpet on the stairs.
• Dry wall the mud room.
• New light fixture in the mud room and living room.
• New vent covers in living room.
• Paint the chicken roost.
• Order seeds and plan the 2015 gardens.
• Plan for our summer trip to Manitoulin.
• Plan crock pot meals that my kids will actually eat.
• Help plan a pet friendly event with a girlfriend.  Date is already set!  I'm selling vegetables, baked goods and eggs at the farmers market.
• Do another 5k run or two this year.
• Read more books on farming.
• Love ME and take care of ME.  This is something I've been working on in 2014.  My focus is usually my job, my family or how clean my house is.  This year my main focus will be ME plus those other things.
• Make a Will.

I'm also thinking a lot of  my health and lifestyle changes which I've mentioned here before.  Eating whole foods has been very easy for me.  I did have chocolates over the holiday's but I'm being very conscientious of how I'm eating with a focus on portion size and calories.  I'm back on track now. 
So here's to 2015 - good food, good fun and hard work!