New Year Goals

Above is a picture of my Geranium plant that my daughter in law gave me this summer. I had it on the porch all summer and not one single bloom. I brought it in this fall and just look at it. It is so full of life and blooming it's little heart out. It's amazing what a change in location can do. Not all changes are that drastic but some are...

So, it's the New Year. Time to make new goals for 2012! Forging new pathways and making changes are usually a good thing. I heard a pastor once tell this story. " There was a farmer who had a mule and wagon that for years followed the same path amongst the sugar maples, during sugaring season. After so many years, ruts began to form and the farmer no longer had to steer the mule. The wagon wheels were caught in the ruts and guided the mule in the direction he needed to go."  I'm sure you see the analogy here, if we don't make new goals, we will simply be guided by the past "ruts" of our life. Changes and goals can be bring about new and better things!

I'll just tell you a few of the goals I had in mind for our blog. I call it ours even though I do all the writing....Tim inspires me, so he is part of this too.
In a way we're sort of like these birds.... different in our approaches to life, yet somehow, we manage to make it work and even share the same feeder. (big smile)
This is one of the new goals I have. I'd love to photograph more birds or wildlife in general.

Here's another....keep working on my birdhouses. I actually sold a couple, which surprised me, because I had so few in my Etsy shop. It encouraged me enough to keep going though.
 Jayme (youngest daughter) made this little mushroom birdhouse. She has written a children's book about little people who live in Mushroom houses and how they learn to accept each others differences.
We've been making some new birdhouses also. My goal is to add more, regularly, to the shop. I'll share a glimpse of my favorites once in a while.

This lovely flower is called Passionflower. It grows quite well in what was once our horse pasture. A lot seems to grow in our horse pasture. It is slowly turning back into forest, I'm afraid....We can't seem to slow it down. With just the two of us now, some things just have to be let go....
Passionflower is a medicinal herb that is quite useful. Dried and made into tea it is a relaxing herb something like chamomile. Medicinal herbs, both wildcrafted and the ones I intentionally cultivate are a particular passion of mine. I'd like to write some more about those.

Of course I'd like to spend some more time with this guy. We're at a place in life where people really start to have problems.....unfortunately, the statistics for divorce after 40 are pretty sad. Marriage is always worth working at and never to be taken for granted!

....and this is what we really, really want to spend more time doing! Getting out, walking, hiking, watching the birds, looking for that exotic and rare herb! See, you can combine them all. I think that's a pretty good mix don't you?
 We've had a hard time trying to fit this in. Our schedule is so full at this point in our life and our budget is stretched to the limit. I'll be looking for ways to "backpack on a budget!" (a serious budget)
 Of course, I'll write about that!

Most important to us of all.... Our family! This was taken last year at Christmas. We didn't all get together this year or I'd have an updated picture for you. I just love this one. Look at all those joyful smiles! (We are missing our newest granddaughter in this picture. You can read about her here.) I'll write about family too. We started with three kids....now we have six! We've doubled our investment in just a few short years. I love it!

So, that's what I want to do this next year, write about...Our Appalachia and all the things we love!


                                               Have a very Happy New Year!!