Goals for the New Year

Every year at this time I paused to reflect on the previous year and which goals I should have for the new year. Since starting this blog, my new year's resolutions have been getting simpler.

Thomas loves eating strawberries fresh from the garden so I want to grow my own

I'd really like to use this year to learn as much as I possibly can about gardening, specifically growing my own food and other useful productive plants. There is so much information on the internet, every question you can think of has the potential to be answered. I also want to spend more time in Brian and Freya's garden in Stanthorpe, where they grow lots of vegetables, it really is my inspiration. I wonder if one day I might find it within me to go back and study a certificate in horticulture? But I'm a long way off that yet, I just want to learn what I can for now. I also want to look after the fruit trees on my parent's property in Yandina, that's another place where I can learn more about growing food. Growing useful productive plants really interests me. I'm even growing my own potted cotton right now, it currently has developing bolls that will split open soon. I'm not sure what I will do with it, I'm guessing I will try and spin it with the spindle Brian made me.

Thomas loves to spend time with his grandfather and eating fresh carrot from his veggie patch

My other goal for the year relates to last year's resolution. I simply wanted to sort out my house better in preparation to move, to use up the yarn I have stashed here and to sell unwanted stuff. And while I have used a fair bit of the yarn, its only the tip of the iceberg and there is much, much more to go. So now I'm not sure what is a reasonable amount to hope to get through in 12 months. Probably a bit less than I thought I would use last year! We still haven't moved house, as we're thinking to buy our own place. With the market like it is at the moment, its hard to set our hearts on anything, but we have seen the bank and hopefully will find 'our house' within the 6 months time frame. I was going to sell a lot more things than I did, but I'm now thinking I better keep most of it just in case we change our mind and have a second child. We still have a year or three to decide on that one.

And of course, the final goal which is one I think most people have and that is to get healthy! Especially if I want to garden as much as I do, I really need to be fit and have more energy to complete my goals for the new year. One way we're doing this is cutting out sugar completely from our diet. We never were big fans of sugar from the start, we don't drink soft drinks at all, nor much sweet things. So cutting out the sugar completely is just the next step for us. And somehow we need to find a way we can exercise together, we still haven't found the solution to that one, but I will keep on trying!

What are your new year's resolutions?