The New To-Do

I was going over my to-do list from last year and I was surprised to find that I got a good deal of it partially completed. Not so completed that I could cross it off the list... damn! So, last night Mac and I were sitting on the couch talking about what we would like to see happen this next year. We have gotten wiser and we aren't planning on getting everything done but rather making good headway and finding places where we can take breaks in projects. There are still so many things that we need money to work on, which happens to be money we don't have. Those items are marked with a $. But you never know. Something could happen.

I am keeping things broken up into four categories.... home, business, farm and horses. Mac thinks he is feeling better enough that he can also work on some things this year. That will be a huge help. With that in mind we are planning some big improvements with the house. This is the plan....

House

Build roofed deck on the west end of the house. This should be fairly simple and we can screen it in the summer and put up storm windows in the winter to cut our heating costs.

Spray in insulation in cubby hole. We have a small storage area. A little crawl in type space where the tankless water heater dwells. The bad news is that it is in the north west corner of the house where it takes the brunt of the winter winds. I would like to remove the fiberglass insulation and get the space insulated with the closed cell spray in foam and really tighten it up. $

Pour the concrete slab for the garage. We had already purchased the supplies to build the garage. Then the leukemia came back before the slab was poured. Need to get this done before our building supplies are ruined. $

Build a tower for the TV antenna. If we could just get the antenna a little higher! We only get about five channels now, but the potential exists for getting about double that. It will keep Mac content enough that I hope we won't have to pay out money for satellite TV. We have opposing views on how much TV is too much TV, but we both want to save money. $

Build some shelves and cabinets, especially the oven cabinet. $

Finishing touches. A light fixture still needs to be put up. I need to get the switch plate and outlet covers on. So many little things that need to be taken care of!

Shop for a wood burning stove. If the electricity goes off we have no heat source. $$


Business

Have three to four items of reproduction art ready for sale (posters, comics, prints) $

web page or facebook page $

build bird houses. I have been told this is the big thing to sell right now. I really hope that is right! I need to make four thousand dollars this year for us to stay afloat.


Farm

Buy chickens I have managed to hang on to forty dollars to go towards my first chicken purchase. I have enough scrap lumber around to build a small coop. I just need to get some wire to make a chicken tractor so they can safely get out into the grass and enrich my soil. $

Buy a starter mushroom kit. I haven't given up on growing morels, but I have scaled back my plans somewhat. The area for the bed has been cleared in the woods. I just need to get it layered up with wood chips and horse manure and have it ready when the spores arrive. One kit is $36.00 plus postage.... it's a start. $

More fencing. This always takes a little money... sometimes a lot of money. But I now have my master plan and there won't be anymore tearing stuff out and rethinking the whole thing. From now on, I only make progress. I'm over fifty percent done with the whole project anyway, so that feels good. $

Seed the pasture. Better hay =more money. $

Continue cleaning out the woods My woods is such a tangle of dead elm and buck brush and I am convinced that if I get it cleaned up, the dead wood burned, then I can work towards a woodland garden. I will have a good space for weddings, nature walks, bird watching and I hope people will pay to come here. The farm must pay for itself and a little agritourism might be the answer.

Build a hay shed. I think I have this figured out where I can use some "pioneer" methods to get this done. Might have a few costs in roofing supplies. A farm HAS to have sheds!!!



Horses

I would like to spend two hours most days with the horses. It would be nice to get past my level 2 by the summers end, with both Chloe and Pip.



I know so much is dependent on money that not all of this will happen. But, it's what needs to happen There are a lot of other projects I want to get to, but right now, they are gravy. First comes the meat and potatoes. These are the OFFICIAL goals for this next spring, summer and fall. Now that I have declared myself, we will see just how much madness and mayhem will ensue in an attempt to derail me. As always, my fingers are crossed.

Louie