Even the kittens will help, not hinder, the New Productivity of 2012.

I feel like Erik really threw down a challenge with his mammoth resolution list, so here’s my to-do list for 2012. It’s much less ambitious. I think I’ll schedule the concrete activities for certain weeks and months, and post a calender to keep me on track:

-No lingering over breakfast, no excuses such as “just one more cup of tea” or “I’ll just check one more blog” or  “the cat needs my lap”,  i.e. a new striving for morning productivity. This means 1/2 hour to eat and defog, then I must do things.

-Related to the above–stick to my designated daily schedule, as if I had a real job and boss looking over my shoulder.

-Accomplish my “yucky list” this month:  switching banks, upgrading my RAM, getting a new passport, and making appointments for a physical, a dental exam and an eye exam. (In terms of engaging with the medical establishment, I prefer to behave as if though the zombie apocalypse has already occurred, thus I’m well overdue for a complete overhaul.)

-Organize the labels or tags on Root Simple so our dear, somewhat abused readers can find information when they want it.

-No processed sugar for the month of January. Or beer.  (sigh)

-White flour, crackers, tortillas, pasta & etc. are designated as “treats” this year, as opposed to “staples.”

-No internet surfing until after supper. No email in the morning. Email at noon and in the evening.

-Repaint the living room, hall, two bedrooms and the breakfast nook.

-Spend more time outside loving the garden–just being with it, regarding it with joy instead of judgement.

-Learn to identify trees.

-Take up archery again. This means starting with practice in the back yard once or twice a week, until I have the chops back enough to visit the range without embarrassment.

-Purge the closets. To do this, I’m going to have to either pretend we’re moving and have to pay to ship every object, or if I’m in a more morbid mood, I’ll imagine what what would happen if Erik and I were hit by a bus and people had to come in and clean out our closets. I don’t want to be remembered posthumously as a giant, acquisitive hamster of questionable taste and strange habits.

-Make a dress. (This will make Erik laugh because he will remember the last dress I made. I’ve had 15 years to recover, though.)

-Make a pair of shoes. Or perhaps just tall spats to start.

-Start a gratitude journal. I’m so cynical, really, that the very phrase “gratitude journal” grates on me. Which is exactly why I have to keep one.

-Get fit. To be more concrete, my goal is to be able to keep up with Erik on his masochistic hikes.

-One date night a week with my very ambitious but rather sweet husband.

Normally I don’t do New Years resolutions. This year my resolution is . . . lots of resolutions. Here’s the list. I expect you to hold me to it:

• get HAM technician’s license
• learn Morse code
• attend CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) classes
• build cob oven in the backyard
• organize messy office so it doesn’t look like an episode of Hoarders
• organize supplies in garage into labeled boxes
• turn the garage into the ultimate man cave
• fix bad knees
• return to the fencing strip
• increase running distance
• organize bug-out box
• backpack more often
• camp on Santa Rosa island again
• plan out garden ahead of time instead of playing catch-up at the last minute
• return to biodynamic practices in the garden
• learn how to sharpen knives and tools
• improve writin’ skills
• start a podcast
• shoot some how-to videos
• create an iPhone or iPad app
• check email only twice a day
• clean up the graphic design on the blog and organize information better
• take more time to cook
• keep the kitchen spotless
• ferment vegetables more often
• celebrate the wonderful awesomeness that is Mrs. Homegrown each and every day

And that’s just January. It’s going to be a great year for everyone in the urban homestead movement! What are your resolutions?

2012—year of the goat?

The poll results are in and a solid majority thinks that things will get worse in 2012. The results, with 617 votes:

• 187 30% things will get better
• 309 50% things will get worse
• 121 19% things will stay the same

I had intended to editorialize about how I see 2012 going. But I can’t say it better than this anonymous comment:

I could not answer the poll. My first thought was that things will get worse. I was thinking from a world wide view, economic, food wise, etc. But I thought again and decided that really those things don’t matter. I expect things around my house to get better. My love for my wife will grow and I hope hers for me. We may spend more for less, have shortages of this or that. But those are not a good measure of better or worse in my life. So my answer is that I purpose to have a better year no matter how the rest of the world does.

I’d also encourage all to read the wise blog post of Archdruid John Michael Greer, “Hope in a Cold Season.”