Projects

A few months ago, I was at the doctor's office. The sleep doctor. I snore.

Or, I did snore: now I have a CPAP machine. The woman scheduling at the front office informed me that I would need to make an appointment for six months in the future.

"What," she queried, "is a good day for you in December?"

"Uhhhhhh...."

How on Earth, I wondered, could I say with any certainty what day I would have free in six months? Does anyone know what their schedule will look like that far in advance?

I feel the same way about coming up with a list of projects that I'm going to do over the next year. How on Earth can I speculate with any accuracy as to what I'll have time for next August?

Oh, yeah. I'll have time for it next August by planning it now. Right?

Without making a to-do list, I won't have anything to work towards, and I won't have any way of measuring my progress.

Plus, there are things that I know I want to try, and maybe some of you have insight you can offer on doing them.

So, with the caveat that this list is sort of a moving target and things might get shifted around somewhat, I am hereby presenting a list of planned projects.

Updated to add: I have changed the text of the projects that have been completed to green and, when I have also blogged about the results, I added the individual post title. Enjoy!

Construction:
Garden boxes - see Boxing Day;
Duck pen;
Shoe shelf/bench;
Entryway furniture;
Futon frame.
Playhouse?

Gardening:
Grow veggies from seeds;
Try growing some new veggies/fruits;
Save seeds.

Food Prep
Cook the food I grow (a topic ripe for exposition);
Make kids eat food I grow and then cook (dream on, mom!);
Preserve food (I have a dream of organizing a class - another topic for exposition).
Try making some cheese?
Get back to making yogurt?
Beer/wine/spirits?

Sewing/Mending
Learn to fix holes in socks - see Fixing a Hole;
Sew next year's Halloween costumes;
Make NPS junior ranger pin banners (long story, but the short story is we're dorks);
Figure out how to mend Rick's pants, or what I can do with them (long story);
Make something for each member of family to wear;
Improve crocheting - I've done some - see The Chain.
One big project, to be determined...

Animals:
(I know I want to try some of these things, but it is hard to say what I am going to be able to make work).
Try beekeeping?
Raise ducks?
Maybe chickens or guinea fowl?
Find someone with other animals and learn from them about care.
Learn about slaughtering/processing?
Hunting?
Try dairying with goats?
Try to get some wool or fleece?

Weird and random stuff:
Wild food investigations;
Preserving hides;
Take a fleece from sheep to final product (except not a sheep because of the lanolin);
Use up all my basket-making material;
Alligator wrestling (because Gavin said it was inevitable);
Should hunting and butchering go here?
Loose tons of weight (because it goes on all my lists).

Writing:
Finish three short stories, shop them around;
Blog at least once a week.

Okay.

I am sure that there is more. I know there is. But this is the horizon thus far. If there is something you think I'm missing, let me know.

Now I should probably go and find out when I scheduled my appointment with the sleep doctor. December, and the date when I alleged to be free, is almost here.