A New Life

I turned 35 last weekend. Happy Birthday to me.

In a lot of ways, I feel like I'm just now starting my life. It's all brand new. The last year has been full of learning and growing and becoming something better, and it feels like a birthday is the perfect symbol of that.

It's exciting.

My birthday was about as low-key as you can get. I worked the night before and the night of, so I came home from work and crawled in to bed. There I stayed for the entire day, napping to my heart's content. Honestly, I think it was the perfect birthday. :-)

Having a birthday so close to the new year makes for some serious self evaluation and contemplation all at once. The good part of that is I get it all done at the beginning of the year, and don't have to worry about it for 12 months. What? That isn't the way I'm supposed to do it? Oh, well. *giggle*

This year I'm really happy with things. There is always room for improvement, and I have a list a mile long of things I want to accomplish over time. I'm being nice to myself and not putting time limits on any of it. I want to do one thing every day to either accomplish a task or work in the direction of getting it done. That's it. As long as I can say I did something to move myself in the right direction every day, I'm happy.

And boy, that feels good.

~....and that's all I have to say about that....~

One Thing I've Noticed....

...is that the longer a person goes without posting on their blog, the harder it is to get back into the swing of things.

I've written this post about a million times, and I haven't been satisfied with any of the drafts. Like I said, it's harder to get back into it after a stretch of time off.

Things have been going well here at the Barefoot Cottage. We survived the "end of the world" on 12-21-12, though Little Sprout was very disappointed that there were no zombies at all that day. Seriously. She cried. The holidays flew by, and we still aren't done celebrating. We have 2 more celebrations to get through before our "holiday season" is truly over.

I have started planning this year's garden already, even though it seems silly with a couple feet of snow sitting on top of my garden beds. I took last year completely off gardening, and I missed it more than I can say. I really needed the break, and I don't regret it, but there is something so wonderful about fresh veggies you grow yourself. Besides, my grocery budget groaned under the weight of store bought fresh veggies. Yikes!

The new year has started, and soon my Sprouts will be heading back to school. I have noticed that not much has changed from one year to another around here, but my attitude certainly has. I'm happier, more hopeful. I'm excited for the new year and what it will bring.

~...and that's all I have to say about that....~

This Is What Lack Of Planning Gets You... Really.

After months of not really couponing very much (and not really grocery shopping much, my stockpile is that good, people), I casually scanned through the circulars this past Saturday and saw that the grocery store one town north of us (well, really it's 3 towns, but the other two are so small I don't even think they have post offices) was having a KILLER sale on chicken. With no limit.

My little heart went pitter-pat.

Well, when I say there was no limit what I really mean is "it was a one day only sale, but there was no limit on how many I could buy as long as the store had 'em". And the sale was today.

And I worked last night.

And I didn't really nap the way I should have yesterday, cuz I was more interested in cleaning the house and reading blogs.

And today is preschool day, meaning I have to have Little Sprout there at 12:30, and pick her up at 3.

And tonight is Uncle Wolfie night.

And I planned to do a whole chicken in the rotisserie. With herbed rice. Not something Big Sprout is up to doing yet (note to self: teach your child to cook, woman!)

And I'm supposed to be at a meeting at 7:30pm.

And that meeting will go right up until I have to head off for work.

Which will take me through (still awake) until tomorrow.

And then I have shopping and errands to run.

And I know I probably won't go to bed until between 9 and 10pm on Friday.

That's a long time.

So, pretty much, what I have set up here is a day that (though it doesn't look all that busy, really) is scheduled just perfectly to keep me from sleeping at all today. I mean, I could nap for an hour here, or an hour there, but once I'm asleep the likelihood that I will wake in time to start the next task is pretty slim.

Crud.

So now I'm wondering if I should skip meeting. Or try to give Big Sprout a crash course on finishing a meal. Or.... something.

Cuz I'm tired, people. I'm really tired.

On the Bright Side... now I have motivation to NOT do this again any time soon! ;-D

Snowball Effect

I have been trying to take my "5 minutes" whenever I do something. It doesn't always happen that way, but I have been taking 2 minutes here and 7 minutes there, and I am noticing a difference around Barefoot Manor. Monday, I even did all the laundry in the house. Really. All the laundry.

Well, I didn't wash the curtains or the comforters on the beds, but I'm not counting them.

Anyway. Today the funniest thing happened. I was on the phone with a friend, and my eye was drawn across the room to the fingerprints smeared all over the light switch. Never missing a beat in the conversation, I went in to the kitchen, grabbed a sponge, and cleaned off the light switch. I think it took 15 seconds.

Then I noticed... something... splattered on the wall next to the light switch (hey, I have a 5 yr old. Don't judge me). So I wiped that off, too. As I was walking into the kitchen with the phone still stuck to my ear, I noticed that something had dripped down the side of my white cupboard. Since the sponge was already damp and in my hand, I figured it would be smart to just clean that up while I was there.

Then I noticed the fingerprints on the cupboard door right next to the drip. And the baseboards were pretty dusty. And what the heck is that, anyway, splattered down the side of the stove?! And this black mark that I have been sweeping over on the floor for... well, I forgot how long... I wonder if I can just wipe that up, too.

Next thing I knew, I was sitting on the floor in front of the kitchen sink, with the stove pulled out and a bucket of water sitting next to me. I had three kinds of scrubbies and sponges (cuz I like the right tool for the job, ya know), the broom, and a dust rag all spread out around me. All while talking on the phone.

And now my stove is sparkling, oven cleaner is even now eating away at the baked on crud inside the oven, and I have scrubbed the back of the stove, the cupboards around it, the floor and wall behind it, and the stove hood.

What happened here?! Somehow... some way... 15 seconds spiralled into over an hour of vigorous (if one-handed) cleaning. All while I carried on a conversation on the phone.

It's pretty crazy, when you think about it.

Where Are My Priorities?

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

~Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken~

Life is full of tough choices. I know that. Part of being an adult is making those choices and doing the best you can.

Right now, I have a choice to make. I don't have to make it today, I don't have to make it tomorrow, but sometime over the next week, I have to choose which path to take.

And I have no idea which way to go.

I have made no secret of the fact that my job is a pain in my butt. I don't like my boss. I don't like the actual job duties. I don't even really like the clients I work with. They are too young for me. I prefer senior citizens. (not that I don't like my guys, it's just a preference thing. Some folks like working with kids, some adults, some seniors. Some of us prefer high physical care, some of us prefer to put more effort into the behavioral side of things.)

Two times a week, I end up staying awake 30 hours plus. It's not necessarily the job's fault, it's just the way things work out. Obviously, this is a terribly unhealthy way to live. I have been doing it for almost 7 years, and I can feel myself getting stupider and stupider every day. See? Stupider isn't even a word, but I'm gonna use it to prove how stupid the lack of sleep is really making me. (well, spellcheck says stupider is a word. How 'bout that?)

Pretty much, I get nothing out of my job except a paycheck.

I know that if I were to be able to have some kind of routine in my life, and get sleep every night instead of 3-4 nights out of a week, I would be much healthier. I would feel smarter. I would be more efficient. I would be able to establish routines in other parts of my life, and those routines would benefit everyone in my family.

I was offered a job today. Full time work, regular sleep hours, and much easier work than I do now. The pay is about the same.

Sounds like heaven, right?

The problem is, it's a job working with Teacher full time. I would be self-employed, for all intents and purposes. This means a loss of vacation time, sick time, benefits, retirement, etc. And I would have to put Little Sprout in Daycare two days a week, meaning more of my wage would be lost in paying that. And there is no job security. Teacher is 100 years old, and so my time working with her is limited. Very limited.

It would work, but $$ would be tight. Mr. Barefoot and I have struggled with finances all our adult lives, and just now are getting to a point where we can sock a little bit away out of every check. Only in the last few months have we had any financial breathing room, and we are both loving it.

So what do I do? On the one hand, the job I have now is secure. It pays the bills, with a little left over. It is also killing me. On the other hand, I could have a position that meets all my needs as far as health is concerned (as well as being a whole bunch of fun), but would put the family back into a place where the tiniest unexpected expense could put us in financial trouble.

Sometimes, being a grown-up sucks.

Eight Years

Eight Years ago yesterday, I promised to love, honor, and cherish dear Mr. Barefoot till death do us part.

And we haven't killed each other yet.

Isn't that cool?

To celebrate, we went out last weekend on our first date in... *ahem*.... years. We went out to a nice dinner. We went to a fun little tavern and watched a band we know. We even danced!

It was fun.

Thanks, Hon.

You Are Not Going To Believe...

...what I almost hit with my car on the way home from dropping the Sprouts off at church this evening.

A bald eagle. No, I'm not kidding.

The darn thing got so close to my windshield, I could almost taste the tail feathers. No, I'm not kidding.

I don't know if I'm more scared, excited, or pissed at the suicidal bird....

And no, I'm not kidding.

Hehe

First, Last, and First Again...

Wednesday was Little Sprout's first AWANA award ceremony. She sang, she danced, she recited bible verses. It was fun to watch her doing something she enjoys so much. She is very proud of her certificate and little bear pin indicating she worked her way through the first book. I am glad she had so much fun this year, and hope that she doesn't have too much of a fit on Wed when she realizes there will be no more AWANA till fall.

It was also Big Sprout's last AWANA award ceremony. She is now old enough to be a part of the church youth group. She seems glad to be moving up and on, but I can't help feel a little twinge over my "baby" growing up. AWANA has been a great experience for her over the years. She has made some great friends and been introduced to some fun activities she otherwise would have missed out on.

And today I baked my first ever loaf of homemade bread. I used a bread machine (thanks, mom!), and the bread was ready when I got home from the Traditional Friday Lunch with my father. The smell of fresh baked bread when I walked in the door was WONDERFUL. The bread itself is a little dense, so next time I will be fiddling with the recipe a bit, but overall I think it was pretty good for a first timer! I am so excited to overcome my fear of the bread machine (silly, I know). Now that I know that I CAN make bread without poisoning anyone, I am very much looking forward to trying all sorts of breads....

~...and that's all I have to say about that...~

Un-Huh

It has snowed off and on all day today.

Just thought you'd like to know.

~and that's all I have to say about that....~

On Hold

I have been trying to figure out what "happened" to me.

I used to be passionate about being "green". I used to be passionate about "prepping". I used to be passionate about planning the garden, mapping out what would go where and how much it would cost. I used to be passionate about my writing, spending hours playing with how words can be strung together in so many different ways. I used to be passionate about keeping house, and providing a wonderful home for my family. I used to be passionate about.... so many things.

Lately, though, I am having trouble tapping into that same passion. Oh, I still care. I still do the things I think are important. I still recycle, and buy second-hand. I coupon like a madwoman. I have my garden, and I still scribble away in my spare time. I keep composting, and fussing with my crafting.

It just feels, I dunno... flat. Like there is a barrier between myself and the excitement I used to feel about these things.

I keep looking for inspiration. I search blogs, I read books, I go out and breathe the fresh air... I am trying to find my way back to the excitement I used to feel. I think I will probably find it again eventually. I hope so. Until then, I am just... on hold.

~and that's all I have to say about that....~

Minnesota April

 I have photographic proof that our crocus did bloom, and that there are other bulbs pushing their way up into the sunlight. They seem determined to announce Spring's arrival, thought Spring herself seems a bit shy.

This morning, I woke to snow again. Again. Let me say that one more time: Again.

 I know the snow won't last. It never does, this late in the year. And I am trying to be patient. Patience is a virtue, and we all know that I need to work on being more virtuous.

I think today will be spent, again, in my work room. I have been fussing with my jewelry making supplies, putting together some funky pieces that are more me than anything I can afford at the store. I do love sparklies. I love the swish of earrings, and the rattle and clink of bracelets. I love beads and baubles and shiny things as much as any magpie.

Yes, I think I will make some jewelry today while I wait for the sun to reappear.

~and that's all I have to say about that....~

Spring is a Tease

Spring was here... for two days. Then she went away, and we have been having cold, blustery weather since. I'm not fussing too much, because this is just how spring comes to MN. It's kinda fun to wonder every day if you are going to get warmth or have snow and freezing rain spit in your face. Now that the snow is gone, I can relax in the confidence that warmer days will come.... eventually.

I am looking out my window and noticing that, though tulips and daffodils are the only flowers in my yard brave enough to be poking their little noses out of the soil, weeds don't have the same fear of cold. I am tempted to go out there and rip some of them out, but I know from hard experience that my hands will freeze quickly in the chilly soil. Yeah, I'm a wimp like that. I don't mind. There will be plenty of time later for digging around in the dirt.

~and that's all I have to say about that...~

Watching and Waiting

Spring is a time of waiting... and watching... and hoping... and waiting some more. There is a breathless sense of anticipation. Every morning, I thrill to see the sun coming up a little earlier. I am constantly scanning the fields and woods as I drive to and from work, taking note of which bushes and trees have put on some new growth of buds or brightly colored bark. I sit at the window and stare at the green blades of tulip and daffy leaves in my garden, hoping that I will be able to speed their growth by willpower alone.

There have been other things that have required watching and waiting, as well.

Grandma Barefoot recently had heart surgery. This all started back in (I think) January, and so there has been a lot of waiting and watching going on. First the waiting to find out what was wrong, then to find out how to fix it, and now finally waiting and watching while Grandma does her best to heal quickly. I have to say that I admire her ability to deal with all this.

Little Sprout and I have been anxiously watching the seedlings, as well. This year I finally got up the light, so I am hoping that my seedlings will actually make it through to the actual garden! It's a learning process, and every year I do a little better, so it's exciting to consider the possibilities.

I also bought a birdfeeder. So we have been waiting for the birds to notice and visit. So far we have just a couple of chickadees who come to the feeder, but I know more will arrived as word gets out that there is free food available at Barefoot Manor. I hope.

The Crocus Bloomed!

Yesterday, while Little Sprout and I were at Dad's place, the crocus bloomed. I think this is the first year we have had the crocus bloom, which is odd, because the tulips and daffodils always have. Hmmm...

It was beautiful. I mean really, really beautiful.

Little Sprout was so excited, I thought she was going to bust right out of her skin! I took pictures, being the geek I am, but I can't seem to get them from the camera to the 'puter right now, so you are just going to have to imagine those lovely little purple flowers.

I also saw two robins doing the Spring Dance. It was kinda funny. Mr. Robin was all "hey, baby... ya wanna make some eggs?" Mrs. Robin evidently wasn't into it, or had a headache, or something. She was totally NOT interested in letting Mr. Robin have his way, no matter how hard he tried. I'm pretty sure Mr. Robin is going to have the last laugh, though, and that there will be a nest with pretty blue eggs in it soon. That's just the way things go in the spring, ya know? I am proud of her for making him work for it, though. The males of every species need to know the value of what they are getting....

hehe

~and that's all I have to say about that~

Waking Up

Photocredit

The last year has been hard. My world has gradually reduced to the smallest point possible, that of dealing with what is right in front of me, and letting the rest of life flow by unnoticed.

I can blame my work schedule, and the exhaustion that comes with it. I can blame a disease, and say I am just going through a cycle of "down". I can blame a world that is more about "get" and "take" than "give" and "share". I can blame hot, muggy summers followed by frigid winters. I can blame Facebook and the distractions of virtual farming.

Whatever.

I am starting to remember what it was to have plans and hopes for the future. There is an awakening within me. Something stretching after a long slumber. A part of me that is feeling the return of the sun, and unfurling itself... reaching for that life-giving source. I can feel those parts of me rooted deeply in the soil coming back to life, bringing up from the awakening earth strength and a sense of place.

It seems I post this same post every year, how I die a little every winter and come back to life in the summer. It makes me think that I maybe should move further south... somewhere spring comes earlier and fall stays later. Somewhere I can feel alive like this for more of the year. Somewhere I can feel dirt under my bare feet and smell fresh breezes most of the year.

I know I won't. I couldn't leave behind my family. Everything I know is here. As much as I have loved my travels to other places, none of them ever spoke to me as "home".  I love winter as much as I hate it. The long hours spent in darkness, the delicious sense of being wrapped up and warm in a cozy house when all the world is locked in ice. Winter has it's perks. There are snow days, and the pristine beauty of a field covered in fresh snow. There is the diamond bright wonder of frost-tipped trees in the morning light, and the tangled shadows of a full moon reflecting off a clean blanket of snow.

All that being said, I am glad it's over for another year. Spring is the Awakening. Spring is the time of new blooms, of a glorious haze of green that starts slowly and then (seemingly overnight) takes over the whole world. Spring is a time of mud, and mess, and the craziness of spring planting. Spring is a time of swollen rivers, and returning birds. It is a time of adventure, and hope, and thanksgiving for another winter survived.

I say "bring it on"!

~and that's all I have to say about that~

Spring Saves The Day

For weeks, I have been watching out my window, knowing that Spring is fickle here in the Frozen North, praying that this time the snow would disappear for real.

Today, the snow is mostly gone. The front yard is still mostly covered, but the back yard (sheltered by trees) is mostly clear. I went outside, knowing that it would still be chilly but needing to feel the sun on my skin. Barefoot as I was, I didn't dare go far. Still, from my vantage point on the deck I could see the glorious spikes of my daffys and tulips coming up out of the ground! They must have several inches growth already for me to see them from that far away, and I am SO DANG EXCITED!!!!

Actually, I am probably this excited every year, but every year it seems like the first time I have seen life return to the world after being shrouded in ice for months....

And that is probably why I could never live anywhere warmer. I would miss, terribly, the absolute joy of the first signs of spring. There is nothing like having your spirit crushed to oblivion every winter by lack of sunlight, cold, and bleak white views only to have it revitalized so completely by the first blush of green in the spring. I don't believe you can feel those incredible highs unless you have experienced the deepest lows.

*happy dance, happy dance* Oh, how I love spring!

~and that's all I have to say about that...~

Spring... Maybe?

I looked out the window yesterday, and saw (for the first time since fall) a small bit of the path on the south side of the house free of snow. Today, the sound of water dripping off the roof was the first thing I heard when I opened my eyes.

I think Spring might have finally found its way to my little corner of the world! I am hopinghopinghoping that soon I will be able to see grass growing, and start feeling around in the flower beds for the spikes of hosta, tulip, and iris just popping through the soil's surface.

Please. Please. Please!

Mr. Barefoot has been talking about cutting down more trees in the yard. On the one hand, I am totally excited by this prospect. If we got rid of the trees already on the property, I could plant more veggies, and fit some fruit trees in. It would be a huge step forward in my little dream of growing more of our own food. I would have many more flowers I could grow, as well, and this gardener loves her flower gardens!

On the other hand, I remember how nekkid I felt when the power company came and cut down trees along the back property line. I remember vividly the mourning I went through when they cut down one of the prettiest trees on the property. I like our trees, have gotten used to having them where they are, and I don't know how I would feel if they were all gone and I had to start from scratch.

Change is scary, ya know?

So Mr. Barefoot and I keep on talking about it, and thinking about it, and wondering which trees should go first (there are a few that really need to go for safety reasons). And I distract myself by thinking about how wonderful it will be to have Spring here, and be able to sit out on my deck with a book. I focus on how good it will feel to have my hands in the soil, and to smell that glorious "dirt smell".

~and that's all I have to say about that~

I love being a Minnesotan!

Minnesotans have their own brand of crazy. I'm not kidding.

This morning, I headed out at 5am to visit a grocery store 30 miles away. Hey, there was a monster sale going on! It's important!

The problem (as I found when I woke) was that after a steady rain, the temps dropped and the rain turned to snow. The roads were icy, and covered with several inches of snow on top of the ice. In front of the garage alone, the snow had drifted to almost knee deep! Miserable driving conditions at any time, much less 5am, when it is dark and the plows have only made the smallest of beginnings at pushing the snow off into the ditches and sanding the slick roads.

Anyway, imagine (if you will) my little car cruising along unplowed roads at 30mph in pitch darkness, trying to follow the ruts left by the cars that have gone before me. Imagine further that I was doing this with a cig in one hand, mt dew in the other, and my Mp3 player hooked up to the car stereo and blasting my favorite tunes. There I was, singing along at the top of my lungs to Nina Simone ("do I move you... is it thrillin"), George Thorogood("move it on over... rock it on over"), REM("it's the end of the world as we know it.... and I feel fiiiiiiiine"), Train ("did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there...") and others, feeling the back end of my car sliding and twisting as it tried to follow the front end over the slippery roads. The best part of the drive was when I got the call from our school district "automated alert system" that school was cancelled for the day. Oh, the juggling I tried to manage: tossing a cig in the butt bin, digging in my purse for a ringing phone, and white-knuckle driving with one hand, desperate not to take my eyes off the barely visible ruts in the road. Whew! Big Sprout didn't have to go out in this mess! I was so happy.

It didn't occur to me until I got home that going 2 miles to school is a lot safer and more important than driving 30 for grocery deals.

Now, some of you may be reading this and thinking "but Barefoot! You are only sharing with us YOUR particular brand of insanity. Surely not everyone in MN is as batty as you are!" Well, folks, I am here to tell you that I was NOT the only nut job on the roads at 5am. In fact, I had big trucks passing me on unplowed back roads. I had little sub-compacts (driven, I'm sure, by Grandmothers barely peeking over the steering wheel) in front of me going even slower than I was. I got blinded by folks coming up out of side roads with their brights on. The grocery store was fairly busy, even at 5:30 (when I finally pulled into the parking lot), and it got much busier before I was ready to leave with my cart full of goods.

And that's why I love being a Minnesotan! In weather that would have shut down most states, we get up and risk life and limb, look Death in the face and laugh a little maniacally, to satisfy the in-born need to be frugal (or go to work. Whatever.). After all, we have plans! We have responsibilities! We can't let a little (okay, 10 inches, plus drifts much deeper) get in our way!

Oh. And just as an aside: I figure I saved between 60%-70% on my groceries. Isn't that awesome?!

~And that's all I have to say about that~

Observation

The Moon wasn’t quite full yet when the coyotes’ yips and yowls tore through the night. I had been standing on the stoop, lost in a book of trashy deliciousness when I heard the first yelping cry. My head jerked up hard enough to actually hurt my poor neck muscles, and chills shivered down my spine as the rapidly swelling chorus of coyote song filled the night. Just for a moment, every nasty story I had ever heard of rabid dogs, vicious wolves, opportunistic coyotes filled my mind, and I searched the darkness for red eyes and dripping fangs. Then, thankfully, good sense returned. I was able to enjoy the beauty of the song in the night, and smile at the tortured howling and barking coming from the neighborhood dogs. The poor things were locked up… chained up… restrained… and here their wild cousins were stalking freely through territory clearly marked by these tame man-friends. The indignity. The horror. The fear… and, I imagine, the jealously in the hearts of some of those dogs.
A few nights later, an owl visited me. I could hear the deep-throated who-o-o, but was unable to pick out the shape of my midnight visitor no matter how I strained my eyes in the moonlight. Owl stayed for quite a while, always calling out whenever I tried to lose myself in my book. I imagined my friend owl as the jealous sort, not liking the thought that I found anything more interesting than watching the moon-shadows in hopes of catching a glimpse of him/her.

Last night, the full moon was supposed to be an amazing sight. All week I looked forward to the sight of a moon brighter and nearer than I have seen it in many years. Instead, I was treated to the first rainstorm of the year. March, and rain. It fell in heavy sheets, pounding into the house and pushing away the snowdrifts still piled everywhere in the yard. As the driveway began to fill with water, I began to pray that the temps wouldn’t drop too much before morning. I didn’t like the idea of all that water freezing into sheets of glass-slick ice, making driving dangerous and possibly trapping me at work.

Spring is slowly creeping its way into my little corner of the world. I have now seen north-bound geese, and there are more birds raising their voices to greet the dawn every day. Each tree is surrounded with a circle of bare earth, and I find that little bit of muddy brown is a very welcome sight after months of white-white-white-every-where-you-look-it’s-nothing-but-white. I can feel the earth waiting… waiting for the sun to melt the snow just a little bit more, for the warmth to reach just a little deeper into the soil. I can feel spring waiting to burst forth in all it’s glory. I can feel myself ready to burst forth with all my glory. I am aching to get my hands into sun warmed soil; to smell the damp, freshly turned earth; to sit in the evening and watch the birds and squirrels play in the yard. I soak up the warm breezes, and turn my face to the sun.

Marching Forward

March is a month of snow here in the Great Frozen North of MN. It is an especially difficult month for those of us Minnesotans who are active (yes, I still consider myself active) in the bloggy world, because we have friends from all over. Those friends from warmer areas are out there blogging pictures of their gardens starting to wake, and the ugly green monster called jealousy rears it's ugly head. I look at my 'puter, seeing pics of green little spikes coming up out of the soil (or worse, actual blooms), then look out my window and see snow...snow....snow.

On the other hand, the first few garden chores of the season can be done now, and I am gearing up to get them done. I can start some broccoli, and onion seeds. I have been fussing with the garden plans, figuring out how much I can grow and where. I have been looking at lots and lots of garden porn. This year, we are planning to add some fruit plants to our little garden adventures, so I have lots to think about. Where to put the (free!!!) strawberry plants, where to put the (free!!) raspberries, how many blueberry bushes can I fit without things looking crazy.... ya know, all those wonderful, daydreamy thoughts of planning your garden. I love the struggle to find the balance between pretty flowers and tasty veggies and fruits. I want my little town lot to have the best of both worlds, and I think I am doing pretty well so far.

Sometimes I fantasize about taking out all the trees in the yard and replanting with fruit trees. I think about how great it would be to have an empty yard where I could start from scratch and use up all the "wasted" space. I would never do it, but it's so nice to think about the fun things I could do if I didn't have to work around what is already here.

Well, I suppose Mr. Barefoot gets an opinion, but let's not tell him that, huh? I almost have him convinced that the yard is completely mine.

I am not letting these snowy, cold days go to waste. I am using my time to declutter Barefoot Manor in preparation for the summer months, when my focus will be more on the outside of the house and I won't have the interest or time to do much indoors. I have made some significant progress, and hope to have the whole house in a condition to pretty much take care of itself by spring. Yeah, I gots me some big dreams!

I have also extracted promises from Mr. Barefoot for 4 new garden boxes, some trellises, and a squirrel proof bird feeder, so I am really looking forward to the day that the snow goes away!