Photo: Great grandparents at their farm in Blandinsville, IL, with five of their six children .. my grandpa was yet a twinkle in grandma's eye. Stable boy and governess also pictured. Hodges farm, circa 1903-4

Friday, December 31, 2010

Year End .. It's a Wrap

Then end of another year and decade brings the occupants of The Thrifty Garden Home pondering all that took place .. and wondering what the new year ahead will bring.  2010 was a good year all in all.  Here are the goals I listed a year ago for 2010 with results in gold:


drinking in the view from the front porch rocker .. with a blanket, of course!
  1. never take my hungry children grocery shopping ... a given on a tight budget!
  2. take my own reusable grocery bags WITH me instead of leaving them at home or in the car trunk ... about 1/3 successful ;(
  3. grow, can, preserve, freeze enough food to last from summer to summer ... not quite there yet .. but 50% of what we eat is from our garden and a local farm
  4. purchase no out of season ... grown out of country produce ... this was easier than I thought
  5. buy local and organic when possible ... this was easier during the growing season .. I canned from our garden and the local farm
  6. buy only local farm meats (Thanks to watching the movie Food, Inc.;) ... 90 % of our meat comes from a local North Idaho organic ranch
  7. use my crock pot more often ... not sure why this was a goal since I'm a homebody and don't know how many people will be eating with us until it's time to start dinner
  8. plant only open pollinated, organic, heirloom veggie seeds ... this was mostly accomplished
  9. use no toxic products in the garden or for cleaning purposes ... I personally did not buy any ready made cleaners or toxic yard/garden 'tonics' .. can't say the same for hubby ... he buys a small bottle of spray cleaner... needs a little bit more education (nagging) to get him on board
Mrs. Mac on a little trek 12/30/2010
I  hope to have some new goals written up for 2011 this next week .. a fresh new month and year and decade on the calendar page.  What about you?  Got any big thrifty/green goals for the new year? 

5 comments:

Mary said...

I'm considering planting a vegetable garden. I have started making my own laundery detergent and dishwasher detergent. They work great.

Rebecca said...

Good for you!

My "green" goals center around getting rid of excess and careful maintenance of what we own.

I wish you a peaceful and productive New Year lived in cognizance of the goodness and blessings of God!

cottage garden farmer said...

i can really empathize with some of these, especially 1 and 2. Now I'm wondering what your husband spray cleans with his own special spray (as the wife of someone who wouldn't know a spray cleaner if it jumped up and bit him...)

LynnS said...

Mrs Mac that is truly beautiful! I would be sitting/standing/walking around just taking in all of that white beauty. WOW!

You're cute in those little snow-boards. What the heck do you call them? Cross country boards?? lol

I have several goals for 2011. One big goal for 2011 is to bring our new goats into the homestead this Spring without any major problems. Excited and a bit nervous....lol

Mrs. Mac said...

Lynn .. goats wow! That would be a great addition to your homestead .. fresh milk, butter, eh? You nervous? (LOL) the little snow boards .. are actually modern snow shoes .. although they are not effective in deep powder, they are good for compacted icy snow and trails .. good metal cleats on the bottom. Wait til I post a picture with the 'big guns' .. I mean old fashioned snow shoes used for the deep powder.

The winter scenes from my windows do take my breath away at times.

Cottage Farmer .. well, my hubby buys some spray a spray type of window cleaner to keep in the garage. But inside my domain, I make a window cleaner and add a drop of blue or green food coloring so my family feels OK about using it .. don't ask ;)

Rebecca .. excess stuff around here as well .. will have to give the basement a good once over and bless someone else with the stuff. :)