For our family, 2010 was a year with a lot of ups and downs. Not long after my last post, I got orders and also realized that my surgery hadn't gone as well as we'd hoped. What I mean by that is the surgery actually aggravated my condition so that it is much worse now. Our original plan was for me to separate in November to go into the Reserves or National Guard but in order to do that, you have to be 'deployable' - physically able to do some rather demanding things. That suddenly, two of my three employment options were gone. Within days of realizing this, I got orders overseas. To say it was a stressful time would be an understatement. My husband and I decided I would re-enlist and go to my new assignment; he and the kids would stay here. That would keep me employed, make my assignment shorter by one year, he would be able to keep his (very good) job, we would keep the house, and the kids wouldn't have to be uprooted. To make a decision like that broke my heart. I was supposed to leave in Oct and the last week of September I actually had a panic attack. If you've never had one, it feels like you're dying. I thought I was having a stroke because my hands wouldn't function and I couldn't feel my face or speak intelligibly. This happened while I was driving our daughter to an appointment - it was terrifying.
Shortly after that my doctor decided to start paperwork to medically discharge me due to my condition, which cancelled my orders. It's a little scary to think of going down to one income, but hubby and I agree that we're going to use this opportunity. If we can manage, it's time for me to stay home and focus on our family and home.
While all of this was going on, we didn't get much done in the way of homesteading. No garden to speak of, though we did manage to keep the apple and orange trees alive and finally get my horse out here. We went down to 10 hens, which recently became six - neighbor's loose dog. And, for Christmas, my husband got me a Nigerian Dwarf goat that is due to kid in May. We were having a hard time finding another goat that had been tested for CL and CAE, so we have a doeling reserved from a breeder in Vacaville. She has several does due the first week of February, so we should have her by March. Having our goat around is a lot of fun - I enjoy interacting with her and watching her antics. Her name is Daisy; should have a picture up soon.
So, my recently modified (and re-instated!) to-do list:
Buy/barter for bricks for the raised bed garden.
Buy/barter for a large chainlink dog kennel to use for pasture rotation for our goats.
More fruit trees and bushes.
Buy/barter for a manual grain grinder for making whole grain breads.
Get back into canning!
Put in a hand-pump for our well.
'Borrow' a friend's rooster come springtime for chicks.
Finish fencing.
Purchase necessary goat supplies (for kidding, milking).
Learn as much as possible about permaculture.
That's not the entire list but it's way past my bedtime. You should never start canning after 9 pm.
