#77 New Year's Resolutions Edition

The year of 2008 seemed to go by so quickly in everyday tasks, but seemed to drag on through the trails and tribulations I faced. My unofficial motto became “Life is hard. God is good.” This year is going to be better than last. I'm going to strive even more to be better. To be the big person. To take the high road when everyone else seems to take the low one.

The year of 2009 will be remembered as one of the best years the Lord reigned in my life. I'm going to put my talents to more use and to learn some new domestic arts so I can better be a home-manager when I'm grown.

Every year I write out a list of goals I should like to complete before the next end of the year, and shamefully I still have things on my list from last year that were set aside due to situations or other activities. I suppose they weren’t in God’s plan for my life then.

• o Learn to sew well enough to make aprons, skirts, and bags.
• o Use the fabric I bought in 2007 for planned projects.
• o Dip and make candles
• o Master the art of bread-making
• o Master the art of soap making
• o Learn to embroider and crochet
• o Make a new quilt of quality

I know that for many of the above I can head over to HowToMe and learn something of worth. This week she presents How To Make a Bib from a Hand Towel posted at HowToMe.

Belle at Homesteaderbelle's Blog is putting her sewing skills to use. She offers custom-sewn items and is having a Quick-Change Cloth Pad Give Away!

• o Master the art of bread-making
• o Master the art of soap making
• o Grow a big garden and can enough food to feed us over winter

Ah, bread-making. Why do I have such trouble with it? Not sure, but with more practice and tips like Sourdough Basics Part 1 by Susan at Homemade Livin' I might get it sometime soon. You can enter to win a DVD on The Art Of Bread-Making if you're having trouble too.

Rachel has already put the recipes from above mentioned DVD to use. She made delicious Pizza Dough Or Bread Stick last week for lunch! Delish!

Kathi at Homestead Treasures shares some of her beautiful homemade Goat Milk Soaps that are just lovely - I bet they smell excellent too!

"Let Them Eat Pie!" says Miss Hannah as she shares some of her recipes on pies and crusts. Sounds tasty!

Shannon shares some recipes for cookies and fudge in Ornaments, Carols, and Other Traditions posted at Song of My Heart. Sounds yummy to me!

• o Finally complete my Hope Chest. I started building this a year ago and due to time constraints and supplies I wasn’t able to finish it in a timely manner. Winter always stinks too because we have no heated outbuildings I can use.
• o Learn Hebrew and Spanish fluently
• o Learn to play the piano, guitar, and clarinet
• o Rise earlier
• o Exercise daily
• o Grow a big garden and can enough food to feed us over winter

I'd like to think I'm a scheduled person, but a schedule or "get up" "go-bed" isn't exactly the right thing for everyday life. Ruth McLean at But First, We Have Coffee shares the Motivated Moms Scheduler.

Speaking of mothers, what kind of legacy did your mother leave you? Come share your story and enter to win a copy of an audio-workshop on Motherhood: Building A Legacy.

Jacque at Walking Therein shares about a legacy starting and going with her children in What A Beautiful Sight! "I woke up to a beautiful sight of my children learning to knit and crochet with Grandma this morning."

• o Complete my schoolwork, especially my algebra and mathematics.
• o Generate enough business to continue support my single-mom-friends and children.
• o Change the oil on the vehicles
• o Grow a big garden and can enough food to feed us over winter
• o Fence in our property for the goats
• o Own a dachshund
• o Go horse-riding
• o Learn to hunt

Grandma Rosie posts new things everyday and always has something that can help you in your home-management. She posted about Seasoning Cast Iron which I found very good. Nothing like old faithful..."Seasoned Cast Iron can be considered the "grandfather" to today's "nonstick" cookware. Cast Iron Cookware must be seasoned properly and it will last a life time."

Blogs can be a wonderful way to learn many different arts and skills. I find that blogging as been quite beneficial to my life in every aspect, and I plan on using both blogs and websites to help me this year and I complete my resolutions, what about you?!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Miss Jocelyn, founder and publisher of the Feelin’ Feminine site, is a senior homeschool student with a passion for writing truth. She blogs from her heart at A Pondering Heart, designs blogs at A Pondering Heart Boutique, and is also the Sr. Exec. Marketing-Manager for GGMagazine.