The storm before the calm

The countdown is on here. I have two busy days before the new year begins. When it does, it's full steam ahead into what looks like being a fairly active and significant year for me. The busy days will hopefully see some things done that I've been putting off, and can then be part of last year and not taken into the new year. I'm still on holiday next week but I'll go in on Wednesday to see if there are any people who need emergency food, and tidy the Centre while I'm there waiting. If I can get these things done today and tomorrow, I'll be free to relax with sewing, knitting and the cricket next week.

So what's on the agenda today? Well, we have Jens and Cathy coming over for lunch. I'm serving tuna bake, made with our home grown potatoes, local cheese and home made pasta, plus tuna from the stockpile cupboard. I made it yesterday because it always tastes better the following day. We'll also have a salad picked fresh from the garden and lemon surprise pudding, made with our lemons and eggs, with local cream. There is German beer or ginger beer for the drinking, whatever takes their fancy.

But before lunch I have to do some washing. That low pressure system is still hovering off the coast and rain is predicted for the next week. I think it would be prudent to get all the washing done before that sets in. I'll also bake bread for lunch, wash the floors and tidy the front verandah. When our visitors leave, I'll make a start on tidying our bedroom. It's not a good sight in there. We have a large bedroom and it tends to collect things. I still haven't removed everything we put in there when we had the kitchen and floors fixed. I've decided to clean out our cupboards and drawers while I'm at it so I think it will take about a day to do well.

Some of the things I'll be moving out of the bedroom will go to my sewing room so that will probably need some work too. I would dearly love to clean out my greenhouse too, and move the worm farm, but I know I won't get to that before the new year. Oh well, maybe I will do that on new year's day, go to work the next day, then start my new year with the cricket on Thursday. There's nothing like moving the year around to suit one's self. I'll only do it this once, I promise. LOL I really like the idea of beginning the new year with everything finalised and in order, even if I have to change the first day of the new year to do it. ; - )

It pleased me a lot to read your plans for next year. There is certainly a lot to be done and it looks like many of us have decided to use the time we have to simplify and live well. It will be good to see the plans develop over the coming year and to settle into our lives with the knowledge we're living deliberately and taking small steps towards gentler and more home centred ways.

ADDITION:
I'll be sending the Warm Earths to Ali and Lib. Ladies, would you please send me your postal addresses. Ty.

Update on the chicks. None have successfully hatched. One started hatching but died in the shell and there are two eggs left. They feel heavy so I think there are chicks in them. Mary was walking around this morning but when I checked the eggs they were still warm. She's still happy to sit on them so we'll just wait and see what happens.