January is for Organizing Again!

January is for organizing and apparently also for recommitting to blogging. It made me laugh to see that I was busy organizing last year too. My boys renegotiated bedrooms this past fall, which means my soap room moved into a corner of the larger basement space. Until last week seed trays, heating lamps, and bulk oil containers were arranged higgeldy-piggeldy on shelves, floor, freezer top, and seedling table.

Now the whole basement is sorted and the soap is probably the most organized I have had it in years! The seedling trays are stacked with seedling trays, all three heat lamps are lined up together and I discovered two extra soap batches worth of Organic Palm Oil pushed to the dark back corner of one shelf.

I am working at a Montessori school this winter (www.rockprairiemontessori.com) and continuing to work several hours a week teaching Stateline Farm Beginnings. As much as I am finding joy in both work places as well as much needed supplementary income, I am finding it very challenging to fit in soapmaking. Creating the raw batches (that is the initial part of the soapmaking the process that involves mixing the lye, milk and oils) requires a solid block of time where I am not interrupted. Not that simple lately!

This month I am teaching two farming friends how to make soap in exchange for some extra help with soapmaking. Putting them on my calendar has been a great way to kick start January. The milling portion of soapmaking is much more conducive to multi-tasking and actually makes bill paying or agenda writing more pleasant.

I committed to my farmer's market again for next summer. www.tosafarmersmarket.com. It was such a great market last year and as much as I considered slowing down this year to adjust for my off farm work and Jen's new baby girl, I couldn't let it go.

My goats are thriving even in this cold cold weather. Their coats are all fluffy and they look a bit rounder than usual. It is not completely clear that they are all pregnant but noone has shown signs of heat in months.

My other organizational feat for January was to gather all of my goat registration data and to get caught up on all of their paperwork. Although, I am still waiting to get final documentation from one breeder, I am close to all caught up.

Now onward to taxes!

I am just home from facilitating the Stateline Farm Beginnings (www.learngrowconnect.org) course I lead during the winter months. I was reinspired by the master farmers and local food buyers who spoke on our panel today. They spoke about choosing to live their values and reminded me of what I find compelling about the local foods movement. The impact each of us can have on our small piece of land, our energy choices, who we give our food dollars, and how we manage the water resources available to us. After having had a breakfast that included local berries, a potluck lunch that included local meats and a multitude of unique grains and winter storage vegetables, I am tonight about to eat pizza from the national take and bake chain that is near our son's dance studio. And although I feel more aligned with my mission and even righteous about my food choices earlier today, I am also quite pleased to be enjoying the meal Dave chose for us tonight, not to mention the thrill it is for the younger boys.

I am learning (perhaps slowly) to accept myself and my choices today, to feel good about the choices that best suit my belief system and to accept rather than berate myself when I am less than perfect.