What a year!

It is hard to believe that this year is almost over. Wow! One more for the books. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was nice and sad. We have 3 living children, and only one of them lives close enough to come home for Christmas. He came with his family...our wonderful daughter in-law and their 3 children. It was a great day. Every so often, little Kaylen ( she is 4 ) would come up to me and so sweetly say.. " Grandma, I love you" then give me a BIG hug. I love all of my grandchildren....but she knows just how to melt my butter. :) When the time came for evening chores, the oldest grandchild, Skylar, he is 13...went with me to get the chores done. He is such a great helper. He volunteered to break the ice in the water troughs and rain barrels and haul water to the critters. Even tho he is only 13, he towers over me. Of course I am only 5 foot tall...so MOST people tower over me. I believe he is standing at about 5 foot 6 or 7 now. Such a great kid. We had a wonderful day but it would have been perfect if the other 2 children could have been home. I will not dwell on that tho, I am thankful they are healthy, and have jobs that kept them from coming. So many are without jobs right now. So now that the "hustle and bustle is over...... I have thought about the new goals for next year already. I don't make resolutions...however this year I am...my resolution is to walk away from negativity...and try to spread happiness and be more helpful to every who needs it. I also have goals..for the farm. I am hoping to get the new pigs into the woods. This will not be a small undertaking, however, it will be good for them and me. They will have more room to roam and eat more naturally...and will have the coolness of the woods. I plan to keep the pen they are in now, connected to the wooded pen so I can move them up for winter. This will keep them in a smaller area, closer to the house and make it easier on me during the colder months. Well, that is the plan anyways. Another goal is to get the small pond fenced in, and build a hut for the ducks. Not sure this goal will be reached, but, I am throwing it out there. I also want to build my Medicine Wheel. Don't know what a medicine wheel is? Well....let me tell you...In Native American spirituality, the Medicine Wheel represents harmony and connections and is considered a major symbol of peaceful interaction among all living beings on Earth. I am planning MY medicine wheel to be planted with Herbs and a few flowers...with my totem in the center. This is something I have been planning for a few years....collecting just the right materials , rocks and such. This is something I "need" for MY spirituality. Each one is very personal to whomever builds and maintains it. It will be a place for me to go and cleanse my mind and reconnect with Mother Earth. This next year, I would also like to plant more flowers. There has always been so much work on the farm I have not been able to enjoy flowers. It is time... I need it...the farm needs it. We also need to add a few more apple trees and maybe a few peach trees. Oh boy, the list is growing! Winter months give us all time to sit and think and plan for the new growing season. It won't be long before we are getting in the gardens, feeling the dirt under our fingernails smelling that sweet scent of fresh turned soil. But, for now, I am enjoying the little bit of down time...sitting by the wood stove with my blanket and my seed catalogue's and dreaming.