I’m so delighted to be joined by some very wonderful folks on this challenge. Each of them, have put together great goals, too. I love seeing how everyone has taken the challenge and individualized it to meet their needs. Some folks chose short term and long term goals, others chose just one, etc. Thank you all for joining me and I look forward to reading about your progress, helping where I can, and getting your support and kick in the pants when I need it.
The following folks have joined in on the challenge, so far, feel free to join in today or at any point along the journey if you are so driven:
- Annette - Dream: to be able to afford (meet the bills) while staying home to tend the garden, can, care for chickens, be active in community. Goal #1 have a wood stove installed by winter. Goal #2 help to improve the recycling numbers for Bath county. (She’s figured out a way to get that wood stove, already!)
- Stephanie - take back my garden and to properly perserve my harvest. (She’s already gotten started, go check out those canning photos)
- Brittney - 1. Plan a garden. 2. Take a “formal” herbwifery class. 3. Choose a major, and act on that choice. 4. Learn to tie dye. 5. Organize the soap lab, and make space for an herbal lab. 6. Replace our current refrigerator. 7. Learn to can and preserve food. 8. Get 24/7 off the ground. 9. Exercise four days a week. 10. Be a vendor for two more shows
- Gina - Concrete Goal: Build a cow milking stanchion by Dec. 15th using mostly re-purposed materials (e.g. wood crates, found material, etc.) and some new (so I actually can get it done!!) Planning Goal: To create a written plan (with timeline) to get our homestead in working order. This is complicated because I need to sell off those other houses, reduce our debt and figure out how we are going to support ourselves if I quit work. I will probably redefine this goal as I go, but ultimately, I want a working plan for why we are here.
- Monica - short term goal is to learn how to make yeast breads, pie crusts and pasta from scratch, long-term goal is to slowly build up my exercise regimine.
- JoyceAnn- my long term goal will be to declutter my home , room by room.
- Jill - This year I have a bit more time to plan the Stand Up event (Oct. 17-19) and I hope to get more people involved, hopefully help out some local organizations who are fighting poverty and see more press coverage
We have a few others who have expressed interest but not yet posted goals, that aren’t included in the above list. I didn’t want to include you just in case you changed your mind.
My Challenge Update: My goal is to actively pursue a publisher for a book idea. This past week, I researched writing query letters, publishers, and books similar to my idea. I’m working on a few more things but hope to have my first query letter in a publishers hands by mid-September and go from there.
August 11, 2008 at 10:46 am
I don’t think I’ve ever commented before, but I’ve been reading your blog for a while (I don’t even remember how I found it now) and I very much enjoy reading it. Until recently I worked in-house at a small regional book publisher; I’m now working as a freelancer from home. I just wanted to mention that I’m available if you have questions about book publishing or something that might help you with your goal–I’m reachable at the e-mail address above.
Thank you for all your posts–I find your blog quite inspiring!
August 11, 2008 at 11:31 am
Great goals! I think I may have to join in on this challenge. It will be nice to have a support system.
August 11, 2008 at 4:24 pm
You forgot about me. My goal was to loose 5 lbs by your December deadline!
August 11, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Whew, I’m a day late a dollar short…sorry for the delay (I’ve not been around much lately…short hiatus!)
I’m taking the challenge
Short term goal…save my change from any transaction and put it in a jar…at the deadline, any money I have will be used to do a micro-loan (cycling back and being reinvested in the same thing when paid back) for Kiva.org…to help individuals acquire animals or goods for handmade/homegrown/home-raised products to support themselves.
Longer goal…2 of them
1. Lose 10 lbs by the deadline
2. Keep doing what we can weekly toward finding our homestead…no matter what. No wallowing in discouragement allowed
I’ll post this at my blog…please count me in
August 12, 2008 at 6:00 am
Kim – I’m sorry, I don’t know how I missed you! It won’t happen again.
Robbyn – Welcome aboard!
August 13, 2008 at 8:20 am
I wrote a long winded post about joining the challenge also. You can see it here.
Thanks for the nudge!
August 13, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Oh Lord. I do want to do this. I live in my head a lot more than people think. I go out to my studio to play and learn and end up reading about new things I want to try but redoing the same kind of project over and over. So, I think that I’ll choose this concrete goal. Make at least one book with a different new kind of bookbinding each month until the end of the year. Beginning with this month! Then I’ll think about 2009.
August 13, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Aimee – I’d love to see you along with us, let us know if you decide on a goal or goals.
Howling Hill – Welcome aboard!
Laurie – Awesome goal and welcome aboard.
Everyone – Updates with photos are encouraged. I added a Doing Not Thinking page (see menu above my banner) to keep track of all the participants, let me know if I missed you (I hope not) or if I missed a goal, etc. I’m so humbled to have you along with me on this journey!