2022 - A year in review OR A city mouse looks back.

This has been a year of progress.  We are entering our third year of country living and I'm actually feeling a little more hopeful than I did this time last year.  We entered the year with vague goals, things that we wanted to accomplish but with little to know idea on how to accomplish them.

We managed to get a lot done.

Susan could not stand the bathroom and kitchen from day one in our home, and we somehow managed to replace the windows, redo the majority of our kitchen and part of our bathroom.   That was just some of those goals we had in mind at the start of 2022.   Technically the bath is far from done, and the kitchen does need a little more work before I'm ready to call it "finished."  We got things done, that's the important thing.

Yes, they took longer than I would have liked.

We discussed how to keep your house warm on a budget.  

I wanted to plant a small garden and we did have a few containers full of strawberries, some herbs, tomato's and such.   Our zucchini flowered and bloomed but produced nothing.  Our tomatoes were small but sweet and our strawberries and peppers were eaten by deer. 

Hell, I even managed to plant two trees.  I am planning on two apple trees this year.

We already have a plan for next year with more containers but in a more condensed space with some deer fencing.  We learned from that experience.

Overall I would consider 2023 to be a success.  Some of the highlights as far as I was concerned were:

A)  The blog traffic has pick up some.  Not a great amount but it is making allowing me to justify continuing.  I probably would have anyway.  I need to get what is rambling around in my head out in some way.  This is how I do it.  

It's nice to see that a few people want to take this journey with me.  Although I'm not sure if I'll stay on Blogspot or move to another platform.  Blogspot is what I know but if I want to move forward, I'm going to have to do things differently. 

B)  Health wise, I took a bit of a beating.   I'm still trying to eat healthier and go a little more plant based, but it's a battle that in fought in the trenches.  I lose a pound, I gain a pound.

It really comes down to me exercising a bit more than I have been.  I've really no excuse, if I worked in the city, I would take a walk during breaks or lunch...there is no reason I cannot do that working from home.   I'm not pre-diabetic but my numbers are higher than I would like.

Although I've been eating more vegetarian and plant based food, they are processed foods.   Which is making we wonder if I'm barking up the proverbial wrong tree to begin with.  Hopefully I'll lose some weight and so forth going into the new year, it's on of those nebulous goals that seem to work for me.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed eating some vegetarian and vegan dishes.  See our recipe page for some good ideas.  The way I organize that page will probably change in the future as well.

Although I didn't write about it much in 2022, I may return to the "trendy" series in 2023.

C)  I hate to have this blog turn political.  Sadly however when I look for information about Green Energy or how climate change can affect things, I come across a lot of misinformation. 

 Some of it is intentional, some of it is not.  One of the reasons I'm doing this blog and trying to change my land into a "edible lawn"  is to make one small change that will help the future.  I'm interested in foraging, in "survivalist ideas" and other things, but sadly the nuts have taken over many of these concepts for their own agenda.  My Facebook feed becomes overwhelmed with half truths and half wits.

Civilization doesn't fall overnight.  Societies won't grow and change for the better if your hiding in a bunker.

If I have to be a bit more "political" in the new year then so be it.  You have been warned.   Although I generally consider myself to be "anti stupidity" rather than overtly support one party or the other.

D)  And finally, it's nice to just get lost sometimes.  When we lived in Florida sometimes we would just pick a direction and go.  It lead to us scuba diving at the Devil's Den and exploring Florida's caves.  Due to a lot of conflicts this year, the only time that we had to get away for more than a weekend...we pointed our car in a direction and just drove.  It was a short but rather memorable trip.  

In the coming year, the plan is to go to Niagara Falls via the back roads.  Both of us have been there several times, but it's been a nearly 30 years since either of us have been there.  Plus we would like to spend some time in Montreal and Toronto if we can.   Those trips will be recorded here again.

So Happy New Year one and all.   I hope that you decided to stick around another year and share this blog with others.  Be well my friends!