The Year 2011 is Almost Here

This year had good moments, and bad. My year 2010:

1. Bought a little 2-acre farm and got a total of 4 goats and 17 chickens (down to 14 chickens now). Planted lots of fruit and nut trees and bushes, but nothing grew. Horrible soil. Only things that grew were in pots, except for 4 fruit trees that may or may not have survived. None of the windbreak trees (pines) survived.
2. My Kid's "bad" behavior got worse, threatened suicide and started to run away many times. He got beyond my dealing with so his doc sent us for testing. Turned out Kid's also OCD and high-functioning autistic. Possibly more. Started to learn about these and how to better relate to Kid.
3. Learned about caring for livestock, specifically goats, chickens, quail and rabbits. Experienced sweltering heat (above 100 F.) and bitter cold (below 0 F.) and how to keep our critters comfortable and still producing. Learned my Kid is willing to try almost any kind of egg (quail, duck, colored chicken egg, etc) as well as milk 5 minutes after it came out of the goat!
4. Learned I could totally feed my family on what I grow and tend to ... IF I had to! Ah... self-sufficiency!
5. Renewed my dedication to earn money independently and if that means hurting my hands further by typing up e-books or making crafts, then so be it!
6. Learned more about myself. I'm not as patient as I should be, and have been working on it. Working on being a better mother, and more tolerant of Hubby. Learned I hate ignorance and people using other people, and especially people using me. Learned I haven't dealt yet with issues from my childhood, and that I really dont' want to associate with a few particular family members any more, mostly because they aren't people I'd choose to associate with under any circumstance.
7. But did enjoy seeing some family members for the first time in a long time, and would like to have them visit us out here in the boonies. Not that they will.
8. Did well on getting healthy plan (for a while). Went from 269 in June 2010 to 203 in October (and only gained 17 pounds back in November and December!). Dropped 3 dress sizes, my face is thinner, my body healthier and when I eat healthy foods, don't need my blood pressure meds.

While in a lot of ways, my life in 2010 was difficult and horrible and full of pain, I feel like I grew as a woman, a mother, and a human being. However, I have a LONG way to go.

Plan for 2011:

KEEP MY SUICIDAL AUTISTIC KID ALIVE AND GET HIM HEALTHY AND HAPPY: Now that he's on meds, he isn't talking so much about suicide. We do, however, have a long road ahead of us. With the new diagnosis of autism and OCD (along with the ADHD), and still more tests and evaluations coming in the next few months, we'll learn more about these problems, and how to help this Kid. If it means altering his diet or paying somebody to come by and play with him, or whatever, I'll do it. My child is my number one priority. Plan: (1) keep doc appts (2) work on my own patience and understanding (3) plan school lessons to revolve around Kid's strengths (4) have honest regular dialogues with Kid to find out what makes him happy (5) and so on.

GET HEALTHY: I really want to get healthy. This year. No more waiting. I want to go back to eating without gluten, and get rid of this rash (dermatitis herpetiformis) that is now covering my entire body. I want to forever be done with blood pressure pills and watching my sugar. I want to walk with my Kid to the mail house (about half a mile away) and back without gasping for breath, or resting on the side of the road. Plan: (1) stop eating wheat/gluten! (2) get rid of all snacks and unhealthy food from the house, which means Hubby will have to keep his sodas and snacks and wheat bread elsewhere! (3) exercycle 4-5 times a week (4) grow more of our own food and try to eat only what I grow or barter for (5) and so on.

FIX MY HOME LIFE: I'm sure Hubby will read this but ... I really need to place my Kid as a top priority. My husband should stop acting jealous of my 14-year-old and start acting like an adult. I need a help-mate and partner, not another child to take care of. So yep, we need help in getting the three of us to get along. Hubby needs to be more understanding of OCD, ADHD and autism, and if he needs to get therapy once a week to do so, then that's fine with me. Actually, I'm insisting. I don't like it when tempers flare at the drop of a hat, or arguments over stupid things like "stop touching the walls every time you walk by" when this OCD kid can't help it. Will I sacrifice my own happiness for my child's? ABSOLUTELY! In a minute. But I'm working to make us all happy. Plan: (1) therapy for all of us (2) frank but calm/quiet discussions (3) family dinners AT the table (4) and so on.

FIX MY HOME: **If** we stay at this house, I want to further amend the soil and replant the fruit and nut trees and bushes. Oh, and the windbreaks because a typical windy day has gusts upwards of 65+ mph. Plus, since we moved here in March 2010, I'd really like to finish unpacking, painting the walls, hanging things on those walls, and decorating. I want to live like an adult instead of a college kid. Seriously... I'm almost 50! Time to grow up and provide a stable uncluttered environment for all of us. Plan: (1) unpack 3 boxes a day 3-5 days a week, repacking in labeled boxes as necessary (or selling/tossing) (2) finish painting rooms that I started painting almost a year ago (3) hang baskets, pictures and other wall hangings (4) hang shelves in kitchen for spices, and white board for tracking messages, harvests and so on (5) rearrange master bedroom, paint, and replace mirror doors with regular doors (6) make office in upstairs guest bedroom (7) fix up garage for animals for NEXT winter and as a kind of store-front (8) building a larger goat pen (9) wooden-slat perimeter fence so we can let the animals out to completely free-range more often, and (10) soooo much more!

So... I have a LOT on my plate for 2011. Depending on how things go, we might have even MORE changes to our lives. Different place to live. Different income.

In just 9 hours, here in the middle of the Colorado plains, it'll be the year of 2011. A new year. One full of hope, promise, and infinite possibilities.

Join my daily pre-posted "support group" times. They start tomorrow! Feel free to comment so we can all keep up with how YOU are doing.

I'll try to post weekly or monthly on how I'm doing with my plan for the year of 2011.

Meanwhile, please be careful tonight. If you have even one drink, have someone who had none do the driving. Or take a taxi. Or better yet, stay home surrounded by warmth, family, and healthy eats.

Enjoy!