Wow… I was sitting here, feeling a little achey from some hard work mending fences, and I began to think, wow, I’m feeling old and there is SO many things I want to accomplish. And this year has just FLOWN by! And I saw some grey in my friend’s beard and thought, wow.. I never thought of him as aging. I see my daughers growing, facing grown up things and again…. the thought smacked me in the face.

I’m going to be 48 this year. In a month or so. 48…

WAIT A MINUTE… 48? 48 is the new 35! Haha… My gosh I have to wait almost 15 years to get social security! If I’m lucky, I might even see another 30 or 40 years! Like almost another lifetime! And I’ve already done so much.. my gosh, look at all the things I have ahead of me!!!

Heck, even if you give me the average 70 years that so many people exceed… that is still 22 years left. That’s nearly most of my adult life! Again! Replay!!!!

I got at least a few more cars to own.. I wonder what they will be and how they will work… I have at least oh, 10 more computers ahead of me… think of all the advancements we’ve had in just 10 years! I might have grandchildren, and son-in-laws… heck maybe even a sweetie! I hope he likes bluegrass and homesteading! Think of all the new friends that are waiting around the corner! And awesome animals to come through my life… crafts and art and writing that book… Maybe two!

I used to think that I had too many interests, too many crafts, interests and activities… I mean afterall, I love bluegrass and music, I love farming and gardening and livestock. I like to write and I like to create graphics. Believe it or not, I love to watercolor paint and silk paint as well as crochet and knit and do quilting! Oh, yes and I love to do wool rug hooking… that is really fun. I want to raise beautiful Marans in my barn yard. I want to have rows and rows of lavender in our fields. Process our own wool… raise bees… get a little milk cow and make butter and cheese! I want to press cider and make more beer! The first batch was SO delish!!! I want to lay in my hammock in the summer sunshine and read 1000 more books! (That’s only 45 books a year! I can do it!) I want a garden that produces tons for my family, my friends and the local food pantry! Apple and pear and cherry trees! Sure if might take 5 or 7 years to set fruit, but I’ve got tons of time left to wait for them to grow!

I’ve got at least 10 major work projects that I want to see finished… and I really want to write a book about homesteading, positive thinking and following your dreams! (Okay, that might be a little weird but hey, I don’t care, I think it can work out!) I want to see my daughters develop their own empires and love what they are doing… (they are on their way already but I sure want to keep guiding and helping them to succeed!) I want to help friends to create their own pathways to self employment and extra income to help furnish their own dreams with wings! I want to write my 20,000th post on my blog!!!

I’m so glad that I finally had a change of heart and thought and decided, the heck with it… I’m not going out without a fight! I don’t care if I have 2 dozen crafts I want to do and I don’t care if my to do cards number in the hundreds… I do believe that staying busy is what keeps you young! Sure, might make you a little achey at night and the Bengay and Tylenol PM can be your friends… but hey, just think of all the advancements in medicine they have made in the last 22 years! They will come up with all kinds of wonderful things in the next 22 years and they just might come up with a few cures for what ails me now and then! Won’t that be wonderful…

Well, I’m off to go do a little wool rug hooking…. while I watch a bit of Homestead Blessings DVD. I ordered my garlic for fall planting this weekend and it should be coming soon… We got the fireboard and tiles to get the corn stove in place and I managed to get a sweet deal on a scroll saw for Maggie and I to play with making stuff! I’m going to try and build a cider press this weekend… I came up with a great, cheap way to get it done! (Don’t worry, I’ll take pictures!) I just ordered a subscription to Countryside magazine and I’m probably going to order Hobby Farm and Mary Jane’s Farm too! (Because I hate paying nearly $6 at the newstand per issue!) I might even clean out Blue and I will definitely go and get some hay from a super nice lady I know! I’m going to try and squeeze in a hay ride music picking party at Bill’s on Saturday and I hope to have time to give Cody a REAL good grooming! He’s a dirty little pony boy!

My gosh… I have at least 22 years of good to do cards left in me! Can’t wait!!!!