School's back in session in the Shaffer household. It's hard to get into a routine, and more so when you aren't quite ready for it. I seldom feel ready for anything, and I think it's because I want to do everything, and thus do nothing. I've made many resolutions to solve this character flaw, but they never worked, and I'm getting old. I think this will be the story of my life.

I promised a bucket list, and I have worked on compiling one. Here is the short list of things I want to do this year.

Appearance

I want to wear more skirts, and, dare I say it, I want to wear the dreaded jumper. Not all the time, but sometimes. There's more to life than jeans.

I have to decide about hair length. With one exception, I've kept my hair shoulder length or longer all my life. Of course, with chemo, I lost my hair. It was hard at first, but you grow accustomed to being bald. Grooming is so much easier without hair =). Now that it's growing back I find that I like the way it looks in a shorter style. I may keep it short.


Health

Cancer - don't want to give it an opportunity to come back by living an unhealthy lifestyle.
Diabetes - my next big challenge.
Weight loss, exercise, applying all I know about healthy diet.
Keeping my mental outlook positive. I believe I made myself sick with worry and grief, and giving in to sorrow did nothing to improve any of the things that worried. me.


Christian Ministry

I find as I grow older that I regret not getting involved in ministry. To be sure, I've been faithful in church attendance, and I've kept my own soul fed. But I've not poured myself into the lives of others. I want to serve. I want to make a difference.


Homesteading

I have to smile at this. I don't really have a "homestead", but I like to do homesteady type things, just to say I did. I would never try to live a true homesteading lifestyle (too citified I guess). So, here goes:

Sewing: finish the two quilts I have started - perhaps start another one; make a sundress for my granddaughter Savanna, and shorts for my grandsons Jeremiah and Khy; make one or more aprons.

Canning: put up food from the garden; buy or make a shelf for my canned goods; make homemade sauerkraut -  just to say I did it.

Gardening: build, paint and put in six 4 x 8 raised bed boxes; plant blueberries, put in trellis for grapes, start some seedling inside

Orchard: keep up with the spraying schedule; fertilize peach trees; perhaps plant two plum trees, and two apple trees. Or perhaps just learn to be content buying fruit from Scott's orchard.

Kitchen: make bread on a more regular basis; make cheese (at least once, just to say I did it).

General: dip candles - again, just to say I did it; make soap - I've done this before, and would like to perfect it.


Homeschooling

Take a good look at where we are and where we want to go. I've homeschooled most of my life. I have to say I'm ready for a break. But I don't have much longer to go. I'd like to finish well.


Writing

This is what I want most to do (along with ministry), and it is the one thing that frightens me the most. I believe I could do a good job, if only I had some inspiration.


Well, that's enough to keep anyone busy, and it just scratches the surface. Most of these things I "resolve" to do with each new year. I just keep plugging away at the same old things, hoping someday to have finished the list and perfected my skills. One thing is sure, while my friends have moved on and developed new skills and interests, I remain the same.