This site is an archive of ChiotsRun.com. For the latest information about Susy and her adventrures, visit the Cultivate Simple site.
Thank you for all your support over the years!

JINXED

December 31st, 2013

Well, we did it – we jinxed ourselves. On our podcast on Sunday evening we were talking about how our chicken coop had barely escaped a HUGE branch that fell in the big ice storm. Monday morning when I went out to the coop I saw this:
chicken coop 2
chicken coop 1
chicken coop 3
Yep a big branch right through the side. At least it wasn’t too bad, I will still be able to open the door when the ice melts. We’ve been wanting to rebuild the run anyways, now it looks like that task is going to be moved to the top of the list. We’re considering a hoop house type structure instead of this wood framed one, we’ll see what ends up getting built.

Have you ever had any damage to property from storms?

Cultivate Simple 59: New Goals for the New Year

December 30th, 2013

Today on the show we discuss our process for setting goals and achieving them. Here are some tips we discuss on the show:

  • Be realistic, but don’t be afraid to dream, just be able to put goals on the back burner
  • Break a task down into manageable pieces.
  • Figure out what you’re going to have to invest to reach your goal in time and money
  • Set a deadline
  • Map your progress (make a list and check items off)
  • Celebrate success or failure

to-do-list

Brian’s Geeky Corner

Google Search Tips

What are your goals for the coming New Year?

Quote of the Day: Robert Frost

December 29th, 2013

“Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.”

Robert Frost

Road Sign
It’s beginning to feel like it might end in ice around here! No thawing yet and 6″-10″ inches of snow coming today and tomorrow. It’s certainly a mess out there, I can’t imagine what all the trails back in the woods looks like.

What’s the worst weather issues you have in your garden?

Good Morning Sunshine

December 28th, 2013

With all the weather we’ve been having over the past week, the sun hasn’t shown it’s face very often.  Christmas morning, it did rise up over the horizon right in front of the house.  It was a stunning sunrise, especially with all the ice still lingering on the trees.
Sunny winter morning 1
Above is the view from our upstairs window.
Sunny winter morning 2
Sunny winter morning 3
The morning was made even better with a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls!
Sunny winter morning 4
One of the things we LOVE about Maine is that the sun is out almost all winter long. In NE Ohio we barely saw the sun during the winter months, they skies were always grey.

Do you see the sun frequently in the winter months?

Friday Favorite: Getting Crafty

December 27th, 2013

Now that winter is here, I finally have some time to dust off my sewing machine and get crafting.  I never have time to sew the rest of the year. I’ve been wanting to make a few quilts for a long time.  In fact, I’ve been saving pieces of clothing for years for this.  Last week I cut out the strips and sewed them all together.
quilting 1
Then I set to work on my second quilt, one that will hold all of the patches we’ve collected throughout our travels.  I just finished sewing the top on this one last night.  It’s made of old pants that I’ve saved.  The fun part is that most of these pants were worn during our travels to these places.
quilting 2
quilting 3
Next up I have to quilt them.  I’ll use old flannel sheets for the inside of the quilt and old sheets for the backing.  The best part of these quilts is that they were FREE.  All the fabric was saved items that were past the point of mending.    Quilting really is a great way to use up those things that can no longer be used in their previous forms.

Do you have anything you do in the winter that you don’t do in summertime?

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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