It is New Year's Day, so as is my annual tradition, here is your official reminder. Check the batteries in your smoke detectors! I just changed the batteries in one of mine today. Smoke detectors save lives - but only if they are functional! Take a few minutes to make sure your smoke detectors are working, and replace the batteries regularly to make sure they don't run out!
So, what have I been up to recently? Crochet. Yup, I'm back to my yarn addiction. A few months ago I got bored and taught myself how to make an amigurumi octopus. Keep in mind, I can't read patterns, so I have to figure it out for myself. I liked the original result so much I made another, and another, and another. I made them in different sizes and colors, I even made one in Vikings colors with horns for my mom for Christmas (she's obviously a big Vikings football fan) Then I tried making a banana, and a kiwi, and a snowman. I'm working on a blanket now with some of the yarn I got for Christmas. Eventually I do plan on listing the hats and amigurumi octopi in the Bonanza shop, but for now my mind is more on creating and less on listing and selling.
In October I officially gave up my child-production capabilities. After many years of medical issues with my "baby maker bits" it was finally time to have it removed. It was an excellent option because it turned out I had major adhesion issues inside from my last surgery, and the doctor was able to "unstick" bowel, bladder, and ovary from the mess. It turns out, I don't have nearly as many food intolerances as I struggled with, it was purely a digestion issue caused by the adhesions strangling my innards. I still can't have some foods, but I'm relearning what's allowed and what's still off limits.
What about gardening? This year I largely took a break from all of it. Mostly due to ongoing health and pain issues (now hopefully resolved). I do plan to get back into winter sowing this year, and gardening this summer. We have some perennial beds with strawberries and raspberries, but I want to get back into regular gardening too. Cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, and so on.
What about rabbits? As for the rabbits, we are down to the last handful of rabbits on the homestead and we really don't have any plans to breed anymore. The original plan had been to raise meat rabbits and only eat the ones we didn't sell by the time they were big enough - but of course by then we're attached to them. Not to mention with Facebook blocking animal sales, there's only a limited audience with sites like Craigslist, and we virtually stopped selling any rabbits at all. We've slowly sold off what we can. I'd happily sell most, if not all of the rest, if someone were to make a reasonable offer and provide them with a good home. I loved raising them, and it was fun, but we don't eat as much meat these days, and I've come to hate having to butcher and process animals. It takes a heavy emotional toll, and honestly, it's just not worth it for me. Maybe we will try again in the future, but right now I think our rabbit breeding days are going to be on hiatus unless one of the kids wants to take over breeding and marketing the kits to find them homes. On the plus side, the barn chores that used to take 45 minutes can now be done in about five to seven minutes.
Check your smoke detectors! Happy New Year!