Prep School Daily Goals for 2024

I knew I’d posted my goals for previous years on the blog, so I went to take a look at those not just for inspiration for today’s article, but also to evaluate whether I had made any progress.  And I was relieved to find that even though it has been three years since those goals were posted, I did make some improvements.

I can bake more kinds of bread using a variety of methods.  The garden has produced very well.  We failed to propagate fruit trees from cuttings, but were blessed with a few dozen saplings that germinated in the kitchen waste/compost we used in a vegetable bed, a huge win in my book.  Per the usual, the garden will be expanded more this year.  I’m hoping to grow a lot more corn, beans, and pumpkins, and tomatoes, and well, more of everything. 

As far as this past year goes, I perused the list of articles to refresh my memory.  Learning to make real sourdough definitely ranks as a highlight for me this year.  I will be forever grateful to Abby for teaching me.

I loved trying out new recipes.  The peanut butter granola and apple fritters are to die for.  The hot cinnamon milk and egg nog mixes are really tasty. 

On the medical side of preparing, I was grateful to find another source for hard-to-get medications, like for nerve blocks for minor surgery (for a doctor to use, not you).  It was good to learn about preparing for accidental acetaminophen overdose and the medicinal uses of peaches.  I could have passed on the not-so-fun experiences of folliculitis and no-holds-barred diarrhea. 

I deeply appreciated reading the personal account of Dr. Woo Jun Hong in Beggar at the Banquet and how he and his wife used chicken eggs to rebuild their family’s wealth and the largest Christian school in the world.  I loved the chicken and egg stories readers shared from their family history. 

So what are the goals for 2024?  You know, aside from the generic “learn more.”  Because there is always more to learn about food and gardening. 

• Personally, I wish to become more kind and will pray to develop charity in action and thought.  This will probably take the rest of my life, but I hope to make some progress in the coming year.
• I have shelves full of books.  I have a goal to read just 15 minutes per day from those books. 

As far as the writing the blog and books goes, and which will be of greater interest to you, there are a few items.

• I hope to switch the blog over to Word Press.  Blogger becomes harder to use with each “upgrade.”  I’m really nervous about it and scared to begin.  So it might be a few months.  Or more.
• Per Michael's request, figure out how to put the books/blog on a thumb drive.
  
• I plan to publish two more books this year, one on all the herbs and other substances used in healing.  Not sure what the other will be—there are a few possibilities. 
• Those two goals alone, plus life (my youngest daughter got engaged Christmas Eve and will be getting married in March), will necessitate a change in the blog.  I’ve always believed that preparedness is a way of daily life.  From the beginning I wanted to run a new article each day.  After a few months, it just wasn’t sustainable for me, and so I began reruns.  And I was ok with that, because I often forget what I have written.  If I do that as the writer, there are probably many readers who do that as well.  Refreshers and reminders are always good. 
• Regular readers know that Sundays have always been reruns, and I have never felt any guilt about that.  Starting this year, Saturdays will also always be reruns, as will holidays as I adopt more of a traditional “school” schedule.  Which also means that I will take the summer off and rerun articles then as well.  Gardening and preserving are demanding.

And after reading all those excuses (which is what it feels like) why not just do all reruns?  Because that is what it feels like it will be, at least to me right now.  And I don’t like that.  But I don’t see a way around it.  I still have at least 200-300 article ideas here.  And that doesn't include the news ones that will pop up from you readers and my family.  I just don’t have enough time to research and write.  But I will continue to attempt to have new articles during the week. 

Because I still have a lot to learn.

Links to related posts:

Goals for 2021  

Another Source for Hard-to-Get Medications  

Peanut Butter Granola  

Apple Fritters  

Using the HSA/FSA Account to Purchase Medical Preps 

Preparing for accidental acetaminophen overdose 

The Medicinal Uses of Peaches

Folliculitis

Chickens and Eggs in a Collapsed Society  

Three Perfect Ingredients—Real Sourdough Bread  

Medicinal Use of Spider Webs