Monday, December 31, 2007

Easy Steps

The last day of 2007. I can't help it. I'm a compulsive resolution maker, and I do a pretty decent job of keeping the easy ones. So I decided to make all of them easy this year.

Instead of "lose 25 lbs", I'm going to lose 2 lbs per month and by 2009 I'll be my idea weight. That's a boring resolution I know, but I have two others! Do devotion daily (read my Bible and pray) and Stick with my monthly budget. I love Dave Ramsey. He's the only one that ever made finances seem comprehensible to me!

It's certainly not the only things I need to improve or do this year, but I believe if I accomplish these things my life will be better.

I already try daily to improve and refine my daily routines. I do know that this year I would like to find pleasure in day to day chores. I no longer dread them, but I can't really say I enjoy them. Recently I decided to bake all of my bread ($3.99 organic loaf Vs. $.75 homemade organic loaf). I find that I really like to do it. I'm always looking for new easy recipes. I found a really easy no knead loaf. I'll share it in future posts.

So 2008 I'm going to take you in easy steps.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Why I chose Plain Old Kristi


Why "Plain Old Kristi" for my blog spot? When trying to think of a name I asked my husband, "What do people call Me?" I answered my own question with, "Nothing, they just call me plain old Kristi." Really that's exactly what I am! Myself.

I guess a blog is just a sort of published journal, but I have really learned some great things on the blogs I visit. My favorite are those on simplicity, sustainability, gardening and small farming. I live on 3 acres and am attempting to turn it into a sort of organic oasis in the middle of commercial citrus orchards.

I have planted my own mini orchard of citrus. I have numerous fruit and nut trees, a veggie garden and I am getting chickens in February! Recently I ordered a bunch of heirloom seeds from (I believe) Bakers creek Farm. Their site is "Idigmygarden.com". Can't wait to try them.

It's amazing how little I know about farming or farm animals when both of my parents grew up on rural farms. They just moved to the city and all was lost. Fortunately for me, my parents took me to visit my Grandmother on her farm and I lived in her garden or in the pastures when I was there.

I'm really still learning, but my desire is for my three acres to be sustainable. I would like my gardens to be pesticide and chemical fertilizer free. Today my husband, Byron, made hardware cloth bins for me to put the leaves I raked in. I plan to compost the leaves and use them in my garden. I can't wait to see how it improves my garden. I had a really nice first year garden before Hurricane Katrina, but had to start over. This is the first season I have planted veggies since the storm. I planted a cold season crop and they are doing all right. I need to improve.