After reading some of the recent controversies, I thought we could take the questions in a different direction and find out what everyone is DOING? What are your current projects inside and outside? Are you learning anything interesting? Just wondering!!! We are currently building a new horse barn, it will probably take a few more months to finish the barn plus revamp the fencing around the barn. In the last few months we have built a new root cellar, chicken house and an outhouse. I am getting ready to start a new quilt after Christmas. It will be made out of blue jean anf flannel scraps. I have been saving up for several years, and the cost should be practically nothing. I hope everyone is keeping warm out there!

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), December 22, 2000

Answers

My dh just finished a porch/deck 6x8 out our kithcen door, and a 3 stall garage type building out of a deck and garage he bought off a guy and my 12 yr old son and dh tore it down. Now if I can just get him to finish the chicken pen and more space for the goats. I'll probably start working on my garden in January, we plant potatos and such early here, we've got some new ground to work on, decide exactly what I'm going to do, may sew some when it's to cold outside, not sure what though

-- Carol in Tx (cwaldrop@peoplescom.net), December 22, 2000.

I FINISHED MY GOAT PEN! The goats are next to the barn now and easier to care for in the bad weather. (they are happier too) Next project is finishing the basement for a rec room. When it gets warm again, I'll have to put up more fencing.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), December 22, 2000.

Inside I am finishing up knitting a pair of socks and hope to get my craft/computer room clean and organized before it is time to start thinking about starting plants for the garden. I just got a really neat pattern from Cindy to crochet a little girl doll holding a goose that I would like to do for my granddaughter. Outside, as little as possible because it is soooo cold. Was working on making some raised flower beds with field stone before the snow set in.(that's why I didn't get all the wood dear one cut out of the woods)

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 22, 2000.

We live in a very small town ----which is like liveing in the country- -& the town has been dyeing for many years---I am working with a non- profit group as the head grant writting consultant--to restore the old abandonded school house into a community center/ rec, center & also a community history center/ etc. etc. etc. also working at support/ in restoreing our 1800's stone mill at the edge of town.

My daughter is expecting our 3rd grand child & I have filled in homeschooling my grandsons/while she goes to doctor appointments for the baby!

When it is warm enough I have been down at our ware house sorting inventory/ ready to sell!

When hubby has more time we are going to move the small chicken house/ & fix another entrance to the barn for the ducks & geese.

His project over Christmas vacation is to install wood burning stove on sun porch, again/ as when electricty goes off /in this samll town we loose everything--

We put a pump on the well in front of our house, so we can water stock with well water & we have water when electricity goes off!

Seems there is always something to do!! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), December 23, 2000.

I have a bunch of quilts going. I traded my midwife a quilt for her attending our birth, and have to finish it now, it is a tesselating leaves pattern. Also have an overall sam quilt going for each boy, they are fun and you can pick them up and do a little at a time; hoping to get them done by spring as a birthday present. Also have a large bed quilt that is almost finished, and another to finish piecing the top, and belong to a quilt group where we sew a row of blocks for each other every month. The row I have now is supposed to e for a chicken quilt. I guess I'm pretty busy just with all the quilting and the children's homeschooling, but most of the quilts aren't urgent. I've also been sewing clothes for the kids, and making Chanukah presents. The goats are nearly all pregnant and dry now, so hopefullly I can get some of this done before kidding time rolls around. And I thought I was going to have a nice rest this winter!!

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), December 23, 2000.

Here the bookcase/hutch has been finished and given to the mrs. for her other birthday gift. And she thought i would sell it on her. And we are prepairing for our move out of Texas and the Army in three weeks. Need to finish school and put away some money and pay for some land in Alaska while liveing back in CT. And getting ready to see the kids for the frist time in one and a half years. they are sorely missed

-- Anthony J. DiDonato (didonato@vvm.com), December 23, 2000.

Well---we finished our rabbit enclosure so that when the weather is pretty they can be let out in a little fence for a couple of hours at a time to "play." We have been working on the chicken end of the barn too...

It has been so cold here in north 'Bama the last two weeks we've had to put some of our outside projects on hold (plus we need more MONEY as usual!!!)

I hope to get a treadle sewing machine in the next few months if I can find a good used one. Then I will be able to sew and quilt more. I also hope to get my hand spindle after Christmas and begin learning to spin my Angora rabbit's hair (along with some other wool mixed in.)

Right now we're just basically in a "survival" mode trying to get through Christmas and the cold weather. We have a new inside Tom Cat which means we have THREE cats in the house which may sound awful but we live too close to a highway (on our 13 acres) to let them outside. Chipper is beginning to get along with Biscuit and Baxter so I guess we'll survive. They are all "rescue" type cats.

I'm already drooling over some seed and fruit tree catalogs and making plans for spring. I hope to can even more this summer.

So that's about it for us right now. Oh...husband is still doing pretty good in the handyman business he started in June and I'm still writing for two newspapers. suzy

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), December 23, 2000.

I added another "pasture" to my worm ranch (another bin in my wifes livingroom), am taking the cardboard brick project to the next level (making it into walkway stones and raised beds for the garden) and Lynn just started on her 4th handmade quilt.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), December 23, 2000.

Finishing up Christmas presents! I spent more time this year doing stuff for others (I feel good about that decision) but it has got me "behind" in my projects a bit. So finishing some knitting and a little sewing and embroidering (one project left of each.)

Today is cooking some stuff for tomorrow night. My husband is making a new tack room in the ewe barn today. We have to fix up the water tank spigot which froze and broke. There's always firewood to chop and kindling to split....that never ends. One of these days when it isn't raining or snowing, I am going to have to do some major barn cleanup. I also keep looking at my garden beds and want to get out there and start messing around. Always something to do!

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), December 23, 2000.

Also finishing Christmas gifts. When it was warmer, started digging up the garden for next year (getting rid of raised beds - they worked okay, but not best use of space here and supporting logs were rotting anyway). Only got half done before cold hit, hope to get rest dug up soon so I can cover it with newspaper and leaves for the next season. Biggest change yet - got rid of the TV. Had hubby take it out. If he still wants to watch, he'll have to set it up somewhere out of my pathway. Gone a week already and I barely miss it, except out of habit. Got a lot done, feel better. Should have done it ages ago, but an addiction is hard to give up until you're fed up.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), December 23, 2000.

I've got several things on the burners. Most are to do with present business and future attempts. Ministry of helps is on the FRONT burner as we are making plans for it's advancement. Soni! I CAN'T get rid of our t.v. How in the world would I go to sleep in my recliner if I didn't have that noise to occupy my ole tard brane? Matt. 24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), December 23, 2000.

Just put a furnace in !!! We heated with wood and coal for the last 3 years and boy does it feel nice to be toasty all the time .We finished a new porch .We are working on closing up air leaks .Next will be the barn .

-- Patty (fodfarms@slic.com), December 23, 2000.

Hoot - you sound just like my grampa (God rest his soul). He used to "watch" TV from his easy chair and woe to the person who got up the nerve to shut it off or change the channel! He'd wake up hollering and letting everybody know that he was "watching that show" (baseball or news, usually), then of course he'd go right back to sleep! Sure do miss the old coot! Can I adopt you?

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), December 24, 2000.

Now that the holidays are on the down hill slide, we are vamping up to start/finish some projects here. Gonna move the chicken house to the other side of the yard. Start on the barn. Finish remolding the kitchen and both of the bathrooms. My wonderful husband bought me a professional quilting machine for Christmas and I can't wait to get started on that! I have lots of sewing projects that I want to do, to sell in the spring craft fairs. Clean out the garden shed and re- organize. And look for a greenhouse. Blessings, Sissy

-- sissy sylvester-barth (jerreleene@hotmail.com), December 25, 2000.

We've been working on getting the place ready to sell (cleaning up the house, grounds, and garage, mostly), building rabbit cages for the rabbits Greg wants to get, building a goat pen in the garage for the two does I brought home the other day and the others I'll be getting shortly (if the lady who has them ever gets back to me about it!). Trying to keep the house warm, organize and pack up stuff that isn't needed for right now to reduce the clutter (but I'm still looking for my milking pail and the milk strainer, which haven't been used for several years!). I have sewing projects that have been sitting since last winter, and hopefully will start making some progress on them in the next couple of weeks. But tomorrow I'm going to sleep in!!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), December 26, 2000.

We just got done fencing our 2 acre field for the cows, who are currently at the neighbors getting bred and we are getting ready to start hauling some of the pigs to the butcher for the customers. Don't plan on much till it warms up.

-- Tom (Calfarm@msn.com), December 26, 2000.

This is a fun thread. Hubby is currently spending his days repainting the entire kitchen. He is also going to put down new linoleum and we are going shopping next week for a new fridge and stove. I told him this fall that this project was on our agenda for the winter and he has jumped right in with gusto. We are also researching where to buy nut and fruit trees because a new orchard is on our agenda for spring. Hubby is also going to expand his dried flower gardens. Last year he had about 8,000 plants. This year I think he plans to double it. He just built a work bench down cellar last night to paint the kitchen cupboards on and will work on the dried flower arrangements down there when he finishes the kitchen because it is too cold to work at his bench in the barn at this time of year. We have had a great year this year just chipping away at projects we wanted to get done. Hubby built a large greenhouse for us this past spring so we are really looking forward to spring planting time. Give me those seed catalogues!!!!

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), December 27, 2000.

After screwing up two nice chances at a doe and a five point during archery and rifle season respectfully, I am now takiong my flintlock for long walks in the woods. I sold the timber on my land this fall and made a good profit and meet a nice father and son Amish logger crew. They just finished today. My fat her was a logger but this was the first time I saw a horse skid team in action.(I was a fool for getting educated and leaving that business.) I finaaly installed a potbelly stove in my cabin so I won't freeze. Now maybe my wife will come out and see the place. She is from the big city of Warren and her idea of roughing it is waiting an extra five minutes for the waiter to bring the salad. But I love her, just the same. In service to my Lord Jesus. Scott

-- Scott (swamphunter@hotmail.com), December 28, 2000.