How I Did "Anyway" in January

Domestic Infrastructure - these are the realities of home life, including making your home work better with less, getting organized, dealing with domestic life, etc...

• finishing the plastic on the crawl space insulation - I'm not doing it, hubby is -- and it's dependent on weather at this point Cold weather overtook us and we didn't really get a thaw this month.
  
• sealing up the cellar foundation Only a small amount of work done on this.
  
• sealing up windows in the two storage areas off the kitchen Nothing done
  
• de-clutter and organize art and craft storage Completed and a much more workable space now because of of it.
  
• curtains on the windows of one room for sound-proofing and heat retention Done.
  

Household Economy: Financial goals, making ends meet, saving, barter etc...

• selling off a Les Paul guitar that hubby doesn't use much (ad posted) Still not sold.
  
• eating down the stores through January to reduce outside purchases (challenge) Reduced our outside spending to under $100 -- and that included some stock-up! Also decluttered the pantry and organized "oldest first" use.
  
• set up budget for our next travel vacation The budget is set and the money is being saved so we'll have all funds available before we go so we won't be "spending ahead" via credit card. We'll still use the card, but funds will be in the chequing account to cover it.
  

Resource Consumption : in which we use less of stuff, and strive to live in a way that has an actual future.

• thermal pot cooking Have been using it for soups, curry, stew, rice -- sometimes twice a day!
  
• walking for shopping and volunteer work (use car as little as possible) I've been dressing for the weather and walking is no problem. I also got a lighter, more erogonomic one strap pack which is great to use.
  

Cottage Industry and Subsistence:: The things we do that prevent us from needing to buy things, and the things we produce that go out into the world and provide for others. Not everyone will do both, but it is worth encouraging.

• designing reusable Christmas tags from photos I took of Williamsburg wreaths Done
  
• learning to make custom-sized socks Did the reading and measuring, but have yet to start a pair.
  
• starting next year's Christmas presents by using up my re-discovered yarn stash with a new knitting book I got I've knit a couple of things for myself, but other things are planned.
  

Family and Community: Pretty much what it sounds like. How do we enable those to take the place of collapsing infrastructure?

• co-learning with a celiac neighbor how to make polenta (an economical gluten-free "fast food"!) Nothing done
  
• begin planning to build an outdoor oven with neighbors Nothing done
  

Outside Work: Finding a balance, doing good work, serving the larger community as much as we can, within our need to make a living.

• volunteer work with Peterborough Greenup's Urban Forest project (GIS mapping and data analysis) --> explore using iTree software for them It looks like we'll be able to do a lot with iTree.
  

Time and Happiness: Those things without which there's really no point.

• Nordic walking to enjoy whatever sunshine we have this month and get fresh air Lots of walking and we've had enough good snow that I could also do Nordic skiing this year.
  
• fiction reading (second-hand or borrowed books) Delightful to read to a book of short stories a friend wrote and gave me for Christmas.
  
• making digital photo collages of our year's travels for our scrapbook Got caught up from past trips
  
• start an art journal Began it!