A new year

So, it's now 2012, time for new plans, time for new resolutions or for me time for reflection. Time to think over the past year, it's successes and failures and what I would like to do differently this year given the choice.

Well for me one of the sucesses of the year was a wonderful family holiday, 3 days in Biarritz and then 2 weeks in the Dordogne for four of us. But that then was the partial cause of one of the failures of the year, the vegetable garden. The holiday was at a critical stage of growing and planting and as a result when we got back seedlings had died and the plants had bolted. I just didn't have the heart to start again and as a result I lost a full season in the garden.

So this year we already have plans in place for the vegetable garden. Darling husband went out over the weekend and started to clear all the weeds out of the raised beds, then the hens had a great time picking over them. I have been going through all the seed catalogues and seeds we already have and planning what we would like to grow this year. Also I have cleaned out the large chest freezer in anticipation of the wonderful produce we will grow.

Other plans for this year are to add to our poultry. We have 3 hens for eggs but are considering chickens and ducks for meat, it is still at the planning stage and we are trying to figure out the killing and preparing of the meat, who does what and when and how many. Any advice gratefully received.