How Do You Keep Busy Offseason ?

[Nyboy]

I know a lucky few here can garden all year. Most of us have a winter where we can't garden. How do you spend the time, you would be outside gardening? I seem to redecorate rooms in my house.

 

[so lucky]

Spending most of my spare time this winter sewing, reading, going to exercise classes, daydreaming about gardening.
I will try to post some pics of recent projects:

I made two of the Mine Craft "Creeper" quilts, for my grand daughters who are Mine Craft enthusiasts, at 7 and 8 years old.

 

[Ridgerunner]

With the extra time I mainly sit around getting fatter and playing on the computer. I can still get outside some, mainly pruning trees, cleaning up perennial beds, and a few other projects too when it is not too wet or windy.

I do a fair amount of canning. I've always got chicken carcasses in the freezer to turn into broth and help clean out the freezer. I can soup from potatoes sprouting and going bad and using veggies I froze specifically for that purpose.

Before Christmas I made a lot of jams and jellies for Christmas presents from fruit and berries I froze last summer. I travel a lot too in the winter, visiting relatives around Christmas.

But mostly I sit around getting fat and playing on the computer.

 

[digitS']

Well, I've already been out shoving snow. I count on doing that as, at least, a part of my winter exercise.

When I don't need to do the shoving, there is walking for exercise. I will often drive somewhere to do that walking.

I'm disappointed in the books available for my "ereader." It's just about time for me to read that 1 novel I read each winter. I don't care much for fiction and that is dang near all that the library has for this tablet.

The nonfiction has to be selected within my interests. I've ordered a political opinion book on natural resources - not because I'm likely to agree with the author but because I'm curious if he has any new ideas or simply the same hackneyed malarkey of the past. Ideas for books like that usually come from teevee news programs.

Steve
who begins today on round 2 of "doing" taxes

 

[Jeni Ann]

Awesome Lucky!! I tried quilting when I was younger - thought it was too "fussy". Now I spend a fair amount of time doing "fussy" sewing and especially like hand sewing. My how we change... I never expected to get more patient w/ age.
I do sewing, art journaling, photography, crafting, working on COFH* (floors, right now) seed catalog dreaming, Fostering dogs (none at the moment -?-), reading and wasting time on the computer, when I am not at work (7 hr days during the school year).
*Crappy Old Farm House

 

[so lucky]

When I worked outside the home, I would be so drained, mentally and emotionally, that I didn't have the energy for anything else. Weekends were spent catching up on chores that were neglected all week. I had no creative fire, no creative spark to ignite a fire. Then when I retired (quit working before it killed me) it took the better part of 3 years for me to come around to having that energy again to want to do creative things. Physical issues became emotional issues, and vice-versa.

I still have a difficult time staying focused, staying enthusiastic about a project, but it's getting better. I just have to stick with projects that I can do without help from DH, as he is no longer capable. I need to face that reality.

 

[Jared77]

For me it starts with being Dad. I work usually 2, 24hr shifts a week. So the rest of the time Im trying to catch up on things not done or enjoying the day with my girls.

That or kid projects. We've built a birdhouse so far this off season, as well as some other small craft projects.

That plus canning, LOTS of canning, as the seasons over finishing up berries or fruit we've picked earlier in the year that would keep when frozen.

October till Feb I spend quite a bit of time in the woods too. I'm usually training the dog, hunting, and carving duck decoys to help give me something to do while the younger one is napping.

For me staying busy isn't the problem it's getting things done in a timely manner since I'm on their schedule.

 

[goatgurl]

because i have animals too i stay busy feeding and caring for them. the sheep are heavy bred now and i'll be looking for lambs soon, the goats will start kidding around the first of march, the chickens just got a new roof on their house. there is always something to keep me off the streets and out of trouble.

 

[ducks4you]

Winter animal care is 10x more time consuming from November until April, than the other 1/2 of the year. It's good for my horses to be turned out as often as possible, but I don't need any Vet bills from exposure, and during storm days they are inside their stalls. I'm home today, but I'll be out in about an hour cleaning stalls in anticipation of the Alberta Clipper coming in tonight with 3 inches of snow. I get to put in 5-10 minutes of horse training every day, so that my 3 horses don't forget their manners, when I turn them out and bring them back in, and they spend every night in a stall. Once we get to March, there may be a warm front without rain, and I'll leave them out.
I also am keeping a pared down flock of six EE hens. I use a heated dog water bowl for them, so less water toting but I still open up their little coop to collect eggs and clean. When it's pouring or there is a storm I keep an extra feed bowl in the coop for them, instead of feeding them in their run. I prefer to clean up after my birds with their poo is frozen. Bc of this still rotten economy I can get all of my hay in the loft before the winter, but I can't afford to stock up on all of the bedding, so I have to buy pine shavings, Equine Fresh and straw. I will need to make a straw run next week, but I may be able to buy enough to see my through most of the rest of the winter. There is nothing like straw to insulate your outside animals.
In the house I am cleaning, straightening, organizing and throwing away!
Then, there is my part time job, Notary Signing Agent work, which feels like full time some weeks. Beginning of January is typically slow, so I'm doing more in the house at this time.
Maybe I'll get to some sewing beyond repair work this month. =b

 

[ninnymary]

ducks4you, it seems like you are very busy. I enjoyed hearing about your day. I guess you don't get bored like my friend thistlebloom. I don't think she has enough to keep her busy during the winter months.

Mary