A fresh new year

I have always felt an urge to greet the new year with a clean home, and a clean barnyard. The first is quite simple to achieve, I was up at 5AM, bucket in hand, scrubbing away the remnants of 2011.

The second is harder to accomplish.  We have spent the last week cleaning out the sheep barn, mucking out the donkey stalls, ensuring that fresh straw greets the cows. Today we are cleaning out the chicken coops. I just completed the first one, and I am pleased to report that the chickens are currently nestled in their fresh pine shavings.

We will do a dump run later today, and a decluttering of house and outbuildings. Now is the time to give things away! It's amazing what you collect over the course of a year. An extra whiteboard, an old Formica table, burlap sacks.... it's nice to gift others with the objects that you no longer need. With each freecycle your space is a little bit cleaner and your heart is a little bit happier.

I usually create three piles. One to keep and put away where it belongs, one for freecycle or goodwill, and one to sell.  In the beginning, there is chaos but as you sort and declutter things begin to fall into place and before long order is restored.

I wish you and yours a very happy New Year, and hope that you life in 2012 is heart happy!