# March "To Do" List



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

Well, we all know what we're here for :gaptooth:

Here's mine:

1. Spring Clean the boys' room.

2. Mud, sand, and prime the upstairs hallway.

3. Clean goat barn.

4. Spring clean coop

5. Butcher roosters

6. Start tomatoes and finish Winter Seed Sowing cottage garden flowers.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I missed out on the Feb To-Do thread as my computer was on the fritz most of the month - glad to be back for the March thread (complete with new laptop)! 



1. Finish planting the rest of my fruit trees, blueberry and huckleberry bushes, transplanting strawberries and raspberries. *bought 11 fruit trees and 4 more blueberries in February, planted 8 trees in Feb, another one today.*

2. Move fences to enlarge the garden and enclose orchard. *Working on this one over the last couple days - the new orchard around the henhouse is fenced and after the chicken wire is added, will be a second chicken run, too. The garden fence is down and moved to new location, some of the posts pulled and moved, pounded, with more planned for tomorrow.*

3. Germination test the rest of my seeds and start cold tolerant vegies (potatoes, peas, carrots, cole crops).

4. Continue to cut and stack firewood for rest of this heating season and for next year. *ongoing - worked on it again today*

5. File tax return, use some of the refund to pay for gravel driveway from house parking area to barn, plus more gravel on the main driveway and parking area.

6. Run electric fence around pastures and get the field fence up, too.

7. Cut down the dead stalks from last year's flowers and weed/mulch flower beds. *finished snapping off dead stems today, spread mulch on the beds on south end of house yesterday and today.*

8. Keep up on the housework - been looking pretty good for a couple months now.  *ongoing and looking good today.*

9. Update freezer and pantry inventory.

10. Keep working on that blasted shed! *DD finally finished removing the old, soggy hay from the shed yesterday. I scraped the floor today to get the rest of the loose hay out so the floor can dry, and finished squaring up the walls again.*

So, I'm off to a good start so far this month.


----------



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

I made lots of progress today! 

I started my tomatoes. They're in a tray on top of the fridge right now. I also WSS some black-eyed susans and some butterfly weed. I still have a few more to go, but I need to get more potting soil first. Number 6 on my list is 75% done.

I also (finally) got rid of the pig I've been keeping for a friend and cleaned out that stall in the barn. I moved the buck and wether away from my does and not a moment too soon! One of my goats looks like she's going to pop any minute! So number 3 on my list is half done.

My FIL is coming over to visit on Saturday. He's going to give my husband some pointers on how to remove the painted iron banister (ugly) and replace it with a beautiful wooden banister and handrail that salvaged from a construction job for us. Hopefully we'll be able to finish removing the wallpaper and mud the hall this weekend too.


----------



## Patches (Aug 9, 2006)

I can't believe it is already the 5th, and I haven't even thought about what I need to get done this month. It is already a very busy one for us. My baby son is going to Paris for a week on the 12th. He started training for his new job on Monday the 1st, and will have to train a little more when he gets back (they are working around his college schedule, which is wonderful), and then start full time college/work when he gets back on the 20th. Hubby is finishing up his project to deliver to Washington State the end of the month, and I am trying to keep everything going here.
I would like to:
1. clean garage completely out so we can do the remodel on it next month.
2. finish cleaning and some planting on the garden.
3. get some flowers transplanted, moved, and planted
4. Plant some asparagus and rhubarb
5. Finish a couple or three of my sewing/weaving projects
6. Make a couple batches of soap and some lotions
7. Get my paperwork in for Farmers Market
8. Get another big load of mulch so I can use it when I need it.
9. Pay off one more credit card on my road to debt-free. ( I think I can, I think I can.......)
10. Clean the barn out for spring/summer.
I know there is more that I am missing, but I figure if I can tackle these, with everything else that's on my plate this month, I will be happy.
Marilyn


----------



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

This is a really busy time of year for everyone, Patches. Thankfully it's also a really fun time because we're getting back to all the stuff we couldn't do all winter. 

I made good progress again today. I worked on spring cleaning the boys' room. I took the mattresses off one set of bunk beds and vacuumed them. Then I cleaned the wooden bunks with Murphy's Oil Soap. I remade the beds with nice clean sheets. I also cleaned the windows and washed down the walls on that side of the room. I still need to do the other set of bunk beds, the rest of the walls, the floor, and cull and disinfect the toy boxes. I have four sons ages 6-12. They sleep in the biggest bedroom in two sets of bunk beds and they love. it.


----------



## acabin42 (May 11, 2002)

I would like to join you if I can. :help: I just retired from work, and my house needs a good thourough cleaning from top to bottom. I am terrible at organizing, so any tips would be appreciated.
Here is my to do list for March:

1. clean bathroom and hallway first (lots of stuff to get rid of).

2. Kitchen.
a. clean fridge
b. clean pantry & cupboards (also lots of stuff to get rid of)
c. clean all counters, and stove.
d. scrub floor

IF I get this much done in March, I'll be way ahead of the game...Here's hoping I can...:sob: Please help me keep on the straight and narrow! Thanks!


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Welcome, acabin42. Of course you can join us! Read through the threads here and you'll find LOTS of good tips for organizing and cleaning. 

I'm exhausted tonight, but happy tired. I spent 4 hrs working on the garden fence and cutting wood on Friday, then worked an extra 12 hr shift at work last night, ran a few errands, and came home to cut and stack MORE wood all day today. I got the last stubborn fence posts pulled -well, all but one that I seem to have pounded into a huge root last time around. Got the back fence line on the orchard/garden laid out and about half of it finished. Cleared a good, big area of underbrush and cut about half a cord of wood - even managed to get some of it stacked before dark. I bought more plants while I was in town - now I have 2 more grapes, 9 primroses and 2 Harry Lauder's walking stick trees to plant in addition to all the rest of the planting I need to do. Maybe tomorrow.....


----------



## Pauline (Jan 28, 2003)

ok here is my list 
1- more shelving for the basement for books and crafts
2- make my headboard have everything bought just need to get it done
3- fix bathroom up the towel rack needs replacing and want to put beadboard up in there and paint it 
4-fix busted faucet in kitchen 
5- clean the tops of the kitchen cabinants (sp?) and the display items from up there 
6- keep kitchen table clear no more book piles 
7- start cleaning garden areas and get them ready for spring started one got it part way done then got wind and rain out there and so i came in
8- get a second dog run for puppies done bought and put together and being slept in as i type
9- finish up at least 2 sewing projects


----------



## maidservant (Dec 10, 2007)

For this month (this is my list so far, I'm sure it will grow):
breed rabbits
clear weeds from garden
continue planting spinach, peas, and radishes at intervals
finish the chicken coop
butcher the 12 week old rabbits
harden off some plants
keep planting seeds indoors (now that the seedling rack is complete, I can actually accomplish this one!)
write up my project proposal for forensics
finish my research papers in wildlife biology and plant physiology - better early than late!
finish reading book for forensics
plant the last rosebush
put up a trellis for the grapevine
separate the fig bushes
get neighbor to plow one side of the garden where there are no boxes yet
dig a trench to help garden drain


----------



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

Well, this weekend was a bust for me work-wise. I had company on Saturday and Sunday we went to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D (it was awesome!) 

It is really nice here today. I think I'm going to go out and clean my coop. I need to break in my new muck boots anyway.

Update: Chicken coop is done


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Had a major carpal tunnel flare after all the wood cutting and post pounding, so I spent several days not using my hands AT ALL. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to want to get outside and work, but to know I have to rest my hands until the swelling is down?!! AAARRRGGHH!

I finally got to spend some time outside working today - just tiny amounts of any one thing, though. Pounded a couple posts, reworked the perimeter of my planned garden expansion and gate locations, cut just a little wood, etc. One thing I didn't have on my list that needed to be done was to clean all the gas cans, inside and out, so they are ready to fill and use at a moment's notice. Since that was a job that wasn't too hard on my hands, I tackled that and straightening my feed/tack room in the barn. Got all the plastic gas cans cleaned on the outside, and most of them cleaned on the inside, too, and they are drying now. The feed room still needs more work, but at least I organized the stuff that is out there. I'm hoping to get a floor in it eventually. Setting everything on pallets over dirt isn't working all that well.

If my hands are still feeling okay in the morning, I hope to get more posts pounded and fencing up. I need to finish the garden and a length of fencing down the rest of the property from the end of the garden - then I can keep my horse from wandering over to the neighbors.  Need to also add spreading pasture seed to this month's list.


----------



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

How were your hands today, ManyGoats? Be careful with you 

I'm adding to my list:

7. Spring clean Main Bathroom - *DONE*

8. Set up a Butchering/Soap Making area in the basement

*Numbers 4 & 6 on my original list are done.*


----------



## Patches (Aug 9, 2006)

1. Garden is cleaned, tilled, and started planting.
2. Flower row is cleaned out and starting to grow.
3. Finished some sewing. One dishtowel is woven, 1 to go + the dishrags to match.
4. Barn is cleaned for summer.

Going back to the sewing room!!!!!!!!!!
Marilyn


----------



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

Wow, Patches, what state are you in? I've been wondering if it's too early for me to plant peas and you've done did everything in your garden 

On my agenda today will be to finish spring cleaning my boys room and too finish setting up a butchering area in my basement. I want those roosters done! They're egg eaters 

I really need to get better about posting photos here. I think it would be fun to do before and after shots of some of this work we're doing.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Still having a little trouble with the carpal tunnel, RT.  Between that, the weather and work, I haven't been able to get much done outside, where most of the work on this month's list is centered. I did get some new wrist braces, and was able to exchange my chain saw for a brand new one, which will hopefully be easier to keep running, so I can get more wood cut and faster. I have 5 days off - go back to work Thursday evening, so I have a lot on my to-do list to knock off in that time. Add to list, getting dd to completely clean out her room and do the laundry!

Don't forget to set your clocks forward tonight - more evening daylight hours to get work done outside, woohoo!!!!


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I tried out my new saw and it works GREAT! I got quite a bit of wood cut yesterday, did splitting and stacking today. I also pounded a few more fence posts and had Abby pound more. I took bale twine and made enough rope to make a 3 strand fence down the line from the end of the garden to the property line. After I get the rest of the garden fence up, I'll have a nice new pasture to turn the horse out in. It's not goat tight, I still need to put up field fence and electric before that happens, but at least Winnie has a second pasture so her other one can grow. So, more progress on garden, pasture and wood gathering today and yesterday. 

Also have Abby doing laundry and dishes, and I cleaned floors and straightened the rest of the house. Should start working on my taxes tonight, but I think I may just tuck into bed with a good book and my carpal tunnel splints on.


----------



## Patches (Aug 9, 2006)

RT, my garden isn't all in yet, just the few things that I start early. My mom and dad always sewed lettuce on Valentines Day, and onions, radishes also. Then they planted potatoes on St. Patricks Day. I still try to do that, although the seed will lay there until it is ready to sprout. I also planted a row of peas, but they haven't come up yet either. The rest of the garden is all tilled, and the stems from last year are cleaned out of the fence. Other than that, that is what I wanted to get done this month. 
Talked to my youngest son last night: he said it was 10:30 pm in Paris and he was in the Eiffle Tower when I called. He is having a ball!!!!!!!:sing:
I have several post office work days scheduled between now and the end of the month, and it is still cold and cloudy outside, so I am working on some more projects inside for now.


----------



## jen74145 (Oct 31, 2006)

Oh how I need this. My DH is coming home for a few days in May and I would like to have everything done. If I do a project/week I'll be done in plenty of time.

So this week, I need to finish organizing the disgrace that is our master closet. There's no storage in this house so it became the catch-all. 

Bonus points if I manage the monthly deep clean of the kitchen cabinets too.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

More work on wood cutting, splitting and stacking today, put in the rest of the posts for the side of the garden and part of the stock panels, and did a lot of little stuff not necessarily on the monthly to-do list, but still needed.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Today I tackled the pile of old fence boards and other misc wood. It's all been sitting there waiting to be made into kindling and other firewood. I stacked it all up on old pallets and cut it all into stove lengths with my chain saw. I filled 3 totes and 11 feed sacks with kindling, and still have a bit more to cut tomorrow, as I ran out of daylight tonight. That takes care of a messy pile of misc, and it frees up 4 old cruddy pallets that I can now use to stack firewood in the spot the pile used to be.  

I also cut more firewood - ran through another tank of saw gas. That's about my limit right now, until I get my carpal tunnel under control.


----------



## Zipporah (Jul 30, 2006)

Boxing up winter clothes and unboxing Spring ones.This goes for bedding too.
I'm painting our bed room so it well get a good over all cleaning.:happy:
Changing the curtains out to the summer ones and the rugs cleaned and rolled up.
Dd toys need a good cleaning out as in taking some to the Goodwill.


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I finished the fence around the garden and orchard today! Measured it out and it's approx 92' by 70', not counting the L-shaped orchard/2nd chicken run I fenced in on the other side and the front of the chicken house and run. Now to finish planting the last 2 trees, 2 grapes, 4 domestic blueberries, and a whole lot of wild blueberries, till the garden and get the cool weather crops planted.

I've cut enough wood to last us through the rest of this heating season, and I'm working on next year's supply now. The pull cord on my saw wasn't working today, so I didn't get to cut any more wood, which was on my to-do list.  If I can't fix it, I'll have to take the saw back to Lowe's for an exchange - and I've only had it for 6 days. Grr.

I haven't put up the electric fence or field fencing, but using bale twine rope, I have a horse tight pasture which Winnie is enjoying very much.

I finished cleaning up the cedar board pile - we must have about 2 dozen feed sacks full of kindling boards now. The pallet is in place and I'm stacking firewood on it.

Moved the extra tall step ladder to the shed and gathered the lumber I need for the loft and rafters. Okay, it's not much, but it's a small step forward. 

2 weeks left in March, and lots left to do on the list. I need to work a little harder if I'm going to get it all done.


----------



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

It sounds like everyone is doing way, way, WAY better than me 

I've had a bunch of stuff going on here. My son fell of his skateboard and broke one of his front (permanent) teeth off. Two of my three goats have kidded and there have been some problems. Long story short: There's a bottle baby in a tote in my mudroom. We got a new puppy so instead of finishing spring cleaning the boys' room today, I'm shampooing the living room carpet.

Here's the good news though: My husband has agreed to chop the heads off the roosters tomorrow! He slaughters, I butcher. So that will finally be done! (Does anyone know how long that task has been on my "to-do" list? Don't answer that.)

Assuming that the roosters are done tomorrow, that will leave me with just numbers 1 & 2 on my list. I may actually finish a list! WooHoo!

EDITED TO ADD: Not only did I get the carpet shampooed, but I also cleaned my van inside and out. Great start to a great weekend! 

I hope everyone has a good one


----------



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

THE ROOSTERS ARE DONE!!! All 7 of them are in the fridge 

Bliss...


----------



## Patches (Aug 9, 2006)

Well, I have gotten lots more sewing done!!!!!!!!! It is snowing like mad outside on this first day of spring. Looking for 5 - 8 inches by tomorrow night. Will probably sew again tomorrow.
On my way to paying off that credit card by the end of the month. I have worked 2 days this week, and have at least 3 scheduled next week, so I should be getting close:goodjob:!!!
I guess I will be replanting the garden seeds next week:grump:. But we will see..........it's not really cold, just about 32, but snowing and sticking on the grass and pavement surfaces, but not on the dirt/mud yet. We will see.
Marilyn


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Woohoo, RT - glad you got your roosters butchered at last. Now maybe you'll get plenty of eggs. 

Can ya believe there are only 10 days left in March? 2/3 gone and I have a lot left to do:

1. Finish planting the rest of my fruit trees, blueberry and huckleberry bushes, transplanting strawberries and raspberries. *finished planting all 11 fruit trees, 4 domestic blueberries, all the wild blueberries/huckleberries, but have the 2 grapes I bought this month left to plant. Need to decide where I want them first. The strawberries are going to be listed on the barter board to thin them, and the raspberries need to be a little bigger to transplant, so that job will be moved to April.*

2. Move fences to enlarge the garden and enclose orchard. *DONE!!*

3. Germination test the rest of my seeds and start cold tolerant vegies (potatoes, peas, carrots, cole crops). *potatoes are in*

4. Continue to cut and stack firewood for rest of this heating season and for next year. *I've worked on this one all month - have plenty of wood cut and stacked for this year, and probably half of next year's wood, too.*

5. File tax return, use some of the refund to pay for gravel driveway from house parking area to barn, plus more gravel on the main driveway and parking area.

6. Run electric fence around pastures and get the field fence up, too. *Opted for a temporary pasture fence fix for now - pounded T-posts and ran baling twine for a 3 strand fence that is horse tight. Nice to have a 2nd pasture fenced in for the horse, at least.*

7. Cut down the dead stalks from last year's flowers and weed/mulch flower beds. *sporatic weeding and mulching has been done, and all the dead stalks are down and moved to compost piles.*

8. Keep up on the housework - been looking pretty good for a couple months now. *Been battling with Abby over getting the dishes done all month.*

9. Update freezer and pantry inventory.*started*

10. Keep working on that blasted shed! *Cleaned out, squared up, supplies gathered*

11. Organize the tack/feed room a little better this month. *DONE*


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

Went to my bff's today and brought home a bunch more plum trees to plant. Seems like I just get caught up and something else comes along - not that I'm complaining about getting more fruit trees, mind you!


----------



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

Are these the wild plum trees, *Manygoats*? I read about them in an issue of MaryJane's Farm last summer. I think they were in WA. They're wild, produce buckets of plums, and throw off babies like mad. Are these what you got? You have gotten so much done these last few months! I bet your place looks great!

*Patches* I have a whole bag of mending waiting for me. Maybe I should follow your example and work on that on some of these rainy days.

I'm working on washing the last of the wallpaper glue off the hallway walls today. We finally got all the wallpaper down. Geez, that was a huge chore. I will probably wait a few more days to mud, though, because we have so much rain right now it will take forever for it to dry because of the humidity.

I'm also finishing up the taxes today. I have an appointment with my CPA on Thursday and taxes should (finally) be done.


----------



## Pauline (Jan 28, 2003)

Pauline said:


> ok here is my list
> 1- more shelving for the basement for books and crafts 3 more put together and filled
> 2- make my headboard have everything bought just need to get it done laid out waiting for me to get back in to it and finish it
> 3- fix bathroom up the towel rack needs replacing and want to put beadboard up in there and paint it
> ...


9 one done
10  got paperwork started for building permits so i can close off garage door and make it a room then will put storage in it and sewing room in basement


----------



## Patches (Aug 9, 2006)

OK, fair March list so far.
Garden peas and spinach planted and up.
Asparagus and rhubarb planted/
Flower beds prepared, waiting for warmth to sow seeds.
Sewing and weaving going on almost daily.
Farmer's market paperwork to be mailed Monday.
Mulch reserved, just waiting to get truck empty to load it.
1 More bill paid off!!!
Soaps and lotions probably will have to wait till April.
Marilyn


----------



## RedTartan (May 2, 2006)

It's the last day of the month and I didn't finish it. There's no way I'm going to finish it, but I did get a lot of stuff done that wasn't on my list.

I had goats kidding all month. That's done with and the babies are already sold.

I helped my dh build new exterior nest boxes for my chickens and laid a gravel path to the coop door and feeding station.

I did get all the wallpaper down from the hallway that I had planned to also prime and paint... We'll move that to April.

I didn't finish the boys room, but I did buy storage totes to use as toy boxes in their room, so now I have what I need to finish that. I'll move that one to April too.

All in all, this was a very productive month 

Start planning next month's list...


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

RT, you did really well this month! I didn't get nearly done with my list, either, but I did accomplish quite a lot. I have a fenced in, expanded garden and orchard area, with lots of fruit bearing plants and trees planted and doing well, I've sold enough strawberries to do a pretty good job of thinning my strawberry patch, have tons of raspberry plants sprouting and many of them sold. I got some potatoes in the ground, but still need to plant many more seeds. I have a fenced in horse pasture, even if it is just fenced with baling twine. Other than the dishes and my dd's room, the house looks pretty good. I've cut a ton of wood (literally, I'm sure), cleared out a lot of the undergrowth in my woods, and have probably 3/4 of the wood cut and stacked that I will need for next winter. I cleared up several piles of junk and scrap wood, and turned all those fence boards into fine kindling wood. I've started on the taxes, and it looks like I should get a fairly good refund by the time I'm finished. We've had a couple does kid and have plenty of fresh milk again. And I've spent time visiting with my neighbors, friends, and family - always important, often neglected.

So, I figure that was a pretty good month's work. Got to move on to making April's list, which will probably center on getting the garden whipped into shape for planting, finishing the taxes and filing them, and cleaning out my storage room yet again...I bought some new storage shelves this month and need to work them into the storage plans. 

Oh, RT - the plums are from a domestic tree next door to my bff's house - it sends up suckers from the roots under the fence and into her garden. I don't know if it's root stock or if the plums will be true to the parent tree. If they are true, I will have a small, sweet, red plum, and if they are root stock, I'll use them to practice my grafting skills. I can probably take cuttings off the parent tree, as it hangs over the fence, too. I'd like to graft on some Stanley-type prune plums, too. I grew up on a former prune farm, and the prune trees are thick there - plenty of grafting stock available.  And, unfortunately, even with all the work I've done, there are still so many more jobs that need doing, that my place is still very much a work in progress.  Maybe in another year or 2 it will look pretty nice.


----------

