Things I Want To Do

I have such a sense of accomplishment when I do something with my own hands. Whether it is cooking, baking, sewing, gardening, painting, writing – I love to create. Maybe it is pride that I really, really enjoy saying, “I made that!” I am very fortunate to have grown up with parents who have a lot of skills.

My parents were most likely what we would describe as homesteaders, but would never admit it! My parents grew up in the generation when you learn to do everything. They have a HUGE six car garage, with only two cars and a motorcycle in it. Everything else is tools. So maybe it is more like a shop with parking than a large garage. And when I say tools, I mean TOOLS. He has welding equipment. He has a lathe, table saws, jigsaws, drill press, you name it – I am fairly sure he has it and knows how to use it. The day of my senior prom I cleaned horse stalls, exercised a few horses at my neighbor’s ranch and changed the oil in my car – myself.

My mom is really no different, she just has different tools. She gardens. She cans food – not just the easy stuff like tomatoes and peaches but her brother catches a freezer full of tuna and then they can for a weekend. I grew up opening a jar of tuna instead of a can with a cute label. She sews and quilts. In fact, she quilts for a living. She also teaches other people how to sew and quilt. She raises chickens – not to eat but for the eggs and because they are fun to watch. We have raised chickens, turkeys and rabbits for eating but the plucking was terrible and I still have bad memories…they don’t do that anymore, it’s just too much work. My mom has her own set of tools that she hides from my father so she always knows where her drill and screwdrivers are…the fact that I want gift certificates to Lowe’s for graduation isn’t a surprise to any of my friends or family. It does however make them nervous…

So here is a partial list of things that I want to learn how to do or become more proficient. This is in no way comprehensive, just something that I have been thinking about and will from time to time need to update and expand…

Vinegar
I use vinegar to clean just about everything. And I love to cook with it. I have a really strange love for tangy food. In fact, just writing that sentence is making my sublinguals start watering! I want to try several different kinds including red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, apple cider and regular old white vinegar. The problem is champagne vinegar is my favorite after balsamic, but there is never any champagne left after I open a bottle…hmmm, maybe that’s a different problem!

Cheese
I’ve made mozzarella and I cannot wait for this summer when my tomatoes are ripe to combine the two! But I would like to expand. I even have an antique cheese press from Spain that my father brought back years ago. We had no idea what it was at the time. He said it looked like something I would like…so now it sits atop my cabinets in my kitchen awaiting the day it is no longer just a decoration but can once again rise to it’s former glory of making cheese. Ok, I know I get a little carried away sometimes!

Weld
I want to learn to weld. My dad has all the equipment and his father taught him and his brothers. I always see these beautiful pieces of metal that I know I could make and not spend hundreds of dollars on. Alas, I don’t have the time or the equipment. I’m graduating soon and my dad has all the equipment…now I just need to find metal that I can work on. Cue evil laugh.

Knit (well)
I can knit. Sort of. I can knit a scarf and have done several as Christmas gifts over the past few years. Purling is a little more difficult and actually making it look like something else, say any stitch is quite beyond me. It’s not that I don’t think I could do it, it is more that the time and the desire haven’t coincided yet. When I had time, I wasn’t interested. This is something that I would like to do this year since I have plenty of yarn and am thinking that I might have plenty of sitting time with my sister during Chemo.

Garden productively
Can/preserve
Paint better pictures
Take better photos

Then there are just things that I do that I wish I had more time for and then there are the things that I am just too depressed or can’t seem to get up off my butt and do even though I enjoy them. But that’s another story…This post is in no way complete! There are so many things that I want to learn and do and create that I might need to start a running list…maybe I’ll create that this week!

What things would you like to learn/learn to do better?