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The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

Archives for February 2025

February 28, 2025

No.899: March Little Things Bingo

Another month, another bingo board!  Years ago, I used to create yearly 100 Little Things lists and these bingo boards feel like a newer version of that.  I like how there’s a healthy mix of things I should do (like cleaning/organizing/taking care of myself) and things I’d like to do.  Super fun!

Like always, this month’s board has 24 free or inexpensive tasks that will hopefully bring joy, peace and/or a boost of creativity.  We’ll see how many I can check off the list.  If you need a little something extra to get you through March, feel free to play along too!

The tasks are:

  • Shop local. // Supporting our local community is very important to me so this should be easy.  I’m thinking a small business in town or maybe a restaurant.
  • Drink a green smoothie. // There are tons of options to choose from: maybe a pineapple spinach version or this iron boosting one or this high protein one?
  • Take a walk. // I think this prompt will be on every month’s board.  I need to breathe the fresh air and feel the sun on my face.
  • Listen to Irish folk music. // I found this instrumental collection – ten hours!
  • Have a movie night. // I promised my son that we’d watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy together.
  • Read a book with a green cover. // A quick look at my bookshelf and Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge seemed perfect for the prompt.
  • Fix something broken. // We have two counter stools with loose seats that desperately need to be fixed.
  • Go through spring clothing. // I’ve gained a little weight this winter (ahem…) so I need to try things on and see what fits.
  • Donate to a food pantry. // So many people are suffering right now.  Any little bit helps.
  • Send snail mail. // I’m hoping this is the first step to making this a regular part of my weekly routine.
  • Declutter old/unused makeup. // Makeup has an expiration!  This post seems helpful.
  • Get coffee with a friend. // Bonus points if it’s a local coffee shop.
  • Cook an Irish dinner. // I’m thinking shepherd’s pie or corned beef and cabbage or Irish soda bread.
  • Photograph early spring flowers. // Daffodils and crocuses and tulips, oh my!
  • Find a four-leaf clover. // This would be fun to try with the kids.
  • Get a spring pedicure. // Or try one at home!  This post has some helpful tips.
  • Do a crossword puzzle. // There are lots of puzzle books for sale but you can also play the New York Time’s mini version online.
  • Visit a garden center. // Seeing all of the plants gets me super excited for spring planting.
  • Start spring cleaning. // This post has a helpful printable checklist or you can play along with my spring cleaning bingo board too.
  • Try a new meatless meal. // This post has 35 ideas!
  • Plant peas. // I’m growing “Perfection Dark Seeded” this year.
  • Memorize a poem. // Memorization is a dying art and I’d like to strengthen that muscle.
  • Fly a kite. // There are cheap options at the store, but I especially love this DIY project for kids.
  • Bake a pie for pi day. // Maybe blueberry?

DOWNLOAD YOUR OWN BINGO BOARD HERE!


Help me transition away from “traditional” blogging income streams while still keeping the lights on at the BWF!

February 26, 2025

No.898: What I Read in February 2025

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

#8. CHERRIES IN WINTER: MY FAMILY’S RECIPE FOR HOPE IN HARD TIMES by Suzan Colon // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

Some reviews thought this book was pretentious and unrelatable, but I felt it was a common experience in 2008 and probably even today (ie. two-income household gets knocked down to one due to layoffs).  I really enjoyed the old recipes and the idea of drawing strength through your ancestors – if our grandmothers could persevere, so can we.  Solid three stars.

I know now that there were many things Nana wanted to do in her life – go to college, become a teacher like Miss Bumstead, be a writer, and at the very least stop having to worry about money.  And there are probably some other things I don’t know about because she made a practice of acceptance.  If she was able to change her situation, she did.  If she wasn’t, she did the best she could and didn’t waste time complaining.  How’re you doing, Tillie?  Fabulous, never better.  This is yet another lesson I have learned from her that will serve me well. (p.206-207)

#9. SOLOMON’S OAK by Jo-Ann Mapson // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)  

The blurb on the back of the book says: “Three survivors find in each other an unexpected solace, the bond of friendship, and a second chance to see the miracles of everyday life.”  A typical women’s fiction novel – there were parts I liked and others I didn’t.

#10. 1984 by George Orwell // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop)

1984 is a dystopian classic for a reason.  Very thought-provoking and quite the warning!  From the book’s afterward: “The mood it expresses is that of near despair about the future of man, and the warning is that unless the course of history changes, men all over the world will lose their most human qualities, will become soulless automatons, and will not even be aware of it.”

The proles, it suddenly occurred to him, had remained in this condition.  They were not loyal to a party or a country or an idea, they were loyal to one another.  For the first time in his life he did not despise the proles or think of them merely as an inert force which would one day spring to life and regenerate the world.  The proles had stayed human.  They had not become hardened inside.  They held on the primitive emotions which he himself had to relearn by conscious effort.  And in thinking this he remembered, without apparent relevance, how a few weeks ago he had seen a severed hand lying on the pavement and had kicked it into the gutter as though it had been a cabbage stalk.

“The proles are human beings,” he said aloud.  “We are not human.” (p.165)

#11. MRS. POLLIFAX AND THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE by Dorothy Gilman // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

Number eight in the series!  This one is set in Thailand and the action never lets up.  I really enjoyed this one.

#12. DARK WINTER: HOW THE SUN IS CAUSING A 30-YEAR COLD SPELL by John L. Casey // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

The premise of this book is that climate change can be explained by cyclical periods that seem to have occurred throughout history, ie. a period of warming followed by a period of (sometimes severe) cooling.  His theory is intriguing and definitely warrants further research.  I especially like that he wrote:

It is my hope that the RC theory will be fully reviewed, critiqued, and forced to stand against the best scientific scrutiny that can be mustered.  If it fails the test, then so be it.  I will be the first to support the talented researcher who comes up with a better concept.  There is no ego to be bruised here, no research grant to be preserved, and no university tenure to be maintained. (p.42)

The academic humility is refreshing to see!  As for the book itself, I found the layout bizarre – there were 45 pages of actual book but the real meat of the argument/theory was back in the Appendix.


MY 2025 UNREAD SHELF PROJECT

Unread Books as of January 1, 2025: 206
Books Finished in February: 5
Books Donated/Sold in February: -2
Books Added: +0
Unread Books Remaining: 198
Current  “Read 100 Books Off My Shelves Project” Total: 16/100 

February 24, 2025

No.897: Last Week at the Farmhouse // Bringing Order to Chaos

“Still life with a profile of Mimi” by Meijer de Haan (1890)

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

It is done.  The floors are done!  It took a long time to come to fruition, but the end result was worth every delay.  We chose a wide plank French oak and it is beautiful.

Anyway, I spent the rest of the week bringing order back into our home: unpacking our belongings, puttering around, organizing and decorating.  I could feel a physiological calm wash over me as each item went back into its place!  I already knew about this at some level, have read the studies about decluttering and order in the home, but now have a personal experience to confirm it.  Feeling very inspired to keep our home simple and tidy going forward.

Hoping to document 52 weeks of good things!

Five Good Things…

  1. Forced rest. // We somehow all got sick again!  It seems to be a common occurrence everywhere this winter.  While I hate coughing and general feeling of yuck, I’m glad it’s not the stomach flu!
  2. An honest mechanic. // Our frugal fix didn’t work long term, so we had to bring the car to the shop.  So thankful for an honest mechanic who does great work at a fair price.
  3. Paying off another loan. // We used the $3,000 that we saved by removing the old flooring ourselves to pay the loan off in full!  Another huge weight off of our backs.  One credit card to go and we’re back to being debt-free except for the mortgage.  (But that’ll be next!)
  4. A cross-stitch project for my teenage son. // When your 16-year-old son asks if you can make him something, you jump on the opportunity, ha!  We chose a pattern together and it is huge!  Thankfully, it’s only one color and is coming along pretty quickly.  I hope to have it done and framed before his birthday in the fall.
  5. Deep freezer organization. // We have a few deep freezers on the farm and despite my best efforts, they always turn into a chaoic mess.  I saw a picture on Pinterest that would work for us and got right to work!  I ordered a bunch of HÅLLBAR bins (in both 3 gallon and 6 gallon) as well as a few UPPDATERA containers from Ikea and they are perfect for my needs.

Frugal Accomplishments //

  • found my son’s preferred shirt (same exact shirt, bigger size) new with tags on the secondhand market
  • refreshed my first floor curtains by washing with Oxyclean

This Week in the Liturgical Year //

February 21 was the Optional Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop & Doctor.

To Read: Message for the 100th Anniversary of St. Peter Damian by Pope Benedict XVI

To Listen: St. Peter Damian—The Lord Be With You from Catholic Culture Audiobooks

To Add to the Library: St. Peter Damian: His Teaching on the Spiritual Life by Owen J. Blum

To Copy in the Commonplace Book: “A very good penance is to dedicate oneself to fulfill the duties of everyday with exactitude and to study and work with all our strength.”

Reading //

  • We Still Need Paper Maps from Katherine Johnson Martinko at The Analog Family // “Maps do more than orient a person. They also spark imagination, curiosity, and wonder.”
  • How to Raise Readers, in Thirty-Five Steps from Brad East at Front Porch Republic // Loved this list and agree with it all!

New Additions to The List // 

  • Little House in the Ozarks: The Rediscovered Writings by Laura Ingalls Wilder and edited by Stephen W. Hines
  • Folk Fashion: Understanding Homemade Clothes by Amy Twigger Holroyd
  • Volcanoes in Human History: The Far-Reaching Effects of Major Eruptions by Donald Theodore Sanders and Jelle Zeilinga de Boer
  • I’m Staying with My Boys: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC by Jim Proser

Watching/Listening //

  • Lesson 6-8 of the How to Think Like a Thomist: An Introduction to Thomistic Principles from Aquinas 101 at the Thomistic Institute
  • Keeping a Comic Diary from Jane Porter // This looks fun.

Loving //

  • the cards from Painted Tongue Press // I keep forgetting to share about my first purchase on Go Imagine!  I was so pleased with these letterpress cards and will definitely buy more.
  • this quote from Henry Ward Beecher: “Every tomorrow has two handles.  We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.”

from the archives…

WEEK EIGHT 2024 // Now Is the Time

February 19, 2025

No.896: Small Biz Showcase // Pen Pal Supplies

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

One habit that I would like to reignite in 2025 is sending more snail mail.  For whatever reason, I have been terrible about sending regular correspondence and I’d really like to get back into the practice.  (Thank you to all of my friends and relatives who have been patient with my radio silence the past year.)  With those thoughts in mind, I decided to browse etsy for pen pal supplies!  Obviously, none of these things are necessary – you can write a note on the back of just about anything – but it sure is fun to look at all of the inspiration.

Be sure to check out my other Snail Mail posts for lots of greeting card recommendations too!


+ This Snail Mail Letter Writing Kit from The Paxton Press is so creative!  I love the idea of passing game and recommendation cards back and forth – so fun.

+ Everybody loves a good sticker and this “Send More Snail Mail” sticker from Modern Printed Matter perfectly fits the theme.

+ Have a kid who is interested in starting their own snail mail pastime?  This penpal kit for kids from CC Paper Designs has everything you need to get started: I miss you postcards, three different penpal games, a pre-filled note to help you start the conversation and even a few envelopes!

+ Stop hand-writing your address and invest in an address label from Seas the Day Labels.  This shop has over two hundred options, so be sure to browse the entire store!

+ This medieval flower stationery set from Arte of the Booke is absolutely beautiful.  The set comes with ten sheets of 40gsm paper with matching envelopes.  Made in Italy!

+ I liked this collection of airmail-themed papergoods from Maggieful Designs.  The notebook would be perfect for logging addresses or even using as a traveling journal between penpals.  The memo pad, sticky notes and washi tape are all adorable and would be fun to tuck into letters too.

+ This ephemera pack from The Cloaked Fox is perfect for creatives.  I love the vintage stamps and postcards, but all of the pieces would be great for making unique cards or letters.

+ Last but not least, how about another beautiful letting writing kit, this time from Peach and Poppy Co?  This one is winter bird themed and includes paper, envelopes, a sticker sheet and even some washi tape samples.  You can even add stamps to your order!

February 17, 2025

No.895: Last Week at the Farmhouse // Rolling with the Punches

“Seated Female” by Giovanni (Nino) Costa (1869)

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

I had a good chuckle when I stumbled upon the painting above because…the look on her face was pretty similar to mine this week.

We have been in limbo with our flooring situation since October 29th and have hit delay after delay after delay.  I’ve been relatively patient as the months have gone by, but after moving all of our furniture into a POD and then hearing of another delay due to a snow storm…I about hit my limit.

In a moment of desperation, we decided why not, let’s just do the floor demo ourselves!  A couple of Youtube tutorials later and we were fairly confident in our abilities.  (It really wasn’t hard, even for non-handy people like us.)  As a family, we spent Monday through Wednesday doing the work entirely ourselves, getting everything removed and prepped and ready for the flooring team to arrive on Thursday.

And then…even though we were in contact with our estimator early in the week and he knew exactly what we were doing, there was still some sort of miscommunication and the person sent out on Thursday was for demo!  The poor guy came in and looked around so confused, ha!  Anyway, we had to be put back on the schedule for the installers and they wouldn’t be available for almost a week.

It’s funny to look back at my 2025 goals and the virtues I wanted to work on in the new year.  Ask and you shall receive!  Oh well.  We’ll just continue rolling with the punches, hoping we grow in patience and perseverance along the way.  We’ll have floors…someday.

Hoping to document 52 weeks of good things!

Five Good Things…

  1. Doing the flooring removal ourselves. // We felt like we were on a HGTV show!  We also saved $3,000, learned a new skill and even discovered a new interest for one of my sons.  (Maybe general contracting is in his future?)
  2. Six years with our dog, Lucy. // She is a joy and we can’t imagine life without her.
  3. Warm temperatures that melted the snow within two days. // We are pretty done with this relentless winter!
  4. Starting my “handmade Christmas” challenge. // I purchased the “Christmas Lights” pattern by Stitch With Coffee and am stitching 2 over 1 (two threads over one square) – tiny!  It’s turning out so cute.
  5. A plan to organize our deep freezers. // More details once I acquire the supplies, but I’m excited to bring some order to chaos.

Frugal Accomplishments //

  • frogged a discarded knitting project to use the yarn in a different way
  • used a scrap fabric for the ornament cross-stitch
  • refreshed my white bed quilt using Oxyclean (thanks to the prompt on February’s bingo board!)

This Week in the Liturgical Year //

February 10 was the Feast of Saint José Sánchez del Río, Martyr.

To Read: The young Mexican who gave his life for Christ the King

To Add to the Library: Saint José: Boy Cristero Martyr, Saints and Sinners in the Cristero War: Stories of Martyrdom from Mexico and Mexican Martyrdom: Firsthand Accounts of the Religious Persecution in Mexico 1926-1935

To Watch: Looking at Heaven: The Life of St. José Sánchez del Río

To Copy in the Commonplace Book: ¡Viva Cristo Rey!

Reading //

  • Humane Learning in a Machine Age: A Professor’s Resolutions from Dr. Ben Reinhard at Hearth & Field // “We will have to move more slowly on this model: to read fewer works, but read them more deeply; to write less, but invest more in what we create. This seems to me an acceptable tradeoff. As we enter the machine age, the goal of introductory humanities coursework is no longer to teach close reading or the Western literary tradition, but something more fundamental: how to be human.”
  • C. S. Lewis, Peter Kreeft, and the sequence: truth, goodness, and beauty from Jeffrey Wattles at Universal Family
  • From Gourmet Pork to Subsistence Farming: Why Buellton’s Winfield Farm Will Stop Raising Mangalitsa Pigs in Favor of Sheer Survival from Matt Kettmann at Santa Barbara Independent // “At a time when supporting honestly raised, regionally grown, sustainably minded food is on the lips of every self-respecting restaurant lover, why is it essentially impossible to make a stable living off of working the land?”  A blog post for another day, but these questions are frequently being asked here at our farm too.
  • The challenge: Avoiding the grocery store from Bruce Steele // “The challenge, To stop eating anything storebought. To see how long you can go on foraging , dry provisions from last years garden, preserves from your own trees or foraged fruit. And of course the garden.”

New Additions to The List // 

  • A Bold Return to Giving a Damn: One Farm, Six Generations, and the Future of Food by Will Harris
  • Politics by Aristotle

Watching/Listening //

  • Lessons 1-2 (on George Orwell’s 1984) in the “Totalitarian Novels” course from Hillsdale College
  • How I Turned Over 300 Scraps into a Beautiful Quilt in 1 Day from Sew Easy by Sandy

Loving //

  • The Last Homely House Youtube channel // Her voice is so soothing and her projects are inspiring.  She reminds me of a British version of my grandmother!

from the archives…

WEEK SEVEN 2024 // Patience

February 10, 2025

No.894: Last Week at the Farmhouse // Abundance at Home

“Davis House” by Edward Hopper (1926)

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

This week, our primary focus was packing up the first floor as we prepare for our new flooring.  I’ve spent a lot of time decluttering the past few years but it still astounded me to see how many items we own, neatly tucked away in cabinets and nooks and crannies.  None of this is junk per se – it’s our puzzle collection and stacks of books and throw blankets and pillows – but it was a good reminder to never complain.  How fortunate am I to have collected an abundance of beautiful, useful things!

Hoping to document 52 weeks of good things!

Five Good Things…

  1. Celebrating my husband’s birthday. // We did the math and have celebrated 20 years of birthdays together.  Time flies!
  2. Making it through the ice storm (relatively) unscathed. // A wild experience.  Trees were snapping everywhere and roads were blocked in every direction.  We even lost power for 30 hours!  So thankful for our generator and fireplace.
  3. The gentle reminder from my kids not to stress. // I think they could see it in my eyes.  With the unpredictable weather, my husband’s insane work schedule, car issues and a sick pig, I was very overwhelmed with all of the tasks that needed to be accomplished.  My sweet son joked, “So is No Stress 2025 out the window now?” and that was enough to pull me out of my spiral.  One step at a time.
  4. Not breaking my finger. // In the midst of this crazy week, I somehow managed to jam the ring finger on my non-dominant hand!  Thankfully, taping it to the next finger helped significantly and I was back to normal a day or two later.
  5. New art! // My “making do” project of the week: I finished my second cross-stitch project and planned to frame it for my dining room.  I took a quick look at framing services and realized that I might be able to do it myself!  I laced the back using this tutorial and put it in a secondhand frame I purchased on Poshmark.  Definitely not perfect, but done.

Frugal Accomplishments //

  • used every tote and bag and piece of luggage we own to pack up instead of buying boxes
  • did all of the heavy lifting (moving furniture into the POD container) ourselves
  • found a secondhand frame on Poshmark to use for my cross-stitch project
  • used the newspaper packing from the box to start a fire
  • reused an Old Navy bag to package up an ebay order
  • fixed a gear shifter issue without having to see a mechanic (maybe. hopefully.)

This Week in the Liturgical Year //

February 8 was the Optional Memorial of St. Josephine Bakhita.

To Read: St. Josephine Bakhita Was a Humble Witness to God’s Love

To Make: African Inspired Meal for St. Josephine Bakhita

To Copy in the Commonplace Book: “Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know him. What a great grace it is to know God!”

Reading //

  • The Rules of Discernment: A Practical Guide – Rule 7 from Megan Hjelmstad at Spiritual Direction
  • That I Might Be Seen from John Cuddeback at LifeCraft // “How I see the persons around me is more in my power than how they see me. Maybe, when I feel unseen it is then most important that I look outward at others, that I renew my effort to see them better. Lord, that I might see. Them. Even now.”
  • Hannah Coulter, the Green Lady, and Me from Emily G. Wenneborg at Plough // Thought provoking.
  • The Gift of Kindness from Melisa Capistrant at The Cavalry of Woe // I loved this.
  • “Immanence” by Evelyn Underhill // A poem mentioned in the Tasha Tudor documentary I watched last week.

New Additions to The List // 

  • Aristotle: The Desire to Understand by Jonathan Lear
  • Perelandra by C.S. Lewis

Watching/Listening //

  • Lessons 4-5 of the How to Think Like a Thomist: An Introduction to Thomistic Principles from Aquinas 101 at the Thomistic Institute

Loving //

  • this book from Alicia Paulson // A used bookstore find for $3!

from the archives…

WEEK SIX 2024 // Patience

February 4, 2025

No.893: Plan With Me for February 2025

I’m trying something a little different for goal planning this school year.  My new motto: we are not machines, we don’t have infinite energy levels, we can only do so much!  Hopefully this new method will help me reduce my stress and prioritize the right things at the right times.

If I could describe January in one word, I would say “peaceful.”  Sure, we had frigid temperatures and snow that wouldn’t melt and illness and flooring repair delays, but there were significantly more good things to offset those frustrations.  Late last year, I started to see how my stress affected my children and I was very ashamed.  I promised myself in 2025 that I would stop stress at the start, choosing to trust that all would be well and God would provide.  One month in and that small mindset has been life-changing for me and the general atmosphere of my home.  What a blessing.

Onto the goals!  Let’s review January first:

FIVE TOP PRIORITIES
  1. commit to Low Spend January (This turned out to be a bust as we had farm purchases and a couple of celebrations to pay for, but intentionally looking at the budget is always a good habit to cultivate.)
  2. get back to carnivore/paleo/keto (I hate labels, but I’m basically just trying to eliminate sugar and bread.  I derailed quite a bit when I was sick but am slowly getting back on track.  Considering it a win.)
  3. order a new hot wire energizer for the pigs ($300 but definitely a must-have around here.)
  4. brainstorm new chicken tractor construction (We had snow on the ground and frigid temperatures for most of the month and I was more focused on keeping animals warm and dry than prepping for the future.  Next month!)
  5. finish the house sampler cross-stitch project (DONE!  I’m so excited.)
FIVE “WOULD BE GREAT TO DO” TASKS
  1. embrace the slow cooker/Dutch oven for easy dinners (I think I only pulled out the slow cooker once?)
  2. drop off donations (So happy to have those bags and boxes out of my trunk!)
  3. start making the 2025 garden plan
  4. mend two dresses that have slits a little too high (An easy fix.)
  5. send at least one piece of snail mail (Just one birthday card.  I need to get back into the habit.)
FIVE LITTLE STEPS TO GET AHEAD
  1. debt reduction: earn $100+ reselling unneeded items around the house (Final amount earned: $135.26)
  2. mother academia: read Hamlet
  3. home projects: declutter 30+ things to donate, sell or throw away (I ended up not using the calendar and just found random items from everywhere.  42 more items to toss, sell or donate.)
  4. health: schedule bloodwork
  5. farm: inventory remaining seed packets and make a list of what is needed

On to February’s goals!

FIVE TOP PRIORITIES

These tasks tend to have deadlines or really should be completed this month.

  1. get the paperwork ready for taxes and complete
  2. research the gums regeneration routine, buy the supplies and follow the protocol
  3. put piglets out on pasture
  4. start a “Christmas Club” savings line into our budget (taking the total amount I will need and dividing that number by 9 to find out how much to save – I start shopping early!)
  5. set up the seed starting station
FIVE “WOULD BE GREAT TO DO” TASKS

Examples of these tasks would be seasonal goals or things that just generally have less urgency.

  1. comment on at least ten blog posts
  2. complete Patsi’s (at A Working Pantry) preparedness class
  3. inventory and purchase everyone’s needed socks, undies, undershirts, etc.
  4. get a frame for my completed cross-stitch project
  5. restart a regular listing routine for Poshmark/Pango/ebay
FIVE LITTLE STEPS TO GET AHEAD

This area is for big, overwhelming goals that can be broken down into bite-sized, attainable steps.

  1. debt reduction: earn $100+ reselling unneeded items around the house
  2. mother academia: read Civil War Wives
  3. home projects: survive the hardwood flooring replacement!
  4. handmade Christmas: complete one cross-stitch ornament
  5. farm: start seeds

February 3, 2025

No.892: Last Week at the Farmhouse // To Be Like Tasha Tudor

Baking Print by Tasha Tudor

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

I’ve recently been on a Tasha Tudor deep dive.  This week, I watched a documentary about her called Take Joy! The Magical World of Tasha Tudor.  (I don’t have Amazon Prime, but was able to purchase it for $1.99.)  There’s something special about learning about a person through their own words, their own stories.  I found her to be eccentric and quirky, but also warm and welcoming and unapologetic about who she is and what she’s passionate about.

The more I reflect, the more I think I want to be a bit more like Tasha Tudor.  I want to pursue my passions of frugality and farming and learning all.the.things without fear of what others may think.  I want to live simply and beautifully, even if that doesn’t look like the lives of most people.  I want to create a home atmosphere of creativity and usefulness and encourage my children in their individual pursuits.

One quote from the documentary really spoke to me so I jotted it down: “Tasha is not escaping from reality.  Rather, she is choosing to create the world the way she imagines it.”  I believe the world is full of the good, the true and the beautiful.  My quest is to intentionally create a life that reflects it.

Hoping to document 52 weeks of good things!

Five Good Things…

  1. Stitching every day. // I started a new project called “Seeds of Kindness” by Scattered Seed Samplers and it’s coming together quickly.  I love adding a few stitches here and there throughout the day.
  2. Starting the driving school process again. // We have another teenager so close to getting his license!
  3. A hardwood flooring update. // The flooring has been purchased, a POD container ordered and the work scheduled.  So excited to get this big undertaking started.
  4. Mending my favorite pair of jeans. // I accidentally snagged my favorite pair of jeans on a hog panel and was so bummed.  But then!  Building off of my frugality high, I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to try to mend them before just throwing them away.  Thank goodness for my little sewing basket!  I used these denim iron-on patches (ironed from the inside) and this thread and I think it turned out well!
  5. A new project bag. // My “making do” project of the week: I watched a few cross-stitch ladies on Youtube and they all seemed to keep their projects in beautiful fabric bags.  I was about to look for options on etsy when I decided I would try to make one myself!  I used a variety of fabrics (an old chambray shirt, a polka dot pillowcase and a few pieces from my grandmother’s stash) and followed this tutorial.  It was pretty challenging and I made a lot of mistakes but I’m excited to try again soon.

Frugal Accomplishments //

  • cut down another one of my husband’s old dress shirts for the fabric and buttons
  • listed a few things on Poshmark
  • made broth from frozen chicken backs for the pigs
  • found a few pieces of clothing for a son in the hand-me-down bins

This Week in the Liturgical Year //

January 27 was the Optional Memorial of St. Angela Merici.

To Read: January Ends with Three Italian Educators

To Add to the Library: The Incorruptibles by Joan Carroll Cruz

To Pray: Litany of St. Angela Merici

 

 

 

Reading //

  • Are Social Media Platforms the Next Dying Malls? from Ted Gioia at The Honest Broker // “Not long ago, we hoped that these artificial gathering places could be robust, vital replacements for the neighborhoods we tore down. But what I’ve learned is that you pay a heavy price for replacing a real community with a fake one.”
  • Otium Omnia Vincit from Christopher Whittington at On Love and Longing // “I made myself out to be merely a laborer, a body put to work, a ‘Cog in the Machine,’ as they say. A worker, on the other hand, is one who applies themselves, either physically or mentally, to a task for the sake of creating or sustaining beauty. This is not to say that only the artist or poet is a ‘worker’ as such or that they are never laborers, but the privileged vocation of work is reserved for those who persevere in labor in order to sustain a life which partakes in beauty.”
  • Simple Acts of Sanity: A Seed Catalogue from Peco and Ruth Gaskovski at Pilgrims in the Machine

New Additions to The List // 

  • The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon

Watching/Listening //

  • Inside Africa’s Food Forest Mega-Project from Andrew Millison // So cool.
  • It Is Time To Create More Than You Consume from Rooney Sewing Patterns // I couldn’t agree more!

Loving //

  • this volunteering opportunity with Creative Kindness // A really fun way to be creative and spread some cheer at the same time.
  • this quote:

from the archives…

WEEK FIVE 2024 // Raising My Ebenezer
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