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Summer break is here! Ironically, this week was also a hectic blur of appointments and extracurricular activities and celebrations. No rest for the weary yet! Add in another fox attack (down to just nine hens now) and a mid-week sickness (I finally caught the cold/sore throat thing going around) and I had to dig deep to keep overwhelm at bay and peace at the forefront. Seeking out and jotting down the little moments of delight always helps.
Here’s my list: Listening to birds chirping in the early morning. Eating the first strawberries of the season from our garden. Finding a much anticipated letter in the mailbox. Temperatures dipping back into the 60s/70s. Receiving great results from the kids’ standardized testing. Tons of blooms on the hydrangea bushes. Taking a walk on a breezy day. Making another tiny dent on the debt – 20.6% is now paid off!
(Previous little moments lists: part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six and part seven.)
Hoping to document 52 weeks of good things!
Five Good Things…
- A Confirmation! // My third son received the sacrament of Confirmation and chose St. Francis Xavier as his saint. A very joyful evening.
- An afternoon nap. // A rare luxury! The extra rest definitely helped me recuperate more quickly.
- More rain. // I’ll have my work cut out for me battling the weeds, but my plants look fantastic.
- Fruit on the trees! // We started our food forest back in 2022/2023 and it’s finally starting to pay off! We have apples, peaches, plums, cherries and even grapes growing.
- The opportunity to support a good cause. // My family’s jiu jitsu gym had a Memorial Day fundraiser for the We Defy Foundation, which provides “combat veterans coping with military connected disabilities a long term means to overcome their challenges through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and fitness training.” Veteran support is a very important cause to us so we jumped at the chance to donate some of our farm’s offerings for the silent auction. So exciting to watch the bids grow for such a great organization.
Frugal Accomplishments //
- saved, baked and crushed egg shells to give to my chickens (a homemade version of this) and to use with my tomato plants
- used up five packets of older seeds in the garden
- used a coupon code to buy a graduation card on etsy
- propagated my hydrangeas to fill a bare spot in the front flower bed (we’ll see if it works!)
- sold three pieces of clothing and two books and after fees, made $23.89!
This Week in the Liturgical Year //
May 22 was the Optional Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, Religious. This is the saint that I got from the Saint Name Generator on New Year’s so I’m excited to learn about her.
To Read: A Life of Heroic Humility and Obedience from Pope Saint John Paul II
To Copy in the Commonplace Book: “Deeply rooted in the love of Christ, Rita found in her faith unshakeable strength to be a woman of peace in every situation.”
To Add to the Library: St. Rita of Cascia: Saint of the Impossible by Joseph Sicardo
To Bake: Tradition associates figs with St. Rita, so this would be a good time to make Fig Tarts or homemade Fig Newtons
Reading //
- For such a time as this. Cheap and Cheerful. from Annabel at The Bluebirds are Nesting on the Farm // “Everyone is stressed. Everyone has tightened their budgets. To me it feels like there is a lot of pressure on us all. I have always had the theme of feathering our nests. Making our homes a safe and happy sanctuary from the world and a place to escape stress rather than a place that causes it! Now happily many things that are just lovely, that brighten spirits and make us feel a little bit more comfy are really easy to do and don’t necessarily cost anything at all.” So many good ideas here.
New Additions to The List //
- The Sun in the Church: Cathedrals as Solar Observatories by J. L. Heilbron
- Only the Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation by Josef Pieper
- Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper by Brant Pitre
- The Fourth Cup: Unveiling the Mystery of the Last Supper and the Cross by Scott Hahn
Watching/Listening //
- Episode 2 of The Commentaries: The Confessions of St. Augustine
Loving //
- 10 Ways to Embrace Underconsumption Core- The 1940s Way! from Real Vintage Dolls House
from the archives…
WEEK TWENTY-ONE 2024 // The Work of Our Hands
Hooray for fresh home grown strawberries!!! We have harvested a small bowl from our garden as well, so fun they are at the same time as you. There is a great movie of St. Rita she has an intense story. Congrats on confirmation to your son, how exciting to have another soldier for Christ!! The Brant Pitre book is really really good, I should read it again. So thankful the chaos that is May is almost over!!!!!
I didn’t know there was a movie about St. Rita – I’ll have to look for it, thank you!
Over 1/5 of your debt paid off is great progress!
Hoping we can keep up the momentum and be debt-free by late fall!