This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.
Well, I lost my “blog every weekday in August” streak last week. Too much going on and not enough energy to write anything coherent. We start our school year this Wednesday, but hopefully I’ll be able to publish a few more posts before month’s end. I think I can, I think I can…
The weather outside is //
As I look outside my window // We processed our last batch of meat chickens last weekend and like everything we do around here, we ran into some roadblocks. On day one, we somehow misplaced a tiny piece of the plucker, making the machine inoperable! As the boys and I imagined (in horror) the idea of hand plucking over 70 birds, my husband finagled a way to fix it with random things we had on hand. The day was saved! Thankfully, day two went much more smoothly.
As I look around the house // My house is a disaster. Definitely need to do a thorough tidy before school starts.
Reflecting // on 2022 so far. This year has been good. So busy, so full. Yet as the growing season winds down, I can feel myself craving some more margin in my life. I think about the farm all the time and every single day – how to keep the animals healthy, how to improve production, how to streamline chores, how to expand further. I think I need a break from carrying that daily load. I’m already brainstorming some goals for September.
On this week’s to-do list //
– scrub out and pack away all of the chicken feeders/waterers
– install math programs onto the computer
– empty out the cabinet to be moved to the dining room (I’m moving things around again!)
– finalize week one lesson plans
– catch up on laundry
– start school!
Low buy month update // Week 3!
- This was not a great week for saving. We had a couple of Aldi trips and some purchases for the farm/processing. It is also our tradition to eat out after broiler processing (we joke that we’re organic farmers, but we still like our local pizza/Chickfila!) so that filled two meals.
- We had one day of zero spending.
- Side hustle update: I had no time to focus on decluttering/reselling so listed 0 items. I feel like the more I list, the more I sell (maybe it’s an algorithm thing?) so it doesn’t surprise me that I only sold two items. Total money earned: $7.30
Currently reading //
- Fiction: Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
- Nonfiction: Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World by Joel Salatin
- Religious: Lay Saints: Models of Family Life by Joan Carroll Cruz
On the menu this week // Can I be honest and say I have no idea what we’re going to eat this week? As we get back into the school routine, I’m going to need dinner to be simple, simple, simple.
We’re loving all the produce at the farm stands around us. (Once again our garden was a flop except for tomatos). So im planning sweet corn at least twice this week, along with hot dogs, burgers, tacos, grilled chicken, all with bread and butter.
I do love reading real menus for real families, but i relate to having a whole week just fly by with seat-of-the-pants meals.
I hope you can find some peace about farm work. It is alot, on top of your other ventures. As we plan for getting cows next year, we are overwhelmed by our ignorance and naivete, even after all the reading we’ve done. I so enjoy hearing about your farming life!
Your menu sounds a lot like what I was thinking: chicken on the grill, tacos and a breakfast for dinner night. If I can get through this first week, I know I’ll be back to my intentionally planned meals soon! 🙂
Life has been pretty hectic around here too, finalizing an international move, I hope you get back into a rythm soon.
Wishing you the same! Just moving 30 minutes away was incredibly stressful for us, so I can’t imagine an international one!