No.748: May in Review & Goals for June 2023

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Hello hello from the Hot Mess Hotel!  What a month.

FIVE THINGS I LOVED

1. winning a book from a Goodreads giveaway
2. watching baby piglets interact with their mama
3. celebrating a Confirmation and a First Communion
4. the sense of accomplishment after a stress-free chicken processing weekend
5. getting through the craziness of May without having completely burnt out

FIVE LESSONS I LEARNED

1. Saint Therese of Liseiux’s name was longer than is popularly known. // Her official religious name was Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face.  Her sister was quoted as saying: “However tender was her devotion to the Child Jesus, it cannot be compared to the devotion which she had for the Holy Face.” (The Secret of the Holy Face, p.109)
2. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. // There are numerous ups and downs in farming and May was no exception.  On Mother’s Day morning, we woke up to discover that a raccoon had gotten into one of our chicken tractors and killed at least 20.  Then on Tuesday of that week, our pig Ethel farrowed her first litter: two healthy piglets, but also one stillborn and one with a birth defect that died the next day.  So much joy, sadness, and disappointment all rolled together.  Farming is hard.
3. Sows and baby piglets are fascinating. // “Teat order is established firmly by Day 3 post farrowing and any unclaimed teats will regress.  This is why grafting beyond Day 1 has such low success.  Each piglet has “its” teat, and they will always nurse off the same one.  Depending on litter size, some are skilled enough to claim two adjacent ones and keep them going.  If an injury happens to a particular teat and it can’t nurse, unless you intervene that piglet will starve out.” (Farrowing Misconceptions from The Modern Day Settler)  Another fun fact is that pigs are not “nurse on demand” kind of mothers like cows or goats.  She will only lay on her side for a certain amount of time, calling the piglets over to eat.  And if they miss the eating window?  Out of luck until next time!
4. Periods within the Geological Time Scale were often named after places or things where fossils were found. // One interesting example is that the Jurassic Period was named after the Jura mountains between France and Switzerland.  (The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt, p.74) Who knew?
5. “Never stop learning and you will always have an income no matter the situation.” // This was a comment made on a video about jobs in danger with the implementation of AI.  I found it to be wise advice.

FIVE “LITTLE PEOPLE” WE SUPPORTED

1. Farm goods from a farmer friend
2. A dress from a seller on Poshmark
3. Greeting cards from TwigsPaper
4. Homeschool materials from Simply Charlotte Mason
5. Homeschool materials from Rainbow Resource

FIVE GOALS FOR MAY REVIEWED

1. ✔ Complete standardized testing and wrap up the school year. // Done!  I hate standardized testing and think that it’s such a poor way to see a child’s progress, but we do what we have to do to stay in the county’s good graces.  The kids did great!
2. ✔ Prep for piglet arrival. // Done!  We built a special farrowing hut for Ethel in the permanent paddock and set up a farrowing kit (old towels, iodine spray, and OB gloves) for the birth.  She was five days overdue (apparently normal for her breed) and ultimately decided to farrow out in in the elements.  Oh well.
3. Pick out flowers for the flower pots on the porch. // No extra time or money for this superfluous treat this month.  I’m hoping for June!
4. Paint the back doors. // There’s just been no extra time for this task either.  Really hoping to get this checked off in June – it’s been in the back of my mind for a year!
5. ✔ Prioritize eating from the deep freezer to make room for new beef/chicken. // We ate a lot of chicken dinners this month!

FIVE GOALS FOR JUNE

1. Try to write on the blog more frequently.
2. Go back to “strict-ish” intermittent fasting and no sugar.
3. Complete a summer reading challenge during June.
4. Get a replacement for a broken piece of siding.
5. Powerwash all the things (the house, rocking chairs, etc).

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