The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.289: Intentions for the Beginning of September

“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” 
― C.S. Lewis

INTENTIONS FOR THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER

  • do some research to see if I can find a local Civil War reenactment
  • embroider Sophie’s name onto her new lab coat (one of her birthday gifts!)
  • make a running list of needed fall/winter clothes 
  • schedule eye exams for M and D
  • call for a consultation with Invisible Fence (the previous owners installed one on the property, but we have no idea where it is)
  • go apple picking
  • make apple butter
  • make blueberry freezer jam
  • preorder supplies for December Daily
  • list a few new things on Poshmark

          PREVIOUS INTENTIONS

          If you’re reading on your phone or in a reader, be sure to click over to see what I checked off the list!

          • give myself a lot of grace as we start school and find a new routine (um, no – the first two weeks of school were crazy and I was way too hard on myself)
          • make a football practice/game survival bag to keep in the car (I filled a bag with a blanket and art supplies, but the general consensus from the little ones was that I didn’t have nearly enough snacks, ha!)
          • call and dispute a bill that we have already paid
          • schedule eye exams for M and D (totally forgot to do this!)
          • buy a “soap saver” from someone on etsy (I got this one)
          • look for lavender sachets on etsy too
          • start buying birthday presents for S and TJ (all purchased and most are even wrapped!)
          • buy birthday wrapping paper
          • transition Lucy to adult dog food (on day 8 of 10)
          • get my sourdough starter up and running again (so happy to have this back in our diet)
          • deep clean the oven (100LT #4)
          • try to sell bar stools from the old house (that have been collecting dust here for two years) on Facebook Marketplace (they sold in less than 24 hours, so happy!)
          • find sneakers for Sophie

          No.288: This Week at the Farmhouse // vol.02

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          WHAT WE LEARNED 

          + Week Two and we’ve already made a few changes:
          • Swapped out Oliver Twist for Around the World in 80 Days for M’s classic novel.  He was really struggling with OT and since I’d like to him to actually enjoy the classics someday, I thought we’d start with something a little easier.  Hoping to revisit Oliver next term.
          • J (3rd grade) begged and begged to be done with Explode the Code and I gave in.  Instead, he will have 15 minutes of silent reading, although that often has extended to 30-45 minutes.  He rotates between three different books and sometimes gets sucked into the story, losing all track of time.  Obviously, I love and support that.  

          + Around the World: we learned a little about traditional Chinese New Year festivities and made dragons.  We also watched a short video about how silk worms make silk – I was fascinated, but the kids were a little grossed out.

          + M (7th grade) learned about ziggurats in Ancient History this week.  Fun fact: did you know that the Tower of Babel is thought to have been built in the ziggurat shape?  His assignment was to draw one on his own and it turned out great!  His art has improved so much the last few years.

          + In Modern History, D (5th grade) and I watched an interactive battle map on the Battle of Shiloh.

          + Speech has become TJ’s favorite subject of the day!  (It may have something to do with the M&Ms too, hah)  This week, he practiced the ending M sound using the Speech Zone’s smash mat worksheets (that I laminated).  Say the word, eat an M&M!

          + Biggest surprise of the week: we had our first official Nature Study and it was a huge hit.  I planned to only be outside for maybe 10 minutes, but they wanted to keep exploring for close to an hour!

          TEN THINGS I’M GRATEFUL FOR

          M’s new “series” of super hero art, inspired by famous paintings
          open windows and a cool breeze
          6 sales from Poshmark and Ebay
          family card games around the dining room table
          a freshly laundered bed
          cinnamon raisin swirl sourdough bread
          finding new purposes for old things
          my blood pressure starting to drop (still high, but getting closer to normal range)
          a new book
          when Mark makes me laugh

          IN THE KITCHEN

          + On the menu:

          M: baked chicken tacos
          T: rosemary balsamic sheet pan chicken with bacon and apples and rice
          W: Refrigerator Clean-Out Night
          Th: sourdough waffles and grapes
          F: spicy southwest veggie frittata

          + B is for Blueberry Muffins, using this recipe from Eating on a Dime


          + How much I spent on groceries this week: $314.22
          A little bit higher than normal because I started purchasing a few items for our emergency closet.  Winter will be here before we know it!

            GOOD THINGS

            + from the archives: Five Reasons to Send a Letter in September (get those cards ready!)
            + on my less waste wishlist: unpaper towels
            + I stumbled upon this photography challenge and love the idea
            + so excited to try out my latest purchase
            + Why I’m Not on Instagram Anymore // she talked much more eloquently about her decision than I did!  As someone who has tried and then eventually quit two IG accounts, I can relate to so many of her thoughts.  I’m perfectly content to be in one space on the Internet with this little blog of mine.

            No.287: My Latest Reads // August

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            P.S. I highly recommend Book Outlet!  Use my link to receive $10 off your first order of $25 or more.

            #48. THE DREAMERS by Karen Thompson Walker 
            My Rating: ★★★☆☆

            How to describe this book?!  The Dreamers is about an outbreak in a small college town that causes deep sleep and vivid dreams.  It’s not quite apocalyptic, maybe almost sci-fi?  This would make a good book club selection – lots to talk about and interpret.
            #49. THE 15:17 TO PARIS: THE TRUE STORY OF A TERRORIST, A TRAIN, AND THREE AMERICAN HEROES by Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone, and Jeffrey E. Stern
            My Rating: ★★★☆☆

             Great story of American heroism, but the way the book is laid out ruined it for me!  The flashing backwards and forwards in time was awkward and confusing.  This sounds very Type-A of me, but I would have enjoyed it so much more if the timeline had been written in chronological order.  I also felt like they tried to make a small news article into a 200 page book and it felt forced.  2.5 stars, rounded up.

            #50. SEVEN WORDS OF JESUS AND MARY: LESSONS ON CANA AND CALVARY by Fulton Sheen
            My Rating:  ★★★★☆

             The reason most of us are what we are, mediocre Christians – “up” one day, “down” the next – is simply because we refuse to let God work on us.  As crude marble, we rebel against the hand of the sculptor, as unvarnished canvas, we shrink from the oils and tints of the Heavenly Artists…We always make the fatal mistake of thinking that it is what we do that matters, when really what matters is what we let God do to us.” (p.32)


             If you have never before prayed to Mary, do so now.  Can you not see that if Christ himself willed to be physically formed in her for nine months and then be spiritually formed by her for thirty years, it is to her that we must go to learn how to have Christ formed in us?  Only she who raised Christ can raise a Christian. (p.43)

            Fulton Sheen’s books have a way of speaking right to my soul and Seven Words of Jesus and Mary was no exception.  Whew!  Just what I needed to hear as I battle yet another bout of spiritual dryness.

            #51. NIGHT by Elie Wiesel
            My Rating: ★★★★☆

             NEVER SHALL I FORGET that night, the first night in camp, that turned my life into one long night seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. 
            Never shall I forget the small faces of the children whose bodies I saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky. 
            Never shall I forget those flames that consumed my faith forever. 
            Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live. 
            Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes. 
            Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself.  Never. (35%)

            How did I go through high school and college without reading this book?!  Night was one of the most haunting personal accounts of the Holocaust I have ever read.  Adding a mental note to look into the other two books in the trilogy someday.  (This was also my 1958 pick for the 20th Century Reading Challenge.)

            #52. OUR HOUSE by Louise Candlish
            My Rating: ★★★☆☆

             Our House is a suspense thriller and even at over 400 pages, it was a page turner!  A lot of twists and turns and many that I didn’t even predict.  The ending was really clever.  Solid three stars. 
            #53. RENIA’S DIARY: A HOLOCAUST JOURNAL by Renia Spiegel
            My Rating: ★★★☆☆

            Renia’s Diary is a long-hidden journal written by a Polish teenager during the Holocaust.  You really get a sense of her ordinary life (boys, school, her talent for poetry) and how it coincided with a tumultuous political climate.  I think younger readers will relate to and appreciate her teenage struggles, because I’d say 90% of the journal focuses on her relationships with friends and a boy.  I found the section at the end, written by her surviving sister, much more compelling and interesting.
            (And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.  Renia’s Diary will officially be released on September 24, 2019!)


            ____________________

            MY READING IN NUMBERS FOR 2019
            Books Read: 53
            Pages Read: 15,793
            Fiction: 31  //  Non-Fiction: 22
            Kindle Books: 17  //  Paper Books: 36
            Original 2019 books “to-read” total on Goodreads: 424 // Current “to-read” total: 423

            No.286: This Week at the Farmhouse

            “Instructions for Living a Life: Pay attention.  Be astonished.  Tell about it.” – Mary Oliver

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            WHAT WE LEARNED 

            + The first day of school went as well as to be expected.  There were some angry tears from my almost 5-year-old (because I wouldn’t do his school right.this.minute), a healthy amount of naughtiness from my toddler, and the dog only escaped from her playpen once.  First impression: it’s going to be a wild and CRAZY year.
            + My two oldest are much more independent this year and we all are loving that change.  They got their work done in record time and spent their afternoons coding, drawing, or practicing Spanish.
            + We tried to wrap our brains around the teeny tininess of atoms with this video.
            + Our first stop around the world is to China.  Highlights included: reading The Pet Dragon and then copying Chinese characters on their own, and reading The Story about Ping and drawing ducks with a tutorial from Art for Kids.

            TEN THINGS I’M THANKFUL FOR

            a new daily schedule
            butterflies everywhere I look, reminding me of my grandmother
            watching the kids climb trees
            a dairy-free alternative to ranch dressing
            excited shouts of joy when our science experiment worked
            reading aloud again
            air conditioning and fans (we had a heat wave this week!)
            how much D is enjoying flag football
            toddler giggles
            sleeping soundly at the end of the day


            IN THE KITCHEN

            + On the menu:
            M: dinner on the go! crunchy southwestern chicken wraps, PB&Js, chips, grapes and waters
            T: meatball subs and french fries
            W: refrigerator clean-out night
            Th: teriyaki beef casserole (which I won’t link to because it wasn’t very good)
            F: breakfast for dinner – waffles, eggs and fruit

            + A is for Apple Pie, using the recipe in the back of How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World


            + How much I spent on groceries this week: $296.36
            Mini frugal accomplishment: I did a little research on how much I should be spending on groceries for a family of 8.  I found this calculator, which says we should spend $315.50 per week or $1367.07 per month.  Happy to see that we generally already fall below that number, but I’d love to figure out ways to lower it even more.


            GOOD THINGS

            beautiful art print from the etsy shop, EpoqueGraphics, which sadly looks to be closed

            + This amazing veteran provides drinking water to people in need.  His current project is in Flint, Michigan.
            + With only five years left with our oldest, I need to read this new book.
            + I’m thinking about planting these around one of our trees this fall.
            + Also enjoying the few pages I’ve been able to read of this book so far.
            + This man quit his high-paying finance job to deliver excess food to people in need.

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