The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.225: What I Learned in February

1 // THE STOMACH FLU IS THE WORST.
Enough said.

 2 // I AM NOW KNOWLEDGEABLE IN SEA-FARING TERMS.
I read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle this month and got a crash course on ship terms like bowsprit, foresail, forecastle, etc.  So the next time I find myself on a ship, I’ll know what they’re talking about, hah!

3 // I’M ON A TEA KICK.
When I was sick, I found myself rejecting coffee and turning to tea.  I’ve wanted to decrease my caffeine consumption for awhile – like a true addict, if I veered in any way from my normal amounts, I would pay for it the next day with awful headaches.  I’m now down to just one morning cup and I drink non-caffeinated tea the rest of the day.  My current favorite is peach passion with just a teeny bit of honey.  And another bonus: I’m probably more hydrated than ever!

 4 // WE HAVE ACIDIC WATER.
When we started finding silt coming out of our faucets, we had someone come look at our well.  He did a test and found that we have acidic water, which I guess isn’t great for the longevity of pipes?  (This was proven when we later discovered a rusted hole in our kitchen sink pipe!)  The repairman installed a soda ash system which should help.

 5 // I PREFER TO READ PHYSICAL BOOKS VS. ON MY KINDLE.
Last year, I put myself on a book-buying ban and with the exception of a handful of Goodwill finds, I stuck to it.  Instead, I read a ton of e-books from the library, which was great and free and easy to get without having to make the trip to the library (which is small and not close by).  BUT.  After spending some of my Christmas money on physical books, I’m realizing that I love the physical option so much more.  The smell of a new book (even if it’s used), the way the paper feels in my hand, having to turn the pages…I love it so much more.

One year ago: 

No.224: My Latest Reads // February

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#08. THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE by Avi
My Rating: ★★★★☆

 Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty.  But I was just such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago. (the first sentence! p.1)

 I decided to change things up a little by reading a children’s (maybe more accurately, a tween/YA) book.  The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is a page turner about a mystery at sea and was so much better than I was expecting!  I enjoyed it so much that even my big boys are possibly interested in picking it up.  (Female protagonists are not their thing, so that’s HUGE.)

#09. AT HOME IN THE WORLD: REFLECTIONS ON BELONGING WHILE WANDERING THE GLOBE by Tsh Oxenreider
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

I know this: I am weary of playing games, of the games I am asked to play in order to succeed as a writer.  These travels for a year are admittedly part escapism, a desperate plea for a sabbatical from expectations, pressure, noise.  I want to get lost in myself, I want to stop thinking so much of myself, and I want to see in the flesh how many people there are in the world and how many don’t know me or, really, care about me.  I want to remember my smallness.  I want to be a prophet in the wilderness, shouting from jungles and deserts and foreign cities that we are all small, and to remember what a tiny place we each take up in the world.  Small might be insignificant, but it does not mean unimportant. (p.56)

 I enjoyed this book, but it also solidified something I already knew about myself: I’m a homebody through and through!  I definitely don’t experience the same wanderlust – some of her experiences gave me anxiety just reading about them, hah!  I do have a short list for travel someday, but for now, I’ll just drink up the experiences of others.  (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#10. TEARS OF THE GIRAFFE by Alexander McCall Smith
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

 The Americans were very clever; they sent rockets into space and invented machines which could think more quickly than any human being alive, but all this cleverness could also make them blind. They did not understand other people. They thought that everyone looked at things in the same way as Americans did, but they were wrong. Science was only part of the truth. There were also many other things that made the world what it was, and the Americans often failed to notice these things, although they were there all the time, under their noses. (48%)

Tears of the Giraffe is the second book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.  I read the first book last year and enjoyed it, so after reading about Africa in At Home in the World, I thought I’d revisit Botswana’s premier lady detective, Precious Ramotswe.  Nothing ground-breaking, but a good story with charming characters.  Solid three stars.

#11. THE SNOW CHILD by Eowyn Ivey
My Rating: ★★★★☆

 “Dear, sweet Mabel,” she said.  “We never know what is going to happen, do we?  Life is always throwing us this way and that.  That’s where the adventure is.  Not knowing where you’ll end up or how you’ll fare.  It’s all a mystery, and when we say any different, we’re just lying to ourselves.  Tell me, when have you felt most alive?” (p.258)

 First of all, can we talk about this cover?!  So beautiful.  The Snow Child captured my attention from the first few pages and I was hooked.  The overall tone of the book is a little sad and melancholy, so it may not be a good fit for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#12. THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE by Lynda Cohen Loigman
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

 Living together in the two-family house had always had its benefits.  When Rose first moved in, she had been grateful every day for Helen’s companionship.  Helen taught her how to cook, how to sew curtains, how to bleed the radiator when it started getting noisy.  She told Rose where to buy fish and which grocer had the best produce.  The two of them had been inseparable back then, more like sisters than some real sisters Rose knew.  When the children came along, the cousins had each other for playmates.  There was always an adult around if any child was sick or wanted help with schoolwork.  And if either Rose or Helen needed something for a recipe, chances were that one of them had the ingredient the other was missing. (p.83)

According to Goodreads, I am definitely in the minority here, but I just couldn’t get behind The Two-Family House.  The writing is fine but the story itself was very predictable.  I figured out the “plot twist” about 30 pages into the story and couldn’t figure out if I was just clever or if it was intentional.  (Turns out everyone figured it out early.)  There were only a few characters that I liked and many more who were just rotten.  I don’t know…it could have been a great premise, but I thought it fell flat.  (Also available at Book Outlet here.)

#13. TEAM DOG: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DOG – THE NAVY SEAL WAY by Mike Ritland
My Rating: ★★★★☆

 Last year, Mark listened to a podcast with Mike Ritland and was really impressed.  With our new puppy arriving in a few months, February was the perfect time to read his book and check out his advice.  Straight forward and easy to understand – I liked it and learned a lot.



#14. THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

 “How long have you lived here?” Mama asked. “Ten of the best years of my life,” Large Marge answered. “Life in the bush is hard work, but you can’t beat the taste of salmon you caught in the morning, drizzled with butter you churned from your own fresh cream. Up here, there’s no one to tell you what to do or how to do it. We each survive our own way. If you’re tough enough, it’s heaven on earth.” (9%)


Another book based in Alaska!  I’ve been on the hold list at the library since last August, so was pleasantly surprised to get the email saying it was my turn.  I don’t know how to accurately describe my feelings on this one, though.  While it was well written, the domestic abuse was very difficult for me and it just felt so depressing.  The Snow Child and The Two-Family House also had a sad/melancholy tone and I may have unintentionally hit a breaking point with The Great Alone.  Still worth the read, but I need something cheerful next!  3.5 stars.

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MY READING IN NUMBERS FOR 2019
Books Read: 14
Pages Read: 4,304
Fiction: 9  //  Non-Fiction: 5
Kindle Books: 2  //  Paper Books: 12
Original 2019 books “to-read” total on Goodreads: 424 // Current “to-read” total: 433 (I’m going in the wrong direction, hah!)

No.223: Five Favorites for February

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1 // BOOKTUBE
As you know, I’ve been spending a lot of time washing dishes by hand lately.  To pass the time, I usually prop my phone on the windowsill and listen to podcasts.  However, this month, I discovered “Booktube” (people who talk about books on YouTube) and I’ve been sucked down the rabbit hole!  I’ve just scratched the surface here, but these are my three favorites:

  1. Lucy the Reader: She first won me over with her British accent, but kept me listening due to her love of classic novels.  The way she describes these intimidating books is so inspiring!
  2. Helene Jeppesen: Helene has similar tastes to me in terms of genres, so I’ve enjoyed hearing her reviews.  Her Danish accent is so awesome too.
  3. Merphy Napier: Merphy reads differently than I do (more fantasy/science fiction) but I find her interesting and entertaining.  Her approach is very real and down-to-earth.

2 // ST. MICHAEL CARVING FROM UKRAINE
One of the cool gifts that I found for Mark’s birthday was a St. Michael carving made all the way in Ukraine!  The turnaround time was very reasonable, the workmanship is beautiful and Mark loved it.

3 // A NATURAL DEODORANT THAT WORKS
I’ve finally found a natural deo that works for me!  Lume deodorant was developed by a doctor and is aluminum and baking soda free.  It hasn’t stained my clothes.  The only “con” is that after years and years of wearing an antiperspirant, I’m not used to sweating and I definitely do when working hard.  But there’s no stink, so that’s good, right?  We’ll see what happens during a sticky Virginia summer.

 4 // PEACH PASSION TEA
I plan to talk about this more in a future post, but I somehow managed to reduce my coffee intake by about 75% this month.  (A huge change, since I was up to three or four cups a day!)  I still craved a warm beverage, though, so I started drinking tea!  My current favorite is country peach passion with just a tiny bit of honey.

 5 // HISTORY MADE INTERESTING FOR KIDS
For history, we read through The Year of the Horseless Carriage: 1801.  The cover looked underwhelming but boy, was I wrong!  So many great stories in this one little book as well as a great introduction to Napoleon.  My kids really enjoyed it.

No.222: Intentions for the End of February

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” 
― C.S. Lewis

INTENTIONS FOR THE END OF FEBRUARY

  • write those letters!
  • order new moisturizer
  • make bone broth
  • start a compost pile (100LT #85)
  • start making shopping/to-do lists for dog needs
  • add five new pieces to my Poshmark closet
  • decide what I want to read for Lent
  • celebrate our 100th day of school in a special way
  • introduce a little Shakespeare into our homeschool
  • research costs for resealing the driveway (get quotes?)

        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!
        • to think about: how can I be more of a creator than a consumer?
        • finish taxes
        • open a separate Christmas account
        • start thinking about a dog! (big things happening in April!)
        • order a shampoo bar (100LT #84) (I purchased this one)
        • order photos for the first month of my #100dayproject
        • catch up on snail mail correspondence (still so behind)
        • leave thoughtful comments on at least 20 blog posts 
        • figure out Valentines for the kids to pass out at co-cop (we went with the classic chocolate/sticker combo)
        • make a plan for Poshmark (starting back slowly, but I had five orders, so not too shabby!)
        • finish at least one book that has been sitting on my “currently reading” list for months

        What about you?  What do you hope to accomplish in the next two weeks?

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