The Big White Farmhouse | intentional living, little by little

June 21, 2023

No.750: The Wednesday Five #32

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

Happy Wednesday!

A QUOTE

Daily exposure to an economically diverse set of people is one reason Americans began engaging in more upward comparison. A shift in advertising patterns is another. Traditionally advertisers had targeted their market by earnings, using one medium or another depending on the income group they were trying to reach. They still do this. But now the huge audiences delivered by television make it the best medium for reaching just about every financial group. While Forbes readers have a much higher median income than television viewers, it’s possible to reach more wealthy people on television than in the pages of any magazine, no matter how targeted its readership. A major sports event or an ER episode is likely to deliver more millionaires and more laborers than a medium aimed solely at either group. That’s why you’ll find ads for Lincoln town cars, Mercedes-Benz sports cars, and $50,000 all-terrain vehicles on the Super Bowl telecast. In the process, painters who earn $25,000 a year are being exposed to buying pressures never intended for them, and middle-class housewives look at products once found only in the homes of the wealthy. – The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don’t Need, p.10

This book was written in 1998 so naturally, the examples are a bit dated. Yet I can’t help but think that this idea has exploded since the invention of social media! We are constantly bombarded with photos and products and lifestyles that most of us cannot afford, which leads to envy, dissatisfaction, unhappiness and a lot of debt. I’m excited to keep reading and learn about her solution to this problem.

TABS OPEN IN MY BROWSER RIGHT NOW

this site for canning recipes (getting ready for tomatoes!)
this book about Sister Mary Wilhelmina
this DIY stepping stone tutorial

A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART

The Blue Kitchen by Margaret Olley

AN INSPIRATIONAL VIDEO

I loved this video about the Fairfield Carmelites and the attention and care taken for their new monastery. I’ve been inspired to make the ordinary spaces of my home beautiful, just like them.

A LITTLE HUMOR

A true to life picture of myself last week! We managed to go without air conditioning throughout most of May and I was really hoping for a cheaper bill. No such luck. What do electricity costs look like where you live?

June 12, 2023

No.749: Last Week at the Farmhouse // The In-Between

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how I’m firmly in the “in-between” stage of so many aspects of my life right now. The farm is getting more established, but still has countless half-finished projects strewn across the property. I’m more proficient in running the farm, but nowhere near an expert. The house is comfortable, but the list of updates is still miles long. The mortgage reduction goal is well on its way but we’re far off from the finish line. And on and on and on. The in-between is uncomfortable for someone like me who prefers things in tidy little boxes and tasks checked off the list. I struggle with the mess, with the imperfection, with the unknowing. But God is good, isn’t He? I’ve grown and learned more in the past three years than I probably have in the last decade. Non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam – Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory. (Psalm 115)

We recently purchased a new-to-us puzzle at our favorite used bookstore. (Here’s the Amazon listing so you can see the whole thing.) Super cute with so many little details.

I’ve been listening to a podcast called Sold a Story and feel so vindicated. (I have had a personal experience with this during my kids’ time in public school, but that’s a story for another day.) I’m sure there are worthy arguments on both sides of this apparently hot-button issue, but it’s definitely worth a listen if you feel like your lower elementary school kids are struggling with reading.

Did you notice an orangey-red sun where you live this week? Apparently due to the wildfires in Canada, smoke and haze were prevalent in the mid-Atlantic region, making the sun appear red. Eerie.

A few photos from around the farm:

June 1, 2023

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

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

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

FIVE THINGS I LOVED

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

FIVE LESSONS I LEARNED

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)
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.
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!
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?
“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

Farm goods from a farmer friend
A dress from a seller on Poshmark
Greeting cards from TwigsPaper
Homeschool materials from Simply Charlotte Mason
Homeschool materials from Rainbow Resource

FIVE GOALS FOR MAY REVIEWED

✔ ~~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!
✔ ~~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.
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!
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!
✔ ~~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

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

Help me transition away from “traditional” blogging income streams while still keeping the lights on at the BWF!

May 31, 2023

No.747: What I Read in May 2023

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission of any sale made at no extra cost to you.

#30. THE ITALIAN BULLDOZER by Alexander McCall Smith // ★★☆☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “It was the first time that Paul made duck a l’orange for friends since Becky left him for her personal trainer.”

I have really enjoyed Smith’s No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series in the past, so I was excited to pull this book off the shelf. I found it to be an easy to read and quirky story, but without a clear point.

#31. THE SECRET OF THE HOLY FACE: THE DEVOTION DESTINED TO SAVE SOCIETY by Fr. Lawrence Daniel Carney III // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “‘I will set my face against you, and you shall fall down before your enemies, and shall be made subject to them that hate you, you shall flee when no man pursueth you.’ (Leviticus 26:17)”

One of our parish priests recommended this book, so you know I had to check it out! it was a little redundant toward the end, but I really enjoyed learning about this devotion and am happy to add it to my weekly prayers. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

#32. THE SURVIVORS by Jane Harper // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “She could – almost – have been one of The Survivors.”

I’ve read many of Jane Harper’s novels and have enjoyed them all. This may have been my least favorite so far? While the book had beautiful descriptions of the setting (per usual for Harper), the story line was quite complicated and I struggled to keep everything straight.

#33. THE FOREVER WITNESS: HOW DNA AND GENEALOGY SOLVED A COLD CASE DOUBLE MURDER by Edward Humes // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “The sixtyish man with the plain gray suit and pale blue watchful eyes had just finished lunch when his phone buzzed.”

This book chronicles the horrible murder of a young Canadian couple in the 1980s, whose case sadly turned cold due to a lack of evidence. Fast forward 30 years. New technological advancements using DNA and genealogical websites have emerged and the case is finally solved. I found this topic fascinating and appreciated the ethical arguments on both sides regarding police using online genealogy sites to solve crimes. Very thought-provoking. (And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!)

#34. ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE by Mike Gayle // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “Moments before Hubert met Ashleigh for the first time, he had been settled in his favorite armchair, Puss curled up on his lap, waiting for Rose to call.”

If you’ve read A Man Called Ove, you may enjoy this book! It’s a heartwarming story about an older man trying to make new friends and finding them in unexpected places. I really enjoyed about 75% of it, but the last quarter felt a little too neat and tidy. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

#35. THE LOST DINOSAURS OF EGYPT by William Nothdurft // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // better world books)

First line: “No one knows what brought the huge animal down.”

A book very outside of my comfort zone! You know that I’ll read just about anything, so I decided to try this one about dinosaurs that I’ve had on our homeschool shelves. The gist of the book is that a German scientist named Stromer went to Egypt in the early 1900s and discovered a treasure trove of bones in the Bahariya Oasis. Sadly, Stromer’s discoveries were destroyed in a WWII Allied bombing raid. Thirty years later, a new group of young scientists embarked on a trip to retrace his footsteps and find this treasure trove that Stromer wrote about in his journals. I’m no dino fanatic, but did find parts of this really interesting and I learned a lot! (I also read this for my Reading the Alphabet Challenge.)

#36. FAITHFUL PLACE by Tana French // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

First line: “In all your life, only a few moments matter.”

This is number three in the Dublin Murder Squad series. It’s been awhile since I’ve read this series (October 2019!) but I remember enjoying the first two. I’m not sure, after all this time, this is the series for me? I’m still undecided about continuing on.

MY UNREAD SHELF PROJECT

Unread Books as of January 1, 2023: 207
Books Finished in May: 7
Finished Books Donated/Sold in May: 2
Books Added: +1
Unread Books Remaining: 193