The Big White Farmhouse

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The weather outside is //

As I look outside my window // We recently had quite a scare with Fred the pig.  All of a sudden, he became really lethargic and refused to eat.  Fred loves food so we immediately thought something must be really wrong.  A quick search online showed me all the worst case scenarios and I scared myself silly thinking he must certainly be close to death.  You should have seen me babying this 300+ pound animal, coaxing him with treats and water.  Praise the Lord, he eventually perked up and is hopefully getting back to normal.

As I look around the house // Our first week of school went really well!  I am always nervous because I never how it’s going to go – some first days go wonderfully, others have me questioning all of my life’s decisions.  So thankful that this year was a smooth transition with a group of (mostly) enthusiastic students.  Looking forward to Week Two.

On this week’s to-do list //
– finally get the new armchair repaired!
– finish up the permanent pig shelter for Ethel
– start hauling over wood chips
– order straw
– clean up the flower beds at the front of the house
– inventory my fall/winter wardrobe and jot down any needs
– order birthday gifts

Low buy month update // Week 4!

• We spent less on groceries, but still spent the saved money on different things that popped up like a birthday gift and the admission fee to a competition.  Always something!  At this point, I feel like I’m spinning my wheels.  To make some significant progress on our financial goals, I think I’m going to need to get even thriftier (how??) or start supplementing our income with more focused side hustles.
• We had two days of zero spending.
• Side hustle update: I didn’t have much time for reselling/decluttering, but did find 6 items to list.  By week’s end, I had 3 sales.  We also sold some eggs to a friend.  Total money earned: $52.69

Currently reading // 

• Fiction: The Flicker of Old Dreams by Susan Henderson
• 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 //

Monday: sheet pan mini meatloaves with potatoes and green beans
Tuesday: breakfast for dinner – I’m thinking ham, egg and cheese biscuit sandwiches
Wednesday: baked chicken quarters with veggies
Thursday: Refrigerator Clean-out Night
Friday: shrimp fried rice and egg rolls

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.