The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.713: The Wednesday Five #31

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Happy Wednesday!

A QUOTE

The Church is saying to us again and again, “Now is the acceptable time” (2 Cor 6:2).  This Advent will never come again…We recall the classic words of the poet: “The tender grace of a day that is gone will never come back to me.”  The graces of this day will never come again.  The opportunities for being loving and humble and generous and self-forgetful in this day will never come again.  That is a large thought, and we should fill our minds with large thoughts in this season. – Come Lord Jesus, page 65

I’m reading my favorite Advent devotional again this year.  There are so many little nuggets of wisdom and I reflect on something new each time.

TABS OPEN IN MY BROWSER RIGHT NOW
A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART

“The Day Before Christmas” by Carl Larsson (found here)
How cute is that sweetie pie on the left?!

A POEM FOR THE SEASON

In Memoriam A. H. H. OBIIT MDCCCXXXIII: 106
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

WHAT WE DID FOR SAINT NICHOLAS DAY THIS YEAR

The kids put out their shoes last night in anticipation of a gift from Saint Nicholas and he didn’t disappoint!  Along with the obligatory gold chocolate coins, they always receive something to enjoy together.  (One year, they found a few Christmas movies, another year was playing card themed, etc.)  2022 will go down in history as the year Mom and Dad chose completely random things!  I picked a board game called LineUp and my husband chose a Battle Jousting Challenge Set.

No.712: What We’ve Learned After Two Years of Raising Meat Chickens

Please forgive this NOT seasonally appropriate homestead post – I’ve had it in my draft folder for months and want to get it published before year’s end!

This was the second year of raising meat chickens and we have learned so much.  In year one, we raised two batches: 50 in the first batch and 100 in the second.  This year in 2022, we raised two batches of 150 each.  We raise a heritage breed meat chicken called the Freedom Ranger.  They take a little longer to grow compared to the popular Cornish Cross, but we feel the extra time is worth it!  This variety produces tender, succulent meat with high levels of omega-3 fats.  SO delicious.

Below are four things we’ve learned along the way:

1. The startup costs can be expensive.

One of the hardest parts of homesteading has been starting from nothing.  It took quite a bit of money to get going.  From constructing the tractors to buying feed to acquiring all of the supplies for processing, it felt like cash was flying out of our wallets.  I’m sure it’s possible to find many of the items secondhand or frugally, but we weren’t that lucky.

2. Our first tractors were way too heavy.

Our first year, we mimicked a Joel Salatin design, but made one fatal design flaw: we used 2x4s throughout!  It was insanely heavy and required four of us to move it each morning.  For year two, we knew we wanted something different.  We went with two of what is technically an enclosed chicken run.  We added wood “skis” on the bottom for added stability and a rope for moving.  It’s not perfect and we have some improvement ideas for 2023, but we’re getting closer!

Year One
Year Two

3. The everyday raising is super easy.

We moved the tractors each morning to fresh pasture and filled waterers and feeders at the same time.  On super hot days, we’d go in a few times to make sure there was enough water, but other than that, the day-to-day raising was very hands off.

4. Processing is a gratitude-filled experience.

It’s hard to describe the feeling on processing day.  It’s almost a spiritual experience.  These animals have been in our care for eleven weeks and we worked hard to create the best possible life for them.  They had plentiful food and drink, warm sunshine and fresh pasture.  And in the end, they provide us with food to feed our family.  I’m always filled with deep, deep gratitude.

Some Of Our Favorite Things for Raising Meat Chickens

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One note: We started collecting our supplies back in 2021 and unfortunately, the prices of most items below have exploded in price since then.  An even bigger hurdle for the beginner homesteader.  #thanksinflation

No.711: What I Read in October & November 2022

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

#60. THIS TENDER LAND by William Kent Krueger // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

I’ve read a lot of WKK this year and his writing is top notch.  This sweeping epic about four orphans was no different, but the pacing lagged for me somewhere in the middle.  Still a worthwhile read!  3.5 stars, rounded up.

#61. DEATH COMES FOR THE ARCHBISHOP by Willa Cather // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

The first book club pick of the year!  I enjoyed the very atmospheric and interesting look at Catholicism during the early (and wild) days of American Western Expansion.  I was especially struck by the contrast of good priests and horrible ones…some things are just perennial, I guess.  (This one also counted toward my 20th Century in Literature Challenge for 1927.)

#62. THE GREEN EMBER by S.D. Smith // ★★★☆☆
(amazon)

Our first read aloud of the school year!  This is a story about rabbits in the midst of a falling kingdom while tyrants and terror abound.  Homeschoolers all over rave about this book and while it had an exciting beginning and end, the kids felt like it significantly lagged in the middle.  To me, this felt like a “world building” first book in a series, so I’m curious to see if the pace picks up in the next novels.  (This is probably an unpopular opinion, but Redwall is similar but considerably better.)

#63. TO THE BRIGHT EDGE OF THE WORLD by Eowyn Ivey // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

A random pick up that I ended up really liking!  The blurb calls this one a “breathtaking story of discovery and adventure, set at the end of the nineteenth century, and of a marriage tested by a closely held secret.”  I loved how the story was told through letters and photos and other ephemera.  So creative.  3.5 stars, rounded up.  (I read this as part of the Alphabet Reading Challenge.)

#64. THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL by Anne Bronte // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

Whew…this book!  I read through it relatively quickly, but found it to be a slog through the middle…  If it were 100 pages shorter, I think it would have been a much better book.  That said, most women in my book club loooved it and especially loved the middle section, so don’t take my word for it, ha!

#65. THUNDER BAY by William Kent Krueger // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop)

After a doozy of a book, I needed something easy, so back to the Cork O’Connor series I went! This one is number seven, was a good story and a fast read, but some of the others in the series have been better.  Solid three stars.

#66. MISS GRAHAM’s COLD WAR COOKBOOK by Celia Rees // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

This historical fiction novel really had so much potential.  The post-WWII setting was interesting, you could tell the author did a ton of research and the culinary spy message idea was really clever.  Unfortunately, it took about 100 pages for the story to really pick up and what followed was a faster paced, but really confusing story line.  So many characters!  So many pieces that seemed unbelievable!  The abrupt ending after almost 500 pages!  2.5 stars, rounded up.

#67. PADRE PIO: THE STIGMATIST by Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop)

You often hear of all of the incredible mysteries of Padre Pio: the stigmata, bilocation, reading of souls in the confessional, the miracles, etc.  This book did a great job of also showing the amount of suffering he endured behind the scenes.  This is an older book and the way it’s laid out is a tad disorganized, but still has many good stories and nuggets of wisdom.  3.5 stars, rounded up.

No.710: November in Review & Goals for December

FIVE THINGS I LOVED
  1. the most beautiful buck spotted in our front yard
  2. a surprise piece of snail mail after a long week
  3. getting to November 15th before turning on the heat
  4. beeswax pillar candles from Sloan Family Farms
  5. celebrating 17 years of marriage
FIVE LESSONS I LEARNED
  1. Suffering isn’t a competition. // I often berate myself for not being able to handle struggles more gracefully while people we know are going through “harder” battles (an unforeseen job loss, a second trimester miscarriage, etc.).  But isn’t that silly?  Everyone has crosses and they’re all different.  And while it’s important to keep small struggles in perspective, it doesn’t make the suffering feel less hard.
  2. A little distance from farming has reignited my love for it. // I was so burnt out earlier this fall and began questioning all of my life’s choices.  (More than a little dramatic, but you know what I mean.)  Thankfully, by focusing on other things for awhile, I’m feeling a twinge of excitement for our homestead again and have even started making plans for 2023.
  3. Burning the candle at both ends will come back to haunt you eventually. // I was sick not once but twice(!!) this month.  Thankfully, my symptoms improved after a couple days of rest, but I definitely need to start taking better care of myself, especially with winter on the horizon.
  4. Feelings are feelings and thoughts are thoughts; feelings and thoughts come and go, but we are not our feelings and thoughts. // I actually read this in the comment section of someone’s blog!  (There’s wisdom everywhere if you’re open to receiving it.)  I thought it was a good little mantra for when I spin myself into a tizzy of overwhelm or frustration or worry.
  5. We have lots to be thankful for this year. // Lots and lots and lots.
FIVE GOALS FOR NOVEMBER REVIEWED
  1. ✔ Pray novena prayers for the holy souls in Purgatory all month. // I received a little prayer card in the mail from Our Lady of Solitude Monastery and faithfully used their beautiful novena prayers.  I only missed a few days!
  2. ✔ Plan a simple Thanksgiving dinner. // We were on our own for Thanksgiving this year, but we still enjoyed our simple day.
  3. Finally finish the laundry room walls! // The project that never ends!  I was able to sand down the skimcoating (with a hand sander, which took forever) and am all ready to paint this weekend.
  4. ✔ Plant garlic. // My first experience with garlic was super easy!  I went with Territorial’s Sliver White and followed these tips.
  5. ✔ Finish Christmas shopping. // I still have a few stocking stuffers to go, but I’m considering this a win!  Such a relief that I won’t have to stress all through Advent.
FIVE GOALS FOR DECEMBER
  1. Wrap, wrap, wrap!
  2. Mail extended family gifts and cards early in the month.
  3. Sew up the remaining three cross-stitch pillows for the big boys.
  4. Finish an introductory Javascript coding course.
  5. Relax, reflect on the year and brainstorm goals for 2023.

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