The Big White Farmhouse | intentional living, little by little

September 2, 2022

No.688: August in Review & Goals for September 2022

FIVE THINGS I LOVED

a generous friend who helped us with pig processing logistics
baking with my daughter
the return of the dining room puzzle (and how it brings us together)
an easy start to school
new opportunities for my husband

FIVE LESSONS I LEARNED

The hits keep coming. // We were blindsided with bad news, but continue to trust that God will produce good fruit through this trial. We pray the lament of Psalm 42 and imitate the psalmist’s hope: “I will praise Thee upon the harp, O God, my God: why art thou sad, O my soul? and why dost thou disquiet me? Hope thou in God, for I will yet praise Him: Who is the salvation of my countenance and my God.“
God can turn a little into a lot. // I read that sentence on a blog and it really resonated because it’s true!
Scammers are everywhere! // I fell down the rabbit hole of a Youtube channel called Catfished that chronicled the stories of people who were tricked by “romance scammers.” These slimy guys are everywhere, from Facebook to dating sites to Words with Friends.
I need to strengthen my “reading aloud muscle.” // I almost lost my voice by the end of the first week!
You can’t pour from an empty cup. // A lesson I need to learn over and over again.

FIVE GOALS FOR AUGUST REVIEWED

Try to blog every weekday. I ended up writing 17 (out of the planned 23) posts. I started off so strong, but couldn’t keep up during processing and the first week of school. Oh well, 74% isn’t terrible! I’ll try again next year.
✔ ~~Complete a “low buy” month.~~ I consider this a semi-success. We were very intentional about every penny, but didn’t see the huge savings I had envisioned. Maybe I was unrealistically optimistic?
✔ ~~Get some animals off the property.~~ We successfully got Fiona to the butcher and processed the broilers ourselves the following week. We welcome the breathing room after such a busy season!
✔ ~~Finish as many homestead projects as possible.~~ My list isn’t completely checked off, but I got a big chunk of it accomplished: I finally finished moving the pile of compost to the food forest, amended garden soil, and tidied up/organized unneeded items from the animals and garden. We are also almost finished with one of the permanent winter pig paddocks.
✔ ~~Start school!~~ Yes! We’ve had a really easy transition.

FIVE GOALS FOR SEPTEMBER

Go on a date with my husband.
Follow a daily skincare routine and see if I can notice any difference.
Send some snail mail.
Try a new sourdough recipe once each week.
Paint the back doors.

August 31, 2022

No.687: Homestead Diaries // August 2022

August was the month that I hit a homesteading wall. After months of pushing myself to the extreme, I crashed and burned, limping my way to the processing finish line. Thankfully, by month’s end and a little restructuring of my workload, I’m in a much better mental place and ready to tackle the rest of the year. Here’s what we accomplished in August:

+ After the big storm back in June, we let our 27 laying hens free range. We mostly had our eyes on them throughout the day and everyone always came back to the coop at night…or so we thought. After a few days of asking, “Does this look like 27 chickens?” we decided to count them and eight were missing! My husband and boys walked the property and could see clumps of feathers in places but no bodies, so we’re assuming a fox was picking them off one by one. So sad. We quickly beefed up the fencing around the coop and that seemed to fix the problem.

+ I harvested corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and jalapenos. We are also having a banner year for green beans – they keep coming and coming!

+ Fiona finally made it to the processor! We definitely learned some things from the first trip and made a paddock with the trailer inside the Thursday before. (So thankful for a farmer friend who let us borrow it for so long!) Fiona was nervous and skittish, but she eventually warmed up to it once we left her alone. We put all of her meals inside, which forced her hand once she was hungry enough. On the big day, she went in easily, but man, the look on her face! Once we locked the ramp, she was confused and shocked and looked like she couldn’t believe we had just betrayed her. We felt horrible. We’ll sure miss our little puppy pig, but are thankful for the meat she’ll provide.

+ The ducks started laying! We’re hoping for little baby ducklings in the future.

+ After a few months of being together, we separated Fred and Ethel in different paddocks. If Ethel is pregnant (we’re still not convinced that she is…) she needs increased feed for the last third of her pregnancy. Fred can be quite aggressive with food, often pushing her out of her own feed pan, so this arrangement works better. And if it turns out that she’s not actually pregnant, well…she’s just going to be well fed for a month.

+ We worked on the construction of a permanent pig pen that will double as a winter paddock and a place for farrowing. Really excited with how it’s coming along!

+ I amended the spring garden soil and sowed a few things for a fall garden. My heart’s not completely in it (I’m so tired!) but I’m going to try and see what happens anyway.

+ And the biggest August accomplishment: we processed the Broilers 2.0 and are officially done with chicken season 2022! Like last time, we split the processing between two days (this time back to back!) and hired friends to help. It went really smoothly and I felt so much pride for my family. Homesteading requires all hands on deck and the kids have worked so hard. So grateful that we can live this life together.

August 29, 2022

No.686: Homemaking Notes on a Monday // Vol.35

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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

August 26, 2022

No.685: What I Read in August 2022

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

#48. CHRISTUS VINCIT: CHRIST’S TRIUMPH OVER THE DARKNESS OF THE AGE by Bishop Athanasius Schneider // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

I really enjoyed this book. Written in question and answer form, Bishop Schneider addressed many issues happening within the Church in a clear and balanced way. Like society at large, the Church sometimes seems extremely polarized on issues and it was a breath of fresh air to read someone intelligently discuss the good and bad of each side without compromising on Church teaching. We attended a Solemn Pontifical Mass with Bishop Schneider last year and it was beautiful. He is a holy man.

#49. THE QUINTLAND SISTERS by Shelley Wood // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

This story was so infuriating, even more so because it was based on a true story! Have you heard of the Dionne Quintuplets? Five baby girls born in 1934 and taken from their parents by the Canadian government to become wards of the state. They quickly became a tourist attraction and were paraded around like a circus. I went down another rabbit hole and it appears that the rest of their lives didn’t get much better. So so sad. I’d be interested to read their autobiography someday. (I picked this for my Reading the Alphabet Challenge.)

#50. ROOTS OF THE REFORMATION by Karl Adam // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

This slim little book was mentioned by someone as one that helped in their conversion to the Catholic Church, so I was intrigued. At times an easy read and at times really dense, I found it very fair and thought provoking.

#51. THE RECKONING AT GOSSAMER POND by Jaime Jo Wright // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

This one is a Christian romance suspense novel…did you know that was even a thing? I didn’t! It had duel timelines and lots of secrets. I appreciated the “clean” reading experience, but found the book pretty forgettable. Good, but not great.

#52. INDESTRUCTIBLE: THE UNFORGETTABLE MEMOIR OF A MARINE HERO AT THE BATTLE OF IWO JIMA by Jack H. Lucas // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

The crazy true story of a teenage boy who fibbed his way to the front lines of WWII and the battle of Iwo Jima. There, in an act of true heroism, he covered two grenades with his body to protect his fellow Marines…and survived!

#53. MOTHER DAUGHTER TRAITOR SPY by Susan Elia MacNeal // ★★☆☆☆
(amazon // bookshop)

This book is loosely based on a real life mother/daughter duo who became spies to foil Nazi plans within the United States during WWII. Definitely well researched (the author cites all of her sources in the back), but I found the storyline itself slow and the characters one-dimensional. There were also a few parts where I had to suspend my disbelief at the spy skills of two civilians – would Nazi sympathizers really be so trusting and gullible? I don’t know…just an okay read for me. (Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book! Mother Daughter Traitor Spy will be published on September 20, 2022.)

#54. WHEN I WAS YOU by Minka Kent // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop)

I was in the mood for a thriller so I chose one that’s been on my Kindle for ages. I think I must have gotten it for free through Amazon? It had plenty of twists that kept me guessing – just the book I was looking for.