The Big White Farmhouse | intentional living, little by little

March 14, 2022

No.631: Homemaking Notes on a Monday // Vol. 24

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My brain feels overstuffed these days – so much going on in the world and so much to do here at home. My days are full from dawn to dusk, homestead and homemaking tasks tucked into the pockets of time before and after schooling with the kids. My lengthy to-do list simultaneously excites and overwhelms me; for every task I check off the list, I seem to add four more in its place. I scan the news headlines and worry about what the future may look like, how we’ll make it all work as the vise gets tighter and tighter. It all seems so darn hard (I mean can’t we get a break?!), but I remind myself that I’m living the full width of this life. The good, the bad and the ugly, just like my grandmothers and great-grandmothers did before me. I hope to bear it with as much grace as they did.

The weather outside is //

As I look outside my window // The forecast above cracks me up as we just had a snow storm come through on Saturday! Nothing to see here, we return to your normal mid-March weather…

As I look around the house // My husband surprised the kids with a few new games, including Connect Four and Risk. The games have quickly found a permanent spot on our dining room table. Did you know that Connect Four is a strategic game on the level of 4D chess? Did you know that world domination brings out the best and worst in a person? We may be just a little competitive around here.

On this week’s to-do list //

– plant peas, beets and spinach
– prep potato bed
– keep working on chicken tractors
– start my very first batch of kombucha
– figure out a Plan B for getting rid of the old oven
– start planning what the rest of the school year will look like and what needs to be accomplished before summer break
– try to finish one more blog post

Currently reading //

Fiction: Purgatory Ridge by William Kent Krueger
Nonfiction: Dirt to Soil: One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture by Gabe Brown and We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China’s Surveillance State by Kai Strittmatter
Religious: The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life by Fr. Charles Arminjon and A Memory for Wonders by Mother Veronica Namoyo Le Goulard, PCC
Read Aloud: Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

On the menu this week //
Monday: slow cooker beef stew
Tuesday: chicken fried rice
Wednesday: breakfast for dinner! bacon, potato and egg casserole with fruit
Thursday: shepherd’s pie
Friday: tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

March 7, 2022

No.630: Homemaking Notes on a Monday // Vol.23

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The weather outside is //

As I look outside my window // The temperatures are inching warmer and warmer and I’m anxious to get going with this growing season. You should see my list of projects to complete…insanity, ha! A few on the list for this week include finishing up our chicken tractors, amending the garden soil and working on the construction of a new wood shed. The forecast doesn’t look promising, but I’m praying for a few little pockets of sunshine.

As I look around the house // It still looks quite haphazard with projects in progress everywhere too! We managed to install the new oven ourselves, but now have the old one waiting in the foyer to be taken to the dump. I’m still working on the walls in the laundry room (almost done!) but that also means that I have detergent and laundry baskets hanging out in the kitchen. It’s a hot mess over here right now.

Adjusting // to my Lenten sacrifice of less noise; I gave up listening to the news, Youtube videos, podcasts, etc. I’m embarrassed to admit that it’s been harder than I expected! I didn’t realize how much of my day is filled with this auditory information overload. My newfound silence is a little deafening. Ultimately, I know this will be good for me and will allow more space for me to hear God’s still, small voice.

On this week’s to-do list //

– finish last minute tasks for baby chick arrival – they come on Thursday!
– take the old oven to the dump
– look into a new provider for emailing my posts to subscribers (I’ve been having trouble with my current plugin – apologies to anyone who hasn’t been receiving emails!)
– start more seeds under grow lights
– pick a paint color for the laundry room
– get a chunk stitched on my cross-stitch project

Thinking // about a book I read last year called The Wives of Los Alamos. The story described how WWII was raging and the husbands were squirreled away working on secret, scary things…but the women had to live their ordinary lives the best they could. Kids still needed to be fed, jobs still needed to be completed, houses still need to be tended to. Such a weird dichotomy of normal, everyday life in the midst of abnormal turmoil and upheaval. In some ways, we’ve all felt this a little bit the last two years.

Currently reading //

Fiction: Three Sisters by Heather Morris
Nonfiction: Dirt to Soil: One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture by Gabe Brown and We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China’s Surveillance State by Kai Strittmatter
Religious: The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life by Fr. Charles Arminjon
Read Aloud: Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

On the menu this week //
Monday: chicken alfredo baked ziti and salad
Tuesday: beef stroganoff
Wednesday: breakfast enchiladas (for dinner!)
Thursday: Refrigerator Cleanout Night
Friday: creamy tomato tortellini soup

March 2, 2022

No.629: Living Intentionally in March

The third month of 2022 is bringing a lot of uncertainty and worry with it, isn’t it? I’m protecting myself from anxiety and information overload by limiting the amount I read and focusing on the things right in front of me. (And a lot of prayer too.)

A few highlights from last month: We moved Fred to his own area away from the ladies and he’s enjoying the bachelor life. We also measured the pigs to approximate their weight. I started brassicas under the grow lights and grew another few batches of fodder for the chickens. I tested the NPK levels in the garden soil and purchased the needed amendments. I did a little decluttering and organized the garage. As for fire safety preparations, I bought a few more extinguishers to keep in the garage and the shed. I also bought batteries for the smoke detectors, but will wait until Daylight Savings before changing them out.

Here’s my ambitious list of possibilities for March:

Eating Seasonally

One more month for root vegetables and citrus! The growing season will really get going soon and I’m ready for it.

citrus fruit
cabbage
kale
beets
potatoes
sweet potatoes

Celebrating the Liturgical Year

The month of March is dedicated to Saint Joseph. We also begin the Lenten season.

Ash Wednesday (2)
Katharine Drexel (3)
Casimir (4)
Perpetua and Felicity (7)
John of God (8)
Frances of Rome (9)
Patrick (17)
Cyril of Jerusalem (18)
Joseph (19)

Homesteading and Self-Sufficiency

Prepare the garage for baby chicks.
New baby chicks arrive!
Work on broiler tractor construction.
Work on the wood shed build.
Amend the garden soil.
Transplant brassicas and start more seeds inside.
Measure the pigs for another approximate weight update.

Homemaking

Organize the linen closet.
Continue working on the laundry room project: skim coating, sanding, painting and installing cabinets.
Start a sourdough starter.
Complete a quick declutter throughout the house.

Family Fun

Celebrate some silly holidays:
- National Pig Day (1)
- National Oreo Cookie Day (6)
- Popcorn Lover’s Day (10)
- National Pi Day (14)
- Waffle Day (25)
- Take a Walk in the Park Day (30)

February 28, 2022

No.628: What I Read in February 2022

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#8. A LANTERN IN HER HAND by Bess Streeter Aldrich // ★★★★★
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

I think that love is more like a light that you carry. At first childish happiness keeps it lighted and after that romance. Then motherhood lights it and then duty . . . and maybe after that sorrow. You wouldn’t think that sorrow could be a light would you, dearie? But it can. And then after that, service lights it. Yes. . . . I think that is what love is to a woman . . . a lantern in her hand. (83%)

I love books like this one: a story about hope and hard work and perseverance. It’s also a beautiful story about motherhood and had so many little bits of wisdom sprinkled throughout. I originally read this on Kindle, but immediately ordered a physical copy when I was done. So good. (This was also my 1928 pick for the 20th Century in Literature challenge.)

#9. LET THEM EAT DIRT: SAVING YOUR CHILD FROM AN OVERSANITIZED WORLD by B. Brett Finlay, PhD and Marie-Claire Arrieta, PhD // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

This was an interesting book! Some of my takeaways:
+ Antibiotics, while a great medical achievement, have been overused in a variety of ways (prescriptions for bacterial infections, being used liberally on the animals we consume, etc.) and have since caused antibiotic-resistant strains of viruses to emerge.
+ The microbiota is an important part of the body and still has so many unknowns! I have heard the term “leaky gut” often in recent years, but now see the importance of healing and treating your gut well. Since finishing this book, I started a few of us on probiotics and am learning how to include more fermented foods into our daily life.
+ While the research is still new and needs considerable study, I’m especially interested in the possible connection between the microbiota and anxiety/depression.

#10. A DAY LIKE THIS by Kelley McNeil // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

How to describe this one? The story opens with the main character waking from a car accident only to discover that her daughter never existed and the past few years are completely different than she remembers. Family members think she’s gone crazy, but she’s convinced that there has to be another explanation. The book went down some trails that I had a hard time following, but the writing was good. One of the reviewers on Goodreads described this as a cross between a sci-fi movie and a Lifetime movie and I’d say that’s about right.

#11. THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS by Jessamine Chan // ★★☆☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

This book was CRAZY and nothing like I was expecting. The story explores a future where mothers who aren’t exemplary are taken to a “school” for a year to learn the skills to be a good one. The stakes are high because if they fail, they never get to see their children again. Even though the premise sounds awesome, I found the execution slow moving and confusing. Just an okay read for me. (The School for Good Mothers was published in January 2022. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!)

#12. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by L.M. Montgomery // ★★★★★
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)

One of my favorite books of all time. I want to see the world like Anne does.

#13. COMMUNISM AND THE CONSCIENCE OF THE WEST by Fulton J. Sheen // ★★★★☆
(amazon)

Christianity agrees with Communists when they point out the need of a revolution, but Christianity places the blame not on institutions but on men; not on legislation but on legislators; not on politics but on politicians; not on property but on man. Our Lord would never have been crucified had He put the blame on things. The Physician was killed because He found the source of the disease in the person. Save man and you save the world; dehumanize man and you wreck the world. (p.92-93)

…the Christian position steers a middle course between extremes. Freedom for Christianity means neither the right to do what you please, nor the right to do what you must, but rather the right to do whatever you ought. Ought implies order, law and justice. Liberty by definition is an attribute which belongs only to a person. It cannot be attributed to a collectivity or totality whether it be a nation, a state, a race or a class. The basic fallacy of communism on this point is the transfer of freedom from the person to the collectivity. (p.102)

An incredibly important read. Sheen’s writing was dense but informative and I learned so much about the Catholic understanding of freedom, private property and work. My book has about a dozen sticky notes in it!