The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.621: The B Tag

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Welcome to the next installment of the Alphabet Tag!  (See this post for the introduction to the series and the questions for letter A.)

B is for Bildungsroman. Do you have a favorite bildungsroman (or coming of age story)?

The first book that came to mind was Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger.  Krueger’s writing is so beautiful.  My friend Tabitha also recently reminded me of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.  While it’s been years and years since I’ve read it, I think it could be considered a coming of age story too?  I need to reread that one soon!

B is for Beach.  What would you recommend for a beach read?

What would you consider the go-to genre for beach reads?  Chick lit?  A page turning thriller?  Here’s one of each that I’ve read and enjoyed:

+ My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
+ Hostage by Clare Mackintosh

B is for Best. What is the best book you have read this year so far?

I just finished the 1928 novel called A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich and it was my first five star read of the year!

B is for Bookshop or Bookstore. Do you have a favorite bookstore?

My first stop is always Better World Books.  (If you click that link, you’ll get $5 off of your first purchase of $30 or more.)  They often have great sales, always have free shipping and the prices are great.  If I need to buy a book brand new, I’ll look at Bookshop first before heading to Amazon.

B is for Bookshelf. Show me your bookshelf/bookshelves.

This isn’t exactly representative of my collection because I have books everywhere.  But here’s a peek!  The first two photos are some of my TBR books that I keep in my bedroom.  When I run out of room on the nightstand, they get stacked on the windowsill.  (It’s a bit of a problem.)  The last photo is one of two Ikea bookshelves that hold all of the ones I’ve read and were worth keeping.  I organized the spines by color with this one, but the other is more of a hodgepodge.

B is for Brazil. Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist has been translated into 70 languages.  Have you read any Paolo Coelho and if so, what did you think of his book(s)?

I have never read any Paolo Coelho, have you?

What about you?  How would you answer these questions?

No.620: Homemaking Notes on a Monday // Vol.22

Pictures from a little 40th birthday celebration for our favorite guy!  This post also contains affiliate links.

The weather outside is //

As I look outside my window // I can see bare ground again!  We’ve had a handful of sunny days (in a row!) and even though the temperatures are still chilly outside, I’m so happy to get out there and feel that sun on my face.  This upcoming week looks promising too!

As I look around the house // I removed the last of the more “wintery” Christmas decorations on Candlemas and now my house looks both bigger and a little bit bare.  It’s the perfect time for a home improvement project: we’re finally getting to the laundry room and along with adding cabinets, I’ll also be experimenting with skim coating the walls.  (We have textured walls everywhere on the first floor and I hate them.)  If I can achieve the smooth look I want, I’m going to be a crazy lady this spring/summer and will be doing the whole house, ha!

Healing // from a gnarly neck strain.  I’m pretty sure I tweaked my neck when feeding the pigs (I “farmer’s carry” the feed and water buckets into the pasture) last Monday and whew…SO painful.  The pain radiated from the side of my neck down my shoulder, which made normal movement practically impossible.  I’ve been walking around like a robot!  Thankfully, the pain has moved from excruciating to more of a dull ache, so yay for improvement.  (Also: as I researched ideas for some relief, I stumbled upon a tip about magnesium supplementation.  Thankfully, I still had a free sample of this and it was the best night of sleep I had all week!  Coincidence?  Maybe, but I’m a believer!)

On this week’s to-do list //

– finish up our taxes
– order chick feed in bulk
– test the soil for deficiencies
– buy all the supplies needed for skim coating
– start emptying the laundry room
– make a batch of granola

Currently reading // 

On the menu this week //
Monday: fajita beef skillet with homemade tortillas
Tuesday: cornbread casserole (I’ll make homemade cornbread for the topping instead of a box mix)
Wednesday: breakfast for dinner
Thursday: chicken diane with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable
Friday: tomato basil parmesan soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

No.619: Living Intentionally in February

January and its freezing, snowy weather really shook up most of our plans, but it also forced us to have some much needed rest.  Here’s hoping February isn’t quite so brutal; we have some homestead chores that definitely need to be completed soon!  First, a few highlights from last month:  We celebrated Epiphany with our sixth annual dinner and a new book tradition.  We ordered a bunch of things for the homestead and did lots and lots of planning.  I also ordered most of the supplies needed to make my own kombucha.  Lastly, I started deep cleaning/organizing the pantry, but didn’t get to the fridge and definitely not the deep freezer!

Eating Seasonally 
  • citrus fruit
  • Brussels sprouts
  • kale
  • broccoli
  • winter squash
Celebrating the Liturgical Year

The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family.

  • Feast of Presentation of the Lord/Candlemas (2)
  • Blaise (3)
  • Agatha (5)
  • Paul Miki and Companions (6)
  • Josephine Bakhita (8)
  • Our Lady of Lourdes (11)
  • Peter Damian (21)
Homesteading and Self-Sufficiency 
  • Move Fred to his own area away from the ladies.
  • Try to measure the pigs for an approximate weight update.
  • Start brassicas under grow lights.
  • Grow another few batches of fodder for the chickens.
  • Test the garden soil and figure out needed amendments.
Homemaking 
  • Start my first batch of kombucha.
  • Organize the garage.
  • Focus on fire safety: buy a few more extinguishers, fire blankets and change all of the batteries in the smoke detectors.
  • Continue decluttering and deep cleaning the kitchen.
  • Find at least 20 items to declutter and donate/sell.
Family Fun
  • Celebrate a big 40th birthday!
  • Celebrate some silly holidays:
    • Feed the Birds Day (3)
    • Thank a Mailman Day (4)
    • Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (5)
    • National Pizza Day (9)
    • Tell a Fairy Tale Day (26)

No.618: Ten Things I Loved in January & Other Highlights from the Month

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What a way to enter in the new year!  Snow upon snow upon snow…

TEN THINGS I LOVED IN JANUARY
  1. my Christmas Cactus still blooming into January
  2. kombucha (my favorite flavor is passionfruit + tangerine)
  3. a warm church on a bitterly cold winter day
  4. the anticipation for the growing season ahead
  5. how peaceful the world feels the morning after a snow storm
  6. kids big enough to dress themselves in gear and help shovel the driveway
  7. the Novena of Abandonment
  8. seeing the sunset as I close up the chicken coop at night
  9. big bowls of chili and homemade tortilla chips
  10. new friendships
THREE LESSONS I LEARNED
  1. Farm animals are incredibly resilient. // January has been so cold and I’ve been a complete worry wart over the warmth of my animals.  Turns out they don’t need much!  The hens have a coop full of fluffy pine shavings and the pigs all cuddle together, completely buried in straw.  Despite the chill, they all seem happy and healthy!
  2. I don’t miss Facebook.  Like at all. // Late in December, I made the decision to permanently delete my Facebook account.  I only logged in sporadically, but kept my account “just in case” and because I had special pictures saved.  For whatever reason, I got a wild hair in December and decided to take the plunge, even though I had doubts just like with I did with Amazon Prime.  (I mean…talk about a first world problem.)  I was able to easily download all of my photos and they even gave me 30 days in case I changed my mind.  (I didn’t.)  In the weeks since, I have felt great.  There is no temptation to “check in” and see what’s new.  No watching dumpster fires of friends completely destroying each other due to different beliefs.  No ads bombarding me with stuff.  One more step toward a more intentional life right here in the real world.  (P.S. I also haven’t been on Instagram in months and once I figure out how to save those photos, I’m making the jump there too.)
  3. “Hearing trains” is actually tinnitus. // When I was a kid, I would occasionally complain of “hearing trains” in my ears.  It’s so hard to describe without sounding crazy, but it’s continued off and on, even into adulthood.  Anyway, I was listening to a personal testimony from a woman with some health issues and one of her symptoms included hearing trains.  The doctor she was speaking with casually answered, “Ahh yes, that’s typical of tinnitus.”  I was floored and so happy to hear that it’s an actual thing!
A SIDE HUSTLE/MORTGAGE REDUCTION UPDATE

After the success of my 30 day super mega declutter/resale challenge last year, I really wanted to incorporate the process more regularly.  I have a goal of earning $5,000 through various side hustles in 2022, which will go toward our mortgage principal.  Reselling our outgrown/unneeded items is one avenue I’m using to get to that goal.

+ I rebooted my old Kidizen account and cross-posted some of my children’s outgrown clothing there.  I watched this video from Ginger Marvin on Youtube that was so helpful.  It’s been years since I’ve been on the app and since I’ve been gone, they’ve also added a “Mama” section, so I tried a few adult pieces as well.  Only two sales so far, but I’ll take it!

What I found and sold in January:

+ 2 ornaments
+ a sweatshirt, sweater, shirt and puffer vest from my closet
+ 4 books
+ a kneading blade from a broken bread machine
+ a pair of football cleats
+ a preschool math curriculum
+ 2 dresses, 3 shirts, a bathing suit and 3 pajamas from the kids’ unneeded/outgrown bins
+ a preschool backpack
+ a potty training seat
+ an Ikea pillow sham
+ a Flipbelt running belt and a running compression calf sleeve
+ a pair of snowboots
+ an XBox game
+ a set of mini spreaders

Number sold: 28
Total amount earned after fees: $227.57

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