August 2021

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#61. THE DEVOTION TO THE SACRED HEART by Fr. John Croiset, SJ
 ★★★★★
 It took me two months to read this beautiful book recommended by one of the priests at our parish.  He described it as the best resource on the devotion of the Sacred Heart.  So many incredible passages and nuggets of wisdom – you should see how many sticky tabs I have down the side!  I know I’ll be returning to the prayer section in the back.  Highly recommend.  Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

#62. WHAT SHE KNEW by Gilly Macmillan
 ★★★☆☆
 This book is a about every parent’s worst nightmare: a mother allows her eight-year-old son to run up ahead and when she catches up, he has disappeared.  The story follows what happens next: the police procedures, the way the media starts to become suspicious, and how life unravels when someone you love is missing.  I really liked how Macmillan included things like emails and social media comments to further the story – so cool.  3.5 stars.

#63. YOUR PERFECT YEAR by Charlotte Lucas
 ★★☆☆☆
 For the life of me, I just could not get into this book.  Going into it (and judging from the cute, illustrated cover), I thought this was a light romantic comedy about a curmudgeon who finds a mysterious diary filled with tasks for a “perfect year.”  I was not expecting the dark and really heavy theme of suicide.  Add to that some translation issues and the weird pacing…it was just an okay read.

#64. WISDOM OF THE DESERT FATHERS AND MOTHERS by Fr. Philip G. Bochanski
 ★★★☆☆

St. Anthony’s plan for the monastic life, recorded in chapters 16 to 43 of the Life, begins with a simple mission statement: “Beginning over each day,” Anthony says, “let us increase our zeal.”  The monk (and hence the saint) is to be formed through daily effort and by persevering.  Day by day, choice by choice, he is called to be attentive to God’s will and zealous in his pursuit of holiness, without losing heart amid the struggle.  Life on earth is short in comparison to heaven, after all, and so the sacrifices that one has to endure, whatever pain and suffering might come, are small compared to the glory awaiting one who can persevere to the end. – p.57

This was an interesting little book about fifth century desert monks and mystics.  Another overview-type book that can serve as a jumping off point for deeper investigation.  Solid three stars.

#65. THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY: A NIGHTMARE by G.K. Chesterton
 ★★★☆☆
 My first thought as I finished the last page of this book: “What in the world did I just read?!”  The Man Who Was Thursday is a detective story that centers around seven anarchists who go by the names of the week (our main character is Thursday).  I know the bigger story is allegorical, but I had trouble figuring it out.  After reading a few articles online (including this one and this one), I’m happy to hear that most people don’t “get it” and it’s not just me, ha!  From the second article above:

In the book’s dedicatory poem to his life-long friend, Edmund Clerihew Bentley, Chesterton warns that this adventure is difficult to understand, being drawn out of a prevalent nihilism and into a realm of ultimate idealism—or perhaps even Catholicism. Moreover, he supposes that it may be the case that no one, except E. C. Bentley, will be able to understand what the story is about. “‘Who shall understand but you?’” Chesterton reminisces in his autobiography, “In reply to which a book-reviewer very sensibly remarked that if nobody understood the book except Mr. Bentley, it seemed unreasonable to ask other people to read it.”

Still a worthwhile read if only for the detective adventure.  (This was also my 1908 pick for the 20th Century in Books Challenge.)

#66. THE LAGER QUEEN OF MINNESOTAby J. Ryan Stradal
 ★★★★☆
 From the blurb: “A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer.”  As someone who doesn’t even really like beer, I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this book!  The family dynamic as they struggle with life and each other was hard but also hopeful.  I sure loved those hard-working grandmas!  This won the WILLA Literary Award for Contemporary Fiction in 2020 (where I first heard about it) – well deserved.

#67. FUTURE WIDOW: LOSING MY HUSBAND, SAVING MY FAMILY, AND FINDING MY VOICE by Jenny Lisk
 ★★★★☆
 This heartbreaking memoir detailed one woman’s experience as her husband battled stage four gliobastoma for eight months.  So, so sad but beautiful too.  I thought the way she interspersed advice for those going through a similar experience (as well as people who want to get involved) was smart and I’m sure will be really helpful for someone out there.  3.5 stars, rounded up.  (And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!)

Finishing off this week with one more chicken/egg related post!  Our ladies are laying with a passion and we are averaging more than a dozen eggs a day.  Such a blessing, but also a little overwhelming!  I recently searched the Internet for different ways to use them up and am rounding up a bunch of recipes here.  Maybe it will inspire you to use this inexpensive protein source in new ways too!

BREAKFAST IDEAS

+ Frittata with Bacon, Spinach, Tomato and Swiss from Cooking Classy // I’ve shared (and photographed) this recipe before; it’s definitely my go-to breakfast lately and easily adaptable to what you have in the fridge.

+ Breakfast Enchiladas from Countryside Cravings // My kids love enchiladas, so this could be a fun twist.  This recipe has uses scrambled eggs, sausage, green chilies and cheese.

+ Ham, Egg and Cheese Hashbrown Muffins from Will Work For Smiles // These muffins start with a hashbrown “basket” and are then filled with eggs and other toppings.  A great choice for on-the-go.  I wonder if they’d freeze well too?

+ Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Tostadas from Krazy Kitchen Mom // The post says that this is a hearty meal and if you load up all of the ingredients, one tostada serves most.  Love that!

+ Bacon and Potato Quiche from Kitchen Dreaming // I’ve never tried a quiche that uses potatoes, but I bet it’s quite filling.

LUNCH AND DINNER IDEAS

+ Tex-Mex Migas from Gimme Some Oven // Another recipe that I’ve never tried before, but looks delicious!  You only need scrambled eggs, leftover chips, salsa and cheese.

+ Homestyle Egg Salad from Everyday Dishes // It’s been a long time since I’ve whipped up a batch of egg salad.  So delicious on a thick slice of homemade bread.

+ Fried Egg Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Great Grub, Delicious Treats //  This one is a twist on eggs and toast and I know some of my boys would love it.

+ Croque Madame from Tastes Better From Scratch // How about something a little fancier?  These sandwiches are made with ham, gruyere, parmesan cheese, a layer of béchamel sauce, and topped with a fried egg.

Your turn!  What’s your favorite way to serve eggs?  I’d love to hear about your go-to recipes.

My second finish for The Beautiful Things Project was a new one for me: I finished a cross-stitch into a little ornament!  During my last week of summer break, I found a free pattern online and knew it perfect for me as the farmhouse’s resident chicken lady.  I changed it a little bit so it would fit in the hoop.  I then followed a tutorial to finish the back and while it’s definitely not perfect, I was happy to learn a new technique and can’t wait to make another one.  They’d make cute gifts!

DETAILS

+ Pattern: Bees, Blooms, and Chickens- Oh my! Freebie from Pinker n Punkin Quilting & Stitching + Linen, fabric and thread: from my stash

+ Hoop: 4″ wooden hoop from my stash (but you can also find them here or here)

+ Tutorial for finishing the back: “How to Frame Cross Stitch in an Embroidery Hoop” from Bobo Stitch
TOTAL FOR PROJECT: $0

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After a busy weekend of chicken processing, I needed Monday to get my head in the game before heading back to school.  Did I sit back and relax on my last day of summer break?  Oh no no no.  In true Ashley fashion, I decided that it was the perfect day to do a big bedroom switch for some of the boys!  Deep cleaning, moving furniture, washing sheets and comforters and blankets…it was a huge project, but we managed to get most of it finished before the end of the day.

Our first week of school went more smoothly than I expected.  The kids were hard workers and while they won’t admit it, I think they like having a bit more structure in their day.  This week’s favorites with the little kids:

+ Learning about the new microscope and looking at all of the slides + Memorizing “The Goops”

+ Reading aloud Charlotte’s Web

My only complaint is how quickly I fell behind on my chores!  I know that I’ll figure out a routine soon and everything will eventually get done.

On my nightstand: I just finished The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal and really enjoyed it!  Now I’m on to Mary Coin by Marisa Silver and a memoir for Netgalley.  I’m also slowing working my way through Saint Monica: Model of Christian Mothers by F.A. Forbes.

After a week of rainy weather, the sun finally came out on Saturday and we all hit the ground running with outdoor tasks: lawn mowing, chicken gear cleaning, firewood cutting and garage organizing.  We took a chance picking our first watermelon and it was delicious!  It probably could have grown on the vine for a little longer, but it was still really sweet.  Is there anything better than cold watermelon on a hot day?

+ I have used the same purse for the last six years. Just one purse!  She has served me well, but I knew it was time to retire her when my four-year-old starting peeling off flaky pieces of faux leather during Mass.  Because I’m the most boring person in the world, I found a similar replacement (same brand, same size) on Poshmark for less than $20!

+ Mark gave haircuts to three of the boys.  I gave my daughter a big trim – about four inches off and she looks so cute!

+ I shredded junk mail to add to my compost pile.

+ I listed and sold a handful of books I’ve finished and don’t see myself reading again.

+ I used the water collected from our basement dehumidifier to water my plants.

+ I bought a new skirt (secondhand) and found a small hole in one of the pockets.  Two minutes and a quick stitch later, it’s good as new!

+ Our well-used fitted sheet got a rip in it, so we had to buy a new set.  The flat sheet of the old set is still in great condition, so I’m keeping it to use as a quilt backing or for some other project.

+ The hens are laying more than 90 eggs a week and we are loving the free protein source!

+ I started working on a little homemade Christmas present for each of the kids.  I even found a coupon to use at Joann’s too!

Previous Frugal Accomplishments

2021: WINTER  //  SPRING  //  JULY

Happy Wednesday!

A QUOTE

…Abba Arsenius’s commitment to silence was something that he tried to live out every day, and that when he spoke to those monks, he was inviting them also to make a place in their hearts that belonged only to God.  This advice applies to us as well.  We need to make a place in our hearts, in our day, in our home, in our schedule, in our priorities, where God can come and dwell, a place that belongs only to God.  We need a place where we can silence the movements that distract us from God and listen to his word that leads us to a deeper purity of heart.  – Wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, p.84

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

“Battlefield” by Timoléon Lobrichon (found here)

A RECOMMENDATION

If your garden is doing better than mine, be sure to check out Dishing Up the Dirt.  Tons and tons of recipes for using up those delicious home-grown veggies!  (I need to get to my local farm stand so I can try some too.)

HOMEMAKER CHECK-IN

How are you making the budget stretch in these tricky financial times?  Let’s chat and look ahead to fall:

  • I’m making a big list of things we’ll need in the cooler months ahead so I can look for sales.  A few things on my list: sneakers for a few of the boys, flannel sheets for my daughter’s bed, and sweater tights for me.
  • We’re cutting up a few trees to add to our firewood pile.  I’m curious to see how well our fireplace will heat the first floor and how low I can keep our thermostat.
  • Feed prices have gone up over $2 per bag just in the five months we’ve been raising chickens.  The laying hens eat considerably less than the broilers did, but I’m looking into fermenting options to stretch even more.

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Today is the first day of our eighth homeschooling year!  This year, I have one in high school, one in middle school, three in elementary school and a little guy who will definitely want to be like everybody else.  Our curriculum is inspired by Charlotte Mason, but is a hodgepodge of things that work well for my kids.  We’re keeping a lot of old favorites and adding a few new books too.  Below is my labor of love, the feast of ideas for the first twelve weeks:

Religion // parts of Mater Amabilis Logic // The Fallacy Detective Language Arts, Grammar & Writing // Brave Writer

    • First Boy
    • Shakespeare’s Scribe
    • The Hound of Baskervilles

History // Beautiful Feet’s Ancient History program

Geography // The Book of Marvels: the Orient
Math // Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra
Science // Noeo Science Chemistry 3
Electives //

  • Coding
  • Art // Simply Draw with Bob Parsons

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The weather outside is //

As I look outside my window // I have to laugh at the difference between the front grass and the back.  Our broilers are moved daily to fresh pasture out front and man, chicken poo is the best fertilizer!  The grass is growing back so green and lush!  The back on the other hand…it’s looking a little more crispy.  I definitely think we need to swing the chickens around that way next year.

As I look around the house // I can see how much the 1,000 Item Declutter Challenge has changed our home for the better and I’m tinkering with the idea of another go around.  I don’t think it will necessarily be number driven this time…maybe more focused on making specific homes for various things?  Still brainstorming.

In the garden // my watermelons are taking over!  I’m having such a weird growing season: my tomatoes are limping along and the peppers still haven’t produced anything.  On the plus side, my second round of peas are thriving, so there’s that.

On this week’s to-do list //

– have a happy, productive first week of school!
 – look at bulbs for fall planting – focus on the fall garden – clean up the unruly weeds in the front flower beds – deep clean all of the chicken raising “stuff” and pack away for next year

– bake a blueberry peach cobbler

– start prep work for the property fencing project

– find new sneakers for J

Currently reading // 

On the menu this week //
Monday: pulled pork tostadas (with leftover pork)
Tuesday: pasta and bolognese sauce with garlic bread
Wednesday: beans and rice kielbasa skillet
Thursday: chicken pot pie
Friday: meatless frittata and fruit

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Documenting one day of this busy, busy week!  This is our last full week of summer break and I am a hot mess right now as I try to pack in as much as I can before my priorities shift back toward school.  Highlights of the day:

  • Mark and I went on a quick “date” to town to get our Walmart Pickup groceries.
  • Today’s homestead chores: moving the broilers on fresh pasture, checking in on the hens and collecting eggs (12 today!), watering the garden and our new apple trees
  • One of my kids helped me deal with the vines that are taking over the front porch.  This has been on my to-do list for weeks now, but keeps getting pushed to the bottom.  It took five minutes and now we look much less like a creepy, abandoned farmhouse.
  • My daughter and I made a batch of homemade granola.  The kids ate it for lunch with Greek yogurt and berries.
  • In the early afternoon, I spent some time in the school room, tidying up and getting things organized.  I can’t believe we’re going back to school already.  We’ve had such a full few months…I need a vacation from my summer vacation, ha!
  • Right before dinnertime, we were surprised by a big thunderstorm.  The wind was crazy!  Our power flickered off and on a few times, but thankfully nothing more than that.
  • Dinner was a frittata with bacon, peppers and tomatoes with a simple fruit salad on the side.  Delicious and easy.  We’re drowning in eggs right now and this helped make a dent.

My first finish for the Beautiful Things Project was a little garden cross-stitch pillow for my bedroom rocking chair!  I found a sweet little pattern on the DMC website for free.  I wanted to do this as inexpensively as possible, so I changed the colors to fit the ones I already owned.  (I did have to buy two skeins of thread after I ran out, so my grand total for this project was $5.56.)  I finished the back using the envelope method.  The fabric I used isn’t a perfect match to the front colors, but it’s one that I’ve had in my stash for a decade and this seemed like a good time to use it!

DETAILS

+ Pattern: Point de Marque 3.15 + Linen, fabric and thread: from my stash

+ Pillow form: 12″x16″ Basic Insert (also from my stash)

+ Tutorial for finishing the pillow: Envelope Method Tutorial from Sew Crafty Me
+ Skeins of thread: Amy Rose Jewelry Supply
TOTAL FOR PROJECT: $5.56

I am so excited to introduce a new project that encompasses a lot of thoughts I’ve been mulling over the past year, including:

  • A question I’ve been asking myself quite a bit is, “Am I a creator or just a consumer?”  Since completing my 1,000 Item Declutter Project, I’ve become so disillusioned to the materialism we see just about everywhere. From social media to blogs to your neighborhood shopping center, we are constantly bombarded with ads and sales and more and more stuff.  I want less of that in my life.
  • I’ve also been reflecting on how much the Frugal Accomplishment series has increased my confidence.  Instead of the knee-jerk reaction to purchase something new or find someone to fix it, I am much more likely to do a little research and try to figure it out myself.  This confidence has even spilled over to many areas in my life!
  • Lastly, I’ve been blogging for over ten years now and back in the early days, I loved the ones that shared what they had made: a pillow, a new dress, a delicious meal.  No one was selling anything, they were just sharing their excitement for their creation.  It was inspiring.

So.  I’m calling my new endeavor The Beautiful Things Project.  My vision is to intentionally bring beautiful things into my home, created with my own hands. I want my grandchildren to say someday, “My Grammie made this quilt by hand” or “She taught me the art of candlemaking” or “When her garden was overflowing with flowers, she showed me how to arrange them for the table.” In full disclosure, my skills are small and sparse, but I’d like to challenge myself to learn and expand. A simple, beautiful life doesn’t have to require a lot of money and I hope to fill our home with many unique things, one piece at a time.

Just a few of my brainstormed ideas: + bouquet arranging with flowers from my garden + cross-stitched pieces finished in different ways: a pillow, framed, Christmas ornaments, etc. + goat’s milk soap, either from our own goats someday or purchased from our friends’ farm + a crocheted blanket + beeswax candles + a doll sewn entirely by hand + evergreen wreaths for the doors for Christmas + cloth napkins

+ rug hooking

I’ll share my very first finished project here tomorrow!

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My monthly Mother Culture plans were quite hit or miss last year.  As I reflected on it, I think my biggest issue was that I over-anticipated my free time.  In reality, with the small pockets of “me” time I currently have, there was just no way I could read an entire book, see a new handicraft through from start to finish, research and enjoy new music and start a new skill all in thirty days.  (DUH.)

So for this year, I’m back to the drawing board.  I tried to pick topics that fit with my children’s school subjects, both for my own knowledge and so I can sprinkle in a few extra facts along the way.  I used Ambleside Online as a jumping off point for the artist and composer studies.  Handicrafts will also be included, but I have a separate idea for that.  (Details coming next week!)  My plan is to work steadily through the list, focusing on quality versus quantity.  We’ll see how it goes.

American History

My elementary school children are learning about Early American history this year, so I chose two books that fit:

Artist Study // John Singleton Copley

We will also be studying this colonial-era artist as a family.  I’m really interested to read more about him!

  • A Book to Buy //A Revolution in Color: The World of John Singleton Copley by Jane Kamensky
  • Noteworthy Pieces of Art (and many more are also found here) //
    1. Paul Revere, 1768-70, Museum of Fine Arts Boston
    2. The Nativity, 1777, Museum of Fine Arts Boston
    3. Watson and the Shark, 1778, National Gallery of Art Washington D.C.
    4. The Death of the Earl of Chatham, 1779-81, National Portrait Gallery London
    5. The Defeat of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, September 1782, 1783-91, Guildhall Art Gallery London
    6. The Red Cross Knight, 1793, National Gallery of Art Washington D.C.
    7. Saul Reproved by Samuel for Not Obeying the Commandments of the Lord, 1798, Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Biology and Nature Study 

My natural history choices are all over the place.  I am eager to start reading from this list and I could probably write five more posts with interesting books I’m dying to get my hands on!  For now, I chose one new-to-me title and one that I’ve had on my shelf for awhile.  I also stumbled upon an herbal studies course that sounds fascinating.

Composer Study // Antonin Dvorák 

After reading this short description of Antonin Dvorak, I knew he was a composer I wanted to learn more about!

  • Books to Read // Antonin Dvorak, My Father by Otaker Dvorak and Dvorak: His Life and Music by Gervaise Hughes
  • Noteworthy Pieces of Music (links for all can be found here) //
    • Symphony 9 in E minor Op. 95 B.178 “From the New World”
    • Slavonic Dances Op. 46 and Op. 72
    • Carnival Overture Op. 92 B.169
    • Humoresques for piano Op. 101 no. 1-8 (especially no 7 in G flat)
    • String Quartet No. 12 in F maj Op. 96 (“American”)
    • Trio no. 4 in E minor Op. 90 “Dumky”
Classic Literature // Don Quixote

This darn book.  I start and stop and start and stop.  I’m not making any promises, but hoping for at least a little forward progress!