December 2021
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Well, I did it. I read 100 books in one year! Over 29,700 pages read with my two eyes! I’m so happy to have completed such a huge goal and even more happy to be done, ha. (Too much internal pressure put on my favorite hobby.) Here’s what I read in December:
#91. THE OPERATOR by Gretchen Berg
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
★★★☆☆
I was immediately drawn to the adorable 1950s cover! The Operator is set in the 1950s and follows a woman who works as a switchboard operator. She loves listening in to other people’s conversations, but her life is turned upside down where she overhears some gossip about herself. It was a good story, but not as great as I had hoped.
#92. AMBULANCE GIRL: HOW I SAVED MYSELF BY BECOMING AN EMT by Jane Stern
(amazon // bookshop // better world books) ★★★☆☆
I am so used to being fearful that when I do something brave it seems almost unreal. I find that I have the capacity to worry things into the ground, to talk to Tom Knox about them until we are both beyond bored, to go into intricate relentless detail with Michael, and then – boom – out of the blue, all the fear just falls away and I am doing the undoable. I now think I am the type of person who would faint at the sight of a spider but could run into a burning building to save a baby. Fear is like a hologram. It seems filled with substance and when you go beyond it you realize it was just an illusion. – p.129
This one is the story of a middle-aged woman who was going through a hard time: she was depressed, her marriage was rocky and she suffered from panic attacks and debilitating hypochondria. On a whim, in an attempt to pull herself out of the mess, she decided to become an EMT and it changed her life for the better. I loved the section about her time in EMT class. Her descriptions were so hilarious and I laughed out loud multiple times! I’d rate this somewhere between a three and three-and-a-half stars.
#93. HOLES IN MY SHOES: ONE FAMILY SURVIVES THE GREAT DEPRESSION by Alice Breon
(amazon // bookshop // better world books) ★★★☆☆
A little book about childhood during the Great Depression from someone who lived it. I really enjoyed all of the personal, family photos she included throughout.
#94. THE POSSIBLE WORLD by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
★★★☆☆
Another book that was a cover buy! This novel is a little hard to explain, so here’s the brief, one line description: “An astonishing, deeply moving novel about the converging lives of a young boy who witnesses a brutal murder, the doctor who tends to him, and an elderly woman guarding her long buried past.” I found the writing to be beautiful, but it had a mystical element that I saw coming early on and didn’t love. Another book that I’d rate somewhere between a three and three-and-a-half stars.
#95. THE BOOKSELLER by Cynthia Swanson
(amazon // bookshop // better world books) ★★★☆☆
The historical fiction novel is set in the 1960s and follows a single woman who owns a book shop. She begins living in a parallel world in her dreams at night, where her life is completely different. I thought this one was unique and kept me reading, but there were enough little parts that kept me scratching my head (and not necessarily in a good way). The ultimate lesson from this book: the grass isn’t always greener.
#96. WISDOM FROM THE LIVES AND LETTERS OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES AND ST. JANE FRANCES DE CHANTAL by Louise Perrotta
(word among us press) ★★★★☆
This collection of passages was the book club pick for December and it was beautiful. I tabbed so many pages! (I shared one of the beautiful passages in this post.) It was a great compliment to the book of Saint Francis de Sales’ Christmas homilies that I read last year.
#97. TUCKER’S COUNTRYSIDE by George Selden
(amazon // bookshop // better world books) ★★★★☆Another school read aloud. This one is the sequel to The Cricket in Times Square and was really cute. The kids and I loved the dialogue between Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat! There was a situation at the end that was morally gray (I won’t say more as it will ruin the book), but the kids and I had a good conversation about it. Three and a half stars, rounded up.
#98. SOUNDS LIKE TITANIC by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
★★★☆☆
This memoir was CRAZY. From the description: “When aspiring violinist Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman lands a job with a professional ensemble in New York City, she imagines she has achieved her lifelong dream. But the ensemble proves to be a sham. When the group ‘performs,’ the microphones are never on. Instead, the music blares from a CD. The mastermind behind this scheme is a peculiar and mysterious figure known as The Composer, who is gaslighting his audiences with music that sounds suspiciously like the Titanic movie soundtrack.” This book explores many aspects of Hindman’s life, but her time with The Composer was the most fascinating part for me.
#99. COME, LORD JESUS: MEDITATIONS ON THE ART OF WAITING by Mother Mary Francis, PCC
(amazon) ★★★★★
None of us in this room knows when the fullness of time will come for us. God grant we can meet it with courtesy. The fullness of time, in a deep spiritual sense, comes each day, a day which will never be again. Today is the absolute fullness of today. Let us be drawn to love and to give and to spread joy all about us. We are not promised tomorrow, and we cannot do anything much about yesterday, except to regret what was wrong about it. But we have today! We have many hours of this day left in which to love God and to love one another and to spread the joy of Advent and Christmas far and wide, because what we spread in community will not be contained in community. It will spread far and wide. (p.202)
I just love, love, love this book. So many wonderful thoughts and nuggets of wisdom. (I shared one of the beautiful meditations in this post.) I’ll definitely be reading it again.
#100. WINTER WORLD by A.G. Riddle
(amazon // better world books) ★★☆☆☆
Ending the year with yet another book outside my comfort zone, this time apocalyptical science fiction! This read like a mix of Ender’s Game and The Martian and was hard for me to visualize/understand all of the space lingo. I also thought there were a lot of pages for not nearly enough action. Don’t take my word for it – I’m not a science fiction reader! – but this was just okay for me.
FINAL READING STATS FOR 2021
Total books read // 100
Total pages read // 29,738
Physical or ebook? // Physical: 90, Ebook: 10 Genre breakdown // Fiction: 67, Non-Fiction: 19, Religious: 14 Stars breakdown // ★☆☆☆☆: 0 ★★☆☆☆: 19 ★★★☆☆: 50 ★★★★☆: 27 ★★★★★: 4
For the last post in the Advent at the Farmhouse series, I’d like to share a poem by Robert Southwell. It’s a beautiful reminder about the power of sacrificial love and the importance of Christ’s birth for our salvation. He came with a love that burns like a fire! I thought it was an appropriate meditation to pray with before the hustle and bustle of Christmas begins. Wishing you and yours a blessed, peaceful and Merry Christmas. See you in the new year. xoxo
The Burning Babe by Robert Southwell, SJ
As I in hoary winter’s night stood shivering in the snow,
Surpris’d I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow;
And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near,
A pretty Babe all burning bright did in the air appear;
Who, scorched with excessive heat, such floods of tears did shed
As though his floods should quench his flames which with his tears were fed.
“Alas!” quoth he, “but newly born, in fiery heats I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel my fire but I!
My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns,
Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns;
The fuel Justice layeth on, and Mercy blows the coals,
The metal in this furnace wrought are men’s defiled souls,
For which, as now on fire I am to work them to their good,
So will I melt into a bath to wash them in my blood.”
With this he vanish’d out of sight and swiftly shrunk away,
And straight I called unto mind that it was Christmas day.
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The weather outside is //
As I look outside my window // This December weather has been crazy! Last week, we had days where the kids were outside in short sleeves, but this week looks to be more chilly. We’re dreaming of a white Christmas, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen at this point.
As I look around the house // I’m pumping myself up for this last week of preparation before Christmas. Being the head merrymaker is exhausting! We’re officially on winter break now so I hope to catch up on laundry and do a thorough clean of the house before the big day.
On this week’s to-do list //
– catch up on homekeeping throughout the entire house! – finish wrapping gifts – get to Confession – prepare the menu for Christmas Eve
– bake sugar cookies to decorate
Laughing // about my Advent craft fail. I saw an “easy” recipe for cinnamon applesauce ornaments and thought, “Two ingredients! How hard can that be?” Oh boy…the dough was too sticky, so I was pouring more and more cinnamon on to fix it….the cut-outs kept ripping and I had to start over….my hands smelled like cinnamon for hours…it was a mess. I did end up with a handful of ornaments, but I definitely won’t be repeating this craft again, ha!
Currently reading //
On the menu this week //
Monday: Refrigerator Cleanout Night
Tuesday: sheet pan beef and broccoli, fried rice
Wednesday: breakfast for dinner
Thursday: slow cooker beef stew
Friday: Christmas Eve! a variety of appetizers and something “surf-and-turf” TBD
A super quick post today! My teens have been invited to a few parties this month that have included a White Elephant Exchange. The limit is always around $5-$10 and I find it tricky to find something neutral enough to please most kids, but also something that’s not complete junk. (Typical me, over-thinking everything.) My husband and oldest son came up with this idea and we’ve run with it! They picked up three “Mega Candy Tubes” of various candies and then packaged them to look like dynamite. (The tag says, “Hope your Christmas is a blast!”) It’s been a huge hit.
(My apologies for using the same photo, two posts in a row! I’m losing some “Advent at the Farmhouse” steam.)
I just finished reading Wisdom from the Lives and Letters of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane Frances de Chantal by Louise Perrotta and really enjoyed the passages written by the two saints. Today I’d like to share one section from Saint Francis de Sales that really spoke to my sometimes-prone-to-anxiety heart:
I recommend to you holy simplicity. Focus on what is in front of you and not on those far-off dangers you see…To you they look like armies, but they are only willow branches, and while you are looking at them you may take a false step. Let us have a firm basic intention to serve God all our life and with all our heart. Beyond that, let us have no anxiety about tomorrow (cf. Matthew 6:34). Let us think only of doing well today. When tomorrow arrives, it will in turn become today and we can think about it then. Here again we must have great confidence and acceptance of God’s providence. We must provide ourselves with only enough manna for each day (cf. Exodus 16:16-21). And we must not doubt that God will rain down more manna on us tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and all the days of our pilgrimage. – page 106
A simple, ordinary day in mid-December. Some highlights: cinnamon rolls with breakfast as a belated St. Lucy feast day celebration. Getting out little décor pieces and figuring out where they should go. Laundry…always laundry. More gingerbread men decorating with the littlest kids. Finishing up my book club book. Feeling tired, but grateful.
P.S. This morning, it was about 20-something degrees out and we had to move the pigs to new pasture. This is always a family affair as we move the hot wire, bring breakfast and generally keep the pigs distracted until we’re all set up. I didn’t get a photo of myself, but this meme is eerily accurate and cracked me up:
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When the weather outside is chilly, I sometimes like reading books to match! I searched for nine books that had a winter theme and included words like cold, blizzard and snow. Have you read any of these? What did I miss?
Until the Robin Walks On Snow by Bernice L. Rocque
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
This is a story set in 1922 and is about an immigrant family and their midwife as they struggle to save a tiny premature baby. Apparently, it was inspired by real events in Norwich, Connecticut. The description also says that there is chapter describing the family’s Polish and Lithuanian Christmas Eve traditions. Sounds really interesting!
In Winter’s Kitchen: Growing Roots and Breaking Bread In the Northern Heartland by Beth Dooley
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
One reviewer described this book as “almost an Omnivore’s Dilemma for the Minnesotan.” It explores how the local food movement can thrive even in areas where the soil freezes for months of the year. I’m sure this book will include recipes and I’m excited for the inspiration.
A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France by Caroline Moorehead
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
From the description: “They were teachers, students, chemists, writers, and housewives; a singer at the Paris Opera, a midwife, a dental surgeon. They distributed anti-Nazi leaflets, printed subversive newspapers, hid resisters, secreted Jews to safety, transported weapons, and conveyed clandestine messages. The youngest was a schoolgirl of fifteen who scrawled “V” for victory on the walls of her lycée; the eldest, a farmer’s wife in her sixties who harbored escaped Allied airmen. Strangers to each other, hailing from villages and cities from across France, these brave women were united in hatred and defiance of their Nazi occupiers.” Eventually 230 of these women were hunted down, imprisoned and ultimately sent to Auschwitz. This book contains their story.
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
At over 400 pages, this book is a big one. I’m not entirely clear about its premise, except that it deals with an island north of Puget Sound, a murder, and the memories of how Japanese residents were treated there during World War II.
The Children’s Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
(amazon // bookshop)
In January 1888, there was a freak blizzard that seemingly came out of nowhere, “threatening the lives of hundreds of immigrant homesteaders–especially their children.” I read the nonfiction version of this sad historical event in 2020, so I’m excited to try this fictional account.
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
How about a chick lit/romance/women’s fiction book? Many of my friends on Goodreads have read this one and enjoyed it, but have warned that the beginning is really slow.
Cherries in Winter: My Family’s Recipe for Hope in Hard Times by Suzan Colon
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
I was immediately drawn to this description: “When Suzan Colón was laid off from her dream job at a magazine during the economic downturn of 2008, she needed to cut her budget way, way back, and that meant home cooking. Her mother suggested, ‘Why don’t you look in Nana’s recipe folder?’ In the basement, Suzan found the tattered treasure, full of handwritten and meticulously typed recipes, peppered with her grandmother Matilda’s commentary in the margins. Reading it, Suzan realized she had found something more than a collection of recipes—she had found the key to her family’s survival through hard times.” Sounds interesting.
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
This historical fiction novel is another chunker at over 400 pages. It is about a wounded Confederate soldier as he walks away from the ravages of the Civil War and heads home to his prewar sweetheart. From the reviews, this looks like the type of book that you either love or hate due to its slow pacing and atmospheric writing. I wonder where I’ll end up.
Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink
(better world books)
Written in 1968, this middle grade novel is about a family (run down from the Great Depression) and how they borrow a summer cottage during the winter and welcome a host of visitors. This one looks to be long out of print, but I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled for a deal!
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The weather outside is //
Looks like it’s going to be a pretty warm week!
As I look outside my window // I am mentally parceling out future pig paddocks. We move our pigs onto fresh pasture every week and then let the land rest for at least 80 days before using it again. We’re almost through our first rotation – time flies! For the second time around, I’m going to try to set up my fencing in a more rectangular fashion – my first try was pretty wonky.
As I look around the house // I’m trying to figure out how to decorate the mantel. Everything I’ve tried so far has just looked…off. I can’t seem to get the balance right. At this point, I may scrap it all, leaving just my framed print of the Madonna and baby Jesus, and wait until we set up the stockings next week. Life’s too short to get caught up on mantel decorating!
Smiling // at a feel-good story that happened in our community. I am signed up with our local Nextdoor app group and we recently got the notice to be on the lookout for a lost pregnant cow. A few days later, we received an update: “Cow came home with calf by her side. Both healthy. Thank God.” Oh man, this country life…I love it so much.
On this week’s to-do list //
– make cinnamon rolls for St. Lucia’s feast day (today!) – observe the Advent Ember Days on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday – wrap more gifts – make sure I have enough stocking stuffers for all of the kids
– clean out the refrigerator
Making me happy right now // beautiful Christmas cactus buds arriving right on time + candles in the windowsills + silly pigs gaining weight + hens still laying at full production rates + happy memories of my grandmothers + a roaring fire in the fireplace + big dreams being planned for 2022
Currently reading //
On the menu this week //
Monday: steak fajitas
Tuesday: homemade Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup
Wednesday: Refrigerator Cleanout Night
Thursday: pasta with Bolognese sauce, garlic bread
Friday: tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
We are just days from the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. We symbolize this midway point with the rose candle on the Advent wreath as well as a day of celebration: the Lord’s coming is near! In our family, the tradition has always been to have our annual gingerbread decorating afternoon after Mass. We play Christmas carols, decorate and eat ourselves silly with cookies and candy decorations, and completely ruin our dinner. Sometimes I pre-bake the cookies and sometimes I hurry through the process when we get home. Each year is a little different, but we love the tradition all the same.
Below is our go-to recipe:
Download your copy of the Gingerbread Cookie Recipe here!
P.S. Our favorite book to read on this day is Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. Also, if you’re in the market for cookie cutters, take a look at these and these and these! (affiliate links)
Today I’m back with another easy and homemade decoration, perfect for the kitchen: dried orange slices! This year, I used my dehydrator (affiliate link) and it didn’t go according to plan. It took forever for them to dry! I think it’s because I didn’t remove the excess moisture with a paper towel before placing them on the trays. Oh well, you live and learn!
Last year, I dried them in the oven and it was also super easy. You just place the sliced oranges on parchment (be sure to dab off the extra juice!) and bake at 200° for one hour. Flip the slices over, then continue baking for another hour. The exact time will vary depending on how thick your slices are. Be sure to check every so often to avoid burning.
Once my slices are fully dried, I’ll be stringing them and adding them to the garland on my kitchen window. I’ll have to update this post when it’s done, but here’s how I used them last year:
UPDATE! I decided to string the oranges a different way and then wrap them around the garland. Love how it turned out!
Sharing this playlist of vintage winter music again! One of my favorites for this time of year…
Oh man, I couldn’t have come up with a more frugal project if I tried, ha! The idea came to me after we received a package in the mail with gobs and gobs of kraft paper packaging. The paper wasn’t crumbled tightly and I thought I could reuse it for gifts. Fast forward a few hours, when I discovered that a handful of potatoes had the dreaded green sheen, and the potato stamped wrapping paper project was born!
My daughter and I followed this tutorial to make the stamps and then used washable paint (affiliate link) we already had in the school room. Zero dollars spent and it turned out adorable! My favorite frugal accomplishment of the month so far.