January 2022

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#1. GUESS WHO by Chris McGeorge // ★★☆☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
I was really excited to start the new year with this locked room themed psychological thriller, but man.  This might have been the most boring thriller I’ve ever read!  I kept going just in case there was a huge twist at the end, but it was ridiculous all the way through.

#2. MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM by Anne Youngson // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
This book had 84, Charing Cross Road vibes: a lonely English woman and a widowed Danish professor begin a correspondence because of their mutual fascination with the Tollund Man.  (BTW, I had no idea who the Tollund Man was and had to look him up.)  The fictional story is told entirely in letters and it was good.  Not sure how I felt about the end, but good.

#3. RECLAIMING OUR ROMAN CATHOLIC BIRTHRIGHT: THE GENIUS AND TIMELIENESS OF THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS by Peter Kwasniewski // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
I’ve been chipping away at this book since last fall!  Incredibly informative and thought-provoking.  I learned so much.

#4. DAMNATION SPRING by Ash Davidson // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
This book is a quiet novel about a logging community in the 1970s. The issue explored throughout is between the Pacific Northwest loggers using toxic herbicides for brush removal and environmental activists concerned about the mass removal of old trees and the harmful impacts of those toxic chemicals.  This book was really thought-provoking and I could place myself in both sets of shoes.  Unfortunately, it took quite a few pages to really get to the meat of the book and I sometimes felt bogged down with the detailed logging descriptions.  Still a solid three star read.  I think it would make for interesting discussion in a book club setting.  (And thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.)

#5. THE VIOLENT BEAR IT AWAY by Flannery O’Connor // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
This was my first Flannery O’Connor book and after I finished the last page, I said, “What in the world did I just read?!”  Thankfully, the ladies at my book club helped to flesh out O’Connor’s writing style and the themes/symbols used throughout.  I’m still not sure I loved it, but I definitely have a deeper appreciation for this book now.

#6. CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG by Ian Fleming // ★★★★☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
Our school read aloud for January.  We all enjoyed it.  (P.S. We ordered the 1960s movie of the same name and spoiler!  It’s nothing like the book.  My kids were disappointed.)

#7. ALL MANNER OF THINGS by Susie Finkbeiner // ★★★☆☆
(amazon // bookshop // better world books)
I picked this Christian fiction novel up on a whim from Book Outlet sometime last year.  It’s a story about a family during the Vietnam era and delicately deals with a whole host of issues, including war, PTSD, and even interracial relationships.  Honestly, I found the writing to be a little hokey, but the ending…whew.  I cried.

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I went into January assuming that I would have a month “off” from most homestead tasks. Turns out that if you’re not actively working on the farm, you’re still thinking about the farm, ha!  Here’s what we accomplished around the homestead during the first few weeks of 2022:

+ Lots of ordering occurred this month!  We will have 165 baby chicks (150 broilers and 15 hens) arriving in mid-March.  I also ordered onion bunches, potato tubers, a few more seed packets for early spring crops and even preordered my tomato starts for May arrival.  We also stocked up on hen feed and straw for the pigs.  So happy to have all of that off of the to-do list, even though it was $$$.

+ I started planning what we’re going to plant and where.  The new plan includes making at least two or three more in-ground beds and ramping up the amount we hope to yield.  I would love to be able to grow enough to feed my family, have extra to put a little back and be able to supplement my animals, but that’s a huge goal.

+ After two growing seasons, I knew I needed to really get a good understanding of my soil.  I ordered this soil test kit and need to brave the freezing temperatures (with snow on the ground!) to get my soil samples.  Next month!

+ I watched a talk by Joel Salatin called “100s of Farm Animals and No Vet Bills” about homestead sanitation and how that helps healthy livestock.  I was happy to see that we already implement many of his tips and tricks.

+ Our chickens are desperate for anything green (so much snow!  so much mud!), so I tried growing fodder for the first time.  I am following these instructions and my first batch should be ready next Monday.  I have wheat seeds from True Leaf Market and I used their grow trays too.  The process was a little fussy, but generally easy.  I think it will be easier once I have more experience and confidence.

+ I dewormed the animals with an herbal formula recommended by Justin Rhodes.  While we don’t have any active issues right now, I’d like to keep them on a maintenance schedule and January seemed like the right time to start.  I love that I can use it with the chickens, the pigs and even our dog, Lucy!

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Happy Wednesday!

A QUOTE

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.
― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART

“Devotion” by François-Louis Lanfant de Metz (found here)

AN UPDATE ON MY 2022 GOALS

+ Get serious about nutrition. // I’m generally back to intermittent fasting (not strictly 10-6, but close), have survived three weeks without sugar and I’m feeling good!  I’ve been buying all the things to start making my own kombucha and have even ordered probiotics to further heal my gut.
+ Read more nonfiction. // I’m in the middle of two right now: Communism and the Conscience of the West and Let Them Eat Dirt.  Both are fascinating and I’m learning so much.
+ Make something beautiful with my own hands. // I have lots of ideas, but nothing completed yet.
+ Expand the homestead. // Planning is in full swing!  Lots of ordering and prep work has already begun.
+ Aggressively work toward the goal of paying off our mortgage early. // I’m easing back into a decluttering/reselling routine (like I did back in the fall) and having decent success.  Best two sales so far: as I was putting away my Christmas decorations, I found two Hallmark ornaments that we’ve never hung up.  I decided on a whim to list them on ebay and they sold within three days for more than their retail price – in January!
+ Improve my self-protection skills. // I found my DVDs but haven’t started them yet.

A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF MUSIC

Acapella in a stairwell!  So amazing.

A HOMEMAKER CHECK-IN

How are you tackling these crazy inflationary days?  We got a notice last week from our electric company that our rates will be increasing in the next bill.  This is the third one this month – our Internet provider and trash service are going up too!  In order to stave off anxiety, I keep telling myself that simplicity is the name of the game this year: hearty homemade meals, reducing our excess costs, reselling our unneeded items, and piling on those warm sweaters.  I’m determined to get through this time smiling!

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Last week, I tried to read 1,000 pages in seven days!  (Around this time last year, I tried to read 24 out of 48 hours, so this has become an unofficial winter tradition.)   1,000 pages equals about 143 pages a day, which is a lot!  I knew going in that I probably wouldn’t be completely successful due to all of my other commitments, but still figured it would be a fun way to spend a chilly winter week.  Here’s how it went:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 14

Day One and a strong start to the challenge!  I started out the day reading two chapters of our school read aloud for January, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming.  Really cute so far.

Later in the afternoon, with school finished and everyone off doing their own thing, I focused on a book I promised to read and review for Netgalley called Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson.  I’ve been reading it off and on since October and have had such a hard time getting into it.  Today was the day that I pushed through and finished!  Thankfully, it started to pick up some speed at about halfway through.  It was a decent story and had some thought provoking moments.  I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts with my end of month wrap up.

Before bed, I chose The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life by Father Charles Arminjon.  How about that for a bedtime pick me up, ha!  St. Therese of Lisieux, my Confirmation saint, is quoted as saying that this book was one of the greatest graces of her life, so I’m happy to finally read it for myself.

Total pages read: 214

SATURDAY, JANUARY 15

A big storm was in the forecast for Sunday, so I spent the morning in preparation mode: getting the animals warm and ready, moving fencing, loading up on firewood, and doing all of the laundry in case we lose power.  I finally sat down with a cup of coffee in the afternoon and read a chapter from Let Them Eat Dirt: Saving Your Child from an Oversanitized World by B. Brett Finlay, PhD and Marie-Claire Arriera, PhD.  I can already tell that this one is going to be a catalyst for further research.

At bedtime, I tried to keep reading but promptly fell asleep after five pages.  Oops!

Total pages read: 39

SUNDAY, JANUARY 16

After debating the odds of getting to Mass and back before the snow, we ultimately decided to play it safe and stay home.  That turned out to be the right decision since the snow started thick and heavy and didn’t let up all afternoon!  In the morning, I pulled out The End of the Present World again so I could finish the second chapter.  This one was all about the Antichrist – whew!

Later, I picked up my book club book for January, The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O’Connor.  (I need to get moving on this one; our meeting is next week!)  I read off and on all afternoon into bedtime and got a significant chunk finished.

Total pages read: 108

MONDAY, JANUARY 17

A day off of school and work for our family!  I spent the morning keeping busy inside while everyone else shoveled the driveway or played in the snow.  (This snowfall wasn’t quite as fun as last time – very icy and crunchy.)  I was able to read a bit more from Let Them Eat Dirt and I’m learning so much about the pros and cons of antibiotic use and the importance of probiotics.

At bedtime, I went back to The Violent Bear It Away.  I wanted to finish the last half, but my eyes were drooping with forty pages to go.  Tomorrow!

Total pages read: 116

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18

Day five!  With just three days to go, I calculated that I would now need to read 174 pages a day to get back on track.  A tall order!  I started the day with two more chapters of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for read aloud.  The kids beg for more, but my voice can only hold out for so many pages.

When the kids went out to sled in the afternoon, I finished the last few chapters of The Violent Bear It Away.  I closed the book and my first thought was, “What in the world did I just read?!”  I know there are many Catholic themes and imagery throughout, but I think I need someone to fully flesh it all out for me.  Really looking forward to book club next week.

Later, I cozied up in bed early and started All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner.  This is a historical fiction novel about a family during the Vietnam War era.  I read about 90 pages before falling asleep.  Solid three stars so far.

Total pages read: 166

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19

For school, I finished reading the last two chapters of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with the kids.  We really liked it!  I ordered the 1960s movie of the same title (with Dick Van Dyke) and we look forward to seeing how accurately it follows the story.

The rest of Wednesday was a blur.  So much going on and no time to sit down and read!  Such is life… I feel like this week is a pretty accurate representation of how I fit my reading in those little pockets of free time.  Sometimes there’s a big stretch, sometimes there are only a few minutes, sometimes I don’t pick up a single book until bedtime.  Every day is a little different.

At bedtime, I read about half of a chapter from Let Them Eat Dirt and then returned to All Manner of Things.

Total pages read: 128

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20

A cold, overcast winter day seemed like the right kind of day to wrap up this challenge.  We picked a new read aloud for school, Ben and Me by Robert Lawson.  The book is about Benjamin Franklin and a mouse named Amos and it has a bit of a Ratatouille feel!  While the kids did their math, I was also able to read a few more pages in Let Them Eat Dirt.  I’m learning so much!

I had high hopes of getting into bed early and hitting that 1,000 page goal by finishing All Manner of Things.  Ahh, you know what they say about best-laid plans…

Total pages read: 110

FINAL THOUGHTS AND STATS

With a little bit of planning and a blind eye to chores, I definitely think I could accomplish this 1,000 pages in a week goal someday.  I think the key is finding another small pocket of time in the afternoon, since I often fall asleep quickly while reading at bedtime.  Maybe next year!

Total pages read: 881
Books finished: 3

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1 // A NEW PLANNER FOR A NEW YEAR

I’m just a few weeks into my new 2022 planner from Passionate Penny Pincher and I really love it so far.  Just enough space for each day’s tasks and lots and lots of checklists!  I like that my daily household tasks are included on the weekly spreads to keep me on track.

2 // A WEBSITE FOR VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS

My husband and I have been in research mode as we seek to fix the root problems of a few nagging ailments.  In my search for a vitamin and supplement provider, I found iHerb.  I have made two orders so far and have found that they have a wide range of products, the prices are fair and the shipping is lightning fast.

3 // A PAIR OF INEXPENSIVE BACK-UP GLASSES

Because I wear my glasses almost daily, I wanted to make sure I had a couple of back-up pairs just in case.  I went with GlassesUSA and was really happy with my experience.  The process was easy and they had a wide range of price points.  (I went with some of the cheapest since they were just going to be back ups.)  Very pleased!

4 // A NEW PUZZLE

We always have a puzzle going during the winter and the latest addition to our collection is this Lego minifigure 1,000 piece puzzle.  A big hit.

5 // MY YOUTUBE WEATHERMAN

Have you heard of the Youtube channel called Ryan Hall, Y’all?  He is my go-to guy for anything weather related!  I have learned so much about meteorology from his videos.

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Today is the first installment of a fun new series and I hope you’ll chime in with your answers too!  I stumbled upon this “tag” on Youtube where the creator asked a handful of questions for every letter of the alphabet.  (This is the original source of the tag.)  I thought I’d answer them here on the blog.  Here are the questions for letter A:

A is for America. What do you consider the Great American Novel?

Full disclosure: I had to look up what constitutes a Great American Novel.  According to Wikipedia, it is “a canonical novel that is thought to embody the essence of America, generally written by an American and dealing in some way with the question of America’s national character.”  What a difficult challenge!  How do you condense such a diverse country with only one book?  I found this website with 25 choices and here are a handful that I’ve read:
+ The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
+ The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
+ Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
+ The Call of the Wild by Jack London
+ The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
+ O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
+ My Antonia by Willa Cather

A is for arc. Which character in literature has the most interesting character arc?

Another really hard question!  I can’t come up with a good answer for this one…do you have any ideas?

A is for Australia. What was the last book you read by an Australian author.

It’s been a few years since I’ve read an Australian book, but here are few I’ve enjoyed:
+ The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
+ The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
+ The Dry by Jane Harper
+ What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

A is for Austen. What do you plan to read for #JaneAustenJuly?

Obviously, I’m answering these questions in January, but I would love to incorporate an Austen book into my reading sometime this year.  Maybe Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility?

A is for automobile. What is your favorite literary automobile?

Hmm, this is a tricky one.  Right now, the kids and I are reading Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming as our school read aloud and really enjoying it.  I also browsed around for some automobile-themed books and found Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten Jungle City.  Sounds interesting!

A is for anonymous. What is your favorite book or poem published anonymously.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book published anonymously!  I did a little research and one of the books I own is written by Elena Ferrante, who happens to be a pseudonymous Italian novelist.  Who knew?

A is for autobiography. What was the last autobiography you read?

I have not read an autobiography in so long, so does a memoir count?  The two last memoirs I read: Sounds Like Titanic by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman and Ambulance Girl: How I Saved Myself By Becoming an EMT by Jane Stern.

A is for audiobooks. Do you consider listening to an audiobook as “reading”?

I do consider audiobooks “reading” – whatever gets you thinking and learning is fine to me!  For me personally, I do not use audiobooks because I am definitely not an auditory learner and easily get distracted while listening.  I need to read with my eyeballs to really understand and remember.

What about you?  How would you answer these questions?

A new series about little thoughts and things to share.  I hope you’ll share your thoughts and latest finds with me too!

+ I’ve been in planning mode this week!  My goal was to lay out six months worth of homestead tasks and I’m almost there.  (I used one of my kids’ 19″x24″ Bristol boards and I love the huge size.)  I’m also trying to get a feel for when we can realistically fit in some house projects; I have a long list of things I’d like to get to this year, but we’re going to have to use our time wisely!  The future is so uncertain, but it’s also bright.

+ I’m on Day 14 of my six month no sugar challenge and so far, so good.  I didn’t crash as heavily as I have in the past (which is awesome), but I still think about cookies almost daily, so not out of the woods yet!  Here was my healthy living motivational video of the week to stay the course: this TED talk “Sugar is Not a Treat” by Jody Stanislaw.

+ I printed off this 2022 Book Tracking Log from Everyday Reading and have tucked it into my planner.  My daughter loved mine so much that she asked for her own copy!  Looking forward to coloring it in as I read throughout the year.

+ Have you heard of Story Bags?  “Here’s how it works: You’ll get an email after checkout with a link to tell us what you or your loved one likes to read by filling out a quick, 2-minute survey, and our team of book ninjas (who read more than is socially acceptable) will fill a bag full of books based on your preferences!”  For $19.99 and free shipping, you can get 10 kids books or 5 for adults.  A great deal I can’t wait to try!

From the Big White Farmhouse Archives…
+ #StandWithSmall: A Wintertime Wishlist
+ Five Reasons To Send a Letter in January

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Joining in with Top Ten Tuesday with the perfect prompt for sharing the books I received for Christmas (and a few I bought myself)!  I chose many of these with my goal of reading more nonfiction in mind.  Lots of interesting topics are below:

1 // The Radioactive Boy Scout: The Frightening True Story of a Whiz Kid and His Homemade Nuclear Reactor by Ken Silverstein
This book is an example that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction!  Listen to this: “David Hahn…plunged into a new project: building a model nuclear reactor in his backyard garden shed.  Posing as a physics professor, David solicited information on reactor design from the US government and from industry experts.  Following blueprints he found in an outdated physics textbook, David cobbled together a crude device that threw off toxic levels of radiation.  His wholly unsupervised project finally sparked an environmental emergency that put his town’s forty thousand residents at risk, and the EPA ended up burying David’s lab at a radioactive dumpsite in Utah.”

2 // Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
This book is about James Garfield, who I admittedly know very little about!

3 // The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman
“After their zoo was bombed, Polish zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski managed to save over three hundred people from the Nazis by hiding refugees in the empty animal cages.”  This is apparently a true story and sounds really interesting.

4 // A Day Like This by Kelley McNeil
I first heard about this one from a Goodreads giveaway.  (I didn’t win the giveaway, so purchased it on my own.)  The novel is about a woman who has everything – the house, the loving husband, the sweet daughter – who one day wakes up after a car accident.  From the description: “When she asks for her daughter, confused doctors tell Annie that Hannah never existed.  In fact, nothing after waking from the crash is the same as Annie remembers.  Five happy years of her life apparently never happened.”  Sounds intriguing!

5 // Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees
This historical novel is about a woman recruited as a spy and tasked with the job to hunt down a war criminal.  From the description: “Edith heads to the Continent armed with a convincing cover: an unassuming schoolteacher who collects recipes…recipes she fills with coded intelligence and send back to her handlers in London.”  Sounds so good!

6 // Eighty Days to Elsewhere by KC Dyer
This fun-sounding book has been described as The Amazing Race meets Around the World in Eighty Days.  I’m there!

7 // The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
This one tells the story of the darkest years of the Depression when the dust storms plagued the High Plains.  I believe there are stories included from survivors (people now in their 80s and 90s), which should be fascinating.

8 // Escape from Camp 14:One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden
After reading The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story by Hyeonseo Lee back in 2020, I’ve been interested in learning more about the country.  This book a courageous young man sounds so good: “North Korea’s political prison camps have existed twice as long as Stalin’s gulags and twelve times as long as the Nazi concentration camps.  These camps are clearly visible in satellite photos, yet North Korea’s government denies they exist.  No one born and raised in these camps is known to have escaped.  No one, that is, except Shin Dong-hyuk.”

9 // “I Have Nothing to Hide”And 20 Other Myths About Surveillance and Privacy by Heidi Boghosian
I bought this on a whim from Book Outlet when I was ordering everyone’s Epiphany books.  I know I’m going to learn a lot from this one.

10 // Dirt to Soil: One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture by Gabe Brown
I listened to an interview with Gabe Brown and immediately needed his book!  I’m so interested in regenerative agriculture, especially as we move chickens and pigs on pasture, and can’t wait to incorporate his wisdom into our little homestead.

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The weather outside is //

As I look outside my window // our winter wonderland is looking a little rough!  We are in that weird phase where there are random patches of mud and footprints and sled prints everywhere.  Not nearly as beautiful as those first few days.

As I look around the house // I took down most of the Christmas decorations after Epiphany, but I left a few “wintery” things (like twinkly lights and my orange garland) because they bring me so much joy.  Since springtime is going to be incredibly busy for us, I’ve been rolling around the idea of doing some “spring cleaning”, but in January and February.  I think Future Me will appreciate one less task to accomplish while I’m juggling chickens/pigs/planting/homeschooling/etc etc etc.

On this week’s to-do list //

– get into a groove with school again (all of the snow last week derailed most of our plans!) – buy glass canister for homemade kombucha

– order water troughs for the pigs

– deep clean the refrigerator – organize the little boys’ closet

– find 10 items to donate/sell

Needing // some frugal inspiration.  I’d like to start the new year strong (making wise purchases and using up what we already have), but it feels like my creative juices for this area have run dry!  Thankfuly, this post from A Working Pantry got my wheels turning…maybe I’ll pull out the dehydrator this week.

Currently reading // 

On the menu this week //
Monday: creamy chicken tortilla soup
Tuesday: 30 minute one pan beef penne, salad
Wednesday: pork fried rice and egg rolls
Thursday: Refrigerator Cleanout Night
Friday: bean and cheese burritos

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Our sixth annual Epiphany tradition!  This year, due to busy schedules and teenage commitments, we decided to gather for a big breakfast as our special meal.  Over breakfast burritos, bacon and home fries, we chatted about 2021 and picked a few family goals we wanted to accomplish in 2022, including:

• Eat more healthy food and less sugar.
• Read/listen to the Bible each day.
• Continue working hard as a team, especially as we expand the farm.

After breakfast, everyone ripped open their gifts wrapped in gold paper and they all seemed pleased with my choices.  Our Epiphany books for 2022:

MARK – The Long Sword by Christian Cameron
ASHLEY – The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
M (age 15) – Framed Perspective Vol. 1: Technical Perspective and Visual Storytelling
D (age 13) – Obsessed with Star Wars: Test Your Knowledge of a Galaxy Far, Far Away
J (age 11) – Darkmouth #3: Chaos Descends by Shane Hegarty
S (age 9) – The Bookwanderers by Anna James
T (age 7) – Family Fun Search & Find
P (age 5) – Paint with Water: Wheels and Steel Machines

Greetings from our winter wonderland!  What a beautiful way to start the new year.  The docket below is a little ambitious, but I can’t help but get excited for all the good things to come.  Here’s what I have planned for January:

Eating Seasonally 

• citrus fruit
• Brussels sprouts
• kale
• broccoli
• winter squash

Celebrating the Liturgical Year

The month of January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus.

• Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God (1)
• Elizabeth Ann Seton (4)
• Epiphany (6)
• Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle (25)
• Thomas Aquinas (28)

Homesteading and Self-Sufficiency 

• Preorder broiler/hen chicks for March.
• Start ordering any extra chick supplies we need.
• Finish building the house for Fred, our male pig.
• Try to measure the pigs for an approximate weight update.
• Look for a course to take on herbal medicine.
• Start my own kombucha.

Homemaking 

• Organize the pantry.
• Deep clean the refrigerator.
• Completely reorganize my closet.
• Start organizing the deep freezers.

Family Fun

• Celebrate some silly holidays:
  • National Spaghetti Day (4)
  • Bubble Bath Day (8)
  • Kid Inventors Day (17)
  • Global Belly Laugh Day (24)
  • National Puzzle Day (29)

How do I describe the past year?  In some ways, it was one of the best years of my life; in others, it was one of the most stressful and difficult.  It was a year of great laughter and joy, but also of tremendous worry and grief.  Such is life, right?  Through it all, my prayer was the short Latin phrase, “Deo gratias,” or Thanks be to God.  Gratitude for the good and gratitude for the hard.

My 2022 One Little Word

I had been mulling over a few options for weeks, but couldn’t quite decide on a winner.  Then, in the last meditation I read on Christmas Eve, this paragraph jumped out at me:

God is simple and we are complicated; and the holier we become, the more simple we become, not the more complex.  Let us never make great issues out of small things, never be complex about the very simple mystery of our vocation and our redemption.  Both are tremendous mysteries but very simple.  Perhaps that is why they are such a mystery to us. – Come Lord Jesus, p.220-221

So my word for 2022 is going to be simple: simplifying my heart and home, keeping things simple, and being content with a small and simple life.  I’m excited to see how this pans out.

A Few Goals for the Year

+ Get serious about nutrition.  //  2021 was the year where I stopped making excuses and really took my health seriously.  I’m keeping that momentum by continuing intermittent fasting, weaning off of almost all processed foods, and giving up sugar for at least six months(!!).  I’d also like to focus on nutrient dense foods, with bonus points for food grown and raised by us.  My kids will be joining in on this adventure, just maybe a little less extreme.
+ Read more nonfiction.  //  One of the cons of my 100 book reading goal was that I prioritized “easier” books that I knew I could breeze through quickly.  This year, I’d like to read more nonfiction, even if it takes me awhile to finish.  I entertained the idea of a new challenge (something like a 1001 Nonfiction Book Reading Challenge?), but ultimately decided to complete the Alphabet Challenge for Nonfiction first.
+ Make something beautiful with my own hands at least once a month.  //  This is lifegiving in the best way for me.
+ Expand the homestead.  //  Bigger gardens and more animals!  Little by little, we are creating a more self-sufficient way of life.
+ Aggressively work toward the goal of paying off our mortgage early.  //  Lots of thoughts fall under this huge goal.  I know my first order of business will be to brainstorm multiple income streams…what I can offer in the state of life I’m currently in?  What are my gifts?
+ Improve my self-protection skills. // The world can be a dangerous place, but knowing you can protect yourself produces confidence and not fear.  This is the year I’ll finally finish my self defense course!