Mother Culturing: Fourth Quarter 2023 (and new year goals!)

What we need is a habit of taking our minds out of what one is tempted to call “the domestic rag-bag” of perplexities, and giving it a good airing in something which keeps it “growing”… Is there, then, not need for more “Mother Culture”?

“Mother Culture” Parents’ Review – Volume 3

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

~ Ring Out, Wild Bells by Alfred, Lord Tennyson ~

I started to write that the fourth quarter was quiet, but upon reflection, it definitely wasn’t. However, it wasn’t the frantic kind of busy that defined the previous quarters of this year, for which I am thankful! In early October, we rented a van and took a road trip to California. While we do more local road trips periodically throughout the year, this was definitely a bigger deal as we haven’t taken a more extended (or more distant) trip like this since 2018.

In the first few days, we visited Zion National Park (so crowded!) and then drove through Las Vegas to see the Hoover Dam. One day three, our van broke down at a gas station in Boron, California, which was nerve-wracking as there wasn’t much in the area, and it was very hot. We eventually got it to start again (and stopped at the very same one on the way back just to tempt fate), and it seemed to be fine after that, so we thought the worst was over.

We made it all the way to our Airbnb, and the plan for the next day was to head to the Golden Gate Bridge and then up to Muir Woods to see the redwoods. What ended up happening was that we drove over the Bay and Golden Gate bridges (very neat!), through San Francisco, then the van broke down again on the side of the hill overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. We were stuck there for about 2 hours while we waited for the car rental company to send a tow truck (not easy on Conzelman Road) before we finally got the van to start again and were told by the rental company to bring it to the airport for a new van. We then drove over the Golden Gate Bridge a SECOND TIME (still neat, but annoying because we had to pay a toll going south) and spent a white-knuckled journey in stop-and-go traffic all the way to SFO, fairly anxious that the van would just die in the middle of an intersection and then spontaneously combust.

We managed to get there with no mishaps, made a mad dash to get all of our stuff out of the old van, to the waiting area of the rental office in the parking garage, and then moved again to the new van. It was too late for Muir Woods at that point (disappointing as we had already paid for parking online), so we decided to go to Stinson Beach instead so the kids could see the ocean. We then drove over the Golden Gate Bridge a THIRD TIME (not so neat) and made it to the beach just before sunset. It was cold and rainy, but we saw quails and seals, and the kids loved it.

The next day, we went to Yosemite, which was amazing. I really do think it’s my favorite park of the ones we’ve visited so far. Unfortunately, however, the rangers were doing prescribed burning, so there was a lot of smoke in the valley, and traffic was bad, so we missed the shuttle to see the giant sequoias by an hour. This was twice now that I was thwarted from seeing giant trees, which was probably one of the things I was most looking forward to on this trip. We decided the next day to replace Joshua Tree with a trip to Sequoia & King’s Canyon, even though it was quite a bit out of our way. It was entirely, 100% worth it, as we all loved the trees. I would like to go back when we can spend more time there.

On the last day, we stayed near Aztec Ruins and saw the annular solar eclipse from our hotel parking lot. It wasn’t as awe-inspiring as the 2018 total solar eclipse, but still neat to see. Then we started for home, got about 3 hours in, then had to turn around and drive 45 minutes back the way we came because there was unannounced road construction that completely blocked the tiny mountain road we were driving on. We eventually did make it home and were glad to be back!

Overall, it wasn’t a bad trip (did I mention that my husband also got shingles?), and it was so neat to see many of the things we read about in Halliburton (which my daughter will start next year!). And while it didn’t work out the way we had hoped, it could’ve been so much worse.

In November, we celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary with our annual trip to the golf course where we were married. I am having a hard time believing it’ll be 20 years since we exchanged vows next November. That makes me feel old.

We also finished Term 1 of our school year in the end of November and began Term 2 in December when we started up again after Thanksgiving break. I decided to take a later Christmas break this year, so we got four weeks in before it started, and as of this writing, we still have another week of vacation, which I am reveling!

Usually, in my January Mother Culturing post, I like to revisit my goals and share what I hope to achieve in the new year. This generally doesn’t change much, but I’ll share anyway as a form of inspiration for myself!

New Year Goals

Food

Freezer cooking! That is definitely a goal. I was good the last month or so about doubling recipes, but I definitely need to be more intentional about this. I have been looking over this website and got their books from the library, and it has given me good ideas about how I can prep and freeze the recipes I already make on a regular basis.

Honestly, many nights I just really don’t feel like cooking, so when I think about making a double batch of whatever it is I have planned, I groan inwardly. One thing that has helped with this is audiobooks! My husband found an old pair of Bluetooth earbuds that he doesn’t use anymore, so I decided to try them out for listening to audiobooks while I cook and it has made a world of difference in my desire to get supper started. (This also helps with my goal of reading more books. 🙂)

Also, canning. I canned one little jar of carrots this year, and that was it, so that is obviously a goal for the new year. I think I mainly just want to focus on ways to save money on our monthly grocery budget, stock up on food so I don’t have to go shopping as often, and make homemade meals easier for me to put on the table each night.

Cleaning/Organization/Chores

I reset our filing system last week, but also decided that it is definitely something I need to go through this year as it has become unruly.

I also mentioned last year the new zone/block chore system I made for our family in October of 2021, and that has been awesome this year. I’ve made a few tweaks along the way, but for the most part, as long as we stick to it, the house remains clean.

Another aspect of this that I was very inspired to do this year was purging. A friend mentioned The Minimal Mom to me earlier in the year, and her videos have been very inspiring. On Saturday mornings, to get myself motivated to purge and organize a specific area of the house, I’ll find a video on her YouTube channel that corresponds to that area of her home. It’s kind of funny because I’m essentially just watching her purge her own stuff, but that in and of itself is motivation enough for me and I jump into the task with gusto. We’ve gotten rid of a lot of stuff this year, and the house feels freer. We definitely have more to do, though, so I plan to continue that.

Finances

I read two personal finance books this year, and both of them were inspiring and motivational. We have been debt-free aside from our mortgage since at least 2008, but I always feel like there are things we can do better with our finances. Simple Money, Rich Life was a great way to start the year, and the changes I made to our finances based on that book felt very freeing.

In the last part of the year, I read You Need A Budget. We have been using YNAB for more than a decade for budgeting (and I highly, highly recommend it!) so I was familiar with the “4 rules” but this book really helped me understand them better and inspired me to make some changes to our budgeting going forward. I am excited to see how this pans out.

Other random goals include more hikes and more camping!

Read (or Finished Reading)

For Me

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. My second Lisa See novel of the year. This has been on my TBR list for a very long time, and I’ve actually started reading it a few times but was never able to get far into it before it was due at the library again. She puts so much research into her books, which I very much appreciate and though this one wasn’t as immersive as her others, it was still fascinating.

The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God by Dallas Willard. This took me about 2.5 years to get through during my morning liturgy. It was convenient to go through as it’s broken down into small sections, which is also why it took me so long to get through it. However, at that pace, I was really able to savor the words and think about them as I went through the rest of my day.

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather. And my second Willa Cather of the year. This read was inspired by the Read Your Bookshelf Challenge as I’ve had this book for a few years. Admittedly, it was hard to get through and was not a favorite. I won’t give up on Cather, though, as I did like My Ántonia earlier in the year.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I was going through my reading list for the year in late November and realized that I didn’t have a single Austen on it. 😱 This was quickly remedied when I mentioned this to my friend Julie, when, as she had never read Northanger before, we decided to read it together (this was my second time reading it).

You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck to Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want by Jesse Mecham. YNAB was sending these out free for Black Friday? I think? I can’t remember exactly, but I like free books, and I like books about personal finance, so I filled out the form and this arrived a few weeks later. I wrote more about this in the “Finances” section of my new year plans.

A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus. Nancy Kelly mentioned this in her newsletter a month or so back, so I started the audiobook on a whim one night when I was cooking supper, and it was just.so.good. For so many reasons. There were parts I could acutely relate to, and parts that were so sad, and parts that were so redeeming. I loved this book.

The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar. This was a gift I received for my birthday and while I don’t know that I’d recommend it, it definitely gave me a greater curiosity for Johanna van Gogh!

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. I picked this up at our local free library as it’s one I’ve been wanting to read for a while. I saved it just for Jólabókaflóðið and was not disappointed! I ended up finishing it in a day, and it was a (mostly) fun little read (though there were definitely sad parts). I plan to continue the series.

Everything Worth Preserving: The Complete Guide for Food Preservation at Home by Melissa K. Norris. I read bits and pieces of this during lunch, and it was so helpful. This gives me a lot of ideas for things to try in the new year.

Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry. I found myself wishing I could remember more of Hannah Coulter and Jayber Crow while I read this book. Those felt a little more….uplifting? This one was just sad. Beautifully written, as is to be expected from Berry, but sad.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This was for the CMER book discussion! I read this back in 2016 but didn’t care for it much. A second reading allowed me to see it in a new light and I saw the beauty in it better this time. It also helped that I did some reading about Fitzgerald prior to this reading and could imagine where he got the inspiration for the characters.

For (or with) the Kids

Return to Gone-Away by Elizabeth Enright. The second in the series and all three of us liked this one.

The Way of the Wilderking by Jonathan Rogers. The last in this series and we all really liked this one as well. I’d like to add this to our collection.

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. I read this to both kids at night before bed while my husband was gone on business trips so it took us a while to get through. It was entertaining, though definitely not a favorite for any of us.

The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois. A quick read and entertaining.

Hard Gold: The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859 by AVI. I saw this on a random list and decided it would be good for some Colorado history lore. The overall story was good, however, the characters made choices that I didn’t think were good examples (eg. lying to parents, running away, etc.). I did let B read it, but we also had discussions about the main character’s decisions.

Skylark and Caleb’s Story by Patricia MacLachlan. C is really enjoying this series. These are beautifully-written books.

A Voice Of Her Own: A Story Of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet by Kathryn Lasky. This wasn’t high literature, but I thought told the story of Phillis Wheatley well.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. During Christmas Day last year, I read all of A Christmas Carol. This year, after a friend gifts me an extra copy she had of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, I decided that would be our book for this year. I’ve been meaning to read it for years as I’ve read such good reviews of it and we all enjoyed the story.

For School

(I’ll write more about these in my end-of-school-year post in June.)

The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker

Watership Down by Richard Adams (I’m also counting this one as a read for me as I really enjoyed it and it’s been on my TBR list for a long time.)

Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney

Find the Constellations by H.A. Rey

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Poor Richard by James Daugherty

Peeps at Many Lands: Ancient Greece by James Baikie

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? A Fast, Clear, and Fun Explanation of the Economics You Need For Success in Your Career, Business, and Investments by Richard Maybury

Currently

I am currently reading Mansfield Park (again), A Chicken’s Guide to Talking Turkey with Your Kids About Sex, (listening to) Mrs Harris Goes to Paris & Mrs Harris Goes to New York, and in my morning liturgy, New Selected Poems (1988-2013) of Seamus Heaney, and Revelations of Divine Love.

For B, I am pre-reading Miss Pickerell and the Weather Satellite, and reading with him The Fellowship of the Ring. For C, I am pre-reading Black Gold, and reading with her The Children of the New Forest (we did not finish this last school year, so we’re reading it at night without narrations).

Made

I managed to get into a good embroidery routine this quarter after a friend showed me her sewing projects and inspired me to be more intentional about handicrafts for myself as well. I started by embroidering a gift for her. 🙂 I then pulled out an embroidery kit I received a few years ago from my craft bin and began working on that each night, so progress is being made. It has inspired me to want to re-learn to knit and crochet, so that may be a goal for the new year.

I also got ahead on making freezer meals in November and December by doubling supper recipes a few times and managed to stock quite a few in the freezer, which is such a nice thing to have on hand. I really want to continue this into the new year as well.

Enjoyed

Balm of Gilead Manuka Defense Lip Balm. This was on sale at Azure so I added it to my cart on a whim and it works so well! I plan to get a few more tubes while it’s still on sale.

Grove Co. Reusable Cleaning Glass Spray Bottle. Our old plastic, multi-purpose cleaning spray bottle broke, so I decided to take advantage of a Grove Co. free gift offer to get a new one. I got this spray bottle, which is fantastic, along with a a few other things. I’ll continue to use my Sal Suds multi-purpose cleaner with it.

Taza Warm Winter Egg Nog Organic Chocolate Bar. Another whim, on-sale purchase that I was surprised at how much I liked!

Azure Market Organics Chamomile Flowers. I’ve been making tea with these many nights to help with sleep and they are very soothing.

Kettle Care Coconut, Aloe Vera, and Chamomile Cream Cleanser. This was another on-sale item. Last time I ordered the Lemongrass cleanser, and it was fine, but I think this is what I’ll be using going forward.

On the Blog

In case you missed them!

10 Things to See in the Natural World this Fall (+ a free printable!)

The Hard Battle

The Best Places to Buy Books for Your Homeschool

Madonnas of the Early Masters of Art for Mothers

The Loaves and Fishes of Motherhood

Reasons to Observe Advent (My Interview on the MAVEN Parent Podcast)

10 Things to See This Winter for Homeschool Nature Study

a humble place 2023 Year in Review (and 2024 plans!)

New in the Shop

Bird Sightings

Our regular bird visitors have been hanging around, including house finches, LOTS of juncos, Eurasian collard-doves, chickadees, and American goldfinches. We’ve had a few northern flickers stop by the feeder and one curious hawk perch on our fence. Our neighborhood great horned owls have also stayed over the winter and we’ve often heard them calling to each other at night. They’ll be preparing for eggs soon. Other than this, our local bird world has been pretty quiet.

I’ll end by wishing everyone a very happy new year!

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