You guys, November flew by, like literally just flew. I feel like I missed the entire month because it went by so fast. Similarly to last month little went as planned, but I’m taking it in stride. It might just be the way of things now. I can’t tell you how this year’s one little word has made this whole mess so much easier. It’s become a mantra for me, helping me stay sane in all the crazy.
The Baby:
I have to put a little note in here about him because it is so damn amazing. He is at this age where he is learning so much every day. He does something new every day and is interacting with us in new ways all the time, and man, it’s just so cool. I can’t get over it. I’m sure you other mamma’s out there are nodding your heads with me. Doesn’t it just make you gush?
House Projects:
Let’s be honest, these are going to pretty much be on hold until after the holidays. Still, we are this close to having a completed kitchen. I’m telling you, it’s going to be fabulous.
The Gardens:
Things on this front have died down a lot since the outdoor temperatures have fallen. Now, all that’s left are the handful of herbs that I moved inside and some lettuce mix that I planted in the window sill. Here’s to fresh winter greens.
Most of my garden adventures can be followed along on instagram since pictures say so much more.
The Chickens:
So per my last chicken update, one of our ladies, whom we call Tailfeathers had been doing better and was reintroduced back to the group for the second time (possibly third time?). All was well for a while, until the holiday weekend. We weren’t home, so they didn’t get to get out and forage for a couple days. I think that made them bored, and they started going after her again. Now she has a bareback and will probably be added to the freezer this weekend.
I’m not thrilled with this decision, but I think it’s better than allowing her to get beat up all the time. We don’t have the facilities to keep her separated throughout the winter without risking serious frostbite or death.
We got chickens because we wanted to provide ourselves with a more humane, sustainable food source. While I hate to let her go, we did not get these chickens to be pets, and I don’t think it’s humane to let her get attacked all the time. I don’t want it to get to the point where we come home to a chicken who was pecked to death. This breed of chicken (Isa Browns) are not really meant to be meat birds, so there isn’t a lot to them, but we will make it work for dinner one night so as not to let it go to waste.
The Social Calendar:
There was a bit more going on this month. We actually got out to see some friends! It was long overdue. Then there was, of course, the holiday. This month is going to be a lot more social with all the holiday parties coming up. I’m stoked to see some more friendly faces. This might be the first year that I am actually counting the days until hunting season is over. I need a break and some fun.
My Health:
I was able to run a bit more this month, but with how busy we were it wasn’t as much as I would have liked. I think getting more me time for this sort of thing is going to be on the New Years list.
The Podcast:
This episode is just Chrystina and me chatting about all our holiday traditions and parties that we host. You’ll learn a little bit more about us and our personalities in this one. Listen to it on iTunes, or on gatheringspodcast.com.
Looking Forward:
The new year is coming and with it new goals and thoughts. Stay tuned folks.
Stats:
Spent on Groceries in November:
$318.16 – The second lowest month so far. We are reaping the benefits of the past season this month for sure. It felt so amazing to have all this local, or self-produced stuff on hand to nourish ourselves.
The cost of Garden Supplies 2017:
$192 (This number includes all of 2017. nothing new this month.)