2023 Book Tracker

Happy 2023! To a year full of integration, expansion, activation, reflection, fun and joy! Like any other year, I look forward to embarking into the world of words- and reading my way through my time here on Earth!
Reading has always, after all, been a huge part of my life and I’m beyond excited to be here to receive, work with and alchemize a whole new host of worlds, words, people, information and places this year- yet again.

I’m also looking forward to adding my thoughts and highlighting some important quotes, take aways, lessons and themes from every book!

With that- this year’s book goal is 24 books- so roughly 2 books every month!

Let’s get started, shall we?

---

January

Book 1:

​I absolutely adore children’s books for their art work! It touches a special place in my inner child’s soul and I love seeing how artists really capture and bring the words to life. As such, I’m definitely going to try and read at least one children’s book every month- as one of my bigger dreams in life is to create some of my own too!

​With that, I picked We Are The Gardners up at Ross (it was by the checkout) and was super excited to see it was written by the Gaines family! The Gaines’ family is a family I really resonate with due to their love for breathing life into the old, expanding your vision, and aligning your family closely to the energies and love of Mother Earth.

Written about their first plant and their experience and exploration into gardening- it touches on such amazing concepts like keep trying- don’t let failure stop you- take care of things and the Earth! Overall, it is so cute- well written (talks about the importance of bugs even!) and I love the way they live their family life.

​Overall- here’s to the very first book completed of 2023- I look forward to reading more children’s books and collecting them because I know one day I will want to read them to my future children too! ✨

---

Book 2:

Last year, I started re-reading the Little House on the Prairie series again! (It’s something I do almost every year). Farmer Boy is book 3 in the overall collection.

What I love about this series is that it teaches you so much about farming, growing, life and family! I also love going back to read books because I find that I notice new things in them every time! In the space in between, I am able to more readily understand or notice different things because of my own life experiences and expanding depth of knowledge/awareness.

With that, my boyfriend and I in recent years have really been getting into more traditional ways of living (growing your own food, living with and working with the Earth’s cycles, allowing the land around you to guide you on how to best thrive) - so it’s so cool to be learning about how they did things then, take the best bits of wisdom gained from the past and then apply it to today!

I learned you can grow milk pumpkins for example (it makes them creamier, bigger and softer) - and I love the idea of making all your candles for the year after butcher time (winter) from cow tallow!

​Future inspiration and life goals for sure!

---

Book 3:

Themes and Takeaways for Plum Creek are….
There is no great loss without some small gain!
Invest in good, quality clothing- it will come in handy against the elements- and is better for your body too! (Ie: I got wool socks this year since I’m living in Wisconsin, another example: If their dad did not get his new jacket- he may not have survived being lost out in the storm).
Focus on what you can control! Accept what is difficult and then focus on channeling your energy on extracting and creating the good from the situation.
Nature is not always kind. It is in this book that Laura learns how Winter can make a man disappear under snow and wind (her father is lost in a winter storm for a few days when it hits before he gets back home. The only reason he survived is because he fell into a snow bank which kept him warm, and he had snacks he could eat that he got in town. She also learns with nature that what looks to be a fun and inviting stream, can easily drag you down if you are not careful! There are reasons humans must be aware of this in order to survive the different terrains and energies of Earth!
​Every area has pros and cons just like time periods! You get to decide what you are able to work with and what you cannot!
People used to walk way more and plan according to the weather - for example, the children walked two miles to get to school! If they thought it would storm, they would not leave home. (Nowadays it’s very rare for children to walk so far/have a good awareness of weather patterns and how it affects life).
They also couldn’t go to school during certain parts of the year because they had to protect/save their shoes! If they wore them out, it wouldn’t last til the next Winter- so they had to build their life around what resources they did have! Nowadays, access to education and shoes is more readily available - year round- which is amazing. But I do think there is wisdom and learning to be gained at home and taking care of what you do have - that should still be focused on/prioritized. I also think as a society, we should try and follow the seasons more, like we used to- rather than working against them! We are after all, a part of nature, and nature is a part of us- which is important to acknowledge, honor and pay respects to!

---

January- Finished Reading:
We are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines
​Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
​
Completed Book Total: 3
​

---

February

Book 4:

Some Quotes that Stood Out to Me While Reading:
“The Earth seemed to lie breathing softly under the summer night.”
“You make pictures when you talk.”
“Now all the vast, low earth rippled softly in gentle colors under a faded sky.”

After experiencing great hardship On The Banks of Plum Creek, the Ingalls family moves to De Smet, South Dakota, on The Shores of Silver Lake. The reason for this? They could not farm due to the locusts that descended upon Plum Creek. What appeared to be an idyllic and easily farmable land- turned out to be horrible- because a swarm of locusts would come and eat all of your growing food! Due to this- they had to move where they had better chances of growing food! Considering this today, nowadays people are very fortunate to not be constrained by the environment as much (especially since transportation exists and more people grow food that you can rely on).

This was also the first time that they were living closer to town- in the past they were always on the outskirts. One thing I thought was interesting is that like today, society is not always the best place for children/women/little girls. The mom was definitely worried about how the girls would be affected by the roughness of the men building the town, but she wanted them to be able to go to school easily as they got older. During this time too, one of the few ways a woman could earn money was by teaching. Since Mary goes blind after they all get sick (from what they think is Scarlet Fever), that role and responsibility then falls on Laura as the second eldest. To keep Mary safe, the family keep her inside watching Grace the youngest, while Laura and Carrie go to school. Laura ends up teaching Mary all her lessons at home after school so that she can keep up, and so that she can practice teaching too!

What I thought was interesting about this book too is that they watched the town be built around them. Starting off as one of the first people in town, they watched the town and land change all around them very quickly. Also interesting because even back then, stores presented themselves a certain way. Many of the storefronts on Main Street would have false fronts so that they would appear larger than they actually are. In some ways, stores haven’t changed much in presenting themselves to be bigger/nicer than they actually are today too.

Another fun thing I wanted to point out was that for one of their meals they ate cornmeal mush. This was funny to read about because Alex actually made some over the winter and it was so good! (In the past I had no idea what it would have tasted like, and now I do, so I felt close to the Ingalls’ family when I read that part.) For me, I like that taste or food, is something that can transcend time to touch and connect peoples throughout all ages.

---

Book 5:

​After settling in De Smet, South Dakota, the Ingalls’ family experience their first Winter in their new place. Unfortunately for them, it’s one of the worst Winters to have to live through in this area.

Prior to the start of Winter, an old Indian man comes to town to warn the settlers. He tells them every 7th Winter is exceptionally harsh. Every 3rd cycle of this (the 21st Winter- is the worst). He tells them to prepare for a 7 month long Winter.

The storms when they start last 2-3 days. Living in Wisconsin, I can’t imagine that. Even just having one long day of a storm is so draining and crushing on the soul, so to have 2-3 day long storms for 7 months straight would be deadening. I know for myself too, I get super cranky and down in the cold. So, at one point when the mom snaps at the dad (I feel her) and she is mortified (this is unlike her). Mr. Ingalls quickly comforts her saying he gets it. The cold gets at you and wears you down. It almost feels like its personal sometimes! Without sun, things become pinched and worn thin. You have less energy to spare, which causes you to slow down and prioritize more - which to me, is not necessarily the worst thing in the world. So many of us have a pace of life that isn’t sustainable, it’s so go, go, go, so Winter is a great time to rest, adjust and reflect on your pace of life throughout time/the year. And, the more prepared you are during Spring, Summer, and Fall, the more you can rest and celebrate during Winter.

Unfortunately for the Ingalls’ family, after suffering and taking on a lot of debt in Plum Creek, they don’t have that much to invest into resources for the Winter. So, when coal becomes incredibly pricey, they instead have to twist hay into “sticks” to burn. With the shorter days too, instead of burning the candles longer (which was itself its own valuable resource), they would just sleep longer! Comparing this to today, while I do think it’s amazing we have electricity and no longer have to rely on just candle light, I do think we could all serve to be more aware on our usage, and when we actually need it vs. when we don’t. Candle light (make sure its made of good materials) is also more calming/nurturing to the nervous system - so this year I tried to live off more natural light vs artificial light.

Expanding off the reality of Winter in the past vs. now, here in Wisconsin we didn’t have that much snow this year, but even just a little bit makes it difficult to get around or want to do much. In the past this was no different. After so much snow, the trains they relied on for goods, stopped coming until Spring. This caused the townspeople to have to ration. Furthermore, at one point the house is completely buried in snow (I can’t imagine that- the highest I’ve seen snow ever is around 5 ft!), but one perk to this is that the dad is able to create tunnels through it that block out the wind. He also has to attach a clothesline from the home to the stable because if a storm hits, it makes it so you can’t see anything. You can easily miss the house and then just get lost out on the prairie for good which is terrifying that a simple day’s chores or a short walk, could cause you to fare so badly! At one point, two “men”, Almanzo and Cap had to go across the prairie searching for a man that they heard had wheat just to make sure that the town did not die before the end of Winter! And one more thing, the men would get so cold outside that when they came in- they would have to thaw their feet, nose and ears with snow!

Overall, reality is, Winter is harsh and isolating on humans. It is not easy, and one must be mentally, physically and emotionally prepared in more ways than one to survive through it.

Book 6:

---

At our local library, they have a section where they sell books for $1! This is one of the finds Alex and I found- and is also the picture book I decided to read for the month of February!

We read it together before bedtime.
Make Way For Ducklings covers Mr. and Mrs. Mallard’s journey in finding the perfect spot to start their family! They end up finding a spot in the city, without any predators, but there are still things for them to figure out (like cars and people)!

Overall, this is a really cute and simple read and you may even find the art by Robert McCloskey familiar/nostalgic, just like we did!

---

February- Finished Reading:
By The Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
​
Completed Book Total: 6