Living on Faith Marriage

Tomorrow is my anniversary. My husband and I have been married for 21 years. I went to the dollar store and prayed for a few decorative items to somehow make the day special. Here is what I bought:

1. A white tablecloth
2. A small white picture frame. (Amy, 14, found one of my wedding pictures to put in it)
3. White wedding bells- paper chains to hang off ceiling.

total cost: $3.18

Next, I walked into the supermarket to look at the bakery cakes. I really wanted a pretty, fancy cake. I saw a delicious looking chocolate fudge cake for $11.00. I didn't buy it. I will probably end up buying a cake mix for $2.00.

My dear husband told me I could have my favorite dinner. I love tortellini and will serve that. I will tell you why I love tortellini in another post. (It has to do with my Italian heritage and my wonderful grandmother!)

My husband has to work and will be very tired. It will not be much of an anniversary unless I make the effort myself. I am excited about being creative since we have no extra money right now. The children are planning to make us homemade cards. I believe I will play some classical music on a CD and light candles at dinner-time. This will make it special.

This is our living- on- faith anniversary because our whole marriage has been that way. We have begged and pleaded with God to take care of us, to get us through the hard times, the sicknesses, facing death, recovering, complete poverty, and then riches and back to poverty. The vows are:
"In sickness and in health, for richer for poorer." We ride the tides and the seasons and get through these things.

When we got married, at 6 pm all those years ago, it was outside in Hingham, Massachusetts by a Justice of the Peace, and it was lovely. We made the appointment 2 weeks prior to this . Only a few people were present on that hot July evening. After this, we went to a restaurant to have a nice dinner. Just my new husband and I. That was it. There was no reception. There was no glamorous wedding. Just a simple wedding in a historic town, south of Boston. It cost very little. We had very little.

This precious husband of mine has taken good care of me. Whenever money was tight, he sacrificed whatever he wanted to make sure I was happy. I appreciated it so much. We lived on faith. God has always provided for us. I would like to share some of these blessings:

1. Shortly after we were married, and had moved to a strange town, I visited the local church. The pastor there gave me a little book, called "How to Win Your Unsaved Husband" by Elizabeth Rice Hanford (it has since been updated and revised and is called "Me? Obey Him?" ) I learned so much from that book about how to be a good and happy wife. I learned my role. I was so grateful to receive such a blessing right at the beginning of our marriage.

2. In the 21 years we've been married, we have been given three vehicles for FREE at times when we dearly needed them. In one case, it came about in such a miraculous way: We had two cars at the time. One of them died. I had five small children and needed to do errands. We prayed and prayed, but no answer. My husband worked and then did all my errands. It was very difficult on him. I was ready to step in, foolishly, and put us into debt by borrowing money to buy another vehicle. It was at this time that God struck me down. All of a sudden my knees bruised and became swollen. Over the next few days, both my legs were swollen and I was in massive pain. I couldn't walk. This lasted for a month of me being "under the rod" and then, somehow, a friend from my husband's work bought a new car and gave us his old one. You see how God had to quiet me down, stop me in my tracks and prevent me from making a mistake because I wasn't patient enough to trust him?


3. My husband was in a major car accident. He was hit by a drunk driver on New Years Eve, many years ago, while driving home from work. He suffered so much. But, because of this accident he was home with us for six months. He developed a close and precious bond with our (then) 2 -year old son. They were inseparable.

4. I was diagnosed and treated for cancer. We faced the possibility of death together. It took me several years to recover. But oh, the lessons, the spiritual pruning that went on during that time! Oh, how much God quieted me down and made me meek and gentle and mute.

5. I had a physical breakdown a few years ago, brought on by total exhaustion. I could not stand or walk without assistance and planned to get a wheelchair. This went on for a couple of months. But one day, I was okay again. I still fear another attack from this. But I lean on God with all the trust and faith of a child.

The greatest lesson of all, I have learned in marriage is this: "He who is forgiven much, loves much." Oh, the times my husband and I have had to forgive each other over and over again! Sometimes, when I was in a bad mood, I couldn't believe what a "brat" I could be; yet this precious man so readily forgave me!! This makes me love him so much more.

Each and every day, I have to pray for my faith to be strengthened. I have to trust that God is in control and not let life worry me. To have simple peace in a marriage is so important.

I will make tomorrow a quiet, precious day. It will be just like any other day, except we will have white decorations, hand-made cards, and some cake. (smiles)


Blessings

Summer Special Homeschooling

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If you have ever wanted to get a subscription to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, this is a great time. They are offering a summer bouquet of 19 FREE GIFTS.
Go ahead and click on the above link, look through all the pages to see every one of the gifts and get excited!

Stay at Home blessing

I just came across a wonderful post on another blog:

Testimony from an 80 year old stay at home mom

This is such a blessing to read!

- Mrs. White

Work at Home

Okay, I am beginning to really understand why people want to work at home. I have done it myself and I realize that since the economy is such a mess, it might be a good idea to bring in a little extra money. I found a wonderful article over at Crown Financial Ministry. Here is the link:

Making Money From Home

I have some older teens who need to be productive. I will have to think of some ideas for them to earn a little income here at home. Here are some of the things I used to do to earn money at home:

1. Sew dresses for girls.

2. Sew Aprons.

3. Sold books.

4. Sold baked goods (I don't want to do this anymore. Why? Because we used to own a store and I had an easy outlet for this. I stopped because I liked eating the snacks more than selling them.)

5. Sold toys and gifts. (This was hard for me to do. I found some suppliers for items I came across while visiting the Plymouth Plantation Museum in Massachusetts. I loved their gift shop and wanted everything in there. So I did some research, made the contacts and sold some items on a website. Later, I offered these items in our store, until we sold it. Then I didn't want to do anything anymore. I was tired. I find it hard to come up with ways or energy to pack and ship things.)

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One Common thing I have not tried:

1. I know people sell things on E-bay. I cannot bring myself to do this. It seems like it would be extremely time consuming. I don't think I have the energy for it. It would overwhelm me.
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What I am doing currently:

1. I have had a small daycare in my home for the past four years. We started this to have babies and children around. I have had as much as five children in care (along with my own five) and am now down to just two children a few days a week.

2. I have been a certified tax preparer for the last 16 years. It is very small scale, here at home. Only a few customers. I don't think I could handle more than that.

Why don't I do much more than this? Because I am very tired and want to be peaceful and relaxed here at home. I want to have a quiet spirit to tend to my family. Too much work would wipe me out.

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May I say this? The income I have earned over the years was extra money (used for gifts, extra food, trips, etc.) I cannot take the pressure of using my income for basic living expenses. I am grateful to have a husband who earns money to provide for us. There can be a danger in earning money, for a housewife. If she begins using her income, combined with her husband, to meet living expenses, she often RAISES her standard of living and the family becomes trapped, needing that extra money. It then becomes required and there is NO extra money. Please do not let this happen to you.
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Okay, then what did I use my earnings for?

1. I hired my children to help me. This gave them some spending money and kept them productive. It also gave them a myriad of skills. I still do this. Only one of my children currently works for me.

2. I buy extra snacks or treats or take a trip to visit relatives.


There are so many ways to earn money from home. However, it is very important to:

1. Sell things you know people NEED.
2. Make sure it is at a price that is reasonable and that they can afford.
3. Do not try to take advantage of anyone (by charging ridiculous prices, or using a sales pitch that makes them react emotionally to buy something they really don't want, or that they cannot afford.)
4. Fill a need, do not try to create one.

Here is another take on this. It is the opposite of earning money at home. It is also very difficult. Can you work very hard to save, save, save and carefully manage what is already coming in?

What are your thoughts?
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There is an excellent book on this topic that I HIGHLY recommend. It is published by Rod and Staff Publishers and called, "A Way In The Wilderness" by Elizabeth Wagler. This is about a Mennonite housewife who sees so many other housewives taking on work at home opportunities. She is confused by it and wonders if she should try something herself. There are a variety of examples presented here, in the form of a fiction story, that are interesting. In the end, it is good to see what this housewife decides to do and how God provides for them through difficult financial trials. . . I dearly hope you can find a copy of this somewhere. It is worth every dime.

Blessings
Mrs. White

A Wife's Job at Home - Doing My Part.

To Use Coupons or not - That is the Question (My Frugal Mother Never Did), with memories and stories of home economics.

Should Mother work outside the Home in 1981? - Thoughts from a charming, vintage publication.

The 1940's House

The BBC created a documentary type program called "The 1940's House." It is about a family who moved into a house from the 1940's -era and had to live like they did during that time. Several years ago, we taped this off of the television. I like to watch it once a year. It really helps me understand what standard- of -living really means, in this spoiled society. I need the wake-up- call every so often!

What I have been thinking about is how the Mother on this program, after she went back to her normal life, began shopping daily for her food. I started doing this myself for two reasons:

1. I have to go out anyway.

2. If I stock up for a week, everyone eats it all in just a few days (teenagers, you know!) So it is better to just get what we need for the day.

It seems special to think about what I want in the morning and then go out to buy those few items. In a biography of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (the American legend, and Mother of former President J. F. K), she decided her meals in the morning and gave her order to the staff. I love it! Did you know that she also went to church (mass) every single morning of her entire life?

Another thing that I think is precious about the 1940's house is how classy the ladies looked. No matter how poor they were (temporary because of the war), they still looked as nicely as they could. They invented ways of washing their faces (without expensive soaps), and dressed in their best when going out. They even looked darling at home doing housework!

I honestly believe I do not accomplish enough in a day. Watching this show, you see them working so much around the house and garden. I need to work harder here at home as well. I will write more about this (housework) in an upcoming post. I have this wonderful book that I will refer to. It is entertaining.

Blessings
Mrs. White

Blackberry Buttermilk Cake

There is a scrumptious recipe over at the following blog:

Molly's Country Memories Home Place


It looks wonderful!

Blessings,
Mrs. White

J. C. Ryle Quote

"Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart.
Prayer will consume sin,
or sin will choke prayer."

- J. C. Ryle, from "A Call to Prayer"

What can you accomplish in a Day at Home?

20 Things I did today:

1. Exercised.
2. Mended a rip in my husband's jeans.
3. Bought some groceries.
4. Planned meals for the next 3 days.
5. Planned a mini shopping list.
6. Gave the children homework assignments.
7. Did laundry.
8. Cleaned the Kitchen.
9. Read my 16 year old son's writing assignment and laughed. (He is amusing!)
10. Opened up a package of new books that came in the mail and gave one to each child.
11. Walked all over the house (3 stories), doing housework.
12. Planned something special for my anniversary (coming up in a few days).
13. Handed out chores to the children and watched them actually DO them.
14. Drove my daughter to and from work.
15. Did errands.
16. Made supper and served everyone.
17. Visited my parents.
18. Sat on the front porch and talked to the older children.
19. Read a couple of books (only a few pages in each one).
20. Watched a movie with my husband and children.


Now it's your turn. Write down 20 things you did at home today on your own blog. Then come back here and add your link to the comment section.

Above Rubies Article

Nancy Campbell (from Above Rubies Magazine) has an interesting article about "The Shabbat Meal." I had no idea she did this and was excited to read about it.

Here is the link: Above Rubies Shabbat Meal


blessings
Mrs. White

Nana in Alabama

My Father's mother lived in rural Alabama. We called her "Nana in Alabama" because we lived with our Mother's mother, who was our resident Nana (in Massachusetts). I loved them both dearly.

Nana in the old south was a legend in my eyes. She was the sweetest, gentlest lady in the world. We visited her once a year for a few weeks at a time. I heard all kinds of stories about her. She was married to a preacher and had seven children. Only two lived to be adults - my father, and his brother, my Uncle Bobby who was a precious preacher. His sermons tore me up and made me weep every time.

Nana had a lot of trials in her life. A lot of heartbreak. Her Mother died when she was a young teenager. She dropped out of school and took care of her older brothers and father. She kept house for them. When her father died shortly thereafter, she married my Grandpa. He was an incredible man. He was dedicated to the Lord and to his family. They struggled financially but were always taken care of. When their youngest son (my father) was 16 years old, Grandpa (his dad) died. That boy was so heartbroken. So devastated.... he went on to support and take care of his mother. He worked and provided for her while she kept house, working hard at home.

You know, Nana had a special hymn that she loved to sing. It was called "Father Along" (it is on my play list at the bottom of this page). It talked about being Tempted and Tried, and how we'll understand it all by and by. And we are to "cheer up our brother" and "live in the sunshine."

When I was a young teenager, my father taught me that song. I had never heard it anywhere, except by his singing it to me. I learned all the words and have sung it myself all these years. I always think of her and her struggles in life and her amazing faith in the Lord. And I cry............

Blessings
Mrs. White

Keeping House

I love being home. It has been rainy here in the mountains of Vermont. The landscape is such a pretty green. The wet grass glistens in the sunlight. I have been sitting in my livingroom and just thinking as I look out the front window. Tonight, I made some buttermilk biscuits. I made a double batch and then everyone will help themselves throughout the night and part of tomorrow before they are all gone. They make a good, filling snack.

Amy (14) has a best friend who is grounded so she cannot talk on the phone. Amy is quite a talker and when she cannot visit with her friends, she spends most of the day chatting with me. In the last several months she has grown up so much. It amazes me.

Yesterday, at church, Matthew and John (11) sat on either side of me through the whole service. I was so happy to have my boys with me. Matthew (16) has been very ill and has not been able to come to church with us for about a month. .. Amy sat with her friends. Well, I went out to my car and waited for the children to stop visiting with their friends and come back to the car. As they walked toward me, I could not believe how much those two look alike, with their dark brown hair and deep blue eyes!! They look so much like their father.

I ordered some books that should be here soon. One of them is called "Emma, widow of the Amish." I can't wait to read it. I love to sit, in the quiet stillness of the early morning and just read.

Mothers have to be peaceful. There is going to be a lot of stress in families. There will be trials and sorrows and fear. But Mother has to keep the house, and keep her soul quiet and gentle.

Blessings
Mrs. White

If you wanted to make money....

Are there things you can do to keep it within the family? Are there ways to earn money from home that you can all do together and enjoy yourselves at the same time? My biggest concern for families is that they put too much pressure on themselves with stressful work and difficult deadlines. Are there ways to avoid that kind of work?

Living with Grandpa and Grandma

My parents moved in with us several years ago. There is a separate in-law apartment inside our house, where they live. We used to own a country store and they helped us quite a bit with that.

When Amy was 10 years old, she used to answer the phone in a rather unfriendly way. She would say "Yo" or "What?"

There is a reason for this: No one ever really called us except for our own family. We had an unlisted phone number and we also had a private phone line from the store to our house (which was across the street from us). This meant that whoever of the siblings was working at the store, would call over here when things got slow to chat and visit. So, Amy would answer by saying "What?" or "Yo."

I tried to make her stop. I told her to be polite and say the traditional, "hello." But it didn't work.

Finally, one day, Grandpa called and she answered with her rude, "Yo." Well, she got quite a lecture in manners from him.

After she hung up the phone, I asked her what happened. She wouldn't tell me. She was obviously upset and said, quite simply, "You know, it is pretty hard living in a house with 2 sets of parents!!!!"


Blessings
Mrs. White

There is a Reason

.............. why I have always homeschooled my children year- round. We never took summers off. It is because it keeps them occupied, busy and out of trouble. I think I have forgotten this the last couple of weeks. I am going to have the greatest time in the world, this weekend, planning out some schoolwork for next week!!

Blessings
Mrs. White

My Heart Hurts

I went to pick up my daughter at work tonight.......... She is 20 years old and a college student. She is such a hard worker. At times we have trouble getting along, but she has been very sweet lately and we both are trying hard. We come from two different worlds - hers is modern - mine is the old paths.... She is a tough cookie with a tough exterior but a heart of precious sapphire. I adore her. Anyway, when she got into the car she burst into tears........ She said she had a terrible day..... Then I saw her arm. It was covered with burns.... One of them looked like it was a second degree burn that had blistered and then came off. I was horrified. What happened to my baby?? Well, she works in a fast food restaurant and was on "french fry duty", when this larger sized co-worker slammed into her carelessly. She is a petite little thing and it caused the pan of fries to drop into the hot liquid and then it came up and attacked her arm. She said it felt like a "rocket" sized cigarette had been held into her skin for 20 seconds and she screamed and started to cry, but no one came to her aid. Her co-workers just told her to get back to work. Now, realize, she is a tough cookie and kept on working. She did her best to pretend it didn't happen, to pretend there was no pain. (Can you see my mother's tears???) And she kept working. A dear elderly lady that we are friends with came into the restaurant to place an order and she saw her arm. She was so concerned and upset. She was so worried. When I got there, I told her we were going to the emergency room. My precious child..... I know she will be okay... But it still hurts. ... My heart hurts...

Blessings
Mrs. White

Simplicity Devotion

I came across a very good quote on another blog:

""""""" To reorder one's own world, the need to simplify is imperative. Otherwise, we will find ourselves unable to be at rest within, unable to enter the deep, silent recesses of our hearts,
where God's best messages are communicated.

And if we live very long in that condition, our hearts grow cold toward Christ and we become objects of seduction in a wayward world.

"What perils await us in that condition!"

Chuck Swindoll ~ Intimacy with the Almighty~ """"""""""

This was taken from a wonderful place:
http://ladymslavendercottage.blogspot.com/

Blessings
Mrs. White

Trouble at Home

How do you keep a chronically ill, 16 year old boy from getting bored? My son is supposed to be resting and healing for the summer. Last night he seemed depressed. What can I have him do? He really has to just rest. He quit his job (he had been working there mostly full time for over a year), and now he has so much free time, but is unhappy. He has some video games, he has his music and notebook and all of us. What else? Anyone have any ideas?


Blessings
Mrs. White

Homekeeping and Cooking

We've had such a nice day. The weather is pleasant and warm. Amy (14) had dance class early this morning so I waited for her in the car. I read a wonderful book. It is by Erma Bombeck, called "If life is a bowl of cherries - what am I doing in the pits?" Her writing is so funny and supportive. She makes everyday life a comedy; even our darkest, hardest moments as mothers can be lightened by reading her words of humorous wisdom.

When I got home, I started doing a little baking. I don't have any pie crusts and I didn't want to *attempt* to make one myself, so I made a double batch of biscuit dough. I didn't have enough buttermilk, was out of regular milk, so used about a quarter of a cup of rice milk, mixed right in with whatever I had left of buttermilk.... Then I boiled up the following, in a large pot:

1. 5 or 6 large potatoes - peeled and cut up
2. 10 carrots - peeled and cut up
3. One small handful of dried split peas
I covered all this with spring water, then boiled for about 30 minutes.

I cut a small onion in half, then cut up 2 cloves of garlic. I set this aside.

When the vegetables were done, I scooped some out, along with its broth and put it into a blender. I added cooked vegetables to this along with the fresh onion and garlic. I added a little bit of spring water to fill up 3/4 container of the glass blender. Blend until creamy.

I then drained the pot of vegetables. I added the creamy mixture to this and set aside.

I cut the biscuit dough in half. Then rolled out 1/2 and placed it in a lightly greased, glass pie pan. This was cooked at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes (to pre-bake it). Then I put most of the creamy, vegetable mix on this. . I rolled out the other half of biscuit dough and carefully placed it on top. I put some fork holes on top, and cut away excess dough to save for later.

This was baked for about 10 - 12 minutes (until browned). It came out great. I called it "Vegetable, biscuit pie."

Here's what I did with the leftover dough,

1. Roll out, then fill up center with chopped apples.
2. sprinkle apples with cinnamon
3. Drizzle honey over this.
4. Roll up dough, pinch edges.
5. Bake in a lightly greased pan until browned (about 15 minutes or so)

When the timer went off, I went to check this darling apple bake and realized I forgot to turn the oven back on! (smiles). But all is well now.

While I was doing all this cooking, Nicole (my 20 year old) was telling me all kinds of stories about her day and I was listening to a precious sermon on a CD. It was something about God's Will and was by Robby Robertson (of Sword of the Lord). Oh, I just loved it so much. This dear Saint spoke of his health and how he had surgery and cancer and he was breaking up as he spoke to hold back tears. He talked about how God took care of him in his ministry as a Pastor and how he doesn't know much or have much wisdom, but he does whatever God wants him to do. He was saying that it is God's way, not our ideas. In other words, God brings things to pass and we, the humble servants (even though often we feel incapable of what he asks) do whatever he needs. We have to listen to his leading, not our ideas or schemes.

Well, as I was listening to this sermon, I was thinking about my Father (who lives with us, in another section of our house with Mother.) And I thought, "Oh, Dad will love this dear saint. I will let him borrow it." I brought it right down to him. We are in a dry land here. We are thirsty and starving for good, old, heart-rending sermons. This will feed us, even better than my home -cooking ever could.

Blessings
Mrs. White

My Home Library

After I am dead, my children will search through the hundreds of books in my home library. Then they will find all the empty wrappers of m and m candy that I have used as bookmarks.

Make Do Recipes - Chocolate Chip Muffins

"Dry Ingredients"
1 cup white flour (I store my flour in the fridge)
1 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp (or a few shakes) of salt
2/3 cup sugar
Mix these together in a large bowl.

"Wet Ingredients"
In a separate bowl (or cooking pot, if you don't have an extra bowl handy!)
whip up 2 eggs (mix very well with a fork)
then add:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or imitation) (or pour a little in if you don't like to measure)
1/2 cup baby food applesauce (very creamy consistency. I used two jars of this because we happened to have some on my shelf and no one was eating it) I was supposed to use butter for this but didn't have enough and didn't want to use vegetable oil (shudder).
2/3 cup Rice Milk (I am out of regular milk)

Mix well.

Pour the "Wet ingredients" into the bowl of "Dry ingredients." Stir together until well blended. However, do not over-mix muffin batter or it will make the final product dry and coarse.

When this is mixed well enough, add 3/4 a bag of Hershey's chocolate chips (from a 12 oz bag). I like to save the rest to snack on later, rather than wasting them all in the muffins.

I use a little vegetable oil to "grease" the muffin pan.
Bake in a Pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for about 23 minutes. (Until browned).

When finished, use a butter knife to remove each muffin carefully. Then place on a cooling rack.

Grab a little butter on a baggie and "butter" tops of each muffin. This will keep them soft.

I leave these on the counter for awhile and the children help themselves.

Blessings
Mrs. White

Make Do Recipes - Introduction

It is important to have the skill of making your own recipes when necessary.

1. You may not always have what you need in your pantry.

2. You want to use up what you already have.

3. It is fun to be creative in the kitchen (particularly when you invent something that actually tastes good)

4. It will save you money.

5. Everyone loves to see Mom baking and cooking in the kitchen. It is comforting.

In this section, I will be sharing some recipes from my kitchen. They are called "Make Do Recipes" because I use whatever I have on hand. I will only share the recipes that turn out okay!

Here are some tips for your own test-lab:

1. Use a recipe from a cookbook as your guide, but adjust things based on what you have available. For example: If a muffin recipe calls for milk, you can use juice, rice milk (or if you are desperate - water) instead.

2. Keep a pen and paper handy to take notes as you go along. Sometimes the recipe will say to use 1/2 cup of white flour. I might use 3/4 cup of white flour just to see the different outcome. Write down all that you do as you go along. If, by wonderful chance, your finished product comes out great - just take your notes and write out your recipe on an index card and save for next time. If, on the other hand, it came out badly, just discreetly throw away your notes and try something different next time!

Enjoy!
blessings
Mrs. White

The Old Days

When I was growing up, there was no such thing as a VCR. We had never even heard of video stores. While we did have a television set, we had to wait several days if we wanted to see a special program. We would check the TV listing and try our best to remember that an old movie or Charlie Brown cartoon special would be on over the weekend. Mom would often pop popcorn and let us have a small glass of soda for these occasions. We did not have cable, or DVD's or Blue Ray. But we did have a large piece of furniture in our living room called a record player. We thought that was such fun. I even had a very small one of my own in my bedroom. You could buy a tiny, one song record with gum in the package! I would rush home and play the song in my room. We had never heard of boom boxes or cassette players. There were no CD's. But Dad had an 8 track player and we would listen to his favorite songs in the livingroom on occasion.
Mom had a real piano in the livingroom. We had so much fun trying to learn to play it. Mom knew how and only played during holidays. She enjoyed cleaning and keeping the house and let us just play and enjoy the outdoors. We had our own chores too, but we did them quickly so we could spend time in the yard.
What has happened to families now since there are too many distractions from real life?

Blessings
Mrs. White

Review for the 2009 Schoolhouse Planner

TOS Crew Review

Title: 2009 Schoolhouse Planner

Publisher: The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Number of Pages: 374

Price: $39.00

Overall impression:

This is an amazing resource. At first I thought I would need to print it out since I prefer to hold a book in my hand. However, as I thought about it, I realized how much better it would be to use it like it was some kind of software program. I will explain this as I go along here.

At the Old Schoolhouse Store you can find every single detail of what this planner includes. Here I will describe how to use it and how it may benefit you.

What I plan to do:

I will print out the penmanship pages. My children can do these extra practice pages a few times a week. I enjoy printing out fresh worksheets for them each day. It makes things exciting.

Early Elementary book Report. I love these. If your children really don’t understand the concept of writing a book report, then this is perfect. It takes little effort on their part. They just fill in the sections of questions with their thoughts.

General Book Report. This is great for older children. I would just print one out each time a child read a book and have them fill this out. I don’t know too many children who enjoy doing book reports, so this makes it easier for them. There is an excellent section later in the planner for you to list each book your child has read. You can do data entry right into the program!! Here you can list: author, title, date completed and overall description of the book. I have to tell you, that when my oldest (21), Rachel was growing up, she kept a notebook chock full of every single book she ever read. She also had a star system (5 stars meant excellent). The books she enjoyed most, she would go back and re-read years later. I love that a similar system is already in this planner. It is extremely useful. Here is a bonus: when you are preparing your child’s transcript for college admission, you can go back and see all the books they ever read as a reference. This is what I did when Rachel was entering college.

Journal Pages: These are good for younger to middle grade children. You print these out. There is a section for drawing pictures and also for writing their journal entry. You could do these a few days a week or use them for nature journals. The absolute best part about this, is you can print out a fresh, new sheet every time you need one!

There are some wonderful charts in this planner, including “U. S. Presidents” ….. “U.S. States and Capitals” …. “Timeline of Inventions”….. and “Famous Composers.” I am going to print these charts out and hang them up on our walls. Do you have any idea how bored children get waiting around for either the phone, or for supper to be finished or for everyone to be ready to head out the door? Well, I have seen them staring at the walls or just looking at nothing. So, I’ll put these educational papers up and watch their intelligence soar!

The Kitchen Conversion Cheat Sheet (on page 125), will be taped to our kitchen cabinet door. There have been many times when my children are doing some math in their workbooks and have to know things like “how many cups are in a quart?” If they don’t know the answer, they can look on this chart. It is not cheating. I call it “research.”

The planner has 12 articles on a variety of educational topics, such as planets and weather. I plan to read one of these at the beginning of each month and use it as a guide for further study for the month. Older children can read these as well.

There are assignment sheets, with a place to put the due date. I have to tell you that I have often come up with some really exciting project ideas and told the children it was “due on Friday” and then forgot to follow through. With this section, I can go right into the program and type up the details. Each morning, I will go in and check over all the necessary pages to see what we need to do for the day or what notes I need to write up for the children as reminders. I can also print out a completely filled in (typed) sheet and hand it to each child on a Monday and expect the work to be done by the end of the week.

I loved the “unschooling” chart, where you can just fill in all the things you did with your child, using their sample page. You could just type onto it, print it out and store it in their folder.

As for the home section, I have often wondered what would happen to my family if I was no longer around (due to death or illness). Since I do our family finances, handle savings and pay our mortgage, how would they know that our monthly house payment is automatically taken out of our bank account? Well, that information can be typed right into this planner. It is in a safe location on the computer. I plan to type up our food inventory log (so we always know what needs to be in our pantry), make menus, shopping lists and housecleaning plans. I will also print out the chore charts and make sure my children do them! We have had so many homemade charts over the years, and I always have to change them. As the children get older, head off to college or move out, we need to transfer the chores to younger children.

I appreciate the Bible reading program they have listed where you can go in and check off which sections you have read. There is also a prayer journal. Use the data entry feature to type up the details, put in the date and then later, the answered prayer.

I do realize the cost for the program, at $39.00 seems like a lot of money, however, if you budget this into your yearly school plan, it will be a great asset.

For more information, go to:



The Old Schoolhouse Store


Blessings

Mrs. White

To find out more about my reviews, please visit "Introduction to our Homeschool Parlor"

An Old Fashioned Parlor

I was inspired by a simple picture of a neatly decorated livingroom. It made me want to create a parlor in my home. This is what I did:

1. I took all paperwork, excess books, mail, and clutter out of my livingroom. These items were put on my desk in the other room for me to sort later.

2. I took out two pieces of furniture that didn't seem to belong.

3. We do not have a couch in our livingroom, so I brought up my set of wicker furniture. It consists of two side chairs and a small love-seat. I set these up on one side of the room. Beside this, stands our wood stove. Then I put an old antique chair (this came with our 150 year old house when we bought it) beside the stove. We have a large, old dining room table to the side, with mismatched chairs. On the side wall, there is an enormous bookcase with hundreds of books.

4. I have an old, antique sewing machine in a closed cabinet near the wicker furniture. On top of this, I put a vase full of pretty flowers.

5. The room was then polished and tidied and it looks lovely.

What is a parlor? Well, it is one special room in your house that is supposed to be kept neat at all times. It is the "elegant room" where you can receive guests comfortably at any time of the day or night. It should be near a front door or side entrance to the house. It is a room where you can sit and read and feel like a queen.

Blessings
Mrs. White

Well Here I am Crying Again

I have a playlist at the bottom of this blog and I was just listening to the songs. Then I thought I'd look up a few more of the old gospel hymns and find some new ones. Well, now I am crying....

When I was 16 years old, I spent part of my summer living with my relatives in the deep south of rural Alabama. My Uncle (Dad's brother) was the pastor at the church there. So I went every Sunday with the family and the church sang such precious old hymns with their southern drawl. How could you not cry??

One of the songs was:

"The King is Coming." I tried for years and years to find a copy of that song and only just now found it for my playlist, by the Gaithers. I have two versions here, one is very short (the best one, sounds more like when we sang it at church - but is only a few seconds long and a sample), and a longer version, so I can at least enjoy the lyrics.

Another song I still cannot find, but here are some of the words:

"Child, child, oh why do you wander..........out in the darkness......away from the fold?"

Does anyone know what the name of that song is, and where I can find it? I think about my older children and I just cry when I think of that one.

And last.... this is when my tears just started pouring down my cheeks, and I am almost holding back sobs at this moment.......... I cannot find this song online, but it was sung by the Inspirations and is called, "Thank you Mama for Praying for me." Here are the lyrics:

--------------------------------------

Title: Thank you Mama for Praying for Me

Somebody somewhere was praying last night
when Jesus came in and I saw the light.

It must have been Mama. I heard her before as she knelt by her bedside,
her tears touched the floor.

Thank you Mama for praying for me. If you had not prayed, then where would I be?
They called you old fashioned but you loved the Lord
and your prayers touched the Master as your tears touched the floor.

She held to the Altar and wouldn't give in
till she knew all her children had been born again.
Just an old fashioned Mama but she loved the Lord
and your prayers touched the Master as your tears touched the floor.

Thank you Mama for praying for me. If you had not prayed, then where would I be?
They called you old fashioned but you loved the Lord
and your prayers touched the Master as your tears touched the floor.

--------------------------
Blessings
Mrs. White, with her mascara, tear -stained cheeks

You hath HE quickened

Total Inability -

- "No man ever made himself to live. No preacher, however earnest, can make one hearer to live. No parent, however prayerful, no teacher, however tearful, can make a child live unto God. “You hath HE quickened,” is true of all who are quickened."

- C. H. Spurgeon


This quote is taken from the following website:


http://www.spurgeon.us/index.php


Blessings
Mrs. White

Feeling out of Sorts

This morning had its stresses and I was feeling out of sorts. We just cannot trust our emotions! So I thought I would do a little visiting of other blogs and came across a wonderful post. It is about a family who, through prayer and trusting God, were able to buy a very nice, nearly new van. I was so encouraged by this. It made me remember that we are only required to get through today faithfully, doing our best. And our precious Lord will take care of tomorrow!

Here is the link:

Encouraging Post

Have you had a similar experience, where God has provided in a wonderful way? Please let me know about it.

Blessings
Mrs. White

A Home Library Sampler

Almost at the very bottom of this page, you will see a darling bookcase full of a sampler set of books that are actually in my home library. These are dear books that I love and re-read often.

Blessings
Mrs. White

Edited (July 2009): The bookshelf has temporarily been removed.

Our Day at Home

I had my to-do list, which I read to Amy (14). One of the items was to spend time with her on the front porch and listen to her talk about her goals and dreams, while I did some hand-sewing. She kept trying to talk to me while I was cooking and baking in the kitchen. I said, "Amy, we have to wait and do this later on the porch. Remember my to-do list?" (smiles). But it never worked out. We talked all afternoon while I took care of her brother, Matthew (16). He needs to eat at certain times and take medicine at certain times. I have been doing research all day, trying to create a healthy diet plan for him. He is such a good boy and willing to follow the program.
I made a big batch of beef stew and some buttermilk biscuits. Everyone ate it except Matt. I made him a nice bowl of oatmeal with blueberries. He was happy with that. He didn't think he could handle the heavy supper. (He has Crohns Disease * ).
I opened some windows in the house and enjoyed some fresh Vermont air, while I cooked and cleaned. It is surprisingly cold here, but not too bad. I am drinking a nice cup of hot chocolate.
For some reason I was cheerful all day and at peace. I was even able to calmly handle some conflict with my 19 year old this morning. I had been studying a religious book and trying to get ideas on how to get along with a grumpy young adult. (smiles). It is working well so far.
The most important thing we can do at home, is keep things peaceful. Husbands and Children need to actually WANT to come home. May God grant us all the wisdom and meekness to help make this possible.

Blessings
Mrs. White

* Edited update - There was a mistake in diagnosis. He does not have Crohn's. It was a temporary case of severe acid reflux which caused so much damage. As of Oct. 2010, he is all healed!

Introduction to Our Homeschool Parlor

Very soon I am going to begin writing about homeschooling. I have been chosen as a Crew Member for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and will be doing reviews for several products throughout the year. (This is a volunteer opportunity for which I am grateful.)I will be given products for free in exchange for writing my opinion and / or sharing how our family used them.

I started homeschooling when my oldest was 2 years old. We did preschool work and she learned all her letters very quickly. She was a fluent reader at the age of four. I graduated her from our homeschool when she was 16. She went on to a technical, one-year college at 17 and graduated when she was 18. She has been living on her own ever since, and is now 21. She is a licensed cosmetologist. I have four other children that have been homeschooled all their lives.

2. My second child graduated at 16, went on to earn her G.E.D., attended our local community college for one year at 18, attended one semester at a state college (while living in a dorm), and is now back home in community college continuing to work towards her Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. Her goal is to become a Para-Legal. She will turn 20 this week.

3. My third child is chronically ill. (age 16) He has not yet finished homeschool but is taking a break for the summer. His goal is to earn his G.E.D. He is not sure what he will do after that, but is a talented song-writer and has been working on writing screenplays.

4. My fourth child is 14 and still being homeschooled. She takes private piano lessons and attends a local dance school. She currently takes ballet, tap and jazz. She is also a writer.

5. My fifth child is 11. He has dyslexia and has a special curriculum that I use to work with him. He is progressing slowly, but eager to learn.

6. In our small home daycare, we do pre-school work with one child, who is 4 years old.


I would enjoy sharing my experiences with you and helping in any way possible. Please understand that my children are average with average intelligence. Like myself, none of them are brilliant enough to attend Harvard. We are just an ordinary, regular family with simple goals. My advice, opinion, comments, etc. are geared for the average family.

In our homeschool parlor, I hope you enjoy hearing our stories, learn along with us and have a good visit. These will be irregular posts in addition to my regular blogging here at The Legacy of Home.


Blessings
Mrs. White

Edited update - October 23, 20011. 
I was a Crew member from April 2009 through August 2011 and had a wonderful time.  My children are even older now and I am only homeschooling my youngest, who is 14. The rest have graduated or are just about to graduate.

Back at Home

I am trying to get back into my homemaking routine. My 16 year old son, Matthew, is finished with his tests at the hospital. Pending biopsy results in a few days, he has Crohns Disease *. We are thankful to finally find out what is wrong and hopeful to work with the doctors to get him comfortable and healthy again.
In the meantime, the best thing to do is our regular routine. I want to turn on the old gospel music, and slowly clean my kitchen. I have been gone for a few days. My plan to stay home all week is interrupted only by hospital and doctor trips, but that is okay. I am going to have to make a list of things I want to do at home because my mind is unclear and I need some focus.

Here is what I want to accomplish:

1. Spend one hour in Bible study, quiet reading.
2. Clean my whole kitchen and make a nice lunch.
3. Tidy up the livingroom and set a pretty table.
4. Read a book to my 11 year old son. I will probably pick one of those darling old stories from the early 1900's. We have a collection of books like: "The Widow's Son" ; "Choice Stories for the family"; "The Young Christian" , etc. I am sure I can find something to keep his interest.
5. Sit on the front porch and chat with Amy (14) about her dreams and goals for the summer. (This should be good). I will do some hand sewing while I listen to her.
6. Do the laundry.
7. Sweep the floors
8. Bake brownies.

It all sounds very relaxing to me. I will get to work on it right now. Hope things are going well in your homes.

"And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." - Galatians 6:9

May I just say one more thing? (of course, it's my blog after all)......smiles........ When there is a crisis going on in my home, be it illness, or some other trial, I find it comforting to hear about your lives. I enjoy hearing good things that are happening with you or even your trials. It is a diversion for me. So please, keep sharing your life! It is missionary work, and you are all lighthouses guiding others to the light of peace and joy, heaven and God.
Blessings
Mrs. White

* Edited update - There was a mistake in diagnosis. He does not have Crohn's. It was a temporary case of severe acid reflux which caused so much damage. As of Oct. 2010, he is all healed!

Ronald McDonald House

I never really knew what the Ronald McDonald house was. That is, until recently. My 16 year old son and I have reservations to stay there this week while he is undergoing tests at the hospital. We have to drive into the city and he has to be near the hospital for a couple of days.

The Ronald McDonald House is a charitable organization that provides temporary housing for children under the age of 21 and their families, while the child is undergoing medical care in local hospitals. This is for those who have to travel long distances and are too far from home. It is a blessing.

Yesterday, My parents (who live with us) and Amy (14) had a yard sale out in the front yard. They did really well. Amy sold quite a few things. At the end of the day, she came into the house, put all her money on the livingroom floor and counted it. Her brother was sitting in a chair nearby. Then she gave him half the money. Why? "Because," she said, "He is sick and cannot work anymore. I want him to have some money." What a precious sister. What dear children. Thank God.

blessings
Mrs. White

Quotes on Home

John F. W. Ware, 1800's in "Home Life: What it is and What it needs" said,

"A home is an enclosure, a secret, separate place, a place shut in from, guarded against, the whole world outside."

The home is "the peculiar sphere of woman. With the world at large, she has little to do. Her influence begins, centers, and ends in her home."



Blessings
Mrs. White

Domestic Felicity

There is a wonderful article on being a homemaker. For those who are looking for this kind of life, the article at the following blog may be of help:

Domestic Felicity ("What we are Creating")

Blessings
Mrs. White

This and That at Home

I had a wonderful day today. I only had to go out once. I did mega-food shopping with the help of my 11 year old son. Then I did the following:

1. Baked chocolate chip cookies.
2. Made a double batch of buttermilk biscuits.
3. Made a large pan of shepherd's pie.
4. Did a little housework.
5. Listened to southern gospel while I worked. My favorite song is so sweet, sung by "The LeFevres" and is called, "Without Him."

Here are the lyrics:
------------------------
(words & music by mylon r. lefevre)
Without him I could do nothing
Without him I’d surely fail
Without him I would be drifting
Like a ship without a sail

Without him I would be dying
Without him I’d be enslaved
Without him life would be worthless
But with jesus thank God I’m saved

Oh jesus, oh jesus
Do you know him today
Please don’t turn him away
Oh jesus, my precious jesus
Without him how lost I would be
Without him how lost I would be
---------------------------

Very precious song.....

It is nice to be at home.

I posted a couple of pictures a few minutes ago. If you scroll down on the left side of the margin, you will see: "Mrs. White" and "Mr. White". I will get more pictures up soon.

Blessings
Mrs. White

Why do you want to make money?

I have been visiting several blogs and websites and notice a common theme in many of them. They are trying to make money. Why?

I suppose this sounds strange for me to ask but why do most housewives want to earn money?

I understand helping your husband with whatever work he is doing. I understand having to pay bills. But why isn't there enough money coming in already without having to try to earn more? I am only trying to understand this....

Is it possible, if a family is living very simply on one income (the husband's) to manage just fine without needing another income?

Would life be more peaceful if we could do the following without the burden of needing money?

1. Have a leisurely breakfast on the front porch.
2. Spend the afternoon watching the children play in the yard.
3. Sit near the hearth with a cup of hot chocolate and read the Bible.
4. Make a simple supper and set a pretty table.
5. Come and go as you please. Feel pampered and special without having to worry about money.
6. Enjoy being taken care of financially by your husband.
7. Not have worries about bills, income, etc. Just manage your "household budget" for food and such.
8. Take a long walk and pick wild flowers while precious children run and play.
9. Stay up late and watch the stars.
10. Write a book in the middle of the night when the world is sleeping.
11. Wake up before the sun and sit near the window with a hot cup of tea.
12. Play the piano and sing to your heart's content.
13. Enjoy having unexpected guests over and give them your undivided attention.
14. Take phone calls from people who need to talk and have all the time in the world.
15. Bake homemade cookies and eat several of them, while they are still warm.
16. Spend hours cuddled up on the couch reading stories to your children.
17. Sit on the front porch and listen to the rain.


Do we really need the pressure and burden of earning money in order to do these things?
I love the attitude of a gentleman in the old days. He would say to his wife, "Don't worry your pretty little head about this." Money wasn't her concern. God bless him!

Blessings
Mrs. White

Not Going Out

I bought a book, "Not Buying It" written by a Vermont Author. It was so interesting. It described one woman's goal to avoid spending money (other than on basic essentials) for an entire year.
So, what I would like to do is................ Can you guess?? .............. smiles........... How about if I don't go out for an entire WEEK other than for basic essentials?

Here is what I am going to do. Starting Monday, June 8, 2009, I am going to avoid any car trips other than the following:

1. Driving my 19 year old to work and back. (Why can't she do this herself? Because she is partially blind in one eye and cannot get a driver's license. - smiles). In this case, the rule is that I can only drive her to work and back. I cannot stop at the store or do anything else. (Her job is a 12 minute drive from our house.)

2. Friday's errands - food shopping, etc.

3. Church on Sunday.

4. Any emergency that comes up (such as the hospital or doctor).

I am picking next week because my 14 year old, Amy, doesn't have any dance or music classes and my 16 year old will no longer be working (so he can try to recover from his illness).

This is going to take a lot of planning. I will need to plan my menus, carefully food shop before Monday and make sure I have everything I need here at home. I will keep you posted with my plans. Let me know if you have any ideas to add or if you want to do this with me!

blessings
Mrs. White

Meditation on Rest

Here is a quote I came across in a book, concerning our need of rest:


"""A little pause prepares the mind for greater service in the good cause.. .Fishermen must mend their nets. And we must every now and then repair our mental waste and set our machinery in order for future service. To tug the oar from day to day, like a galley slave who knows no holidays, suits no mortal men. Mill streams go on and on forever, but we must have our pauses and our intervals.

Who can help being out of breath when the race is continued without intermission? Even beasts of burden must be turned out to grass occasionally. The very sea pauses at ebb and flood. Earth keeps the sabbath of the wintry months. And man, even when exalted to be God's ambassador, must rest or faint; must trim his lamp or let it burn low; must recruit his vigor or grow prematurely old. It is wisdom to take occasional furlough.

In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less. On, on, on forever, without recreation, may suit spirits emancipated from this 'heavy clay'; but while we are in this tabernacle, we must every now and then cry halt and serve the Lord by holy inaction and consecrated leisure.

Let no tender conscience doubt the lawfulness of going out of harness for awhile, but learn from the experience of others the necessity and duty of taking timely rest."""""

- Charles Spurgeon