Suppertime in a Rural Home

"Home For the Holidays" by Todd Williams

 

It is getting dark. The day is almost over. Mama is wearing her apron and cooking in the kitchen. She's smiling and happy and humming a tune, while she leans over the stove.

The children come in from their play. They are cold and excited and talking about all the snowmen they created. Such sweet smiles on their faces! Their eyes light up when they enter the warm house. They put away their coats and settle down to wait for supper.

Daddy walks in after a hard day at work. He is tired. But all his troubles seem to melt away when he enters the inviting rural home.

Some of the children help Mama set the table. They lay out plates and silverware, cups and napkins. Another child comes over to pour drinks. The table looks inviting.

Mama brings out platters of food. She serves fresh warm bread, butter, stew and salad. The children are hungry and excited to enjoy a nice meal with the family.

They sit around the table. Dad says the prayer. Everyone is thankful and smiling. If you are walking by, on that cold winter night, and you happen to see them through the window, you will see laughter and smiles. You will see a happy family eating their supper and full of love and gratefulness.

Mama cleans up while the children run off to play. They are getting their baths and will soon hear a bedtime story. Mama is humming while she washes dishes and polishes the table. Life inside that home is peaceful and joyous. The outside cares and troubles fade away, when it's suppertime in the old rural house.

Blessings,
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

An Encouraging look at - "Poverty in the 1800's" about the Mother of D.L. Moody.

For the love of taking care of grandchildren - "I Hear Angels Crying."

Sweet Faith for Mothers - "All of God's Children Have Shoes."

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

Mrs. White's special book for Homemakers - 

"Mother's Book of Home Economics."

312 pages, paperback.

It is Bed Time for Mother's Little Ones

It is late at night. Time to tuck the children into bed. Mother will read them a story, listen to their prayers and cuddle them up with warm blankets. She will kiss her little darlings good night, and then smile warmly with all the love in her heart for her precious babies.

Later, after they have fallen asleep, she will go back and check on them again. Maybe she has just finished her dishes and had a cup of tea. Now it is time for a quiet house and her own private prayers to God.

She will look at her children, from the doorway, with a grateful heart. She loves those children so dearly. They sleep soundly. She is blessed!

May it always be so!

Blessings,
Mrs. White

Happy Homemaking

Today, I put on my favorite skirt, my Edwardian Apron and my pearl necklace. I put my hair up and got to work on making a home. Our construction crew finished their work yesterday and now I am ready to put everything back in order.

I delighted in vacuuming and sweeping. My wood stove is now polished and tidy. Our living room looks inviting and lovely.

Mr. White went to the kitchen to get some coffee. He saw me Windex-ing and scrubbing my dustpan. He smiled and thought I was bizarre. (smiles). Doesn't everyone clean their dustpan after use?

I pulled out some beef to defrost for tonight's supper. I will make beef stew and biscuits.

In a little bit, I am going to make Ghiradelli chocolate chip cookies.

I am listening to my favorite gospel music and enjoying a precious day doing my housework.

Blessings,
Mrs. White

How the Old Time Mothers Survived Poverty

Library of Congress:  Family cans their own food, Osage Farms, Missouri, 1939.

There are so many families struggling right now. There is never enough food for even the basics of life. Housewives need encouragement, inspiration and ideas in order to survive on very little.

During the War in the 1940's, Britain's government provided citizens with books to help them obtain skills to manage on very little. These were called: "Wartime cookery" and "Make do and Mend." I understand some of these have been recently re-published.

The other day, I cut out material to make two aprons. While I was ironing all the material I was thinking about the depression-era mothers. They would take scraps of fabric and piece them together for quilts. Or they would make rag-rugs. These women were productive, hardworking and creative. They could take the smallest amount of leftovers, from supper, and come up with something amazing the next day.

With knowledge, ideas and inspiration, these women survived poverty. Currently, in America, we are told, by the government, that a family of 5, earning less than $25,790 is living in poverty (in 2009). It does not take much to be poor in this current age. Housing costs are high, utility bills are outrageous and food costs are rising. Here are some things the Old time mothers did:

1. Water down the milk.

2. If children were allowed to have a soda, they had to share it.

3. If, during a holiday, the family had soda, they would fill the cups with ice and add a little water before pouring the soda. The children never knew what "real" or "straight" soda tasted like until they were grown.

4. Cut up one apple or orange and divide between everyone in the family. Serve on their lunch or supper plate.

5. Sew and mend rips in the clothes. (Are we doing this today?)

6. Make a big pot of soup, then do the housework and laundry. The soup cooks all day - it is an inexpensive meal and goes far. Just serve it with muffins or biscuits.

7. Bake something every other day - muffins, bread, biscuits. Leave this out, wrapped up, on the table or counter. It will help fill everyone up and keep them from snacking on junk or feeling hungry (deprived).

8. When there is nothing to drink, Mother would make tea. Those tea bags were re-used all day long to fill cup after cup. Mother served tea on tea plates and kept the tea bags on those little plates for re-use later in the day.

9. Mother saved jars (we can save spaghetti-sauce jars today) and kept them clean, storing them in the cabinet. When the family would go out, she would fill that jar with cold water so everyone would have something to drink.

As I was doing some hand-sewing yesterday, I thought how important it was to keep busy. I prayed as I sewed. I was keeping busy with the home arts and this soothed my soul. If we mothers of today, could just work hard around our homes, and pray for courage, we could make it on very little. We would also start believing more in miracles and trust God so much more than we do now. So many blessings come to the diligent, brave housewives. May we all be found worthy.

Blessings,
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

The beautiful testimony of the Mother of D.L. Moody - Poverty in the 1800's.

Making the best of what is available to cheer the family along - Homemade Birthday Dinner. 

Thrifty Wisdom from the Old Days - To Earn and Not to Spend.

 

- To find out more about this blog, or Mrs. White, please visit our About page. -

 

Find cleaning inspiration and encouragement in Mrs. White's book, "Gracious House Keeping."

"Gracious House Keeping: Advice, Encouragement, and Cleaning Help for the Christian Housewife."

Complete with Encouragement and Work Charts to cheer you along in your homemaking!

115 pages, paperback.