Making History in the New Year

I love the stories from the old days. I enjoy hearing about the Pioneers, the Colonists, the Pilgrims, the Victorians and all the people who lived before us.

There were different clothing styles, different kinds of work available, and different cultures. It is fascinating to learn about life in the old days.

Someday, what I am doing right now, will be the old days for future generations.

We must always keep in mind, that what we do each day, becomes History.

I want to take that thought with me in the New Year. I want to think more about what I can do for others, what I can do to create, and to help, and to be an example. I want to do this, rather than focus on myself, or what I could do better or what I could change.

This coming year is not about me. No year should have ever been about me.

Blessings
Mrs. White

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Radio Homemakers

Library of Congress: Almoney family cooking Sunday dinner, 1942.

 

I found a lovely historic video of radio homemakers from Iowa public television.   There is also a book by Evelyn Birkby, called "Neighboring on the Air."  I just ordered a used copy of this book and I can't wait to read it.


I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did!




Blessings
Mrs. White

My thanks to Iowa homemaker,  Mrs. Hultquist, for help with research!

From the Archives -

The Way it Was - Caring for the Family at Home - A Comforting Sick Room.

Contentment with our - Standard of Living.

A Godly Mother is the Hostess at -  The Mission House.

 

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

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book -Mother's Book of Home Economics .  Paperback, 312 pages.




 

 

 

 

If I Visit You at The Dinner Hour

LOC: Saying grace at Thanksgiving dinner in the home of Earle Landis, 1942, PA.

 

I remember visiting my Aunt Norma and Uncle Bob (a reverend) in Alabama. We would spend several days with them. Early each evening, my Aunt would be cooking in the kitchen. Uncle Bob sat in the recliner and watched a little television. The house was quiet and happy. Everyone visited or played while we waited to be called to the table for prayer, and our supper.

My parents had a similar routine. Dad would be in the living room watching the news or some other program. We children would be there with him, or in our rooms finishing up homework. We could hear Mother in the kitchen cooking. It was comforting knowing she was in there, preparing our food. She always set the table with fresh vegetables in serving bowls, and had little plates of bread. We were happy when she called us to the table.

Today, whenever I see the sun starting to set, I am able to relax. All tensions and troubles seem to fade. It's like I can shut the doors and shut out the world, because it is almost the dinner hour. It is time for our daily rest from trouble and turmoil. So I turn on the lamp, and listen to the quiet sound of gospel music from my kitchen radio. I put on my apron and start preparing food. And while I cook, I am at peace.

 I hear the sound of the family gathered throughout this large old house, and they are laughing and talking. Every so often someone will come to the kitchen and ask, "How much longer 'til supper is ready?" And it gives me a great sense of pride, because I am making them a delicious dinner and it makes them happy.

The dinner hour is like a break from hard labor. It is a special time for families. It is familiar and secure and special. Nothing else seems to matter. It is the comfort of home and family.

And today, I wonder. . . If I visited your house tonight, at the dinner hour, what would it be like?

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Make it look like The Maid was Here.

To the Dedicated Housewife - What Time Does Your Shift Start?

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

For happiness and cheer in the kitchen:

Mrs. White's old fashioned cookbook focuses on serving meals and setting the table in a humble home.

"Serving in the Kitchen: Cookbook with Recipes, Advice, and Encouragement for the Christian Home"

152 pages, paperback

 

 

 

Nearing Home by Billy Graham

Book - Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well by Billy Graham

Publisher - Thomas Nelson

Price - 11.65

When I first heard about this new book, by beloved evangelist, Billy Graham, I wanted to own it! I love everything written by this preacher and his family. I own books by his late wife, Ruth, his son Franklin and his daughters Anne and Ruth. Their entire family is inspiring.

But most of all, I was eager to read about 92 year old Billy Graham's experience with old age, and what his life is like since his dear wife, Ruth, passed away.

The book contains glimpses into his own life, memories of his family, and plenty of Biblical lessons for the reader. He talks about the retirement years, struggles with the pain of old age - both physical and emotional (loneliness, depression, feeling useless, etc.). He says he has a walker, wheelchair and cane beside his bed.

If you are young, the book will give you compassion for the elderly and inspire you to want to be more considerate and find ways to encourage them.
If you are middle age, the book will help prepare you for your own life as an elderly person. You will understand what is up ahead, and be guided towards these years by one of the greatest preachers of our time.

If you are at the age of retirement, you will be nodding with knowing smiles, while you read. You will be advised, encouraged, and guided into a more productive life - whether from a wheelchair or a sick bed.  You will find your joy and purpose again!

Overall this is an excellent book.  You will feel as if you are sitting in the author's home, near the fireplace, gleaning wisdom and encouragement. You will walk away refreshed and ready to face life with new vigor, regardless of your circumstances.

*Disclosure - I received this book for review purposes.*

To find out more about my commercial breaks, please see my disclosure page.

The Light in the Window

It is so dark and stormy outside. My house feels cold and empty. It seems like the days are getting shorter.  It makes people sad, like there is a depression falling over our homes.

One thing I like do to is turn on a few lamps in the early afternoon. It sends a gentle light throughout the house. Those driving by, or walking by our house, will see a light in the window. They will see that someone is home. . . That someone cares about this place. . They will see that light and feel welcomed and warmed.

It's time for me to turn on a quiet CD of songs by Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. I will turn on my kitchen lamp, put on my apron, and start cleaning.

Soon it will be time for the early evening's errands.  I will have to go out. But before I do, I want to make sure everything is neat and pleasant and happy. Mr. White will have the wood stove on, for when I come home later.   I will see the pretty light in the window, and feel welcomed in my own home as I walk  through the door.

I don't want to have that bad feeling when I come home tonight - the one of dread, because I left the house without cleaning first. I want to come home to order and beauty. .  . and a little lamplight to make me smile.

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives - 

Oh, please, let it be like - The Mission House.

Reminding Myself - Education Must Not Be Rushed.

Aspire to be - The Mother who isn't Busy.

 

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

 

For old time encouragement in living simply on a limited income, order Mrs. White's book:

"An Old Fashioned Budget: Humble Financial Management for the Christian Housewife"

 77 pages, paperback.

Importance of Home Economics Training

Library of Congress: Setting the table in home economics class, South Carolina, 1939

 
 

When Homemakers Learn The Science of Keeping a Home, Society Benefits.


Keeping the home is a challenging career in itself. We are not unemployed, living in leisure. We have daily work that keeps us busy. It is important that we are trained in the scientific arts of home economics.  Here are just some of the things we need to do:

1. Operate and maintain appliances. We also need to understand how new models work and see if they will make our homes more efficient - both in saving labor and money.

2. We need to learn nutrition. This is for the health of our families.  This includes our choices in the grocery store, our meal planning, our baking and cooking.  We must have basic cooking and shopping skills.

3. Basic Medical Care. We are lay-nurses. We must know how to handle colds, fevers, and minor injuries.

4. Child Care and Development. We need to know the basics of caring for a baby, toddler, child, teenager and young adult.

5. Basic Sewing.  We need to be able to, at the very least, repair clothes and sew on buttons. Making clothes for the family, or sewing drapes, and doing embroidery work, etc. are nice, but not essential in today's homes.

6. Laundry and Cleaning. To run a sanitary, efficient home, we must learn the basics of laundry and how to clean a house.

What if you don't know any of this stuff and are struggling at home?

 In the early part of the 1900's, homemakers clubs were available in many towns throughout the United States. This was where the women would get together to learn from one another. In my local town's Historical Society, there is a photograph of a group of mothers in a homemaker's club in the 1930's. Their support of one another was wonderful!

Today, we can join quilting clubs, cooking clubs and the like. We can also read books, watch videos and learn in many different ways. The important thing to remember is that we must always continue to sharpen our skills and learn because changes in modern culture and technology affect our work at home.

Some Quotes from the Experts:

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"Home economics should find its way into the curriculum of every school because the scientific study of a problem pertaining to food, shelter or clothing… raises manual labor that might be drudgery to the plane of intelligent effort that is always self-respecting…Home economics is not one department, in the sense in which dairying or entomology or soils is a department. It is not a single specialty… Many technical and educational departments will grow out of it as time goes on."

Martha Van Rensselaer (1913)
Professor of Home Economics and Co-Director of the New York State College of Home Economics


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"From the broad view of intelligent statecraft, the state will find an education in home economics a tool of the utmost importance in building up forces which increase physical well-being of the population and which make for a reduction in the number of persons thrown back to the state for support by reason of physical, mental, or moral failure."

Albert R, Mann (1930)
Dean, New York State College of Agriculture


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"Home-making today should have a background of scientific training because only in this way can real efficiency be achieved. The average girl wants to be able to keep her house with the least possible strain, and in order to do this she must have good training. This can best be achieved by taking a good course in home economics."

Eleanor Roosevelt (1933)
First Lady
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Blessings
Mrs. White

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

Every home can be a homeschool!

Find confidence and courage in teaching your own children at home with Mrs. White's book,

Seeking a Thrifty and Simple Life.

112 pages, paperback.

Fighting the Hectic Life

Library of Congress: Painting by W C Bauer, 1800's.

Home is to be a place of rest. The family should feel at ease and secure. If they are stressed from activities and the pressure of deadlines, or too many projects, there will be tension and misery.

A grumpy husband is soothed by a pleasant environment and a calm wife.  Rambunctious children settle down when they become familiar with a structured routine.

A wife who doesn't take on too many projects, can tend to her home and family duties with a sweet demeanor.

Often, we mothers put too much pressure on ourselves to accomplish too much, and it only leaves us weary.

We certainly have a list of daily tasks, but if they are a regular habit - a routine, we can handle them with an unhurried approach.

We make home a precious place, when we tend to our work in a sweet and steady manner.

Daily we must fight the mentality of being overly busy. We must deal with the onslaught of potential clutter of both things and life, so our homes can be places of peace and rest.

The sweetest reminder of having a peaceful life, is to take care of a newborn baby.  A baby brings out the quietest, most patient devotion in a mother. This helpless, precious infant makes everything else seem meaningless, as Mother sits in a rocking chair for hours, humming lullabies and cuddling that small child.

When the baby is content, mother tidies the house and smiles to the family. She looks over the crib, of that sleeping baby, with the greatest sense of joy. She has won the battle of giving up the hectic life, and traded it for a peaceful, settled life at home.

blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Grace Kelly would never be one of those - Bossy Wives.

Do not focus on a visual result  - The Sum of Godly Motherhood.

It is the memories and daily actions - Homemaking Links the Generations. 

 

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

Mrs. White's detailed explanation of keeping a financial journal and budget:

 

For old time encouragement in living simply on a limited income, order Mrs. White's book:

"An Old Fashioned Budget: Humble Financial Management for the Christian Housewife"

 77 pages, paperback.

 

 

 

The Blessing of Being a Half - Southern Mama

I have a dis-attachment, somehow, to the cares of this world. I think it has a lot to do with having a strong cultural background and then living in a different place.

My father is from rural Alabama and my mother is from suburban Massachusetts. We grew up in a beautiful, wealthy town, south of Boston. But the culture of my father's life was with us every moment. We travelled to Alabama many times. My Uncle was a minister and had a small church, packed with the sweetest people you could ever meet. Many cried with joy, or repentance, at his revival meetings.

Have you ever heard the beautiful, humble songs of the saints in those old rural churches, down south? The melody echoes in my memory, even after all these years. The thought of them brings tears to my eyes.

When poor, gospel country clashes with rich, majestic values, there is a shaking of the character.  There is a yearning for a life that is true and poor (in worldly goods) and grateful.

There is a reason this old reserved New Englander has a tremendous attachment to the old southern ways.  I live in a cold society. It is full of culture and worldliness. But my heart is in the memories of the old Alabama life.

It is the world where Grandma wore pretty dresses, and spoke with such a deep accent, I could never understand her.  She had the sweetest heart!  I can still see her smiling, walking across the hill on the family property.

I remember her old house. It was humble and precious and just like something you would see in a movie from the 1930's. It was a white, 2 story, with a large covered front porch. The furniture was clean and neat and simple. Mothers in those days would set out tablecloths and bring you a drink with lots of ice. They would make sure you were happy!  The home and the neighborhood were nothing like the suburban area in which I lived.  It seemed like rural Alabama homes held the hardest working, strong families you could ever meet.

 I remember living there for part of a summer, as a teen, and being given some lovely dresses. They fit me perfectly and were homemade. I only wish I still had them. You can't find beautifully made fashion like that anymore.

The Bible was the book everyone wanted to read. It sat predominately where all could see it. It was treated with the greatest respect.

I cannot even remember anyone not going to church. Everyone got dressed up and went together.  Oh, and the music of that time is outstanding.  Famous gospel singers openly loved the Lord. You could hear it in their songs. They knew where the real money came from - singing the old godly songs, knowing the reward was in Heaven.

The homes were neatly kept and lovingly cared for.  The summer heat was intense but just right. There were gardens and delicious home-cooking.  Neighbors watched out for neighbors and were friendly and thoughtful.

The sermons in the old country churches would melt the heart of the coldest sinner. They touched the soul and would never leave you. This is the southern culture that has stayed with me all these years. And so I listen to old  gospel songs, from the likes of Roy Acuff and J.D. Sumner to help me stay strong in this cold-hearted world around me.

Sometimes I wonder what will become of my children, who have never been down south. But I know that my habits and values from those memories, are vivid in their daily lives. Somehow, they may just become half-southern without even realizing how it happened.

The reality of what I crave from this heritage, is old American values frozen in time. That is what the southern lesson is to me. It is the memory of what was, and what I must keep alive each and every day of my life.


Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Oh, how wonderful this would be! - A Mass Exodus of Women Coming Home. 

 I want to be - The Mother Who Isn't Busy.

 A happy day of -  Gracious Homemaking.

 

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

Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking.  Paperback, 274 pages.

Breakfast at Home

When our five children got older, they were less likely to enjoy a nice breakfast at home. They were often in a rush to head out the door, or just wanted to sleep late!

Last week, I was watching an old movie, Love Finds Andy Hardy (from 1938) starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. "Andy" lived in a lovely house in a charming neighborhood. His Father was a judge. His mother was at home. She cooked all the meals and was a delightful, practical homemaker. What intrigued me the most was how the family sat down for breakfast, together, each morning.

The table was set with a sugar bowl and creamer. There were lovely plates, silverware, napkins and coffee cups.  The family sat down and enjoyed a nice breakfast together before heading off to work, school, or to start the day at home.

We live in such a rush - rush society today, that I wonder how many families still set a formal table for breakfast?

This morning, I think I will do this. I better hustle and get to work! The family will be awake soon.

Perhaps I will bake fresh muffins and set them out on a bowl, in the center of the table, with a nice linen napkin over them?

I can't wait!

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives - 

Encouragement - How The Old Time Mothers Survived Poverty.

My Favorite Kind - 1930's Style Homemaking.

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

 

For happiness and cheer in the kitchen:

Mrs. White's old fashioned cookbook focuses on serving meals and setting the table in a humble home.

"Serving in the Kitchen: Cookbook with Recipes, Advice, and Encouragement for the Christian Home"

152 pages, paperback