Thursday, May 18, 2023

Settling in to Homemaking

Park Bench at Mrs. White's House in Vermont.


There is a way of quiet, peaceful living when one slows down and stays at home.  There is plenty to do in regards to the care of the grounds, gardens, flowers, and porches. The outdoor work is a lovely time of enjoying nature and seeing the beauty all around as the care and keeping of home is happening.

Back inside the house, I tend to pace myself as I clean, organize, and work in the kitchen. There is so much to do each day that it keeps things interesting and pleasant to have a variety of necessary work involving my favorite place on earth - our home.

I have not had the energy to make homemade meals and baked goods. We have been away at the hospital a couple of times for medical care. Things are better now. I need to get back into a quiet routine of homemaking.

There are always things that take up our time and energy. These include phone calls, handling appointments, processing bills and paperwork, and managing the finances. These tire the mind and cause us to need more rest.  There are also the needs of extended family with requests of assistance, visits, and providing welcoming hospitality.  These are all acts of kindness which are a blessing in life. Yet they wear us out if we do not have moments of rest and a focus on calmness. 

When someone is a patient under medical care, visitors are often advised not to tire the patient.  There are visiting hours so proper rest can happen.  Guests are told not to talk about stressful things and to avoid startling noise. This same advice is good  for everyone. We all need peace and rest each day.  Can we provide this same atmosphere at home?

Old fashioned homemaking requires a caretaker for home life. Someone oversees the needs of the entire household.  This person can be a skilled, loving worker, or it may be an overbearing, impatient boss. If we want a pleasant home, we must learn to have the heart of a servant who has the wisdom to properly manage a routine of rest and work.

As I am settling into being home again, I want to plan out my days to accomplish work and also enjoy times of rest. I will make homemade soup this morning. Tomorrow I hope to bake bread. This will provide us with nourishing food for the weekend.  

There are little tasks that must be done each day. I find joy in washing the dishes as I think about beautiful old hymns and the promises of Scripture. I have a sense of contentment as I hear the chirping of birds from the window.  We can find rest in the midst of our work if we focus on that which is lovely. The work gets done with a cheerful heart. 

 The beauty of home is created in the way we keep house. It is done through gentle moments of chores.  We do not let things pile up and overwhelm us.  We do little jobs throughout the day to maintain a pleasant home. We take many rests and tea breaks. We enjoy our efforts; we do not dread them.

It is possible to cultivate a pleasant environment by the good deeds we do each day with a sense of grace and compassion.  Our manners and attitude must shine through with pleasantries, revealing a sweet and gentle spirit. This happens naturally when we walk with the Lord, drawing from Him the strength and peace we all need.

Slow paced living, with a servant's heart, is a blessed way to live. We do it for the Lord.  Here, in this type of home, we will find rest for our souls.

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives - 

Peaceful living From the Old Days - Sunday Driver. 

Old Time Manners - Waiting for the Door to Be Opened.  

Living on a Small Income - Standard of Living

 

 

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

 

Paperback, 274 pages.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

14 comments:

Marsha said...

I agree 100% dear one! PRAYING for the health issues! Love, Marsha

Anonymous said...

How right you are... I wanted to encourage you to try simple crock pot meals during this time. I went through a period where I simply did not have the energy for cooking. I would get some chicken, place it in the crock pot with some water on high for a few hours. When done, I'd add some BBQ sauce, or butter salt and pepper and flour (very easy chicken in gravey), or add any sauce. Then I would keep the crock pot on warm all day. Perfect for unexpected visitors, or supper later on, or eat from it thru the day. That way you can still enjoy home-cooked meals, keep the kitchen clean, and feed all those in nd out of the house.

Elizabethd said...

All you say is so sensible and true.

Paula Alexandra Santos said...

I couldn't agree with you more, Mrs. White. :)
I have been trough periods like those in the past and sometimes we can't do certains things, due to the lack of time, energy or disposition.
So, do what you can each day at your own rhythm and God will bless you with strenght.
Today I posted an easy recipe for muffins in my blog and just in case you want to try an easy baking recipe when you feel stronger, be my guest! It's in Portuguese, but I have the Google trandlator in my blog and the measurements are in cups.
God bless you and your family!
:)

Deanna said...

Amen, amen, amen. Beautifully written post.
~d on the prairie

Marilyn said...

Amen Mrs White. A Godly attitude toward our work makes it a blessing. I am always amazed when people make comments such as "what do you do all day?." I feel like saying "follow me around for a day or two. You don't know what you are missing"

Wanda said...

Your home is your joy, as is mine. How very different our lives are in so many ways, and how much alike in many other ways. You have a large home stretched out on land and greenery, gardens and flowers. You have the skills to do everything from scratch in your kitchen. But we both find joy and contentment in our homes, mine, a unit in a Senior Complex. The grounds are lovely, but they are maintained by gardeners, so I can't dig in the dirt. But I do have plants on my balcony that bring me joy. I made homemade vegetable soup yesterday full of cabbage, onions squash, carrots, beans...we so enjoy it. Wish I had a slice of your homemade bread.
I too find joy in the daily chores. You might find me singing old hymns as I wash dishes. We have a dishwasher in the unit, but seldom use it. There is something spiritual about doing dishes.
I ramble.....sorry. But you stir up the good things in my life.
Sending love and hugs and encouragement to pace your beautiful self.
Wanda

Debbie said...

This is a lovely post, Mrs. White. I love being at home and being a homemaker. I think the key is to create such a lovely home, from whatever means you have, be it a little or a lot, and create a place you are happy to be in. Your slower rhythm is perfect for maintaining a peaceful atmosphere. It seems very welcoming.

I hope the health issues are getting better. Your soup and bread will be the perfect meal for the weekend.

Thank you for visiting my blog this week. It's always such a blessing to see you there :)

Homemaker'sThoughts.blogspot.com said...

Thank you for this post, Mrs. White. We really do set the atmosphere in the home and how blessed we are to be homemakers whether that be on a farm, in the suburbs, in an apartment, in a cabin........work still needs to be done and the attitude of the homemaker is still important. It can be overwhelming at times and our strength fades (especially towards the end of the day) but we also can make sure that we pace ourselves so that it doesn't become stressful.

Have a wonderful weekend ahead and I hope you are feeling better.
Mary

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Dear Mrs. White ~ this post was so inspirational and just what I needed. This part really touched my heart.

"We can find rest in the midst of our work if we focus on that which is lovely. The work gets done with a cheerful heart.

The beauty of home is created in the way we keep house. It is done through gentle moments of chores. We do not let things pile up and overwhelm us. We do little jobs throughout the day to maintain a pleasant home. We take many rests and tea breaks. We enjoy our efforts; we do not dread them."

"Gentle moments of chores." WOW! What a way to look at our daily chores. I'm afraid I have let things pile up and overwhelm me.

Thank you for sharing your gentleness that permeates your life. It is a blessing.

I pray that health issues will diminish. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

FlowerLady

Amelia said...

Just beautiful! I love hearing your thoughts on our daily routines...There truly is such Peace in our sweet routines. The birds singing and nature..Oh how calming I have found and I need that calm right now in dealing with an elderly mom at times.

I'm so happy to hear things are getting better, good to hear.

I'm having to learn some very new things in cooking...No salt for me. I was shocked to see my blood pressure, being stressed with my elderly mom. God is faithful in showing me new ways to cook and it's considered a happy adventure by me. : ) I feel as if it's a good preventative for both hubs and I. I'm learning also new-to-me supplements. God is good and it pays to do our homework, just little by little writing things down etc. Things truly by God's Hand improve praise His name!

Thinking of you often, I'll have to read this post more than one time, it's so Peaceful to my heart and I so feel so close to having those same little routines and thoughts on life from day to day. Isn't it a blessing to be okay with quiet, or perhaps sweet music or even a funny program...And hymns. I love them. One secular cd that has always brought peace to me in scary times healthwise from even late 90s is Nat King Cole, 'Love is the Thing and More'. Oh it's so beautiful...

So good to read your blog here, thank you, ~Amelia

Billie Jo said...

Hello, Mrs. White. I am thankful for you more than you know. I have the same vocation of motherhood and being a homemaker, and I often feel alone in this world. Coming here and reading your words, as well as those of the others who comment, gives me comfort that I am not alone. The rest of this world can be chaotic and loud, but I can make our home a refuge. Thank you for inspiring me!

Pam Richardson said...

Beautiful and thoughtful post, Mrs. White. I am glad to read health issues are improving!

Belinda said...

What a lovely blog post and so true. I love puttering around in my home taking care of our things and making it a home.