A Lovely Example of Gardening

Couple working in their garden, Texas, 1943, LOC.

I was getting ready to do some work in the strawberry patch. There was a chill in the air and a bit of rain falling.  I searched through my closet to find my raincoat.  With my miniature gardening tools in hand, I started for the back grounds of our property. My husband was surprised by what I was wearing. He said, "Why are you wearing that beautiful coat? You will get it all dirty."  I told him it was 15 years old and my oldest one. "I know people are supposed to wear their oldest things to garden," I explained in dismay. "But all my old things are nice."   I was perplexed as to how to solve this but worked carefully to avoid getting my clothes dirty.

Later, I decided that I would wear a sturdy work apron when working outdoors. This would cover my long skirt and provide some protection.  I realize that many people wear jeans and things they don't mind getting dirty. That sounds very wise. It is so good that we have choices in our way of dress and the style that makes us most comfortable. I have several maxi skirts which I wear all year, in every season. I am happiest in this type of clothing. Wearing my pretty things in the garden is much like my wearing pretty things while I deep clean the house. I simply cover my clothes with an apron. I want my work at home, in the house or on the grounds to be lovely. This makes me happy.

I recently looked at old photographs of homemakers in their gardens. They were wearing simple house dresses. One would wear sturdy work dresses around the home and yard. If a lady was going out, on errands, to visit friends, or to attend church, she would change into something nicer.  I was grateful to notice I was not alone in this style of dressing.

The work of maintaining the grounds includes designing the arrangement of the landscape. It involves deciding where the flowers will be planted and the main garden of vegetables and fruits. We may also come to understand that changes can be made. We can remove wild plants and things we don't like or that don't work in the yard. We can replace them with useful plants, pretty flowers, and beautiful hedges. This work takes time, often years, but can make the result of all the effort very beautiful for all to enjoy. 

Students working in a home economics garden, Virginia, 1943, LOC.

Emilie Barnes wrote many books about having a beautiful, organized home. She also wrote about gardening. She mentioned that one of the main things she did was to use the hoe, each day, to keep the weeds under control.  I love this idea.  If we let the weeds get out of control, or to overtake the garden, if will be overrun and difficult to tend. This is similar to how we keep house. A little bit of work, consistently, to tidy the house and maintain a spirit of neatness is easier to do than letting it all pile up.  

When we do these little tasks, indoors and out, on a daily basis, there is often someone watching.  As we calmly work, with grace, diligence, and a cheerful heart of service, this may very well be an example to the next generation of something lovely and beautiful.

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives - 

One of the greatest joys - Mother's Benevolent Society. 

 Remembering my Childhood - When Television was Special. 

Ration Books from 1942 and helpful advice - Adapting to the High Cost of Living.

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

 

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

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

This is a slim, 77 page, paperback book.

The Garden Report

Milk can and roses near our porch on a rainy morning. 

In the late morning, a slight drizzle began to fall. I was on my way outdoors to walk the grounds. I had to take my umbrella with me for protection. This was to be my leisurely stroll to check the gardens.

We currently have four rose bushes, scattered throughout the land. Each one showed encouraging signs of new growth. 

The grape plants by the side fence look promising.  All the fruit bushes and flowering trees are showing tiny bits of red and green growth. I was delighted as I crouched down, lowered my eyeglasses, and made a careful inspection of each part of the tree or plant. 

I resumed my walk over little hills and a rock-lined driveway. Then I looked at our park benches, where we often rest while the children are playing. I gazed at the river as it rushed along the back grounds. Then I paused my steps to observe the peaceful landscape all around me.

The rain increased as I walked. The umbrella kept me comfortable and safe in the cool mountain air of our Village. 

Our lilac bushes are thriving by the front of the house, as they start to come back to life after a long winter.  As I walked towards the back of the property, I noticed a patch of Sweet William, which were planted, as seeds, last year. It looks like we may very well be blessed with their beautiful flowers this season.

One thing I have realized, on this journey to understand and to learn about gardening, is that since I am not dependent on the crops of food for survival, I have time to learn to garden at my own calm pace. One day, it is my hope that much of what the grounds produce, under the blessing of my Heavenly Father, will replace what I am currently buying at the store. This will provide us with nourishment while saving us a great deal of money.

Some of our plants will take years to mature. Others are providing us with food every summer.  In the midst of all this work, in the rain or heat, it is such a blessing to pray and thank the Lord for another day of life to enjoy the work of our hands. We cherish the beauty of results of tending and laboring, with a sense of gratefulness, in the work we are doing at the old homeplace.

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives - 

The example of my Parents - Minding my own Housekeeping Business.

The Reality - Retirement Planning for the Poor.

Finding Genuine Happiness at Home - Peace be Upon This House.  

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

 Help for hard times at home - 

House Keeping in Hard Times: Essays and Encouragement from a Christian Housewife

 Paperback, 180 pages

 As you read the entries, you will get a sense of what it is like as a Christian housewife through the ups and downs of life.  Topics include motherhood, marriage, taking care of children, cleaning, living on a low income, saving money, and building up the family with faith as the foundation.

Building up the Home

Drawing by Thomas Fogarty, "The American Dream," 1890 (LOC).

Building up the home is a great work.  We want our families to be happy and blessed. We want the house to be neat, orderly and clean.  It is also such a blessing to have good, home-cooked meals served with joy, every day.

Whenever we go out on errands, we are thinking of what we need to bring back to the old homeplace to keep things running nicely.  We need certain necessities to fill the pantry, keep the home-fires burning, and to manage the garden. The intention is to provide the family with a wonderful place of nourishment and rest.  It sounds very much like The American Dream.

I have been busy the last few days with housework and baking. This morning, I made a batch of homemade biscuits. The warmth from the kitchen and wonderful scent of home-cooking was comforting.  It takes a great deal of dedicated labor to cook and bake and clean.  I need to take plenty of breaks, or I will feel overwhelmed.  A restful pace is best. There is joy in doing good work for the family. 

Every day, we need to keep building up the home. It should be a retreat from the world.  It ought to be a place of beauty with contentment.  To keep it this way, one must always remember the mission. This mission is to do the Lord's precious work of homemaking.   

Do not let the worries of tomorrow, or the regrets of yesterday slow you down. The Lord's mercies are new every morning. Each day is a new start.   Let us keep to the task at hand, which is to graciously do the daily chores with kindness and a sense of cheerful duty.  This ongoing work, day after day, year after year, will help provide a haven of spiritual and physical rest for the family. 

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

A Precious Lesson! - All of God's Children Have Shoes.

What it Takes - Old Fashioned Duty of a Homemaker.

Encouragement in Duty - Make an Effort.

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

 

Mrs. White's special book for homemakers:

"Introduction to Home Economics:  Gentle Instruction to Find Joy in Christian Homemaking." 

Paperback, 200 pages. 

Pleasant Ways of Old Time Homemaking

Sisters washing the breakfast dishes at home in Indiana, 1937. (LOC)

There was a time before bread machines and dishwashers.  Life seemed quieter when our chores required more labor.  There was a sense of rest as we worked. We could hear the birds chirping and the wind blowing through the open windows. It was also easier to work together as children helped each other and their parents. Everyone learned valuable skills as they took time to do the daily work at home.

 It may be easier to use machines today, especially for the laundry, but doing some things the old way can be pleasant and rewarding.

I recently did 2 videos about this that I will describe.

 First: Washing Dishes

The first video is a description of a pleasant way to wash dishes by hand.  Many people dread doing the dishes because the kitchen looks messy and overwhelming with dishes piled in the sink. They also have trouble finding enough room in the dish-drainer as they are working.   In my video I explain a solution that will avoid both of these problems.

In the old days, we would dry our dishes and promptly put them away. You often see this happening in old movies where someone is helping with the dishes in the family kitchen.  The other day, I was reading a children's book and saw a charming example on one of the pages.

A page from "We Help Mommy" by Eloise Wilkin, 1959. 

If you are interested in watching my video with detailed instructions for washing dishes by hand, here is the link:

"Pleasant Method for Washing Dishes by Hand"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-P0PTq7Iq4&list=PLdjNiA5yPfo46l2_O8L5taQscGSPbfgfX&index=13

Second: Baking Bread

The second video is about making homemade wheat bread from scratch. The method I describe is without the use of a mixer or bread machine. It is the common, old fashioned method of making bread by hand. 

I also describe an easy way of preserving the bread by freezing it in slices. It can then be easily defrosted and warmed up in a toaster oven. In large families, the bread will not last long enough to need storage.  It is often quickly consumed in a day or two. But in homes with one or two residents, such as an empty nest, or a new family, 2 loaves of bread will not keep without a form of preservation.

My table with ingredients ready to make bread. 

If you would like to watch this video, here is the link:

"Making Homemade Wheat Bread (and how to freeze it)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftX6FayjL0U&list=PLdjNiA5yPfo46l2_O8L5taQscGSPbfgfX&index=11

It is wonderful to remember the old ways of homemaking. Some of these tasks are going to be easier to do with machines. Others, such as hanging laundry on the clothesline and taking the time to make one's own bread are so relaxing and peaceful.

I hope you are enjoying lovely spring days as you tend the family and keep house.

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives - 

Careful thrift - Reducing Expenses.

What Many of Us Crave - An Ordinary Life at Home.

A Simple Life - Days without Spending Money. 

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

Help For Homeschooling:

Seeking a Thrifty and Simple Life: Encouragement for Christian Homeschooling by Mrs. White

Paperback, 112 pages

As you read this book, I hope you get a sense that, no matter what is going on in the world, every home can be a homeschool. 

Make the Garden Look Pretty

View of a pathway, here in Vermont.

On sunny cool days, we have been outdoors trying to fix up the grounds.  The long winter season has left the property a mess of debris, leftover leaves, tree branches, and sticks.  I get bundled up in my winter coat and boots to go outside and help with the work. We are trying to make things look pretty.

One afternoon a great deal of helpers arrived, much to our delight. Grandchildren came and scoured the grounds picking up sticks, rocks, and tree branches. The mess was all loaded into a garden wagon and large garden sacks to haul out to the back grounds.  After a few hours, the entire land suddenly looked lovely, as the sun shone onto the landscape.

The spring weather is bringing everything back to life.  The trees are budding, bright green leaves from flower plants are growing, and the grass is becoming a lush carpet over the property. 

I found some strawberry plants growing in odd places, where they had spread out. Grandchildren came over and helped me dig them up and replant them in the middle of my strawberry patch. This little spot has a delicate little fence all around.  (The tiny fence was acquired 13 years ago from a corner drug store.)  This year, we have an abundance of little plants without much room to grow. Our garden spot must be expanded. A cheap new fencing is needed.  

Several years ago, I brought home blueberry bushes and an apple tree. Slowly, we keep building up the grounds to produce a harvest of wonderful food for the needs of our household.  This year, we realized we must have a second apple tree. The first one will not produce fruit without another one as a pollinator. We have put off this expense far too long. But it will take time to save up for another one. Even coming up with $40 for a fruit tree can be a burdensome expense.

Each day, we continue to work the land. Old leaves have been raked up around trees and flower plants throughout the property. We are making everything look beautiful.

Yesterday, I walked the grounds, stopping to look at the progress of every one of our garden plants, trees, and flowers. I stopped beside the rushing river and breathed in the fresh air and the quiet sense of nature.

Thirteen years ago, when (my parents) Great-Grandmother and Great-Grandfather still lived here with us, I didn't know how to garden. I observed them as they worked on such things. I played around with gardening, but they always came to my aid with weeding, watering, and tender care when I didn't know what to do. One year I was so overwhelmed with the abundance of a cucumber crop that I couldn't figure out how to keep up. In the stress of the season, and my lack of understanding, I faltered and quit. It was too much at the time.  I didn't give myself enough grace to wait it out and to learn from my gardening mistakes.  Now that my parents have both gone home to Heaven, I understand that it takes years of trying (and failing) to do it myself before I can make progress and gain these old-time skills. Much of their teaching has become so much clearer to me now. Their wisdom often comes to my mind as I solve gardening problems and as I keep trying year after year.

Mother and Dad always kept our home and property looking loved, well kept, and cared for.  They made it look easy. It was simply a natural part of their lives. In all of their work, tending to daily duties and chores, with cheerful hearts and kind service, they made living life look pretty.

As I continue to walk the grounds each day, I want to keep up that same work. With the help of my grandchildren, we are tending the grounds each time they visit. As they help me indoors and out, slow-paced and joyful, they are learning necessary skills.  We are doing our very best to provide our family and guests with a sanctuary of provision and place of rest from a difficult world. 

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives - 

Simple Living on a Walton's Budget - Old Time Homemaking.

Family Life - The Secret to a Happy Home.

Contentment from the Old Days - Standard of Living. 

Daily life with 4 generations in the house - In Pursuit of Christian Duty.

 

  - 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.