A Happy and Peaceful New Year

Victorian holiday card from 1890, LOC.

 

A new year is upon us. I am so grateful for every day that we are given. I pray the coming year will be a blessing and a time of joyful service for the dear Lord. Whatever the coming year may hold, the Lord is with us through it all. We have a precious comfort and assurance. All will be well. 

Thank you for being here!

A happy and peaceful New Year to you and your families! 

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Always Remember this - The House Comes First.

Overcoming Worries and Troubles - Reviving the Prayer Journal.

Old Fashioned Living - Retirement Planning for the Poor.

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

Now Available from the Legacy of Home Press:

Household Planner: Perpetual Calendar to Organize Daily Life for the Home and Family by Mrs. White

224 pages, paperback

Includes monthly budgets and financial planning forms, daily calendar for appointments and notes, and much more. 

Encouragement from the 1800's:  

~ Daily Devotional ~  

"A Year of Blessings and a Blessed Year: The Legacy of Home Press Classic Edition" by Rose Porter.

220 pages, paperback. (5 x 8)

A Classic Reprint, brought to you by The Legacy of Home Press.

An Ordinary Christmas Dinner

Christmas painting by Charles Green, 1896. LOC

 

One of the most difficult things to accomplish in the home is not the cleaning, the cooking, the shopping or even managing the finances. The most difficult thing we must do is to make sure our homes are happy.

A major undertaking is to understand relationships, manners, dealing with moods and trials and how to remain graceful and kind through it all.  Part of this work involves the planning and organizing of birthdays and holidays. These are such special times and can be filled with such warmth and joy. There is effort and work that must be done, with patience and flexibility.  We need to be able to manage the day, knowing (and expecting) there to be distractions and annoyances. If we seek a calm heart focused on the Lord, it is very possible we can cheerfully accomplish the goal without troubled or stormy seas. The goal, of course, is happiness and peace despite any difficultly. This can only come from the source of all peace and that is from the dear Lord.

Christmas is in just a few more days. Some will be travelling. Others are expecting guests. Many will be home alone or with just one or two others. In each case, we can plan to make it pleasant and a special day!  In our house, I am serving an ordinary Christmas dinner. There will be mashed potatoes, peas, rolls, and chicken.  The beauty will be in the way the table is set and how nice the candles will look during the meal.  I will make the day special with little touches of service with an understanding of the need for comfort and rest for those in this household. There will be Christmas music in the background. Later I will play the piano for just a little while, in the downstairs living room. I do not think we will have anyone visiting but I expect to see grown children and grandchildren during the coming week.  I am grateful.

May this wonderful season of home and family be a peaceful time of good memories. May it provide us with a sense of thankfulness for all the Lord does for us this Christmas day and always. 

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

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

Peaceful old time Living - Quiet Duties of Home.  

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

- 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

Keeping Warm in New England

Sitting by the fire to conserve fuel oil, 1942. LOC.

 

I was called away from home, early one morning. One of the grandbabies was sick and his mother needed to do a necessary errand. I was happy to stay with the little one, cozy in his home, and take good care of him.  His mother returned in good time, and I was able to go back to the coziness of my own house. 

The weather here has been incredibly cold. There are freezing temperatures near zero and, at times, below zero.  This is uncommon for this time of year.  It does not usually get this cold until January or February. It makes one want to stay home and wait out the winter!

All this cold weather is increasing the cost of heating this place. We have a specific amount available for the season.  With the higher costs, I need to try to make the kerosene last longer.  We are trying to use our wood stove more often. But the fuel supply for this has come from fallen trees on our property, over the previous summer months. It is limited. I have been saving newspapers and scrap paper as a contribution to the warmth of the fireside. 

In my childhood home, here in New England, I remember my mother standing in the hallway. She would quietly adjust the thermostat on the wall to just a touch higher than it was to bring the heat up. She was never one to waste anything. She wanted us to be warm, but she expected us to dress in seasonal clothing, wearing sweaters and such to do our part. The oil had to be conserved so that it was affordable to maintain the household expenses. 

My father often had a fire in the fireplace, especially in the evenings and on weekends throughout the winter months.  It was so cozy and comforting to sit with the family and just talk or read by the warmth of the fire.

The light of home, shining through the window on a snowy night, is a welcoming sight. Inside there is the comfort of family prayer in the evenings. To gather together at day's end in the retreat of one's own home is such a blessing. A peaceful home with good food to eat and a warm hearth is so encouraging when coming in from the cold.  The evening prayers and Bible reading remind us of how very thankful we are for each and every day.

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

A Blessing - The Light in a Messy House.

Beautiful Living - Feminine Grace.

What many of us crave - An Ordinary Life at Home.

  - 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

Thinking About Homemaking

Frugal Inspiration. 

 

It is snowing heavily in our New England village.  As I sit by the fireside, I can watch the falling snow out the front window. It is a restful sight of white, reminding one of quietness and peace.  

I am crocheting a little blanket for one of my grandchildren.  He is five years old.  He has been watching me work on this project for several weeks. He keeps asking me, "when will the blanket be ready?" Then he wants to know, "how big will it be?"  Yesterday, as he was here for a visit, I had him sit on the couch and covered him up with it so we could see if it was big enough yet.  "When I finish up this roll of yarn," I tell him, "it will be ready."   He is so happy and is enjoying watching my progress.

I have been reading a lot about old time homemaking. I have acquired a set of books, over many years, to produce a little library of frugal inspiration.  One of these volumes is a collection of remembrances from the old days. It is called, "The Old Time Art of Thrift," by Ken Tate (1997). He gathered up the stories of several people and compiled this wonderful edition, full of beautiful paintings.  We read about what life was like for families in the early 1900's.  Their way of life was about being productive, avoiding waste, and providing for the household. It was about "making do" and "making things last" while enjoying the family and daily living at the same time.

One of my favorite books was originally written shortly after the Civil War. This was a time of great hardship!  The book is called, "Aunt Jane's Hero" and was written by Mrs. Elizabeth Prentiss.  We read about a newly established family and their dedication to living very modestly on a limited income. But there is something so rich in this story that feeds the soul. This family is completely dedicated to living for the Lord.  The wisdom and joy of such a life comes through to the reader in a beautiful way.  The wife's way of housekeeping and frugality is inspiring.

Reading these types of books brings a sense of courage to stand firm and stay the course of keeping house. To be a homemaker is such an important work! We need support and encouragement to take care of our homes and families in a way the world doesn't understand. 

I am often taking little breaks to read these kinds of books throughout the day. Then I get back to the mending, the sweeping, the dusting, and the baking, with a feeling of refreshment. It helps bring cheer and strength to do what I love to do here at home. 

I am going to have some tea and get back to my crocheting. Then I will putter about the house making things look lovely. I will keep up my spirits by focusing on that which is good and peaceful and cheerful.  It will be a precious day of homemaking.

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Finding Rest in a Stressful world - Peace Be Upon This House. 

The joy of taking care of children! I hear their sweet noise as a blessing! - I Hear Angels Crying. 

You can Make it!  - How the Old Time Mothers Survived Poverty.

- 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.

Frugal Christmas Season

A Christmas tree stand near our home in Vermont

 

There are sales in all the stores. Many people are shopping or making lists to begin their shopping. There are thoughts of gifts and special treats for giving to others. It is a beautiful time of year.

As I was driving home from errands the other day, I noticed a few Christmas-tree stands.  Many of the stores have a display outside and are offering live trees for sale. These outdoor shops look charming in the snowy landscape.  

It makes one smile to window-shop and to delight in all the decorative lights and merchandise that is available.  And even though I am not buying anything, I am content and at peace.  

The other morning, as I walked around our property, I came across one of my miniature rose plants in the snow.  There was one delicate rose still on the plant. I thought it looked so pretty and wanted to bring it indoors.  It now sits in a tiny pitcher on my kitchen table. It looks like a pretty dried flower and adds a sense of frugal elegance to the house.

A delicate rose from the front garden. 

We came across an old box, here in the house. It contained the nativity set that belonged to my parents (who lived with us here for many years).  When some of the grandchildren visited, they arranged all the pieces. I told them, "this belonged to your great-grandparents."  It has been handed down through the family and looks sweet and nostalgic. It is much better than anything we could have bought ourselves.  It is so special when things from previous generations are kept within the family. 

The great-grandparent's nativity set. 

The children stood in awe of the scene before them. I was so happy to see how sweetly they set it all up. 

Soon I hope to get some ingredients for winter baking.  I want to make cookies, fudge, cinnamon cake, and brownies. I also need to bake some bread. When I make these homemade treats myself, it saves a great deal of money.  I love to have something special for whenever the extended family comes for a visit. I want the grandchildren to always have something homemade to eat when they are here. 

The cost of living is so high. I must do my best to live on a very strict budget so all the bills can be paid. This leaves very little funds for treats or little gifts that bring a sense of cheer and joy to the family.  I want to be ever so careful so that there is a bit of money available for a few thoughtful gifts this Christmas. In order to do this, I like to read about the old ways of homemakers and how creative they were in their homemaking. I need that encouragement and inspiration. Somehow, they either made things for the family or came up with a small amount of cash to get little presents to delight the household.  It is a challenge in these difficult financial times! 

I have been encouraged by reading old hymns out of the hymn books. I am grateful for the privilege of prayer, which keeps worries away and fills me with a sense of serenity.  It reminds me not to rush or hurry or do things in a panic. When I look out the front windows at the snowy landscape, I feel so thankful for a cozy fire to keep us warm indoors. This Christmas season is such a peaceful time to keep house, to tend to the family, and to serve the dear Lord.  

Blessings

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Beautiful Living - Feminine Grace. 

When 4 generations lived here together - Gracious Homemaking.

Remembering my Childhood - Manners Learned at the Finishing School.

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

Now Available from The Legacy of Home Press:

Old Fashioned Homemaking: Essays and Encouragement from a New England Housewife by Mrs. White

176 pages, paperback

ISBN: 978-1-956616-38-5