Tour of Vermont - Scenic View of the Countryside in Summer

Early Morning in Summer - at a lake near Mrs. White's Vermont Home.

This is the Sixth post in my series of touring Vermont.  (Please click on any picture to make them larger.)  I have lived in this state for 16 years and rarely stopped to look at the sights.  Starting in 2017, I made the effort to stop and visit some of the places that I see on my travels. This does not mean that I would need to spend money, but that I would take a few moments of rest and visit some of these places, instead of just rushing through life and never taking a scenic break.


The tour:  A Scenic View of the Countryside in Summer.


On my travels through the state, over the last couple of summers, I stopped to get some photographs to share.

Cows and Farmland.

 There are many beautiful farms we can see as we drive on the main roads throughout the state. The grass is so lush and green in the summer months.

Barn at Roadside.

I love the mountain views behind the farms.   These are country roads and are very peaceful.

A Farm in the distance.

You will not see these views in the cities of Vermont.  But they are lovely to see on the outskirts of the busy towns.

One of the Lakes on a country road.

There are many lakes in the state.  Some have sandy "beach" type areas near the water. Others just have grass and mountains. They look almost untouched.  Since there are no billboards allowed here, and very few signs, it can be a peaceful retreat to spend time here.

A Charming Pink House in a Tourist Area of Southern Vermont.

 I was intrigued, this summer, when I drove by a lovely pink house in southern Vermont!  There was a great deal of traffic on this road. It was right near a busy tourist area.  On my way back home (from an appointment) it was much quieter in the area, and I was able to stop and get a picture.

This is the same lake as in the first picture. It is near Mrs. White's home.

There is a beautiful lake near our home. It has a boardwalk and benches.  There are also boats. It reminds me of my Massachusetts home, where we had many yacht clubs.

An early Morning view of a lake, with boats, near Mrs. White's home.

I hope you enjoyed the sights! Thank you for reading!



** My next stop will be - Life in 1910 -  Lincoln's Home at Hildene.**



The First Tour was -  A Vermont Christmas Tree Farm.

The Second Tour was - The Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe Vermont.

The Third Tour was - King Arthur Flour in Norwich Vermont.

 The Fourth Tour was - Afternoon Tea at The Governor's Mansion.

The Fifth Tour was - A Visit to the Vermont Country Store.



Blessings,
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Taking Care of the Family - In Pursuit of Christian Duty.

In Case you Wondered - The Secret to a Clean House.

It's What you Make of it - The Cultured Society of Home.

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










An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email. 

The Day I Quit Gardening

Miniature Parade Roses at Mrs. White's Vermont Home.

I have always considered myself an amateur gardener.  I struggle with doing the work, and find myself constantly distracted by other things - like butterflies, pretty wild-flowers, and listening to the birds.

Each summer I have tried to do a little bit of gardening.  I take it slow. Often I only attempt to grow cucumbers, which I love for summer salads and tea sandwiches.  But always we have our strawberries and blueberries, which provide us with a small harvest, despite my lack of effort.

The little strawberry garden and blueberry bushes on the back grounds of Mrs. White's property.

This is not because I am lazy. It is not because I lead a pampered life.  It is because I am enjoying the work indoors. I am baking, vacuuming, dusting, making homemade food, visiting with the family, mending in the parlour, and being a gracious hostess to our frequent guests - who are mostly our grown children and our precious grandchildren. I am reading stories to little ones, getting juice and snacks, or I am folding the laundry and taking breaks to read a lovely story that gives me a time of rest and recreation.

I have noticed that my walks outside, on our two acres, are an incredible respite from all I am doing inside.  I love to see the river behind our land.  It is often raging and high in the spring, but low and peaceful in summer.

The gentle, summer river on the back grounds of Mrs. White's property.

I am often drawn to this area of the grounds.  I will stare at the rushing river and watch as there are waterfalls among the rocks.

Another view of the River on the back grounds of Mrs. White's Home.

I was starting to miss these little walks that brought me great happiness.  Our cucumber garden has been flourishing all season. I was gathering the berries and then the many cucumbers that seemed to be more numerous than I could manage. (I was giving away bags of this to some of my grown children.)  Each day, it seemed, there was more work than I could manage.  I am not one who has ever learned to "can" or preserve what we grow. Honestly, I struggle enough to do my regular work and spend time resting with the family. I do not have the strength to do much more.  I do not want to do more.

One morning, I became so stressed about the abundant crop of cucumbers, and realizing I could not keep up with all the labor, that I sat down with my husband and said, "I just cannot do this anymore."  He smiled. He knew I was doing too much, but he thought I had been enjoying the work. I had not been.  I said, with a relieved smile, "so I quit."  And that was settled. I will not let myself feel guilty. Someday I might change my mind. But for now, I do not have to be a gardener.

We will certainly continue with our berries.  Perhaps my husband will do his own gardening next season since he enjoys being busy outdoors.  We have even discussed planting a few more pretty flowers, like the miniature parade roses that are in the photograph above.  I would like to have beautiful things on the grounds, that do not mind neglect, as I walk around the property to rest from all my labor indoors.

Our country driveway at Mrs. White's Home.

I am thankful for the food I can purchase at my local store. I can fill up my pantry with sale items and find the most nutritious options to bring home. I can "gather our food from afar," and not try to do it all on my own. I appreciate the farmers and the gardeners that do all this labor for those of us who are not able. This is a blessing and a relief.  I am grateful to have this option!


Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Living Content on a Modest Income - Standard of Living.

Organizing the Work - Days of Housekeeping.

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

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










An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email. 

A Visit to The Vermont Country Store

The Vermont Country Store in Bellows Falls, Vermont

This is the Fifth post in my series of touring Vermont.  (Please click on any picture to make them larger.)  I have lived in this state for 16 years and rarely stopped to look at the sights.  Starting in 2017, I made the effort to stop and visit some of the places that I see on my travels. This does not mean that I would need to spend money, but that I would take a few moments of rest and visit some of these places, instead of just rushing through life and never taking a scenic break.


The tour:  A Visit to The Vermont Country Store.


We had an appointment in Southern Vermont recently. I was delighted to find out that we would be driving right past the famous country store.   I had no money to spend.  We did not buy anything on this visit.   But I wanted to just take a break and look around.  Would you like to see inside?

Inside the Vermont Country Store

The store is enormous. There are many rooms all opening up to one another. There are also seating areas where you can sit and play checkers!   You could spend hours just looking at all the merchandise, displays, and decorations.

Historic pictures on the wall.

I had such a restful time just walking around and looking at everything.  The only thing that made it difficult was the crowd. I had no idea there would be so many people here.  But I realized this is a great tourist stop.  It is right off the interstate and has so many features, on the property, for travelers to rest and shop.

"Peanuts" products and Tea Time items.

The packaging of products, and presentation of merchandise, is wonderful! It is like walking into a museum where every, charming, thing is for sale.

Beatrix Potter items on a cozy shelf in the bargain area upstairs.

They had toys and games and so many sweet things.  They even had warm and cozy, flannel nightgowns to keep one extra warm, and pretty, during a Vermont winter. I saw the sweetest purple robe that would be lovely.  I saw many things I wanted, but of course I refrained from any impulse shopping.  One cannot buy things when one does not have any money!  But I did enjoy looking at everything so much!

Old - Fashioned Treats.

They had old - fashioned treats in vintage - looking boxes.  It was reminiscent of the old, family, country stores in the rural towns of history.

Candy counter.

The shelves of candy were a popular stop for many customers.  It was difficult to get a picture until many moved on to other sights in the store.  These treats were so tempting.

Charles Chips.

I am told that "Charles Chips" are some of the best tasting that can be found.  They are sold by the tin and then you can purchase a refill bag.  Wouldn't it be charming to have delicous chips out of a large tin?

Soda.

I loved seeing an old refrigerator with cold, glass bottles of soda for sale. This was an incredible item from history!

Mildred's Dairy Bar which is part of The Vermont Country Store.

Back outside, we saw outdoor games, picnic tables, and a beautiful landscape where many were playing or resting.  Attached to the store is a place to eat.  There is a walkway up a ramp to a window where you can order anything on the menu, and then go out and have a picnic lunch on the front grounds.  We had already brought our own traveling food, so we just enjoyed looking at the menu before heading back on our way.

Outside the store-  between the main entrance and the dairy bar.

I took one more last look and then we happily went on our way, traveling on the country road of Vermont to our appointment.  It had been a restful and interesting stop. I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you for visiting with me!

** My next stop will be a Scenic View of the Countryside, and a Beautiful Lake, in Summer.**


The First Tour was -  A Vermont Christmas Tree Farm.

The Second Tour was - The Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe Vermont.

The Third Tour was - King Arthur Flour in Norwich Vermont.

 The Fourth Tour was - Afternoon Tea at The Governor's Mansion.



Blessings,
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Before Modern Technology Distracted the Family - Industrious at Home.

Inspiration - How The Old Time Mothers Survived Poverty.

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

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










An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email. 

The Four Little Tasks of Home

Library of Congress: 1918 - Robert Carmer Hill house, New Jersey

It is nice to have a set routine of work to do at home.  One can go about the day with a remembrance of certain housekeeping duties that are necessary for each day.  Then, during the many breaks for rest, or visiting with guests, or a pleasant talk on the telephone, one finds refreshment and courage to go on.  The times of work and the times of rest, done with quiet courage, provide happiness in our homemaking.

The Four Little Tasks of Home

1.  There is the breakfast hour, which includes tea-time. First we prepare the meal and set a table.  I often set up a tray- table and sit in the parlour before anyone else is awake.  I am an early riser so I have my tea while the sun is just beginning to rise.  I enjoy this quiet time of resting from the brief bit of morning work.

Later, when the family has their eggs and toast, or fresh baked muffins with fruit, it is time to do the dishes.   We wash the table and the counters and do the sweeping.   All the work of tidying and making things neat are part of the breakfast duties.

2.  Often, during the morning hours, we do the laundry or the dusting and vacuuming. Each day has its special work.  It may be Wednesday is for washing floors. Perhaps Thursday is for cleaning the bathroom.  The mid-morning hours are a good time for many of us to do these special duties of making a home look pretty.

3.  The Lunch hour is such a wonderful time to stop and rest.  We put out a fresh, clean tablecloth.  I love my white-and-teal checkered cloth.  It looks so homey and old fashioned.  We can set up our plates and napkins. We can do this even if we are just serving grilled cheese sandwiches, pickles, and chips!  It makes the lunch - work like a reward when we sit at that pretty table and rest and eat while we enjoy the family.  Next we do the sweeping and the dishes, much like we did in the morning.

4.  The dinner hour is such a precious time in the day.  I often start working on the evening meal at 3 in the afternoon. I work slowly and take lots of breaks. Sometimes I peel potatoes and start getting a little casserole ready to bake.  Other times I might do much of the work for a pan of lasagna. I like to put these pans of prepared food in the refrigerator and then just take them out to bake when it is just about dinner time.  That way I get a great deal of rest between all the work.

Sitting with the family and hearing the blessing (or the prayer before the meal) is such a peaceful experience.  It is lovely to just sit and enjoy dinner at the end of a long day.  Then the work of tidying, doing the dishes, and sweeping the floor happens.  We make everything look neat and pretty. But I do not like to rush.  I do not want to just "get the work over-with." I take my time and go at a steady pace.  The work of cleaning and accomplishing the beautiful work of making a neat home makes me happy.  It also brings peace.

These four tasks of homemaking do not take a great deal of effort.  They may seem simple and ordinary.  They may seem mundane.  But if we dress up in something pretty, wearing an apron, and keeping our hair up in a pretty style, we may find ourselves enjoying the work.  I have an old blue-and-white gingham apron that I love to wear. It is getting old and ragged. I will have to make a new one this coming fall.  I need a fresh supply of lovely aprons to wear as I do the housekeeping.

When we look extra nice as we do our work, we can find joy in the labor.  Doing the little tasks of keeping house, each day, with a feeling of contentment, will bring a true feeling of comfort and happiness to the family.  It will help them feel welcome and loved in a happy and simple home.


Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Training Children - Nobody Wants to Clean a Messy House.

Frugal Wisdom - Why The High Cost of Food?

Family Life - The Secret to a Happy Home.

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










An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email. 

Evening Devotions

Evening Devotions at the parlour table at Mrs. White's House.

I love the end of the day when the family can gather all around and have evening prayers.  This can be such a special time of reading the Bible, singing some hymns, and then having a time of prayer.

Our routines will often change as the family grows, or when schedules fluctuate. When the children are little, it is more common that all are home at the same time.  As they get older, they may have evening classes or work obligations. Sometimes Dad may be working a night shift and the family Bible time is better organized earlier in the day. We will often change the routine as needed. But there is nothing like closing out the day with a simple time of Evening Devotions.

How very precious is a habit of evening devotions! If they are generally done at the same time each day, such as at 7 p.m., it produces a stability of a beautiful tradition. No matter who is available at home to participate, it could become a regular routine. 

This time of family worship could be just Mother, or many in the family together, depending on who is at home.   It could be a time to read a verse in the Bible and sing one hymn. Or it could be a reading of several passages of Scripture and a few songs to sing.  It may only be a simple time of precious prayer, at the same hour each evening, day after day, week after week, year after year.

Whether it be a brief time of quiet worship or a longer time, it is such a precious spiritual habit that will close out the day with gratefulness and praise to our dear Lord.  When Dad is away from home, or older children are away at that hour, they can know that Mother is at home praying for them during the evening devotions.  This will comfort and soothe weary hearts and help give them spiritual courage. 

This is a beautiful way to end each day.


I did a brief video sharing what we are currently doing for our Evening Devotions here at our house.  For those who are receiving this by email and cannot see the video, here is the direct link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRj1ikQJL98&t=69s


The video is below:






Blessings,
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Peaceful Living - Simple Days at Home.

Staying Home  - Gracious Homemaking.

Frugal Living - The Housekeeper's Budget.

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










An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email.