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| 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?
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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
You are welcome to come to our little yellow house on the Illinois prairie anytime for dinner, Mrs. White! It is just my husband and me now. Our son and daughter are grown. We still sit down to a home-made from scratch meal. It is the same at our house-everyone does their thing waiting for me to say, "Dinner's ready!"
ReplyDeleteGod bless, Kathy in Illinois
You'd find chaos at my house. Five young children running, playing, and fighting. No husband in the family room; he's on the road working 28 days per month. The scene at your house sounds lovely.. maybe someday!!
ReplyDeleteAh!:) I better get the paperwork off the table! I'd LOVE to have you over to share some wisdom and incourage me. I strugle daily with feeling guilty about stay home b/c everyone I know is a working mom. But I know there is plenty to keep me busy at home serving my family. I can usually be found in the kitchen serving plates and modifying the menu to their likings and delivering it to their trays (we really should use the dining table more). Hubby is easy to serve-just bring the hotsauce w/his plate.
ReplyDeleteHava a Blessed Day!
What a very lovely post. I do think dinner is such a great family moment in the day.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you and I also loved the picture.
Dear Mrs. White,
ReplyDeleteI love visiting your place via blogland. I enjoy your writings and words of encouragement.
This particular picture you've posted spoke volumes to me. Like it so much. What a beautiful sight to see a family sitting around the table with heads bowed out of respect while praying. Touched my soul/heart.
Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a blessed new year!
God bless you. I thank God for you and am blessed to know you.
d
My husband is reading a book called "Happiness and the Human Spirit" by Abraham J. Twerski, MD. On page 75 he says "Did you know that a research study, in which hundreds of families were interviewed and numerous details were recorded, concluded that the most outstanding characteristic of no-children-problem families was the frequency with which the family shared meals together? The research found that the family mealtime created a sense of belonging and allowed parents to remain aware of what was going on with their children. (Incidentally, the children in the frequent-mealtime-together families developed more extensive vocabularies at an early age and scored two to three grade levels higher on standardized reading and language tests.)
ReplyDeleteI Know this post is a several years old.I thought I would comment on it anyway. I found your blog about 2 weeks ago and I enjoy it so much. Your blog inspires me to be closer to the Lord and be a better wife and mother. I would love to have you at my house in the hills of Tennessee. I love to cook and clean. I feel my house and food say a lot about myself. You would find home cooking the kind your grandmother cooked.I have 5 children they love ,fight and care for each other.They seem to be a happy bunch. Thank you for your blog and Godly insight:-D
ReplyDeleteI love this so much. My father and my uncle were both ministers. And my uncles name was Bob and my aunts name was Norma. They have all passed on now, very sad, because I miss them all so much.
ReplyDeleteI love the dinner hour. It brings back so many fond memories of my mother, who was a wonderful cook, and the many delicious meals she prepared and the wonderful talks at that table.