The Morning Duties

It is raining and cool at our Vermont Estate. The stove is out and the air is crisp. Soon Mr. White will start the fire and another day will begin. I have a kitchen to clean, a floor to mop, laundry to wash, and food to cook. I will also bake brownies this morning.

I shall have tea while I read my Bible and do my Prentiss Study.  I will enjoy the silence while everyone still sleeps. It is a quiet time of preparation for the morning duties.

Perhaps I will go out and do a little visiting this afternoon. I will bring some brownies with me, to share.

I also want to buy a new set of Knitting needles. On a cool, foggy day like this, I like to think about a Jane Austen Estate in England. It makes me want to sit by the window and do some hand-work, while contemplating lovely thoughts.

If I had little babies around, they would delight me with their antics and wear me out with their precious energy. But I would love it!  Since my children are mostly grown, I long for the sound of little feet and giggling! This large old house echoes its emptiness and almost orders children to reside here.  Someday soon I will have grandchildren to fill these halls and floors.

But for today, I will clean and cook and bake, like always. I will remember when my children were young while I wash dishes.  I will smile as I think of the silly things they did and said while I wash the floors. And I will pray a silent prayer of thanksgiving for the memory and the present of a mother's life at home.

blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Loving housework, despite injury - I Fell While Hanging Curtains.

Mother of Older Children - A Visit - Family Life at Home.

Remembering how it was - A Mother's Touch.