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| A Rainy Day at Mrs White's Vermont Home. |
It rained all last week. Mr. White had promised to help me start our humble garden, so when the weather cleared a bit, I walked outside with my pink umbrella. Mr. White smiled at me and mumbled that it was not raining. I watched while he put soil into planters. My watching is part of helping. (gentle smiles)
I walked around the 2 acre property, happily holding my umbrella, and standing near him. I followed while he did the heavy labor of digging soil, and clearing bits of land. When he signaled, I dropped flower and vegetable seeds. . . just a few. Gardening is still an experimental hobby for me. I am an amateur and Mr. White willingly helps me. I wouldn't dream of gardening without him.
Inside our 1850's colonial house, I cleaned the kitchen, baked banana muffins and chocolate cake with strawberry pink frosting. I vacuumed. . . and dusted. . . and washed all the curtains.
When the curtains were clean, I stood on a chair and tried to reach the rods to put the curtains back on the windows. Mr. White smiled. He is over a foot taller than me. He started to help. We worked together. He got the rods and I filled them with curtains.
Like all people, sometimes I forget to be content. This means to be at peace and yielded happily to one's lot in life. I cannot let the bad days or the normal strains of life make me forget about the happiness of being here. I have to remember the cozy fires and reading books by Charles Dickens. I need to remember the time I have to patiently crochet an Afghan or hand-sew a new apron. I can play checkers or chess with my children at any time. I can bake and cook and serve my family in an unhurried way. I can be here for my children and grandchildren any time they need me.
This morning, Mr. White mowed most of the lawn, while I made a hot lunch. When we took a little break, he reminded me that despite all the troubles, we are very blessed and grateful for what we have, and for our way of life.
The very act of cleaning and cooking and keeping a home reminds one of how very precious it is to have a home and family. . . To be settled and peaceful is the very definition of contentment.
Blessings
Mrs. White
From the Archives -
Gentle ways of Learning Homemaking - Pretending to Garden.
Always Remember - The House Comes First.
Peace and Joy - Old Fashioned Duty of a Homemaker.
- 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.
3 comments:
The thing that sticks out most to me in this post...even though you might not be physically capable of doing the labor in the garden, you attempt to do just a small part where you can have a bonding experience with your husband. ***Wonderful advice...find a way to have those moments with those you love.
What a very rich woman you are!
It rained all week here in your neighboring state, although I am sure you are not surprised!
I felt like we had our own private Ireland on our hill! The whole forest just sparkled with bright greens and the mountain view was misty all week long!
I had to remind myself today to go and take a walk in the beautiful sunshine because I was use to being in all week!
I hope your week is blessed, Sharon. Gentle hugs.
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