Sunday, October 25, 2015

A Cozy Humble Home


1911 family working together to earn $3 a week (Library of Congress Archives)




I love old houses with their quaint wallpaper and classic designs.  These places remind me of the simplicity of family life where Mother is always home. She is there when the children come home from school, work, or play.  She is there to comfort them with her great patience and dedication to her family.

In our old house I like to sweep the floors in the evening and turn on the lamps. I straighten up the chairs and make the kitchen and parlour look neat.

There are pretty designs in the old woodwork.   I love to polish the banister that goes down the front staircase. The walls are decorated with old paintings.  The house cost little and so do its furnishings.  It is a humble home.

There is nothing of modern design here.  It is classic and old fashioned.  It is peaceful and pleasant.  On these cool autumn days, it is a joy to walk into the house and feel the warmth from our wood stove.  This brings a cozy feeling of happiness. 

There are many mothers who did not grow up in happy homes.  They may not have had a living example of homemaking, of being a beloved wife and mother.  Sometimes this has to be found in the examples of extended relatives, neighbors, those in the church, or in old books and other types of uplifting literature.

Often the trials and tribulations of life around us make it very difficult to have a cozy life at home.  One must always remember that we must have a will, a determination, to make our homes what they ought to be.  It is up to us to oversee and to do the cleaning. It is up to us to rearrange rooms to make them pleasant. It is up to us to keep our hearts set on things above, through prayer and Bible reading, so that a warmth of holiness strengthens us to do the work of making happy homes.

To have a cozy, humble home is something to strive for.  It is something that will take great effort and work, just like our relationships take much labor.  The most important ingredient to having a happy home is to have a humble, grateful heart.

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Happy times at Home - Mother's Dinner Bell.

Teaching the Next Generation - Cleaning House with Baby

Daily work at Home - Gracious Homemaking.


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


  For Encouragement in Christian Homemaking, order Mrs. White's book, "Homemaking For Happiness: Wonderful Days at Home."

In this book, you will find essays, articles, and diary entries about life in a Christian home.

Entries are arranged by season, and include:  "Keeping a Frugal Kitchen;" "Missing the Lilacs;" "An Evening Walk in the Garden;" "At Grandmother's House;" and "Chores for Grandchildren."

You will also find a few photographs showing a little of the local landscape.

Paperback, 307 pages.


 

 

 

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Dear Mrs. White,

Like you, I am a mother who is always at home. My children are grown but the youngest recently moved back home because of a mold issue in the home he was renting. We are making the necessary adjustments. A household of furniture is now in our garage and making its way into various rooms of our home. The first week or so we had to move the dining table into the kitchen making opening the refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher challenging but we worked calmly through it. The biggest adjustment was that our son brought home to us a large European Shepherd dog that he rescued only a few weeks prior. We have a 8 year old Bichon Frise and I have been busy getting the two dogs to become friends and working into a new routine. My son works and is a volunteer fireman in several fire companies so is on the go a lot. He works unusual hours so I am trying to make a new meal schedule. I have more responsibility again but have embraced it and am enjoying having my unmarried son home more again. He loves my home cooking and is eating healthier and I am making his old favorites again. I love being at home and available to sew on buttons, cook favorites, and hear about his day at work and the people he meets when he is out in the pubic. In spite of busy days organizing and rearranging, we still break for tea several times a day! I love these days at home! Thank you for all your encouragement. It is so nice to know I am not alone in loving home and family!

becky said...

Love this-I live in a log cabin down in the woods. Quite humble by modern standards, but we love it. We grow and can our food and have chickens. Still go to the grocery store, so not completely "old school".
Love, Becky

Willemien said...

Thank you,mrs White!
I'm so glad that I found your blog on the blog van Jess!
Every day, I read some post's from your archives.
I love the old fashioned life too.

WhatIfWeAllCared? said...

Yes, the old-fashioned life is far better. I had that a ling time ago. Now, divorced and raising an autistic son while working 48+ hours/week, I need your gentle reminders of the duties I still have at home. ~~{{hugs}}~

Karen Del Tatto said...

I was blessed with a happy childhood; a dad that worked hard to provide for our family, and a mom who was home when I came home from school with milk and cookies.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved the coziness of a home and family. I will even "crawl into pictures" that depict these scenes.

With the Lord's help, I have tried to do the same in my own home.

Thank you for spurring us on to be gentle, Godly homemakers.

Cheryl said...

What a precious, beautiful post! It is such an honor to be a mother and wife and have the privilege of taking care of our families. Thank you for sharing your dear heart here. You are a blessing!

living from glory to glory said...

It is early morning, the teakettle is on and I can still see the full moon in the sky. I am once again blessed to be home, even at the crack of dawn.
Home does not have to be filled with stuff, but rather people that love the Lord and each other. Simple and cozy and clean and warm. Amen
I appreciate your viewpoint...
Blessings, Roxy

Jenny said...

This is so true. Especially the part about the wood stove. I love going back home to KY and feeling that warmth at Daddy's. We don't have a wood stove here, but I like to think just my presence brings a warmth to the home. When my husband and older son return home, I hope they feel it, too. One of my fondest memories of my older son is when he was 4, and we returned home from preschool. I had cooked beef stew earlier in the day and it smelled so good. He walked the door and exclaimed in his backward preschool speak with eyes big and wondering, "What that smell is Mama?". So sweet and simple.

Rose @ Walnut Acre said...

I love this! This is my goal in our home although it's definitely a work in progress.

JES said...

This is excellent. Thank you!

JES said...

Good morning! Just a little note to let you know that this post was FEATURED today on the Art of Home-Making Mondays! Have a lovely week! :) And thank you for joining us!

Deanna said...

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
d