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| Library of Congress: A Family Home in 1900. |
We had a couple of large trees removed from the property this month. They were dangerously close to our house and became a hazard. This has left quite a bit of work for us to do. There is much firewood to cut and stack. The boys use a wheelbarrow to haul stacks of it to the garage, where pieces are then cut to a suitable size for the wood stove. Since the trees are gone, there is a clear view of a side of our house that I have never really seen. It is in desperate need of paint, and makes our home look even more shabby than before.
To take care of the grounds, to maintain the house, and to keep things clean and orderly indoors is a tremendous amount of work. But work is good for us and helps keep us healthy.
Indoors, I have been cleaning and organizing my dressing room. Old files and papers are being discarded. Bags are being filled up with books I no longer need. Bookcases are being straightened and made neat again. It is starting to look better but will always be a regular task to keep the house in order.
While I was working the other day, the grandchildren came to visit me. I had stacks of things all over the floor. I was delighted to have them help me. Then it was time for a rest. I had several tea breaks with different members of the family throughout the day.
In the midst of the maintenance work, there are still the daily duties of laundry, cooking, baking, and cleaning the kitchen. Pacing myself will always be a challenge. I tend to do far more than I should without taking enough breaks. This is something I am trying to improve.
Years ago, I remember my mother-in-law visiting us from Massachusetts. She was an excellent housewife and homemaker, and an incredible example to me. She saw our old house and the many rooms and wondered how I would ever keep up with the work. I wonder that too sometimes!
The weather has been unusually warm. I walked the property with Mister in the late afternoon yesterday. We sat on the bench, back by the river, beside my strawberry garden. It is nice to take breaks.
I have plenty of work today to keep me busy and happy. We will also have company at different times of the day, which will be wonderful.
Blessings
Mrs. White
From the Archives -
A Happy Marriage - Serving Mister.
The Joy of Grandchildren - I Hear Angels Crying.
Our Neglected Home - The Shabby Garden.
- 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.
5 comments:
Hello, Mrs. White, I just want to say thank you for your blog. I always find it to be an encouragement.I hope you will continue writing as often as you can. I like to go back and read your archives. Do you think you could put your subject headings back on the side bar? They were very helpful in finding particular posts. Thank you! Angela
Now that we live in a larger house, I also find it challenging to keep up with everything. For the first time the other day, I just saw the inside of our barn, but there are still areas I have not seen. I am thankful I have children to help me keep up with the work and cleaning of the home. It is going to be more of a challenge when we begin our school studies again though!
Good morning Mrs. White!
I am about to move out of our little farmhouse and into a house in a nearby city, with about twice the amount of space. People have asked me what I'm going to do with all the space and how I'm going to clean it. I'm actually looking forward to having more of a routine for chores, due to the size of the house. Thankfully the bedrooms and baths that we use every day, are upstairs and all the living space is down. My aunt once gave me the advice of cleaning certain rooms on certain days, and by the end of the week, you have cleaned each room.
And, I can certainly relate to all the work it takes to keep up an old house. Honestly, that is what prompted us to sell and buy a smaller lot, but more updated home. The constant care of 6 acres, our farmhouse and my in-laws house on the same property, was running my husband ragged. Not to mention the expense of constantly fixing fences, the tractor or buying horse feed. I'm looking forward to not having those expenses.
Have a great week!
Houses are a forever expense of time and money. When my dear friend and her family bought their first home recently, I told her, "Don't even try to do everything at once. It's expensive, hugely time consuming, & no matter how much you paint, re-do, repair, etc., there's always going to be something else. You will never be done. It's best to pace yourselves. It's a marathon, not a sprint." I think I've been much more relaxed since I learned that lesson.
When I look out in early spring, I see a big winter's mess! Late fallen dried leaves caked under shrubs, bits of trash, fallen stick, weeds emerging, etc. Rather than take in the whole mess at once, I approach it a little at a time. As it's usually still pretty cold out, I'll put on some gloves and take a 5 gal. bucket with me. I'll pull 10 weeds, fill the bucket with whatever needs picking up, & call it a day. In a few weeks, it's all in order again with no aching back!
That's pretty much how I approach all housework these days....slow and steady. It's always going to be there.
When we bought our house, my father in law said, wow, this is a big operation. That was 19 years ago, and I think of his words often as I try and keep up with everything. I agree, slow and steady . . . xo Deborah
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