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| Mrs. White's New Coaster With a Winter Scene. |
As soon as we saw the first snow, here in Vermont, I wanted to do special things to cheer up the home. My husband set up the Christmas lights on our garage and front porches. He set out our little 6 - foot tree, on a stand, in the center of the front grounds. These Christmas decorations help brighten the mood and make me smile.
One afternoon, I had to go to the pharmacy. I wandered around the aisles of Christmas displays as I waited for the prescription to be ready. I had just a few dollars and hoped to find something special. I found a beautiful coaster with a charming winter scene (see the above photograph). It was only $3.00. This sits on a tea table in my room. It brings me a bit of joy.
With all the worry and stress going on around us, I am focusing on the home instead of on the news. I am busy with the family and homemaking and trying to bring peace and stability to our lives, despite the fear of our times. Right now, it is the season of Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are many precious days ahead.
I have been looking at photo albums and treasures from parents and grandparents. They have lived through many rough days, just as we are living through ours. But the heritage of home, making a cheerful and restful place for the family, has always been the priority throughout the generations.
I am planning little gift ideas for our 12 grandchildren. I am thinking about the Christmas fudge and cookies I will make to give to the families of my grown children. I will listen to old gospel music, precious sermons, and wonderful, old fashioned Christmas music on my kitchen CD- player.
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| The Christmas Tree - after it was just set up for the season on our front grounds. |
After my husband set up the lights and the tree, I had to go out on an errand. It was not yet nightfall when I left. Some of my errands are stressful as shopping and banking are full of reminders of a virus we cannot see. These are tiring days, but the work must go on. After I finished the shopping, the sun began to set. The Vermont landscape was so peaceful. As I drove along, I remembered the Christmas lights at home. I had hoped my husband would have them all turned on for me to see when I returned. Soon I was driving towards our house. I was delighted to see the lights. It was so cheerful and fun and happy to see something so beautiful despite what is going on in the world around us.
Every day, if we could only find some way of cheering up our surroundings, bringing laughter and joy into our home, and helping to boost morale as we trudge through this life. It is certainly an adventure. Despite all the trials and troubles, we can create moments of happiness. Mother and Dad are often the ones to make the home a memorable and wonderful place to be. We can do this no matter what is going on in the world. We can protect the home and guard our families, bringing them joy and blessings, with the help of our dear Lord.
Blessings
Mrs. White
From the Archives -
Training Children - Nobody Wants to Clean a Messy House.
Frugal Wisdom - Why The High Cost of Food?
Family Life - The Secret to a Happy Home.
Find Home-keeping Inspiration, in Mrs.White's book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking. Paperback, 274 pages.
An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email.
12 comments:
QUERIDA HERMANA EN CRISTO: WOW, SI QUE HA PASADO TIEMPO DESDE SU ULTIMA PUBLICACION, EXTRAÑABA SUS MENSAJES SIEMPRE TAN ALENTADORES, TAN DE HOGAR. ¿ESTAN TODOS USTEDES BIEN? ¿ALGUNA PETICION PARA ORAR? PARA ESO ESTAMOS LOS SANTOS, PARA ORAR LOS UNOS POR LOS OTROS. REALMENTE VIVIMOS EPOCAS DIFICILES, TAMBIEN AQUI EN MI PAIS ARGENTINA, EL VIRUS ESTA GOLPEANDO FUERTE, MUCHOS INFESTADOS, MUCHAS MUERTES, SOY AGRADECIDA A DIOS PORQUE EL NOS GUARDA Y LIBRA DE TODO MAL, TAMBIEN, CON UNA ECONOMIA EN RESECION, DIOS SIEMPRE ES FIEL, SUPLIENDO TODAS NUESTRAS NECESIDADES, TENEMOS FALTANTE DE ALGUNAS COSAS, PERO SABEMOS VIVIER Y CONTENTARNOS CON POCO, LO IMPORTANTE, ES ESTAR FIRMES EN EL SEÑOR. ¿PODRIA USTED PASAR POR MI BLOG? ALLI COMENTO SOBRE MI VIDA FAMILIAR, MIS PROYECTOS DE COSTURA, TEJIDOS, COCINA ECT. DESEANDOLE QUE SIGA VIVIENDO EN LA PAZ DE JESUS, RECIBA UN ABRAZO A LA DISTANCIA. BENDICIONES.
Thank you for this! Home is definitely where the heart is, and we need to make our homes a place where our families want to be, especially in these times! Stay safe and enjoy your holidays 😊
Thank you again for a beautiful and hopeful message.
This is our first year with all of our parents now deceased. It is an odd feeling, especially since our children and grandchildren live far away and we cannot be together this year due to covid restrictions.
I look forward to your posts. Merry Christmas! Jane
A lovely article, Mrs. White! I am also trying to make our home a haven of joy and peace during these stressful times. The world is just a little too crazy for me, and I cannot relate to anything that is going on. I have started decorating our home for Christmas and going through recipe files to see what I would like to make this year. I usually put up a couple small trees instead of one big one. This is easier for me now that I am older. Like you mentioned in your article, I will be making cookies and fudge varieties to give as gifts to grandchildren. About a month ago I bought a small white Christmas tree at an antique store that has fiber optic ends that glow in various colors. I will put small silver, gold and pink ornament balls on it and set it on a kitchen counter by the doorway. It will be a cheerful decoration as I spend time in the kitchen.
Dear Mrs. White, This is a very uplifting post. Thankful you have returned to blogging. The decorated yard tree is beautiful. I have hopes of making HOME a brighter place. This virus pandemic has given us a chance to stay HOME and hopefully be refreshed. Going to stores does add some stress as we cannot see the virus as you said. It was so nice to come visit your blog and see a new post. Thank you for sharing. Blessings, d
When I saw you had a post up, I went and got a cup of hot coffee, snuggled under a blanket, and read it. Twice! I am so happy you posted, my friend. I learn so much from you and gain the strength to continue to focus on my home and family during this hard time. Please continue to write. And have a cozy evening up there.
There you are! : )
Oh so glad to see a new blog from you! I was becoming concerned. Just read your blog to my husband as he was sitting here in the living room, I had told him about your tree in the yard and how it would be nice if we could do the same thing, he thought that might be a good idea, he liked the idea. I told him how nice it is to read of other homemakers who have the same heart, and we both agree that the internet is such a blessing because of that need for like mindedness for stay at home wives, mommies and grandmommies who have the same heart.
Oh *sigh* I too am trying to keep my home a pretty place to lift my spirits here in my little world. I put up three small Christmas trees today, one is my new little four foot false one that I adorned with soft white lights, I call it my Amelia-tree. *smile* I have become so tired of wrestling with a big tree by myself being almost an empty nester I decided to free myself with smaller ones this year focusing on the lights. I put up two others today too, they are little one footers with the same lights, one has a dollar store little silver star on the top and it looks so vintage! My youngest daughter has bought herself a real tree from the grocery store, a four footer we have sitting on an old cedar chest that was made for me when I was born, that one sits near the table and kitchen. It's not dressed yet, I'm waiting on my youngest daughter to do that one. I love the coffee-house glow now I have achieved, I have some more little trees I will put out this week etc. It really does bring such joy to my heart! You are so right!
Your coaster is absolutely beautiful. Cardinals are very special to me and the scene here is so tranquil and beautiful, I can certainly see how that coaster would minister to your spirit. I actually bought a little garden banner to hang in my back yard garden to see through the window with a very similar scene.
I know how you feel on the news, we stopped watching it a few months ago, it was one lie after another. We now just keep up with Eric Metaxas radio news on youtube or maybe Newsmax or OAN through our Channel Master when we feel the need for news of the day when something of importance is going on. I try to just to keep sweet or cheerful music on now through the day, maybe even an old 40s movie, and now I think it's time for "It's a Wonderful Life".
I enjoyed your blog greatly, don't underestimate how encouraging your blog is to homemakers such as myself.
Take care, and looking forward to the next update from Mrs. White. Oh dear one, such a breath of fresh air...Merry Christmas blessings and hugs coming your way.
Love, Amelia
Thank-you, Mrs. White. Your cheerful post and description of the simple things you are doing for Christmas were so encouraging and reminded me that we're not alone. How stabilizing it is to continue to keep the joy and hope in the Lord for our families. I loved the photo of your tree with your husband's footprints in the snow leading to and from the tree as he performed this sweet service for you! My husband put lights on our eaves and fence that lines our driveway - he always does such a nice job on the lights! We put up our tree and a few simple decorations - our house is small, so too many would be overwhelming. I love how our little house looks all dressed up for the season. After they were up, I observed that some would probably find it rather shabby, but it is cheerful to us! Have a lovely holiday!
Thank you for this lovely post. These are indeed the things we should set our minds on...things that are true, lovely and of good repute. We cannot control anything outside our four walls. We can control the atmosphere of our homes and make them a sanctuary of sorts. Kelly
Good afternoon, what a treat to see a new post from you. I imagine your home and tree and lights all look so sweet and charming.
We have a few indoor things out for Christmas and the lights are just cheerful.
I like your new coaster, it’s a very similar scene to a wall picture that lights up we bought at Aldi several years ago. Both are similar to Currier and Ives I think.
Thank you Mrs White for this post. It truly is a reminder for us to find ways to bring joy through difficult times. Thank you for sharing with us. Blessings to you and your family. Brenda
Merry Christmas, Mrs. White! We've just had our first snow here, too. Actually, it's been our first real snow in seven years and it's been so cold that it's stuck around for five days now! This is very rare in our part of Arkansas...what a joy and a gift to our kids!
Hope you are all happy and well and enjoying the holiday season!
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