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| Part of the grounds at Mrs. White's Home in Vermont. |
It has been snowing all day. It is quiet and calm in our rural village. The first two months of the year are the coldest and iciest here in northern Vermont. We tend to stay home most of the time. It is often a tiring ordeal to battle the cold to go out on errands. Whenever I have to go to the store, my husband gets me safely to the car, holding onto me, so I do not slip on the ice. I am grateful for his help.
We are doing our best to stay warm indoors while keeping the electric and heating bills as low as possible. This is the most expensive time of year for us as we are trying to stay warm while managing on a limited budget. We have blankets in almost every room in the house. We bundle up in warm layers of clothing and we move about, doing chores, and keeping busy to help stay warm.
There is a reward for living here as we look at the beautiful scenery. The white landscape and snowy sky are peaceful and restful to watch. Our trees are heavy with snow. It is a lovely place to be.
Yet, we still must endure the storms of weather and those in life. A recent storm knocked down one of our large trees. This was one of our privacy trees which helped shelter us from the outside world. It will take years for a new tree to grow enough to replace the lost one. A few days ago, a major storm with high winds damaged our little (outdoor) artificial Christmas tree. There was a small lit-up deer beside it. The deer is still in place, showing its light in the quiet of the night. But the tree is gone. The pretty scene will be missed.
We are preparing for one of our medical trips. Early next month, we will travel into the next state to a hospital for necessary medical care for one of our household. It is a long trip and we must stay at a hotel. I am doing my best to save up for this expense. I am also hoping to make the most of the journey by visiting some of the local stores. It is a rare treat for me to have the opportunity to shop. We do not have many stores here in our rural area. I like to do my yearly shopping on these medical trips. This is when I find clearance items of gifts that cost about $3 or $4 each for the grandchildren. If I am able to bring $100, I can buy birthday and Christmas gifts for the coming year. I bring these home, wrap them up, label them, and store them until they are needed. It is a great help and a tremendous savings to have this all done at the beginning of each year. This shopping also keeps my spirits up so I do not worry so much about the hospital.
I was in the grocery store the other day. I looked at the snacks, cookies, candy, and treats that were offered. I looked at the freezers full of cakes and different flavors of ice cream. I glanced at the bakery section and enjoyed seeing how many wonderful things there are to eat. Then I selected a bag of white flour, a bag of wheat flour, and a little fresh produce. I would make things at home for far less than it would cost to buy the ready-made treats. It is a great deal of work to make things from scratch. Working so hard to save money can be discouraging. But with a love of home and a desire to serve, I can bring comfort and happiness to my family as a homemaker. I want to be found faithful.
Whatever storms of life we are facing, we need to keep looking up. There is perfect rest and peace when we remember to seek the Lord above all things. The daily prayers, the singing of hymns, and the times of reading the Bible will bring us a feeling of contentment. The work we do each day is like laboring in the Master's field. It is an honor.
Blessings
Mrs. White
*Updated Note: The little Christmas tree is safely in the garage. My husband said he will try to fix it before next winter.
From the Archives -
Taking care of Four Generations in one house - In Pursuit of Christian Duty.
The beautiful testimony of the Mother of D.L. Moody - Poverty in the 1800's.
Something We All Need - Peace Be Upon This House.
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A Simple Method for a Clean and Pleasant Home -
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"Gracious House Keeping: Advice, Encouragement, and Cleaning Help for the Christian Housewife."
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Laboring and working for God each day is an honor and a blessing, indeed, Mrs. White. May our daily actions reflect our trust in Him and His promises for our lives.
ReplyDeleteStay warm and carry on!
I can definitely relate to your description of winter dangers. Up here in northwestern Minnesota our winters are tough too at times. We are very rural, the nearest town is 10 miles away and has almost nothing. We have to travel at least 17 miles to the next nearest town and that's not much either. The grocery store there is very small and expensive. The town we usually shop in is 45 miles away. I am sorry that your lovely little tree was lost in the wind. You wrote about how much you enjoyed that tree when it was lit up for Christmas. Up here we have to keep a well stocked pantry and freezer in winter. I do all cooking from scratch, as everything is very expensive in this rural area. Our utility bills are sky high too. But everything always works out for good and the Lord blesses us greatly. The winter beauty really is something to enjoy - and it is so peaceful. Hope that your travels for medical needs will be successful and that all will be well.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to pack your own shopping bags for your trip. My husband and I went to our local walmart and they are charging 10 cents for small brown bags.
ReplyDeleteStay safe and well so you can have a productive trip.
Barb
Sad to lose your little tree. These small things mean so much. Your post was as always, a delight to read, so helpful and real. I think we are all finding a need to be so much more frugal nowadays. Here we dont have snow, but it is forecast. Then I shall stay at home!
ReplyDeleteI hope your trip is easy for you. Even if one doesnt spend a lot, thee is a joy in having a change of scene, I think.
PRAYING for you that all goes well for the medical trip. Blessings upon blessings dear one! Love, Marsha
ReplyDeleteYou are such an encouragement to so many people. We , here in the Florida Panhandle saw much destruction from terrible tornadoes. In my county we were blessed to have no deaths. I tell everyone we were surrounded by a battalion of angels. God is so good.
ReplyDeleteHello Mrs. White! I bet it's pretty in your neck of the woods. I can relate to your sorrow in losing your tree, the electric company trimmed our neighbors'trees and now we can look directly into their yard, which is full of junk. We'll have to erect some sort of screen come spring. Hope all goes well with the medical procedure and you have a safe trip. And I hope you have an enjoyable shopping trip, too.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Jane
Another beautiful post. Blessings to you and prayers that your medical trip goes well.
ReplyDeleteIt has been so cold here, too!
ReplyDeleteI found your shopping plans interesting. I like money saving tips. :)
Always a treat to stop by and read your lovely blog. We are getting some snow and bitter cold weather here in Kansas. It is beautiful to see from inside the cottage. Getting out in it is a different story although as I was walking to get into he car, I walked in the snow and remembered my childhood days and I laughed. It was a very happy memory. Stay warm and God bless. ~d
ReplyDeleteMrs. White, I pray that the medical trip will go well. You are so smart to purchase presents when they are at greatly reduced prices. The snow is beautiful, we only have very cold temperatures! Stay warm and blessings, Pam
ReplyDeleteHello Mrs. White.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your big tree. Maybe some fast growing hedges could take its place for privacy. I hope your hospital visit goes well and that you are able to add some shopping to your trip. I'm not great at storing gifts, because I forget I have them. So I started a little system to remind me...I have the birthdays written in my planner, and I make a note in the margin about where I put the gift for the birthday coming up that month. So far, it's worked. I like the idea of shopping ahead.
I hope you have a wonderful week! Thanks for sharing your life with all of us :)