Saturday, March 23, 2024

Keeping the Family Homestead

March snow at Mrs. White's property in Vermont.


We are in the middle of a storm. It has been snowing heavily all night and day.  We just went outside for a little walk.  It was lovely to slowly trudge through the deep snow and observe the beautiful scenery on the front grounds.  I brought my umbrella along for protection as I took several photographs around me.  

My husband walked along with me. I said to him, "Doesn't this remind you of the blizzard of '78?"  I was referring to a major snowstorm in our home state of Massachusetts many years ago. (We lived in a suburb, south of Boston.) It had grounded all of us and shut down so much of normal life.  There was no traffic on the streets.  No one could drive on the roads in that condition.  People used sleds as they walked to the corner grocery to buy supplies for the home.  The children spent days building snowmen, snow forts, and sledding down the hills.  It was incredible.  Spending time together, as families in the neighborhood, with fun and happiness, is the most striking memory I have during that storm.  

Family memories and life at home are precious.  I am grateful for this old 1850's house. We have lived here for 20 years now.  Shortly after we bought this house, Nana and Grandpa (my parents) moved in with us. They lived in a separate section of this house and had their own kitchen and living room.  They were here as our five children were growing up. They hosted our Thanksgiving dinners and watched as some of the older ones left the nest. They were here when one of our daughters, along with her family, began to raise her first 2 children in our house.  The residents of this household, for 2 years, had four generations all living together at one time. It was a wonderful blessing.

Nana and Grandpa (as the great-grandparents) lived with us for 9 years. They have since gone home to their Heavenly rest.  Perhaps, someday, in 10 or 15 years, my husband and I may very well be great-grandparents ourselves.  If  we are still here in this same house at that time, there will be 5 generations who have enjoyed our humble Estate. It would be lovely if we could continue this tradition and keep the house going for future generations.

The family has seen many ups and downs in life. We have endured hardship, health difficulties, and limited financial means.  The lessons we have all learned of a strong work ethic, the love of family, and our great faith in the Lord, are being passed down throughout the family as we live out our daily lives in this humble old house. 

Over the years we have had passing thoughts of finding a smaller home, thinking it might be warmer in winter or more economical. Yet, as we have looked, we have not found anything to compare to this old place.  With the rising cost of land and homes, even mobile homes, it is cheaper to live here, we have found, than any other place we have seen. We are thankful for this and happy to remain in the old house.

This is the place where family values and memories of the family are vivid. I still remember the children, in their younger years, walking up the stairs as they smiled and chattered about their projects.  Then, as the years went on, the grandchildren began holding the banister rail and toddling up those same stairs. I love being here for this.  

Now that many of the grandchildren are getting older, this house is so familiar to them. It is familiar to our own children whenever they come home to visit. They drive down the same old driveway and know they will see Mother in the kitchen getting ready to serve some special treat. They will see Dad in the recliner, resting from some chore he just finished. These were the same things Nana and Grandpa did when they lived here.  This gives us all a sense of stability.  This place will always feel like home.

I want to keep the old homestead. It is full of so many memories of the generations of our family.  I am grateful and blessed to be here.

Blessings 

Mrs. White

From the Archives -

Mother inspires the Family - The Cultured Society of Home.

Wisdom from Colonial Days - To Earn and Not to Spend.

What Many of Us Crave - An Ordinary Life at Home.

  

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9 comments:

  1. I was just thinking about you when I saw that a new post has arrived on your site! We are awaiting a major snowstorm ourselves up here in northwestern Minnesota. The weatherman is predicting 6 to 15 inches of snow starting tomorrow morning. We will go to church but hope that our trip back home will not be too bad! I DO remember that famous New England storm of 1978! I was living in Portsmouth Rhode Island at the time. It was quite a storm with lightning and snow and thunder and heavy accumulations. A very strange storm indeed.
    How fortunate you are to have your family with you most of the time. Sounds like a wonderful household full of memories. You have written a beautiful post.

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  2. We were hit by that storm too. It snowed all day yesterday. Today the sun came out and it is melting.
    I remember the blizzard of 78 also. It hit Michigan hard and remains one of the worst storms in our history.
    A family homestead is a treasure indeed.

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  3. This is so lovely. I can't begin to tell you what your writings have meant to me and how much they have inspired me. I am encouraged to be a better homemaker and to walk closer with Christ every time I visit your blog or read one of your books. Thank you and God bless!

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  4. Hoe lovely to be so secure and happy in your home. I grew up with grandparents living in the same house, and I have so many happy memories of those years.

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  5. We have children and grandchildren visiting with us this week, which is a joyous time. I do wish they lived closer, but it is a blessing to have them now. Family is everything!
    Have a blessed week!

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  6. I love your description of the familiar home there, it's so true. There is such comfort I think for our grandchildren when their parents drive up the familiar driveway to Mimi and Popo's house. My grandparents always lived in the same home, and I have such loving, fond memories of that humble sweet home. There was a lot of love and laughter there.

    Take care now, be careful in that weather, oh my! Psalms 91 ~Amelia

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  7. Our thoughts are much like yours. We have been here 30 years in a too big house with too much land for us but I can still hear their feet on the stairs and love to think of all the happy memories. Now our eight grandchildren love to be here. We have made adjustments to make our life easier like putting in a stair lift and will continue to press on to maintain the old house that is home.

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  8. What an incredible life to be able to live it with your generations. God bless you. I know you already bless your family.
    Laura Lane
    Carthage, MO

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  9. How lovely to have so many generations sharing one home. I think it is an ideal situation. It must give so much security to the children. We were expecting more snow but only got a few inches. I remember that blizzard of 78 also. I was at college and our dorms were snowed in and we no one had the keys to the cafeteria, so we all gathered our food that we had squirreled away and made the best of the situation for several days until we were plowed out.

    Hugs
    Jane

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