Wednesday, March 27, 2024

A Treasure in our Family has Gone

Floral Oil Painting by Jan Verhas,1896.

 

The first few months of this year have been very difficult for us. One of the reasons for this is the decline in health of my dear Aunt.   Some weeks ago, she passed into her eternal rest in Heaven.

Even though it has been so hard and emotionally painful to endure this, I have to remind myself that we live by faith and not by sight.  We know that she is with the Lord, happy, healed, and safe in Heaven.  We know we will see her again. This comforts us and sustains us to know that we will see our family again someday when our earthly journey is over.

My Aunt was an incredible example of what family is all about. When we children were growing up, she came alongside my parents and supported them and encouraged them. She helped them take care of us. She was often at our home and we were always at her house.  We were always welcome because she had a close bond with us.  She was not a distant relative but considered to be part of our immediate family. Not only did she help our parents bring us up, she also helped with the upbringing of all of her other nieces and nephews. She was like a matriarch in our family. 

In later years, she was there for all of us to help with our own children. She helped guide, support, and encourage us as we began raising her great-nieces and great-nephews. All the children loved and adored her.  Her home was a beautiful place of humble elegance and grace. She was a great example of good manners, dignity, and living a beautiful life. To this day I still remember many of her wise sayings, (which were always said with a thick Boston accent). She was a strong and enduring influence in all of our lives for goodness and right living.  She was exactly what an Aunt should be.

We are preparing to attend her funeral service, which will happen in a couple of weeks.  We will travel to our home state of Massachusetts and stay at a hotel for a few days. We will spend time with the family to comfort and be there for each other.  We are working hard to save up for this trip. We want to be there for this important duty to stand by her and ensure she is carefully laid to her final rest. We will stand there with reverence and a great sense of respect.  We will do it with love and with grateful hearts.

While we are there, to keep us cheerful and encouraged,  I will be taking pictures of the ocean, the scenery, and the city of Boston as we drive through the busy streets. I will gather these together to share with you later, here on the blog.  I also hope to get some pictures of the beautiful, old, historic cemetery where some of my family is buried, as we all wait for resurrection morning.  We have a hope and a promise. There are mansions waiting for us in Heaven.  Remembering this brings great comfort.

 

The greatest need we have in our day is to have a strong focus on our family. It is the most important thing in life - to keep building up the home.

Blessings

Mrs. White

 

From the Archives -

Encouragement from the old days - Drastically Reducing the Grocery Budget.

Please be one of these -   The Mother Who Isn't Busy.

Daily life with 4 generations in the house - In Pursuit of Christian Duty.

 

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

 

For happiness and cheer in the kitchen:

Mrs. White's old fashioned cookbook focuses on serving meals and setting the table in a humble home.


"Serving in the Kitchen: Cookbook with Recipes, Advice, and Encouragement for the Christian Home"

152 pages, paperback

 





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.

  

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

 


Mrs. White's special book for homemakers: 
 
 
Paperback, 200 pages. 










Friday, March 15, 2024

Getting By without Debt

LOC: Sitting by the fireplace around 1925.


I was out in the rain doing errands. There was a chill and a weariness about me that made me long for home.  I looked forward to a cozy fire in the pellet stove and a comfortable room where I could rest.  But when I walked into the house, I found a cold and empty parlour.  It was soon explained to me that the wood pellet stove was broken.

I put on a thick house robe and made some tea.  There was nothing I could do about the broken stove.  I had to find another way to get warmed and rested. We pulled out a little space heater and set it up in the parlour.  It was nice to sit right next to it and get a bit of warmth and heat. 

In these modern days of central heat and efficient homes it is hard to imagine being cold. It used to be that people would gather around the fireplace where they could get warm.  There were times when there was a rocking chair by the kitchen stove. This was where the family spent their time staying cozy until bedtime. Then they would hurry upstairs to get under a pile of warm quilts.  Being cold was just the way it was. But those wood stoves were so comforting and helped keep out the chill.

Here in Northern Vermont, our winters are long and cold.  It is common for us to need the wood pellet stove into the month of May.  As spring comes along, it is needed less often, but always for a little while each day to keep the chilly air out of our house.  

Whenever there is a sudden expense we are facing, we have to stop and consider.  We cannot just spend money or place an order for these necessary things in life. Nobody is made of money. We have to get by and make do so that we have time to save up for the expense. We need to find a way to hang on and just do the best we can until money is available.

After careful investigation of our pellet stove, my husband has found the need for a replacement part.  He has been maintaining and repairing these types of stoves for us over the years.  The part he needs will cost a few hundred dollars.  It would be normal these days for people to get out a credit card and go into debt to get such a necessary part. But we cannot live on borrowed money. We only have the means to live within a careful budget. There are always going to be extra financial needs that come up. We can only handle a certain amount each month.  We cannot live in a way that is beyond our means. This would be dangerous and could leave one in dire circumstances.  Living within one's budget means we have to learn how to make do and to get by. This is common, old time living.

Brighter days will come.  There will not always be hardships. But when we have to endure some hard days because of our financial circumstances, we will come out of this with a feeling of peace and rest knowing it is the Lord who takes care of His children. He will always provide in His perfect timing. We will simply get by and make do, waiting for the storm clouds to clear. 

Blessings

Mrs. White

* Notice: For those who are interested in helping us with the expense of our ongoing medical trips, a page has been set up with all the details:

https://thelegacyofhome.blogspot.com/p/help-with-our-medical-trips.html

We are grateful for your kindness!

 

From the Archives -

Remembering my Childhood - When Television was Special

Some Encouragement - Why The High Cost of Food?

The Way it Was in the Old Days - Retirement Planning for the Poor

 

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


For a Peaceful, Old Fashioned Bible Time:

  

A 90 - Day devotional study by Mrs. White, featuring the writings of Mrs. Elizabeth Prentiss from the 1800's.

The Prentiss Study Deluxe Edition

paperback, 105 pages, 6 x 9.

ISBN: 978-1956616040



 

 

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Surrounded by Good Things in the Home

LOC: Mrs.Theodore Eickholt and her three children, Iowa, 1936.


A few years ago, I started to feel a heaviness. It was as if there was a dark cloud over my life.  I finally realized that I needed more cheerful things around me. 

The first thing I did was order myself a Christian-based calendar-planner book. This would be something I would see several times a day.  There are Bible verses for every single day of the year. This was something good for my home and life. It helped my mood a great deal.

Then I made sure my wall calendar was pretty. I stopped getting a cheap one from the dollar store because it was lacking something. When I switched to getting one from Sword of the Lord publishers or In Touch Ministry, I felt as if I was supporting good ministries while also having a beautiful, encouraging calendar that was also a necessary item for my home. 

The main screen on my computer has a wallpaper image with an encouraging quote by Charles Spurgeon. 

 

Part of an image on my computer screen, with an inspiring quote.

The walls of my house have mottoes with Bible verses and inspiring sayings to bring a smile and a bit of encouragement to weary minds.  

I believe there is a battle, in our day, over our emotions and thoughts which bring a great deal of anxiety, worry, and discouragement.  We need to counteract this with good things. We need to be surrounded by that which is good and lovely and peaceful.

In the old days mothers were busy keeping house, taking care of their children, gardening, and just trying to make sure all were fed and cared for.  Their own little world was simply their immediate family, neighbors in the community, and guests who visited. This was before there were television sets. It was before telephones became popular. The worries had more to do with what was happening in their own homes and lives.  They were not as overwhelmed and full of fear as we tend to be in our modern day with constant news updates from around the world.  We have so many distractions and things to plague our emotions.  We need to constantly seek peace and find a way to quiet our hearts and soothe our minds.

Keeping lovely things around the house is a tremendous help.  Having good friends and family members who bring cheer and a light of hope and help is a blessing.  But most of all, we need to keep reminding ourselves to "keep walking with the Lord."   

When we are discouraged and down, it is a good time to look at all the good things in our homes.  Take a few minutes to read the beautiful Psalms and Proverbs and find comfort in Scripture.  We need to take a break from trying to solve all of our problems or trying to imagine solutions and just rest in the presence of the Lord.  When we are at our wits end, on the verge of sorrow and fear, it is time to remember that we cannot walk this path in our own strength. It is impossible!

Scripture verses on the walls of a home, an open Bible displayed on a table, pretty flowers from the garden, and a lovely well-kept home will bring rest to our minds. Doing good things and being surrounded by good things is an excellent way to chase away the dark clouds of the world.  We can make the effort, each day, to spread sunshine and good will to our families. It all starts with being surrounded by good things.

Blessings

Mrs. White

 

* Notice: For those who are interested in helping us with the expense of our ongoing medical trips, a page has been set up with all the details:

https://thelegacyofhome.blogspot.com/p/help-with-our-medical-trips.html

We are grateful for your kindness!

 

 From the Archives -

The Blessing of  -  The Mother Who Isn't Busy.

Happy and Frugal Kitchen work  - Basic Cookery.

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

 

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

 

 "At Mother's House" by Mrs. White:

  

For Encouragement in Homemaking, order Mrs. White's book, from 2016, "At Mother's House: The Blessing of Being a Christian Housewife."

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

There are 40 entries which include:  "Poor and Pretty Living;" "A Home Without Clutter;" "The Money Packets;" "A Church Diet for the Family;" "Bringing Home Baby;" "The Children's Prayers;" "The Shabby Garden:" and "Just a Housewife."

Those who are seeking a peaceful home, with the Lord as the foundation, will find encouragement. (Paperback, 122 pages.)





 

 

 

 


Monday, March 4, 2024

Steady in Homemaking

The playground and park benches on our property.


It is so important to have a steady routine.  We have our meals at set times. There are chores to do throughout the day. We spend time visiting with family and guests as we provide a lovely haven of rest at home. All these lovely things, done with a good dose of cheer, will bring peace. 

To be steady and strong, requires dedication to hard work. This will impact others only when it is done with a love of good will. It has been said that happiness is not dependent on our circumstances. It comes from the heart. We need to nurture this wonderful feeling of joy by walking closely with the Lord and following the principles in Scripture. This brings a light to the world around us and warms the hearts of the family.  A dedicated homemaker is greatly needed to inspire and encourage the next generation.

Regardless of what is going on around us, in the neighborhood or with personal trials, we can remain steady in our homemaking.  Keeping house provides an anchor of stability in our lives. 

To be steady means to remain calm. It requires dignity, good manners, and a gracious attitude.  

When hard times come into the household, from worries, financial difficulties, or in stressful moments, we need to steady our actions and attitudes to keep the peace and remain a guiding light of goodness.

Sometimes I am listening to the troubles and trials of others and I don't know what to say.  I don't know how to help.  While they are speaking, I am learning to pray in my mind, such things as, "bless her, Lord." or "Heal him, Lord." Sometimes it helps to pray (in one's heart), "peace be upon him, Lord."   These are quiet conversations with God to help guide us and comfort us as we seek to comfort others. This is part of being steady and stable in our lives. We do not react to others based on moods or fluctuating emotions. We speak and we act with a quiet dignity and a sense of compassion. This spreads a light of virtue and brings rest to the difficult moment.   

We have had to take a few trips in the last few weeks for medical care*.  The journeys have been exhausting. There is a constant temptation to give in to fear and worry.  It is too easy to get caught up in the moment of trial and forget that one is an ambassador of a lovely Christian home. We need to remember to cultivate this kind of beautiful life whether we are at home or abroad. We need an orderly life with a heart for homemaking wherever we go.

One of the greatest needs we have in our day is to have a stable routine of homemaking.  The world is living on whims and emotions. The culture promotes self and boldness.  There is a lack of care and concern for members of the household. Many are doing their own thing rather than taking care of each other. This is not an environment which will nurture a rested heart or a strong family life. We need to get back to the task of old fashioned homemaking.

Blessings

Mrs. White

* Notice: For those who are interested in helping us with the expense of our ongoing medical trips, a page has been set up with all the details:

https://thelegacyofhome.blogspot.com/p/help-with-our-medical-trips.html

 

We are grateful for your kindness!

 

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