Blogging Without Pictures

Visiting by the back fence at Mrs White's Vermont Estate

Over the years, it has been very time consuming to select and include pictures with each blog post.  I have loved that part of blogging, but am finding that I am constantly putting off writing, thinking I just can not come up with the additional energy to find the right picture to go with each post.

I realize that pictures on blogs are very important.  Personally, I am more inclined to take the time to read something if I see a pretty picture first! 

But it is time for a change.  The other day, I was out walking the property in the morning.  The sun was shining on the back fence of our Estate grounds, right near the beautiful rushing river.  It is a spot I love to visit on my daily walks.  (See photo above.) It is like a peaceful retreat.  What I would like to do is include this photograph on every blog post from now on.  This will make things so much easier for me to write more consistently.  This will be the place for our blogging visits. 

There will certainly be times when I will add another picture, or share something special from our home and family, but for the most part, you will simply see the morning light shining on the back fence at the top of each post.

I hope you don't mind this change.  I am very grateful for your patience with how slow and inconsistent I have been in my writing here the last several months. 

Thank you so much for reading.  I will write again soon!

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives (where there are a variety of pretty paintings and photographs) -


A wonderful way to help children - Nobody Wants to Clean a Messy House.

For those Very difficult financial times - All of God's Children Have Shoes.

Old Time Thrift without Rice and Beans - Basic Cookery.




Mrs. White's special book for Homemakers - "Mother's Book of Home Economics."




An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email. 

An Ordinary Life at Home

Most housewives used to rise very early in the morning. They would do the wash and then go out into the fresh air, in the quiet of the day, to hang the clothes on the line.  This was a peaceful work.  This was a time when they could pray, praise the Lord for his goodness, and enjoy some little moments of solitude.

A Homemaker would spend time in the kitchen, making a homemade breakfast, standing near the kitchen window doing dishes and making home a pretty place to be.

Sweeping, washing floors, dusting furniture, folding laundry, and making home pleasant and comfortable brought joy to grateful hearts.

Mother would read the Bible and pray.  She would do mostly the same things each day.  The routine brought stability and comfort to the family.  Most everyone had the same kind of home - an ordinary home - where Mother was home and she took care of housekeeping. 

This quiet life was like living out in the country during a winter holiday.  It was like the days when there were horses and buggies, and travelling was not common before automobiles became the normal mode of transportation.  Staying at home, tending the home, caring for the family, and helping others was ordinary.

This type of life is what the current generation is missing. They are starving for something they have never personally experienced.  They are used to technology, multi-tasking, entitlement, self- absorption, and the frantic pace of the constant bombardment of modern advertising. 

An ordinary life at home is one of the greatest needs of our time. We need mothers who will peacefully tend the home and genuinely love to be there.  They need to be brave and patient.  They need tender hearts and self-less spirits.  The keeper of these ordinary homes are best found among those who are on their knees in prayer, and in those who find their greatest joy in reading the Holy Scriptures. 

Blessings
Mrs. White



From the Archives -

Remembering - A Homemaking Lesson Learned from Mother White.

The Comfort of Home - The Light in the Window.

Mother is the Hostess at -  The Mission House.




Mrs. White's special book for Homemakers - "Mother's Book of Home Economics."




An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email. 

Confined To The Nursery

We once lived in a large, three - story, house in historic Hull Massachusetts. Nearby was property that was owned by the Kennedy family.  At the time, I had three little children and was expecting my fourth.  I was home almost all the time. I made our food from scratch in the large kitchen with its enormous picture window with an ocean view.  Every morning, as the children and I sat at the breakfast table, we would watch the ships going by.  This was an incredible home and we were blessed to have lived there, renting the property, for two winters. 

These days, we are in Vermont and my children are mostly grown. My youngest (of five) will be 18 this summer.  Now there are five grandchildren to watch and to help care for. Three of those babies live here with us, while the other two visit now and then.  All five of the babies, and five of the children were here over the Easter holidays and it was a lovely time.

Yet, I am confined to home. I am confined to the nursery, yet again.  I am caring full time for 2 little grandchildren (ages 2 and 1), here at our 2 acre Vermont Estate.  I am much older now and cannot make all my food from scratch, or keep up with the housework, and take care of everyone without help.  I get tired. I experience unbearable back pain (gentle smiles), and I need the naps just as much as the babies do!

Sometimes, when I get overwhelmed with all the work - the loving guidance; the prayers and the lessons; the cheerful playtimes and stories; and the rocking of babies, I sit and write after they are asleep.  Or I will look at photographs.  This helps me see that we are not just living today, we are creating a history of our lives.  We are living and enjoying our days, despite hardships.  This makes me smile and brings great peace.

Today, I was given permission to share just one picture of 2 of the grandbabies (from my daughter - their mother).  I hope it will make you smile as you know that you are also often confined to home, and to your own nurseries.




Grandchildren on the front porch of Mrs. White's Estate

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

For baby and child care advice  - Old Fashioned Motherhood.

Happy days - Going out with Mister.








Mrs. White's special book for Homemakers - "Mother's Book of Home Economics."




An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email. 

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A House Full of Babies

The house was full of people today. To have family and close friends visiting amidst our domestic duties makes the day go by pleasantly.

We have three little grandbabies here, ages 2 and under.  There are routines and schedules to follow but we can all visit and talk and laugh while we work and care for the children.

When it is time for someone's nap, everyone will scatter.  The house is kept quiet and peaceful so little ones can get their rest.

Many of our guests help with the work during the day. Some sweep the floor, do the dishes, or hold a baby.  We also organize and sort laundry, prepare snacks and meals, and do errands.  Someone will say, "Can I get you a snack?" or "Do you need anything before I go upstairs?"  The house becomes a lovely place for a flurry of activity and hospitality.

Someone prays with a toddler before meals.  I sing hymns while rocking babies to sleep.  Someone reads the Bible to me, or recites a beloved passage of Scripture.  We pray as needs arise, or as some burden is laid on our heart. 

We take care of these wonderful babies, and each other, gratefully,  knowing our foundation is strong in the Lord.

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives:

Happy Summer Days at Home - Walking the Gardens with Baby.

A Blessing to Be One - A Good Little Housewife.

For the Tough Times - How The Old Time Mothers Survived Poverty.







Mrs. White's special book for Homemakers - "Mother's Book of Home Economics."




An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email. 

Despairing over the Cold

This is the time of year when despairing over the cold is common for me.   Last month we ran out of oil to heat part of this large 1800's house. I had an emergency delivery arrive the following morning.  It happened again the other night.  I was woken up in the middle of the night because there was no heat.  It was below zero outside and the temperature was rapidly dropping in the house.  I called the oil company first thing in the morning.

That day, the grandbabies and I spent the day in the parlour near the wood pellet stove. We couldn't play in their rooms because it was too cold.  The babies were entertained with toys, crayons, snacks and some children's movies.  Every now and then, one of us went downstairs to the nursery to get a few more toys. We had to wear a coat, it was so cold in there!

By midafternoon, our oil arrived and the heat was turned back on.  It took a few hours for the temperature to rise. The despair of being cold turned to joy. It is amazing how the simple comfort of warmth can delight the heart! By the children's bedtime, all was back to normal. 

After this ordeal was over I thought about the Pilgrims.  They had settled on the coast in a Massachusetts town.  Today, a living museum shows visitors the reality of the harshness of their living conditions.  Ocean air is bitterly painful and cold in the winter.  I cannot imagine how they kept their spirits up to get through the cold! 

In my father's boyhood days, everyone used a wood stove for heat.  The fire would be allowed to go out when it was bedtime.  The children often shared a bed and were covered with homemade quilts.  Mothers would also have hot water bottles or warm baked potatoes wrapped up by their feet for the children to give them extra warmth.   In the morning, someone would brave the icy cold and start the fire so breakfast could be made and the family would get dressed for the day.

In old remembrance books children wrote of waking up on cold winter nights to find snow had come through the roof and landed on their quilts.  They would also get dressed by the kitchen stove because that is the only place in the house where there was warmth.  These same children would attend a one room schoolhouse which was heated by a wood stove.  The desks would be moved to keep the children as close to that source of heat as possible.

These stories make me realize how very pampered I am.  But being warm is one of the greatest needs during a New England winter.  Many people spend the year saving for a family vacation, or a shopping spree. We spend our year saving up every dime we can to buy our heat for the winter.  I won't even let myself think of what it would be like to visit Hershey, Pennsylvania, Dollywood in Tennessee, or even Disneyland, because as wonderfully enjoyable as those trips would be, I am only able to sit by the wood stove in a rocking chair, reading my Bible, and waiting for the winter to thaw out into a pleasant spring. 

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Please don't be one of these - Ex - Housewife.

A Summer Visit to our Property - Tour of the Estate Grounds.

For those Difficult Days - Prayers Which Cannot be Uttered.




Mrs. White's special book for Homemakers - "Mother's Book of Home Economics."




An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email. 

Economy For The Christian Home

~ Our newest book, brought to you by "The Legacy of Home Press." ~


This book was written while taking care of grandbabies, cleaning the house, cooking, and caring for the family.  It was very difficult to write in my notebook when everyone was sleeping, or jot down Bible verses and look up passages while dinner was cooking.  It took many hours of formatting, proofreading and fixing mistakes.  It is still imperfect, just as I am. (gentle smiles). 

The front cover is of our Vermont property. The photograph was taken in November 2014. We still have lots of snow here as it stays all winter long in northern Vermont.  In the picture, you can see our tall Christmas trees, our American flag and our old wooden wagon.

The book is designed to bless and encourage you in saving and giving. It includes some personal stories from my own experience, along with ideas for your own home.  I hope this book will encourage you in the careful use of money,  as you strive to be the kind of wife your husband can say he does not worry about the waste of domestic funds. (Proverbs 31:11)

Here are the details:

Economy for the Christian Home: A 12 Week Challenge for Wives to Increase Charitable Giving

by Mrs. Sharon White

6" x 9"

110 pages, paperback

The Legacy of Home Press
ISBN-13: 978-0692361122
ISBN-10: 069236112X

 

Details:

 

A Bible study designed for individual or group use.  {Scripture quoted in this book is from the KJV Bible.}

 

 Includes 12 challenges, 12 homework assignments and 12 devotionals to inspire and motivate you. 

 

You will learn about a "Charity Box" for the home; how "New England Thrift" can help you save money; how "Prayer Directed Giving" can warm your heart; what it is like to "Live in Reduced Circumstances" and much more.

 

At the end of the 3 month program, your house-account should be more efficient. You will have money in your savings account and your giving will increase in ways that will bless you and others as well.

 

The book is for sale on Amazon. I hope you will like it.

 

Blessings

Mrs. White

 

 

From the Archives -

 

Training Children - Nobody Wants to Clean a Messy House.

 

For Homeschoolers - Education Must Not Be Rushed.

 

Welcome Home - The Light in the Window.

 

 

 

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Waiting for Mister

I looked out the kitchen window as I washed dishes before sunrise. I could see Mister's garage.  Often he has a light on out there and the wood stove going. He does projects and works on his car while I am sleeping.  Sometimes he can see me through the kitchen window.  He will go outside and wave.  He has his warm coat, hat, and gloves on.  Then I know he will come indoors for coffee, because he sees that I am awake.  

Other times, I am by the parlour window in the evening, waiting for him to come home. I watch the street and the driveway, looking forward to his return from an errand or from work. 

Many years ago, while 9 months pregnant with our fourth child, I waited for Mister to come home, and had fallen asleep.  Sometime in the middle of the night I received a phone call from the police.  My husband had been in a car accident on the way home from work and was in the hospital.  Someone had to drive me to see him.  I had Grandpa stay with my young children, and Grandmother took me to see Mister.   He had been hit by a drunk driver and our car had been totalled.  He was out of work for many months during his recovery.  But he was okay.

Whenever Mister is away from home, and I am waiting for him, I always pray that he gets home safely, that he is able to get back to this lovely home he provides for us.  We all miss him when he is not here.  Waiting for Mister is a precious time of thinking about him, praying for him, and missing him.  After more than a quarter of a century of marriage, through many trials and tribulations, our relationship has weathered many storms.  This has created a mutual bond of deep and genuine attachment and a love that has been tried, and proven unbreakable. 

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

He Carried me in the Rain - Walking the Grounds with Mister.

When we Married we took - A Vow of Poverty.

A Peaceful and Happy Life at Home - The Simplicty of Old Fashioned Homemaking.




Mrs. White's special book for Homemakers - "Mother's Book of Home Economics."




An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email. 

The Laziest Mother in the World

I have been trying to conserve my strength by resting. This resting has gotten to the point of making me feel weak and ill.   The house does not look as lovely as I would like. 

I have been walking through rooms acting as if the little messes around me were normal.  All of my efforts have been focused on taking care of my two little grandbabies.  Despite this, I felt as if I was the laziest mother in the world! (gentle smiles)

The other day, I decided to find 15 minutes to exercise.  I did it just before bed so I could sleep!  The next day I was so tired, I feel asleep much too early in the evening. Those few minutes of exercise (using ankle weights and light hand weights) paid off. Today, I had more energy. I was able to take care of the babies, deep clean the kitchen, and still have energy.  My times of resting were more valuable and felt refreshing after doing all that work.

This was how my mother - in - law used to spend her days. She would work on dusting, organizing, polishing, and sweeping, then she would sit and relax in the living room.  She was a classic housewife who had a lovely, well kept, yet humble home.

Indulging in resting for too long can make us sick.  It can make us so weary that we feel trapped in a state of listless laziness.  We miss out on so much if we do not take care of ourselves.  We need a little bit of time each day to maintain our health.

As I realized that this morning, I put on a pretty apron and went to my kitchen. I have an old recording of Pasty Cline and played that on my kitchen radio while I worked.  The sound make me think of the old time housewives who were dedicated to organizing, home cooking, and cheerfully caring for the family.  It made me happy to work.  It also helped my health to recover, and my strength and endurance to improve.

It was a joy to care for the grandbabies and my home.  Yet I will admit that after doing my chores, it is lovely to relax on the little sofa in the parlour with one of the babies and indulge in a bit of restful "laziness."

Blessings
Mrs. White


From the Archives -

Those happy moments - Time with Mister.

You Can Do it!  - Housekeeping With a Will.

Have you seen our Vermont Property? - Tour of the Estate Grounds.




Mrs. White's special book for Homemakers - "Mother's Book of Home Economics."




An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email. 

Playing House in Real Life

I spend every waking moment caring for two of my grandbabies. Their every smile is my joy.  Their falls and spills are my opportunity to comfort and encourage them.  They brighten a room with their adorable presence.

When the infant cries, the toddler comforts her.  I love to see how much they love and care about each other.  I love to sit in the big chair, in the nursery corner, and read piles of books with them.  They mostly point to pictures and repeat some of my words.  They are learning.

I prepare bottles for baby, and simple lunches and snacks for the toddler.  I dress them in their blanket sleepers after baths, and dress them in their nicest clothes for an outing.  We are home, here at the Estate, for most of the time and it is a peaceful, happy place to be.

Sometimes there is crankiness or willful moments of temper, but we soothe them with our patient understanding and kindness.  I have many helpers here.

I love that someone else makes my lunch, or brings me tea so I can "Play house" with the babies.  I love that I have others to do some of my chores so I am free to sing lullabies and rock in the old chair with a baby.

I also love to do some of the cleaning while holding a baby.  One morning I had to vacuum the downstairs carpet, and the toddler got his toy push mower and "vacuumed" along with me.  I tell him we are "cleaning the mess."  He thinks this is part of our daily routine and is entertained.

Many of us had dolls when we were little girls.  We would have doll blankets and clothes and little beds.  We would keep our rooms neat and care for our "babies."  We did this so lovingly and patiently.  This is what it feels like, now, as I get to care for these precious children.  Yet, when I notice myself getting overtired or overwhelmed, I pick up one of the cherubs and kiss a chubby cheek and tell the baby what wonderful fun we are going to have in the nursery, and we go and play as if we have all the time in the world.

Blessings
Mrs. White

From the Archives -

A Wonderful Place to be - Grandmother's Nursery.


Mrs. White's latest book:

 - "Old Fashioned Motherhood - baby and child care advice from a New England Housewife."




An Invitation - Subscribe to The Legacy of Home and have it delivered directly to your email.