The Citizenship and Kingdom of the Home

Our citizenship in the home, is where our own dear kingdom exists. It is here where we are free to rule ourselves according to heavenly principles. The home is where our attention to duty and honor will determine our future.

In this kingdom, a men and women rule their own houses. They are not there because of the amount of votes they got. They are not the rulers because they were elected. They are there by divine appointment. God created the home, the first kind of government there ever existed. The home suited the spiritual, social, economic and physical needs of its own citizens, and it still does.

The nation of the home is so important that it cannot be put out of office by popular vote or law. Whatever the current trend or rage is, the home remains the same. The home is a husband and a wife, even if they have no children. It can be a mother or father that have, through sad circumstances, been deprived of their mates, but still have their children. This is still a home. A home can be a widow living alone, but it is still her home and can be ruled by her own beliefs, with no interference from other kingdoms or governments.

Although our position in the home as mother or father or child is not voted on, we do cast a vote daily in this kingdom. We vote for strong marriages by our loyalty. We vote for good children by the way we train them. We vote for a future government in our land by the what we allow our children to be taught. If we turn them over to someone else to train their thinking, their judgement and their knowledge, they will vote for things that will tear down the kingdom of the home. If take the responsibility to teach them ourselves, they will stand by the old paths, where is the good walk, that will bring peace to our little kingdoms of the home.

In these kingdoms, there is more freedom than anywhere else in the world. It does not matter who is elected or who is king in any other country, because in our own homes, our rulers are servants as well. No one can legislate how clean our houses will be. No one can legislate how we will develop our talents and skills or how much we can learn at home. No one can interfere with our clean air laws in the house. No one can limit our potential in anything we put our minds to. The home is such a wonderful place, that great artists and composers and architects of the past developed most of their work from their own homes.

In a kingdom, an election

To "elect" means to pick out, to choose, or to prefer. As women who guard, guide and rule the workings of the home, we can elect to do the following:

Elect to have at least one place that is orderly and lovely. This is one reason that I admire the idea of the Victorian parlour so much. It was a place set aside to be lovely and orderly for things that were special. Jane Austen wrote many of her novels by listening to parlour conversations. Visitors left their calling cards in the parlour. The parlour was furnished with the family's best.

Elect to be organized. This is a difficult one, but it can be accomplished if the citizens of the kingdom understand long-term goals and how to reach them, little by little. Some things done today, and some things done tomorrow, will add up to completed goals. Set aside a few minutes each day to eliminate some clutter and simplify.

Elect to correspond more by post. There is something about sitting still and putting pen in hand and writing words that the mind directs, that is very calming. A racing mind can be settled down by spending some time writing letters and sending out hand made cards.

Elect to be creative every day if possible. Try making something this year, whether small or large. Creativity is essential to reasonable thinking. When you feel rushed, or foggy in the mind, just make something or make up something. I love to sew and work with cloth, but I find paper crafts give quicker results, and that is kind of a warm up to something more creative.

Elect to straighten up the house before you retire at night. This is so refreshing the next day and makes you feel renewed.

Elect to eat foods that God created, as close to their natural state as possible. These real foods increase health and mental ability.

Elect to dress beautifully, every day, not just for special occasions. The kingdom in which you dwell, has other citizens which can be inspired by the way you look.

Elect to have someone over for tea this month. Keeping the teatime ceremony alive is essential to civilized life. I have been doing teas for a long time and have never had a rude guest. Tea parties tend to refine people and draw hearts closer together.

A citizen is a dweller or inhabitant of a place. Those who obey the gospel are citizens of a better country and they serve a higher king. In doing that, they ultmately will be good citizens of any earthly country, and better dwellers at home. Children who obey their parents and honor them are good citizens of the kingdom of the home. If they cannot be good citizens at home, they will not understand how to be good citizens anywhere else.

Citizenship is the state of being invested with the rights and privileges of a citizen. As citizens of the home, we have the right of arranging it as we like and conducting our families the way that is the most convenient for us. Those who have become citizens of the kingdom of Christ have the privileges of blessings bestowed from the One whom they serve, but they must obey His written will. As citizens of a country, we have the responsibility and right to make our elected servants obey the Constitution, which is the law of our land.

Citizenship, like love and service, begins in the home. It is here that the most important issues of life will be developed. That is why the home must be attended to and not abandoned or neglected. Women are needed at home. There is no career that will give them the fulfillment and love that will last through the generations, like the work of the home.

To those who were pleased with the results of the election in their district, please remember to be vigilant, and pray for those in authority * that we may be able to mind our own business and be free from interference.

The prophet Elijah did not shrink from admonishing Ahab, the king, to do what was pleasing to God. Remember Jonah, whose warnings turned an entire country to God, and the King humbled himself. Daniel refused to participate in unholy things in his country and the king was so moved by him that he declared that only the one true God would be served. Paul taught King Agrippa, and in like manner, we need to keep our elected officials hearts tuned to God's will by reminding them to do what is right so that we can be safe in our own country and in our homes. When Mary, Queen of Scots, was often urged by a preacher to do what was right in the sight of God, she said, "I fear the prayers of John Knox, more than an army of 10,000 men." Be sure to remind our elected officials whenever they are about to make a decision, to do what is right in the sight of God, so that we may have the liberty to exercise our faith and do our duty.

To those who are unhappy about the outcome of the election in their district, God knows how you voted, and He will honor that. You will have abundant blessings in your life if you did the right thing by the choices you made on the ballot, even if you did not choose a "winner." You are citizens of a greater country and you can make your calling and election "sure" by working the work of the one who sent you. In the home, you have greater power than you realize, for homes create countries that love their homes. The home must be restored. It is the highest office of the land. It would take another long post to explain it.

*1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 1Ti 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth

Fugal What-If's

There will always be times when you cannot get the things you need, even when you have money to spend. I was discussing with a friend different ways that we used to make things last, or substitute things, for the things we needed. Here are some "what ifs" and some imaginative ideas for making-do.

What If:

-The price of gas gets so high, you cannot afford to fill up your tank as often.

-You love to sew, but there is no available fabric store. You can't even find a zipper or buttons.

-You need to do some sewing but you don't have a sewing machine.

altered pumpkin

Contentment

Evening at Home

by Edward John Poynter

1796-1886

Contentment must first be learned first at home. If a girl is not content at home, she will not find contentment for very long in any one place. It is not Contentment is having a deep, abiding sense of well-being and happiness, even when things around you are not ideal.

One way to gain the ability to be satisfied with life, is to have a steadiness of purpose. Although it may rain when you wanted it fine, you are able to quickly find a substitute activity that will be useful and beneficial. Contentment sometimes depends upon your ability to be resourceful, a trait which can also be learned by substituting things when you do not have what you need. Being resourceful means finding different ways of doing things when other plans fail.

Steadiness can be achieved by sticking to something until it is completed, even if it cannot be done all at once. If this is not practiced, it may be more difficult to stay dedicated to other kinds of duties which require more commitment. Many women are restless and unable to understand that there will be an end to some trying times in life, and they will not put up with any inconvenience or any boredom or any hardship. If they learn at home, they are much better prepared for life's ups and downs, and can be content, even when others around them are undependable, disloyal, rude, or ungrateful.

Maiden's Meadow

by Dwayne Warwick

Contentment also means being able to accept where God has put you in your life. Are you a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother? Do not run away from it and try to alter your life unnaturally. Contentment means to make the best of whatever you are, in whatever place in life you are.

Discontentment brings on uneasiness and instability. Discontent makes it difficult to settle down or concentrate on worthwhile things. Contentment means waiting out the boring or sad times, but staying to the same course you set out on. Many people, in moments of discontent, abandon their families or their interests, and go off in pursuit of happiness. Happiness is achieved by getting through those times when your life does not seem to be "going anywhere."

If you will learn contentment, you can save yourself and your family a lot of grief. I know some young ladies who live at home with their parents, and they are a great help to them. Although they have friends who are always changing addresses, changing room mates, changing mates, changing jobs, and in general living a life of continual turmoil, these girls can always be dependent upon to be the same.

Although they reside in the home of their childhood, these grown daughters are by no means uninteresting. They find interests in many different things, such as helping the elderly, letterboxing when they have free time, rearranging the furniture at home, and decorating seasonally for their mother, entertaining, sewing and cooking, all which take enormous amounts of time. They have no want of money, because someone is always gifting them for a service they provided or for making something for them.

One of these girls raises sheep and collects the wool for felting. Her felted projects are so colorful and it is interesting to watch her do it when she visits us. These girls have learned to do so many things and sometimes take on new interests, but their basic relationships remain the same. They have a stable and predictable family loyalty that they will not violate by being discontent.

Some of their friends are restless girls who do not know what to do at home. They would be better off to be content and help their parents, who put a lot of effort into raising them, than to spend so much time and money pursuing things that are worthless and bring no tangible results.

Here are some scriptures that define contentment:

Philippians 4:11 - We are to be content in all circumstances, both when we have abundance, and when we do not.

First Timothy 6:6 - Godliness with contentment is "great gain."

First Timothy 6:8 - Two things we should be content with are food and clothing.

Hebrews 13:5 - Be content with what you have.

I think we can easily say, that these verses show that contentment is pleasing to God and that he blesses us even more when we are content. When we are content, we are careful with our posessions, careful with our bodies, careful with our relationships. That brings manifold rewards, in due time.

Being discontent is being out of step with the creator and the creation. Discontent is a false leader and has led many people away from the stability of their families. A foolish woman is discontent, and can cause the loss of her own home.

One reason that some daughters do not want to stay home and apply themselves to becoming creative home keepers, is that they have not learned contentment. When they do not learn how to be content, they become restless, and unable to take home living seriously.

Contentment has to be developed by good training. A young woman can train herself to be content, by finding a need and filling it. She can look around and see many things that need to be done, and do them in a beautiful and personal way that reflects her love and her creativity. Gradually, as she learns to do things that make home life happy, she will develop contentment. As I was

If the outside world is constantly tugging at her and she is listening to the voices of those who say that she cannot be fulfilled at home, she will become discontent. Once she begins spending more time away from the responsibilities of the home, or from her family, she becomes even more restless and detached. She will attach herself to other people and other things not meant for her.

Contentment is productive. It finds things to do that are constructive and not destructive. The discontented person is also destructive in that they waste time, waste money, waste talents, waste personal possessions, and waste life. The best thing to do is to become oblivious to the voices that call us away from the important work of the home and concentrate on the tasks available to you.

When young women develop contentment, they can have satisfied minds, free from disturbance and inner conflict. Women who sew or cook or putter around their homes, crafting and creating, tend to be more content at home.

Here is a simple craft for young people that illustrates this lesson. Materials needed are pencil, scissors, glitter glue and extra glitter, and a regular size piece of card stock.

Fold the cardstock (any color, any pattern you have) in half.

Cut it in half.

Then fold one of the halves in half again, and stand it up.

With glitter-glue, write the word "contentment" and shake some

extra glitter on it. The folded pieces stands up on a ledge or shelf as a reminder.

As an alternative, cut around the word and tape a piece of ribbon (the kind you use to wrap gifts) onto the back of the sign,and hang up somewhere--over a mirror, around a cupboard knob, over the edge of a picture or on a piece of furniture. I am sure, with imagination, a lot of different embellishments could be applied to this piece to make it beautiful. The camera did not catch the glitter, but it is very shiny.

printable word to use on cardstock in your printer, or use for embroidery on a small pillow.

Contentment is found in noticing and mentally drinking in the natural things in life: the sunset, a raindrop on a leaf, the smell of spring, white clouds in a blue sky. Contentment is also attained by appreciating the simple things we use daily and caring for our belongings. From setting a table attractively and appreciating the china and the tablecloth, to dressing carefully in something clean and pretty, we can find contentment. Discontentment comes when our minds have been distracted by the world. Contentment comes from concentrating on things at hand. A contentment notebook would be a very good way to make a young person aware of things that bring contentment. By writing little things in it that are of nature or daily life, a sense of contentment can be created.

Someone asks, "What about boys and men. Should they be content at home?" Yes, they should, but to a large degree, their contentment at home is dependent upon what kind of a home their women make for them. If the women are humming like busy bees, making the home clean and comfortable, putting good smells in the air with food cooking, making sure clothing is clean and pressed . sewing a new tablecloth or curtains, making dresses, and having happy little hobbies that express contentment, the men are going to sense that something important is going on in that home. Young girls at home need to learn to make a home for a future husband and children, that will bring them contentment.

A summary of contentment:

" A contented mind is a continual feast." CONTENT, v.t. 1. To satisfy the mind; to make quiet, so as to stop complaint or opposition; to appease; to make easy in any situation;

CONTENT, n. 1. Rest or quietness of the mind in the present condition; satisfaction which holds the mind in peace, restraining complaint, opposition, or further desire, and often implying a moderate degree of happiness.

Contentment:

-Is not restless.

-Does not abandon the protection of the family.

Does not condemn the home or scoff at home life.

-Seeks to aid the family members in being successful with their own talents and work.

-Is undergirded by an awareness of blessings.

-Does not run away when things get difficult.

-Finds things that need to be done.

-Is productive.

-Is creative.

-Is resourceful.

-Blooms where it is planted.

-Has stability.

-Makes the best of things.

-Shines in hard times.

Contentment has similarities to love, in the 13th chapter of first Corinthians, in that it always hopes for the best and endures all things.

This is a small pillow simply made with muslin

Victorian Paintings: Poetry on Canvas

I would like to showcase a few paintings I have collected in my computer files. I enjoy the Victorian paintings for their clarity. Sometimes there is a story being told within the painting. The interiors reveal something of the things that were important to our grandparents and great grandparents. The fabric prints can sometimes be found in the fabric stores today. I also like the attention paid to beauty and to theme. There is no guessing game with the Victorian artists. They painted what they meant and didn't need to explain their meaning. A person could look at these paintings and enjoy them without having to be told what they meant. I love the way the artist painted the flowing folds of cloth, the shadows and the reflection of light from candles and fireplaces. Women at home, in these scenes, create such a beautiful sight, and touch the heart with thoughts of

Great Secret

by Haynes King

1831-1904

Reading

by Jerry Barrat

1858-1889

The Next-Door Neighbor

by Edmund Blair Leighton

1853-1922

Edmund Leighton painted pictures tht depicted a nostalgia of chivalry.

The Wedding Dress

by George Kilburne

1839-1924

Sydney Kendrick

1874-1955
landscape painter

The Shepherd's Family

by Myles Foster

1825-1899
This painter was a wood engraver and a book illustrator.

Girl Stands in a Field Reading Her Book

by Harold Knight

1874-1961

This artist studied architecture before becoming a painter.

Recent Calendars on Lovely Whatevers

The First Recital by Sandra Kuck

available at

http://www.koshgall.com/sk1rctal.htm

Just a reminder to look at www.lovelywhatevers.blogspot.com for the latest addition of pretty calendars. They are great art for your home, and the cost actually only amounts to about $1.00 a month. The newest calendar on this site is a Sandra Kuck edition. "The First Recital", above, is one of her paintings, but this one is not in the calender. However, all the paintings on this new calendar are just lovely if you like that kind of art. My "staff" and I will be searching around for a calendar for African-American ladies, to add soon. I like the art of Melinda Byers and Consuelo Gamboa, which I have also featured on Lovely Whatevers. Scroll down and see some other beautiful art calenders of scenery and still life that will enhance your home.

I have been asked to write on several different subjects, and hopefully, I'll be posting on them, in the near future. Be sure to visit Little Jenny Wren a blog of a contented homemaker.

True Sympathy

Sometimes we are without words, when people need real sympathy. For any loss or setback that anyone is suffering, the main thing is to soothe them in the best way you can. To do this, just imagine what would help you the most and what would send you further into discouragement.

Unusual "trash" Crafts

I was going through my picture file collection and found this. I do not remember what craft site it came from. It is a purse made from a Kraft macaroni dinner box, embellished withfabrics and sewing trims. I don't know the instructions, and I probably would never get a boxed dinner and I don't eat macaroni, but the idea is very creative!

There has been a big computer-parts switcheroo around here, with some people in the family needing screens, and others keyboards for various work places and other things, and so I have been adjusting to a different keyboard and screen, hence my lack of entries these days. Also, I have been getting the house more orderly and trying to catch up on some sewing. I hope to do several posts soon, including the request from the lady who commented about managing a home life when your husband has a job that takes him a way most of the time.

Pumpkins

Last year I saw a "Fairytale Pumpkin" for the first time, and it seemed so historical looking, as if it came straight out of an old world story, that I was determined to get one this year. I had to look hard to find it, though, and the produce department had them hidden in a back room. Someone brought one out for me at my request. Here is a picture of a fairytale pumkin on this delightful blog: striving4contentment.blogspot.com/2008/10/pum...

I have my fairytale pumpkin all shined up so that it looks like there are streaks of real copper and gold and silver on it, and it sits in the middle of the little table by the couch in the front room. I understand these can sometimes last a whole year if you keep them outside or in a cool place. They can be used decoratively, but I have not tried to eat one yet.

Above, is a picture of the one I bought at Safeway. I had to ask at produce if they had "fairytale pumpkins" and they took me to the back room where they stock everything and let me pick my own. I felt like I was buying contraband, the way I snuck in and back out again. There were so few of them in the pile and I got the most colorful one I could find.

Arranged

I went to see what my daughter and her husband were doing last night, and found them watching a movie on their computer. Apparently if you belong to Netflix and are getting DVD's in the mail, you can also watch anything you want on the web, as well. That makes it really worth the money, and it is nice that you can choose exactly what you want to see.

Last night, they were watching a movie called "Arranged," and it really did my heart good! I laughed all the way through it. It was a very happy movie, although it looked, at times, as if the two girls involved, one Orthadox Jew and one Muslim, were doomed to get matched up with men with no hair or huge egos. In the end, they actually had the choice of whether to "settle" or not settle, and it ended up quite happily. There were several scenes that homeschool girls would have totally identified with: both were ridiculed for dressing so modestly. One was offerred money to go and get something more alluring, but she turned it down.

After so many comments about how they weren't married yet because of their religion, one of them said something like, "We aren't allowed to think about men, because we are too confined at home and dominated by our over-bearing fathers." That is the common belief by "outsiders" when young women are enjoying the oversight of their parents, in choice of a mate, and it amused me to hear it said by the girls that were being scrutinized.

Another scene depicted one of the young women visiting a cousin who had left the family and gone to live in an apartment by herself. She invited her to a party, which totally disillusioned her. Everywhere she turned in that house, there was smoke, loud music, strong drink, immodesty, and pairing up. She decided it wasn't a choice she wanted and returned home. The scene showed the awkwardness that MANY people have felt when they go from a wholesome family life to the seedy world of "independence." I was a little apprehensive that this scene might show something I didn't want to see, but it made the point and moved on quite nicely.

I did not get in on the beginning of this film, so I don't know if there was any coarse language, but still, I got a big kick out of it and felt there was a lot of love in the families. I especially enjoyed the Jewish mother and grandmother in the film, who, having grown frustrated at the daughter's turning down so many men brought by the match-maker, reached over and grabbed each other's hands and lifted their anxious faces to Heaven to thank God for his mercy, when the daughter finally approved of one of the candidates. Her friend, also happily engaged, said to her, "...and he has TEETH!"

Worrying About Money

Concert in the Park, by Leo Carty

Mother and Daughter Overjoyed to See Loved One

by Charles E. Brock

If you are worried about money, in connection to being able to be home full time, there might be something here for you.

When I was growing up, there was rarely a woman who was "worried" about money, or where it would come from to support them. Most wives knew they could trust their husbands to provide for them. Most men and women understood that the husband would worry about how to get the money, and the wife would learn how to pinch a penny and save it and guard it with her life so that it did go out the back door as soon as it came in the front. "Let me worry about the income," he said, 'And you are free to care for the home."

It is not a good thing that the younger women worry and exhaust themselves over making money, today. Part of this is due to their education and upbringing, where they are told consistently that they will have to take care of themselves and earn money. They do it at such an extreme, that some of them actually risk their health, their rest, and their lives. Many women are taking over men's jobs, using heavy equipment, that are very dangerous, and some have actually become debilitated and left their children almost orphans. That is one reason women need to get back to home making and men need to protect the women by being the breadwinners.

One thing that we were careful not to say was "My husband does not make enough money to support us." It would really have embarrassed a man, hurt his feelings tremendously. Such a statement would have been very demeaning to his basic existence as a man. Instead, women would try to find a way to help their husbands succeed and advance in the areas that they needed, by being happy, contented, and emotionally supportive. It was not difficult for men to want to provide the best for such women.

If you are worried about money all the time, you are probably missing out a lot on the joy of homemaking. Women should not worry about earing a living. They should be free to fix up their houses and hum and sing while they think about what to make for dinner. They should be absorbed in how to do the laundry so that the family clothing doesn't look like something they dragged from a rag bag. They should enjoy things like ironing and cleaning and decorating and sewing.

One of the things that has robbed women of this domestic happiness, is worry over money. They worry over it to such an extent, that they take over the man's realm, and sadly, the men let them. As Taylor Caldwell wrote in her essay so many decades ago (Women's Lib, on the theme articles here), when women first began working outside the home so much, men said, "Let 'em work," and began to complain about their bad backs. By worrying about money so much, women enable men to be negligent providers. If they know the women are dependent on them and have confidence in them, they will be more likely to work and to want to work. If the women are just waiting for a chance to jump in and work outside the home, the men will let them.

If you worry about money, there are ways of eliminating the need for it. One way that we have enjoyed is by planting a garden. Even if the food lasts only during the summer, or only for a few meals, those are food items you did not have to buy. Everyone will admit that we are too dependent on the grocery store, and that it is our highest expense after house payments or rent. There is a way to overcome this just by planting something. Our lawns, even if small, cost us more to maintain than they return, when you count the cost of gas to run the mower. Just by turning the edges of the lawns into food-producing rows, you prevent double expenditures. People will think you have very interesting ornamental shrubs when you plant veggies along the sides of lawns and flower beds.

If you have no available lawn, you can always get a pot with some dirt and plant at least one thing that you enjoy eating. My favorite is the tiny cucumbers, commonly called "pickling cucumbers" that I love to eat raw and in salads. This is money I don't have to spend, that can be used to pay a bill or buy gas for the car.

Speaking of gas, you also can cut down quite a bit on running around in the car by seeing how many days you can stay home without going somewhere. Break up the isolation by inviting people to come to see YOU. Then, ask your husband to stop at the grocery store on the way home from work. My husband just loves to do this. There is very little that men can spend money on these days that is affordable, and he likes to see what is new at the grocery store. He enjoys the break from the monotony at the work place, and always calls me to ask if there is anything he can bring home. I try to grow or make everything myself, so that I have the money for things I cannot make: olive oil, flour, fish, some fruits, and various other items.

If you are still worried about money, use only the power you need to function. It is not necessary to have lights and heat on in every single room if you are not using those rooms. Bundle up with more layers of clothing in winter, and learn to dress in light colors and cottons in the summer. Figure out a way, as our ancestors did, of making a natural breezeway in the house, where air can flow more effectively to draw coolness in summer and warmth in winter.

Other ways to avoid spending money are just endless. Avoid the pressure from friends to have clothes and things just because they think you ought to. Sometimes you might get invited to a party where some kind of clothing is required, at your expense. You can always refuse to attend and invite the entire party to your home later on in the week for a tea in their honor. This can apply to weddings, where you might be pressured to buy a certain dress, or to other high-end types of celebrations where you do not want to buy an item that you will use only once, or even buy it at all because you don't really NEED it.

Cutting out fake food (hot dogs, potato chips, pop, packaged mixes) and learning to make delicious main dishes and even desserts from natural ingredients, can prevent over-spending. If you eat only what is in the garden, you can actually survive, as many people before us have done. However if you do not have a garden, you can at least buy foods that God made, in the closest state of natural that you can find.

As usual, I know that there are readers all over the world who have lived happily on their husband's income, worrying only about looking after the home, and still come out with a profit. You are certainly welcome to comment about it.

As you spend less and less, you will gain a stronger feeling of security. We have almost forgotten what money is for. We have been told for decades that we need to keep earning it so we can keep spending it. We need to change our attitude toward money so that if it can no longer be earned, we do not need it. We need to find ways to be less dependent upon it so that when hard times come, we do not have to worry. The Bible teaches this principle when it talks about sowing, reaping, and saving, and giving, the latter being an important principle of prosperity.

Worry about money may become a habit that is hard to break. Women need to concentrate on making the home a wonderful place, without having to have expensive things, so that they can cut down on the worry, but they also need to get in the habit of being good homemakers. In my opinion, just being a good housekeeper prevents spending, because you don't destroy your property and have to have things replaced, and you don't lose things and then have to go to the store to "find" them again because you are in too much of a mess to find what you need. I have seen women spend way too much on cleaning products because they did not remember that they had already bought something and stored it away somewhere. You don't reallyu need cleaning products if you are trying to cut back. You can do a lot of effective cleaning without the storebought chemicals.

Being home is a state of mind, not just an existence. There is something wonderful about the things a woman does at home, and the lightheartedness in which she does it. If young women only knew the power in portraying happiness and confidence at home, their husbands would find ways to

Inspiring Link for Today

I'm sure everyone will enjoy "Under the Gables" today!

Please check in on Lovely Whatevers.

We have sorted through all the "junk" at the online art stores, and found the prettiest calendars for next year. Everyone knows I try to be ultra-frugal, and not spend money if I can help it, but the calandar is with me all year and I think the pictures we stare at all month are so important, especially if there are children around. The choice you make in a calandar will feed your mind with beauty or with discouragement, so it is worth the money to get a really high-classed calandar. You can use it again for scrapbooks, and even frame the pictures later on. We are going to keep searching and adding more pretty calandars to this site, so if you know of any that are not there, please post them here.

Would the women who are "in over their heads" or lacking in homemaking skills, be willing to indicate on a post as to what approximate area they live? We can find volunteers on this site, maybe, to go and give you a little help.

A Situation Common to All

"Olivia's Place" available to purchase at Martin Lawrence Galleries online

This young woman feels that she is disorganized because she was once working outside the home and just never caught up. I can tell you it happens to everyone, even if staying home full time. Please write in your comments, and I will add my comment to the article when I have time.

Dear Mrs. Sherman,

I wanted to ask if you might address something I'm struggling with greatly. I have 3 children. I pulled my daughter out of public school in April. She's 8, and I'm now teaching her 3rd grade. I also have a 5 1/2 year old son whom I'm teaching some math and how to read. And, lastly, I have a 13-month old baby who is very demanding. My problem is I've worked most of my marriage, and I feel like I still have one foot out the door.

My husband and I struggle financially. We put ourselves in a tremendous amount of debt in our 20's, and we spent our 30's trying to figure out how to pay it down without changing our habits. The last 5 years, we've suffered some significant health issues, lengthy unemployment, and the birth of 2 of our 3 children. While we've paid off a lot of debt, we've also incurred more because of some of those issues.

Because my foot is still out the door wanting to go to an office and make money (I have very good earning potential), I'm not doing the things I need to do at home. I believe, especially after reading your blog for awhile, that, if I were able to commit to this 100%, my husband's health would improve, and the spirit in our home would improve.

I'm not organized, and my children have never seen our home tidy, much less company ready. I'm embarrassed to bring people over. It's all on me, and half the time I don't know where to start. I've managed to do some of those small things you mentioned in a recent post - laundry is usually caught up and the kitchens stays mostly picked up. But, we have piles of things everywhere that I can't seem to get to. I've got years of papers to be filed.

I have never decorated our home, and it looks like we just moved in a few weeks ago. Homeschooling truly doesn't take as much time as I thought it would, but it does take chunks out of my day. When I actually accomplish something, it seems to take me all day long, and I feel like I don't get to spend time with the children or relax with the baby. I also find myself totally exhausted, and it's just easier to let the mess lie.

My schedule is very disjointed. I'm actually a good example of a woman who should have stayed home from the get go, just enjoying the time at home, learning to live frugally, and working on routines before the family comes!!! Any advice is most welcome.

Thanks, Robin

Here are a few things that have helped me in the past.

1. When I first learned to take care of your appearance at the beginning of the day, it practically launched me into having a successful day at home. It helped me approach the job more professionally. Spending the day in pyjamas and slippers can give your mind the message that you are going to be casual, and your job suffers from a casual approach all day. Dressing up, and wearing shoes, gives it a professional approach.

Dressing up in pretty dresses was important to me, because I didn't want my family to have memories of me in the same old thing day after day, looking oppressed and tired. Today I have Miss Lillian and the boys around me a lot, and I want them to remember their grandmother wearing the enchanting little cotton prints and clear colors, with the trims and buttons and laces, my hair done up, and even pretty shoes.

If you have a baby to care for, I'd highly recommend that you let someone come over and fix your hair and give you a facial. Everyone seems to know of someone who does in-home demonstrations using a particular product they are selling, that they could invite over.

2. Having one wall decorated, or at least a portion of one wall, really motivated me when my children were little and the housework seemed insurmountable. Somehow, that little arrangement on the wall, with a mirror, a picture, a candle sconce and a shelf, gave me a starting place. I wanted to expand the area beneath it and clean the floor and put something there that was nice. When you have young children, wall decorating is the best because it won't get in the way and no one can touch it. Just hang a picture and put some complimentary accessories around it, whether it be a wreath or light of some sort. That one wall gave the tone for the rest of the house, and I kept going back to look at it. Then, I wanted to do the rest of the house in a similar way. That way, it was not all just cleaning and hard work, but a kind of crowning glory on top of all the labor.

3. Inviting someone over for a cup of tea and a scone is a great motivation to getting something done in a reasonable amount of time. I found if I made an appointment for someone to come over in a week, I looked forward to it all week and worked toward it.

4. Getting the front room or front entry way completely presentable, and maintaining it daily by swooping through it and picking up clutter, really gave me a lot more encouragement to keep working on other problem areas. The first room from the front door is what people will see when they enter the house and it can be an encouragement or a discouragement. Make sure the front porch represents what is on the inside of the house. Even if you have nothing, it can at least be swept clean and give people the impression that there is a "keeper" at home.

5. In Sidetracked Home Executives course, that went through the country about 30 years ago, we learned to begin at the front door and work clockwise through the house, leaving the kitchen til last. This is not necessarily deep cleaning, but picking up clutter and making everything at least look nice. We learned never to go anywhere until the kitchen was clean, the dishes washed, the bathroom clean, and the beds made.

6. Children can follow you around from room to room and see what you do and even help. You can give them things to put away. "Run to the bathroom and put this towel in there." "Take this to the kitchen and put it on the table." "Put this in the laundry." Kids love to be gophers and will save you a lot of time. They can put things in the trash, or hand you things while you are working in a room. They can unwind the cord on the vacuume cleaner and wind it back up again. They can save you a lot of time.

7. Having a daily tea time where you put out real china cups and serve just anything, even hot apple juice, makes a great reward, and the children just love it.

8. Reminding the children you are getting ready for Daddy to come home, puts the focus in the right place. Orderliness pleases God, as he, himself, put everything where it belonged, at the creation. Each day, he stood back and said, "It is good." You can look back at each corner of a room and say "This looks good." Check http://homeliving.blogspot.com/2007/01/creating-feeling-of-home.html for a previous post that has more ideas in it.

Thanks to every person who so graciously gave her time to add helpful suggestions!

Nine Month's Waiting

I have been asked to provide some ideas for using the time during the 9 months of waiting for the birth of a child. I would certainly welcome anyone else's ideas!

It is sometimes difficult to tell women all the things they need to do, because, if they are sick during this time, or they just don't have any energy, they will have to rest. Women who are used to getting things accomplished will find this very hard to do! No one likes to lay around while the dishes and laundry pile up and the house deteriorates. I understand this very well, because I got so sick each time I was expecting, that I just had to go to bed. I was too sick to lift my head from my pillow. However, just resting and waiting out those first three months when you feel "icky" is an important thing and no one should put pressure on you or make you feel lazy.

The last three months of the pregnancy seem to bring on a furious nesting instinct. These are the days when women are likely to get more organized, and get the baby's things ready. When my daughter was last expecting, she spent the time that she felt well, getting ready for the baby, and also preparing for the actual birth day, by storing up special things for the other children to do on that day, in the form of new books and crafts projects, or things that would be special for them and keep them occupied. Some women try to have a few meals prepared that can be brought out on that day. Depending on when the baby comes, families can sometimes miss meals, so prepared meals are welcome. The mother herself will need comfort foods and to be able to eat often of richer foods that will help keep her blood-sugar high and prevent depression after the birth.

If you are well, it is a great time to get your home in order so that you won't be constantly picking up things or cleaning. Make your house safer by putting safety plugs in your outlets, or taking care of sharp corners of the inside of the house and being aware of cleaning chemicals that a child could get into. Clean the fridge and the cupboards and keep the laundry caught up so that you can last a few days without working.

This is also a good time to inform your husband and your family on what to expect when the baby is born, so that they can be extra helpful. You might make a book with notes in it for them.

I am sure there are a lot of creative ideas out there from people about how best to use the 9 month waiting period.

Don't Bail Out the International Bankers

Go here for an informative video on the subject of the Intenational Bankers http://www.kickthemallout.com/article.php/Video-Zeitgeist_Part3

The Miser*

Since, in an election, you can vote only once, at the prescribed time, I will show here how you can vote as much as you like, daily, by calling your senators and representatives, whom you elected to represent your interestes.

When you hear about something like this so-called bail out of the Big Bankers (a private corporation that makes money by writing it themselves, and then charges interest on the worthless figures, and taxes people with their own real money, earned, to pay it back), you can simply call all your senators and representatives and talk on the phone for half a minute, urging them NOT to give the bankers ONE cent of America's hard earned money. Every phone call is a vote, and the senators do pay attention to it.

This lady has a good quote about the lenders here http://neverfadingwood.blogspot.com/2008/10/former-president-andrew-jackson-speaks.html

The list of senators should be in the white pages, under "Government" in your telephone book. If you are too shy to call, please urge your husband to do it! If you can, get every voting-age person in your family to call each senator, no matter what party and say "No" to the bail out. They ran up the debt themselves, by creating money out of thin air, that has no backing, and now they want Congress to tax us all harder to pay it back, but it is also all about control.

Our Constitution forbids anyone to create money except for Congress. It is unconstitutional to allow the International Bankers to control the money. The Federal Reserve act gave this private company, called "The Federal Reserve" the power to control America's money, and it is an unconstitutional act, as well as an unconstitutional and illegal organization. When a president is inaugurated, he promises to uphold the Constitution. Make the president obey the Constitution, by calling your senator and urging him to say "no" to the President and "no" to the big bankers.

If they can create money out of nothing, why can't they write themselves a check or print off more money off their printing presses at the so called "federal" (it isn't federal at all. They use that word to make it sound governmental and official) reserve (nope, folks, there is no reserve). Let them pay themselves back! They don't actually need the money. They are greedy people who aren't going to starve or lose their houses if they don't get someone to pay them. Where I live, there are whole neighborhoods of reposessed homes, which the banks were anxious to have vacated when people could not pay their mounting interest on the loans, and which the banks now are unable to sell. What are bankers going to do with all these empty houses? I keep waiting for a tent-city to emerge, to accommodate the new middle-class homeless in our country.

Read this hilarious response from Senator Nancy Pelosi., who was in the meeting. (Although I don't like all her policies, I am glad that even the most leftist politicians are seeing through the ruse of the International Bankers).

Check here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEWvegDAtkQ

One of these videos is called "You Broke It: You Buy It," and features the salaries and incomes of all the bankers and congressmen who want the bailout.

and watch this also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68JUWYEc0Fg&feature=user

and here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b1djeKTpB8&feature=related

Now let me see if I can tell the story in a simple way: After a secret meeting of top bankers, the so-called "Federal Reserve," which is neither federal, nor reserve, controls our money through an illegal act, which was voted on when Congress was on vacation back in the early 1900's, to allow a private banking corporation to control all of the money issued in America. By getting ahold of the money system, they were able to lend it out and charge exorbitant usuary (interest). When they want to, they can "call" the loans and people, who are used to paying small, manageable payments on their loans for houses or cars, cannot suddenly pay the whole sum, so the bank repossesses the properties.

These people say that we must have someone to take care of our money. They take our money and issue us pieces of papers that are called "I.O.U's" and then charge us for them. When we want more money, we have to borrow it from them. They do not base their lending on real money, since they lent that out long ago. They base it on nothing. They charge us for the rent of the paper.

A good way to understand this, is to watch Potter, the banker, on the film, "It's a Wonderful Life," starring Jimmy Stewart. By now, practically everyone in the world owns that DVD, but if you don't, it is probably on U-Tube somewhere. Listen carefully as George, the Building and Loan officer, says: "Don't you see? Potter isn't selling. He's buying!" The banker had created a financial panic by calling in the loan from the small lending bank that George managed. George was just helping people buy homes. Potter was greedy and jealous and wanted it all.

It is important to put a stop to these people, because they want to own America and own the world. They use the money they create (and make us pay them back) to finance wars on countries that refuse to bank with them. This forces the countries to borrow to finance their wars, and then they are in league with the bankers, who continue to control them forever. Any time you hear on the media (also owned by the bankers) of a squirmish or political problem in a country that is not with these national banks, you can bet the bankers are behind it.

Show your husband this film on U Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoJYnHyjhfo

and also here http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=8702

I have found that even 7 year old children can understand these films about the crooked way to bank.

Not all the film is shown there, but you can purchase the DVD set. One reason no one "votes" by calling their congressman, is that they are led to believe that these people are financial experts and that it is so complicated a system, that they cannot understand it. These films give you an idea of just how the International Bankers create poverty, inequality, strife between men and women, strife in religion, and strife in the world, by the things they finance.

I hope it is not too late to call your senators. Every phone call is a vote, and you can call more than once. When a few people call, the senators know something is going on, but when just 20 people call, they know there is a real "movement." They hold executive positions in this country, and like any other executive, they can be fired. Let them know their job is on the line and if they do not vote "no" they will not get your vote in the next election.

Does it bother anyone that a meeting on this matter with the President and the bankers took place "behind closed doors?" I thought this was America, in the 21st century, not Jekyl Island in the 19th century. It should have been televised.

Ladies I know I did not do a very good job of explaining this, and there are a lot of smart men out there who will correct me on some of the details, but I tried to write it simply, but the main point is that you should use your right to vote, to vote early, and vote often, by calling your senators.

If you live elsewhere, I know that even a phone call from someone overseas has a great impact (sometimes it impresses them even more to get a call from Africa, England, Australia, Bulgaria, or where-ever) on a senator's vote. If you live outside of the U.S., you should be concerned about this, because what the bankers do, can affect your country. Use your online resources to send a message, if you can.

Also, check out what one congressman has to say here:

(Regarding the paintings: The International Bankers Will Pinch a Penny, even if they already control everything)

Remember: Vote early and vote often!

My daughter and I each exercised another option this morning, after getting our mail. Each of us received an offer from a big bank (Chase Manhatten, Lehman, etc) for a loan. We receive these offers regularly. I am always turned down because I don't have credit, or something. This time, we took the business reply envelope, with the "postage paid" stamp on it, and we cut out a piece of the original envelop that the offer was sent in, and wrote on it: "Why don't you give yourselves a loan and bail yourselves out, instead of putting pressure on Congress and putting me in further debt? " I then wrote the website addresses of several sites and videos that explained this crooked banking system. It took less than 2 minutes and the postage was free. It also bothers me that these offers contain better and better paper, slick, fancy envelopes, and colorful ads, that must cost them something. I can't even buy that kind of paper myself. They are only adding to my trash problem and then I have to stay awake at night thinking of uses for this garbage so that it won't end up in the landfill. So I also told them to take me off their mailing list.

What does any of this have to do with home living? If I allowed this dishonesty to go on in my own home, we would certainly suffer the consequences, and be loathe to do it again. However, the big bankers never suffer the consequences of their greedy ways. When they get their way, our home gets poorer and poorer, as our taxes go higher and higher. Every homemaker should be active in putting a stop to this, even if all they do is make one phone call or send one email.

For those of you who do not want to worry about politics and just want to get on with having a wonderful home life, be sure to read my article here called "How To Stop Worrying About Politics"



Before this piece goes to archives, here is a summary:

1. The Constitution is the highest law of the land.

2. The President is legally obligated to uphold the constitution.

3. The Constitution states that no money should be issued by anyone but the U.S. Government.

4. The so called "Federal Reserve" , which is neither federal, nor reserve, a private banking company, owned by elitists who control many banks all over the world, illegally issue printed money to the US and charges the citizens interest for the use of the worthless paper.

5. This banking group lends "money" to smaller banks to help finance houses for citizens. The interest rate increases, like raising rent, until people cannot pay anymore. The smaller banks cannot pay the larger banks, and the big bankers now want Congress to use our taxes to pay them. They can easily eliminate usuary and lose nothing. They have enough income themselves to bail themselves out. They are illegally running the banking system and we do not need them. We need to retrieve all the things that belong to the US and kick the bankers out.

6. It will not be long before the atttention is taken off these high classed thieves, the illegal bankers at the "top" and put on the people at the bottem, who just wanted a nice house. You wait and see, if the press will not create the blame on everyone around them except the elitist bankers. You will find your friend's and family's minds changing on this issue, and when you express yourself, you will be told that the situation is just "not as black and white as you think it is." The media will make sure that the population develops a "nuetral" opionion on this.

7. If Congress does not agree to their plans, the bankers will threaten and intimidate them with depression, bankruptsy and other government woes. The news media is owned by these bankers and it won't be long before you, yourself, will be convinced that something has to be done to bail them out, or we will all face a depression and lose our homes. No one will consider getting rid of the international banker grip on our country. They will soon be convinced by the media that it is "everyone's fault," and that we all "share" the blame, and these rich people will continue to control the economy. Be sure to watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68JUWYEc0Fg&feature=user

and this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEWvegDAtkQ

8. The bankers involved are not elected officials. They get themselves appointed in high places in government, on staff in offices of the elected officials, in order to influence and control them.

Apparently Sweden had a similar problem a few years ago and refused to bail out the bankers. I don't know much about that country, but I haven't heard that it collapsed as a result. Read more here http://tpa.typepad.com/waste/2008/09/the-simple-shop.html

It is considered a step toward socialism, here http://matadorpulse.com/10-resons-we-should-say-no-to-the-700-billion-dollar-bailout/

One reason I will not buy the idea that it is "everyone's fault" is that the big bankers have been writing money illegally for years, and pushing it on others. My sil worked for a mortgage company, that made cold calls all day long to people who were not looking for money or houses, to give them the big sell, and talk them into multiplying rate loans (which they did not know about until their payments increased). Getting rid of the bankers will get rid of this kind of lending.

They are now coming out with super-soft-voiced comments on National Public Radio, trying to soothe people by saying that throwing money at this problem is the only way to solve it. Let me ask something: if someone whose surname began with a "P" was paid millions of dollars a year to work in an industry that failed, would you keep hiring him?


If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks...will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.
... The modern theory of the perpetuation of debt has drenched the earth with blood, and crushed its inhabitants under burdens ever accumulating. -Thomas Jefferson History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance. -James Madison

If congress has the right under the Constitution to issue paper money, it was given them to use themselves, not to be delegated to individuals or corporations. -Andrew Jackson

The Government should create, issue, and circulate all the currency and credits needed to satisfy the spending power of the Government and the buying power of consumers. By the adoption of these principles, the taxpayers will be saved immense sums of interest. Money will cease to be master and become the servant of humanity. -Abraham Lincoln

Issue of currency should be lodged with the government and be protected from domination by Wall Street. We are opposed to...provisions [which] would place our currency and credit system in private hands. - Theodore Roosevelt
Despite these warnings, Woodrow Wilson signed the 1913 Federal Reserve Act. A few years later he wrote: I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated Governments in the civilized world no longer a Government by free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men. -Woodrow Wilson

Years later, reflecting on the major banks' control in Washington, President Franklin Roosevelt paid this indirect praise to his distant predecessor President Andrew Jackson, who had "killed" the 2nd Bank of the US (an earlier type of the Federal Reserve System). After Jackson's administration the bankers' influence was gradually restored and increased, culminating in the passage of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. Roosevelt knew this history. The real truth of the matter is,as you and I know, that a financial element in the large centers has owned the government ever sincethe days of Andrew Jackson... -Franklin D. Roosevelt (in a letter to Colonel House, dated November 21, 1933)

Homestead Pictures, and Politics

I have been putting the homestead pictures on, a few at a time, on this blog http://homesteadrevisited.blogspot.com/

So please check back occasionally, as there are 3 discs of them and I only have a chance to put a few at a time. I really did not need another blog to manage but it will make it easier for the rellies and the residents to sort through. I'll also add it to the sidebar.

There will be an upcoming post that is burning on my mind, with all the talk that is being thrown around our house. Whether we like it or not, women at home have a great opportunity to change things that are not right. Each morning before the men leave for whereever, they rant a lot about what is going on concerning the bankers, and I now have enough material in my head to post something about the proposed bail out of the international bankers, and why this is so immoral, and what you can do at home, without missing a beat in your housekeeping (well almost) to put a stop to it. I know a lot of women don't like this blog to get controversial or political, but when I get throughwith the article, it won't seem controversial at all. It will just state some facts in a simple way that will make you want to call your senators, no matter what party. In the meantime, you might want to re-read my article about how to stop worrying about politics, here:http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/Lady_Lydia_Speaks_2/How_To_Stop_Fretting1002977.shtml