Whatever the Weather, Think Well!

"...And do you think well of her, Mr. Rokesmith?"

Ladies I'm not at all fond of Dickens, but found one of the books that I had to read in school in Tasmania back in the 1960's, had a few very memorable quotes. This morning as I was thinking of how to "think well" of the rain and wind, I remembered that quote from Our Mutual Friend.

Here is some more of it, from Chapter 42. 

As they spoke they were leaving the little street and emerging on
the wooded landscape by the river.

'You think well of her, Mr Rokesmith?' pursued Bella, conscious
of making all the advances.

'I think highly of her.'

'I am so glad of that! Something quite refined in her beauty, is
there not?'

'Her appearance is very striking.'

'There is a shade of sadness upon her that is quite touching. At
least I--I am not setting up my own poor opinion, you know, Mr
Rokesmith,' said Bella, excusing and explaining herself in a pretty
shy way; 'I am consulting you.'

'I noticed that sadness. I hope it may not,' said the Secretary in a
lower voice, 'be the result of the false accusation which has been
retracted.'

Maybe I can dedicate this post to those of you how have a "shade of sadness" upon you for whatever reason.

 I found this Lily of the Valley teacup and non-matching saucer at Goodwill for a total of $2.50. The saucer and cup are made by different companies but they go together quite well, as each has the Lily of the Valley on it. 

I need to find some Lily of the Valley print fabric to go with. In the meantime I think the cup and saucer go quite well with the moody weather!

The art on the saucer is more precise and of higher quality in my opinion than the art on the cup. The picture on the cup is actually a little blurry, as if the waterslide decal wasn't printed properly or was sliding around too much when it went into the kiln. 

The Purpose of Clothing

Hello There,  Here's another video about clothing at home. 

Leave a comment and feel free to express your own opinions on the matter.

Video: The Dress

Hello, this is a little 12 minute talk about wearing dresses, making yourself happy so you can be in the best mood for the sacred role at home. You are a care giver and a home keeper, a comforter and a cheerleader. Let your mode of dress be part of that message to encourage others in your home. Let your choice of clothing lift you up and not let you down. Let it be part of the way you get inspired as you reflect the beauty of God's wonderful creation and express back to Him your appreciation and love for His care.

Video: Living On the Upside

Please use this for one of your listen-while-you-work videos. It is almost an hour long.  According to my calculations, it  will get you through the kitchen, bathroom and one bedroom. Let me know if it was more or less! I'm looking forward to your comments. 

Trying to Stay Home Today!

You rarely see any of my kitchen, so I'll treat you to a picture or two. It is the most used place in the house and it is rare to get it clean enough for a picture. I've been trying to stay home today, and it is hard, as you know, if you are a homemaker. There is always something that needs to be done, business-wise, elsewhere, such as returning something, recycling, sending something via UPS or post office, banking, grocery trip, car maintenance appointment, dentist, etc.  Amazing, isn't it? So it is quite an effort to stay home, even for home schoolers!

That is Mr. S.'s toaster oven, which he likes much better than a microwave, because you can do a lot more with food, naturally. 

I thought you might get a kick out of seeing my little red wagon.  Over the years we have had several of these but one by one they were assigned elsewhere and so a few days ago when I was out, I got this one for myself. That way, when a child comes to visit, there is a little red wagon to pull around full of blocks. Now to get the blocks. 

One reason I like Victorian Houses is the assignment of the rooms. There was an attic, a nursery, a library, a ladies parlor, a dressing room, a sleeping porch , a guest room, and areas designed for socializing. 

In our modern homes, a former child's room becomes an office or a sewing room, and dining rooms sometimes are reassigned to media centers.  Most people get rid of the baby bed and the toy box when they outgrow it, but I still have some of it and I love it.  Becky's Feathered Nest has  a video featuring a play house that someone has made to go with her house, which is so charming. 

I'd love to have a big old house with all the rooms still there as they are supposed to be, but I don't suppose it would be as practical and efficient as our little houses today.

However, when you come to my house, there will be something  set in the corners and on tables and shelves to represent every era of life: babyhood, childhood, young adult, young married.

 I'm not sure I want to have something representing old age, but Home Interiors used to have a pair of wire rimmed glasses sitting on top a stack of antique looking books, and a lamp. A lot of young people were loving that look and buying it for their home decor. I don't need to do that because we came by it legitimately ;-) If we could only find the glasses when we need them.

I know a lot of people just get rid of their toys when the children get their own homes, but I objected when they started taking all their childhood toys. It seemed to feel more lonely and empty without the toys. So now I am looking for replacements, and this wagon is the first thing. Then I'm going for a child's table and chair set,  with a tea set for on top. What do you think?

Mr. S. put the wagon together for me and made the handle easy to move around in all directions by substituting a washer.

Today Mr. S. got a change in his foot condition and went to the doctor by himself. I thought I should stay and get everything very organized and clean in case my attention is needed elsewhere. Apparently sepsis and cellulitis comes back!  I know some of you have had it even though you are still quite young, and it does reocurr. But at least we know not to let it get too far, and to take notice of every little sore spot, or change.  I think that should be true in everything we do, don't you?  If you let something slide in housework, or in mending, in office work,  or in relationships, it gets worse, doesn't it!!

A Very Placid Day

We had to go out and stock up on food for the pantry and fridge and I took some pictures of  this magazine. I would like to duplicate this bouquet at home using artificial florals.

Entertain and Celebrate is one of the Hoffman Media publications. They publish Tea Time and Victoria. E and C, though a beautiful mag, was too expensive. I can't get used to the magazines being up there at $13.00. That is more than some books.  I don't know why they are not sold after they are out of date, at Dollar Tree or somewhere. 

I saw this at HL the other day:

And for one of my grandchildren, here is a cute racoon painting:

I have a long list of very serious and helpful topics to address on blog and video when I get time.

Until then, the Bible says laughter is good like medicine, so here are some laughs for you:

I heard something funny from a troll the other day. They said they tried to read my blog to see what I was all about but they got sick looking at all the flowers and lace and wicker in the pictures of my home.

*

I'm going to retire and live off my savings. Not sure what I will do the second week.

*

President Donald Trump was walking out of the White House and heading toward his limo when a possible assassin stepped forward and aimed a gun.

A secret service agent, new on the job, shouted, "Mickey Mouse!"

This startled the would-be assassin, and he was captured.

Later, the secret service agent's supervisor took him aside and asked, "What in the world made you shout Mickey Mouse?"

Blushing, the agent replied, "I got nervous. I meant to shout, "Donald,  duck!"

Mr. S. and I have had an argument.  He asked me find him some extra pillows to elevate his foot while he reclined .  When I brought them,  he said he did not need them. I noticed he already had got some from someone else's bed, and I said, "I made that trip for nothing, and now I have to put these extra pillows away."  He replied that he did not ask for any extra pillows.  I thought he was going daft (as that is supposed to happen sometime in your 70's, isn't it?), as he insisted he didn't want any.

 After I pointed out that he had  some extra ones under his feet that were not there when he sent me to go hunt for extra pillows, he started to realize he was was in error, he was caught, and he was wrong, so he tried to get out of it by saying, "I think you misunderstood, on account of the fact I probably failed to pronounce the letter "s".

Ladies, don't even TRY to figure that one out.  It is just what he does when he is trying to get out of something. He probably missed his calling. That sounds more like a lawyer or a senator or maybe a witness when he gets tired of being cross-examined.

Sunday is the Busiest Day!

No matter how you plan it or slice it, Sunday is not much of a "day of rest" as people insist it should be, especially for a country preacher's wife!

I have been up while it is still dark, and unlocked the meeting house, turned on the heat, unlocked the side doors and handicapped areas,  placed the communion trays on the communion table, and laid out a few things for the church dinner:  the punch cups, the serving utensils, napkins, plates, etc. The casserole is in the oven and the salad has been made. The coffeemaker is full of water, and just as I was writing this, it hit me that I didn't put the ground coffee in the filter.  No, it is nothing to do with old age!  My children have the same problem!  I have yet to change from my work clothes into church clothes and brush my hair. Mr. S. Is in his home office doing some last minute prep, and after I get myself together I will make a hot breakfast.

When he and his brother were young, his mother made Sunday morning easier for herself by preparing only hot cereal. All other days they had a typical old fashioned cooked farm workers breakfast which was an effort to prepare.  One day his brother said, "Is tomorrow Sunday? Because, if it is, I don't want any of that church cereal!"

We usually spend two hours after the dinner visiting and singing. There is also a church business meeting, and then the time it takes to clean up the kitchen and dining area.  After that, some folks stay back and talk, and talk and talk about everything on their minds, and I personally think they are waiting for Mr. S.'s one-liners* to make them feel better. I notice he often quotes the exact verse and the "a" or "b" parts of a scripture, to prove a discussion. We do not get home for some time.

By the time that is completed, the day is almost over!

If there is any energy left in me, I hope to add some cuffs to my rose colored coat.  Sewing is a recreation for me!

It will look like this:

We have to go out to get something at a whole-foods store that has some old remedies (iodine, hydrogen peroxide, etc) and Mr. S. wanted to get something, so it looks like it is curtains for the sewing project this evening. Whew!  I understand why Monday is the standard day off for all preachers and their wives! As soon as I'm finished here I will go set up the coffeemaker  (with the actual coffee) over there and put the timer on. 

Next week if I can get some "hot spots" in order around here, I am going to treat myself to a visit to this Victorian house, in Drain, Oregon. What a name, eh? Look it up and see what is there for tourists.

I thought about taking a picture I have in a tourist brochure, to the fabric store to match fabrics for an outfit to go with, but the colors show up so differently in pictures, as you see below:

Unlike our modern tract homes, no two Victorian houses were exactly alike, so it is easy to identify them. Many of them today have been named. 

These are the colors displayed in the brochure. 

Mr. S. says he is ready for another country drive, and this will be a nice road trip that will only take a day and get us home in time for supper. 

Those of you who own vintage cars ought to take a trip to see the Victorian houses in the area.

Mr. S. got this free magazine, which had the map and pictures of the houses, from our local Dairy Queen. This is an old issue, so there must be a more updated one around for free in some of the local shops.

*Mr. S. takes advantage of the notice people make of his special velcro shoe for his recovering foot, to tell that ooooooolllllllddddd joke about judging others. You know the joke, I'm sure. Before you judge a fellow, walk a mile in his shoes. Then you will be a mile away from him and you will have his shoes.

Leave it at the Door

AT THE DOOR 

Edgar Guest 

He wiped his shoes before his door,
But ere he entered he did more;
'Twas not enough to cleanse his feet
Of dirt they'd gathered in the street;
He stood and dusted off his mind
And left all trace of care behind.
"In here I will not take," said he,
"The stains the day has brought to me.

"Beyond this door shall never go
The burdens that are mine to know;
The day is done, and here I leave
The petty things that vex and grieve;
What clings to me of hate and sin
To them I will not carry in;
Only the good shall go with me
For their devoted eyes to see.

"I will not burden them with cares,
Nor track the home with grim affairs;
I will not at my table sit
With soul unclean, and mind unfit;
Beyond this door I will not take
The outward signs of inward ache;
I will not take a dreary mind
Into this house for them to find."

He wiped his shoes before his door,
But paused to do a little more.
He dusted off the stains of strife,
The mud that's incident to life,
The blemishes of careless thought,
The traces of the fight he'd fought,
The selfish humors and the mean,
And when he entered he was clean.



Hello Ladies,

If you tend to look on the down side of things, the poem will help you understand how the home is so sacred, we must do what we can to curb those critical attitudes. I learned something about that years ago: don't critisize, complain, or condemn, when it comes to the home and family.  Real success comes from identifying what needs to be fixed, and fixing it!!! Then enjoy the success.  The other method  which  I call "blame and punish" does not produce progress at all. It does not train or teach and it doesn't improve anything. It just makes pessimistic people. That is largely what goes on in government, right?  Instead of fixing things, they blame and punish and nothing changes. So let us begin at home!! Leave all that pessimism outside the door!

I've seen people spend more time trying to find someone or something to blame, and then attempting to punish them, when they could fix things in less time. It is just ridiculous the lengths people will go to avoid really working and getting something changed for the good.

I like the poem's message because it shows that we have a choice. We can choose to be gloomy and we can live a "giving up" life, or we can choose to go for it and live, live, live.

This is a good poem to read aloud over and over until the whole family has it memorized. Its teachings are good to discuss, too!

Nothing expresses this better than the following plaque from Hobby Lobby.com. This is the attitude that gives us the ability to create, invent, plan and build.

Proverbs 31 says, "She works with willing hands."

Today I am taking a day off to do some walking around in HL just to get some new ideas. I like taking a notebook and writing down everything I like, and noting the price. As you know, there is a cycle of sales that goes on there. One week the lamps will be half price, and another week, the furniture, etc. and patterns go on sale for $1.99 about once a month. You can get the sale schedule somewhere online. 

Mr. S. likes to go with me because he likes the model car section and he is amused by the signs and plaques with clever saying. 

When I come back, I hope to prepare something for a video, so don't lose hope. Maybe there is an advantage to such a long gap between videos: You will be able to see how much I have aged, haha!!!!

In the photograph of the door:
Curtain:Home made, using muslin fabric dyed light sage green with liquid dye, ball fringe sewed on and also dyed.

Lamplight: these are sold at Walmart during the Christmas season, in two sizes. I like this so much I will keep it there year-round. 

Wicker chair and cushions:  I got these on lay-away at Walmart almost 30 years ago!

Door: from a local building supply store. Yes, that's MY door!  

As I've quoted from the Quiet Man time and again: "The house may belong to my brother, but what's in it belongs to me!!"

Foot update:  Mr. S. had a foot injury back in the early part of December, involving surgery and a ten-day hospital stay. After three months of visits to at least 8 medical people, the wound care center and all the health care departments have dismissed him, with no further appointments, but we are still watching the situation and keeping it bandaged a little longer. He has resumed his former lifestyle of just going and going, and he is still working.  I am the foot-watcher and I notice every little scratch or skinned area, because that is how the piece of wood got under his skin in the first place. I noticed a place yesterday that needed attention.  So we are being foot-aware.  Take care of your feet!!  Remember real cowboys don't wear flip-flops or sandals.  Even in the city, it is not safe to wear shoes that barely cover your feet. And, it isn't safe to go barefoot,  especially in the kitchen!!!  Leave the bare feet to the paintings by Adolphe Bouguereau.

A Little Celebration

Hello Everyone. I hope all of you received something beautiful today.

In the US, Valentine's Day is for all people, and there are a lot of children who are thrilled to get hearts and flowers and cards from their parents, particularly their Dads.

I was in Dollar Tree yesterday and there was a little girl with her mother and she was so enthusiastic, she was saying "Happy Valentine's Day" to everyone she saw. She was jumping for joy because her mother was getting her one of those cellophane balloons.

Mr. S. And I cannot seem to keep up with the holidays, so there is always a last minute scramble to come up with a gift. Here is what he made for me:

 Honestly the date seemed to arrive so fast that I did not get any cute cards made or sent, but I will use the rest of the month to do so.

I wanted you to see the ingredients of that bowl of roses, all from Dollar Tree.

From what I can compare, these hard vinyl baskets at Dollar Tree are just as good quality as at Hobby Lobby, and they come in several colors, as well as different sizes and shapes.  I chose the round basket to make a floral arrangement in, but they come in square and rectangle, oval, etc. Colors are hot pink, lavender, mint green and blue.    The total cost of this was $5.00. I used the floral stems from other arrangements I have around the house, but I got them all at Dollar Tree.  You can't really tell what a bright spot they provide in this home.

Image from  Victorian Trading Company

Affirmation For Christian Homemakers

To get in the habit of looking on the bright side, replace thoughts of defeat with thoughts of  overcoming.

Repeat this whenever discouraging thoughts intrude.

Stop for tea and time to think.

Expect distractions, delays and resistance to any worthwhile endeavors. When this happens, simply work on it more. 

If you are unable to meet your own set time limits for anything you are trying to accomplish, change the time limits to zero.

Don't be dependent on anyone else to motivate or encourage you, but be able to pick up enthusiasm from unexpected circumstances. 

When frustrated with burdens, pause frequently to notice some small thing and thank God for it.

Prepare yourself. Make your appearance as nice as you can to enable you to feel good about yourself. Respect your Creator, respect others and respect yourself enough to take care of your appearance. It isn't vain or self agrandoising to do so. Think of what others., Including your children, have to look at and give them the best impression.

Make something in your home orderly and clean every day, even if it is a small thing.

Make plans and dreams even if there is no way of doing them right now.

Spend one day a month doing something or planning something or making something you have been wanting for a long time.

List the basics you need to do in a day, and after that is achieved, use the rest of the day to do something you have been avoiding.

Once a day, reach toward the sky, and then try to touch your toes.

Defeating thoughts can be bad for your health. You can live more abundantly when you are cheerful and hopeful. Keep hope alive. Even if hope is deferred, it is better for your soul than despair.

Sing the hymn "Sweet Will of God."

Snow Storm

We have returned home after a very snowed-in weekend away.  See previous post for details.

Mr. S. had snow tires and was confident we would make it away and back.

We are certainly happy to be home.  

I don't know about you, but one thing about being away from home, is that it creates renewed interest in caring for the house. I use any outside excursion for an opportunity to get fresh new ideas. I plan new lessons, or fresh hospitality ideas.

On our way home, we stopped by Miss Dahlia's, where she and her husband welcomed us for dinner!  She had prepared a lovely Mexican meal.  It was so different than the restaurant version, I tell you.

I didn't get any pictures of her beautiful home! She is a picture of contentment.  We find ourselves so busy living life, we forget to take pictures.

Some of you have been encouraging me to make videos and podcasts or radio broadcasts to listen to online.  

The reason I have not done anything is the amount of preparation it takes, particularly for videos.  I know some people just go sit in their garage and start talking, and those are sometimes the best! However I don't want to have a video about homemaking with a background that looks like a hurricane just came through.  And, it seems to take me forever to get things in order these days. There always is something else to be done, somewhere to go, or essential work.  But I will not give up hope, and just might surprise you and have a video here.

To those who have children at home, I would suggest you not be too involved in making money and creating videos to such an extent that the children are neglected. Do everything moderately. Your home is your headquartes for living, and so,  running it, dressing the children, feeding everyone, keeping it clean and lovely, is your priority.

The Delicate Art of Snow

The fresh snowfall dressed the trees up in lace fabric.

There ought to be a 

 fabric or ladies clothing that goes with  the snow, similar to the delicate lace of snow. 

I took this picture from a window. It looks like the old black and white photos but it is in color.

A small church invited Mr. S. to conduct a marriage reinforcement class this weekend.

The tables in the room were brightly decorated.

Here is one of the poems Mr. S. read to.the class:

A Prayer for a Christian Husband

Lord, may there be no moment in my life

When she regrets that she became my wife.

Help me to do the utmost I can

To prove myself her measure of a man.

Since years must bring to all their load of care,

Let us together every burden bear.

And when Death beckons one it's path along,

May not the two of us be parted long. 

M.V. Caruthers.