Sweet Seasons

Sweet Autumn 

by Susan Rios

Life tends to be the same, rain or shine, for the homemaker. There will always be something to do at home: baking, washing, sewing, reading, sweeping, taking long walks, teaching children. So, whether it is spring or fall, my focus is making the home pleasant.  I must admit that I feel more energy and optimism in the spring and summer, so when autumn approaches, I never look at it as the "end of summer" but rather, an extension of summer. Often the temperature rises to a higher point than some summer days, allowing the feeling of summer days to continue. The season inside my house seems to always be summer, no matter what the weather.

Fabric in Paintings of the Victorian Era

The Ramparts, Walmer Castle

(Please click on the picture for a detailed view. I like the background scenery in this painting.)

(by Perugini, (1839-1918) Italian-born British painter of the Victorian Era

A few years ago I posted some sewing inspired by paintings of the Victorian era, (Painting-inspired dressing and painting-inspired sewing)  and I am looking again at paintings to get ideas of the fabrics and designs. Click on the pictures and get a closer view of the lovely fabrics, the ruffles, the trims, and also have a look at the hair styles. If you will click on the link and go to the painting, clicking it on again and then using the magnifier, it shows a pretty good up-close idea of what the ruffles and tucks and fabrics look like. 

Portrait of a Lady

(click on the picture for a closer view and then use the magnifer)

(and another scenic background)

Kate

(Click on the picture for a larger view.)

The fabric of this dress looks exactly like some that is sold in fabric stores today.

The Color Pink

Row of Cherry Trees 

Pink Murex Shells

Painting by Guy Rose (1867-1925)

Pink Agates

Pink Grass

Tumbled rocks

pink parakeet

pink butterfly

Pink Sunset

Pink Lady Apples

pink flowers

I am busy sewing today but I wanted to post my collection of pink pictures of things God made. I prefer the lightest pinks for my home, or for making clothing for myself, but there are many dark pinks that are lovely. I believe pink has gotten bad press and sometimes when it would delight someone and lift them up the most, others are prejudiced against it. I remember having a cherry pink parka in the cold winter when I was a child, and how cheerful it made me feel when the days were so dark and dreary.

 When I get more time I will post some other pink things that are man-made : pink umbrellas, pink purse, pink pillows, and a pink house.

A pink dress!

The flower clip came from the fabric section of Walmart and is used to make headbands or add to knit hats. The fabric is also from Walmart. 

A cotton dress to wear at home.

The pattern is New Look 6352 with the neckline raised (see my sidebar on how to raise a neckline. Extra hint: hold the pattern up to your body and put the shoulders where they will be and then take a marker and mark the higher neckline right on the pattern paper)

The sleeves are from  Simplicity 2917. (Run the magnifyer on the picture at the site to see them better. I thought they were cute.)

...and this is the piping I put in the neckline.  Note: You can add ties to the waistline of this dress by making a clip at the pattern where it says "waistline" and when sewing, insert the ties. You make the ties by using the selvage or straight pieces left over on the fabric. Or, try wide grosgrain ribbon, to save a lot of work.

The dress-form is very short, so the dress looks very long, however even with the added ruffle, it is a very easy dress to wear around the home and is not too long (the hem cannot be stepped on, and it does not catch on things.)   Sewing hint: If you made a ruffle, cut a strip of fabric from which includes the selvage edge, so that you won't have to hem it. Use the raw edge to run the gathering stitch and attach to the edge of the garment.

Pie instructions have been added to the previous pie post, for those who are interested.

Let Them Eat Pie

Apple Pie Harvest

by Janet Kruskamp

I can not resist sharing this beautiful pie. It is a combination of chopped apples from the apple tree, (mostly green variety), purple plums, and blackberries, mixed with tapioca to thicken it. Berries make a lot of juice so it is important to mix in flour or tapioca when making the filling.

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I purchased this deep-dish, made-in-America Pyrex brand pie dish, which is over 11 inches wide, at Walmart for only $6.95 and it is the best pie dish I've ever had. 

I do not have a specifically measured amount of ingredients to tell you about, and so I can not give you a recipe, but if you will look up how to add tapioca to fruit pies, you can get an idea of how to make a berry-apple pie.  The crust is brushed with an egg-yolk wash, which makes it have a very golden look, and makes the crust very flakey and delicious. 

I like this crust all pieced together with scraps of dough. The hole is left in the top for steam.

The fruit was just picked moments before the pie was made. You can get the same results with frozen fruit or fresh fruit from the grocery store or farmer's market.

Pie Making Day

by Janet Kruskamp

Pie Instructions

This pie contained about 12 cups of mixed fruit, which included blackberries and peeled, chopped apples, so you will have to determine how many plums you need. Cut each plum alone the seam line. Shown is a regular knife but I prefer serated knifes for cutting fruit because it grips the fruit better.

The plums have to be very firm but not as hard as rock, and cannot be overly ripe or mushy, for this pie.

Now cut the halves into fourths. There is no need to peel the plum. The skin will be tender and if it is a purple variety, it will add to the wonderful jewel-like color.

 When fruit is heated, it gets tart and sour, so the pie will need some thing sweet added to it.

 Read the back of the tapioca box to determine what amount to add to the pie mix. This might be anywhere from two tablespoons to one-fourth cup, depending on how many cups of fruit you have. To this pie was added over a fourth of a cup of tapioca.   

In a small bowl combine the tapioca and the spices:

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon each nutmeg, allspice and cardamon

2 cups sweetener of your choice

Mix it all together  and let it sit while you make the crust.

Line the pie plate with the crust, add the berries into a mountain and cover with another pie crust, patching where necessary. If you have any left over fruit, make another small pie.

Before you bake it, be  sure to put a cut in the top to allow steam and bubbling juice to escape. Also, place your pie on a larger pan in the oven, because some of  the juice may leak out. The oven was set at 400 degrees and the pie took approximately half an hour to 45 minutes  to cook, however it depends on your oven and the kind of pan you use, as to the amount of time. If you smell the pie, it is probably done! Makes some notes to yourself about the taste of the pie so you can determine next time how to make it better, and how long to leave it in the oven. Since 400 degrees is very hot, set the timer for half an hour first, and then, if it needs more time, put it on for 15 more minutes.

When cut, it looks like a treasure box with all the jewels spilling out!

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Delight-Living

Going Home

by Susan Rios

Please remember that the scripture references will pop up on the page when you linger your cursor on them.

The artists lovely painting of the path leading to the humble cottage makes me think of the importance of home life, and how the values we cherish must be guarded. These may include simple things like contentment and quietness, minding our own business, creativity, engrossing work, our family sayings and beliefs, our personal possessions and land, our lineage and the enriching history of our ancestors, or the love of beauty and the love of music.  I have pondered that a little bit today, and found a few things that might help maintain that "little piece of heaven on earth" which we call home.

A Thicket of Blackberries Against the Sky

Planning or pursuing moments of deliberate delight in a day can bring rest to the home. There has to be one place in the world that is free from anxiety. Observing something beautiful and thinking of something delightful each day, on purpose, results in tranquility that will be passed on to the family. This is where the little journal-art book can be used. Just one sentence a day with a little sketch or artful sticker can make you aware of the importance of a single day. If you are depressed or discouraged, try to pull from within your mind one good thing to write down. If this is not possible, find one good thing to say out loud. 

Forming a personal tradition of taking tea will encourage others to partake of the ceremony with you. It just has to be a cup of tea. I have also found that the walk is essential in the daily life of a homemaker, as a tradition to preserve. Walking to the mail box, to a scenic area, or to a place you like, can be one of your daily delights.  This and other things can be included on in your daily life and over the years will reap blessings.

  Mentally feed on the good, the pure and the lovely, and it will stabilize your mind in later years.  It is not too late for the over-50-age group to replace grim attitudes with be-happy attitudes or beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-16). This text shows the source of true happiness.

Leisure with the purpose of refreshing your mind and getting your thoughts sorted out is a type of relaxation that builds the body and mind. This can be in the form of sitting in a rocking chair on the porch, holding a child's hand as he walks with you on a meander through the garden, taking tea with a friend or by yourself, creating something of beauty,  and anything that gives you a sigh of happiness.

Boreas, by John William Waterhouse

English, 1859-1917

Speaking the positive when handling the negative. In another post, I have addressed the problem of the negative, naysayer friends who will seek your help. These people are always drawn to those who have consistent lives and foundational beliefs. They see your life and want it for themselves without having to endure the hardships or do the things that bring it about. They do not see each trial as a step to being an over-comer or being stronger. Wanting relief without solving the actual problem, they become a burden to friends and neighbors. 

 It is so important not to allow the fearful, negative speaking people to put a cloud of doubt over your life. It is also important to be kind and polite to them, but it is not necessary to let their moods dominate yours.  We have seen how so many homemaking blogs have put these people in their place by not giving them an inch into their blogs and not allowing them to poison the atmosphere with condemning, complaining, accusations, control, and other things that belong in the dark. While it is admirable to counsel such people from the good of your heart, I believe caution is necessary. I addressed it in this post.

An Intimate View

by Susan Rios

Identifying the happy moments that were created for you by others.  It is very helpful to think back to the last time you were truly happy and content. Analyze the details. What kind of day was it? What were you doing? Wearing? Thinking? Who were you talking to? What was the atmosphere of your home? What were the scents, the scenes and the sounds?   Go back to doing the things you used to do when you were the most whole. For some people, it means getting out the knitting they were working on, and finding all the favorite books and magazines they were reading at the time. One woman recently told me of a small thing she did which helped her greatly to renew her mind and be at peace. She merely bought a  calligraphy doodling pen and a notebook, sat down to enjoy a cup of tea and just doodled. She was not trying to be clever. She was trying to relax, and enjoying it very much. With a relaxed, clear mind, she is more able to speak without the tense, impatient edge in the voice that besets some people.

Look back also on the happy events in your life before you became a homemaker, that were created by your own parents: a happy place in the house, perhaps, that was created just for you, a new doll, your first record player, and other small moments of delight. Transport yourself to the sunny days of youth when the cares and burdens were light. This is a good source of strength in times of uncertainty or stress.

Summer Breeze

by Susan Rios

Re-designing thought habits to reflect the determination to rise above things. We have had in each of our lives, public figures who have preached the happiness message. We may have a tendency to think the songs and sayings are cute and trite but they are very important. "Life is a gift: untie the ribbons," was one of these familiar sayings. Songs like "Keep on the Sunny Side," or the lyrics: "Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again."  We have had poets and singers in our own times who spread the message of rising above defeat and  starting over. There is even a modern saying that God is the God of beginning again. So, there is encouragement all around us if we really want to find it. 

Minding the business of your home is essential in finding delight in life. It may require a change in what you listen to or what you worry about. It may require being a little more appreciative of the day's delights.  If you want to see the changes in yourself and the effect it has on your home and family, try keeping a journal for a few days in which you record things you have over come, or ways around obstacles or defeating a problem. You might record little moments of delight that helped distract you from something. If you are used to looking on the dark side of everything, you might find such a diary beneficial when you slip back into old thought patterns.

Queen Anne's Lace

The home is the ideal place to practice delight-living because you are not regulated by any government or workplace than your own. It is here you determine the schedule and life that is works best for you, so it is here that you can create spots of delight in a day's time. One lady I know who has small children says she enjoys her daily walk down the road from her house to the mail box. It is her re-creation time. 

In our world of mindless chatter and constant communication, let us not lose touch with the delights of ordinary life that was experienced by each generation before us. If you are home schooling, this might be a subject you could explore with your children, finding things to do or think about that are good, pure and lovely.

Sunday at the Shore

by Susan Rios

 Try also creating places of delight in your house so that each room or hall you walk past will have something in it you can appreciate: a plant in a pretty pot, a shelf of special books, a place setting at the table, a chair on the porch, a stack of letters you have received, a quilt on the back of a couch, and much more. Letter writing, picture drawing, picnics (the old fashioned kind), art, music, hand-work (sewing, etc) and many other things enjoyed by our great grandmothers can be revived to enjoy today and get the same results of tranquility in a rapidly changing culture.  In order to accomplish this, there must be a determined effort to put away fear and gloom and replace it with happiness.

To print this post, go here.

Enjoy the message of the song "High Hopes"

Handling the Negative People in Your Life

Roses by Alexander Du Brus

Allow your cursor to linger on the scripture references and they will pop-up on this page.

Critics and gloomy, negative people  can put a cloud of doubt and depression on you  Now and then there will be people whose moods will dampen your love for life and make you lose a sense of yourself and what you are all about. The gloomy, morose people who never have a praiseworthy thing to discuss, can somehow damage your soul and effect your physical health. 

When beset by an emotionally needy person who has begun to depend on your spiritual support but never gets beyond the same complaints and fears,  you need to always point the way to Christ, through prayer and through His Word. You alone cannot adequately counsel a person the way Christ can. Offer a prayer, aloud, on the phone, each time this person has a problem, and soon you will see that they lose interest in discussing it with you.  You might try giving them an "assignment" of a good book to read that will effect their minds positively. Ask them to take some time to read Philippians 4:8 and dwell on it.  Remind them that after awhile  Christ expects them to grow up and rise above their problems. (Hebrews 5:12)

Rose with Raindrops by Frank Krahmer

 You may also consider asking: "Do you know it is possible to overcome pessimistic thinking by substituting a delightful though for a depressing one?  Think of something that would really make life better for you, and dwell on that." 

While I am speaking of "doomsday," I feel it is necessary to emphasise that it is not healthy to be "watching" constantly for the end of the world. The Holy Spirit speaks in Revelation 1:7 that every eye shall see him. No one needs to be looking toward Jerusalem, or waiting for the destruction of the country, or trembling in anticipation (unless they have not obeyed the gospel, or have not been faithful after being converted) because when the end comes, someone will be washing dishes and see him. Someone else will be minding their store and see him; others will be going about their daily jobs and see him. No matter what country they live in, they are going to see him. You can read the description of this by running your cursor over this verse: Revelation 1:7.

Beautiful Summer Flowers 

by Alexandre DeBrus

When the scriptures urge us to watch, (1 Peter 4:7) it means to live carefully and be watchful for your soul, for the souls of others, of the things you do and say to maintain a clear conscience and a right relationship with God.  We are supposed to be found working, not watching the news for reports of the end of the world. We are to watch ourselves or rather, examine ourselves daily, to see that we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).  That is the kind of watching we should be doing.  Those who are constantly wishing for the end to come lack a certain compassion for the people who are not yet saved. Instead of hastening the day of judgement, they ought to use every spare moment to convert their loved ones and friends.

Perhaps those who want the end to come are depressed people who feel there is no hope in life, and that they have nothing worthwhile to live for, or maybe they just do not want to endure trials in life, or maybe they just want to get out of working.  It is possible they do not love their husbands, wives or children, and enjoy predicting the destruction of the world. They may not really enjoy the life they have been given and do not want to live it to the fullest and be as productive as they can be in the cause of Christ.

 Whatever the reason for being obsessed with the end times, it is not a good thing for the family to be too concerned about the future. The Bible says the day  (today) has enough problems, and we are not to worry about tomorrow. There is an old song with these lyrics: "Will He wait a little longer?/There's so many out in sin/Will he wait a little longer/ give us time to gather in?"  (Read the lyrics here.) If you are raising children, they need to be raised in a positive atmosphere and learn how to love life and be grateful for each day and have a glad hope for tomorrow. Press here for the lyrics to the song "Great Is They Faithfulness."

Christ offers an abundant life (John 10:10) . The scriptures speak of living, of life, of long life for many people, and of protecting life. Instead of watching for the "end," (which will change nothing), a dedicated Christian needs to put on the armour of God, (Ephesians 6: 9-19) and  fight the good fight of faith. (1 Timothy 6:12). They need to study the Bible and be strong enough to handle the difficulties of life on earth. To be only wanting the end means to avoid the trials and things which give wisdom and understanding.

 Those who want to sit around worrying about the end times need to pray instead that God would give them another day to gather in a host of people that are lost in sin.  The fact that the earth still remains shows God's love and mercy toward us, yet, even before the end of time, we need to get things right with God and live according to His principles.  That way, no matter what happens, we are prepared.  Homemakers need to be 'found working" and keeping their houses orderly, serving their families, showing hospitality, resting, creating, training their children, and sharing the word of life with others. 

Old Roses in a Basket 

by Albert Williams

Although the apostle Paul was a prisoner of Nero when he wrote the letter to the Philippians in 61 A.D.  the letter is full of admonitions to think about love and loveliness.  This is a great treasure full of joy for all of our friends and kin who want to gripe and complain about life. "Whatsoever things are lovely...think on these things." (Philippians 4:8). In order to handle this problem, I have divided the situations into these categories, with possible solutions to helping them and getting free of the effect of their gloom. 

A Still Life of Pink and Yellow Roses

by Alexandre DuBrus

1.Suppress the negative and uphold the positive: While any Christian homemaker feels she should minister to other women and support them in their role at home, she needs to know what her limits are and how much she can take. If she has answered the phone and spent a few minutes listening to her friend, she has to keep in mind that she could be using up time and thinking ability that she needs for her home and her family.  By giving the person the tool that they need to become a lifter and not a leaner (Philippians 4:8), the person has the power to solve their own problems and go on to help others.  Sadly, we often enable the complainers and prevent them from rising above their problems, when we give them too much time on the phone.

Let me give you an example of cheerfulness in spite of the depressing circumstances. A young lady I know recently suffered from an illness that dragged on in such a way that she never felt she was going to recover to her old bouncy self completely. Her grandmother told her one day, "I believe if you will take a shower, get dressed and fix your hair, you will feel better." Though she felt she was not energetic enough to get up and have a normal day, she did what her grandmother suggested. She still felt sick, but she got a few minutes of sitting-up time, read her mail, had a cup of tea, then went back to bed. Using this method of looking on the bright side by dressing as though she was well, she was able to recover a little more of her life each day, until one day she was up all day doing normal things.

painting by Robert Walker

  Overcoming difficult circumstances does not always mean that the circumstances are changed. It means that you do not allow things outside of your control to drag your thoughts down into despair. It means you rise above them with strong mental exertion.

Realize that your personal ministry is on your own mission field in your home. Too much bad news or too many gloomy comments can demoralize your own people. In a sense, we at home are in a war and that war begins with demoralizing the troops. Once that happens, it is very easy to lose the battle for the hearts and minds of the family members. Therefore, make sure your complainer friend or relative knows that you are not able to absorb too much negative news without it affecting your performance at home.

Woman Reading

by Mary Casatt

 We all know of the doomsdayers and naysayers who cannot muster up a good thought or good word about anything. Realize that the beliefs and thinking habits  of such people keeps them constantly in a state of agitation, which is contrary to the will of Christ. (Philippians 4:8)

Remember that you could be cheating your family of the very "best" of you when you spend too much time trying to lift up the spirits of the chronic complainers and the fearful end-of-the-world-watchers. We are not supposed to be thinking about doomsday. We are supposed to be thinking about today's loveliness and today's duties.   Do not allow the company of a complainer to dominate your life. I know that there are women who feel that their children have never seen their own mother happy and relaxed, enjoying them and the home, because there has always been another grown-up with emotional problems that they felt obligated to help. It is difficult to concentrate on home making when there are problems on your mind, and it is foolish to borrow someone else's problems.

Resting

by John William Waterhouse

List the people in that person's life that could already have tried to help them. Sometimes we think we are the only ones that can help a negative, fearful, gloomy person, but in most cases, that person has a  husband, another, a father, brothers and sisters whom God placed in their lives. A person who really wants to get over their problems will seek help through reading and researching, rather than burdening a young homemaker. Besides their own relatives, there are ministers available, often without charge. Find out if the person is attending worship services or Bible study, and suggest it as a solution to their problems.  Circumstances do not always change, but when a person learns to think of the circumstances in a Christian light, they feel much differently.

When pressed, a busy young homemaker may say something like, "I'm really busy right now but I can chat for a minute and then I must go."  That will not give enough time for the other person to enter into their tales of woe.  While we never want to appear callous or unsympathetic, most of these women are grown-ups and need to understand that the homemaker has a responsibility to fulfill and is not obligated to solve other people's problems.

Direct them to helpful books and beautiful magazines that stimulate the mind and work of the homemaker. Sometimes I go and visit an open-house show-home just to see what a house looks like that is clean, and though I realize no one yet lives in such a house, its spaciousness always inspires me to de-clutter and rearrange furniture when I get home. There are also other sources available to these people who want to have help. The web has a lot of things on it that will help. 

Avoid using the phone to counsel as it will interfere with your concentration on your life at home. Email is quieter and you can think more carefully about what you say. Include in the email the links you want her to look at. If she writes back, you can take your time answering, and include another link. Give the gloomy person links to homemaking videos, flower arranging, sewing, housekeeping, and good uplifting movies. Often a person just needs to watch something that will take them outside of their own problems. Positive reading can make complete turn-arounds in the gloomy minds of some people. Give her a friendly assignment via email that she can view silently.  Things like: paying a compliment to someone, getting dressed to look her feminine best, listening to soft music, sending a card to someone, finding a recipe online and following it, ironing her husband's dress shirt, cleaning out a book shelf, watch a series of videos such as How to Clean House Like a Pro.   Also, assign the memorization of scripture, such as the command of Christ not to worry about what will happen tomorrow, in Matthew 6:34.

Know that not everyone is "good soil" (Matthew 13:1-8) and will not allow good things to grow in them. They may have a sour attitude that makes it more difficult to absorb good instruction.  Some times the seeds of encouragement do not reach receptive hearts. Sometimes you can reach someone for a time and then they allow the cares and fears of the world to come back.  The homemaker may have to face the regrettable task of imposing time limits on conversations and visits.  The people today are no different than people of the past, and our great-grandmothers had ways of putting such people to work or enlisting their help, but they would not stand for too much self-pity for long.  We need to recapture that sensibility today and give the critics and the fearful something to do that is useful.

Move on quickly to something more productive, when someone will not apply the tools you give them to improve their lives. Jesus warned his disciples not to stay in a place where people would not listen, but to go on to the next place. (Matthew 10:14).  Behind this command of Jesus is a very good reason: if you allow too much discouragement in your life, you soon become disabled and discouraged, and  immobilized. The naysayers can  think only of the objections to your message, and not the possibility of success. So, Christ told his disciples to move on and find those whose hearts were receptive. Save your adrenalin and your energy for someone who will take the message and grow and teach others.

Painting by Susan Rios

 If someone's problem is robbing you of your health and your ability to function fully at home, you need to realize that it is not your job to rescue them. This is certainly not meant to imply that Christian homemakers have no compassion for people who are hurting, but that they have a great work to do in their families and that no one else can do it as well as they can. The future and the memories of their families lie within the actions of the homemaker. If a person does not receive the encouragement or the instruction and improve within a reasonable amount of time, Matthew 10:14 should be applied. Jesus knows that it is not only for the good of the one being helped, but for the one who teaches. It keeps the mind of the teacher and helper healthy and strong and alert, and not discouraged.