The Kitchen, an Interesting Room

Edith Schaeffer shares insights from her experience as a homemaker and mom in her book "The Hidden Art of Homemaking". Her goal is to share creative ideas for enriching everyday life. I love how she expresses herself and shares what sounds to be a very delightful time in the kitchen with her children.  See what you think.

"For growing children at play, there is nothing so interesting as really 'doing things'. To 'help cook' is one of the most enjoyable things of childhood --- to say nothing of being a sure way of producing good cooks.  A child can cut up carrots at a very early age, with no more risk of injury than from falling down outside at play! A child can mix and stir, knead the dough and be given a piece to make a roll man, cat or rabbit with raisin eyes. A child can fry eggs or make scrambled eggs ---- one of mine did every morning from the age of three! The kitchen should be an interesting room in which communication takes place between child and mother and also among adults. It should be interesting in the same way as in an artist's studio, as well as being a cosy spot in which to have a cup of tea while something is being watched or stirred, or while waiting to take something out of the oven."

Now, doesn't that just create the most pleasant word picture in your mind? I hope it inspires you to make your kitchen such a place! It inspired me!

Hospitality

Hospitality

Let the "angel unaware" be in your home.  Be a friend of someone today.  You are loved and needed!

"When God's children are in need, you be the one to help them out.  And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner, or if they need lodging, for the night."  Romans 12:13 TLB

~ I am reading through my old journals, finding tidbits of thoughts and verses that have inspired me and helped me become who I am today.  Do you have a journal like that?  Have you gone through previous posts recently?  It's fun to see how you have grown or changed throughout the process we call 'life'.  ~

A True Home

"A roof to keep out the rain. Four walls to keep out the wind. Floors to keep out the cold. Yes, but home is more than that. It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father. Warmth of loving hearts, light from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship. Home is first school...for the young ones where they learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind. Where they go for comfort when they are hurt or sick. Where joy is shared and sorrow eased. Where fathers and mothers are respected and loved. Where children are wanted. Where the simplest food is good enough for kings because it is earned. Where money is not so important as loving-kindness. Where even the teakettle sings from happiness. That is home."

by Ernestine Schumann-Heink

Apronology

EllynAnne Geisel is an author and collector who is passionate about aprons. With nostalgia, she explores the history, form, and function of aprons in ways that inspire others. I love this quote of hers from The Apron Book:

"As an apronologist, I've learned that it is this humble domestic icon that ties us to earlier generations. And by designing aprons, sewing them, and tying them on, we're celebrating the spirit of women."

Some of my aprons hang in the sunshine, acting as homemaker flags on a breezy spring day. They bring color and cheer to the yard that is otherwise still somewhat brown with patches of green starting to come alive in the lawn. My aprons are making history in quite unusual ways! I wonder what the neighbors think?

Grandest Home

"Home is the grandest of all institutions"

Charles Spurgeon

Is your home a historic place? Every home makes history for those within it's walls.

Our Dwelling Place

Lord, this humble house we'd keep sweet with play and calm with sleep. Help us so that we may give beauty to the lives we live. Let Thy love and let Thy grace shine upon our dwelling place.

Edgar A. Guest

Photo: Elm Street Antiques

Tea Towels

A tea towel (British English) or dish towel (American English) is a cloth which is used to dry dishes, cutlery, etc., after they have been washed. In 18th century England, a tea towel was a special linen drying cloth used by the mistress of the house to dry her precious and expensive china tea things. Servants were considered too ham-fisted to be trusted with such a delicate job, although housemaids were charged with hand-hemming the woven linen when their main duties were completed. Tea towels began being mass-produced during the Industrial Revolution.

Source: Wikipedia

This history of tea towels has always been interesting to me. I wish that as a child I'd been told that it was considered too careful a task for the maid. It might have made sis and me a little more appreciative of dish drying! Much time was spent washing and drying dishes. I don't recall that we were very fast at the task. Living in a house with no dishwasher meant that dish duty was always ours. We always used "tea towels", not "dish towels". This must have been because of our mother's Canadian and English roots. The tea towels were always hand embroidered by mom, frequently with the days of the week. I always worked hard at making sure I had the proper tea towel for the day. Sis would wash and I would dry, or vice versa. Dish washing time became an ongoing story-time adventure. We would weave tall tales aloud, each taking a turn at our story. Sometimes these stories would last for days (from one dish washing to the next). Oh, the things children miss out on in this day of dishwashers and modern appliances!

Do you have dish washing memories? Do you use tea towels or dish towels? What is the difference for you?

Photo: Elm Street Antiques

The Hidden Art

Have you read Edith Schaeffer's book, "The Hidden Art of Homemaking"? In it she outlines creative ideas for enriching everyday life. Her writing is real and practical, yet she is quick to encourage adding little details to make home a special place to be. Each chapter describes elements that she believes should be focused upon in a home: art, music, interior decoration, gardens, flower arranging, food, writing, drama, recreation, clothing, integration of others, and the environment. Edith speaks fondly of children and of a mother's role in creating elements in a home that provide color, texture, shape, repetition, and line. Baking bread becomes a communal connecting point in a family, and the always present table centerpiece is created from objects readily available during any season in nature. Her writing draws the reader into her home with statements like this: "The kitchen should be an interesting room in which communication takes place between child and mother and also among adults. It should be interesting in the same way as is an artist's studio, as well as being a cosy spot in which to have a cup of tea while something is being watched or stirred, or while waiting to take something out of the oven." Most of all, the author reminds each reader that we are to extend hospitality especially to those whom we may not normally extend it, as Jesus said doing "for one of the least of these" is as though doing unto Him. If you haven't read this book yet, take a moment to find a copy and enjoy an afternoon read.

*Tyndale Press 1971

The Mundane of Housekeeping

Do you know the song titled "I've Been Everywhere" that lists names and places throughout the United States? It was written by Geoff Mack in 1959 and has been adapted to locals in several countries and has been sung by everyone from Lynn Anderson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and The Statler Brothers. Well, take that tune and add these words: Kerby, Filter Queen, Hoover, Dirt Devil, Bissell, Eureka, Kenmore, and more. As you sing along, become more and more animated, giving the song more and more punch. These are all brands of vacuum cleaners we've had over the years. So far, there's nothing that I have really been satisfied with. With kids, pets, and sandy soil --- nothing seems to hold up very well and do a superb job (sorry, vacuum cleaner companies). We are now on a search for 'another' vacuum cleaner; something that will clean carpets and hardwood, that will keep it's suction, and that isn't messy to keep clean and tidy. Our search has lead us to the Dyson DC 25. Do you have one? Could you, would you --- share the pro's and con's? According to their website, this vacuum:

Sits on a ball to maneuver around furniture and obstacles. The motor is inside the ball, giving the machine a low center of gravity making it even easier to steer.

AND it. . .

Uses Root Cyclone™ technology to separate dirt from the air by centrifugal force. This patented technology doesn't lose suction power as you vacuum.

Hmmmm. . .so it this true? I am really curious and most cautious about my 'next' choice in a vacuum cleaner. I'd appreciate any feedback you can give me. And, I thank you in advance.

I know. . .vacuum cleaners are mundane and boring in blogland where we tend to focus on beautiful decor, yummy food, and family events. So, in order to perk up this post a bit, I'd like to share with you another 'housekeeping' tool that I found this week (and left in the shop window; it's shown in the picture below). It is the prettiest apron! I would love to find a pattern to make one. . .somewhere. . .somehow. This pretty little gem was $80.00 in the shop (and it's not even lined!). The skirt is fitted with darts with a cute, little gathered bodice that is accented with striped fabric at top and bottom. Isn't it adorable? Have you found a pattern for this anywhere? It's yummy!


Enjoy a lovely day and be sure to enjoy any housekeeping you might have planned for the day. Since I'm still deciding about a vacuum cleaner (and have only a simple apron), I will be dust mopping my floors today rather than sucking up the dirt with a vacuum!

Stay cool!

THANK YOU for all the excellent feedback regarding vacuum cleaners. It was all very helpful! I will keep you posted as to a decision soon!

THANK YOU, Deb --- from Homespun Living --- for the link to the apron pattern. For other's who are interested, it's available at Sew, Mama, Sew!

Snowman!

My new little snowman bank is waving at you! He's one of my little perks to make my housework interesting. Do you have little tricks that the mundane more fun? Since the boys were small, I've kept a piggy bank in the utility room. It's been made known that any money that gets left in pockets and ends up in the washing machine belongs to me! Okay, so sometimes I share and use the contents for a family treat --- and sometimes it just becomes my 'reward' for being the laundress of the household. This season I've replaced the piggy bank with my new snowman bank. Laundry anyone? Just send those jeans over (as long as they have coins in them) and I'll wash them for you!

Destiny Home

"A clean house can and will get messed up again, but you can't mess up the improvements to quality of life your efforts have produced. How you live in and care for your dwelling shapes your personality --- and your destiny. Home is the center of civilization."

Don Aslett

Photo: Elm Street Antiques

Apron Strings of Love

Photo by: Kitchen Madonna

I have been contacted by Virginia, of the Kitchen Madonna blog, asking if I would help support National Wear an Apron Day. Here's some of what she said in her email to me. . .

An Apron Manifesto or How to Get All Tied up with Apron Strings of Love

"After your funeral, do you think your granddaughter will bury her face in your professional looking briefcase or in your treasured apron? When a woman puts on an apron, it makes no less of a statement than a fine leather briefcase. It announces she is on duty to be receptive to whatever happens in her home and everyone that encompasses. And that is a wider sphere of influence than many would allow."


"An apron is like a uniform that conveys authority and unconditional regard and motherly wisdom all at once. Who said aprons are just about cooking and cleaning? They are also about emotional availability, hospitality, and femininity. They state in clearest terms that to serve is to reign."


"There is an apron renaissance going on out there and much of it is recorded on the Internet. Women everywhere are taking pictures of their aprons and posting them on certain blogs. They are scouring the Internet looking for vintage patterns and materials. They are writing about what being a mother and a housewife means to them. These women aren’t depressed. They don’t need Valium or to secretly drink or to watch a wildly popular television show that is a diabolical inversion of their lives."


"I think a National Wear an Apron Day should be May 14th. . ."



To learn more, please visit Kitchen Madonna for details on this interesting concept.

Home Affections

"You can never cherish home affections with too much care."

~ AH 118 ~

Houses of Stone

What do you use to create your own personal tower and fortress? What shields you from the world and the constant barrage of messages it spews forth? We cannot all build houses of stone with towers and walls to keep the outside out. But we can create a haven in our own small space. A tranquil, safe environment provides a safe environment for us and our loved ones. Simple acts of kindness; a daily home routine; a scented candle and a bubble bath; turning off the TV and listening to the quiet; taking time as a family to sit and talk; going for a walk with a child or friend; taking time with God and His word --- these are all small ways we can create a tower and fortress for ourselves and those we love. Although the world might toss it's darts of busyness, frantic schedules, and hard work our way, we can always stop for precious moments in time and renew our spirits by enjoying the small things in life.

Winter Sunshine!

The Simple Life

A House is Built

"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures."

~ Proverbs 24:3,4 ~

The Prepared Table

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. . .my cup runneth over. . .

Psalm 23:5