New Books and Meaningful Work

I have told you before, haven't I, how I like to use my blog as sort of a journal, or scrapbook, to document our family stories and pictures.

I never expect anyone to be interested in reading what I write, since we are ordinary people and are never doing anything that you aren't doing yourselves. But for some reason people continue to come here to this blog, read through what I'm sharing, and even sometimes leave behind a "like" or a comment.

How that has warmed my heart through the years.

So I continue to write and share photos... mainly for my own personal enjoyment, but also for something to leave behind for my children. And maybe, if I'm lucky, be a blessing to you!

(My Easter lily)

These are interesting days we are in, aren't they?

Unusual in that we are all in the same boat, experiencing the same thing!

When has that ever happened before?

The rich, the poor...

The sick, the well...

The celebrity, the commoner...

The city mouse, and the country mouse...

We are all homebound.

And here I sit, with my insignificant blog, that I decided from the start would strictly be a blog on home living, and I chuckle at the thought that what was mocked by some just a few years ago, is now a topic we all can relate to!

(But don't worry, I won't rub it in. *wink)

I will just do what I've done all along, and that is to share out of my own experiences and from the belief that home has always been the safest, most important place.

(My spring/summer faux arrangement on the mantle.)

"A long time ago- so many years ago that I could almost write "once upon a time"- the pride of a woman's life was her home. She was filled with gratefulness, for being alive, being married, having a large family to cook for, a house to live in, and household tools to work with. The glow painted on her cheeks came from her own love and excitement."

- Thyra Ferre Bjorn 1968

Now that these things are all any of us have, we might as well try to do it with love and excitement!

Here are some things we've been doing lately...

I packed away my winter centerpiece on my dining room table.

I procrastinated in doing it because I loved it and never grew tired of it.

I made it in November from a birch log that a dear friend gave to me. I stuffed it with all sorts of wintery things and enjoyed it all the way into April when I finally realized it was high time for a spring centerpiece.

I carefully wrapped it in plastic and tucked it away in storage.

My table now looks like this...

(The paper cross was made by Nola, who has always had a heightened sensitivity toward spiritual matters. It deeply bothers her when Jesus is left out of Easter decorations, haha.)

The grocery store by my house has a really nice floral department, and I've noticed lately that the spring flowers are marked down so cheap it's almost like they can't give them away!

Nobody wants fresh flowers in this time of crisis, apparently.

In the vignette I included an antique story book opened to a beautiful, colorful poem about Easter...

Those who know me know how I feel about books, especially old books!

We were recently given an abundance of books by a veteran homeschool-mom friend of mine. She was cleaning out her bookshelves of old books and gave us three big boxes filled with the the most interesting and exciting books!

It was like Christmas Day!

I poured my attention over each one, carefully dusting them off, then giving them a flip-through to air them out. It was such fun to organize them into categories- children's books, history books, homeschool books, boys and girls books, etc, then finding a place in the house to keep them.

I've already finished reading one of the books she gave me.

It's called Dear Papa, by Thyra Ferre Bjorn.

Isn't it adorable?!

The story was as precious as the cover.

Perfectly wholesome and uplifting, it's about a minister's family from Sweden who immigrated to America in the very early 1920's to take on a little church in Massachusetts.

Being from a well-churched background myself, and being familiar with all the ins and outs of dealing with church people, I found this book especially entertaining.

Now I am about halfway through the next in line from the new library given to us... Noble Deeds of American Women, by J. Clement.

This one was published in the late 1800's so the stories are quite old, but still very enjoyable and relatable to read. Like this line for example...

"It is not in the still calm of life that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties."

- The mother of John Adams 

My friend gave us a lot of children's books as well. Now that the kids' school work is wrapping up for the year, we thought it'd be fun for the older kids to pick a book they're interested in and when they are through reading it they could teach the rest of us what they learned!

Here's what they plan to read...

Although I think it's funny to note, Nola originally chose a book titled, The Mark of the Beast, which is not a children's book. She has been reading it on her own in bed at night. We've laughed that she will soon be prepared to teach us all there is to know about the end times, haha.

Now is the perfect time to read, don't you think so, too?

I would encourage you to turn off the news (especially at night, when people tend to be a little more emotional than during the day) and get absorbed in a good book, instead.

Like I wrote about in my last post, the media isn't doing us any favors.

What has it given you in return for all the devotion and attention you've given it?

Sorrow?

Stress?

Fear?

Of course. That's what they want. But good, wholesome reading can build you up and give you so much more.

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies...

The man who never reads lives only one."

- George R. Martin

Other than getting lost in a book, another great way to ward off stress and worry during this time is to keep very busy.

I don't mean just busywork, but meaningful work.

Everyone, including children, needs a purpose.

This is one of the reasons why I don't think it was right for everyone's jobs to be taken away from them. But since this is the situation in which we have found ourselves, through no fault or choice of our own, Micah has wisely thrown himself into some meaningful work around here.

Our old picket fence was rotting and breaking down, so Micah has been working on building a new fence for us...

It's made from treated lumber so it will never again rot.

I am very happy about that!

We plan to paint it bright white.

As for me, my work has always been home and family, so what I busy myself with each day feels about the same as before. Just with a heightened sense of wanting to do it extra well at this time.

One of the most impressionable things I've ever heard came from someone who was a child during the Great Depression. He came from a loving and stable farming family and said, "We didn't know we were living in the Depression. Life felt the same. We always had milk from our cows and eggs from our hens. We had a mother who made our clothes and canned our fruit and vegetables. We didn't know we were living in such a dark time."

That has stayed with me, and now I would like to impart that same carefree atmosphere into my children's lives, so that in twenty years when they read about COVID-19 they can say, "We didn't know the nation was in such a terrible crisis. Home life felt the same." 

One of the ways I like to do this is by taking an interest in mealtimes.

"Don't ever think of husband and children as "just the family." Fuss a bit for them and you will be rewarded. Be sure the silver is straight and even at each place, and the napkins are folded neatly. Make each meal the most important task you've ever undertaken."

- Thyra Ferre Bjorn

Meaningful work is nourishment to the soul.

What about you?

What are you busy doing these days?

What are you reading?

As always, feel free to leave a comment...

Thanks for stopping by today, friends.

xo,

~ Courtney ~