“It is amazing how lovely common things become,
if one only know how to look at them.”
-Louise May Alcott
When there is a need for me to go to a store and run an errand, I am always so happy to pull back into our driveway and return to our little home and our tiny plot of land. Crunching up the gravel driveway and walking through our creaky screen back door makes me think “Home! Here it is!”
There is no sweeter place …
While out in the world I am always amazed at the depressing, lifeless music played in the background of the stores, the way plastic-wrapped junk food fills up grocery carts of young and old alike and the general hurry and rush attitude pushes it way on the roads and lineups. Mothers are distracted and looking at screens instead of their sweet baby’s face and you will rarely see a back pocket without a phone sticking out of it. (Do we really need to be that connected 24-7?) I know there are pretty places out there to visit but, it feels, in general, the quick-paced, brand-name wearing, electronic-infused world does not feel right to this old soul. I am always happy to step out of the world and return home.
What feels like home to me is the sound of an early May rainfall (hopefully jut the right amount for the garden) and beautiful birds singing in the treetops. Just listening in the calmness of the morning makes me feel as if I am listening to a peaceful soundtrack to life!
There is something romantic and peaceful about living separate from the “modern world.” I don’t even know how to explain bit, but surrounding this family with an old-fashioned lifestyle of hard work, homemade foods, old fashioned chores and simple pleasures seems right for us. I don’t really want to adjust to modern life. It does not have a draw for me … I enjoy rocking my babies on the front porch or by the fires in the winter, reading outloud to the girls in the shade of a pine tree with clean clothes hanging on the line… waiting to see if our Mourning Dove hatches her eggs safely …
… there is comfort in making an actual pot of tea and carrying it out to the front covered porch at 3 p.m. in the afternoon and sitting …
there is joy, yes, even in the daily tasks of laundry, cooking and cleaning. These are tasks that many may feel mundane but perhaps there is another way to look at such chores.
I feel as if women have been lied to from society in general. We have been asked from the beginning of age … “What will you do when you grow up?” Very few females are encouraged to be stay at home mothers. And yet, it is not only Biblical, it is wonderful. There is much to be done just in your own home and it is not all dull and boring. Just yesterday, I made a fresh batch of honey soap and crocheted up a few wash cloths in pretty, delicate colors. It will be a gift for a friend who is having a baby soon.
I baked bread and scones and weeded the garden with a chatty crew of young maidens. I made bone broth in the crockpot and saved the broth for a future recipe.
Perhaps that sounds silly and trivial to some, but to me, it was a soothing and peaceful task. This week, we also worked in our vegetable garden, planting our vegetables and herbs and gently patting the seeds with anticipating for a great fall harvest. There is a new reason to read gardening books and discover proper ways to store root vegetables and fruits over the cold, long winters.
I also love to use old fashioned items in the home – it brings charm and they generally work better than the new products!
There is the such a thrill to be sitting still and listening to the strong flap of the wide wings of the Canadian geese as they fly over my head while I am in the garden. Hearing the wind whistle through their wings leaves me breathless. It is beautiful.
Have you ever sat still and quiet and heard a chicken snore?
I have. And yes, they do snore!
There is a pull inside of my soul for me to stay home – not just because of the care that is required for the children, but I actually want to be here – I truly enjoy being in this place we call home.
by Gigi
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