The front porch of Mrs. White's house on a snowy spring day.    In the old days, before there were television sets, I can imagine that mothers knew very little about what was happening in the world.  There were certainly newspapers and radio messages, but the news was not constant.  Mother was focused on her family and the immediate needs of her household. The biggest concern was for shelter, food, and clothing.  This was all provided by hard work, prayers, and the spiritual blessing of a beautiful Christian life. In humble homes, where there is little money ..read more

Floral Oil Painting by Jan Verhas,1896.   The first few months of this year have been very difficult for us. One of the reasons for this is the decline in health of my dear Aunt.   Some weeks ago, she passed into her eternal rest in Heaven. Even though it has been so hard and emotionally painful to endure this, I have to remind myself that we live by faith and not by sight.  We know that she is with the Lord, happy, healed, and safe in Heaven.  We know we will see her again. This comforts us and sustains us to know that we will see our family again someday wh ..read more

March snow at Mrs. White's property in Vermont. We are in the middle of a storm. It has been snowing heavily all night and day.  We just went outside for a little walk.  It was lovely to slowly trudge through the deep snow and observe the beautiful scenery on the front grounds.  I brought my umbrella along for protection as I took several photographs around me.   My husband walked along with me. I said to him, "Doesn't this remind you of the blizzard of '78?"  I was referring to a major snowstorm in our home state of Massachusetts many years ago. (We liv ..read more

LOC: Sitting by the fireplace around 1925. I was out in the rain doing errands. There was a chill and a weariness about me that made me long for home.  I looked forward to a cozy fire in the pellet stove and a comfortable room where I could rest.  But when I walked into the house, I found a cold and empty parlour.  It was soon explained to me that the wood pellet stove was broken. I put on a thick house robe and made some tea.  There was nothing I could do about the broken stove.  I had to find another way to get warmed and rested. We pulled out a little spac ..read more

LOC: Mrs.Theodore Eickholt and her three children, Iowa, 1936. A few years ago, I started to feel a heaviness. It was as if there was a dark cloud over my life.  I finally realized that I needed more cheerful things around me.  The first thing I did was order myself a Christian-based calendar-planner book. This would be something I would see several times a day.  There are Bible verses for every single day of the year. This was something good for my home and life. It helped my mood a great deal. Then I made sure my wall calendar was pretty. I stopped getting a cheap on ..read more

The playground and park benches on our property. It is so important to have a steady routine.  We have our meals at set times. There are chores to do throughout the day. We spend time visiting with family and guests as we provide a lovely haven of rest at home. All these lovely things, done with a good dose of cheer, will bring peace.  To be steady and strong, requires dedication to hard work. This will impact others only when it is done with a love of good will. It has been said that happiness is not dependent on our circumstances. It comes from the heart. We need to nurtu ..read more

Painting by Adriana van Ravenswaay, 1872. This is just a quick note.  I have gotten behind in my projects and correspondence.  I am not feeling well.  We are getting ready to travel on another medical trip (in the next state) in a few days. I am overwhelmed and weary.  I appreciate your patience, kindness, and prayers. I will write as soon as I am feeling better. Thank you for being here.     Blessings Mrs. White From the Archives - Overcoming Worries and Troubles - Reviving the Prayer Journal.  Encouragement - Waiting for the Door to Be Opened ..read more

The parlour table at Mrs. White's home in Vermont. We just returned home from a medical trip. This was a long, overnight, journey into the next state. It has been bitterly cold outside. The temperature was 10 degrees and it was windy. It makes one extra tired to be out in such weather. Yet, the view of snow and the quiet of the scenery is lovely. Often the stress of worrying about health issues can make things more difficult. I am looking forward to peaceful days at home as I rest and recover before I am needed again. We have been given another appointment for some tests which will h ..read more

Hermann Pohle  painting, 1901. Very soon we will be leaving for a medical trip. We will travel to the next state to a hospital for essential medical care for one of the family.  There are less than 2 weeks before we have to go.  I am making plans and getting things ready.  One of the main things that I do is to make sure the house is neat and clean and in order.  My Aunt used to say that one must be a good housekeeper and make sure to never leave the house looking like it had been neglected. This trip is for one of my grown sons.  He needs ongoing treatm ..read more

LOC: A Mother making a pie for her family, Indiana, 1937. It is so nice to just be busy at home.  Yesterday I needed to wash our kitchen and bedroom curtains.  I was productive as I cooked and cleaned and visited with the family. I did not get a chance to do the curtains until late in the afternoon.   I used a step-stool to reach the curtain rods.  This made my husband worry that I might fall so he took over the work.  Soon the curtains were in the washing machine.  The rooms looked so empty without the pretty curtains.  Later in the evening, I ..read more