Little Women Home Companion-August 2002

~Little Women Home Companion~
~August 2002 Premier Issue~
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That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Titus 2:4,5
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~Beginning Tea Thymes~
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People who hire all these things done for them, never know what they lose for the homeliest tasks get beautified if loving hands do them, and Meg found proof of this, that everything in her small nest, from the kitchen roller to the silver vase on her parlor table, was eloquent of home love and tender forethought.
Louisa May Alcott
Little Women
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~A Visit With Marmee~
Sharing A Mother’s Thoughts
Dear Mothers,
We welcome you to this first issue of Little Women Home Companion.
We are delighted that you have joined us.
Time passes so quickly and so the baby girl that I held close to my breast at birth now helps me with household chores, writes, draws, produces her own magazine for friends and creates computer graphics. I am watching this young girl become a young lady right before my eyes…so quickly. This newsletter is an opportunity for my daughter and I to work together, to share time together, to learn and grow together. We hope that it will encourage you and your daughter to do the same. We want to share what we are learning with you and hope that you will share with us.
May God bless your family,
Jenny
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~Poetry Thyme~
It was long years ago that He uttered
This message so tender and sweet,
And women were crowding about Him
And laying their babes at His feet.
He looked with a gentle compassion
On the mothers who knelt at His knee,
And He comforted them with this saying,
“Let the little ones come unto Me.”
Mary Riley Smith
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~Little Women Companion~
Narrations about each chapter of Little Women
Dear Young Ladies,
This is what the first chapter of Little Women was about.
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy were all sitting in the parlor complaining. Meg (Margaret), Jo (Josephine), Beth (Elizabeth), started acting. Amy was stiff as a board and could not faint properly (she was not gifted with acting). The girls then began to talk about Christmas. They were going to buy presents for themselves. After thinking about it they changed their minds and decided to buy gifts for Marmee. Jo wanted to buy slippers and army boots. Meg wanted to buy gloves. Amy wanted to buy perfume (and would still be able to buy something for herself) and Beth wanted to buy handkerchiefs. Actually everyone wanted to buy slippers for Marmee but Beth wanted to first. That is how the idea to buy for Marmee instead of themselves got started.
Marmee came in. She had a letter from Papa. They could not read it until after supper. They were so anxious that Jo gobbled up her tea and dropped her bread butter side down. Afterwards they read the letter and cried. They decided to be brave and act like the pilgrims in Pilgrim’s Progress till father came home. Marmee left them a guide book under a pillow on Christmas day and they sang, ”Crinkle, crinkle ‘ittle tar.
A written narration by Caiti
Some editing by Mommy
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~Tea Thyme~
Recipes and Ideas for Tea Thyme
We hope that you as mother and daughters will take time to have tea together. You could make special memories that will last forever.
We have included in this issue some tea ideas to get you started.
Dear Ladies may I suggest that your teatimes need not be formal. I think the thoughts of all the formal china and foods takes away our desire to even begin. A pretty coffee mug of tea, some purchased or homemade cookies and a little soft music in the background is a wonderful beginning. If you have little ones you could have teatime with your older daughter(s) and maybe another mother and her daughter(s) while they have a nap. The purpose is to share time with one another.
This is a recipe from a very dear friend. She made these for a teatime that we shared together around her coffee table. It is a wonderful memory. I know you will enjoy these.
Amy’s Butter Cookies
1 Cup butter, softened (no margarine)
¾ cups sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Mix all well. Roll into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a small glass cup into the cookie mix and then into some sugar. Use this to flatten your cookie a little. Bake them in an oven preheated to 375 degree for 6-8 minutes. Serve to loved ones.
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~The Work Basket~
This month: Household Tip
Fabric Softener Sheet
Make your own fabric softener sheet.
Buy a bottle of liquid fabric softener and a nice spray bottle. Put the softener in the bottle and spray 3-5 squirts onto a washcloth (do not saturate…too much could stain clothes). Throw this into your dryer with your wet clothes and let dry. Take washcloth out and repeat on the next load. This works wonderfully and your fabric softener will last a long time.
An Idea from Karen of
Christian Mothers.org
http://home.att.net/~b.mcgowin/CM/index.html#family
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~Thimbles and Threads~
Needlework, sewing and crafts
Tea Thyme Napkins
This is a dainty, inexpensive way to make feminine little napkins for your tea thymes.
Purchase a package of men’s white cotton handkerchiefs. You will also need to purchase enough lace to go around the edges (this will vary according to the size of the handkerchief) and white embroidery floss. I would suggest that you wash, dry, and press your hankies first. Sew the lace by hand (or machine) around the edge. Draw pretty little flowers or designs (in pencil) on your napkin and embroider them in white. These are very pretty. Caiti has made these hankies for girl friends and used colored embroidery thread. I have been using them with no frills as napkins for years. This is a very good project for you and your daughter to do together and it is easy to take with you to work on when you will be waiting somewhere or while you watch the younger children play in the park on one of your nature walks.
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~From Jo’s Writing Garret~
Caiti’s Thoughts
Dear Mothers and daughter,
I cannot believe how this year is flying by. So many wonderful memories have been made and God willing more to be made. I am thankful to the Lord that he has given my mother and myself time to work together on the, “Little Women Home Companion. I hope you will find this companion as pleasant as I have found it . May the lord bless you greatly thru your life.
Sincerely,
Caiti
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~The Cottage Pantry~
Recipes
Jenny’s
Summer Chicken Salad
8-10 Chicken breast tenderloins, boiled and shredded (approx.3 cups)
1/2 Tablespoon Parsley
1/8 teaspoon (or to taste) Rosemary
1/2 cup Crushed Pineapple
1/4 cup Pecans
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
3/4 cup Red Seedless Grapes, quartered
Salt to taste
Mix together and serve on croissants or homemade rolls.
Makes about 10 sandwiches.
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~Sparrow Post~
A Creative Letter or visit from our Favorite Fictional Characters
Jo has come to visit Rose Cottage. Her hostess is now just about to serve tea. You are invited to join them. So come in on this autumn day and have warm cup of tea.
It is so nice of you to come for tea Jo!
It was an honor to come. I was delighted after reading your companion ,“Little Women Home Companion.” I was so thrilled about reading all your house hold helps.
Thank-you. We are glad that you enjoyed it.
My sisters and myself had an idea after having read your companion. We have read the Pickwick Papers before and enjoyed it very much and so we decided to make our own newspaper and club.
What is the name of your newspaper?
“The Pickwick Portfolio.”
What does your portfolio consist of?
Ooh, poems I have written, Stories of Knights in shining armor, mini stories, advertisements, and a weekly report of how us sisters are doing. All my sisters and myself contribute something to the Portfolio.
It sounds wonderful! Do you call each other by your regular names or by fictional names for your Portfolio and in your club?
No. We each have a fictional name we have chosen from the book,“The Pickwick Papers.” I am Augustus Snodgrass, Meg is Samuel Pickwick, Beth is Tracy Tupman, and Amy is Nathaniel Winkle. We have meetings in our ,“Club room.” We read our columns from our Portfolio and have the most capital time!
How wonderful. Do come and have tea with us again sometime and share the latest news of “The Pickwick Portfolio.”
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~Our Window Seat~
Books That We Love
We love books that not only have wonderful information in them but are beautiful as well. We are including in this issue the names of two books that meet both these criteria. These books will help to encourage your families in tea thymes.
If Teacups Could Talk
By Emilie Barnes
Paintings by Sandy Lyman Clough
And
Tea at Glenbrooke
By Robin Joes Gunn
Paintings by Susan Mink Colclough
Both of these books include tea thyme themes, ideas, decorations, and recipes.
May we also suggest?
Sandy’s Tea Society
By Sandy Lyman Clough
Her book is a fictional work about several women that she brought together to start a tea society. We get to meet each lady and learn about how she prepares for the tea that she will host for this group of friends. I think it would help in preparing one to start their own tea society with friends. Sandy has her own website by this same name.
You can visit Sandy at:
http://www.sandysteasociety.com/
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~The Rose Garden~
Websites That You May Enjoy

Genteel Girlhood Companion
Another email newsletters for girls by a mother and daughter.. It is produced by the Titus 2 Ministry. We received a couple of their magazines and loved them. They are taking a break from producing their magazines but have this email version of their newsletter that is free. We are sure you will enjoy it.
http://www.titus2ministry.com/ggcompanion/index.html
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~Till Next Thyme~
Dear Mothers and Daughters,
We hope that you have enjoyed this issue of Little Women Home Companion. We look forward to sharing some more ideas for homemaking and sharing time together next month. Enjoy your thyme together. Till then….
May God bless you,
Jenny and Caiti
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Little Women Home Companion is a monthly newsletter for mothers and daughters.
Copyright 2002-2003 Little Women Home Companion
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~Blessings~
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