Little Women Home Companion-February 2003

Little Women Home Companion
February 2003
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
At Home
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 parlour table, was eloquent of home love and tender forethought.
Lousia May Alcott
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A Visit With Marmee
Dear Mothers and Daughters,
I sit writing to you as the cold winds blow against our home. How cold and lonely this world can be for so many that wander to and fro. Being at home is at one of the most important things that we can do as homemakers. At home we can create a warm and peaceful haven for our dear husbands to return to every day and a place for growing and loving our little ones. Our young ladies can learn so much while helping mommy. She learns how to make a home a place of contentment for her family members by watching mommy's example. A marmee that is busy and on the go all the times has little or no time to focus on her home and family. There is little time to organize and clean or create beautiful crafts and decorations for her home. There is no time to read to her little ones and to give her full attention as a help meet to her husband's needs. She is hurried, hassled, and perplexed. I know this for I have experienced this too. I want to encourage all of you to spend more time at home.
Jenny
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Poetry Thyme
To Stay At Home Is Best
Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest;
Home-keeping hearts are happiest,
For those that wander they know not where
Are full of trouble and full of care;
To stay at home is best.
Weary and homesick and distressed,
They wander east, they wander west,
And are baffled and beaten and blown about
By the wnids of the wilderness of doubt;
To stay at home is best.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I think this poem, as well as recipes and homemaking tips, would be lovely in a copy book for the young ladies of your home to take with them when they began their own little homes.
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Little Women Companion
In this chapter the March family and Mr. Lawrence and Laurie begin to visit each others' homes. They began to form a realtionship that will last throughtout their lifetimes. Mr. Lawrence gives little Beth the piano that belonged to his grand-daughter that had passed away and Beth made slippers for dear Mr. Lawrence. There was lots of wonderful times in the two homes for both the families.
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Tea Thyme
Jenny's Iced Tea
My husband loves homemade iced tea. I love it too and have begun to make it using decaffeinated tea. This is a very sweet tea and you may need to adjust the amount of sugar for your family's tastes.
In a small saucepan combine two cups of cold water and two cups of sugar. Stir and bring to a boil on high. Remove from heat and add three family size decaffeinated tea bags. Make sure you press them into the mixture with a spoon so that the tea bags are fully immersed in the mixture. Let cool for about an hour. Pour mixture into one gallon of cold water and stir. We like place the tea bags in a little longer to make the flavor stronger. Refrigerate.
Enjoy!
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The Work Basket
Our Potpourri
You will need to mix together the following:
The amount of each would be just what you have or what looks nice to you.
Whole allspice
Whole cloves
Dried apple slices
Dried orange slices
1 inch cinnamon sticks
Dried cranberries or rosehips
Bay leaves
Small pinecones
Cinnamon or Country Kitchen fragrance oils
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Thimbles and Threads
I have included a link for a wonderful little project for you
and your young ladies.
These would be so much fun to make together and so reminiscent of
Little Women and the sweet simple crafts that they made.
Strawberry Pincushions
http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=channel1562&page=1&layout=Print
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From Jo's Writing Garret
I would like to let you know about a few of the things that Caiti has been doing this month. She has been working on a cross-stitch sampler and learning to knit. We hope that you are also taking the times to teach these wonderful skills to your young ladies.
Caiti
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The Cottage Pantry
Pina Colada Cake
(this yummy cake is one that my mother made)
yellow cake mix
one can of creme of coconut
one can of sweetened condensed milk
one package Cool-Whip
shredded coconut
Follow directions on the box for the cake. After removing from oven and while still warm poke holes in the top of the cake with the handle end of a wooden spoon. Mix together the creme of coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Pour over the cake. Cool and then add Cool-whip and coconut. Refrigerate until serving time and then refrigerate leftovers.
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Sparrow Post
Beth ceased to fear him from that moment, and sat there talking to
him as cosily as if she had known him all her life; for love casts out fear,
and gratitude can conquer pride.
From Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Have you ever been afraid to speak with someone? Dear Beth had this problem too. It would appear that she overcame her fright of Mr. Lawrence when he gave her a piano but as we read we find that it was conquered by love and gratitude. This qoute from the book touched me so much. I could picture dear shy Beth as she approached Mr. Lawrence, love and gratitude in her heart. She must have known how hard it would be for him to part with the dear piano that was a reminder of the love one that he so missed. I can imagine that her heart was overflowing. I can see the tears that would have filled his eyes as this dear little one climbed into his lap as his loved one had so many times. Fear melts away....longing is filled. So much like the picture of our God as he embraces His child that accepts His Son's sacrifice on the cross as a payment for their sin, is washed clean by the blood of Christ and comes home, reconciled in the Father's arms.
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Our Window Seat
Book Reviews
The Measure of a Heart
by Janette Oke
I spent a delightful week reading this book. I would snatch moments of time in between my other household duties. Our main charater is Anne Trent. Anna lived during the times of travel by horse and buggy. Her life is filled with the chores of a woman that lives in the country. She is a very humble, loving child of God. Anna wishes so much to please the Lord in her service to Him through loving and being a help-meet to her husband, loving and caring for her children, taking care of her household and showing the love of Christ to everyone that she meets. Unfortunately Anne feels inadequate in everything that she does. We watch as Anne comes to terms with her feelings and as she finds victory in the freedom of Christ. I know that I very much enjoyed reading this little treasure and hope that you will too.
Jenny
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The Rose Garden
Websites that you may enjoy. We may or may not agree with everything that you find on these pages!
I have been gleening so mcuh from the website Ladies Against Feminism
and wanted to share this wonderful treasure
of encouragement and information with you.
An article from Ladies Against Feminism on:
The Gracious Home
http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/ladylydia/index.htm
And one of the newsletters from this site about encouraging homemaking:
http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/ladylydia/index.htm
If you just want to visit their site this is where to go:
http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/index2.htm
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Marmee's Nature Journal
I love to watch the snow fall when all of our little family is warm inside our home. Each flake, so unique, falls gently to the ground. The children beg to play in the snow and daddy takes them all out to play. They make snowmen with oreo cookie eyes, carrot noses and cranberries for a mouth. I prefer this time to stay inside and prepare a warm stew for supper and a Pina Colada cake for dessert. The snow quickly melts as the afternoon passes but the warm memories are forever in our hearts and mind.
Jenny
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Till Next Thyme
Dear Mothers and daughters,
We hope that this issue has inspired you as homemakers for this is our hope in producing this little newsletter. As homemakers there are times when it may be hard for us to produce an issue each month and so you may find that some will be every other month. We hope that this will not happen often but want you to know that it could occur. If it does occur we will let you know so you will not think that we have disappeared.
Jenny and Caiti
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Little Women Home Companion is a monthly
newsletter for mothers and daughters.
Copyright 2003-2004 Little Women Home Companion
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~Blessings~
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