A "Real Life" ~ Snippets

May I never forget the “real life” I was raised with so that I can daily live with a grateful heart…

I grew up in a two-bedroom home sharing a room with my two younger brothers until I was ten. This was normal. In our home, there was never money for remodeling or redecorating. We wore hammy-down clothing and then continued to pass them down to others in the family. We ate what food was put on our plates, never wasting as we were taught to be thankful for the food we had. There was no individual catering of menus to each of our desires. And yet this was all normal.

Somehow along the way, our culture has begun to accept the wealthy lifestyle as one of normal. And when it isn’t your own, you begin to feel discontent and ungrateful because it seems everyone else lives it but you. You begin to accumulate debt to satisfy your desire to keep up with the Joneses. But none of these things will ever satisfy as there is always something better, newer and more luxurious. And sadly, none of this is normal. 

It is living within your means which brings true prosperity. You don’t have the anxiety of endless bills to cripple your joy each month. We should view our hardworking husband as wealth and our children as riches. Our faith in God gives great contentment and peace. This concept, once comprehended, is true earthly treasure.

This lifestyle is “normal” (or once was 😞).

So what does one do to appreciate their humble, normal life?

“I make myself rich by making my wants few.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

~ Philippians 4:11-13

Pictured: Our little farmhouse (in which we raised our little family) with all its imperfections made the most glorious of memories. Bittersweet as they often were with its challenges to survive but, you guessed it, it was all quite normal.

"Cracked Eggs" ~ A Proverbs 31 Story ~ Snippets

Every time I see a cracked egg, I am reminded fondly of my grandmother. You see, my grandfather ran an egg farm and as a peaceful type of fellow, he wasn’t too aggressive as a businessman. When grandmother noticed trays and trays of cracked eggs that were unsellable to his customers (and therefore being wasted), she asked if she could have them. He gave her the go-ahead and she took them to the local restaurants and sold those eggs for half the price. The businesses were delighted with the arrangement which lasted many years and she was able to put aside some savings for their family. Later, she was to use that money to purchase a few beachfront properties that she felt were fairly priced. Grandfather never got involved. He trusted her. These homes (that she rented out) eventually became their retirement. 

Through an old fashioned dose of diligence and resourcefulness, a poor egg rancher was essentially “rich” with her as his wife…

“The heart of her husband safely trusts her;

So he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good and not evil

All the days of her life.”

~ Proverbs 31:11-12

Sacred Suppers ~ Snippets

 

Dearest homemaker,

Let us not underestimate the powers of love and spiritual growth that a home cooked meal served side-by-side provides for the family. There is nothing like a satisfied taste bud to bring about joy. There is beauty in this time around the table, when hands are clasped and a prayer of gratitude is given. This valuable age-old tradition, is a sacred part of the “old paths” of the New Testament believers who also gathered in one accord. The “fruit” that came forth from that fellowship was nothing less than amazing… Which blessings will be bestowed on your family when you take the time to serve a meal around the kitchen table?

🍞 🧺 🕯 

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers…. and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.”

 ~Acts 2:42-43b

A True Home ~ Snippets

A true home...

built with prayers, sweat and tears,

a place to alleviate life's trials and fears.

“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”

~ Matthew 7:25

🤎

Dearest homemaker, continue to quietly build up your home, your efforts are never in vain. It takes guts, strength and determination but with His help you shall triumph through the bad weather.

Pictured: Savory spinach “parable”  pie 🥧

The Hidden Life of a Homemaker ~ Snippets

No one sees the tears you wiped this very morning... no one sees the moments you keep quiet in order to maintain peace... no one sees the stress you carry (since you still smile) with the current "situations"... no one sees the messes you clean in order to keep cozy... no one sees the pie you baked in order to bring joy to the sorrowful... no one sees the sacrifices you make every hour of the day... no one sees what you go without so that others may have plenty... no one sees the prayers you send up for every one of those souls in your home and in your heart... 

No one sees... but Him.

Glory Hallelujah.

"For the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs."

~ George Eliot

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven."

~ Matthew 6:1

🥀 

(Note: These little "snippets" shared here and there are from some of my more special Instagram posts that I feel some of you may enjoy that aren't on it...)

Titus-2 Homemaking Lessons Inspired by Jane Austen

According to her great nephew Edward, Jane Austen was "a good daughter, a delightful sister, the most perfect of aunts, what better record could there be of a single woman? Her literary work never stood in the way of her home duties..." Perhaps her "home duties" isn't what comes to mind when we think of dear Jane, however, she shares much on the subject through the beloved books she left behind. Today we highlight five Titus-2 lessons which are inspired by Miss Austen!

#1. Practice Makes Perfect

"Catherine would make a sad, heedless young housekeeper to be sure," was her mother's foreboding remark; but quick was the consolation of there being nothing like practice."

~Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Though many of us were not brought up to be homemakers, you can take heart that practice does indeed make perfect! The key is in developing the proper habits.  Author Elizabeth George speaks of being intentional about homemaking. She said she "loved reading, brooding, and watching TV. But one evening I heard a Christian woman I admire say, "I don't do anything sedentary!" I thought about that statement for days, and I finally made a pledge to be more active, to keep moving..." 

A few things my mother impressed upon me which I think are priceless, are in fact very simple concepts. They just require follow up ("moving" so to speak) and are in regards to the kitchen. As it is the center of the home, it requires the most maintenance. If we can focus on keeping our kitchen orderly, our entire home will function more efficiently.

• Number one, do not go to bed with dirty dishes in your sink (sorry, I know you didn't want to hear something this blunt and obvious!). You will be creating an un-pleasant domino effect for the remainder of the week that will affect the whole household and throw it off balance. A clean kitchen means a fresh start to each day and a promise for a more manageable one!

• The second tip is to clean as you cook. If you take out the tub of sugar, put it immediately away. If you barely use an item, give it a quick rinse and place it directly in your dish rack (I always keep my dish-rack out on the sink for this very reason -- it is the catch-all for the cleaning as you cook method). Leaving piles of mess in your kitchen is very overwhelming! It is much more manageable to maintain as you go along.

• The third concept is to fix your bed and dress every morning. Your bed makes up the bulk of your bedroom and with that being tidy, it sets the stage for "neat" in your home! With you being "tidy" every morning, it sets the stage for wanting your home to be "neat".

If you are interested, you will find a few more simple priorities here along with some list-making motivation here. Remember, practice makes perfect!

"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

~ Phillipians 4:9 (NIV)

#2. Live Within Your Means

"Imprudence or thoughtlessness in money matters would be unpardonable in me."

~ Jane Austen, Pride & Prejudice

"They must retrench; that did not admit of a doubt... She drew up plans of economy, she made exact calculations, and she did what nobody else thought of doing: she consulted Anne, who never seemed considered by the others as having any interest in the question. She consulted, and in a degree was influenced by her in marking out the scheme of retrenchment which was at last submitted... Every emendation of Anne's had been on the side of honesty against importance. She wanted more vigorous measures, a more complete reformation, a quicker release from debt, a much higher tone of indifference for everything but justice and equity."

~ Jane Austen, Persuasion

In Persuasion, we see the heroine (Anne) attempting to remedy the financial stress her widowed father and sister incurred in their lavish lifestyles. And here also, Jane Austen shows us the example of a crowned and honorable wife! For "while Lady Elliot lived, there had been method, moderation, and economy, which had just kept him within his income; but with her had died all such right-mindedness, and from that period he had been constantly exceeding it". A wife's frugal endeavors do make a difference and can make or break a home! I have seen many with a hefty paycheck lose everything and those with meager funds are able to maintain what they have because of good stewardship. Should you like to discover a lifestyle of reform and "retrenchment" (as it is alluded to in the regency era), here is our guide to Prudent Living the Pretty Way.

'“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’"

~ Luke 14:28-30

"...a prudent wife is from the LORD."

~ Proverbs 19:14a

3. Mothers Matter

“A mother would have been always present. A mother would have been a constant friend; her influence would have been beyond all other.”

~ Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Here we see the sorrow of Miss Tilney, to grow up without a mother! How many children today have them and yet still grow up without them? You make a difference dear mother. Your presence makes a house a home! It is your arms that a child finds comfort, it is in your words that a child finds instruction and it is in your actions that a child learns the ways of the Almighty. Your motherly investment of time and energy will not go void. According to the Holy Word, these are beautiful raiment for your child. 

"... do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 

They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."

~ Proverbs 1:8-9

"He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.

Praise ye the Lord."

~ Psalm 113:9

4. A Wife is a Good Thing

"Lady Elliot had been an excellent woman, sensible and amiable; whose judgement and conduct, if they might be pardoned the youthful infatuation which made her Lady Elliot, had never required indulgence afterwards.--She had humoured, or softened, or concealed his (her husbands') failings, and promoted his real respectability for seventeen years; and though not the very happiest being in the world herself, had found enough in her duties, her friends, and her children, to attach her to life..."

~ Jane Austen, Persuasion

Dear, precious, homemaker and wife, you are a good thing, a crown, and a jewel in God's eyes. Although Lady Elliott "had been an excellent woman, sensible and amiable; whose judgement and conduct, if they might be pardoned the youthful infatuation which made her Lady Elliot, had never required indulgence afterwards", we see in the quote above that she had made the best of her poor marriage circumstances. Like the Proverbs 31 woman, she did her (in this case) unworthy husband "good and not evil all the days of her life". I would like to think that she did so unto Him who created her (Colossians 3:23). Let us all do the same! 

"Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD."

~ Proverbs 18-22

"A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband:

but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones."

~ Proverbs 12:4

5. There is No Place Like Home

“Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.” 

~ Jane Austen, Emma

"Nothing was so likely to do her good as a little quiet cheerfulness at home.”

~Jane Austen, Persuasion

There are many interesting places in the world to see, many wonderful outings to be had! But in the end, where does the heart crave to rest the weary body? Home. It is the place where we nourish our loved ones, practice creativity and cultivate comfort and love. It is assigned to women by the Almighty to keep and to guard (Titus 2:4-5). There is no place like it when it is filled with His sacred presence and our care and devotion.

"And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation,

and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places..."

~ Isaiah 32:18

Thank you for visiting with us today! If you enjoyed this article, you may also be interested in reading Titus 2 Homemaking Encouragement Inspired by Louisa May Alcott and Frugal Homemaking Lessons from The Great Depression Inspired by Janette Oke. In the meantime, I will leave you with a final bit of inspiration from Jane... 

"Give us grace to endeavour after a truly Christian Spirit to seek to attain that temper of Forbearance and Patience, of which our Blessed Saviour has set us the highest Example and which, while it prepares us for the spiritual happiness of the life to come, will secure to us the best enjoyment of what this World can give. Incline us Oh God! to think humbly of ourselves, to be severe only in the examination of our own conduct, to consider our fellow-creatures with kindness, and to judge of all they say and do with that charity which we would desire from them ourselves."

~ Prayer Written by Jane Austen

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up and Create, Bake, Grow & Gather. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

Just Finished Reading ~ Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot

"If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It is we, of course, to whom things look "little" or "big". Amy Carmichael wrote:

"There is no great with Thee, there is no small,

For Thou art all, and fillest all in all."'

~ Elisabeth Elliot, Let Me Be a Woman (page 9)

"Marriage turns out to be a mirror... If you are depressed, you may notice that he is depressed. If you make it a point to be cheerful, it may surprise you what a difference it makes in your husband when he has good reason not to be cheerful. You can create a climate for him according to your attitude, and this is part of your job as a wife. The home you make and the atmosphere of that home is the world he comes back to from the world of his work. Let it be a place of beauty and peace."

~ Elisabeth Elliot, Let Me Be a Woman (pages 100, 101)

"I have learned (but slowly, I'm afraid), what it is to be in love with my destiny. Your father learned it much earlier. "Wherever you are," he wrote, "be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."

~ Elisabeth Elliot, Let Me Be a Woman (page 17)

"We know that we fit into God's universe, we know our relation to the rest of mankind, to the family, and, if we have one, to a husband. Meekness, I believe, is the recognition of that place. Moses, the Bible tells us, was a "very meek man." I don't think of him at all as meek in the popular sense-- timid, self-abnigating, colorless. Far from it. But to be meek is to have a sane and proper estimate of one's place in the scheme of things. It is a sense of proportion."

~ Elisabeth Elliot, Let Me Be a Woman (page 55)

"We are called to be women. The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman. For I have accepted God's idea of me and my whole life is an offering back to Him of all that I am and all that He wants me to be."

~ Elisabeth Elliot, Let Me Be a Woman

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Shabbilicious Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

When You Feel Like You Have Nothing Left to Give...

It happens throughout the day.

Piece by piece, you are being stripped. You are being taken. You are being pulled apart.

That one quart of kindness.

That one ounce of patience.

That one spark of energy to complete a task.

And when you feel like you have nothing left to give,

your husband comes home.

He needs a piece of you too.

And when you have drained your last drop and place your head on the pillow at night, you wonder if there is anything left of "you"...

And before you begin that sorrowful story in your heart, before you begin that party of pity, let us recognize the biblical truth.

That this-- dear reader, is a moment of glory.

That this-- my weary pilgrim, is a time of triumph!

For you have been living in service to Him! Yes, finally, dear friend! There is less of "you", more of Him. Less of that fleshly "me", and more of Him!

"He must increase, but I must decrease."

~ John 3:30

"I have been crucified with Christ;

it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me..."

~ Galatians 2:20a

"Hereby perceive we the love of God,

because he laid down his life for us:

and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

~ 1 John 3:16

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service."

~ Romans 12:1

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. Painting by Jules Emile Saintin.

Thoughts on Strong and Courageous Woman ~ Not Prone to "Fainting Fits"

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

~ 2 Timothy 1:7

If you indulge in reading old Victorian novels, you will notice the female characters would come to a stressful situation and simply "pass out". Apparently, they convinced themselves that they weren't strong enough to handle it. Unfortunately, I don't think this is what a Proverbs 31 woman stands for. She is strong and capable (Proverbs 31:17). She is not afraid (Proverbs 31:21). In a nutshell, she is not prone to "fainting fits".

There is a difference between "weak" and meek.

There is a difference between being spineless and being spiritually sturdy.

Please don't misunderstand the verses in the Scriptures to mean that women are a frail and fragile gender! We may be second in command (Ephesians 5:23), we may be physically less capable (1 Peter 3:7), but we can and should be just as spiritually strong, fearless and fierce (in a feminine way of course) when it comes to spiritual battles (Ephesians 6:13)!

Ladies, we must maintain a gentle but an enduring strength.

Think of the courageous Esther and the heroic Abigail. There were no fainting fits there. Though they were damsels in distress, they did not get distressed.

There was no fear or timidity but only purpose when that woman thought "If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole."

There was no sign of cowardice when Abigail met the rugged and revenge-filled army of David and "said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid."

There was no feeble and weak-kneed Esther when she declared "Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."

Even the mild hearted Mary greeted the Holy Angel with complete composure when she said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." There was no hysterics or panic attacks, there was only trust in the One who sent him.

This earthly life is a battle and the believing woman needs to be spiritually strong (Proverbs 31:25). We have an adversary and need to be prepared for spiritual warfare and dressed in the sturdy armor of God. This can be accomplished by reading the Scriptures, believing what God says and applying it in our lives. To completely cleave to the faith that His promises are true and that His ways will conquer!

And finally, we must always be active in powerful prayer!

"On some such night as this she remembered promising to herself to live as brave and noble a life as any heroine she ever read or heard of in romance, a life sans peur et sans reproche; it had seemed to her then that she had only to will, and such a life would be accomplished. And now she had learnt that not only to will, but also to pray, was a necessary condition in the truly heroic. Trusting to herself, she had fallen."

~ Elizabeth Gaskell

Dear reader, when I was but nineteen, my grandfather told me a sad story and I cried. To my surprise, he told me, "you gotta toughen up".

Why I thought? -- Just because tears flowed at his tragic tale? My young, tender heart thought him to be rough and I was hurt. However, throughout the years, his comment has haunted me...

When tough decisions were required that I just couldn't "bear" to make, I thought of those words. When following my husband's lead proved to be too hard for my "fragile heart", I thought of those words. When I needed to correct or protect my children from worldly ways but felt "sorry to", I thought of those words.

Perhaps what grandpa meant to say was "grow stronger". Truth be known, many of us are in some dire situations where the raw and rough words "suck it up!" need to be said (forgive the crude language). In the heat of battle, we must march on! We must adorn ourselves with the sturdy armor of God, we will require skills in the weaponry of the Word and we will draw our power and strength from the Holy Spirit. We will choose to fight with all our might and valor against the forces of evil and we can prevail like the godly women before us!

For our husbands may simply need a smile and reassurance when all we want is to shed tears. Our children need endurance and stability when all we want is to give up. The sisterhood needs encouragement and support when all we want to do is hide ourselves away.

I once witnessed a scene at a hospital of an elderly couple. The aged man was bending over his dying spouse. He told her, "when you thought you were leaning on me all those years, I was leaning on you." I was deeply moved when I heard this. I don't think either one of these faithful believers felt the weight, because both were leaning on God. Both had been relying on His strength. And this same powerful source is what will make us strong and not be prone to "fainting fits" when the going gets tough in this earthly battlefield called life.

"And let us not be weary in well doing:

for in due season we shall reap,

if we faint not."

~ Galatians 6:9

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

~ 2 Timothy 1:7

For other posts on "girding our loins with strength", visit:

Embracing Ma's Practical Pioneering Spirit During Lean Times
The Blood that Runs Through These Veins ~ Brave Strong Women
The Homemaker's Armor ~ Girding Your Loins with Strength

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Roses of Inspiration, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.

On Matters of Marriage

"Life is the flower for which love is the honey."

~ Victor Hugo

Love is in the air... The regal red hue is waving its banner, there is a sprinkling of hearts wherever one looks, there are mounds of exotic chocolate recipes waiting to be made and the crowning glory, an abundance of romantic roses. Basically, many ideas to bless a union. May I add my own sentiments on the matters of marriage?

Marriage ~ Forbearing One Another in Love

{Or, the blessings of the long-haul love.}

Homecoming for Husbands

{Or, setting the mood.}

Hold Fast to Your Husband ~ Your "Beloved"

{Or, please don't take your husband for granted.}

Laundry {Life} Lessons for Wives with Abigail Adams

{Or, a bit about discretion in marriage.}

And finally, for a bit of fun, you may be interested in learning "How to Preserve a Husband" as well as a list of our favorite Period Movies for the Romantic Hearted and Sentimental Soul. 

"Love is energy of life."

~ Robert Browning

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Roses of Inspiration, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, From the Farm Blog Hop, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.

How to Preserve a Husband

"In choosing a husband, women need to be very careful of their selection.

Do not choose one that is too young or too green, but one that is tender with a healthy growth! Ensure that you pick one that has been raised in a good, moral atmosphere.

Let your decision be final. If you are too picky, they will not keep.

When you have decided on your selection, turn your thoughts to domestic use. Some wives insist on keeping their husbands in a pickle, while others are constantly getting them in hot water. This will only make them sour, hard and often bitter. Add a pinch of common sense as needed.

Even the poorest varieties can be made sweet, tender and good just by garnishing them with patience.

Spice them up with plenty of smiles.

Be sure to flavour them with lots of kisses.

For an ever-lasting product, husbands should be wrapped in a mantle of kindness, kept warm with a fire of steady devotion and always served with peaches and cream.

Like a fine wine, they will improve with age.

Husbands prepared this way can be kept for many years!"

~ Author Unknown

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Roses of Inspiration, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Coffee and Conversation, So Much at Home, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Home Acre Hop, From the Farm Blog Hop, Farmgirl Friday, Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Simply Natural Saturdays and Clever Chicks Blog Hop. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.