Simplicity in Tasks

We live in a world of gadgets for everything.  Machines clean our clothes, wash our dishes, vacuum our floors, and so much more, all with the touch of a button.

Sometimes I wonder if we've gotten a bit too caught up in gadgetry that we've forgotten the simplicity of bygone days.  Don't get me wrong--I LOVE some of these gadgets.  After a few years using a washboard, I'm extremely grateful for a washing machine and dryer.  My blender is a good friend and saves my arms from trying to mush things together.  Air conditioning is another wonderful machine. 

Most days you'll find me at some point in the day at the kitchen sink, washing dishes by hand in the old ceramic sink.  I get opportunity to look out behind our house through the window, see birds flying around, the trees and foliage reflect whatever season it is, sometimes the visiting kitties that love our community food bowls, etc.  I keep the radio close by on the counter and it plays the Christian station KVCY--it has moved off of that channel maybe 5 times in 10 years.  When my hands are in the sudsy hot water, I am slowing down and making sure things are good and clean.  I can take that time to pray, to sing, to think.  Often times while I'm doing these, the stove has a meal cooking, laundry may be going, the kids may be helping with other chores that they need to grasp for adult life on their own. 

Lena Horne at a gas stove--isn't she beautiful?

Nearly every day, I cook on an older stove.  It has no electricity to it, simply pilot lights.  No fancy timers and push buttons.  I like it that way.  It provides heat on cold days and ability to cook when the electricity goes out for whatever reason.  If I were blessed to own my own home, I'd be even more excited to have a wood burning cook stove to the side, where if something went wrong due to storms or something, there would be a back up and a good source of heat. 

Folks who make a lot of bread tend to use a bread machine.  I've been using dough hooks for years, but have transitioned back to the old fashioned kneading by hand for now.  At least until my shoulders decide they don't like it anymore.  It doesn't use electricity or any extra gadgets to knead dough by hand.  It's a good work out.  You get a tasty loaf afterward.  In past years I've used  my little Sunbeam Heritage series mixer with the dough hooks to make my bread dough, and it does a great job making a velvety dough that is thoroughly kneaded.  It's a great machine.  It's funny, when I do make bread by hand, I picture myself like the Mennonite family before me, bent over the bread board and trough doing several loaves at once. 

Treadle Singer 15

One thing I'd love to get a hold of is a treadle or hand crank sewing machine.  Well, I do have the head of a White Rotary from about 1924, but haven't found a cabinet for her close enough to actually go after.  I'd like to get at least one machine that is a hand crank in case we don't have power.  Don't get me wrong, I can hand sew fairly quickly, but something about having a black machine with an old fashioned crank on it is appealing to me.  I'd love to get a treadle Singer 66 as well, it hearkens to my old fashioned mindset.  There are kits to transform a machine with a motor boss to a hand crank, it may be time to invest in one in the future.  The current machines I have, they do not have electronics on them.  The ones I use the most, they were top of the line when they were built, but at that time top of the line was having back tacking (reverse).  My absolute favorite is a simple straight stitch machine.  It does one stitch, and it does it very well.  The most "elaborate" machine I use is a Singer 401A that dates to the late 50's.  It is not electronic.  It has a few built in stitches and capacity to do a lot with just those few stitches--the manual is over 100 pages and tells you how to do elaborate stitch details with just a zig zag stitch and straight stitch.  I've heard it's sister the 401G can be made a treadle. 

Line drying is another thing I'd love to do again.  We don't have a line out here, there's many trees and potential for lots of bird bombs, which defeats the purpose of washing and line drying (right??).  I do miss the smell of fresh line dried sheets and clothes, especially after they've been rinsed in the rain while out there.  Rain and jeans/towels are an amazing combination--they smell so nice and are soft as can be after a good rain shower and dried outside.  I've through the years hand washed on a wash board, and when I was a single parent, I used the bath tub to clean my scrubs and my son's clothing, using a drying rack in our apartment to dry them while I was at work.  This definitely saves on electric, gas, and water.  And there's plenty of time to think, pray, sing, listen to music or sermons while doing the wash. 

I'm looking for other ways to go back to a more gadget free style.  I remember growing up we didn't have so many machines and things, but life was slower.  If you have ideas, feel free to share! 

Beauty in Grace

Walking around town it's not hard to notice our latest fashion trends that leave nothing to the imagination.  We're talking super tight and barely there clothing.  I believe my purse has more fabric than some outfits worn in public.

What are we teaching our kids by allowing them to wear such dress?  I honestly believe they are being taught not to value themselves, their bodies, their own worth.  I believe they are being taught that their body is a commodity, and are being taught to be sexual with their dress.

This is in pretty well all stores that sell clothing--the girls' clothing that looks like it's painted on, too low up top and too high down south.  It is absolutely hard to find appropriate clothing for a modest girl or lady in most stores.

This evening I was looking around on Pinterest at ideas to try out while making my "bonus" daughter's wardrobe for upcoming school year.  She dresses modestly, with culottes/split skirts (these look like an elastic waist A line skirt with no pleats, just soft gathers, from Candle on the Hill), long skirts, dresses, layers, etc.  The photos I saw on Pinterest were great--lots of options to try for modest dress--soft lines, gentle pleats and gathers, flowing skirts, prints that lend to a graceful feel.  No half naked models.  So, at my sewing machine I'm trying out different ideas I saw.  The first I've got on the machine is a light blue soft chevron dress that is a pullover style with lined bodice, mid calf length or slightly longer pleated skirt, cap sleeves, and an attached mock vest of soft blue background and light colored roses, with a tied back.  It is from a 90's pattern that is designed using lace as the vest--I don't have enough flat lace, so pretty florals work.  The vest is held together in the front with a single pink flower button that coordinates with the fabric, and falls open gently to reveal the chevrons underneath.  I love how it's looking so far, enough that I want to make myself something similar when this is done.

Don't get me wrong, what we wear in our home is probably a bit different than what most others do.  That is fine.  We as Bible believing Christians are to be a peculiar people.  We are to be different.  Our particular home uses longer dresses, cape dresses, jumpers, long skirts, culottes (split skirts) that are below the knee, with longer shorts and pants for hubby and the boys.  That doesn't make us better than anyone else, just different.  On cleaning days I'm not above old t shirts and long skirts to clean in--save the better clothing for church and out and about times.  I utilize homemade aprons as well, especially when using oil for cooking, flour, etc.  Bread baking is my messiest, followed closely by hand washing dishes--I look like a flour mill exploded, and then got sprayed down.

It's been our goal for years to teach the kids that we are responsible for how we dress, and that our dress does speak before our voices do.  We don't have to wear high heels and pearls, or fancy suits, but what we have should be clean, mended, preferrably not wrinkled or stained.  This last one is a hard one to teach our oldest.  If we only have older hand me downs, then they should be looking the best they can. 

I believe truly that there is beauty in the graceful way of keeping your clothes the best you can.  I find beauty in old faded overalls that are well taken care of but aged from years of use.  Beauty can be in the older dresses of years past that are kept nicely.  Classic and older, that style doesn't fade away. 

What kind of clothing do you comfortably wear?  Are you more of a contemporary person, or old fashioned? 

What A Day That Will Be!

There is coming a day,

When no heart aches shall come,

No more clouds in the sky,

No more tears to dim the eye,

All is peace forever more,

On that happy golden shore,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

What a day that will be,

When my Jesus I shall see,

And I look upon His face,

The One who saved me by His grace;

When He takes me by the hand,

And leads me through the Promised Land,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

There'll be no sorrow there,

No more burdens to bear,

No more sickness, no pain,

No more parting over there;

And forever I will be,

With the One who died for me,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

What a day that will be,

When my Jesus I shall see,

And I look upon His face,

The One who saved me by His grace;

When He takes me by the hand,

And leads me through the Promised Land,

What a day, glorious day that will be

Growing Gray Gracefully

I'll be honest, I never thought I'd make it to my current age.  I've done so much in my past, I was sure I'd not make it past 23 or 24.  Gray hairs were never a part of my future.

Those little sparkles of silver are showing themselves quite well in my darker brown hair.  The temples are becoming silver and white, little white streaks are starting to show up in other parts of the hair too.

At first I tried covering them with dye.  Honestly, to me it's too much work to constantly dye over it.  I'm a low maintenance person, it's just not my thing.

Hubby has a full head of silver now, and he tells everyone he had his hair professionally highlighted that way!!  LOL!!  He once had solid black wavy hair thanks to his Cuban roots.

I've decided that we've earned these gray hairs.  It shows us that we've survived a lot, we've made it through hard times and came out the other side, that we've had some good times and enjoyed laughter and joy.  It shows we've been blessed to live this long, to have chance to enjoy younger years and mature into the age we are now.  We've earned these little sparkly hairs.

So now, rather than trying to cover the sparkly highlights, I embrace them.  I've earned each and every one. One day, my hair will be a gray bun, as my mom's and Grandma's once was.  I won't fight the signs of aging.  There are many who haven't had opportunity to grow those little white/gray hairs...I am blessed to be able to have them.

Every Day'll be Sunday

from Art.com

Bye and bye, bye and bye, good Lord
Bye and bye
Every day will be Sunday
Bye and bye
One of these mornings bright and fair
Every day’ll be Sunday
Bye and bye
Going to take my wings and cleave the air
Every day’ll be Sunday
Bye and bye

Bye and bye, bye and bye, good lord
Bye and bye
Every day will be Sunday
Bye and bye
One day, one day as I’s walking along
Every day’ll be Sunday
Bye and bye
I thought I heard the angels’ song
Every day’ll be Sunday
Bye and bye

From Hymnlyrics.org

Finding Peace In Early Morning

from Art.com

During 3 of the 4 seasons, we are early risers due to school and work schedules.  In winter months, I get up a bit earlier than my family to make sure the heaters are turned on (I choose not to run space heaters at night in the smaller rooms farthest away from our main heat source) and a pot of coffee perks on the stove top.  This season, I am up early to make a pot of tea and enjoy a quiet moment before the kids wake for the day.  In the spring and fall, I make sure windows are opened up for fresh air and fans run to circulate that beautiful morning breeze.

Our home is a loud and chaotic one when everyone is awake.  There are 3 cats that are wild and loud and race throughout the house.  In fact one of them is yowling now for the other 2 to come down and play with him.  The kids are teens now, with one at 15.5, one nearing 18 in 2 months, and one 17.5, and they are noisy in their own right.  There is constant movement and activity when everyone is awake. 

It is in the early hours before everyone is awake, and my eyes are slowly opening with the caffeine of that first cup of coffee and/or tea, that I find peace.  I can listen to my favorite radio station (KVCY out of Ft. Scott, KS), pray over the day ahead, read a devotional, check up on the news and weather for the day, and prepare myself for the events ahead.  This is my time. 

A simple quiet time in the morning may seem inconsequential, but it can set the mood for the day.  How often do we feel rushed and harried when we hit the floor running with demands as soon as our eyes open (or before!!) from little ones that need Mommy, or the sounds of a pet getting ready to vomit on the carpet, or the yowling of a hungry cat that has a full bowl except for one tiny spot at the bottom they can see (starvation I tell you!)?  The moments before everyone gets up can be such a big help in how you start your day. 

Don't get me wrong, when you have babies and younger children, that season is tough to get a quiet moment outside of a couple hours of sleep.  I haven't forgotten those days, nor do I look on them fondly...no one truly enjoys being a walking zombie for years.  We do it because we love our family.  But we as moms need that little moment to ourselves, a chance to breathe, think, pray, sip our favorite morning drink, and get ourselves prepared for the day.  It's a little time to talk to the Lord and ask Him for guidance for your day, to thank Him for another moment with your family, to listen to what He has to say.  It's time to get your thoughts together, prepare yourself for the day ahead, make mental notes of what needs to be done, and most importantly, fill your tank for the day. 

What do you do in your early morning time?  I'd love to hear from you!

Kindness Goes A Long Way

from Art.com

Kindness is a virtue we don't see much of today.  Sad, isn't it??  

Last evening I was having a discussion with a lady whom was upset with her husband of a year.  Now, us wives of any amount of time have been upset with our husbands, and our husbands with us.  That's a given in marriage.  Life happens.  My suggestion to her was to use kindness and gentleness in speaking to her husband, rather than confrontational complaints.  It did not go over well with others listening, and mocking ensued.  I know it's normal in our world, but it is disheartening to see.  

I'll share here what I shared with the lady I mentioned.  You are welcome to disregard if you desire, but I think you may find if you try it, you'll gain more than you expect.

Kindness goes a long ways in a marriage, no matter if it's a day or 50 years.  A heart that pours out kindness to your spouse will be a happy one. 

 There are days your spouse will say hurtful things.  It's part of life, and since we are imperfect, sinful humans, we're going to do that.  But, we can choose how to respond to our spouse's words.  We don't have to bark back and bite off their heads.  We don't have to give silent treatment, snarky remarks, cursing, and so on.  It's a choice we can make.  Our world tells us it's our right to talk back, to hold our own, to put the spouse down as they have done to us.  But, is that right?  

Our choice in kind words to our spouse can bring them around.  Rather than snap back at them when they are upset about something and barking at us, we can choose a gentle reply if one is needed.  We don't have to bite back at them.  We don't have to respond with hateful hurtful speech. We absolutely have control over how we handle situations.  Our words most definitely can make or break our relationship. 

Other things I suggested to this newlywed:  Ask your spouse what he would like for you to do for the day.  Tell him you appreciate what he does to provide for you and/or your family.  Use a gentle voice rather than an angry one.  Don't try to change him--only if he's wearing diapers can you change him, otherwise that is up to God to do.  Give him grace and mercy when he needs it.  

This is something maybe we all as spouses can try out.  I work on this too, it's not necessarily easy, but the rewards are better when I do try.  

What are your thoughts on this?

Welcome!

Welcome to Gray Hairs and Grace!  It is my joy to be here, sharing bits of how God has shown His grace and mercy through out the years.  I hope to encourage you through your own walk as He has done for me with encouragement from other ladies with silvering hair. 

Sit a spell, enjoy your favorite morning drink, and let's chat together!