I have been thinking a lot lately about what is old fashioned living in a modern world. You definately capture it in the small choices each day. It is a journey. Here is a look into an old fashioned morning at our home.
I woke at 4:30 am and spent some time in bed reading. It seemed extra cold. I got up, dressed and went to the living room and called the girls to get up. While I waited I worked on the socks I am knitting and the quilt I am quilting. My hands tingle, so I switch back and forth between projects. After sending a daughter and son out for morning milking, another daughter and I started breakfast.
We usually work outside for 3 to 4 hours each day and that requires a good breakfast. Today we had leftover french bread that a daughter made yesterday. Along with that we had from the canning room - peaches, pear jam, raspberry jam, and catsup. Potatoes were gathered from the cellar for hashbrowns, eggs were fried, and a couple of pounds of bacon were cooked up. This was all served with milk and juice from the peaches. I used my 2 cast iron pans so the food has to be cooked in stages. Butter was churned yesterday which the kids generously spread on their bread. The only ingredients in this meal that did not come from our farm were the salt, pepper, flour and sugar.
I do not have a wood cookstove in the house, so for now I cook on my electric one. However, we do shun modern equipment to do our housework where possible. We sweep by hand, wash dishes by hand, knead bread by hand, grate potatoes by hand, and so on and so on. Whenever possible we find older equipment to use as it is sturdier and better made. Part of living old fashioned is recognizing the disposable nature of society today. Everything is made to be quickly broken and replaced.
Today is a sabbath rest day for us. We take things a little slower and we will spend additional time studying God's word. While we sing and worship, I will work on knitting socks, quilting, or spinning. We have a bunch of household projects to finish inlcuding rugs and table linens, so all older girls are busy every evening with hand work.
This is just a glimpse. It is hard work, but the pace is slower. You can think while you work or pray. You see God in everything you do. The creation and the Creator. There is rhythm. We also enjoy ourselves. We sing while we work. We laugh. We are together and talking. We share our lives together.
