A Merry December!

Dear Friends,

Can it really be the first of December? It must be, for whisperings of Christmastide are in the air~
The small dolls have even put their trees up (which they harvested themselves)!

(Photographs by the Graham girls :) )

Elvis lends a willing hand~

Farmer Jim seems to have his hands full, taking care of the horses~

And AnnaMarie has made an Advent Calendar for Frankie and Evangeline to open.

We have been enjoying reading our collection of old women's and children's magazines, and came across this gentle reminder from "Mother's Magazine", 1910, which we would like to share with you.

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"The Need"

By Zelia Margaret Walters

A mother who had to be mother and bread winner both for her child, had often to deny the child's requests, saying, "Mother hasn't time now. She must write to earn bread and butter and shoes and stockings for you."

One day the little girl responded with one of those amazing speeches of wisdom that so often fall from the lips of babes:

"I don't want bread and butter and shoes. I want my mamma to play with me."

Mothers are constantly denying the children their companionship because of the multitude of little things in life that must be attended to. But the children, if they could voice their real needs, would say, "We do not need so much baking and cooking and cleaning and sewing done for us, and we do need our mothers."

No one can doubt that the mother and housekeeper has her hands full. Too often she has more than she should do. But we know that time can be always found for the absolutely necessary things. Why not put the children's needs among the first things, and let the less important fall into line behind?

In almost any home the hour after the evening meal could be kept for the children. The careful housewife may exclaim in horror at the thought of setting the dishes away to be done the next morning. But let the mother consider how much good that hour of song and story and confidential talk and counsel may do for her growing, eager, adventurous boys and girls. How lightly and thoughtlessly they go into their untried ways! And what may come to them if mother has forgotten to be companion and counselor! Surely the children's hour is the most important in the allotment of mother's time.

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Love,

Marqueta