Never a Car Payment - Reflections on Poverty

Mr. White and I received our first car as a wedding present. It was an old car given to us by an Aunt. She had decided to buy a new one, and gave us hers.  Over the years, we have been driving beat up cars, that were beyond second-hand. 

One of our vehicles had doors that wouldn't open.  We would be all dressed up, with our two little girls (at the time).  Mr. White would hand me one of the children (a toddler or a preschooler) through an open window, and I would reach back and buckle them in.   We certainly had our dignity and a sense of humor!

I remember once, in the early 1990's, getting a few thousand dollars as a tax refund.   We used most of this money to actually buy a decent vehicle from the friend of a relative.  It was a small, cream colored, station wagon. I was amazed!  It was old, but beautiful to me.   It lasted a few years, before it was totalled in an accident.  (A drunk driver had crashed into my husband and put him in the hospital. His recovery took several months.)

Insurance money provided us with another used car.  This one was an old mini-van.   By the time we were forced to give it up, it required a screwdriver to start!

One year, my husband bought a large, old conversion van for under $100.  We loved going for rides in it, with all of our (by then) five children.  My husband used it for commuting to work. I never drove it.  I was too afraid to drive a large van!

At one point, we had one dead car, and one barely running car.  I became very ill and couldn't walk without assistance for a month.  After some weeks, my husband's co-worker mentioned he was getting a new car, and did we want his old one for free?  That was such a great blessing!

I remember, a few years ago, my husband came home with a beautiful pastel purple Cadillac with white leather seats.  It was very old and cost under two grand.  We had our tax refund money and he wanted to ask me if we should buy it? I didn't hesitate. Of course! It was lovely and seemed like such a treat!  I loved riding in that car with him.  He used it for commuting. I never drove it, myself, because I am terrified of driving large vehicles. But I loved having him as my chauffeur.  This car now sits in a carport. . . Pretty to look at. . . but worn down so much that it can't be driven.

We've certainly had our fun adventures with cars, but we've never had a car payment.  We could never afford it.  To us, that is for those "rich" people. (gentle smiles) Or, the middle class.  It is a way of life for them.  As for the White House,  we have no idea what will happen to us tomorrow, financially, and can't promise to make those monthly payments.  This is poverty.  But it is also an adventure in faith.

Why am I writing all this out?  We have been having major car trouble, and it is only getting worse.  My current car was bought by one of my children in early 2008.  It was old then.  She bought it for me to drive her to college and to do errands with her. At the time, we had no money, but she did.  She paid cash from a year of hard work.   This precious child gave that car to me after a couple of years.  But now it is needing to be replaced.

The last few months, I have been wavering in my faith.  How will I drive the children to church and their activities?   How will I take them to appointments and do our grocery shopping? We live in a rural area with no public transportation.  A running car is an absolute necessity.  It is a basic need.

This morning, an answer came. . . I must take care of the car I have, even if it is falling apart, and making alarming noises (gentle smiles).  Today, when we do an errand, we will stop and get it all vacuumed out.  We will polish the dashboard and the windows and keep it as nice as we can.  We will take care of it, and continue to drive it, and do the best we can with the repairs, until the Lord brings our next vehicle.  Our faith in Him is the hope for those of us in poverty.  We know He can do all things. We know He is the one who feeds the sparrows and watches over us. . . In the meantime, I will love the car I have, and I will take care of it.  . . and I will wait upon my Lord.


Blessings
Mrs. White

 





For Home-keeping Inspiration, order my book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking. 


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A Home Remodeling Giveaway

I have a special treat for you today. . . .

I have a delightful giveaway, and an inspiring video to share.

First, please watch this brief video of my guest, Cassandra Lavalle, who will share some home design tips and ideas.


[Note:  If you are an email subscriber and can't see the video, please go directly to the blog to view.]






A lovely home is always made nicer with a little design and decorating.   This video makes one want to freshen up the home with paint, drapes and pretty flowers.  It would also be great to turn a bathroom into a little spa, with a RainFall Waterpik showerhead, some colorful bath towels, and a new shower curtain.



I have a giveaway that will help you get started!  This package includes the following:





1.  A $25 Gift Card to Home Depot.

2.  A luxurious RainFall Waterpik Showerhead.  {This easily installs in minutes, features 7 spray settings,  and comes with a limited lifetime warranty.}

3.  A Set of 2 Candles. ("Pillar Classics" - Unscented).






To enter for a chance to win, please leave me a comment answering the following 2 questions:

1.  What was your favorite idea from the video?

2.  What color scheme would you choose if you were to create a spa-like setting in a bathroom?

For additional Entries:

1. Post about this on Facebook.

2. Choose to "Like" The Legacy of Home on Facebook.

3. Post about this on Twitter.

4. Follow me on Twitter.

5. Write a post, linking to this giveaway, on your own Blog. (This is worth 3 entries. Please leave 3 separate comments.)

*Please leave a separate comment for each entry.*

One random winner we be selected on Monday, June 3, 2013. (U.S.  Entries only.) If I am unable to reach the winner within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be selected.


-  You must include your email address in your profile, or in your comment, or I can't find you if you win! - Anonymous comments will be void.

 

*Disclosure - I received these items, information, and video for review purposes.  Giveaway package will be shipped to the winner directly from the marketing company. *

To find out more about my commercial breaks, please see my disclosure page.

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Will You Walk the Grounds With Me?

In Jane Austen's day, guests would "take a turn about the room." Or they would walk the garden. This was a way of visiting. Two or more would walk together and talk. It was a restful sort of recreation and exercise.

When the weather is nice here at our Vermont Estate, I often ask one of my teenagers if they would walk the grounds with me.  We have a 2 acre parcel of land.  I walk up the back property, near the rushing river and enjoy the retreat - like setting.  We have a tiny garden plot with new blueberry and strawberry plants which have not yet been established enough to bear fruit.  But they are fun to look at.

In the early spring and summer mornings, I do the majority of my housework.  I do the dishes, the baking, some cooking, and tidying.  Then I do laundry and hang it on the clothesline.  While I work, I look forward to my walk around the grounds.  I love to call out, on my way out the door, "Will someone walk with me?"  Often it is one of my teenage boys who goes with me. 

I see things that remind me of what it must be like on old homesteads.  In the spring, farmers would walk the property and assess the needs.   A certain fence might need to be repaired. A barn door might  need a hinge tightened.  Perhaps the porch steps need a few boards replaced.  The farmers worked hard to maintain and repair the grounds so the homestead would function as it should.  On my own property, I see some weeds that need to be removed.  I see a porch that needs painting and a playground that needs to be cleaned and ready for children to enjoy for the season.

All these chores can be done at our own pace, over many weeks or months.  They give us great joy to labor on our own property.  We take pride in our land and our homes, when we enjoy our own work.

As I am walking the grounds, I am not thinking about what must be done outside the property.  The outside world is shut out.  Peace reigns.  A soothing happy feeling of walking the garden with my Lord is in my thoughts. . . And for just a little while, I forget about my poverty, realizing I have everything I need, in this old 1800's house, and on this beautiful land.


Blessings
Mrs. White




For Home-keeping Inspiration, order my book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking. 


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Echoes From The Kitchen

I have been listening to the old songs of Patsy Cline on my kitchen radio while I work.  The sound is not as crisp as modern recordings.  It adds a sort of nostalgic gentleness to my chores.

While I wash dishes, polish the stove, and sweep, the echoes of Mother's work goes throughout the house.  The sounds of the old music tells the family that Mama is busy in the kitchen.  It makes them happy to know that, very soon, there will be something special to eat, and the kitchen will be clean and polished.

The Echoes from my Kitchen will become a memory for my growing children.  They will remember all the work I did in there with love and creativity. 

I was talking to Mr. White yesterday about baking pies.  He wants a chocolate cream one. I told him I would try my very best to have a different homemade pie, or a special cake, for the family each Sunday afternoon.  It will be a new tradition.  Thinking of lovely things to do during kitchen time keeps things exciting!

There are many things we can do to make our kitchens homemade and special.  We need to enjoy being in there.  It should be our favorite place in the house.  Perhaps some lace curtains or a vintage flower vase would add special homestyle touches.  Or maybe a pretty basket for apples or oranges near the breadbox.  Whatever pretty things you can find to make your kitchen unique will help you enjoy the work so much more. . . And the Echoes of your Kitchen work will touch the hearts of all who enter.

Blessings
Mrs. White





For Home-keeping Inspiration, order my book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking. 


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Overcoming Hard Times with Grace

In this economy, many of us are struggling. There is a confusion added to this, about standard of living.  We see magazine covers at supermarkets of beautiful homes and elaborately prepared foods.  We see television programs about rehabbing houses, and making them "livable" with the latest upgrades.  This is like an upgrade in standards, and it costs far more money than most of us can manage.

It used to be that thrift stores and churches had decent clothes available for free, or for a meager cost.  Many mothers used to talk about the missionary barrel.  When times were hard, they would find clothes and remake them with what they had at home.  They made lovely things with their own efforts, out of cast-offs.   

Mothers were able to create recipes based on what was left in the pantry, rather than what was for sale in the store.

Home repairs and maintenance was done to survive, with scrounged supplies, or inexpensive parts to make-do, for those with little money.

I realize we need certain skills to create out of little, but we can certainly learn. 

Money used to mean something different than it does today.  Money was for basic housing and basic needs, and an occasional treat, rather than for splurging and spending on what we want right now.  [Or what we think we need in this confusing, consumerist, culture.]

We need a good does of the history of the family during hard times.  We need to read about the depression-era mothers, the pilgrims, and the pioneers to find a way to overcome the culture of today, with dignity and grace.


Blessings
Mrs. White

For Home-keeping Inspiration, order my book - For The Love of Christian Homemaking. 





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