A few thoughts by a housewife, written in 1932…. As I stood ironing yesterday, my mind began to dwell on little troubles, misunderstandings, the slight of a supposed friend, problems which were beyond my control. And as my mind clung to such thoughts, each trouble, or misunderstanding, or slight, seemed to grow and grow and become almost unbearable till I…

Enjoy this brief first-hand account of a stress-free Christmas family get together from 1935. It sounds like a lovely time. We observe the old custom of having our whole family together for Christmas dinner. Last year there were nearly forty of us. Each family brought a basket lunch with service for its own members. No dirty dishes to mar the…

Here is a letter written around 1915 by a young fellow named Eugene about his Christmas present, which even by today’s standards, was a pretty spectacular gift. Enjoy! One day, not long ago, my mother was reading a farm magazine and she saw a picture of a Shetland pony named “Cub,” hitched up all ready for a drive. She called…

This little story was first published in 1931, at the start of America’s Great Depression. As difficult as that time was, Grandmother felt that the 1870s was the “harder” time. Hard times aren’t unprecedented and for us in 2020 with our many concerns about the future, advice from past generations is always encouraging. From Grandmother: “When times were hard with…