The Hidden Art of Homemaking - ch 7 quotes

Since I'm so far behind in my reading, I'm just going to copy some quotes from ch. 7. Ch. 7 is entitled  "Flower Arrangements".

Mrs. Schaeffer contends in this chapter that using flowers to decorate is an essential part of making a beautiful home atmosphere.

Referring to a flower arrangement at the table: (P. 100) When the call comes, 'Dinner is ready', 'Supper is served', or 'Hurry, the soup will be cold' then there should be something to bring realization, a warmth of knowing that someone has taken thought and put some originality into preparing the place where food and conversation are going to be shared."

(P.101) "the art of living together, of being a family, is being lost, just as the wealth of the earth is being lost by man's carelessness in his ignoring the need for conservation of forests, lakes and seas. The 'conservation' of family life does not consist of sticking a rose in the middle of the table; it is a deeper thing than that....what I am talking about is something anyone could do, anywhere: an expression of individuality, personality, originality."

This reminds me of a decision that we made several years when we sit down together as a family. We had, for convenience, been in the habit of lifting up our plates at the stove. My husband and I decided to switch to serving the food from serving dishes at the table. It means a few more bowls to wash but it's so much nicer to serve from bowls at the table.

"Children growing up in an atmosphere where beauty is considered an important part of daily life cannot help being inspired to develop their own original ideas in these areas, nor can they help being prepared to live aesthetically themselves." P. 104

"An atmosphere of love and consideration, in which one is trying to anticipate the mood of others, requires something tangible, something that can be seen, as well as a feeling inside oneself." P. 107

This inspires me to think about including flowers or other arrangements not just for special occasions but for every day as well. As a young bride, I made the foolish statement that cut flowers are a waste of money. I repented of that statement and thankfully my husband didn't hold it against me!