Beautiful Girlhood

What a lovely book this is, and a must for all mothers of daughters. I had ordered it from Amazon a while back, and put it on the shelf for "the future," when I felt the girls would be able to understand it. That time has come! My older girl has been going through some challenges lately that caused me to think of Beautiful Girlhood and wonder if it might help. I thought, maybe she'll be bored, or not quite comprehend. She begs me for chapter after chapter! What a blessing. Never underestimate young ones; they rise to higher levels if we provide them.

Here is a favorite snippet:
"She who has an ideal character is first of all pure and true, then earnest and sincere, patient and gentle, and more ready to serve than be served. It is easier to build bad than good character....Choose well as the days go by. Build for all time, not just for present pleasure...To do right will often mean a struggle, but it is always worth the effort...Christ is our Perfect Pattern, and only those who form their lives after Him are building the best character." (p. 32-33)

I find this book a treasure for my daughters as well as for myself. It is loaded with wisdom. Many in today's culture would call it archaic or old-fashioned, but I cannot agree that a lot of what our society promotes today cultivates healthy living. There is rightness and satisfaction in simple goodness.

"I want my daughters to be beautiful, accomplished, and good; to be admired, loved, and respected; to have a happy youth, to be well and wisely married, and to lead useful, pleasant lives, with as little care and sorrow to try them as God sees fit to send...My dear girls, I am ambitious for you, but not to have you make a dash in the world." (Wisdom from Marmee, Little Women).

On a Funny Note....

I love our local grocery.
It looks like it hasn't changed since 1985!
The girls like to take produce and weigh it,
then we talk about what weighs more, less, 
etc. It's fantastic, real-world math!
Anyway...they also enjoy shaking the coconuts
and hearing the milk slosh inside. Our store doesn't just sell coconuts...
they have GROOVY coconuts!

And Alas....

It seems the time has come to retire my oversized mugs till next year. Usually I put them away after Christmas, but this year I decided they looked wintry enough to get away with using them through January. They were a gift from Aunt Susan, and boy, what bliss they have brought!