Vintage Quotes and Cozy Thoughts from Lessons at Blackberry Inn

“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it." John Ruskin

"Give me a stout heart to bear my own burdens. Give me a willing heart to bear the burdens of others. Give me a believing heart to cast all burdens upon Thee, O Lord." John Baillie

"How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?" Oscar Wilde

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." Corrie tenBoom


"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for truth." Benjamin Disraeli


"Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not." Samuel Johnson

I found these quotes at the beginning of chapters in the book Lessons at Blackberry Inn, a novel by Karen Andreola about a New England family who started home schooling in the 1930's. I borrowed this sweet book from my friend Debbie, who loves Charlotte Mason style home schooling, and jotted down my favorite tidbits in my notebook, where I can browse through them every now and then.

Sit yourself down for a spell, and restore your soul! Infused with Charlotte Mason's gentle art of learning, this calming book follows Carol, a 1930s homemaker, as she adjusts to her first year living at Blackberry Inn. Refresh yourself as you drop into her idyllic world of canning, cleaning, homeschooling, baking, and other scenes of faith, hope, hospitality, love, and the lost art of homemaking! Written as a sequel to Pocketful of Pinecones, Lessons at Blackberry Inn may also be read as a stand-alone novel. A delightful treat for the homeschool mother.

I loved the book because it is so full of beauty and warmth, cozy but with a strong dose of reality. It made me want to hunt down a copy of Keeper of the Bees by Jean Stratton Porter (author of The Girl of the Limberlost) which is set in roughly the same era with many similar themes of the beauty of nature, hard work, holistic health, and integrity.  Both of the books talk about bee keeping.  If you want to learn more about honey bees with your kids, click here: Links for Honey Bees.

I also found the country inn setting to be quaint, especially with little extras like a apple butter recipes tucked in. I'm not a big "tea time" mother, but my daughter Rachel, knowing my love for all things Scottish, bought me a package of imported Walkers Shortbread Petticoat Tails for my birthday last week. I shared the last wedges of them with my younger children as I as typed this. I just got up from the computer to make a big pitcher of lemonade. Just a little simple hospitality in the home...

What are your favorite quotes? Post them in a comment for me, please! I would love to make this blog a little more interactive!

Blessings and beauty,

Virginia

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