Over the years, the most special times of the year for me were holidays. Not only because of the family time together, but because we were making happy memories.

Holidays. Holidays can consist of days specifically marked on the calendar, birthdays, or a day can be made a holiday by the simple joys in life. Some examples of those simple joys from my own family include: a boy bringing his mother a bouquet of dandelions (my little brother enjoyed doing that!), a father who tells his wife and children to be ready at a certain time on Saturday morning for a surprise day trip (which ended up being a trip up to Galena, IL, to see the beautiful fall leaves), a mother who reads aloud from a book every evening and leaves you hanging till the next day to find out whether William Wallace will be captured and killed (we would always beg my mother to read on!), a sister who makes peach pie for dessert because she knows it is her father’s favorite, a brother who lets his sister ride around in the combine with him.

When my siblings and I were young, my parents were going through some difficult times financially. Those were the best times in our lives, because my parents were creative and made wonderful memories for us by the pleasant “little” things they did. We were rich in the love they gave us; which is something money can’t ever buy or replace.

My favorite memory was when my father, one Christmas, promised to give my mom a flower once a week for one year–it may have been a flower from a florist or a bouquet of wildflowers which he had picked before returning home. She wouldn’t know when he was to bring them, so as to make it very special. He always found the right moment to give it to her. Christmas lasted all year instead of just one day! This has always been a treasured memory, for a person doesn’t have to do much to make someone feel special.

Some of life’s greatest treasures are found right within the walls of our homes–in the love we share with family, friends, and others.

Our Homemaking section is a place designed to bring out the creativity in you, and for you to share that creativity with other women.