I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

The famous Longfellow brothers were born and raised in Portland, Maine, in the 1800’s. Henry Wadsworth was born in 1807, and younger brother Samuel arrived in 1819. Henry became a Harvard professor of literature and one of America’s greatest writers, and Samuel became a Unitarian minister and hymnist.

While Henry was publishing his books, however, dark clouds were gathering over his life and over all of America. In 1861, his wife tragically died when her dress caught fire in their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That same year, the Civil War broke out. Two years later, Henry’s son Charley, age seventeen, ran away from home and hopped aboard a train to join President Lincoln’s army.

Charley proved a brave and popular soldier. He saw action at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863, but in early June he contracted typhoid fever and malaria and was sent home to recover. He missed the Battle of Gettysburg, but by August Charley was well enough to return to the field. On November 27, during the Battle of New Hope Church in Virginia, he was shot through the left shoulder. The bullet nicked his spine and came close to paralyzing him. He was carried into the church and later taken to Washington to recuperate.

 Receiving the news on December 1, 1863, Henry immediately left for Washington. He found his son well enough to travel, and they headed back to Cambridge, arriving home on December 8. For weeks Henry sat by his son’s bedside, slowly nursing his boy back to health.

On Christmas day, December 25, 1863, Henry gave vent to his feelings in this plaintive carol that can only be understood against the backdrop of war. Two stanzas now omitted from most hymnals speak of the cannons thundering in the South and of hatred tearing apart “the hearth-stones of a continent.” The poet feels like dropping his head in despair, but then he hears the Christmas bells. Their triumphant pealing reminds him that “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.”

 The Sunday school children of the Unitarian Church of the Disciples in Boston first sang the carol during that year’s Christmas celebration. How wonderful that such a song could emerge from the bloody clouds of the War Between the States.

From "Come Let Us Adore Him" by Robert J. Morgan

Coleslaw, Caramel Popcorn and a Christmas Movie

Yesterday evening my mom, Adam and I enjoyed a dinner of turkey coleslaw sandwiches, caramel popcorn and a really fun Christmas movie!

A sandwich favorite in our home all began with the movie “Remember the Night” staring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck. In the movie the two main characters enjoy eating coleslaw sandwiches on their trip back home for Christmas. Being a fan of coleslaw already, the idea of adding coleslaw to a sandwich certainly appealed to me.

We always seem to make our coleslaw sandwiches with turkey. I will toast the sandwiches in the frying pan with the turkey, coleslaw and cheese. Then we add a little barbeque sauce.

Here is my favorite coleslaw recipe:

Coleslaw-

1 med. Head cabbage
1 lg. carrot
1 med. Onion
1 green pepper
2/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. celery seed

Shred cabbage, carrot and onion in food processor. Chop green pepper. Combine vinegar, sugar, oil, salt and celery seed. Pour over vegetables. Chill.

So since we were watching "Remember the Night" I just had to make coleslaw sandwiches. : )

Mom and I have wanted to try our hand at making some delicious old-fashioned caramel popcorn. The recipe I used came from the “Better Homes and Gardens” cookbook.

Here is the recipe:

Caramel Popcorn-

 10 cups popped popcorn
1 cup pecans 
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/3 cup light-colored corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Remove all unpopped kernels from popped popcorn. Put popcorn and, if desired, nuts into a 17x12x2-inch roasting pan. Keep popcorn warm in the oven while making the caramel mixture.
2. Butter a large piece of foil; set aside. For caramel, in a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, without stirring, for 5 minutes more.
3. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour caramel over popcorn; stir gently to coat. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir mixture; bake for 5 minutes more. Spread caramel corn on prepared foil; cool. Place caramel corn in gift container; cover with plastic wrap.

Also, I have added a couple more vintage cookbooks to my Etsy shop. You can see them here.
 

Thanksgiving

Here are some photos from my Thanksgiving Day. It was a beautifully sunny day and unseasonably warm for November here in upstate New York.

Mom, my sister Rachel and I spent most of Wednesday busy in the kitchen. We listened to Christmas music and had a great time just being together. Since Rachel married in 2011, it always a treat to have her at home cooking with us. : )

The photo above is of our table setting and the three pies Rachel and I baked. I am always on a quest to find the best pecan pie recipe. This year I tried a recipe I found on the Country Cook website- one of my favorite places to find recipes.

Mom busy in the kitchen! Each year mom cooks up the best meat dressing. The recipe is one that has been handed down several generations by my mother's relatives from Germany. Yum!

                                                       The house looking cozy and busy. : )

Here is a recipe for the rolls I baked: yeast rolls. I thought it was a tasty recipe.

       Me and my dear Adam. I was peeling potatoes when my sister Hannah wanted to snap our photo.

Micah, my most adorble nephew, celebrating his first Thanksgiving. He tried butternut squash for the first time, and loved it. Doesn't he look sooo cute sitting up at the table?

                                         My sister Rachel and her husband Spencer- Micah's mom and dad.

                                                              Mom and my sister Hannah.
                                  We all had a wonderful day filled with the LORD’s abundant blessings!

Last night we watched "By the Light of the Silvery Moon"; it is a Thanksgiving tradition. I thought I would share this song as it is so much fun, and made me think of all the excitment at our house.



Also , from November 24th through November 30th all items in my Etsy shop will be 10% off. Just use coupon code 10percent when checking out. : ) I am adding some new items over the next day or two.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm100:4&5

"Alas! how we forget that we are but strangers and pilgrims on the earth; that we are journeying to our eternal home, and will soon be there!" Octavius Winslow

Books and Wrist Warmers

The days are lengthening and growing colder. There is something about this time of year that makes me want to bake a batch of oatmeal cookies, sip a cup of tea and read a good book. Nothing can compare with the intrigue, charm and poetic beauty of a classic book.

This past week I added a couple more classic books to my Etsy page. All three are good “yarns”, and all three take place in the English countryside. Please check them out here.

I also added two pair of hand knit wrist warmer. Both pairs are knitted from 100% wool.

^"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever." Psalm 107:1

Folded Star Hot Pad

Recently I purchased a pattern for a folded star hot pad on Etsy. I have quite the stash of scrap fabric from years of sewing, and I found that this was one great way to use some of that scrap fabric.

The pattern is from Plum Easy Designs, and I must say that it was very fun and easy to sew. The instructions and interfacing guide made piecing together the triangles a breeze.

I found that I had some pretty Christmas fabrics that I had forgotten about. I have set that aside with the intent of sewing them up into hot pads. : )

Liebster Award

Last week Kimberly from An At Home Daughter tagged my blog with the Liebster Award. I wasn't quite sure what a Liebster Award was, so I looked it up. "Liebster" is a German word meaning favorite. This award is meant to be given to blogger with less than 200 followers.

 The rules are as follows:

1.) You must post 11 facts about yourself.
2.) You must answer the 11 questions the awarder has given you and make up 11 questions for the awardees to answer in turn.
3.) Tag 11 fellow bloggers.
4.) Notify them that you have awarded them.
5.) No tagging back.
6.) And the 11 blogs you tag must have no more than 200 followers.

Here are the answers to the questions Kimberly gave me:

1. How do I get my bonnet fix? I really like to read historical fiction, so I guess reading.
2. My favorite cookbook… I have so many, but I think that “Cooking with Praise” is my favorite.
3. Yes, I have smelled the ocean and it was wonderful. My first trip to the ocean was when my family visited Williamsburg, Virginia. I was ten years old, and loved everything about that trip.
4. Yes, I do shop at thrift shops, but sew most of my clothes.
5. As a child I really enjoyed reading Nancy Drew books.
6. I like my eggs fried sunny side up.
7. No, I had never heard of the Weston A. Price Foundation, until this questionnaire.
8. Tea most definitely!
9. Dark chocolate is my favorite, but I am not too picky. : )
10. No, getting lost is seldom an adventure for me.
11. Frogs are neat. I always like to hear them on a summer evening.

Eleven Fact About Me:

1. I am the oldest of three girls. My two younger sisters are twins.
2. I love chickens, and look forward to having some again.
3. We have two dogs and three cats.
4. We live on a beautiful country road. And I have greatly enjoyed watching the leaves change color this year. It seems that the colors have been especially brilliant.
5. I enjoy crocheting doilies and have several tucked away in my hope chest.
6. I was home schooled grades 4-12^th, and loved it!
7. Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse that has always encouraged me.
8. My favorite author is Augusta Evans Wilson.
9. I love canning.
10. I collect antique books.
11. I love blue and white

Eleven Questions for My Awardees to Answer:

    

1. What is your favorite color?
2. If you could live in any era which would it be?
3. Do you prefer cake or pie?
4. What is your favorite L.M. Montgomery book?
5. What is your favorite season of the year?
6. Which do you prefer “Little Women” or “Pride and Prejudice”?
7. Do you collect anything?
8. If you could visit any country which would it be?
9. What is your favorite classic t.v. show?
10. What is your favorite Christmas carol?
11. Who is your favorite classical composer?

I could only think of 7 blogs to award.

Heide @ http://apronhistory.blogspot.com/

Cheri @ http://ajoyfulhandmaiden.blogspot.com/

Hannah @ http://aladyintime.blogspot.com/

Brooke @ http://stitchesofthepast.blogspot.com/

Hannah @ http://so-lets-backtrack.blogspot.com/

Elizabeth @ http://thecountryhandmaiden.blogspot.com/

Shannon @ http://gabby-marie.blogspot.com/

Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Over the weekend I baked a pecan pumpkin pie using a recipe I found in my sister's "Better Home and Gardens Cookbook". I made homemade whipped cream to top the pie with; in addition to adding vanilla and a little confectionary sugar to my whipped cream I added about a teaspoon of maple flavored extract. I thought it was a nice addition to the autumnal flavor.


Ingredients 

1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 15 ounce can pumpkin

1 1/2 cups half-and-half or light cream or one 12-ounce can evaporated milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted

pie shell

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare Pie Pastry. Mix pecans and brown sugar in small bowl; place 3/4 cup pecan mixture in bottom of pie shell. Reserve remaining pecan mixture for topping. Combine pumpkin, half-and-half, granulated sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in large bowl; mix well. Pour into prepared pie shell.

2. Bake for 50 minutes or until just set in center. Add butter to remaining pecan mixture; stir until moistened. Sprinkle pie filling with pecan mixture; bake for 10 minutes more or until topping bubbles around edges. Cool on wire rack.

3. Makes 8 slices.

Cara Mia

This afternoon I am enjoying a somewhat overcast sky, a day filled with sewing, tea and beautiful music! I have been listening to a record Mantavoni. I was hoping to find a recording of his rendition of "Chim-Chim-Cheree", which is very fun, but since I could not find one here is "Cara Mia" another one of my favorites!

Vintage Laundry Basket

Lately I have been on a mission to find a vintage clothes basket. They just don’t make clothes baskets like they used to. Old baskets are larger and sturdier. But when I began looking for vintage clothes baskets on Etsy and Ebay I discovered they were rather expensive.

The other week Adam and I were out for the day to visit a craft market. On our way to the market we saw several cars parked alongside the road in front of a lovely white farm house. A sign reading “Estate Sale” was enough to gain our attention. : ) It was the last day of the sale and there wasn’t a lot left, but there was a somewhat dirty clothes basket sitting on the floor of the garage. I was very excited! Then as I turned around I noticed some wooden clothes drying racks. This too was something I was hoping to purchase for my future home. I was able to purchase both items for only $11.

Then the following week when visiting a barn sale my mother and I found this adorable basket cart for $3. The wood appears to be the same as the drying rack. I was so very pleased! The LORD is so good to provide me with such a lovely set. I felt it was truly a gift from Him as He does know the desires of my heart.

Now I am envisioning how all three pieces will look so charming in an old-fashioned, country laundry room.

When I had my laundry room finds out to photograph I could not resist digging into my hope chest to pull out these dishtowels I embroidered when I was 15. I have always always loved chickens, and I had a lot of fun embroidering these dish towels.

The iron-on transfer set was entitled "Barnyard Romance". They chronicle the love story of two chickens. I imagine that the image above is the rooster proposing to the hen. : )

Here is a little article that an elderly pen pal sent to me several years ago.

Old Recipe

------------------------

Years ago a Kentucky grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe for washing clothes. It appears below just as it was written, and despite the spelling, has a bit of philosophy. This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrap book (with spelling errors and all).

1.Bilt a fir in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. 2.Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. 3.Shave one hole cake of lie soap in bilin water. 4.Sort things make 3 piles. 1 pile white, 1 pile colored, 1 pile work britches and rags. 5.To make startch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with bilin water. 6.Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and then bile. Rub colored don’t bile, just rinch and starch. 7. Take things out of kettle with broomstick handle, then rinch, and starch. 8.Hang old rags on fence. 9.Spread tea towels on the grass. 10. pore rinch water in the flower beds. 11. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. 12.Turn tubs upside down. 13.Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

***Paste this over our washer and dryer and next time when you think things are bleak, read it again and give thanks for your blessings!

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

The Joys of Autumn

After an especially hot summer I am welcoming the cool breezes of early autumn. September has a wonderful smell that makes me think of falling leaves and fresh crisp apples. The cool mornings and evenings have me reaching for my favorite shawl or sweater, and a knitting project! All summer was so hot the thought of handling wool did not appeal to me in the least, but now nothing could be more delightful than sitting on our chair swing in the side yard with a hot cup of tea and my knitting. I love to sit on our swing with my mother, sisters and new little nephew, chatting, watching the golden leaves flutter from the trees against a clear blue sky.

This weekend I hope to try a new apple pie recipe. Nothing tastes more autumnal than an apple pie. : ) Here is the recipe I plan to bake: Butter Crumble Apple Pie

This past weekend I tried a delicious new recipe for Pumpkin Lattes made in the crock pot. Absolutely wonderful! Here is that recipe: Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Lattes .

Another cozy project I have been working on is a patchwork quilt for my hope chest. With a little over 8 months until my wedding I am hoping to have it completed in time. I sew a couple squares a day with the goal of having the squares all assembled before winter, so that I can spend the winter month hand quilting. All of the fabrics used to sew the squares are scraps of fabric I have collected over the past 10 plus years. Each is a memory of a special sewing order for our family business or a dress I sewed for myself.

Beautiful days like we have enjoyed of late make me think of this hymn:

This Is My Father's World-

This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
his hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world,
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
he shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass I hear him pass;
he speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

By Maltbie D. Babcock

Scrubbies

Several years ago I began crocheting scrubbies. They have always been a big hit with my family. Crocheted from nylon netting (also know as crinoline the material petticoats are made from) scrubbies are perfect for all of your pans, even those with protective coatings. You can wash scrubbies in your washing machine with Clorox, they are very durable and nothing works as well on hard to clean pots and pans. Once you have given scrubbies a try I am sure you will be a fan too. : )

To begin you must cut your nylon netting into 2” wide strips. At first I found this the most challenging step; nylon netting has a way of slipping about. Somewhere along the way I began pinning my neatly folded material to the carpet. I would then mark every 2” with a black marker and cut.


Using a size 9/I crochet hook chain 4. Slip stitch to first chain to form a ring.

Round 1: Chain 2, 6 dc (double crochet) in ring. Sl st (slip stitch) to first chain.

Round 2: Chain 2, dc in same space, 2 dc in each dc of previous round. (I always add one extra dc, as I feel there is a space between where I began and where I am to end. There should be a total of 15 sts counting the first two chains as a dc.) Sl st to first chain.

Round 3: Chain 2, dc in same space, 2 dc in each dc of previous round.

Round 4: Chain 1, sc (single crochet) in each dc of previous round. Sl st to first chain.

Round 5: Chain 2, dc in each sc of previous round. Sl st to first chain.

Round 6: Chain 2, dc in every other dc of previous round.

Round 7: Chain 2, dc in every other dc of previous round.

You will now have a small opening in the back of your scrubbie. I simply slip stitch from one side of the opening into the other side 2-3 times. Cut material and draw material through the loop on your hook. Pull excess material into the inside of the scrubbie, I do this by pushing my hook through the front of the scrubbie and drawing the excess material through to the inside.

New Dresses

Here are some new items I have listed in my Etsy shop.

A few new Regency dresses.....

A colonial dress...

A rose print apron...

A lovely vintage copy of "Sense and Sensibility". plus more. : )

Vintage Embroidered Tablecloths

I thought that today I would share two of my special vintage finds. Above is a photo of a tablecloth I found at an antique shop last year. I love blue and white and I thought this would look so very pretty with tea and cookies displayed on it!

I love the hand embroidery, and admire all the work that someone put into it.

 I found this tablecloth recently at a weekly craft market, called the Windmill. I thought what a perfect keepsake from a really fun day, especially considering the lovely hand embroidered windmills.

Oh, this dutch theme is just so cute! The details are so pretty.

I am now inspired to make a hand embroidered tablecloth of my own. Once I get started I will post photos. : )

Zucchini Pancakes and Blueberries

One day last week we enjoyed a delightful meal comprised of foods from our garden! Cucumbers and tomatoes, early potatoes I dug up just to make sure all is well and zucchini pancakes. The LORD is so good. : )

Here is the recipe we use for zucchini pancakes. I found it last year on the Taste of Home website and it has become a real summer time favorite.

Zucchini Pancakes-

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Sour cream, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. Combine the zucchini, egg, onion and mayonnaise; stir into dry ingredients until well blended.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Drop zucchini mixture by cupfuls into skillet; press lightly to flatten. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 3 servings.

This morning we went to the Sugar Shack a beautiful blueberry farm. Picking blueberries is something I look forward to every year. The blueberries are very sweet this year due to all the sunshine we have had. We are hoping to return before the season is over. I must say blueberries are my favorite!

"You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance." Psalm 65:11

Beauty for Ashes

This past week I finished reading “Beauty for Ashes” by Grace Livingston Hill. Reading this book was like taking a mini vacation to the beautiful country village of Afton, Maine; where neat white houses line the country lanes, the aroma of freshly baked bread mingles with the crisp fragrance of pine trees and where people are friendly and have old-fashioned values.

Now this story begins in a quite different setting. The tale opens with the lovely young heroine of the story, Gloria, skipping down the steps of her family’s palatial New York mansion to the sewing room where the seamstress is making the last alterations to the gowns meant to be part of her elaborate trousseau. It is at this time that she discovers the tragic news that her fiancé Stan has been murdered, but it is the circumstances surrounding his murder that makes the situation all the more unbearable.

After the funeral and formalities are over Gloria’s father decides to take her away for a while; to a place that is peaceful, and where newspapers will not want to snap her photo and exploit her grief. The refuge her father takes her to is his home town of Afton, Maine. Gloria is filled with delight upon seeing the large old white farm house where her father grew up. She is filled with wonder as her father speaks of the faith he was raised in and she develops a great interest to know of the deceased grandmother she never met but whose legacy seems to fill her father’s boyhood home.

During her stay in Afton Gloria is able to collect her thoughts, enjoy God’s glorious creation, and she also meets a new friend who challenges the way she views life.

Adventures ensue when Gloria’s father is called away on business and her sister Vanna comes to keep her company. Vanna has trials of her own to overcome and faith to discover. These two sisters discover the pleasure of simply living, the joy of salvation and the meaning of true love.

For all who love a love story with plenty of drama and Christ centered faith I am sure “Beauty for Ashes” is a book you will not want to pass by! : )

What books have you been enjoying this summer?

Aprons and Cook Books

Over the past two days I have been busy adding some new aprons and vintage cook books to my Etsy shop.

Three of the cook books are from the 1940's and the other is from the 1960's. They are really fun to look through; just filled with tasty recipes. : )

As you can see my sister Hannah's cat Claude enjoyed being a part of the photo shoot. It was a lovely morning; and very cool under the shade trees.

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations." Psalm100:4&5

The History of Aprons

                                           The History of Aprons

The principle of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few. It was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children’s tears and on occasion was even used for cleaning 

out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ‘old-time apron’ that served so many purposes.

Share this with those who would know, and love the story about Grandma’s aprons. Or it can be a good history lesson for those that have no idea how the apron played a part in our lives.

Remember, Grandma used to set her hot baked pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set their pies on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on the apron. I don’t think I ever caught anything from an apron…. but love!                   

-Author Unknown

Happy Fourth of July

 Here is a photo of the wheat field across the road from us. What a blessing to see such beauty each day!

This morning when we first woke up my mom called me to look out the back windows of our home. I was surprised to see three wild turkeys! One of the turkeys was busy eating black berries that grow along the border of our yard. I took these photos out of my back bedroom window, so they are not quite as clear as they could be.

America is truly a beautiful country!

"America, the Beautiful"

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine!

O Beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
-Katherine Lee Bates

"This is the day which the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24