Flowers for A Lovely Spring Day

Oh, it's a lovely spring day.  It's been as quiet as a day can be with three children, two cats, and five kittens.  ~smile~  I've been out on the porch this morning enjoying the breeze, the sunshine and 86 perfectly delightful degrees. 

I'm reading Seaside Harmony.  Three sisters buy an old run-down inn on Nantucket Island and fix it up.  They're turning up clues about what could have happened to one of the inn's former owners who disappeared over a hundred years ago.  It's a feel good novel without a lot of tense interactions.  It's perfect for a spring day.

My husband will soon be planting these lovelies; but, for now, my little homemaker, Amy set them out to soak up some sunshine.

I adore pink Impatiens.  Lowell planted some baskets with them for the porch.  They don't mind the shade.

These are Begonias.  They're an old-fashioned flower that I enjoy.  My favorite annual flower to grow is Petunias.  I get along well with them.  My husband, Lowell Lane, is a Master Gardener.  You can read more about what's growing here at the farm at his blog.

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May I Suggest?

Planning and Doing This Week & Funny Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Shared with: Traffic Jam

A Thrifty Week #2

It was a week on the run... not my favorite kind of week. Friday is supposed to be rainy.  Sounds like a perfect day for oatmeal cookies! And cocoa! And books!  And maybe even a movie!

Here's a peek into my thrifty week....
~ I made a "make do" lunch Monday for the kids:  peanut butter sandwich squares, celery with peanut butter, crackers with peanut butter, apple chunks, orange slices, and leftover salad.  We used up the last of the bread, crackers, peanut butter, and lettuce.  Not bad since it looked like there was nothing to eat.  ~smile~  I had a salad with leftover lettuce, tomatoes, baby carrots, and two "eat them before they go bad" Roma tomatoes.
 
~ I wrote a note to our librarian explaining why my dvds were late last week - no car available, sick, and forgot to e-mail to renew them.  I asked for any help she could give in reducing the late charges  that would be due.  She renewed them with no late charges.  Thank you God!  $1 per video per day late for three days times five videos = mercy!

~ I spent a couple of hours with my Sonlight homeschool catalog and my computer trying to find a way to save a few hundred dollars.  I opened tabs with Sonlight, a nearby Christian college library, the Pittsburg library, the Carthage library, Paperback Swap, and Amazon.  I then checked every book in the catalog for availability at each place.  I found that many of the books were available from one of the libraries.  That could save me hundreds of dollars since Sonlight is a literature based curriculum.  In a perfect world, with a perfect income, I'd just buy the whole package.  Instead, I'm going to do a bit more driving.  I don't consider the gas an issue, because we go to the libraries for fun anyway.

~ We went to both the Pittsburg and the college libraries this week to borrow books and dvds.

~ We ate lunch at church Thursday on our way to the kids' enrichment classes.

~ I received a cool baby toy in the mail that I'd won a couple of weeks ago.  This will be a shower gift for my friend in a couple of weeks. ~smile~

~ I knew we'd be gone all day Thursday then out the door again quickly for a class that my husband was teaching.  I put a pound of pinto beans in the crockpot with some garlic powder, onion flakes, and a bit of cumin.  It cooked all afternoon and was ready to drain, mash and make into burritos when we got home.  I just added a bit of Monterrey Jack cheese and wrapped the beans up in tortillas.  Oh yum! We saved the cost of eating out on the run.

How have you been thrifty this week?  Do share!

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Related Posts

• A Thrifty Week #1
• A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage Week #94
• A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #41
• A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #61

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Shared with:

Traffic Jam

A Thrifty Week #1

~ Hubby brought home two bottles of my favorite salad dressing free from work.
~ I sold some books on my Ebay.
~ We watched an old Cary Grant movie, The Amazing Adventure, on a video borrowed from the library.  I believe you can view it on YouTube.
~ Wrote a review of This is Our Time in exchange for a free video for our family and one to give away.  Don't forget to enter the giveaway!
~ I cut my husband's hair.
~ Made a homemade dinner when we really wanted to go out for Chinese last night.
~ Ate lunch at church a few days and ate dinner at church Wednesday night.
~ We borrowed videos and books from the library.
~ I cut up an old stained t-shirt for rags.
~ I used up veggies on hand for a terrific salad before going to the store.
~ I listed more items on my Ebay.
~ I spent a few hours working on school records and knitting at Starbucks while my children were at their Thursday afternoon enrichment classes.  How'd I save money?  I got three drinks for one by ordering hot tea.  I enjoy the Tazo Rooibos tea.  It's so good, I can reuse the tea bag.  I just had the nice barista refill my cup with hot water twice.  Three cups for the price of one.  Much better than a five dollar cup of mocha.
~ Today, I am treating myself with home remedies for a cold. Prayer is a big part of that.  I'm believing God for my healing.  More about that here.  I'm listening to Gloria Copeland's healing school right now!

~~~~~

May I suggest?

• Super Quick Super Cheap Laundry Detergent
• Frugal Self-Rising Flour
• Finding Peace in Troubled Times

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Healthy Eating Resumes with Gotta Go to the Store Salad

 Time to renew my efforts at healthy eating.  We were super busy in March, and I'm afraid I allowed our eating habits to get lazy.  After a couple of months of eating lots of fruits and vegetables, beans,  nuts and grains, we fell back into some of our old eating habits.  The result?  My husband and I both found ourselves more tired and in more pain.  I think it's pretty obvious that what we were eating made a big difference in how we were feeling. 

This morning I had a nice bowl of oatmeal with Rice Dream rice milk.  With oatmeal, it tastes like skim milk.  I get it at Wal-Mart in the milk section.  I put in a link in case it's not available at your store.

Since I missed my regular shopping time last week, I'm running a low on fresh veggies.  I checked through the fridge, found a little Romaine, some better-use-it-up-now broccoli, the last bit of pecans in the bag and some raisins.  I cannot put off shopping another day.   



Gotta Go to the Store Salad.

~smile~

Romaine Lettuce

Broccoli

Raisins

Pecans

Newman's Own Lite Raspberry & Walnut Dressing

Tonight, I'll be serving chili left over from Saturday evening.  Then, I'm heading to the store to buy some  fresh veggies to enjoy this week.  What are you doing to improve your eating habits this week?

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Related Posts:

Salads 

• Capital Salad
• Coleslaw Dressing
• Crunchy Munchy Salad
• Dandelion Salad
• Gotta-Go-To-The-Store Salad
• Kale Avacado Salad
• Mega Greek Salad
• No Lettuce Needed Salad
• RKCTGN Salad
• Simple Salad

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I Just Got a "Medal".

Isn't it the cutest little thing?

I just got it for completing my third reading plan with YouVersion.com.  I signed up in January to read the Bible in a year.  Using Bible Gateway, YouVersion, and my Bible, I listened to and read my way through in 78 days!  Wow!  Listening to the Bible is a great for the harder to read portions like the prophets, Job, Lamentations, you get the picture. 

Why not check it out?  You may find yourself falling in love with the Word of God!

Shared with:
Cozy Book Hop
Faithful Fridays with Joy

Advice to a Young Mother

Enough & More to Spare by Frederick Morgan

Advice to a Young Mother

Having children is a huge responsibility that never ends, just like the work never ends. Allow me to share a few thoughts.

One ~ Try to get to bed at a decent hour, so that you can try to get some good sleep.

Two ~ Require everyone to lie down for one hour each afternoon.
They may not nap; but, they must lie down. Older ones need an hour of reading each day anyway. During this time, you can rest, read, pray, or do a load of laundry, whatever will help you gear up for the second half of the day.

Three ~ Make sure you’re eating fruits and vegetables, dairy and meats, not just high carbohydrate foods. You need nutrients.

Four ~ If possible, get some time away from the children once in awhile, even if it's only to go to the grocery store by yourself.

Five ~ Arrange a date time with your hubby, even if you stay home and put the kids to bed early.

Six ~ Invest time in Godly childtraining. 
You might look at  http://www.nogreaterjoy.org.  They have a free magazine and lots of articles on-line. They have a book called “To Train Up a Child” by Michael & Debi Pearl that is excellent.

Seven ~ Don't give up!
It does pay off even though we can’t always see results day to day. Look for the good and seize it daily.

Eight ~ Most of all, pray pray pray pray. You can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens you.

Note:  If you feel depressed for an extended period, consider speaking with your husband, an older mother, or your doctor about whether you need herbal supplements or medication to help for awhile.

Blessings from Harvest Lane Cottage,
Mrs. Lane
An Older Woman
~smile~

May I suggest...

Reading... An Hour a Day Every Day

Shared with:

Traffic Jam



"Pronounce It"

Have you ever heard of the "Pronounce it!" method of Bible study?  It involves taking an individual verse and emphasizing a different word in the sentence each time and writing down the meaning of the sentence when emphasized in that way.  It's really eye opening. 

Tammy at Country Girl at Home explained it and demonstrated it so well in her post, "Studying the Bible".   Do drop in and see her today.  She's Joy's momma.  Joy is the hostess of Faithful Fridays with Joy, one of my favorite blog hops.

Blessings to you,
Laura Lane

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May I suggest...

Something to Think About...Words Matter
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Oniony Root Soup

I made this up today for lunch.  My husband insisted I write it down.  No photos, we ate it up too quickly! 

Oniony Root Soup

3 onions, cut up
2 T butter
1 lb bag of baby carrots, chopped
3-4 potatoes
6 beef boullion cubes
water
salt & pepper
rosemary

Saute onions in butter in a 3 quart saucepan.  When slightly browned, add chopped carrots and potatoes until the pot is almost full.  Add 6 beef boullion cubes and water to cover the veggies.  Salt, pepper, and rosemary to your heart's content.  I usually use about half a teaspoon of rosemary broken up.

Simmer until the veggies are tender.

Blessings from Harvest Lane Cottage,
Laura

Minutes or Hours?

I am, by nature, an introvert.
God, by nature, likes to stretch us beyond our comfort levels.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

I, by nature, wanted one child.
God, by nature, gave me four children!
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

I, by nature, want to create.
God, by nature, wants to create.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

God understands your many responsibilities, the many things that pull on you as a woman. You must ask Him to help you find the minutes here and there. You must ask Him to show you how to organize your projects in a way that will work for you.

For example, when I’m working on a project, I will often pin or sticky note a note to myself to tell me what the next step is, so that I can go back to it without rethinking it. I also have several projects going at once. So, when I am sewing, I try to do all the cutting out that I can at once. The next time, I try to do all the marking I can at once. Next time, it’s all the pinning I can do at once. Then, all the sewing I can do at once. Then all the pressing. I’m sure you get the picture.

I want blocks of time. God gives me minutes.

I’m trying to learn to discipline myself to use those minutes more wisely.

~~~~~

Laura
Happy at Home
~~~~~

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May I suggest?

I've Been Busy Sewing.

Something to Think About... A Few Ways to Enjoy Homemaking
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This post was featured in issue #135 of The Christian Home Magazine.