Harvest Lane Cottage

Read other daybooks.   My Daybook June 21, 2015 I enjoy this view from my computer desk. Outside my window...  Sunshine and puffy white clouds floating in a bright blue sky. It's Sunday afternoon as I write this. I am thinking...  I am a blessed woman. I have my one and only high school sweetheart husband, four children, boy girl boy girl, a dog, and a cat. I live in a house that is a miracle. My husband is doing work he wants to do. I know how to stretch money so that he can do what he wants to do. I am thankful that...  Our children are thankful and pretty content. Lowell thought of everything, and the week went smoothly last week at the restaurant. I am also thankful that my step-dad is coming Wednesday to bring a portable air conditioner for the girls' bedroom. It gets so hot in there. From the kitchen... Well, after being sick for days, I haven't got a plan together yet, but I'm planning on getting back to Trim Healthy Mama. ...

When mom falls apart... dishes pile up... laundry piles up... messes pile up... supplies run out.... Such is the state of my home. Sick day three and on the mend after a nasty little bout with the flu Friday. Do I do everything around here? Oh no! I have lots of help. That's just it, though. I have help. When it comes down to it, I'm the one who makes sure things get done. I haven't even felt well enough to tell anyone to do anything. Add to this the many hours we all put in this week at the restaurant working to take care of the collectors at the convention, and we're all worn out. No one felt like doing anything. Not much of a Father's Day for my husband. In fact, my daughter, Emily, officially rescheduled Father's Day for next Sunday. We want to give him a good day with the honor he's due. Today feels like snippets and scraps. Ah well. I hope he'll feel our love anyway. Life is full of making the best of the circumstances...something I...

Read other daybooks.   My Daybook June 14, 2015 Outside my window... deep darkness. I'm writing this late Sunday night. I am thinking... It's hard to type with a dog asleep in your arm. I am thankful that... Amy's friend Lastasia is visiting. From the kitchen... Quick easy things this week. It's Precious Moments collectors' week, so I'll be helping at Royal Delights. The main entrance to Royal Delights I am wearing... my old black dress that I like to sleep in when we have company. I am creating... a longing for home.  I'm missing time at home.   I am going... too many places. I am reading... several books  including The Old Fashioned Way . I am hoping... Lowell's thought of everything, and things go smoothly this week. I am hearing... the hum of the air conditioner and fan.  Everything else is blessed quiet. Around the house... everyone is asleep except maybe the girls who might still be whisperin...

My kids will remember a lot of things I say, but the phrase they'll remember best is probably, "Bring a book!" We take books along every time we leave the house. If we don't, we usually wish we did. They're so handy for those few moments here or there when you have a few minutes of wait time.  ~wink~  Most of my reading is done around bedtime or  snatch reading . Five minutes here and there can add up to chapters. My kids do the same. As a result, I've got four avid readers. I just got a new cover for my Kindle Touch to make it more portable. I'll probably start carrying it with me, because it's nice to have a bigger screen. I'm really enjoying reading Trim Healthy Mama on my iPod using the Kindle app. I don't always have it with me, but I do have it in the evening before I go to sleep because I use the iPod for my alarm clock. I've got several book reviews coming up, so most of my reading list reflects that. I'll also be researchi...

Good morning ladies, I hope you awoke well and rested. It promises to be a beautiful day, doesn't it? Oh, not sunny and 75? Is that what really makes a beautiful day? Oh, I enjoy sunny days with perfect temperatures (for me that means 60's), but there are so many kinds of beautiful days. I enjoy sunny days (not too hot), rainy days, stormy days, snowy days, drizzly days, and even just plain cloudy days. Each has its pleasures and benefits. There are different types of days, and God's Holy Spirit is our companion and comforter through them all. Just recently, we've had days that make me so thankful for Jesus and His place in our lives. We've had days of rejoicing... a birthday, Mother's Day, and our 29th anniversary. We also have Father's Day to look forward to soon. We've also had days of sadness... my grandmother's funeral, my husband's father passing away last week. We've had days of troubles... our van requiring some expens...

Read other Daybooks My Daybook June 8, 2015 Outside my window ... It's a cloudy day. It rained early this morning. I am thinking ... ~about painting the ceiling in the hallway ~about the possibility of dual enrollment for my daughter next year. I am thankful that ... I'm home and available to help my husband and children with their needs. From the kitchen... Plan A for dinner didn't work out. I'll be scrambling for plan b. I am wearing ... a black dress. I am creating ... I want to prep my fabric for a new dress. I also have an apron to finish. I just don't seem to make sewing time the priority that it should be. Why a priority? I feel like it's something that God made me to do when I'm doing it. I am going ... It's Monday, so I'm driving the husband, son, and daughter to and from work and to meetings tonight. I am reading ... Jeremiah, Married 'til Monday, Old-Fashioned, and Trim Healthy Mama. I am hoping ... and...

I am just amazed at how quickly the weeks pass here at the cottage. Life is not quite so hectic since most of the 4H classes have been completed. Still, I don't think I'm going to be seeing the "lazy days of summer" for a long while yet! First month at Y was prorated and saved us several dollars. We had to pay only the start up fee and a day's payment. Check with your local Y and see if you may be eligible for a scholarship to pay part of the monthly cost. With one income and three kids at home, we qualified. Two friends brought groceries. I called the bank to verify a payment I'd made to the doctor's office last year. The office didn't credit my account, so I'm going to send copies of the payments. Hopefully, they will stop billing me for the $35 I already paid.  I take my children to the library in town every week. They check out books, use their computers, and sometimes look at the microfilm. They even use the inter-library loan program....

Read other Daybooks. FOR TODAY June 1st... Outside My Window...  green grass, blue sky, still air, 58° That's unseasonably cool and wonderful in SW Missouri in June. I am thinking... I want to make time for sewing. I am thankful for... a faithful husband for 29 years and counting. From the kitchen... I'm going to make a batch of my Trim Healthy Mama Shrinker this morning. I also need to make another batch of sweet tea for the family. Leftovers for lunch and a salad for me. I am wearing... my tan skirt and a navy short sleeve knit shirt, and my black Crocs. I feel like I may need a sweater to continue sitting by this open window! I am creating... a plan to help my kids finish the school year.  It looks like summer school for us this year. I am going... to take my husband to work... to pick my son up from work... to pick my husband up from work... to my  Beauty by the Book  class tonight. I am reading...  T...