Monday, June 22, 2015

My Day Book ~ June 21, 2015

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 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.

I am wearing... my tan dress with roses.

I am creating... a longing for home.  I'm missing time at home. I hope to have a little more this week.

I am going... too many places. Mondays are always my busy driving days. That's why I'm writing this Sunday evening.

I am reading... several books including The Old Fashioned Way.
I am hoping... to regain my strength and tackle the messes around me.

I am hearing... the hum of the air conditioner and fan.  Christmas music is playing on my Jim Brickman channel on Pandora. Yes, I listen to Christmas music, especially instrumental, all year round. It calms and centers my thoughts.

Around the house... Lowell is sleeping, the dog is at my feet, and the kids are doing errands for me.

One of my favorite things...  Chocolate Icebox Pie. It's not THM, but it's a treat I make once in awhile. I've been making it since our first year of marriage.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week... work, catch up laundry, and driving.  ~grin~ 

My Picture Thought.... I truly believe that every time I see a heart in nature, it is God saying, "I love you!"
Follow Laura's board Hearts Everywhere on Pinterest. 

Now go check out the other Day Book entries at our hostess Peggy's blog, The Simple Woman.


God bless!

Laura

Sunday, June 21, 2015

When Mom Falls Apart...

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've not always done well. I am learning.

May God bless you with peace, hope, and good health.
In Jesus' Name,
Laura

Monday, June 15, 2015

My Daybook June 15, 2015

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 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 whispering.

One of my favorite things... I love the smell of the air after a rain shower.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week... work, catch up laundry, and driving.  ~grin~ I'm sure I'll do many things helpmate things, especially this week. 

My Picture Thought....
Emily and Amy with their new When  Calls the Heart t-shirts.
Now go check out the other Day Book entries at our hostess Peggy's blog, The Simple Woman.


God bless!

Laura


Sunday, June 14, 2015

You Need a Plan! Bring a Book! Summer 2015

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 researching curriculum for 8th, 10th, and 12th grade for Autumn. I'll probably add a few things as I go, too.

Do you plan your reading? Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't. Right now, I have so many books to read, I feel the need to focus. Here are the books I plan to read.

~Summer Reading List 2015~


Finished it this week. Click book for review.

Just finished this.
Read the review.

Read the review.

Just arrived. It was left on my doorstep on a rainy day.
The box was wet, but it was safe thanks to the company sealing it in plastic wrap.
7/6 So busy it's still in the wrap! I've got to get it out this week and start using it.
Finished it! Here's the review.

All done. Read the review.

Reading it now...almost done.
7/6 Oops! This got stuck on the shelf and forgotten. It happens with books I'm not reviewing sometimes.
7/21 Still there
8/31 Finished it last week. It was interesting enough that I went back to it, but it didn't keep me reading.

Not sure about this one. It has mixed reviews. I've found myself skimming a lot, but there's good information. It just hasn't been about the SF Quake specifically so far.
7/6 It gets better about halfway through. He finally starts writing about the quake.
7/21 I've lost interest. I'm not sure if I'll pick it up again.
8/31 I've officially lost interest.

6/20 Just arrived!
7/6 I'm a couple of chapters in.
7/21 All done. Read my review. 

Just a few more weeks in this group study.
7/6 Finished last Thursday.
This is definitely worth reading.
I've found some inner healing.
Over 600 pages. I'll be reading for a long time.
I bought the e-book version, too, so I can read it on my Kindle.
It's so much easier to read this way, because I can take it with me easier.
Starting the plan over again 8/31.
Starting over again 10/6.
Not giving up.


Will I read them all? We shall see! 
What are you planning to read this summer?

Be blessed and be reading!
Laura

8/31/15 Success! All are finished, or in the case of the Crack in the Edge of the World, abandoned. It's okay to do that you know. ~smile~


Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Beautiful Days

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 expensive repairs suddenly, and missing our anniversary trip because of it.

We've had days of busy-ness... driving children and husband to and from jobs and appointments. I've felt kind of grumbly about it just because it all wears me out so much. I've had a revelation just this week about how blessed we are that I am available to drive everyone and help make life work with just one car.

We've had a day of rest... just one... but oh how lovely it was Sunday... going out for dinner, then relaxing at the house with a book or napping while the kids went swimming at the Y.

Whatever kind of day it is outside, I pray that Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit will help you to have a beautiful day on the inside.

Be blessed and be busy enjoying this good life God's given you!

Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
Happy to Enjoy this Beautiful Day
and this Beautiful Life God's Given Me



Monday, June 8, 2015

My Daybook ~ June 8, 2015

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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 praying for healing, God's provision, salvation for loved ones, and wisdom.

I am hearing...
my daughter practicing But in Dreams from The Lord of the Rings on the piano and the hum of the window air conditioner.

Around the house...
My husband and son put in the window air conditioners just in time. It's getting hot and humid.

One of my favorite things... sitting in my chair in the creek letting the water go over my feet and ankles and trailing my hands through the water.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...

  • school records
  • helping kids with grammar and math as needed
  • transcript
  • reading
  • driving

My Picture Thought....
My Michael, 8, got his first chance to work on the van.
My Michael, 16, got to enjoy archery class in 4H this year.
Time does fly! Now go check out the other Day Book entries at our hostess Peggy's blog, The Simple Woman.
God bless!
Laura

Sunday, June 7, 2015

A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #41

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.We pay $20 a year since we live outside the city limits, but we find it's worth it for us.
  • I received The Pirate's Code, a Mickey Matson movie for free for review.
  • I received a CD by Superchic for just $.49 plus one credit from Swap a CD for my girls.

  • My husband and kids turned a patch of grass into a little garden plot and put in a few herb and vegetable plants. 
Well, that's about it for now. 
Have a great week!
Laura
~~~~~




Saturday, June 6, 2015

Our Family with Grandpa Lane and Uncle Robin





Monday, June 1, 2015

My Daybook June 1, 2015

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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...
 Trim Healthy Mama.

I am hoping...
that the cool weather continues.

I am hearing...
birds, a lawn mower, traffic on the highway, my daughter singing in the kitchen. Actually, by the time I finished writing this, she was quiet again. ~smile~ My children will break out in singing and Disney movie quoting at any moment.

Around the house...
it's quiet except the click of the keys as I type. My husband and son are at work, my elder daughter is sleeping in, my younger daughter is reading.

One of my favorite things...
the first M & M.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Catching up on school paperwork... school with the kids... cleaning... sewing... cleaning... driving everyone everywhere... and decluttering. I'm having second thoughts about the sale.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...
Thank you Judith!
The beautiful Lilla Rose Flexi Clip I won from Judith Knowles at Whole Hearted Home.
From the Board Room...
Follow Laura's board Beautiful Places on Pinterest.

A Favorite link...
Living From Glory To Glory


You can read more Daybook entries at our hostess Peggy's blog, The Simple Woman.

God bless!

Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
Happy at Home