Harvest Lane Cottage

Well, ladies, it's been quite a busy weekend, hasn't it? What did you do? Visit with family? Have company at your house? Brave the Black Friday sales? I spent it at the restaurant working with my husband. Long hours on my feet left me feeling really tired and sore. The only shopping I did was late at night on-line. Tomorrow, the kids will return from Granny and Grandpa's house. I can't wait to see them. It sounds like they have had fun this weekend.  Tomorrow will be a day of rest. Just a bit of picking up to do first. It will be good. What do you plan to do this week? Blessings, Laura of Harvest Lane

Take a deep breath.  Be mindful of God.  Whisper prayers of thanks. It's going to be alright. You're going to be alright. God loves you with an eternal, personal love. Remember the scripture you chose to focus on. If you need one, you'll find one in Philippians. Be kind. Be thankful. Enjoy the moment.

Thank you Litfuse for this review copy. I love a good Christmas story any time of year, but no time is better than when it's cold outside and warm inside. A little Christmas reading during snatched moments can be relaxing for the woman who has filled her days and evenings with all the things we do to "make Christmas". Of course we'd all like a cozy evening by the fire with a good book, but sometimes that just doesn't happen this time of year. Tuck a book in your bag and take advantage of wait times. You'll be amazed how it can pick you up. I love the feel of this book, just the right size, dust jacket feels good in my hands. Yes, those things matter to me. After adding a leather cover to my Kindle, I enjoy reading on it, but I still love the feel of a real hardcover book with a nice dust jacket. It's been very hard to read this book. Why? I keep wanting to stop and share quotes from it with my husband or my kids... or I want to share some of the th...

What do you think of when you think about Thanksgiving? A Norman Rockwell setting? A Waltons' Thanksgiving? A disaster or battleground? What if you don't feel so thankful about gathering with your relatives or a certain relative? Do you stress over pleasing them or feel irritated by them? Sadly that's the case for more people that we'd like to think. Unfortunately, not everyone has a loving family that serves our Lord. Most would say there is at least one in their family that makes holidays difficult. In fact, if you're a Christian, but you're not from a Christian family, you may be the one that makes the others uncomfortable.  What if you're totally stressed out about getting a meal prepared and on the table not to mention all the preparations ahead of time?  May I encourage you to use the preprayment plan? That's praying ahead of time for situations that are coming up. Search your Bible for a verse or two that you can focus your mind and ...

Read other daybooks.   My Daybook November 15, 2015 Outside my window... It's gray and a bit dreary and a chilly 55°. I am thinking... about how nice it was to finally figure out how to make the degree symbol. On my pc, I pressed alt and 0176. When I released the alt key, the ° appeared. I am thankful that...  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Yesterday, our car was making a funny sound and struggling to start. My husband took it and had the battery tested. The guy said the battery was bad and needed to be replaced. Since we bought it last year at Walmart, we went there. They put in a new battery and charged us $100 plus tax. When we tried to leave, the car wouldn't start at all. They checked and found it wasn't the battery, it was the starter. We didn't need a battery at all! I'm thankful that it happened in their parking lot before we left. Otherwise, we would be out a hundred dollars on a battery we didn't...

"Hurry and get the work done, " said Ma. "And then, Laura, you go to the corn-patch and bring me a green pumpkin. I'm going to make a pie!" "A pie! But how..." Mary said, and Laura said, "A green pumpkin pie? I never heard of such a thing, Ma." "Neither did I," said Ma. "But we wouldn't do much if we didn't do things that nobody ever heard of before."  The Long Winter Laura Ingalls Wilder One of my most favorite books 

Mother Judy 1940 - 2013   I am going to be a great mother-in-law. How do I know? I learned from my own mother-in-love. She was always encouraging and never interfered. She asked me to call her mother years before her son proposed to me! She just loved and spoke me right into the family! I love her, and I miss her. Judith Ann Benson Lane, may her name be blessed forever! Simple little reminders of Mother... ~ Sonic's Happy Hour diet cherry limeade ~ Poinsettias ~ Geraniums ~ Homemade potato salad ~ drawing kittens ~ coloring books and crayons ~ cats and kittens ~ cards and letters ~ McDonald's chicken nuggets ~ introducing her family to everyone ~ pewter cat statues ~ dangle earrings ~ venison ~ talking to strangers ~ praying for everyone ~ "Calm it, Lowell!" ~ "Well..." Long and drawn out ~ Christmas time ~ journaling ~ Beautiful Christian young lady ~ Special Christian young man ~ chili ~ chicken and dumplings ~ "I al...

Hello Ladies,   So good of you to visit today! It's growing quite chilly here in Southwest Missouri. We had quite a windy day yesterday. Branches and even power line poles snapped in areas. We have a few small branches down, but nothing troublesome. I am thrilled that I still have half the leaves on my golden maple and most of the leaves still cling to the orange maple. The red maple gave up her final leaves. She's always first to turn, so I wasn't surprised. I do love maple trees. They give such beauty to the season. I have found myself drawn to the russet brown of the oaks on neighboring properties along my commute . Here are a few thrifty things I've done this week: I made soup out of odds and ends on Monday. I used some beef broth, a single steak from the freezer, a little cream, an onion, and a bag of chopped frozen broccoli along with some seasonings. Oh yum... and Trim Healthy Mama friendly. I'll have to write out the recipe and share it. Why was...

The Little House Books. As a child, I read them over and over and over. They helped to shape how I think. They helped me realize how close a family can be. They helped me learn that I can do with what I've got and get through hard times.  I've always thought that Laura Ingalls was my "heroine". Just recently, however, I've realized that it is truly her Ma that is my hero. She did what she could with what she had and tried her best to be cheerful about it. She taught her children and made sure they knew God, too. She also loved a wonderful but difficult man. After all, he wouldn't stay put!  Ma was very resourceful. She could make something out of nothing. She made do with what she had, and didn't complain. She was cheerful. She looked at the bright side... even if there wasn't a bright side! She loved her husband. She loved her children and insisted they be brought up with good manners regardless of where they lived. She was a proper lady, but ...

Read other daybooks.   My Daybook November 1, 2015 Outside my window... It's sunny with just a few puffy clouds skattered about. It's a welcome change after some of the drizzly weather we've had this past week. I am thinking... about the many things that must be done this month. I am thankful that...   We are never alone. God is always with us just waiting for us to pay attention to Him. From the kitchen... It's so busy this week. I'm not sure how I'm going to keep up. I am wearing... my tan dress with roses along with my black CROCS. I am creating...   Nothing right now. I need to think about the gifts I want make to during my Kringling sessions this month. I am going... to work with my husband a lot this week. I'll also be driving everyone to appointments, classes, and work.   I'll probably go to the grocery store, too. I am reading... I am reading  Trim Healthy Mama Plan. I am hoping...  to...