Harvest Lane Cottage

Hello,   I am feeling weary physically and emotionally from the battles of life right now. My blood counts are low, I'm hiding from germs at home, and I'm needing a lot more rest. The nurse has been telling me more rest. My husband has been telling me more rest. Now my body and emotions are telling me more rest.   This last week has been hard in many ways that I won't bother you with. Some of you are dealing with tragedy in your lives in many forms. I pray especially for those of you in Harvey's path. Some are facing physical illnesses or diseases. I have faith. Right now I need to rest.   I am going to take a break for a little bit. I'll be back and write a bit here and there, but I find I cannot keep up with all the comments. I read every comment, and I pray for every request, but it takes quite a bit of time to reply to every one. If you would like me to reply, please just ask me to and make sure I have your email. Otherwise, it's going to be very...

Welcome to another  Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage! Each week I share ways I've saved money, my thrifty and frugal projects, and my blessings from God.  I am so glad you dropped in for a visit today—or tonight! Please say hello! I'm always looking for new blog friends! ~~~~~ ♥♥♥ ~~~~~ Dear Reader,   My husband was the thrifty one this week! On Saturday, our van wouldn't start. He found it was a very, very dead battery. He bought one and installed it himself. It was a lot of money, but we didn't have to pay the mechanic. Late Saturday night, our plumbing backed up terribly. He stayed home Sunday morning and fixed it himself saving us at least a hundred dollars in plumber charges.   Well, I am under house arrest. Giggle. Not really, but I am supposed to stay home as much as possible. I'm under neutropenic precaution, because my blood counts are too low. That means I need to be extra careful of germs and be a homebody. It's ...

As I write ... very early Monday morning The weather....   Hot! High nineties. Who told the weatherman it's August? Chance of showers this afternoon, but not until after 2 p.m. I hope that will give us a chance to see the partial eclipse just after 1 p.m. Right now I am...  up early. I just put coffee on for my husband, water on for tea for me, and eggs in to boil. Thinking... I cannot believe this will be my 27th year at home raising and teaching my children. I taught from the birth of my eldest son who was 26 in January. How did that happen? A quote to share...  ♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥   On my reading pile...   I just finished my Summer Reading List with the exception of Bible Faith by Kenneth Hagin. I'm taking my time and studying as I go. There's a whole lot of writing in this book! Some of you have expressed wonder about my attitude and faith as I go through this cancer recovery. This book has helped me see the truth of having a...

Welcome to another  Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage! Each week I share ways I've saved money, my thrifty and frugal projects, and my blessings from God.  I am so glad you dropped in for a visit today—or tonight! Please say hello! I'm always looking for new blog friends! ~~~~~ ♥♥♥ ~~~~~ Dear Reader,   I've done absolutely nothing thrifty this week! While at chemo, my friend went out to McAlisters and got me a delicious french dip sandwich and cup of broccoli soup. On chemo days, I'm tired, but I feel good enough to eat. ~smile~   Thank you all for praying! I feel pretty good for chemo week. I know it's because so many are praying. I also took a permanent marker with me to chemo. Jesus is the name over every name! I wrote Jesus right on the Perjeta chemo bag! That's the one that's been making me so sick. So far, so good! God bless! Laura Just had to share this photo of my Annie and me back in the day. ...

 Update 2025:  I'm healed! Thank you for all your prayers! This post is from 2017. Hello Dear Readers,   Just thought I'd pop in for a little update on my cancer recovery journey. I think I am doing well with the chemo. It's no walk in a rose garden, believe me, but I am making it through. I take treatment every third Tuesday. The last four or five days before treatment are usually pretty good. By the day before treatment, I feel like myself and feel good. Then they zap me again. ~ gentle smile~   Today I took the fifth treatment. I'll take the sixth, and as far as I know, final chemotherapy treatment on September 6th. I expect I'll be feeling much better by the time Fall comes around on September 22nd! Praise God!   I can no longer feel the lumps! I believe God is healing me completely. Yesterday, the nurse practitioner couldn't feel them either!   Surgery will be sometime in October I think. Six weeks later, probably late November or Decembe...

Welcome to another  Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage! Each week I share ways I've saved money, my thrifty and frugal projects, and my blessings from God.  I am so glad you dropped in for a visit today—or tonight! Please say hello! I'm always looking for new blog friends! ~~~~~ ♥♥♥ ~~~~~ Dear Reader,   We've had the most wonderful low temperatures for August that I can remember. I've enjoyed spending a little time outside. On Monday, I even went for a short walk with my friend Laura. She visited me along with her daughter this week. It was so fun to spend time with them.    I feel better this week. That's to be expected as I get closer to my next chemo date. This time it will be the 15th. As always, your prayers are appreciated. I truly believe the prayers of the saints are making this much easier for me. I also fully believe that I will be completely cancer free and live out a long life with my high school sweetheart. We st...

"Know the true value of time; snatch, seize,  and enjoy every moment of it.  No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination;  never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."  ~ Lord Chesterfield   Moments get away from us so quickly, do they not?  If we truly made use of every moment, how different would our lives be?  I must admit, my life would be quite different.  Do we need to be productive every moment?  No, I don't think so.  After all, Our LORD is the One who said, "Be still and know that I am God."   Rest and relaxation is very important as well.  If we are praying, meditating on God's word, or investing in others by listening and talking, we are still redeeming the time in a very valuable way.  I think that Lord Chesterfield meant not to let the moments slip away into nothingness...wasted.  Carpe Diem.  Seize the day! God bless you all Laura Reaching forwar...

Welcome to another  Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage! Each week I share ways I've saved money, my thrifty and frugal projects, and my blessings from God.  I am so glad you dropped in for a visit today—or tonight! Please say hello! I'm always looking for new blog friends! ~~~~~ ♥♥♥ ~~~~~ Hello!   I'm just finishing the first half of the chemo cycle. It was better than last time, but I just didn't do a whole lot of thrifty things. You all have been so good to stay with me even though it's not been a very thrifty summer. Thank you! I am looking forward to fall. I should be done with this by mid-September. I'm going to celebrate! Even though surgery will take some time to recover from, I should be able to do some things.   I hope you'll stay with me. I'll be back to my thrifty self one of these days! God bless! Laura ~~~~~ ♥♥♥ ~~~~~ A Few Verses for You Do not fear, for I am with you;  do not be dism...