Harvest Lane Cottage

As the year is winding down, I'm looking back at some of the stats for my blog. The top ten clicked on posts showed that a primary interest is in being thrifty, frugal, and saving money. That makes sense, since we all have the challenge of living on a limited income—whether that income is $20,000 a year or $120,000! Here's the top ten most clicked posts countdown for 2017. #10 A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #97 #9   A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #95 #8  This Earthly Battle ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder #7  A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #94 #6  Fall Bucket List 2017   #5  What Do You Have in Your Hand? #4  Holy Spirit is Amazing #3  One Secret Reason It's So Hard to Declutter  #2  The Post I've Been Avoiding...The Diagnosis #1  5 Days of Frugal Eating Series Which is your favorite post of 2017? Blessings from Harvest Lane Cottage, Laura Shared at: Modest Monday

  Psalm 18:1 "I love you Lord, my strength."     I've spoken to a lot of patients while at the cancer center. Even though our circumstances are different, we've been attacked by the same enemy—cancer and all the terrible things that go with—it including a riot of emotions.    Cancer is a terrible thing. If I dwell on it, it can pull me down quickly. It's not that I'm afraid of dying, it's that the chemo, surgery, and radiation are hard things to go through, not to mention the long-term therapies.   You or someone you love may be facing a health challenge or even a health crisis. Maybe it's not your health, maybe it's a financial crisis or just long-term financial pressure. Maybe it's a relationship problem or a loved one going through a hard time. All these things can seem just as devastating when you're going through them. What you're going through now, whatever it is, may feel like the hardest thing. What I like t...

A couple weeks ago, I heard a man's voice deep and clear at Walmart sing the first line of John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt and pause. I stuck my head around the corner, and saw a man with a preschooler in his cart. I sang out loudly, "His name is my name too!" They were both delighted! The man and I took turns singing a line each at a time until we loudly sang the last line in unison. What a joyous experience! We smiled at each other then went our separate ways. My sixteen year old daughter was with me. She thought it was "epic". Her friend seemed a bit less enthusiastic since she's a shy girl, but she liked it, too. Oh, I'm smiling so big right now. I enjoyed it so much. I wish life were more like a musical! I'm loving the Christmas lights I see. I haven't seen any full neighborhoods yet, but the lights are such a joy to me. We used to put the kids to bed one night near Christmas. Then, after they'd been in bed for 15-30 minutes, ...

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! ~~~~~ ♥♥♥ ~~~~~ Happy Christmas everyone!    Ready or not, here we are... Christmas weekend is here. Am I ready? No not really. It's just a different kind of Christmas for our family this year. The truth is that it would be a different kind of Christmas even if I hadn't spent my year going through all the cancer treatments. The kids are growing up, and things are just different. It's time to find a new normal again. Maybe you're trying to find your new normal, too. Let's do our best to focus on the good, the happy, the sprinkles of joy, the quiet moments, the true reason we are celebrating...the love of Jesus that has given us new life and hope for the futur...

My daughter, Amy, tagged me to play a couple little games of tag. As I understand the rules, I am to answer the questions, then refer you back to Amy at Living in Faith and Fun . Game 1 ♥ Christmas Tag Go see Amy's post here. Rules – Link back to the 12 Days of Christmas at Faith's blog or use the party graphic – Answer the 10 questions – Have fun! 1 // Christmas is the season of hope, joy, and light. What’s your favorite thing to make this season bright? Candles burning 2 // Reading of the Christmas story, lighting the tree – Which tradition is most special to you?  We have an Advent book with doors that open. For the last 16 years, we've read it each nice from the first page up to the current date of the month. The book is passed to each child, and they open their door and read to us. It was especially precious during the years when the children were learning to read. This year, they're all in their teens and twenties. We no longer observe this tr...

Just because it's pretty! I thought I'd give y'all an update on my breast cancer recovery journey. I am feeling pretty good right now. I finished the main part of my chemo in September. The worst of it is out of my system now. I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction in October. I went through some emotional turmoil after surgery that was exacerbated by the medications, but I am now feeling much better. I'm back on what I call mini-chemo—just one IV drug, and it doesn't seem to affect me in a bad way that I notice. That's a couple hours every three weeks. In January, I'll begin 7 weeks of radiation 5 days a week. I'm also taking a hormone blocking pill now. Fun stuff. The cancer doctor told me that I am in "rare total remission". Praise God! He's good! I've still got a long treatment road ahead of me, but it's been nice to have a few weeks of feeling more like myself during Christmas. It has been a gift. Suddenly, ...

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! ~~~~~ ♥♥♥ ~~~~~ Happy Christmas time everyone!   Are you getting ready? I've gotten a good start on my shopping now. My list is short this year. I bought some things online, a few things locally, and my husband is going to get a few things for me. On a whim, my husband and I decided that we will open our house to friends on Christmas Eve afternoon. Just a little come and go thing. It will motivate me to clean and bake. ~smile~  I'm planning to keep it simple. I told my girls that they may invite whomever they wish. My Emily sent out a Facebook invitation to virtually everyone she knows! Our house is pretty small. We'll see what happens. It may be quite cozy! ...

Hard times don't take a Christmas vacation. Loss of a loved one, family strife, natural disasters, a frightening diagnosis, loneliness, and financial stress can all contribute to our hard times. I know several people who really stretch their money to make ends meet. There's only so much elastic in a dollar bill you know. I've been testing that stretch capacity full-time for nearly thirteen years now. Most likely you know someone who's struggling. Maybe it is you. Our families will be affected differently by these situations, but it will be a challenging season for all of us who are experiencing hard times. Sometimes, in our desperation, we give up to despair. Sometimes, in our desperation, we give in to God and he takes over. He comes in and saves us... maybe not from the circumstances...but always from the despair. Give in and find hope, peace, love, healing, and provision. God's arm is not too short. Nothing is impossible with God. Please enj...

  Season's Greetings!  Have you made a Christmas bucket list of the fun things you want to do this month? I'm not talking about a regular to do list. This list is for the things that bring you joy!   I've made a slow start this Christmas season.  I haven't done much shopping yet, and making, well, it will just have to wait until next year. Still... there are things I just love to do during the Christmas season. Actually, I like to do a lot of them all winter long. We'll see how many things I can fit in around doctor's appointments, tests, and treatments.   The good news is that I'm feeling pretty good, and I'm here to celebrate Christmas with my family. I still have several months of treatments left, but  the cancer is in remission.  Thank you God! Glory to God in the highest!  Here are some of the things I'd like to do this month.   I've already done some of these things. Write my Christmas bucket list Make or b...