A Chatty Little Hello From the Cottage ~ October 25, 2019

Hi everyone! Just popping in to say hello.

If you read my last post, you know that my husband found a computer for me. It's a Dell Optiplex 3020. That doesn't mean anything to me either. ~smile~ What I do know is that it's much smaller than my last desktop. It seems to be working great, too. I want to thank Penny Holland, Mr. and Mrs. David Entinger Helen Threlfo for their donations. Your generosity helped me purchase a very nice reconditioned computer. That fits my thrifty lifestyle. 

Lately, I've been cozying up the cottage for the cold weather that will soon be here. It's been raining all day, and it's been in the forties. Next week there's a chance of snow! Just imagine. That's really early for Southern Missouri. That means I need to stock up on cocoa and soup fixin's!

I've made chili and a beef and cabbage soup this week. My husband has requested garlic cheese potato soup for tomorrow night. We've got good friends coming for a soup supper. My friend, Joyce, from Morris Patch of Heaven Homestead and her family are coming. Joyce is bringing minestrone. I invite you to go see her latest video, and tell her I sent you.

Well, I hope you're enjoying your Fall. I'm trying to do as many things on my Fall Bucket List as possible over the next couple of weeks. Why the rush? I found out this week that I'm going to have surgery again. I need to have my implant replaced. November 11th is the date.  I'm not sure what recovery will be like this time. So, that means I need to pack in all the fall fun and Thanksgiving planning that I can between now and then.

Well enough for now. I hope you have a terrific weekend.
Laura

A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #147

Welcome to Harvest Lane Cottage.

I invite you to enjoy a cuppa and browse through hundreds of posts on faith, family, thrifty homemaking and encouragement. 

Hello Dear Reader,

 Fall has finally arrived to stay. We have trees turning color all around town. It's so exciting to watch the trees on my street to see what color they will be. We have only two trees in our yard. One is a Teacup Magnolia. It's a kind of tulip tree with deep pink flowers. The other is an extraordinarily large pine tree that towers over the neighborhood. It has had abundant pine cones this year. I think the only colors we will see will be on the neighbors' trees. Well, here's how we've been thrifty lately.

• I cut my own bangs. There's not much hair there yet. I've been putting collagen in some of my drinks to help.

• I'm still knitting socks for my husband's birthday. They will be his main birthday gift. Honey, if you read this, forget! 

• Shopped at Aldi.

• I answered several surveys with Swagbucks. I am saving up for Christmas.

• I listed a book in My Ebay.

• I began making Christmas gifts.

• My husband needed a housewarming gift for a client. A couple of hand knit dishcloths and a bottle of dish soap in a pretty bag with tissue did the trick.

• I went to my surgeon to discuss a problem with my implant. While there, he asked about the brace on my wrist. It turns out that he's also a hand surgeon! He examined it, and gave me a steroid injection. Talk about more for your money! I was so touched that he cared enough to take care of all of me. ~smile~ I need another revision surgery. Now we have to see if the insurance company will pay.

• My husband was able to find a used computer for me. Many thanks to the dear people who generously gave to me to help me purchase it. You truly blessed me! May God bless you, too!

  Thank you for visiting, I value your comments and opinions. I've made lots of friends here that have been so encouraging and kind. God bless you all!

Laura.
Redefining Laura

♥♥♥♥♥

If you wish to donate,

you may use this PayPal link. 

Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

Thank you so much!

I've lost over 30 pounds so far with Trim Healthy Mama.

You might be wondering about the Amazon links I include. I'm trying to make a little money to pay for Christmas and for special ingredients and supplements to help rebuild my health with my Trim Healthy eating. 

It would help me greatly if you'd stop here and use my link at the top of my sidebar when you purchase something at Amazon. The earnings are a very small percentage, but every bit helps. It doesn't cost you anything extra to use my link. Thank you so much!

Laura

Maple Leaf Festival and Parade 2019

Hello all!

I have a few minutes, so I thought I'd drop you all a note. We had a perfect morning for our town's Maple Leaf Parade 2019. We have been attending the Carthage Maple Leaf Festival for over twenty-five years now. Two years ago I missed, because I was in the hospital after a bilateral mastectomy for breast cancer. Last year, I attended after I had a second surgery. No surgery this year!  Update: I visited my surgeon for a check-up on the 24th and found out I am having surgery on November 11th for a revision. Oh well, at least it's not in October this year. Praise God!

Fall is a beautiful time to be outside. The trees are just beginning to show beautiful autumn colors.  I hope to take a fall foliage drive next weekend. I think the trees may be just right by then. A few years ago, my blog friend, Michelle of Ozark Sew n Sews, told me about a highway called the Pig Trail. If we feel up to venturing into Arkansas, you can bet I'll be asking her about directions and about the colors. Do drop in and visit Michelle. She's just the sweetest thing!

My family and I began the parade on our feet to honor the American Flag, our veterans, our troops, and our law enforcement and firemen. It's just right to stand and salute the flag and to clap and give honor to the men and women who give so much for us. Next up, our very own Carthage High School Marching Band. We are so proud of them. There are bands from all over the region who march then perform in a regional competition.

When we go to the parade, we sit near the Church of God. They are so kind, they not only serve yummy food, they also open their restrooms to the public. Believe me, when you sit there for two or three hours, that's a big blessing!

There are floats of all shapes and sizes. Many honor our flag and our God. I love that. This year, the parade lasted a couple of hours. That's just right in my opinion. Afterward, we headed home for lunch, then back to the square to see the craft vendors and to listen to the Maple Leaf Music Company fall recital. They did it right on the square for all to enjoy. My Emily teaches there, and I loved listening to her students and seeing the joy and pride in her face as they performed.

Well, I need to go now. We are invited to a harvest party at the home of dear friends. I've got a pot of ham and beans to contribute to a soup and chili supper. I'll bet there will be a bonfire and maybe even a hay ride. 

Y'all grab all the joy and sparkles that you can during this fabulous fall season! If you don't have something to do, invite someone to do something! Call someone, text, email, whatever it takes! 

God bless you and keep you....

Laura
Happy it's Fall!

My Fall Bucket List 2019

Harvest Lane Cottage
 Fall Bucket List
2019

Happy Fall everyone! 

It's beginning to look and feel like fall around here. Finally! We've had a few very chilly nights. The red maples are just beginning to show their first blush of red at the tops. I'm a bit late in posting my bucket list for this fall. I've actually already done a few of these things. I still added them to the list, because y'all might want to do some of them. I'll put items I've completed in italics. I'd love to hear what is on your bucket list for fall. Here's my list for 2019.

• Make my fall bucket list
• Make Christmas book reading list
• Get updated addresses for my Christmas card list
• Make apple crisp
• Enjoy candy pumpkins
• Make apple butter—My dad gave me some!
• Knit wool socks for my husband ~ I'm working on it!
• Roast marshmallows around the fire.
• Enjoy the new fire pit my adult sons built.
• Curl up with a terrific book.
• Read a wonderful Christmas book 
• Take a drive to look at fall foliage 
• Eat pumpkin pie
• Try a new pumpkin drink recipe
• Sip hot apple cider
• Finish Emily's quilt.
• Drink eggnog
• Worship God under the stars
• Eat chili
• Maple Leaf Festival
• Try a new soup ~ Lowell's Chicken Stew
• Make pumpkin cut out cookies
• Invite friends for chili
• Invite neighbors for a pie night
• Invite a neighbor for tea
• Collect leaves and seed pods to decorate
• Take a walk and enjoy the maple leaves
• Make jalapeno jam
• Make homemade cocoa
• Bake pumpkin bread ~ my friend Joyce brought me some!
• Bake cookies
• Make a Christmas gift—My brother-in-law's hat is done.
• Watch Christmas movies
• Read more Christmas books
• Listen to Christmas music
• Burn cinnamony, pumpkiny, spicy fall candles
• Read by candlelight and lamplight
• Read Little House in the Big Woods with hubby
• Celebrate Thanksgiving with family at home
• Decorate our Christmas tree on the Sunday evening after Thanksgiving

Alright, now you know some of the things I hope to do over the next month and a half of fall. What's on your list? 

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ October 14, 2019

As I write ...   Monday evening

The weather.... Very cool... I'll need a blanket tonight.

Right now I am... borrowing my husband's computer to get a little writing done tonight.

Thinking... I need to be in bed. I've been staying up too late lately.

A quote to share... 

♥♥♥♥♥

"The little house was fairly bursting with good food stored away for the long winter. The pantry and the shed and the cellar were full, and so was the attic." 

Little House in the Big Woods
Laura Ingalls Wilder 
page 18

 ♥♥♥♥♥ 

On my reading pile, in my Scribd, and in my Kindle...   

God's Will for You
Gloria Copeland
paperback

The Christmas Star
Donna VanLiere
Scribd audio

Beside Still Waters
Tricia Goyer
Kindle

Favorite blog posts last week...  

• This Vintage Life Today ~ Gdonna
• October Challenges by my Amy

For those of you wondering if I'm going to make a Fall Bucket List this year, YES! It should come out tomorrow.

Something fun to share... 

On my to do list...  

• Cleaning
• Planning
• Laundry
• Focus
• Cooking
• Teaching
• Sewing
• Knitting
• Reading
• Writing

On the needles...  

• Socks for my husband
• A dishcloth for a gift

Looking forward to this week...

• Monday -  Line dancing at church
• Tuesday -  Knitting group 
• Wednesday -  Community Worship as part of the Maple Leaf Festival
• Thursday -  Errands and coffee shop visit with a dear friend
• Friday -  
• Saturday -  Maple Leaf Parade

Looking around the house...  a little picking up to do, but I am going to let it wait until morning.

From the camera... 

Once upon a time....

On my prayer list...

• My husband fell and injured the leg that he had the total knee replacement on last spring. Praying for his healing.

• Peace of Jerusalem and Israel

• Wisdom, health, and protection for President Trump, Vice-President Pence, and their families. 

• Good, godly, brave people to be elected to serve in Congress and across our nation according to The Constitution. 

My prayer for you, my dear reader...

Father God, most likely each of my readers has something heavy on her heart. Father, I ask that whatever that need is—provision for a bill, for food, for education or whatever—healing for herself or a loved one—relief from pain, or fear, or anxiety—reconciliation with a loved one or between family members—salvation for someone they care about—I ask you to meet her needs. Holy Spirit, please make your presence known. Bring salvation, bring peace, bring faith, bring hope. Thank you so much for your provision of salvation and everything we need. I bless your Holy Name Jesus! Amen.

Thank you all for dropping in.
Please take a few moments and jot me a note. 

Laura
Trusting in God's timing, provision, and healing power

Joining with Sandra at Happy Homemaker Monday.

~~~~~

Joining with Peggy

A Thrifty Week at Harvest Lane Cottage #146

Welcome to Harvest Lane Cottage.

I invite you to enjoy a cuppa and browse through hundreds of posts on faith, family, thrifty homemaking and encouragement. 

Hello dear reader,

  It's getting nice here in Southwest Missouri. Finally we are enjoying some early fall temperatures.  It's hard to imagine the leaves changing in time for our Maple Leaf Festival here in Carthage, but we can hope. It's been a quiet week for me. I spent most of my time around the house. It was strange to have a rainy day and no one to bake cookies with.

  I met another one of my neighbors today. We exchanged our phone numbers and our spouses' phone numbers just in case. It's good to know and look out for our neighbors. So far, I have met neighbors from five houses on our street. Now that it's cooling off, I hope to meet more. Do you know your neighbors? Have you exchanged phone numbers with them just in case? I hope you do. We all need to be friendly and make the places we live as much like Mayberry as we can. ~smile~

• I saved $5 with a discount and two coupons when I went to Knit Night and bought queso and chips. I was able to take some home to the family, too. They were happy to enjoy the snack. Tuesday nights I sometimes splurge and go off my Trim Healthy Mama Plan.

• I'm knitting socks for my husband's birthday with yarn that a friend gave me when she went through her yarn stash. Thanks Shelly. 

• Shopped at Aldi.

• We bought ground chuck and ground sausage for $1.99 a pound at Worden's Meats

• I saved money by staying home and not spending money this week. 

• I answered several surveys with Swagbucks. I am saving up for Christmas.

• My husband helped decorate the house for fall with things we had in storage. No new decorations so far. 

• My daughter, Amy, made an amazing Butternut pie that tastes just like pumpkin pie. My friend, Joyce, grew it in her garden and gave it to me.

  Thank you for visiting, I value your comments and opinions. I've made lots of friends here that have been so encouraging and kind. God bless you all!

Laura
Redefining Laura

♥♥♥♥♥

Please consider making a donation to help me purchase a computer. 

You may use this PayPal link. 

Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

Or you may sign into PayPal and send your donation to lauraofharvestlane@gmail.com. 

Thank you so much!

I look forward to blogging more regularly when I get a computer again.

I've lost over 25 pounds so far with Trim Healthy Mama.

You might be wondering about the Amazon links I include. The truth is, I'm trying to make a little money to pay for Christmas and for my daughter's dual enrollment tuition at the community college. It would help me greatly if you'd stop here and use my link at the top of my sidebar when you go to purchase something at Amazon. The earnings are a very small percentage, but every bit helps. It doesn't cost you anything extra to use my link. Thank you so much!

Laura