Harvest Lane Cottage

 I'm back from a weekend in the Bentonville, Arkansas area. My husband, Lowell, and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. My, that sounds like we are so old! In our defense, we were high school sweethearts and married a couple weeks after I graduated college with my teaching degree. Ah, young love!  The Bentonville square is like walking onto a movie set! It's a hopping little area with lots of people walking, dining in street side cafes, talking with friends, walking dogs and biking. We found out that there were 500 bikers in the area for a race on Saturday. The bike trails are impressive in the area. We enjoyed good food, relaxing, and exploring the area. We even ended up in a little town called Lowell!  Northwest Arkansas is at the edge of the Ozark Mountains. That means lots of twisting, winding roads that go up down and all around. ~smile~ We enjoyed the diversity of lakes in the area.  It was a treat to see goslings.  We couldn't get in the water, bec...

Christmas 2020 with my high school sweetheart    I know. It's early. You probably have a hundred things going through your mind right now. Will the children continue to go to school? Thoughts of your or your spouse's job security, to mask or not to mask, will we have shortages again, how to keep your family safe, and don't forget the never ending thoughts of what's for dinner?! BUT. Christmas is coming.   For most families in America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, Christmas is a big celebration. For some, like me and many of you, it is a celebration of Jesus' birth and our love for others. For others, the meaning may be different. Still, it's a day and season that we have, historically, celebrated in peace time and in war time, in years of plenty and in years of want. This year may be different than others, but we've had different years before. Our privilege, as wives and mothers, is to make Christmas a special, loving, Jesus focused time for our fa...

I remember a quote from Erma Bombeck.  You'll remember her from the seventies.  She said, "If life is a bowl of cherries, why am I aways in the pits?"  A lot of us can relate.  That's what made Mrs. Bombeck so popular.  She was famous for her witty way of stating the obvious. God is famous for stating the not-so-obvious.  It is He, Jehovah God, our father, who through the Holy Spirit, inspired Paul to write, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.  Unfortunately, that verse does not not mean that everything that happens to us is good.  Quite the contrary.  It doesn't even mean that all things work together for good for everyone.  It means He uses whatever the circumstances are to work for those who love Him, the ones He called for His purpose.  So, we have to trust Him even when we don't feel like it, even when we ...

Hello ladies,  I find myself thinking about some of the things we see at garage sales. Recently, I went to a garage sale that was being held for a lady who was elderly. The things she held onto were pitiful. So, if I hold onto things too long, will people be thinking the same thing about me? Better to get rid of things while someone still wants them. Even if that's not your children. Even one Walmart bag a week can make a big difference. I'm working on it.  Let's seize now. Carpe diem. Seize the day! Not last week, last year, or last decade! Laura

  Hey y'all, just a quick pop in to tell you some things I've been up to lately. Just one of those friendly chat kind of posts!  I'm slowly writing a cookbook which I may end up selling on the blog. I'm trying to cook and eat with much less sugar and flour. I'm doing paperwork to help my husband with his business. I discovered my style now has a name— cottage core . I love floral prints, lace, sheers on the windows, plants, crafts, books, candles, handmade items , quilts, home baking , and anything cozy! I've been knitting pair after pair of plain vanilla socks. I'm trying to get good at this style before moving on to another style. I love sewing. I've been organizing my supplies. I cleaned my sewing table. I want to sew some project bags and pouches of different kinds. I'm almost done with my mending . I've been reading and writing. No arithmetic! I'm learning more about blogging. I want to update Harvest Lane Cottage a bit. Maybe I'll ...

"She took her worries, if she had any about us, to God. She was wonderful that way. She had a wonderful trust that God could and would work anything out that she couldn't manage. Mom was wonderful that way." Grace Livingston Hill A Girl to Come Home To Oh that I would be just like that mother. I too often take the worries right back after I give them to God. But, so many things are just too big for me. So, I will just keep giving the worries back to my Heavenly Father Who is so Able and Trustworthy. Every Day is Mother's Day Laura Trusting Art of Homemaking Mondays

Jonathan Swift 1667-1745 Dublin, Ireland "May you live  all the days  of your life."   When I was young, I didn't get this. Now that I am celebrating yet another birthday after more than fifty, I understand. There are days we "live" and days we "get through". As the years pass, there are fewer and fewer days ahead. Let's be intentional about living all the days and not letting them just slip by. God bless you all, and may you live all the days of your life. What are some ways that you can be intentional about living? Blessings, Laura Thankful for four years after my cancer diagnosis

Lowell and Laura Lane  35 years and counting!   "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled  and do not be afraid." John 14:27 Dear friends,  They are all looking at you—looking at me. They're watching to see what we do, what we say, whether we are stressed or whether we are peaceful. Many people are watching to see if this Jesus thing is real to us. Family, friends, strangers, co-workers are all watching. So, is this Jesus thing real to you?  When you face a crisis of any kind, first words matter. Are your words of hope? Of fear? Of thankfulness and praise to God? Of despair? Only you  can control what comes out first and what comes out most often. Others will use your reaction to judge Christianity and God. Make sure that your first words and all words are life, hope, peace, and joy.    When we are pressed, we are not crushed. We have a father God who loves us an...