A Celebratory Little Trip

 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, because I'm healing from my port removal surgery last week. One more step to putting treatments behind me!

 The next day, while toodling around the winding roads, we stopped for a break,  and the lady at the counter talked us into a lunch of delicious gyros at a roadside gas station. What was meant to be a snack ended up being the full meal deal! We didn't even eat supper that night!

 We ended our weekend back at the Bentonville square, just sitting on a bench and enjoying ourselves watching people.

 It was truly a privilege to get away for the weekend. It's not something we've done very often over the years. I am very thankful for this opportunity. We dream of a big vacation someday. Maybe it will happen, maybe not. I'm just thankful that I'm living all the years of my life with my high school sweetheart.

 I remember one anniversary, very early in our marriage, we decided to splurge on a sitter for our one child. We were living away from family, so getting out together alone was a once or twice a year thing. Just a little before it was time to go, our toddler came down with a fever. The sitter was canceled. The child was cared for and put to bed, and my husband picked up Chinese on the way home. We set a tiny table in our bedroom where we could listen for Matthew, and ate by candlelight. It was probably the most memorable of our anniversaries. 

 Going away, going out, or staying home, the important part is to celebrate the relationship and the day in some way that is meaningful to you and your husband. 

 May God bless you and keep you,

Laura 

10 Ways to Prepare for Christmas Now

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 families.

 I remember a number of years ago that we sold our house at the beginning of November. We had to be out by the middle of November and couldn't get into our new house for two weeks. So, nearly everything that we owned went into storage. Did I mention that we had four children? Ten, six, four, and newborn. We were supposed to stay in a hotel for two weeks. But after the two weeks, the previous owners of our new house refused to move out for thirty more days! We moved to a motel, and spent Thanksgiving and Christmas season in the motel room... watching as HGTV decorated and and Food Network baked up a feast for our eyes. So... rather than mope... Momma made Christmas. That's what you need to do whether you're mom, wife, or single. Make Christmas.

Before you begin, determine what is your focus for your family's Christmas? If you're married, you will want to discuss this with your husband. But single or married, it usually comes down to the lady of the house to actually make the plans and implement them.

10 Things you can do right now to prepare for a calm and peaceful Christmas.

Save your change
 For gifts - It adds up!
 For significant years - Save coins minted in special years.
  Birth
  Anniversary
  Graduation

Set a Budget

 What can you reasonably spend without debt?

 Consider food, decorations, gifts, and anything else your family needs.

 

Plan your Menus
 Tree Trimming
 Holiday Parties
 Caroling

 Christmas Eve

 Christmas Day

Plan Gifts ~ If you're a maker, you'll want to begin early!

 Family
 Extended Family
 Friends
 Gift exchanges
 Thank you gifts to community workers

  Police

  Mail carrier

  Firemen

  Ambulance drivers

  Sheriff's deputies

  Bus drivers

  Teachers

  You get the idea

Choose activities 
 Church
 Home
 Friends
 Community

Don't put planning off just because it's early. We cannot know what's going to happen in the future, but we can do our best to be prepared for it. Now and then, I'll be checking back with you to see how you're doing. 

What we do early can make later much more relaxing, enjoyable, calm and peaceful.

God bless!

Laura

Thankful for my Jesus

Cherry Pits, Erma Bombeck, and Jehovah God

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 cannot see any way that He can make things good.  Trust, it all comes down to trusting Him and being patient for His perfect will and His perfect timing.

So, next time I'm pitting cherries again, I'll remember that He is Good all the time, not just when we're eating the cherry jam.

Trust and Obey for there's no other way...to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.

Blessings,
Laura

~~~~~

May I suggest?

Cherry Fluffy Stuff

~~~~~

Letting Things Go

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

Some Things I've Been Up To

 

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 even have a little online shop someday.
• I got a much needed pedicure!
• I've been hanging out with my darling Lowell. We'll celebrate 35 years of marriage on May 24!
• Bucket list 
• Reading list

So tell me, what have you been up to?

Blessings,

Laura

A Model of Motherly Trust

"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

Swift Living

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

Everyone is Looking at You!

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 and provides what we need and heals us. Do we believe that?  I do. 

  I am an older woman. I've had years of experience with hard times both financial and health challenges. That's an advantage I have over many who are facing their first big challenges with this Covid-19 threat. 

 I've seen God provide when my husband's income was cut in half, because the company no longer wished to pay his salary. He was forced to quit. I've seen God supply when we had a long period of unemployment when my children were little. I've seen God supply when we closed a business and didn't have income for 4 months while my husband was looking for a position. I've seen God supply when my position was eliminated after I was ill and had surgery. God always supplies our needs. I've learned to pray and trust him. The trick is to do it without worrying. There's a lot of scripture about that. ~smile~

 God has brought me through pneumonia three times, two of which I was hospitalized for. He's brought me through more surgeries than most families have had in total. Sixteen so far. Another one is coming later this month.  Lately, he's brought me through breast cancer. I have evidence that Holy Spirit will never leave me nor forsake me. I just have to keep paying attention and praying and praising and worshiping. My faith has been deepened by the numerous trials in my life. I have been refined. 

 We're all dealing with the virus in one way or another. I encourage you to speak life, speak truth, speak hope, speak faith, speak the Word of God. Now is a time to draw closer to Him, and He will draw closer to you.

 Keep calm and pray on!

 Laura Lane

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Happiness is Homemade