Rainy Fall Day Joy

 

We have had almost no rain since spring. All of the lakes, all of the ponds, all of the rivers are very very low. Saturday, it was so dry and crusty as we went for our Fall Foliage tour, I asked Google, "Will it ever rain again in Carthage, Missouri?" To my surprise, it said there was a 100% chance of rain on Monday! That gave me something to look forward to.

In spite of the forecast, I was very surprised and pleased that it rained all day yesterday. The forecast is for rain all day today also. So I am taking a mini vacation at home. I am knitting and I am watching old movies on my phone and my tablet. Of course I get up and do the housework things, too, in between.

Substitute teaching does not pay very well in southern Missouri. I am happy, however, that I chose to substitute rather than teach full time. It is for days like this, when I just want to be cozy at home, that I chose the part-time work with freedom to choose when and where I shall work. 

Today, I choose home!

Have a lovely day whatever the weather! 

Blessings from the cottage,

Laura 

Now, I am going to cast on a pair of Fall socks! Follow me on Instagram for frequent updates.

@lauraofharvestlane

2022 Fall Bucket List

THE LONG AWAITED
FALL BUCKET LIST 2022

 Happy Fall Dear Reader! 

  Fall is slowly making its entrance. It's been nice to turn off the air conditioner! We've had a few chilly nights. A few of the maples are showing their first blush of red at the tops. Gold is tinging some of the oaks.

  If you've been around for a bit, you know that I've had surgery every fall for the last five years! That is not on my bucket list this fall! Praise God! Cancer is finally behind me, and I just have yearly check-ups and one long-term pill to help prevent a recurrence. I'm so glad!

 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. Then I'll come back and update regularly so that you can see my progress. 

 I have found that since I began making these bucket lists, I am more intentional about enjoying each season. It's too easy to get stuck in a rut.

 I'd love to hear what is on your bucket list for fall. Please share a list or a link to your list in the comments below. Is there anything I've forgotten that you consider a must do? Let's talk and be friends. 

Here's my bucket list for 2022.

• Make my fall bucket list
• Make my fall reading list
• Decorate for fall ~ I decided to decorate minimally, but I really like it for this first empty nest fall.
• Enjoy candy pumpkins
• Knit wool socks for undisclosed recipients. Three pairs  done... Three pairs on the needles!
• Make a gift list
• Collect Christmas cards
• Go to the Maple Leaf Parade
• Make friendship tea
• Knit wool socks for my husband
• Knit hats for the SPED kids I taught this year ~ Working on it!
• Eat Queen's Apples (cut up apples with caramel and pecans)
• Finish reading The New Testament. ~ Finished 
• Bake pumpkin shaped cut-out cookies
• Make apple crisp
• Roast marshmallows around the fire 
• Enjoy the fire pit my adult sons built for us
• Curl up with a terrific book
• Carve our pumpkin with my husband
• Bake pumpkin seeds
• Read a wonderful Christmas book 
• Take a drive to look at fall foliage 
• Sip apple cider
• Listen to a Christmas book on Scribd. 
• Hand quilt Emily's quilt 
• Drink eggnog
• Worship God under the stars
• Eat homemade chili
• Maple Leaf Festival
• Sew on Fridays ~ Total fail on this one! Next year!
• Try a new soup  
• Invite friends for pie 
• Tea with Dad
• Invite friends for a soup supper
• Collect pinecones, leaves and seed pods to decorate - I collected only acorns this year.
• Take a walk and enjoy the maple leaves
• Make or buy ornaments for the family 
• Make homemade cocoa
• Bake pumpkin bread
• Bake cookies
• Make a pecan pie and share the recipe
• Burn cinnamony, pumpkiny, spicy fall candles
• Visit my Dad 
• Enjoy a visit from my sister-in-love Debbie 
• Read by candlelight or lamplight
• Celebrate Thanksgiving with family at home
• Make Christmas gifts ~ Working on it!
• Watch Christmas movies
• Read another Christmas book
• Listen to Christmas music
• Finish my Fall Reading List

• Decorate our Christmas tree Thanksgiving weekend

Alright, now you know some of the things I hope to do over the next month and a half of fall. Yes, it's a long list. No, I won't do it all. Yes, I'm still gonna try!

Plan for relaxation, plan for fun, plan for sanity!

Enjoy and look for the sparkles of joy!

Keep positive and optimistic!

Be blessed!

Laura

Focusing on the Lord

and Loving This Season

I am an Amazon affiliate and will earn a small commission if you choose to purchase after clicking one of these links.

REVIEW: A QUILT FOR CHRISTMAS by Melody Carlson

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  I have enjoyed every Melody Carlson Christmas novella I've read. I've read almost all of them, too! It's become a tradition to read her yearly offering in September as my thoughts turn to the Fall and Christmas seasons. This year the book I started in September has continued into October. Sometimes I read a book slowly to savor it. That's the way Carlson's Christmas books are. If I don't savor them, I'll gobble them down! 

  A Quilt for Christmas is no different. What is different is the storyline. I love that the protagonist is a woman of a certain age. ~smile~ She moved to a new city to be near her family. Unfortunately, they soon moved far away because of a job. That left her alone and lonely. Her heart was soon to be melted by the youngsters who lived across the hall. A project was planned to surprise their mother for Christmas with precious few weeks to accomplish a very complicated bed quilt. The ladies that joined in to make this quilt had varied personalities that required learning to get along and make new friendships in a whole new way. 

 Heartwarming is a word that is often overused in a Hallmark movie sort of way, but it is a word that fits this book perfectly. I recommend you buy it early and read a chapter every day or two so that you can enjoy the people that live within these pages.

 Whatever you do, get your hands on one of Carlson's Christmas novellas. They will give you some calm and perhaps fun moments in what can be a very busy season. Five Stars*

From the publisher:

Cuddle up with this cozy story of giving and forgiving--with a little bit of romance
Christmas should be celebrated with family, but for Vera Swanson, that's not an option this year. Widowed and recently relocated, she is lonely in her condo-for-one--until little Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing help.

With her mother seriously ill and her father out of town, Fiona enlists Vera's aid, and when she finds out her new neighbor is a quilter, she has a special request--a Christmas quilt for Mama.

Vera will have to get a ragtag group of women together to fulfill the request. Between free-spirited artist Tasha, chatty empty nester Beverly, retired therapist Eleanor, and herself, Vera has hopes that Christmas for the Albright family will be merry, after all. And she may even find herself a new family of friends along the way.

Read an excerpt

Reading Group Guide

•   Happy Christmas Reading!

Laura

I use the Goodreads star system.
★               Did not like it
★★            It was okay
★★★         Liked it
★★★★      Really liked it
★★★★★   It was amazing

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review.   I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

#AQuiltforChristmas

MORE BOOKS BY MELODY CARLSON THAT I'VE ENJOYED!

The Christmas Swap ~ My Review

A Christmas by the Sea ~ My Review 

The Christmas Joy Ride ~ My Review 

The Christmas Angel Project ~ My Review 

The Christmas Blessing ~ My Review 

The Christmas Dog ~ My Review 

Christmas in the Alps ~ My Review

The Christmas Shoppe 

The Gift of Christmas Present

Christmas at Harringtons 

Christmas in Winter Hill

Find me online here:

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Laura Lane on Goodreads 

2022 39 Finished Books Goal 51

HarvestLaneLaura  on Ravelry

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PayPal laura@harvestlanecottage.com

Address available by email

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FALL READING LIST 2022

Hello everyone! 

 Keeping it short and sweet, this is my fall reading list. I'll be writing reviews later this month for A Daughter's Courage and A Quilt for Christmas. The Britfield review should come at the end of this month or beginning of next month. The Loch Ness Papers and An Everlasting Meal are both audio books that I'm listening to on Scribd. Elijah is a study I've not quite finished, and I'm listening to The New Testament on Bible.com. 

 I've a couple of months to finish all this reading by Thanksgiving. Think I'll make it? I'll come back and update this as I finish each one. Please leave recommendations for my Christmas reading list or Winter reading list in the comments!

•  A Daughter's Courage by Misty M. Beller -  finished

• A Quilt for Christmas by Melody Carlson - finished

• Britfield and Return of the Price Book III by Chad Stewart - Reading now

• The Loch Ness Papers by Paige Shelton - finished 

• An Everlasting Meal, Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler and Alice Waters -  finished

• Deadly Editions by Paige Shelton - finished 

• The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen Reading now 

• Elijah by Priscilla Shirer

• The New Testament finished

Matthew done Mark done Luke done John done Acts of the Apostles done Romans done 1 Corinthians done 2 Corinthians done Galatians done Ephesians done Philippians done Colossians done 1 Thessalonians done 2 Thessalonians done 1 Timothy done 2 Timothy done Titus done Philemon done Hebrews done James done 1 Peter done 2 Peter done 1 John done 2 John done 3 John done Jude done Revelation done

P.S  As you no doubt know, I highly recommend using Scribd. You get unlimited ebooks and audio books plus other reading materials for just one low price. $9.99 a month. You don't have to pay per book. It's all included in the one price. It's the best money I've spent this year!

If you use my link, you'll get a 2 month free trial of Scribd, and I will get a free month as well. I'm not an affiliate, it's just a neat perk that they have for their subscribers who tell their friends. I've earned 15 free months just sharing how much I love their service! You can too.

Find me online here:

Goodreads:  Laura Lane 

2022 I have finished 39 of my 51 book goal.

Instagram: @lauraofharvestlane 

Ravelry:  HarvestLaneLaura

Facebook:  Harvest Lane Cottage  

Email:  laura@harvestlanecottage.com

Paypal: lauraofharvestlane@gmail.com

Address available by email

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Happy reading!

Laura

One Week Ago... September 24, 2022... Dawson and Amy's Wedding

Oh what a whirlwind it has been! My daughter Amy became engaged to my now son-in-love Dawson mid-August. What I thought would be a six month or year engagement was about six weeks! 

They were married at his family's home in Illinois. They have a lovely place with a beautiful large pond, many lovely trees, a barn, a pavillion, a fire pit, and a wooden swingset which Amy and Emily turned into a lovely arbor backdrop for the couple and the minister. They wrote their own vows, and it was truly a once in a lifetime fairy tale experience. The men wore blue flannel shirts in true country boy fashion, and the ladies were lovely in rust gowns. Dawson combined the colors in his flannel, and Amy wore a breathtaking ivory gown sprinkled with lace and pearls.

I don't think I've ever seen a happier couple.

Amy's maid of honor was her sister, Emily. Not just because she's her sister, but because they're best friends for life! Her other bridesmades included two dear friends, Jazmyne and Julia. She's known them both for nearly all her life! Dawson's sister, Danielle completed the ensemble along with his very sweet niece and nephews.

I think these photos of the couple are fairy tale swoon worthy!

Of course, there was the Daddy Daughter dance.

What I wouldn't give to have heard that conversation!

I didn't cry until I looked into her eyes!

Amy's new family

You know, when I held my baby girl in my arms all those years ago, I prayed and continued praying for a godly man to marry her someday. That day was September 24, 2022. I've prayed for them both for many many years. I'll keep praying. I thank God that Jesus is the center of their lives and now their life together.  

"Therefore what God has joined together,

let not man separate." 

Mark 10:9

My beautiful Christian young woman 

has married

her handsome Christian young man.

Blessed be the Name of the LORD.