Harvest Lane Cottage

Knitting and reading in my free time and little bits of snatched time are two of my favorite ways to enrich my life.  Foggy Gray Socks HarvestLaneLaura on Ravelry.com On my needles... I've been knitting and pearling the cuffs of my Foggy Gray Socks. They're the first pair of socks that I will finish in 2023. The gray socks are joyful for me, because I know the pattern and can do it easily. No fretting over what to do next! But, I'm looking forward to casting on something bright for February! Gray in January wasn't too exciting. ~smile~ My choices for February Socks Which would you choose next? I've decided that I am Knitting for Joy in 2023. I'm not going to knit anything I don't want to knit or feel obligated to knit or finish. I'm going to enjoy the process! Join me and use hashtag #knittingforjoy2023 on Instagram. ♥♥♥ What I'm Reading... I am focusing on two books this week. I'm listening on Scribd.* I listened to The World of Laura Ingalls Wi...

 I was a barren woman.  I know the pain and anguish of longing for a baby that I could not have.  It took about 2 1/2 years and fertility medicines to conceive.  The result was my son, Matthew.  I absolutely adored him.  I quit my job to become a full-time mommy.  Matthew was the kind of baby that really required full-time.  I felt like I was always nursing, changing, singing, and rocking.  He was a fussy baby and did everything early, very early.  He rolled over for the first time at two weeks old!  We had to take him out of his bassinet shortly after that because he would work himself from one end to the other in the night and end up with his head pressed against the end of the bassinet.  He required a lot of energy night and day.  We also went through some pretty significant financial troubles.  My husband and I were pretty stressed most of the time.  These things and a few others led to our final decisi...

Hello everyone, Perhaps you've seen every bit counts challenges around the internet lately. Those challenges embody the attitude of use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. That's something that I have focused on quite a bit in the past, because frankly, I had no choice. I believe that those times are here again. Many of you know that since my children are now grown and have graduated homeschool, I have been doing some substitute teaching. I am more convinced than ever that homeschooling is the best option for families that feel called to do it and who are willing to commit to God and to their children.  You also may know that I took a long-term assignment teaching K-3 special ed kids. I just fell in love with the kids. And so when the school called me back in the fall for another long-term assignment, I accepted. They offered me the job full-time, but after prayer, talking with my husband and considering the implications for our health insurance, I chose to continue ...