Harvest Lane Cottage

  Thrifty Things Lately:  I requested the book, In This Moment , by Gabrielle Meyer for review from Bethany House. It's the second in the Timeless series. I reviewed the first book, When the Day Comes , and I really enjoyed it. We are eating out of our cupboards and freezer as much as possible.  I'm taking Earth Tones Girl's free No Fear Sock Knitting Class on YouTube. It's a top down shorty sock pattern with a heel flap.  I'm using some purple sock yarn scraps my friend,  Missy, gave me. My knitting friends know that I like to knit scrappy socks. I'm knitting this pair toe up. Our lawn mower wouldn't start. My husband wanted to buy a new one. Instead,  he purchased an air filter and a spark plug and fixed it for $12! Hundreds saved. We still drive and enjoy our 2002 Buick and 1989 Mercury.  Chia seed pudding for breakfast.  1/2 c milk, 2 T chia seeds, 1 t maple syrup,  and 1/2 t vanilla. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes.  Stir again and...

 Good day! I'm gearing up for a yard sale this weekend. Major real estate investment decluttering! We cleaned out the garage last weekend. It's now filling up with things from our kids and our things for the sale. I'm fully aware that it will need another go through after this. Maybe next month! Getting rid of extra things happens in layers for me as well as for many of you. It's a lot less painful if we give ourselves the time we need on certain items to realize they're no longer a useful part of our lives.  I made a mistake when we planned the dates of the sale. I didn't remember to write it down on my calendar, so when I was asked to substitute teach Thursday and Friday, I said yes. Oops! The kids (adults) and my husband will have to run the sale Friday. It will all work out. Hopefully they'll enjoy the time together.  Well, I just popped on to say hello before I start working on cleaning up and decluttering our back porch workroom. My desk, computer, tw...

 Hello everyone! It's Wednesday again. It's finally acting like Spring here in southern Missouri. I'll be honest, I haven't felt much like using on my Spring bucket list. It's just been cold. I know some of the northern and Eastern States have still had snow. I am way over tha So... What's on my needles? I'm taking a YouTube class from Earth Tones Girl. It is  No Fear Sock Knitting. She's teaching a beginner friendly class for making a heel flap shorty sock.  Ah, this is a photo of my To Be or Not To Be sock. I named it so, because I couldn't decide if I liked the yarn. I was well past the heel when I found I had dropped a couple of stitches a few inches back. After spending over an hour on the fix, I realized that I didn't feel joyful. My motto is Knitting for Joy 2023! I ripped out the project and and decided that it is Not To Be. I finished these socks a few days ago. The yarn is by Freckled Whimsy. I called them my Joyful Socks. Grandbaby soc...

I've been reading Cheryl Smith's blog, Homespun Devotions , for many years. Cheryl has shared so much of her life, her love of God, and her wisdom through the years. It's been an honor to get to know her. She has also become an email friend who has been there for me through some really tough things with encouraging words and prayer.  It's hard to read this as a devotional book... just one story a day. I just wanted to read one more story and see how Cheryl would see God in every situation. That is key, because God is always there waiting.  Cheryl sent me Homespun Devotions, Volume Two , for review several weeks ago. It's a collection of fifty devotions curated from her blog, Homespun Devotions . I found myself unable to read and review this volume at my regular speed. Cheryl has a gift for bringing God's truth to the every day of our lives. There were too many selah moments— times when I needed to stop, reflect, and ponder.  That's what a good devotional boo...