Wild Beauty

Have a wonderful weekend.

A Beautifully Fragrant Spring

All of the flowers are thriving in the garden, both those we planted this year and those that former owners and God planted.  I've seen a rose bush come back to life that I'd thought dead these last two years.  The peonies bloomed at Memorial Day just as they should, filling the house with their intoxicating fragrance.  The wildflowers have been abundant in the meadow.  Vases and jars have been filled and scattered throughout the house.  No need for air fresheners here.

I was enjoying a few moments of quiet on the porch a couple of days ago enjoying the late afternoon breeze.    Honeysuckle vines fragranced the air with their sweetness.  I pondered, what must Eden have been like?  Breathtakingly beautiful, vibrant hues, a heady collection of exquisite flowers and plants that filled Adam and Eve's senses.

How hard it must have been to face a world outside Eden that I imagine might have been like a typical August in Missouri, hot, dry, dusty, dull.  I'm sure the world lacked luster to Adam and Even in every way imaginable.  More importantly, it would have been so lonely.  I wonder if they prayed.  I wonder if God answered.  Certainly not face-to-face.  What sadness and mourning must they have felt?  What torment of regret?  Did every generation feel that sense of loss as they were told the stories of life before?

Oh, thank you God that You made a way for us even prior to that first sin.  Thank you that you chose before the creation that Jesus, by His obedience, death, resurrection and love, would make a way for us to be reunited to God Our Heavenly Father.
Romans 5:19

"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."  King James Bible

Thank you Lord my strength!

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May I suggest?

Why I Love Homemaking
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Mommy Moments

Flowers for A Lovely Spring Day

Oh, it's a lovely spring day.  It's been as quiet as a day can be with three children, two cats, and five kittens.  ~smile~  I've been out on the porch this morning enjoying the breeze, the sunshine and 86 perfectly delightful degrees. 

I'm reading Seaside Harmony.  Three sisters buy an old run-down inn on Nantucket Island and fix it up.  They're turning up clues about what could have happened to one of the inn's former owners who disappeared over a hundred years ago.  It's a feel good novel without a lot of tense interactions.  It's perfect for a spring day.

My husband will soon be planting these lovelies; but, for now, my little homemaker, Amy set them out to soak up some sunshine.

I adore pink Impatiens.  Lowell planted some baskets with them for the porch.  They don't mind the shade.

These are Begonias.  They're an old-fashioned flower that I enjoy.  My favorite annual flower to grow is Petunias.  I get along well with them.  My husband, Lowell Lane, is a Master Gardener.  You can read more about what's growing here at the farm at his blog.

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May I Suggest?

Planning and Doing This Week & Funny Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Shared with: Traffic Jam

Let It Snow! Just One More Vestige of Winter and Leaning Toward Spring

I know we're all straining toward spring, but I wanted to share this cute window with you.  My Lowell painted it for a charity auction last Autumn.  I just came across the photo.  I hope he'll paint another like it for me next year. ~smile~

Are you interested in gardening this year?  We are going to try to grow as many veggies as possible this year.  Lowell's already got seeds sprouting in our enclosed porch.  This morning, I found an intriguing article about straw bale gardening over at Deep Roots at Home.  It seems that you grow the veggies right in the straw bales!  That would be a more affordable way to do raised bed gardens.  It would be good for renters, too. 

We'll have a busy weekend.  I'll look forward to getting back with you Monday.
Have a blessed weekend!

Laura
Happy at Home

Gardening & Canning... 2013 Journey Begins

Gardening...
I am so not that kind of girl.  Dirt, heat, bugs, sweat, spiders, oh my.  The benefits?  Fresh veggies that taste terrific.    Fortunately, the gardening that I find, well, icky, is like recreation to my husband, Lowell.  He's already set up a place to start his seedlings and had his hands in the dirt, not to mention spent hours planning and preparing.  He's a man with a mission.  With our new way of eating lots and lots and lots of veggies and fruits, he's preparing to grow as many as he can.  He's a master gardener. 

Canning...
Well, he's not really that kind of guy.  Cooped up in the kitchen with boiling kettles, cutting up endless fruits and vegetables for hours?  Not really Lowell's favorite way to spend an afternoon.  To me, the challenge and the reward of filling all those little jars and hearing all those little pings as they seal just thrills me with satisfaction.  I just love putting up.  ~smile~  Just yesterday, we opened jars of Pear Honey that I created last summer with pears that Lowell harvested from our trees.  Ooh, talk about a little jar of gold.  On homemade wheat bread. Oh now that was delicious.

Kiwi Jam

Once again, in the LORD's wisdom, opposites attract.  So, we made a deal.  He grows all he can.  I'll can all he grows.  Well, not exactly, but it looked cute when I typed it.  We'll eat all we can, too.  ~smile~  Because it's the LORD who brings the rain and causes the growth, we'll give, too. 

 I will be sharing recipes, cooking, and canning posts here as the year progresses.  I have much to learn, and I look forward to sharing with you as I go.

Blessings to you from Harvest Lane Cottage!
Laura
Happy at Home

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May I suggest?

Things I Love About My Husband

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Green Beans in the Garden....

I love everything about this West Ladies video—the music, the location, the momma and daughters harmonizing, the beautiful clothes, the family values during hard times. 

Enjoy some green beans in the garden with me!

We do have so much to be thankful for!

Laura

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May I suggest?

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly 

& 

Salsa

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A Disappointed Hummingbird...

A beautiful little hummingbird came to our feeder this evening. Alas, we had a disappointed little bird. We hadn't filled our feeder yet. Hubby found a recipe online and made it up. Tomorrow we'll have happy hummingbirds.

From Our Gardens

Beautiful

Dainty

Bold

Pure

Elegant

Joyous Spring

Weekend Blog Hop 

From the Back Yard to the Kitchen to the Table

Good morning! Yesterday was a rewarding day. Early in the morning, my husband went out to the garden to work, as he often does. After he picked tomatoes, he found the corn ready to pick! He called to me to bring him a basket and a knife. The sweetheart not only picked the corn, he shucked it too before he brought it in! While he was shucking, I picked our first green beans. Oh, how I've been looking forward to green beans. They're a close third behind garden tomatoes and corn for me. Lunch menu: fresh buttery corn on the cob green beans from the garden seasoned with ham and onions homemade cornbread made with fresh eggs from our young hens and with fresh corn and a can of green chiles mixed in Oh my, it was a feast! What satisfaction knowing that much of it came from our own back yard. Happy Summer Day! Laura

Flowers and Friends

My Friend Sue, of Country Pleasures, wrote about flowers and friendship today. See her blog in my blog list. She mentioned, "My theory is you can always tell a good Mother by the way she tends to her garden and friends. "

Oh boy, I hope she's not right about that! I'm afraid the three lovely flower gardens that my husband planted for me in our front yard are sorely in need of weeding. The pansies, petunias and snapdragons are loving the rain and temperatures we've been having; but, so do the weeds! I guess that's something to put on my to do list.

One of my dear friends, Sherry, recently moved to a new house in the country. I spent a few hours helping her yesterday. It's an old farm house that the Lord has worked so many details out for. She has nice big airy rooms with big windows that felt fine even without air conditioning in 85 degree weather. It's great.

I'm so happy for her. She was content even before the Lord made a way for new cabinets, counters, appliances, and floors in the kitchen. That's contentment. God often blesses us most when we are content, truly content, with the least.

How's your contentment level? I'm working on mine. There are a lot of unknowns for all of us right now. The thing is, all we truly have is right now. Chances are, right now isn't as bad as we might have thought it was going to be when we worried about it!

I encourage you to do your best to be content with the right now, right here, right the way it is. You may be surprised at how your thoughts begin to brighten.

Blessings,
Laura

I Woke Up Early On My Own This Morning...

So, I decided to fancy things up around here a bit. I'm feeling pretty in pink. That pretty chicken is one of our chicks we got back in March. Amazingly, I woke up before he did this morning!

I may be mistaken; the kids are the experts on telling the boys apart. But- I think that this guy is the one the kids named...mind you, we live on the edge of the Ozarks, just minutes from Oz...
BILLY JOE JIM BOB JUNIOR!

I am so enjoying having the chickens. Maybe that's because my girls feed them and Michael cleans their little home! I just get to watch them strutting around the yard, eating bugs, greens, and scraps, or watch them take off across the yard like they're being chased by coyotes every time something or someone gets too close.

Between our big garden and our little flock of a dozen chickens, we're living more country than we did when we lived in the country!

Last night we ate crunchy sweet peas from the garden. They're the kind that you can eat the whole pod. So hubby made a delicious stir-fry. Yum yum!

Well, the morning's getting on. The family will be up soon asking the first question I always hear, "What's for breakfast?"

I'm off to the kitchen!

Have a blessed and thankful day!

Laura

UPDATE: My youngest, Amy, 7 said, "We know by the heads of the chickens that the speckled ones look the same; but, they're not the same. The one with the not so speckled head is Freddy. And the one with the really speckled head is Speckles. Freddy is my chicken. Speckles is my sister's. In the picture is my sister's chicken, Speckles. Amy

Well there you have it. I was wrong about the name; but, who could resist writing Billy Joe Jim Bob Junior? ~smile~

By the way, there's no senior. Beats me why they named him Junior!

Laura
Happy at Home

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May I suggest?

Each Day Had its Own Proper Work

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Bags and Bags and Bags

of Granny Smith Apples!

Last night our family went apple picking. Boy did we go apple picking. We have several bags of apples covering our counter and on the floor just waiting to be processed. We were blessed to be able to pick the trees of a couple of ladies who didn't want to use their apples this year. We came along at just the right time. Did I hear God calling us that way? ~smile~

So, I've been a peeling and a coring. My little kiddles have helped me, too. It's so nice to work on something old fashioned like this with them. I'm taking a little break to get some of them cooked up.

What am I going to do with them all?

To start with, I'm making apple butter. After that, maybe an apple crisp. After that? Maybe apple pie filling. But first, apple butter. I'd like to make a whole lot of it.

It's been a long time since we had to drop everything because of a harvest. I miss the farm, that I do. We were there just a couple of years; but, it changed us somehow. Now we long for a little land again. It's that cow/chicken thang, ya know?

God bless you and happy harvest!

Thank you Lord!
Laura
Up to her elbows in apple peels!