This Weekend at Harvest Lane Cottage May 5, 2023

 Hello everyone! 

  I hope you have some fun or peaceful plans for this weekend.  It's supposed to rain here for the next few days. I have several things planned for this weekend. If I can squeeze it in, I may get my sewing room/office set up again. We had to take it apart to use the tables for the yard sale last week. 

Plans this weekend:

• Celebrate the life of a wonderful man of God who has moved to Heaven ~ done
• Make chicken and rice soup ~ done
• Blow bubbles ~ I didn't realize I was out of bubbles!
• Clean house for company ~ done
• Make burritos with homemade refried beans ~ done
• Bake pies ~ Two lemon meringues ~ done
• Church at home this week ~ James River Church Online ~ done
• Have home group friends over ~ done  Hand a great time!
• Begin reading my new review book ~ In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer ~ done
• Select a knitting pattern for Grandbaby Boy. Done ~ Newborn Vertabrae
• Set up my sewing room/office ~ Ran out of time
• Knit of course! ~ Done

 My hope is to do this all at a peaceful, non-stressful, unrushed pace. I am really seeking God's peace and His presence. I'm listening to Ezekiel, and I'm getting a very real view of what happens when God's people don't seek Him.

 

 Seek Him while He may be found my friend. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

God bless you!

Have a good weekend,

Laura

On My Needles... What I'm Reading ~ May 3, 2023

   Knitting and reading in my free time and little bits of snatched time are two of my favorite ways to enrich my life. 

On my needles...

  I've been sock knitting as usual. It's my go-to knitting project. There are a lot of feet in my family, and I've just been casting on projects as the colors and my needles allow. ~smile~ Since I'm knitting for joy in 2023, I am limited only by my yarn stash and my needles. Shhh... I am expecting another set in a day or two. These will be Hiya Hiya Sharps. They're a new brand to me. If I remember correctly, I ordered them a size larger than usual in a 1.5. This is because the Kroy yarn I'm using for some man socks is a thicker yarn. The colors above remind me of the beach and ocean. 

Reading and Listening... 

• I just finished Nehemiah. I'll be starting Ezekiel tomorrow. I'll probably start Mark this week also. 
• I'm listening to The Hound of the Baskervilles on Scribd. It's a Sherlock Holmes novel.
• At Home With Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott—also on Scribd.

 What have you been crafting or reading?

I'm off to an eye appointment now. I need to keep these eyes healthy!

Be blessed,

Laura

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ May 1, 2023 ~ Sugar Cookies

The weather... Sunny and cool. We're in the fifties.

Right now I am... Taking a bit of a break after vacuuming half the house. I'll do the rest when I get up. I also have a bit of a headache. I'll go to the chiropractor this afternoon and see if he can help.

Thinking... May 1st on a Monday—a sunny Monday at that. It seems like a new start kind of day. I'll be off this summer since I substitute teach. I want to think about some of the things I'd like to do to take advantage of the extra time.

On my reading pile... The Nazi Conspiracy by Brad Metzger and Josh Mensch, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, and At Home with Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott. Here's my reading list.

On my TV.... I don't watch regular t.v. I do watch YouTube videos. I recently found The Trek Planner. He finds things on Google Earth, then he goes and checks them out.

Favorite blog post last week (mine or other)... Save Like Nana Did. Be Busy With Our Hands at The Bluebirds are Nesting on the Farm.

Something fun to share... This bubble refill station looks fun.

Blog hopping (newly discovered blog)... Nothing new to share, but I enjoy GDonna.

On the menu for this week... Oh, I've not made menu plans yet. We seriously need to go to the grocery store. I know I'm making beans and cornbread for supper.

On my to do list... Put house back together after garage sale, mend, knit a bit.

In the craft basket... mending and knitting.

Looking forward to this week... I'm hoping to substitute a couple of times and knit with friends. We also have our home group coming Sunday evening to our house for the first time.

Looking around the house... a bit of disarray. I'm getting the house put back together.

From the camera... I've made this cookie recipe since I was a child. I lost the recipe, but I found that I'd written it out for my daughter while I was looking through cookbooks. The recipe was from a Betty Crocker Junior Cookbook from the seventies.

On my prayer list... Salvation, healing, financial provision.

Bible verse, Devotional... "In all thy ways acknowlege Him (God), and He shall direct thy paths." We all need direction from God right now. 

Hope you have a energetic week!

Laura

See what the other ladies are up to at Happy Homemaker Monday.

Laura Lately A Thrifty Week or Two or Three

 

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 refrigerate overnight. 

• I've been real estate investing in our home a.k.a. decluttering. 

• We're had a yard sale this weekend with our adult kids. We didn't make much money, but we did clear out a lot of real estate! We have half or less in our garage than we did.

• I made homemade bean burritos with storage beans, onions, garlic,  a small amount of cheese and leftover tortillas from last week. I crisped them in the air fryer my husband received for Christmas. 

• I bought chicken legs half off. I boiled them, then chilled them and the broth separately in the fridge. The next day, I debunked the chicken, reserving a cup for a future meal.  I heated the rest with bbq sauce  and served it on leftover buns. There was enough for my lunch the next day, too. Lastly,  I made a chicken soup using the cup of chicken, broth, rice, veggies, and spices.  Two meals and a lunch from a $3.50 package of chicken legs!

• I cleaned out my knitting and crochet cabinet. I was looking for size 2 knitting needles. I didn't find them, but I found that I have yarn for my next several pairs of socks, and I organized my supplies logically and concisely. I also pullet out some needles and yarn that don't bring me joy for the sale.

• Made a roast. Ate dinner with my husband. Made to lunches to go. Then I froze enough beef to make another meal— soup, sandwiches, bbq, or a casserole.

• I started a new sock with some leftover yarn a girlfriend gave me. Thanks Missy!

All in all, it's been busy lately with subbing at the schools and trying to get ready for the sale. I already know that there's a whole 'nother layer of things that I will find to eliminate. But, no more garage sales for us for a long time... maybe ever. They're messy, hard work, and when you figure it by the hour, very unprofitable. However, we'll sell and give away individual items in the future.

 I hope you all have a great week and get some things done on your spring bucket list! I've updated mine. We've only a few weeks left of school, then I'll be in full summer mode.

 God bless you all!

Laura 

Happy at Home

and working on being

super thrifty again!

Unlimited Link Party

Good day!

 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, two sewing machines, craft supplies (not including knitting), some of my husband's office overflow, cookbooks, and plants are back here along with my totally disorganized recipes in every form. That will be a job for another day! I'm thinking of writing a cookbook. Would anyone be interested? A lot of frugal recipes along with some old family recipes mostly.

Well, I'm off for now. Be blessed! Laura

P.S. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @lauraofharvestlane for frequent updates, especially on my knitting.

On my Needles & What I'm Reading April 19, 2023

 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 sock!

This yarn will be Field and Forest socks. I cast on with size one needles and was well into my toe when I realized that the fabric was too dense. I pulled it out and plan to work with size 2 or maybe even 2.5 needles when I cast on again. 

What have I been listening to? 

• Holy Hygge by Jamie Erickson
• The Family Garden Plan by Melissa K. Norris 
• The Nazi Conspiracy:  The Plot to Kill Roosevelt,  Stalin,  and Churchill by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch
• Old Testament 

What have I been reading?

• Homespun Devotions Volume 2 by Cheryl E. Smith 

I recently finished:

• The Power of Praying for your Adult Children by Stormie Omartian 
• The Orphan's Wish by Melanie Dickerson
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Volume One by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 

Much of my reading these days consists of listening to books while working around the house, driving, or knitting. I don't have as much sit down and read time as I'd like. I am going to start keeping a book with me though for the times when I can snatch read.

Well, that's about it for now. I need to get busy around the house again.

Make it a great day!

Laura

Shared at: Love Your Creativity

Review: Homespun Devotions by Cheryl E Smith

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 book does. It makes you pause and really think about the scripture given, the example shared, and how that truth is relevant and revelant to one's life and circumstances. 

Once will not be enough to read this book for me. I expect to go back through it with pen in hand. 

I highly recommend this book. Thank you Cheryl, for allowing me to review it for you.

Laura Lane

Five Stars

I was given a complimentary book for review purposes. Opinions are my own.