tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:31:49 +0000My FaithThrifty & FrugalMy ChildrenChristmasMost Popular PostsIn My Kitchen...HomemakingFallMy Day BookBooksThankful....My FamilyQuotesOur StoryKnittingHolidaysHomeschoolingFeaturedCancerSewingMy marriageBusy BusyAmericaBook ReviewsSummerWinterJoplin TornadoKeeperJust for FunFamilyFriendshipFrom My NeedlesThanksgivingDevotionSomething to Think AboutGift IdeasHopePlanning AheadMaking DoLovingChristmas Book ReviewsSpringgardeningMichaelLauraMOVINGRamblingsWritingMy ShopRainy DaysSaladsTonight for SupperAmyBucket ListFamily RecipesPutting UpCanningPoetryToday at the CottageWeekend ReadingChickensHistoryJesusLaura LatelyMy Testimony7 MinutesHappyMovie ReviewsMy Christian FaithReading ListTips and TutorialsTrim Healthy MamaTutorials.A Little RandomnessEmilyMatthew111415Christmas Reading ListDepressionFavorite PostsGuest PostsHealthHomeschoolHospitalityLearningOn my NeedlesOur FamilyWigs0108101213191970's2008201720182460 and BeyondAnxietyBOOKBibleChildhoodCurriculum ReviewsEducationGoalsGrandchildrenHeritage MealsKringlingLiteratureLow Carb RecipesMy Favorite ProductsNew YearOurs storyRandomnessRetirement PrepReviewsSnail MailSolutionsTHM STime TravelingTrailersVideoWeddingetsyFaith in Jesus, Thrifty Homemaking, Knitting, Sewing, Books, and Christian Encouragement. http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)Blogger1801125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-2073517858977204620Sun, 07 Jun 2026 23:02:10 +00002026-06-07T18:02:10.740-05:007 MinutesKnitting KnittingSeven minutes starts now!Knitting. Hmmm... I first picked up needles, as I remember, in high school home ec. I knitted a little pair of baby booties by knitting rectangles and sewing up the toes. I didn't knit again until something very important happened. Fast forward to 24 years old. I had always told my husband that he would know I was pregnant when he found me knitting babyhttp://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/06/seven-minutes-4.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-8214311413321185336Mon, 25 May 2026 03:01:45 +00002026-05-24T22:01:45.941-05:007 MinutesMy FaithMy marriage Forty years Our fortieth anniversarySeven minutes starts now!Forty years. Together forever no matter what. We've had a lot of no matter what since we married in 1986. A lot of no matter what! We've had financial difficulties since day one. We've dealt with a lot of baggage that we both came into the marriage with resulting from less than ideal childhoods. We were relatively new http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/05/seven-minutes-3.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-2198722742377750185Sat, 16 May 2026 20:29:58 +00002026-05-16T15:29:58.362-05:007 Minutes Seven Minutes— starting NOW!Last time I did this I had fun. So I'm doing it again. Here we go!I found this photo of my sewing machine that I took last fall. I was doing a lot of sewing then. I had sewn things to give for Christmas and other gifts. The idea was to find a project bag type that I truly enjoy making. Then, if I truly did enjoy sewing them, I would sew up a big batch and restockhttp://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/05/seven-minutes-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-1804696963585802424Sun, 26 Apr 2026 20:14:00 +00002026-05-16T15:30:29.244-05:007 MinutesMy Family    I've given myself seven minutes to write. Of course, that means my dear husband has come in to show me something. ~smile~ I told him nope, I've given myself seven minutes. I'll come in seven minutes. This is silly and fun. Before I started, I found this photo to share. This is over ten years old now. Maybe close to fifteen years old. I absolutely love it.     I did myhttp://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/04/seven-minutes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-9129889785899428484Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:53:00 +00002026-04-20T19:54:32.438-05:0060 and BeyondMy Christian Faith I've learned something about myself recently. I've felt a good amount of anxiety and stress as I've learned my job. It's been hard learning the computer system, the rules, how the insurance works and such. I've also had to hone my customer service skills, though most of it is just being friendly and nice. As a born again Christian, that comes naturally for me. It's just allowing Holy Spirithttp://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/04/still-learning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-7846843275838024636Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:31:00 +00002026-04-12T19:31:31.668-05:00My Christian FaithMy Family What do you want to be when you grow up?How many times were we asked this?How many times have we asked this?Does the question even make sense?I wanted to be a:PrincessMommyNurseLawyerSingerZookeeperTeacherHandmakerWriterand to live happily ever after.    Well, life doesn't work out the way we want it to or expect it to. BUT—I married my high school sweetheart as his princess, and http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/04/what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-1997106992084368454Sun, 05 Apr 2026 20:19:00 +00002026-04-05T15:19:20.343-05:00    John Maxwell said, “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”    This is so true. For years, I wanted to get up early.  When I became a substitute teacher, I realized that I must get up at 5:30 to be ready to leave by 7:00. If I got up later, I would be stressed out http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-morning-countdown.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-2907055187226824293Sat, 28 Mar 2026 22:21:00 +00002026-03-28T17:21:02.548-05:00My Christian FaithMy FamilyThrifty & FrugalHello everyone!    My daughter sent this to me in an email a few months ago. I just found it again and realized that it sums up her childhood as she remembers it. I don't want to lose this. I read it again today, and it filled me with nostalgia for the hard good old days. More about now at the bottom of the post.Laura~~~~~Emily to momI can't sleep and started feeling http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/03/summing-up-childhood.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-10339627647923292Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +00002026-03-14T08:00:00.121-05:00Goals Hi, everyone.     Two weeks; that's all it took. It's Monday morning. I'm sitting on my couch with a blanket and a pillow, hot tea, water, tissues and nursing a cold. I wonder where I got it?    Oh yes! I remember! I am working in a pediatric clinic. I can tell right now I'm going to have to do something to boost my immune system. TIME FLIES......&http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/03/two-weeks-and-then-four.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-207481106133115411Tue, 24 Feb 2026 02:47:00 +00002026-02-23T20:47:34.799-06:00LearningRetirement Prep Photo by Mae Mu on UnsplashSpaghetti...Yes...That's it...That's exactly what my brain has felt like for the last week!There's so much to learn.I'm glad the trainers are patient.Learning to use the computer programs is more than a bit challenging. I hope to be back to writing soon. Condensing a 16 hour day into about 5 hours isn't easy. That's what it feels like to http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/02/spaghetti-yes-thats-it.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-6494700535323948708Mon, 16 Feb 2026 03:39:00 +00002026-03-13T21:33:34.976-05:00From My NeedlesKnittingLearningOn my NeedlesSewingI love learning!    I love learning new things. Over the years, I've learned to quilt, bake bread, can, sew, crochet, knit, cross-stitch, embroider, and many other things.     Currently, I'm learning Spanish with Duolingo, Western Heritage from the Book of Genesis to John Locke with a free online course from Hillsdale College, rug twining using YouTube videos, http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/02/i-love-you-month-learning.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-8585834845432514190Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:22:00 +00002026-02-12T22:22:53.016-06:00 http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/02/wordless-wednesday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-2773715167954564970Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:58:00 +00002026-02-11T13:58:18.579-06:00Laura    One of my favorite bloggers is Billie Jo from Afternoon Coffee and Evening Tea. Billie Jo encourages me so much. I love the way she celebrates everything. Yes. Everything. She has great style, but it is her enthusiasm, love of home, family, her doggies, and candles that makes me feel appreciation for her and for my home and family. She's so positive, and Jesus just seeps http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/02/i-love-you-month-get-to-know-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-4082079141043764145Fri, 06 Feb 2026 02:50:00 +00002026-02-05T20:50:15.919-06:00My FaithMy Family A Storybook Christmas*    Oh me oh my! So many friends told me, "Just wait 'til you have grandkids. They're the best." Well, my friends were right!    My grandson is the source of so much joy! Gibby is the name I use for my grandson on my blog. Gibby is short for grandbaby. I want to keep his little face and name private as do Mommy and Daddy.  &http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/02/i-love-you-month-my-grandson.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-5435930037316810980Thu, 05 Feb 2026 03:14:00 +00002026-02-04T21:15:35.119-06:00My FaithMy Family This is a very old photo from long ago!    I am a very blessed woman in so many ways. God gave me and my husband four babies to love and raise the best we could for Him. We did the best we could.         I had the privilege of homeschooling them all. It was fun. It was hard. It was wonderful. I wouldn't change those years for anything.  &http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/02/i-love-you-month-i-love-my-kids.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-2434491556427541688Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:54:00 +00002026-02-03T16:55:24.426-06:00My FaithMy marriage I love my Lowell.He's been my Lowell since November 23, 1981.That's when he asked me to go steady with him.That boy had no idea what he was asking!I had no idea what yes meant!It's been quite a wild and curving ride together.~ ♥♥♥~True committed love always... even through 4 years going steady,1 year of engagement, 39 years of marriage,26 jobs, 4 businesses,14 deaths,&http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/02/i-love-you-month-i-love-my-husband.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-1075223027369282075Tue, 03 Feb 2026 03:44:00 +00002026-02-02T21:44:19.944-06:00My FaithMy Family Barbara Kay Ramsbottom Conklin Hall 1947-1999 May her name be blessed forever! I was blessed to have a young mother. She and Dad married when she was sixteen, and I came along just shy of a year later when she was seventeen. She was energetic and full of life and fun. In a way, we grew up together. ~smile~ She loved it when someone thought I was her little sister! She moved to Heaven http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/02/i-love-my-mom-and-i-miss-her-too.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-4694940377499498204Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:32:00 +00002026-02-01T18:32:59.684-06:00LovingMy Faith Happy I Love You Month!What better thing to do this month than think about all the ones you love this month?It's also a month to be thankful for the gifts the LORD has given us. The first I love you is Jesus.I love Jesus for all the wonderful ways that he has blessed me. The first, of course, is saving me from the consequences of my sins. He is my LORD and savior. He saved me, andhttp://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/02/happy-i-love-you-month.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-8384122500308949499Mon, 26 Jan 2026 19:19:00 +00002026-01-26T13:19:27.655-06:00KnittingWinter It's a poor photo, but three cardinals are hiding in our bushes.We filled up the birdfeeders Friday evening. By last night, the one in the front yard was empty. The one in the back yard is half full. I need to brave the cold and fill the one out front. It's a whopping 9° today. I won't even look at the wind chill. I've been inside since Friday afternoon, and if I can get my husband to fill http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/01/finally-snow.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-3405198613230170095Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:55:00 +00002026-01-21T09:00:23.491-06:00From My NeedlesKnittingMy ChildrenPoetryMy Top Ten Tips for Socializing Real Kittens♥♥♥    Once upon a time, long long ago, three little kittens needed some mittens. Although their momma was still a novice knitter, she took on the challenge. She followed Kelly's Mitten Class from KnitPicks. She began with the oldest and proceeded to the youngest.  The results weren't exactly perfect. In fact, her young son's mittenshttp://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/01/knitting-mittens-for-my-kittens.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-5887043645056172639Fri, 02 Jan 2026 23:36:00 +00002026-01-21T07:59:26.774-06:00My Christian Faith Have you made a new year's resolution or two or ten?I haven't this year.    I have thought about what I'd like my life to look like. I want more community in my life. That fell off in 2020, when we left the church we'd been in for many years. We were overworked in that church. It made both my husband and I timid about getting over involved again in our new church. The result http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2026/01/a-new-year.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-5835040504226536721Wed, 31 Dec 2025 22:58:00 +00002025-12-31T16:58:07.752-06:00ChristmasDepressionMy FaithThrifty & Frugal Hard times don't take a Christmas vacation.Loss of a loved one, family strife, natural disasters, a frightening diagnosis, loneliness, and financial stress can all contribute to our hard times.I know several people who really stretch their money to make ends meet. There's only so much elastic in a dollar bill you know. I've been testing that stretch capacity full-time for nearly forty yearshttp://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2023/12/are-you-facing-hard-times-story-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-4593408165455678589Sun, 07 Dec 2025 01:50:00 +00002025-12-06T19:50:05.262-06:00Christmas    Hello everyone! So, how's it coming along?    Today, the 6th, was my deadline for Christmas decorating. As often is the case, the best laid plans of mice and moms often go awry. ~smile~ I did a ton of laundry today. Blankets and towels along with the regular laundry. I once heard it called Mount Neverest. I thought that would end when my kids left home. Nope, http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2025/12/sending-you-little-christmas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-4844736718832726636Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:54:00 +00002025-12-05T16:54:00.110-06:00Christmas Are you a Kringler?I am.I've been hiding and Kringling for years.What is Kringling?Kringling is what I call the time when I go into my bedroom, lock the door, and sew, create and wrap gifts. When my children were young, and living at home, I made it clear that if they came in and saw what I was doing, it would be given to someone else instead. Consequently, no one tried to peek. ~smilehttp://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2024/12/just-what-is-kringling.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4659572515687798778.post-3227482237824326055Thu, 04 Dec 2025 11:09:00 +00002025-12-04T05:09:17.873-06:00ChristmasThrifty & Frugal    Don't let yourself feel bad over a slim budget. We all have years like that. I've never had a big or even average budget. We've always had good Christmases, though. I have a friend whose family had a Thrifted Christmas last year. No new gifts were allowed unless they were made by the giver. I think that was an absolutely fabulous idea.     I've always used http://harvestlanecottage.blogspot.com/2025/12/a-slim-christmas-budget.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage)14