The Way – A.M. Pine – Hearth Ridge Reflections

What’s currently in my quiet time bag…✨

October 12, 2026 amyofhearthridge3 Comments

I really love the daily rhythm of getting up to make coffee, read Scripture, journal, and dip into a few devotional or slow reads. It happens MOST mornings.

Here’s what’s in my bag currently, this changes constantly except for the journals and Holy Bible, those are always present.

Every couple of years, I get a new journaling Bible because I fill them up! I try new translations, occasionally. I’m really enjoying this one! The floral journal is a prayer diary etc. This is very personal, not always pretty, but I love seeing God’s faithfulness. I don’t write in it everyday because I use the margins in the journaling Bible, too. But if I need more space or want to “get something off my chest”, I use the journal.

There’s often pens and highlighters, plus I just started a new five year journal this year! I usually list a bit of the day or gratitudes!

My husband’s grandmother’s prayer book! I’d like to read through this soon. That’s a print of her wedding I’m using as a bookmark.

A few books I’m slowly dipping into currently. As Kingfishers Catch Fire is new-to-me collection of sermons and I’ve never completely read Rose from Briar by Amy Carmichael. The other two are rereads, a beautiful daily devotional and a health book.

My cute tote holds it all, so I can sit wherever I need to! I had to make it mobile with remodeling.

What’s on your quiet time stack? Do you have specific times/things you like to include?

Happy Monday! ✨♥️

Peek into my Public Library Stack (Part 2) and Reading Mood Shift and Random Thoughts 📚✨

October 6, 2026 amyofhearthridge6 Comments

Creepy books I checked out to try! I’m still mostly interested in ***Labyrinth*** and ***The Poe Shadow. T***hat’s because the are historical mysteries with archaeological/ephemera elements.

Waiting for the 3rd in Hierarchy Series so I tried the author’s backlist. Not what I want at this time!

A seasonal friend recommendation and a retelling of sorts from an author I’ve enjoyed before.

✨Just like that I feel sick of my darker, adventurous mystery/sci fi titles I’ve been checking out of the library and I’m turning more to my cozy, comfortable reads. What are your go-to types of books when in need of something comforting? 🥰♥️☕️ Some books I choose to stick it out with and be disciplined. My light reading, I’m much more flexible with quitting if I’m not ‘feeling’ it. Do you read every book you start to the end?

I’m thinking classic-feeling, character-driven, children’s literature, cozy mysteries, and of course, continuing my Victorian literature selections for Victober. I have plenty of Victorian classics choices to keep me going all autumn and into winter! I also have plenty of favorite niche type book stacks around my room, many of them on my 50×50 list. Also Im a big rereader of favorites for comfort. I’m hoping I can keep this mood up for the rest of the year!

I’ve been reading the Holy Bible in New Living Translation this year and I’m loving it so much! I just finished Hebrews and was blown away with its challenging beauty. 😍♥️✨🙏🏻

I’m seriously decluttering my online stuff. I go in spurts with reading apps and social sites. It’s time to let a lot of it go. I’m truly an analog lover and my energy levels need to be turned toward home and those around me. It gives me more brain breathing space, too, to write regularly, collage, walk, dabble in photography, journal, and write pen pals, which are all things I love!

It’s a gorgeous day, blustery, and sunny here! ✨Happiest Tuesday to you! ♥️

Monday Ponderings 🧡💛🤎

September 21, 2026 amyofhearthridgeLeave a comment

*•loving* the deep character studies in *The Virginian•*

Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me – a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.

2 Timothy 1:13-14 🤎💛🧡

The Simple Woman’s Daybook ✨🍂

September 9, 2026 amyofhearthridge7 Comments

New puzzle and The Silver Chair audiobook! 😍♥️

FOR TODAY~

Outside my window… ✨sunny and cool! Gorgeous! I wish I could mow/weed-whack but already have a lot going on. It’s been raining a lot and so I’m behind on yard work.

I am thinking…✨of my tween/teen girls class I’m teaching at church tonight! Our Charlotte Mason co op beginning tomorrow! Cleaning projects! Books to be read! 😅

I am thankful for…✨my new refrigerator! Even if it cut into remodeling budget. 🙃♥️👀

From the kitchen…✨I’m making sweet 🌽 corn for lunch and need to get sloppy joes in crockpot as we have church. I attempted a cake for my hubby and I’s anniversary this week. It was WAY more difficult (and too sweet) than I anticipated and was a bit of a flop. The kids ate it all, anyway! 😂♥️👀

I am creating…✨reading journal 📓 spreads and filling in September pages ~

Working on these, too! Back to Hogwarts!

My favorite readathon is COMING. I’m starting now! 🍂✨*Dr.Wortle’s School* is my first pick with my IRL bookclub! 😍

I’m never going to read those all, but fun to dream! 😂

I am going…✨ nowhere until church, working on homeschool lessons, church lessons, cooking etc.

I am wearing…✨heather gray knockoff 😅 Arirang World Tour Tshirt and green cargo pants, sandals and pearl earrings. Probably will change into something different for church!

I am reading…✨many things, but mainly excited about The Brothers Karamazov and starting Victorian things!

Here’s where I’m at in Bros K! 😎🤣👀 I’m loving it!

I am hoping…✨ to get ahead on some outside responsibilities stuff, revive my lagging health goals, and work on helping with the next step in our remodeling. 🫣😅🥵

I am hearing…✨my hubby shuffling papers in his home office. 😅

Around the house…✨messes and mayhem! 😅♥️Two children just came back from taking garbage to our dump. We have dishes etc to catch up on and the refrigerator switch out. We have more school to tackle and a little church prep, still.

One of my favorite things… ✨the golden, blues, browns, and greens of September! 🌾🍂🍃🌻

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…✨ Homeschool co op! A movie night with my 7 yo! “Relaxation” this weekend. 😅♥️

Here is a picture thought I am sharing for you…

Hope your week is going well! ✨♥️🌻

Mondays Ponderings 🍃🍂

September 7, 2026 amyofhearthridgeLeave a comment

Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he can’t distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures, and sinks to bestiality in his vices, all from continual lying to other men and to himself. The man who lies to himself can be more easily offended than any one. You know it is sometimes very pleasant to take offense, isn’t it? A man may know that nobody has insulted him, but that he has invented the insult for himself, has lied and exaggerated to make it picturesque, has caught at a word and made a mountain out of a molehill-he knows that himself, yet he will be the first to take offense, and will revel in his resentment till he feels great pleasure in it, and so pass to genuine vindictiveness.

The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky, p.48-49

Youch. 🥲♥️ 🙏🏻 Slowly reading a chapter or two of this amazing book after my morning prayer time! Happy Monday!

•leave it all•

August 26, 2026 amyofhearthridge3 Comments

I replied, “But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the LORD’s hand; I will trust God for my reward.”

Isaiah 49:4, NLT

Book Questions ☕️ {Part 4}

August 25, 2026 amyofhearthridge5 Comments

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

{I saw some book questions on an Instagram account called PensandPoison (I like SOME of her stuff, she’s a bit too clickbait-y for me) recently and have been having a lot of fun thinking about my answers. I think she answered them using all fiction, but I’m using everything to answer! I adapted these questions for me. It is a lot of questions and as usual, I can’t have just one answer 🤣, so I’ll be breaking this up into parts! I’d love to hear your answers and I hope you may find a new favorite if you try any of these!}

Lovely collection of nature poems and essays by a wide range of women!

♥️favorite poem~ I have SO many favorites, but Wendell Berry’s collection ‘Peace of Wild Things’ is an absolute favorite. Robert MacFarlane’s The Lost Spells is a family favorite. Currently, Emily Dickinson’s ‘If I Could Stop One Heart’ poem is probably my favorite.

♥️favorite first chapter ~ probably The Hobbit. 🥹😍🥰♥️

♥️favorite closing chapter ~ The Book of Revelations from The Holy Bible. Wowsers!

♥️favorite literary friendships ~ this is unbelievably hard. Betsy, Tacy, and Tib, Anne and Diana, Molly and Mr. Gibson, I could go on for an hour! 😅♥️

♥️favorite literary romance ~ (spoilers 😅) Anne Eliot and Captain Wentworth, Anne and Gilbert, Darcy and Elizabeth, Laura and Almanzo, Molly and Roger, I could go on and on… there are so many! These are the first that come to mind.

♥️most unforgettable scene ~ the Persuasion letter by Captain Wentworth.

♥️best narrator ~ I’m enjoying Ishmael’s POV of the whaling world in Moby Dick currently. Otherwise, I’ve loved Richard Armitage’s audiobook narration of various classics.

♥️book I wished had a sequel ~ a 5th book in The Mirror Visitor Series would be nice to tie up the ending more.

♥️book that has intimidated me the most ~ anything by George Eliot, Don Quixote, The Divine Comedy, anything Russian 😅, The Odyssey and Iliad. Lonesome Dove!

♥️hardest book I’ve ever finished ~ The Divine Comedy– woohoo! 🎉

I highly recommend this epistolary story between two cousins that has Cinderella and Beauty & the Beast vibes! Very well-written, slow paced. 🥰♥️

How about you? What are your answers to these 10 questions above? What are you currently loving reading? Any good magazines lately? I may get a subscription for Christmas and don’t know what to pick! 😅♥️🥰Happy Reading!

Monday Ponderings ♥️🌿

August 10, 2026 amyofhearthridge6 Comments

Sauté zucchini with browned and drained sausage! Add s&p and red pepper flakes to taste! So good! 😋

Good Monday morning to you all! Getting a late start! I’m on a little accidental reading/planning retreat and I’m not complaining. 😅♥️🌿 I was thinking about all the unread books I own! 😫😱🤣 A small project I’d like to start which works well with my 50×50 list is to start reading my owned books. I get a lot from the public library or Little Free Libraries, but would like to prioritize books I own. I also reread favorites quite a bit. I was shocked that in my bedroom alone, I had over 100 books I haven’t read! 😂🙃 I had even more that I have read and want to reread. 😱So in full disclosure, I made myself write out the unread ones in my room. Eeep!

Let’s not even talk about my Kindle. 😂 Those don’t bother me as much, but I’d like to be conscious about not just getting ebooks because they are cheap or free.

This project is for fun and also a little challenge to myself as I’ve been thinking a-lot about how I can use my time and energy enjoying what I already have or creating meals or art instead of chasing something ‘out there’. Does this mean I will quit book buying/borrowing? No! I so enjoy browsing and discovering treasures. I’ve already seen myself naturally start to slow book buying over the years because of our home library being so rich. What a blessing to be able to draw from our shelves life giving words. I want to be able to choose myself how my time is used and be led by the Holy Spirit instead of social media or ‘experts’. This applies to many areas of my life, but this is one small area I can slowly make concrete changes. I can give myself ‘things to look forward to’ in nature experiences with my kids, photography, shopping our own home shelves, being creative with meals, rearranging and freshening what we have! Putting those puzzles together, using up those craft supplies, the list goes on and on! It’s actually kind of exciting.

♥️ Any thoughts?

Little Pockets ✨

August 5, 2026 amyofhearthridge2 Comments

Slowly catching my breath • little pockets of goodness • catching up with things and people needing attention • trying to press into the Lord’s peace~ ✨🌿☕️♥️

The Simple Woman’s Daybook ♥️🌿✨

July 29, 2026 amyofhearthridge3 Comments

I used to participate in this blog link up on my old blog YEARS ago! I don’t think it’s done officially anymore, but loved reading them, so unofficially joining here. My Wednesday Wonders post is inspired by this original one! Thank you to the original creator wherever you are! ♥️✨

FOR TODAY~
~Outside my window… it’s gorgeous! Less humidity, sunny and smells so summery!

~I am thinking…about the wedding in a few days! I’m thinking about time flying…😭♥️

I am thankful for…so many things! Today though, for my hubby who works so hard. He puts up with my crazy moods. 😭😆🤣☠️

From the kitchen…not much! It’s been so hot and busy, my cooking is uninspired currently. Brats, hotdogs and watermelon a lot these days. My aunt made delicious food during our visit and I helped by adding fruits and veggies. 🤣

I am creating…just been working on my reading journal a tiny bit. Looking forward to after the wedding to do some writing and penpal-ing.

I am going…nowhere really. 😆 My hubby and I may sneak out for a quick date tomorrow? Maybe get some BBQ and a salad?

I am wearing… blue jeans, black & white patterned button down short sleeve shirt, brown slide sandals, antique-looking cream teardrop stud earrings.

I am reading…a million and one things, but primarily, Sense & Sensibility.

I am hoping…that the wrinkles disappear from these wedding outfits I’m attempting to steam. 🤣🙃🤓

I am hearing…A/C gurgling and blowing.

Around the house…it’s quiet! Children are either working, getting nails done, on a picnic, etc! Hubby working. It’s actually strangely quiet.

One of my favorite things…TWO fat penpal letters in the post today!!! 😍♥️🌿✨

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…steaming clothing, writing 3 minute speech, decorating, and getting myself plus two boys ready for wedding! 💒 Cooking in there, too! 😏

Here is a picture thought I am sharing for you…

Monday Ponderings at the Lake {Day 100} ✨♥️🌿

July 27, 2026July 27, 2026 amyofhearthridge4 Comments

A quick visit to my aunt and uncle’s home has been so peaceful and perfect before things pick up this weekend. Praying for a yielded and submissive heart to the Holy Spirit’s soft whispers. ✨♥️🌿🙏🏻 This ends my 100 Day Project, I didn’t quite do 100 days posting consecutively, but I really grew to love chatting and being purposeful about seeing my blessings. Hope to keep going here. How are you doing? ~