Category: God/Jesus

Appreciation, Books, Christianity, Faith, Finances, God/Jesus, Gratitude, Healing, Homesteading, Prayer, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Writing

Vows

Lisa Burbank

“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.” (Ecclesiastes 5:4)

I’ve made a few vows over the years. You know how it is. You get down on your luck, the path forward turns bumpy and harsh. You start that wheeling and dealing thing with God: “If You will help me with x, I will do y.”

He saved my homestead last summer. My vow was to shout my gratitude from the rooftops if He did. Yes, I’ve expressed my gratitude openly in person with friends and family members. But I’ve been remiss regarding my blog.

Yes, the blog still needs work. There are still some posts that I’d like to take down, posts that do not serve either my own purposes, this community’s, or likely, even God’s anymore. They’re mostly of a political or social nature and will better serve the community over at my “other” blog…in time. Others are repetitious laments cried out during last year’s battle against foreclosure but, in this case, I feel like maybe they do serve a purpose: they’re a reminder of the spiritual, physical and financial rut that I was mired in for far too long. They’re also a reminder of where He’s been leading me since. How can I not express gratitude for such a humbling experience? And how can I not lay credit at the feet of the One who led me through that quagmire…and out the backside of it?

As always, I am very careful not to mention by name my place of employment. Suffice to say, if you’re new to this blog, that in addition to being a writer, blogger, herbalist and homesteader, I am also a library director. And I absolutely LOVE what I do! That’s a blessing I never expected. Nor did I ever expect to be using nearly every skill I’ve ever learned in life to fulfill that responsibility: inventory management, cataloging, historical interpretation, writing, research, budgeting. I’m even teaching American Sign Language to our Juvenile Book Club members. That’s a good feeling. I work with a great bunch of people, too, and that’s even more of a blessing.

In addition to work, I have two more classes before I graduate with my MFA in Creative Writing. These last couple of classes are intense, to say the least. My thesis is the completion of my first novel. And, as such, I am obligated to write 15,000 new words to turn in every 4 weeks. I really didn’t think I had it in me but, once I got myself into a better writing “habit”, as they say, well, I can’t say it was easy, but it’s certainly better. I actually look forward to writing each day. Praise the Lord for that one!

On the home front, I haven’t done much by way of homesteading. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons that a.) I haven’t kept up with my writing here and b.) I’ve been so repetitive in my posts. Not to belittle the very real stress and anxiety associated with the foreclosure process, but I haven’t invested the time needed to make this a working homestead.

And it will be.

There’s still a zoning issue to clear. Or perhaps just throw in the towel on doing so here and, once my credit score is back up again, look into selling and then buying something where the zoning won’t be an issue. Or, another possibility is to scale back on that big dream of mine–not giving it up entirely, but making it more manageable.

Of course, God doesn’t plan small so maybe I shouldn’t either…just look at Job.

And there’s the thing that I am truly shouting for joy over: that little piece inside of my soul that can finally rest and wait for the Lord to act. It’s His will, not my own. What does He want me to do? More importantly, this knowing that I can give it all to Him to carry. I no longer have to.

I praise Him both in the storm…and in the calm.

May God bless you & keep you!

Brothers & Sisters, Christianity, Exhaustion, Faith, Finances, God/Jesus, Spirituality, Writing

Beware of What You Wish For

Lisa Burbank

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)

I asked the Lord to teach me patience some years’ back. Wow. Is He ever!

Okay, maybe that’s not something to beware of since it is also His way of strengthening my faith in Him. He’s teaching me patience (or maybe I have a cross to bear in the form of insanity). Every time I get close to the finish line, so to speak, something else happens and I’m still staring at it from afar.

My trial modification for my mortgage has been completed. I received the final agreement. I have two good friends who are notaries. One of them has taken time away from an ailing father twice already to witness my signature. And she’s coming out again on Friday to do it a third time. The reason? The bank has been sending in their final paperwork rather than standard Connecticut papers. Theirs are so poorly done that even their lawyers called them out on what is, essentially, a technicality that they created. My friend has done her job and done it well. However, there’s a piece that looks like fine print that also needs her signature and seal. Long story short, my final meeting with them to finalize all of this has been pushed out another month.

Seriously?

Yes, I know. Patience. It’s a virtue and all that. I’m starting to wonder if “virtue” is really all that it’s cracked up to be.

(insert heavy sigh here)

And I suppose that’s the end of my rant this time. Same ol’, same ol’. To say it is getting old is to point at the obvious. However, we will prevail. I may still be short on patience but I also still have faith. He’s got this.

And because He does, so do I.

PS On the upside, my finals in Short Story Writing were last week; perfect score and a recommendation from the instructor to try and publish the short story I’d written for that final. I’ll keep you posted on that one!

May God bless you & keep you!

Brothers & Sisters, Christianity, Environment, Faith, God/Jesus, Herbs, Holistic Health, Homesteading, Nature, Plants, Prayer, Self-esteem

Wednesday’s “Weed” Walk: A Re-Cap of My First “Live” Weed Walk

Lisa Burbank

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

On Saturday, June 3, 2023 I found myself staring down Imposter Syndrome with more resolve than real strength and conviction. I had prepared for this…but maybe not enough. Maybe I didn’t know enough herbs. Maybe I didn’t know enough about them. I took notes. Would they see me as more of a fraud if I had to use them? I didn’t study the notes enough. I didn’t memorize every fact, fable, or theory about each plant. I didn’t know every. Single. Plant. In the forest.

Dang! Who am I to call myself an herbalist?

Salvation came whilst standing in the short strip of meadow while waiting for everyone to join me for this “weed” walk. There at my feet were two of my best known—and loved—herbs: a dandelion, and plantain. This last is not the banana-shaped fruit found in many grocery stores. It is a type of crabgrass. And the dandelion? There’s a reason my Jillian is holding a dandelion in her mouth as part of The Herbal Hare icon. I’ve been drawn to dandelions since the day I took my first steps…or near abouts. My mother and grandmothers all had little Dixie cups filled with dandelion blossoms lining their windowsills when I was a kid.

Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)

Relax. Breathe. I’ve got this…at least with these two.

From there, I led a small group of 6—counting the lovely Australian shepherd who joined us for the walk; she said she got all of this, too—through myriad forest paths, up steep inclines and over rocky, dried-out streambeds. And, while there were a few stretches where that Imposter Syndrome kept trying to creep in again (we had about a 10 minute walk along paths lined with nothing but poison ivy, jewelweed, and Virginia creeper), I found enough to keep it interesting. There was even a note of praise on the library’s Facebook page later that day for the fun everyone had learning about some of the plants that share our little corner of Connecticut.

Here’s a recap of what we saw: Plantain (Plantago lanceolate), Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis), Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora), Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), Cleavers (Galium aperine), Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), Hairy Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum pubescens), Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), Buttercup (Ranunculus acris), Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) and Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica). It might be fun over the next few weeks to feature each of these for a Wednesday’s Weed Walk—except the Dandelion and Plantain. I think I’ve done at least two blog posts for each; I’ll have to put a link to them in the coming weeks. 😉

May God bless you & keep you!

Christianity, Compassion, Exhaustion, Faith, Forgiveness, God/Jesus, Gratitude, Healing, Prayer, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality

Remembering the Sabbath Day

Lisa Burbank

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

I missed church yesterday. I knew before I went to bed the night before that I probably wouldn’t make it to church in the morning. I guess you could say it was “pre-planned”.

No, fire and brimstone didn’t rain down upon my head but, the guilt crept in anyway. I have so much to be thankful for right now. I should be showing those thanks by going to worship Him, praising Him, for carrying me through one of the toughest storms I’ve ever weathered. The praise, the thanksgiving—all of it is in my heart. I think He knows that (hope?).

But I stayed home. I finished my homework and made a small dent in the laundry instead—secular concerns.

No, they’re not more important than Him. I hope He knows that, too. But I needed a break. Not from Jesus, not from God, or His grace, for nothing restores my soul like He does. I needed a break from simply having to be somewhere at a certain time. My get up and go, got up and went, as the saying goes. Life has been nonstop these days. It’s all good things: new job that I love; writing classes that are getting more and more interesting; getting back into a better blogging routine and seeing some uptick in subscribers, likes, and views; an old friend back in my life who is proving to be a rock, helping me to get back on my feet far quicker than I could ever do by myself…thanks be to God!

But I still missed church.

There’s still a part of me thinking I’m Supergirl. Instead, some better time management would solve most of my problems. I wouldn’t get overwhelmed as often. And my soul that is always thirsting for His word, would be quenched with those living waters each week. Also, remembering that He is a loving God. He rested on the 7th day. Sometimes the body, mind, and/or spirit is weary and needs that 7th day to rest, just as our Lord did. And that’s okay…as long as I don’t make it a habit.

I am reminded of Shel Silverstein’s most excellent children’s book, The Giving Tree. Like the old tree stump that is left at the end of the book, I’ve given all I have and there is nothing left to give. (That may be a paraphrase) Well, I’m not entirely at that point but, I am certainly familiar with that kind of burnout and, as I scratch and crawl my way back from total ruin, I am well aware that burnout could come back all too easily to bite me in the proverbial backside. Better time management, learning to pace myself, and remembering that He loves me even when I am weak, these are some of the many lessons He has taught me in this storm.

And I praise Him for it!

May God bless you & keep you!

Works Cited

Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree. Harper & Row, 1964.

Brothers & Sisters, Emergency Preparedness, God/Jesus, Healing, Herbs, Holistic Health, Homesteading, Nature, Plants, Prepping, Scripture

Wednesday’s Weed Walk: (Toxicodendron radicans)

Lisa Burbank

Then one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, for they did not know what they were. So they poured it out for the men to eat. And as they were eating of the stew, they cried out and said, ‘O man of God, there is death in the pot.’ And they were unable to eat.” (2 Kings 4:39-40)

No, I’m not poisoning anyone. I’ve been poisoned…by poison ivy.

I spent the three day weekend doing yardwork with a friend. As many of you know, we’ve had both intermittent running water and an intermittent electrical line. Sometimes we have lights upstairs; sometimes, not. It seems to be most prevalent when it’s windy out. So our friend, who noticed some tree limbs hitting the power line coming into the house, decided to climb up the ladder and cut the offending limbs. I held the ladder…while standing in a patch of poison ivy.

So far, it’s not too bad. Itchy, yes. But it’s staying around the calf area only…unlike a few years ago when arms, legs, and even my face got nailed with it.

So what does an herbalist do?

Most of you probably know this little beauty:

It is (Impatiens capensis) or, as it is more commonly known, Jewelweed. Jewelweed is quite the prolific spreader. It likes both woodland and moist areas, or so I’ve heard, though it seems just as content growing along roadsides, too. Interestingly, it is also often found growing alongside poison ivy; nature, when left to her own devices, often provides both the malady and cure side-by-side. But that’s neither here nor there. Inside it’s hollow stem is a watery mucilage. Just break it open and pat (do not rub) along any skin that may have come in contact with poison ivy (use a new stem for each area if more than one possibly infected). Often it is enough to prevent a breakout of the dreaded rash to begin with.

I, unfortunately, did not do that.

However, the stems can be chopped up, placed in a double boiler (see how to improvise without a double boiler Here) and slow simmered with a lid on for a couple of hours (keep a close eye that they do not scorch). Gently dab on the offending rash.

An alternative is to make an infusion (you can learn more about infusions at the same hyperlink above) of spearmint (Mentha spicata) leaves. You can gently dab the infusion on the same as with Jewelweed or, as I did this morning, I poured half of the infusion into a cup and added enough baking soda to make a paste. This keeps the infusion from dripping and the baking soda will help to dry it up the rash. Sadly, while this last will help clear it up faster, it has to be reapplied frequently to reduce the itch.

(Mentha spicata) Spearmint leaves

May God bless you & keep you!

Creativity, Emergency Preparedness, Faith, Folklore, Gaia, gardening, God/Jesus, Healing, Herbs, History, Holistic Health, Homesteading, Nature, Plants, Self-esteem, Self-improvement

A Saturday Weed Walk

Lisa Burbank

“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” (Psalm 16: 5-6)

This one is live! As in, in-person…my first!

To say that I’m not feeling a bit of that “Imposter Syndrome” would be a lie. Yes, I am a certified herbalist…and a Master Gardener. Yes, I do know how to use herbs and make medicine, health & beauty aids. I know how to use herbs for scent and I have at least a rudimentary knowledge of how to make dyes with some. And, yes, there are certain ones I can readily identify in the wild.

However, a recent walk through the nature trail that I will be working from at this live event revealed there are a lot of plants I don’t know. And, in this particular setting, there wasn’t a huge variety of plants…outside of some invasive species. That being said, I identified enough that I can put together an interesting walk.

At least I hope so…

Again, “Imposter Syndrome”–I am plagued with doubts. However, if I was too cocky and sure of myself, that would be the road to failure. A little nervousness is to be expected and, like all things, the more often I do this, the more comfortable I’ll get with it…and, in the future, I’ll make it a point to plan more “weed” walks through abandoned lots and sunny meadows rather than deep woods and dappled sunlight since most of the herbs I’m most familiar with are typically grown in sunnier locales. ;o)

Despite my nerves, I’m looking forward to the challenge of creating a fun and interesting experience for everyone who decides to join me on the walk.

If you live in northeastern Connecticut, the “weed” walk is part of an event being hosted by the Brooklyn Middle School in Brooklyn, CT between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, 2023. Wear your walking shoes because the terrain is uneven, rocky in places, full of roots ready to trip you up, and steep in some areas.

May God bless you & keep you!

Animals, Christianity, God/Jesus, Healing, Herbs, Holistic Health, Homesteading, illness, Nature, Plants

Wednesday Weed Walk – Oils & Salves

Lisa Burbank

“Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing herb on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” (Genesis 1:29)

Another way you can use herbs is by decocting them in oil. This can be for culinary purposes to dress up some salad greens, or used topically to help heal cuts and scrapes, and moisturize the skin.

A few weeks’ ago I talked about using the double-boiler method to decoct herbs for medicine. Here we will use the same method but, instead of covering the herbs in the top pan with water, as we did in the previous post, we will cover them with some sort of oil.

Please do NOT use canola, sunflower, safflower, corn, or vegetable oil for this purpose; ditto for Crisco. All burn too hot and risk scorching the herbs, rendering them useless. The idea is to gently warm the oil, not fry the herbs. Olive, sweet almond, and grapeseed oils work best for this.

For those who may have missed the earlier post, if you don’t have a double-boiler, using a pair of sauce pans where one is slightly smaller than the other will suffice. You fill the larger pan about 1 1/2” – 2” with water then nestle the smaller sauce pan inside. There should be enough water in the bottom pan that the smaller sauce pan floats, but not so much that any water comes over the rim of it. You then measure your herbs into the smaller pan and, in this case, cover them with your oil of choice. Put a lid on it and slowly simmer for approximately 45 minutes, taking care that the oil doesn’t evaporate too much and the herbs do not scorch (as can happen even with these lighter oils); feel free to give them the occasional stir while they simmer, taking care to put the lid back on them as soon as you’re done. The medicinal properties will escape with the steam if the lid is left off.

As with a regular decoction, we also don’t use Teflon-coated pans, or cast iron, when making oils or salves. Both can leach into the final product. Teflon, if I remember correctly, has carcinogenic properties. It also flakes and chips and, even if new, there are chemicals in it that are best left out of either food or medicine. Cast iron is a great tool for cooking, but it can alter the medicinal properties of herbs, possibly changing their efficacy. I recommend either stainless steel, or enamel, when working with herbs.

If making an oil, simply strain the oil into a clean and sterile jar once it cools and store it in a cool, dark place until needed.

Herbs, such as plantain (not the banana-like fruit but the oft-mistaken-as-crab-grass) (Plantago major or Plantago lanceolata), are good for drawing out infection, slivers, and other foreign matter. Calendula (Calendula officinalis) works well for treating bruises, cuts and burns, as well as the minor infections they cause. St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) fights inflammation and has antibacterial properties; it’s also a good sunblock when used topically. Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) helps new skin cells grow, reducing scarring. Equal measures of each, simmered in an oil, and massaged into the skin before a shower, or bath, works as well as any spa treatment for combating dry skin, and even wrinkles, leaving your skin healthy, supple and glowing. The combination also works well for cuts, burns, scrapes, scratches, and rashes, including diaper rash, although you may want to take it a step further and make it into a salve, or ointment for this last purpose.

To turn your oil into a salve, once the oil has simmered for 45 minutes, leave it on low heat and melt approximately ¾” to 1” square of clean beeswax into the oil, stirring constantly to get a creamy consistency. Once the wax has melted completely, add a drop or two of vitamin E oil (2 capsules should suffice for an 8 oz. canning jar), stir, and pour it into clean jars (or tubes; you can make a great lip balm for chapped lips in winter this way, too).

A word of caution: do NOT pour any beeswax down your drain; you will stop it up. Do NOT wash any pans or utensils in the sink that have had beeswax melted in them; same reason. Take anything used for melting the beeswax outside and pour boiling water over it repeatedly until the wax has been scalded off. Beeswax is safe for the environment and will do no harm poured into the grass or dirt this way. Another thing to bear in mind is that beeswax is highly flammable. The little flame at the top of a candle is of little concern but, please pay close attention while heating on the stove. Put the phone down, avoid distractions. A friend of mine once burned his mother’s kitchen down because he left some beeswax melting unattended on the stove and went to answer the phone…back in the day when we still had push button and rotaries on the wall and were attached to a cord…(I’m showing my age…)

May God bless you & keep you!

PS You can modify the above salve to use for animals, too. Omit the calendula and St. John’s wort (they may lick the salve and these two should not be ingested by animals). Simply use equal parts of plantain and comfrey and follow the rest of the directions above. My Mom swears by it for our animals.

Plantago major (Plantain)
Symphytum officinale (Comfrey)
Calendula officinalis (Calendula) (Yahoo Images)
Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort) (Yahoo Images)

Works Cited

“Calendula.” Image. Yahoo Images, The Spruce, 2023. https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=images%2C+calendula&fr=mcafee&type=E211US0G0&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thespruce.com%2Fthmb%2Fya4XvTRXaP-lCwxTXQ89Zkmac7M%3D%2F1874x0%2Ffilters%3Ano_upscale%28%29%3Amax_bytes%28150000%29%3Astrip_icc%28%29%2Fgrowing-and-using-calendula-1402626-26-f3f6f07fcc594a79b1a792f863a4a8e6.jpg#id=19&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thespruce.com%2Fthmb%2Fya4XvTRXaP-lCwxTXQ89Zkmac7M%3D%2F1874x0%2Ffilters%3Ano_upscale%28%29%3Amax_bytes%28150000%29%3Astrip_icc%28%29%2Fgrowing-and-using-calendula-1402626-26-f3f6f07fcc594a79b1a792f863a4a8e6.jpg&action=click

“St. John’s wort.” Image. Yahoo Images, Premier Seeds Direct, 2023. https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrNPwMJs2RkeVsfr.KJzbkF;_ylu=c2VjA3NlYXJjaARzbGsDYnV0dG9u;_ylc=X1MDOTYwNjI4NTcEX3IDMgRmcgNtY2FmZWUEZnIyA3A6cyx2OmksbTpzYi10b3AEZ3ByaWQDNXcyeVpSbWhUcmVGektGYlN2OENXQQRuX3JzbHQDMARuX3N1Z2cDMgRvcmlnaW4DaW1hZ2VzLnNlYXJjaC55YWhvby5jb20EcG9zAzAEcHFzdHIDBHBxc3RybAMwBHFzdHJsAzIzBHF1ZXJ5A2ltYWdlcyUyQyUyMFN0LiUyMEpvaG4ncyUyMFdvcnQEdF9zdG1wAzE2ODQzMjEyMjg-?p=images%2C+St.+John%27s+Wort&fr=mcafee&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Ai%2Cm%3Asb-top&ei=UTF-8&x=wrt&type=E211US0G0#id=5&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.premierseedsdirect.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F09%2F60501429.jpg&action=click

Abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animals, Brothers & Sisters, Christianity, Compassion, Exhaustion, Faith, Frugality, God/Jesus, Gratitude, Herbs, Homesteading, Minimalism, Politics, Prayer, Prepping, Proofreading, Religion, Scripture, Spinning, Weaving, Writing, YouTube

Going Forward

Lisa Burbank

“You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry–now restore us! You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fracturs, for it is quaking. You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger. But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Selah” (Psalm 60: 1-4)

            The water’s out again. It’s happening more frequently these days. We’ll have running water for a few days, and then the taps will run dry for 2, 3…one time 9 days’ straight. We’ve considered that a combination of local drought, mixed with the flood we had last year, may have run the well dry—or semi-dry. That’s a scary thought but, a credible one. Of course, it could still be that I need to replace the pump, or the resident rodent population chewed a wire somewhere. At this point, we simply don’t know. And the means to find out exactly what’s wrong, and actually get it fixed, is beyond me at the moment. We could be talking tens of thousands of dollars when all is said and done.

As I said in a previous post, I am bodaciously tired of all of this. The struggle has become unbearable. Moving would be our best option. This may be home but, home needs way more TLC than I can give it to make it comfortable and safe again. The problem is my credit is toast at this point. Can I hang in here long enough to rebuild my credit before home becomes completely uninhabitable? We’re almost there now.

            So many things, so many worries…I still have some juvenile felines that need spaying. The roof still leaks. Even when the water runs, there’s no hot water; the tank died a year and a half ago. We heat water for bathing on the stove…or rather the hot plate. The stove no longer works either. The house is a fright. This last because I’ve allowed depression to get the better of me. The task is too enormous and there never seems to be enough time. It’s nothing some serious elbow grease wouldn’t fix but, still, it can be overwhelming with all that needs doing and fixing. I’d love to rent the biggest dumpster imaginable and just toss almost everything in it, start anew, and less is best.

            On the plus side, my friend’s little boy made his First Communion yesterday. What a cause for rejoicing! His little face was aglow as he accepted the body of Christ for the first time. Quite a lot of extended family came to church to celebrate with him, including his older brother home from college. The only downside was the low number of children making that First Communion. I praise God for the 5 who received it. However, I remember the long line of children making their First Communion when I was a child. Sad that people do not make religious education a priority today. Maybe we’d have fewer shootings, fewer suicides, less drug addiction and abuse. Maybe not but, even a tiny seed of hope planted in the heart can do wonders. That’s what Jesus does for you; He fills you with hope. When you have Him, no earthly concern can truly hurt you.

            I’m also doing a weed walk next month, my first. I hope to create new business cards beforehand so I can pass them out to any who join the walk. I’m hoping to build a local following before I start uploading videos to YouTube. I want to get comfortable with the teaching aspect of it before I have to do it on camera. There’s also the whole technical learning curve before YouTube becomes a *thing* in my life. I will, of course, share the link once I finally do hit YouTube. In the meantime, there’s local weed walks and workshops…and a renewed commitment to build a brand through my blogs.

Yes, blogs…with an S.

Most who have been following me for a while know I also have an author’s page. I’m still working on the first novel but, I occasionally do book reviews on my author’s page. I am looking to get more intentional with that, too. The link is https://lisaburbank.wordpress.com

Then there’s the latest blog. This one started as a classroom assignment. We were asked to build a website for selling your product(s) and/or services online as a freelance writer. Well, I confess, I don’t sell any services as a freelance writer. Maybe in time I will. I’m pretty good at editing. And I’m gaining some experience with grant writing since becoming the director of a library. But, as a student, even having scaled back to part-time studies, the time needed to edit another’s work, or assist someone in the grant writing process, would be overwhelming. And, to be honest, when I consider selling those services, it makes more sense to me to do so through my author’s page.

However, that didn’t fly with the professor; I tried. It had to be a new website.

Now that the boring bibliography-about-nothing-in-particular is gone, I can revamp it.

Over the years, The Herbal Hare has been such a hodge-podge of *stuff*. I’m looking to get more intentional with what I include here vs. what should probably go somewhere else. For example, some years’ ago, I wrote a piece about growing up with alcoholism in the home and how it affects the whole family, sometimes for generations. I received a lot of new followers but, it didn’t have anything to do with homesteading, herbs, or prepping, and I lost a lot of those followers who didn’t like the new direction. I’ve also gotten social/political a time or two…and alienated some readers with that. I’m hoping that https://auntielisaspeaks.com will be an alternative. The Herbal Hare will remain a blog about herbs, homesteading, prepping, fiber arts, frugal living, minimalism, antiquated skills, animal husbandry and, yeah, still a bit of a hodge-podge. Homesteading encompasses a lot of ground.

Auntie Lisa Speaks will be one-part memoir, one-part social commentary, and one-part call to action to remember that no matter the issue, there’s a real person on the other end of the screen. Their thoughts and feelings do matter, and their struggles are real. Part of that call to action will also be a call to follow Christ; our country really needs God back at the center of things again.

May God bless you & keep you!

Christianity, Compassion, Emergency Preparedness, Frugality, God/Jesus, Prepping

Frugal Friday: Water Source

Lisa Burbank

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” (Proverbs 13:22)

Having to buy in water can get pretty costly, and it’s certainly not sustainable long-term. A gallon jug of water averages around $1.50 – $2.00 here in Connecticut. I’ve shared how Mom and I have had intermittent water service here at home due to either a faulty well-pump (it’s lasted over 20 years so I guess we’re due to replace soon…), or a chewed wire somewhere. In addition to providing drinking water for Mom and I, we have goats, chickens, ducks, cats, and a feisty old Cockatiel named Smoky Bones for which to provide. We also have to bathe and, well, yes, without a functioning water source, flushing becomes an issue, too.

I may have shared this before but, it bears repeating if I did. With inflation, the threat of both nuclear war, and at least a recession, on the horizon, knowing what to do when the most basic systems go down is pretty important. Of course, if systems go down, this particular source will not be there either but, for lesser disasters, such as the one Mom and I are currently experiencing, it works…at least for the short-term.

Walmart has a refill service.

They have one-, two- and five-gallon jugs that can be refilled in store. I normally take 15 jugs in to refill every couple of days. It’s still an expense I’d rather avoid but, until I can replace/repair everything, it’s considerably less than buying new gallons every few days. You can either purchase a few refillable jugs from the company that provides the reverse osmosis machine, or Walmart will also allow customers to refill their “Great Value” jugs for the same inexpensive price of .39 cents (at least the local Walmart allows this; hopefully, yours does, too). The same 15 gallons costs me less than $6.00…instead of almost $17.00 for new.

Incidentally, many of the cashiers have expressed appreciation for writing “REFILL” on the jugs when you bring them back for refilling; it helps with ringing them up. Otherwise, you might get charged for new ones. I use a regular Sharpie. It shows up big and bold.

I do not wish this existence on anyone but, it’s always good to know where to go, and what to do, when these things do happen.

May God bless you & keep you!

Bereavement, Christianity, Faith, Family, God/Jesus, Grief, Healing

Many Thanks…Again!

Lisa Burbank

“But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.” (Psalm 5:7)

First of all, I want to say “thank you” to everyone for your patience, and for the kind words in regard to the loss of my Auntie Sandra Chelak (nee Burbank). It’s never easy to lose someone you love, but some hit harder than others. This is one of those times.

My Auntie Sandy was a very special lady. Yes, I’m biased by my love for her. However, the outpouring of love from family, friends, her former students, neighbors, etc. is a measure of just how many lives she touched…and in profound ways. She loved people. She loved to laugh and have a good time. She was outgoing, funny, and a gifted artist who loved to play bridge. She was also an avid gardener and a spade was a shovel. You knew exactly where you stood with her…in a good way. She was open and honest, and didn’t take any b.s., but she was also kind and generous. She loved deeply and was the glue that held everyone together. She was also a woman of deep faith. And I have no doubt that she is with Jesus at this very moment.

Again, I may be a bit biased, but she deserves every accolade she has received this past week as news of her passing spreads across the U.S. And I do mean that in a literal sense. Throughout their many years of marriage, my aunt and uncle lived in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and most recently, Arizona. She was from Rhode Island. Her niece here (moi) is in Connecticut. Another niece is in Mississippi. And, I believe, her husband, my Uncle George, has family in Pennsylvania.

They say distance has a tendency to blunt grief. I suppose, on some levels, that’s true. Though she has never been far from my thoughts over the years, it’s true that I get up each morning and my days are still fairly the same. We didn’t live in the same house, the same town, or even the same region of the country. When they were younger, Auntie Sandy and Uncle George made frequent road trips East every couple of years to check on her eldest sister, Marjorie, who was in an assisted living facility, and to visit family and friends along the way. We would spend a wonderful day together, catching up, sharing laughs and memories, and making more. And there were always letters, cards, and phone calls back and forth.

It hurts every time I think, “Oh, I have to ask Auntie Sandy about that” or “I have to share this with her next time we talk”, etc. It hurts to know I will never have her wise counsel on the other end of the phone again…though I will always hear that beloved voice in my memories.

Her son, my cousin, Gary, called me last night. At first it was tough; words just seem so inadequate at times like this. But then the memories started pouring out. We laughed over an afternoon he and Auntie spent together learning how to make crepes for the first time…after she’d just promised her bridge club crepes for tea the next day! There was a bittersweet sigh over the paper dolls she drew for cousins, Miriam and Melanie, and I at a family gathering at our grandparents’ house; Gary was still a baby at the time. The laughter, the memories–both happy and bittersweet–were so healing. It’s exactly what she would’ve wanted.

There was a poem/letter read by actress Patricia Neal on an episode of Little House on the Prairie entitled: Remember Me.

“Remember me with smiles and laughter for that is how I will remember you. If you can only remember me with tears, then don’t remember me at all.”

That about sums it up, but my heart will still be quite heavy for a while. She used to read this blog; I hope she’s still reading it from heaven. I love you, Auntie Sandy…until we meet again:

Aunt Sandy, approx. 14 years of age, circa 1951? My grandmother in the background, hanging her clothes on the line.
Aunt Sandy is far left, standing as Maid-of-Honor for her sister, Janet (Not sure the year; early 1960s?)
Aunt Sandy and Uncle George on their wedding day.
Aunt Sandy and Uncle George some years’ later, still happily married
Aunt Sandy and her beloved dog, Gypsy.
Aunt Sandy and Uncle George in more recent years.
The last photo I have of Aunt Sandy taken last year at age 84/85. She would’ve been 86 this August 1st.

May God bless you & keep you!

Works Cited

“Remember Me.” Little House on the Prairie, written and directed by Michael Landon, developed for television by Blanche Hanalis, Ed Friendly Productions, NBC, 1975.