Category: Religion

Abuse, Animal Rights, Animals, Christianity, Community, Culture, Diversity, Faith, Fiber Arts, God/Jesus, Herbs, History, Homesteading, Human rights, Prayer, Reading, Religion, Scripture, Straw Braiding, Tradition

A House Built on Sand

Lisa Burbank

“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127: 1-2)

Yep. The same line of Scripture referenced from yesterday’s post. I addressed the latter half of it…sort of. I mentioned being tired, longing to wind down and rest. Because I am guilty of rising early, staying up late, trying to be super-lady in control of everything, over-extending myself due to anxiety, an anxiety that says I am not enough.

Nope, I’m not.

But He is.

When I first started this blog it was with a vague idea of chronicling my journey as a homesteader. I’ve always dreamed of growing my own food. Most of what lines the grocery store shelves shouldn’t qualify as a “food”. I’m also a herbalist. Growing herbs, and mixing/making my own medicines and personal care products, is another goal. Again, what’s in our so-called medicines isn’t likely of medicinal value at all. Most of it is toxic, especially with prolonged use.

I love animals and have always wanted to rescue as many as I can adequately care for from the abuses of society. As the years have gone by, and I started working in living history, wearing natural fibers, and learning how to card and spin wool, weave, knit, and braid straw for hat-making, I started becoming more conscious of what’s also in the fabrics we wear. Where do our clothes come from? And, more importantly to my mind, what is the lot of the animals pressed into service to provide some of our clothing (as well as our food…)?

And, no, spun plastics are NOT the answer as they poison our water and our soil.

This ongoing awareness, and the skills needed to address these ills in our society, are all well and good. But they mean nothing without a solid foundation underneath them.

We’ve lost our way.

I challenge anyone reading this blog post today to read any book written before World War II. I’m not 100% sure why this seems to be a turning point, but it does. Yes, you will find long, descriptive passages…but stay with it. Start with the classics: Walden by Henry David Thoreau; Little Women by Louisa May Alcott; Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Then pick up some lesser-known authors: Lydia Maria Child; Mary Jane Holmes; Seebohm Rowntree, etc.

Pay special attention to the vibe. What do you hear?

A solid faith in God, and the solid foundation of a culture built upon that faith. It isn’t any accident that our Declaration of Independence references a “separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them” or being “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” Or that our currency states: “In God We Trust.”

Yes, yes, yes…I can hear the critics now. What about separation of Church and State? Well, you’re right…to a point. The United States of America was never meant to be a theocracy. That’s why the First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…” This was, believe it or not, to protect the church from being intruded upon by the state…to allow coaches to pray before each game; to allow the Muslim to spread their sajjada in public spaces; the Jewish to openly don their Tallit and the Catholic to openly finger their rosaries…and to prevent the closing of the doors of houses of worship during times of pandemic, for example.

Freedom of religion allows any person here on these shores to worship whomever they choose, whether that entity is called God, Allah, Goddess, Buddha, or the Great Spirit. Our government cannot prohibit you from worshipping the god of your consciousness.

Separation of Church and State, however, was never intended to remove all mention of a Christian God from U.S. society and culture. He is the Rock, the foundation of that society and culture.

Yes, the United States was founded on Christianity.

I’m Mohawk and Narragansett. When my ancestors walked these shores before the arrival of Europeans here, this was not the “United States.” To be honest, I’m not sure these shores even had a collective name used by each and every tribe. We were segregated by “territories” based upon hunting and gathering needs, as well as religious beliefs and traditions. The Iroquois and the Cherokee and the Comanche, for example, all populated different parts of the land that is now the U.S. In some cases, there might be overlap, and yes, we often went to war against each other…so much so that had we banded together as one nation, we might not have lost so much of our culture and traditions to those early-Europeans.

We became the “United States” after the Revolution. We became the “United States” after the drafting of a Constitution and a Declaration of Independence that openly admits to our Rights being given by a Christian God, a Christian God who taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves…so much so that our Founding Fathers allowed each and every person coming to these shores the Right to worship their God, or the god of their consciousness, without censure.

Unfortunately, and this is especially true since World War II, we’ve allowed new peoples coming to this land to abuse this right to worship whomever and however they please. The “abuse” is in allowing these new neighbors to hammer at that foundation, removing more and more mention of that Rock from our society, so that it is now reduced to merely sand.

I would like to stress here that this is NOT a call to do harm to anyone. In addition to reading books published before WWII, I also challenge anyone reading this blog post to pick up a copy of the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, the Tibetan Book of the Dead and read. Learn about these new neighbors. We’re more alike than you may think (and, yes, I have read all of these myself…). But instead of hammering at our own beliefs, we should be welcoming any differences in our beliefs alongside of our own…not instead of. And, while you’re at it, pick up the Bible and read it, too. There’s a lot of misquoting going on in our society today. Get your information from the Source.

If the sign of His Cross offends you, how much more so does your insistence of its removal from our public life offend the sensibilities of the people you chose to move in next to? Would you allow me to erect that Cross in your public square…and, more importantly, remove the symbols of your faith that are such an inherent part of your identity?

What does all of this have to do with homesteading?

Everything.

Homesteading is a return to freedom: the freedom to think, worship, act, grow and create for ourselves…as well as a freedom from the toxins that destroy everything that we hold dear. It is a return to using the tools and unalienable rights endowed by our Creator. Homesteading is a form of worship in and of itself. No, it’s not a church service. But prayer, and a faith in Someone greater than ourselves, goes into the making of that homestead as surely as the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears.

We can’t go back, but we can learn from our history. It’s being repeated. The First Nations’ peoples who first populated this land gave up much as they graciously allowed others to move in…and then couldn’t prevent the take over. Again, not a call to arms, but a call to stand firm upon that Rock. This is who we are. This is how we came to be. If we forget that, if we erase the sacrifices of those who came before us, then the United States is no more.

May God bless you & keep you!

Brothers & Sisters, Christianity, Faith, God/Jesus, Holidays, Mother Mary, Religion, Scripture, Tradition

Merry Christmas!

Lisa Burbank

And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David), to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger’. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men’. (Luke 2:1-14)

Merry Christmas…and, in the immortal words of Tiny Tim: God bless us, every one!

AI generated…I’m a little leery of AI, and not sure how/if to cite it, but Merry Christmas!

19th century, Christianity, Culture, Faith, God/Jesus, History, Holidays, Religion, Scripture, Tradition, Yoga & Fitness

December 25th

Lisa Burbank

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

My Puritan ancestors did not celebrate Christmas. The Puritans took much of Scripture, if not all of it, literally. And, as there’s no actual date for the birth of Christ in the Bible, December 25th was business as usual in New England until around 1850 when Prince Albert gifted Queen Victoria with a fully-decorated Christmas tree. That fashionable trend, along with the influx of immigrants from Italy, Ireland and various other countries that followed closely the Church of Rome (Catholicism), paved the way for the religious observance of December 25th that Chrisitians, and even non-Christians, celebrate as Jesus’ birthday each year in the U.S.

Yes, it’s true that Constantine “borrowed”, “hijacked”, or however you wish to term it, certain Yule-tide practices from what we now call pagan religions. Back then, “pagan” was simply a term for a country dweller (farmer), who followed the seasons, and paid homage to the god of his or her consciousness for successful crops, and good health through the long winter ahead for family, friends and even livestock. But it’s also true that early scholars have studied Scripture and other religious documents closely…enough that they have a fair approximation of when Christ was born.

Yule, from which many “yuletide” celebrations have stemmed, is celebrated on December 21st. Kwanzaa is celebrated December 26th through January 1st. And, this year, Hanukkah is celebrated December 25th through January 2nd. Hanukkah’s dates change each year though. The celebration of Christmas does not. It is always December 25th.

In short, He is the reason that Christians celebrate December 25th. So, I will say, “Merry Christmas!” to you in passing. Not in effort to be an insensitive clod, but because this is my faith. This is what I believe. Because I am celebrating this sacred time and I want to wish you well during this season…and throughout the whole year.

If you correct me with an admonition that I should say, “Happy Holidays!” so as not to offend somebody else, guess what? For many Christians, that is offensive. Should I start correcting you in your religious practices?

That being said, I often do say “Happy Holidays!”, especially if I don’t know what you believe. Context often plays a role here. If I know you’re Jewish, I will wish you a Happy Hanukkah! If Wiccan, or today’s Paganism, I will wish you a Happy Yule! But, if I do greet you with a “Merry Christmas!”, perhaps reconsider that I’m baiting you in some way, or lavishing an insult. “Merry Christmas” means I wish you peace, joy, and love. That should not be an insult to anyone…and no conversion necessary to accept my humble blessing of peace, joy and love with grace. A simple “Merry Christmas to you, too!” will do. (Sort of like intoning “Namaste” to each other after a yoga practice…)

May God bless you & keep you!

Brothers & Sisters, Christianity, Faith, Family, God/Jesus, Heavy Metal Music, Love, Music, Prayer, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality, Understanding

Tell Me Something Good

Lisa Burbank

“And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thy hand to heal: and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” (Acts 4: 29-30)

We are called as Christians to spread the Word of God…in a world that, for the most part, seems to have rejected Him. I’ve determined that this blog will continue to carry a line of Scripture each time and I always end each post with “May God bless you & keep you!”. If I am ashamed of Him, of my faith in Him, He will be ashamed of me when I finally shake off this mortal coil.

However, I remember how irritated I became in my youth when people started “Bible thumping” at me. No, I won’t change the structure of my blog…nor abandon my faith. He has shown me far too well over the last several years that, yes, He can be trusted.

But…the “Bible thumping”…

I spent my youth playing lead guitar and lead vocals in heavy metal bands. That usually startles people. I still hear the same “accusations” I heard from fellow band mates that I looked “too wholesome for metal”. Such was the bane of my existence…to the point that I bleached my hair almost white and got this awful perm that made me look like a reject from Twisted Sister.

And I still got accused of looking “too wholesome” despite damaging my mane.

Then there was the other side of this life: the “Bible thumpers” outside of the many concerts I attended. When I wasn’t playing and performing music, I was glued to the radio, or record player (yes, I’m that old!), or cruising around town in my little Dodge Omni, listening to Doro Pesch shouting about “All We Are” blaring out of the windows…even during winter when the windows were rolled up. (And I wonder why I have some hearing loss…). Concerts were a peek into the world I wanted to inhabit. They were where I learned about stage presence and got ideas for my own elaborate stage set, which obviously never materialized, but I was young and full of dreams of recording my own music someday and touring the world.

Until I got outside of the arena.

My Uncle Brian and I went to see Iron Maiden and Twisted Sister in concert one night. Great show by both bands but, as my stepfather was picking us up afterwards, we left before the final encore, catching only a glimpse of “Eddie” before we hurried out to the curb where my stepfather said he’d meet us.

“Those earrings are bitchin’!” he said, as they approached us. Both teens were about our age (I was maybe 17, Uncle Brian, 14 (yes, he’s younger than me…big families)), a boy and a girl. The guy was kind of cute, my boy-crazy self noted. Then he shattered it all by asking, “What do they mean?”

What do my earrings mean???

They were my favorites. Long, tear-drop shaped hoops with a crescent moon dangling on one side and a star on the other one. Both baubles were a little over an inch long. I remember how much they caught my eye at a flea market that my family and I often attended. But what did they mean?

It’s just a star and moon, I replied, still feeling perplexed, and wondering if he was mentally stable. Should Uncle Brian and I move away?

Then, when I revealed no deep, dark meaning behind those earrings, he followed it up with, “Did you know you were sinning in there?”

This from the guy who told me moments before that my earrings were “bitchin'”…to my 17 year-old self, who blushed crimson and ducked her head whenever I let “Damn!” slip in exasperated moments. I expected Mom’s chastisement for swearing to descend upon me, of course. (Oh, to be so young and innocent today; it’s rare that a day goes by now without me dropping an F-bomb or two…how times change!)

Anyway, thus began a long litany of how these heavy metal artists were “evil” and listening to their music was a sin passed bearing. When my stepfather’s pickup truck pulled up to the curb (10, 15 minutes later??? It felt longer), Uncle Brian and I quickly thanked our “hosts” for the religious pamphlets they’d handed to us and jumped into the cab with a collective sigh of relief. The guy meant well (he did most of the talking). But, as is often the case with many Christians, he was a little overzealous with his delivery. Instead of attracting people to “his” Jesus, he repelled.

I never want to be that sort of Christian. I love Jesus with all of my heart and soul, and I have no qualms offering prayers. I will gladly sit and talk to with you about Him, but only if you ask me to, or if I sense that you’re ready to hear about Him. I remember too well how it feels to have Him “pushed” on you…or to have someone instantly telling me everything I have to change about my life to follow Him. Those changes may be needed, but they will come in their own time the closer I get to Him…as they will with you. I want to plant seeds of faith, not bulldoze over you with His message. If I bring in the bulldozer, well, if you don’t run and hide, you may start off with good intentions, but whatever seeds I scatter before you will only stay on the surface of your heart. Eventually, the “sparrows” of worry and anxiety will gobble them back up.

Oh, but what about his blog?

You have a choice. You can continue reading it, or you can ignore it. It won’t go away, per se, but you have a choice NOT to read it. And that’s the thing about Jesus. He wants you to choose to come to Him, to cultivate a relationship with Him. If the choice is not your own, He knows the roots of that relationship, that faith, will be shallow and there won’t be any way for it to grow.

So, while I won’t stop blogging about my faith, I also won’t push. Jesus is a gentleman. He won’t push either. But maybe, just maybe, if you’ve been reading this far, He’ll water a seed or two that I’ve scattered here today and shine His Light upon it so it will grow.

As we enter this Yuletide season and celebrate His birth, that’s the greatest gift that I can offer anyone. May your hearts be open to receive it…and may God bless you & keep you!

Amen…

Animals, Appreciation, Books, Christianity, Exhaustion, Family, Fiber Arts, Friendship, gardening, God/Jesus, Gratitude, Healing, Herbs, Homesteading, Plants, Prayer, Prepping, Reading, Religion, Sleep Deprivation, Spinning, Straw Braiding, Weaving, Writing, Yoga & Fitness

Keeping It Simple

Lisa Burbank

“For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:33)

I’m feeling my age…and the stress of the past year: navigating, and eventually, mitigating foreclosure; the loss of my beloved aunt and uncle; new job position that I absolutely love but, it also keeps me hopping with an ever-changing schedule; thesis courses demanding 15,000 new words to my first novel to be turned in every 4 weeks. And now, another beloved aunt struggling with health issues. I also have a cat under veterinary care right now and a geriatric goat with some special needs. To say that I am spent would be putting it mildly.

And yet, on the upside, through His grace, I have successfully navigated foreclosure and, at least for the moment, am keeping my home. I am blessed beyond measure to have aunts and uncles that I can call “beloved”. I am also blessed beyond measure in a still-tanking job market to have the job that I do. There’s a certain thrill to see the story in my head and in my heart coming out on paper. And it’s another kind of blessing to have pets to share my world, to care for each day.

But I’m still spent.

I stood up one of my best friends this week for an event that she and I were supposed to attend together. She was worried something bad might’ve happened. Then I forgot I had agreed to cover as Lector last week for a fellow parishioner. Father Ben teased me about it. He wasn’t angry, but I was angry with myself…for both instances.

I either need to simplify, or get better organized. Perhaps it’s a little of both. An accountability partner would be a blessing right now, too, but I can’t have everything…

“The Dream” section of this blog/website is still in my heart. Every time I think of simplifying, another point from that bulleted outline rears up and says, “Don’t forget me!”. And I don’t.

Still, there’s a shifting inside that is looking to modify it a little…at least until I’m through with college.

I’ve blogged before about how I overfill my time. I tend to have “scatter syndrome” from too much “busyness”. I forget things like dates with friends, additional commitments, and even prayer. The flip side is, if I simplify too much, the brain turns to mush and the forgetfulness increases, rather than decreases. I need to find that sweet balance.

Or a staycation where I can do some much-needed spring cleaning that’s nagging at me and get better organized.

But, back to simplifying…if I stay right here in northeastern Connecticut, then The Herbal Hare may get whittled down to what everyone sees in the icon: Bunnies, herbs, and honeybees. I’ve already determined, unless I do find that place in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire…or Missouri, then Felicity will be my last goat, and the few chickens and ducks I have left, also the last.

And does that ever cut!

But my life has become an endless litany of sacrifices. I sacrifice time with friends to keep up on my studies. I sacrifice writing time to help out somewhere. I sacrifice things like yoga, exercise, time with this blog, etc. to “catch up” on some much needed sleep. And then I beat myself up for not “making” the time for these other things. In short, with my time–and I have only 24 hours a day like everyone else–I am perpetually robbing Peter to pay Paul.

So, it’s time to prioritize. And then, once I’ve graduated, I can re-evaluate.

My priorities are likened to those times that prove, or have proven, to be the most satisfying to my soul:

Time spent in prayer.

Saturday evenings playing cards and Scrabble with Mom.

Chatting with my brother, sister-in-law and nieces on the phone.

Outings with friends to hike through the park, peruse the bookstore, visit a museum, share a meal.

Family get togethers.

Time spent on the water, either cruising the lake on my uncle’s pontoon, or sharing the paddle boat with a cousin or two.

Walks with my dogs…when I had dogs.

Bunny-time…when I had rabbits, the time spent each night in their room letting them free-range outside of their cages. Sometimes I would simply read while they stretched their legs. Most of the time, I laughed at their antics…especially when the cats joined in and all of them played and cuddled together.

When I worked in living history museums, the mornings spent walking through the herb garden I was in charge of with a cuppa tea in hand, deciding what “chores” needed to be done today while stopping to inhale the scents of my favorite plants.

Working in the garden.

Making tinctures, salves, decoctions, infusions, or spice blends.

Spinning wool into yarn, filling the niddy-noddy with it, or weaving new cloth.

Braiding straw with which to make hats.

A whole Sunday spent cooking and baking for the week.

Watching honeybees at work gathering their nectar.

Time spent in the barnyard.

Reading a passage of a book, or story, that I’ve written that came out particularly well.

Reading a good book.

Spending my early mornings with a cuppa tea and working on a blog post.

And, one of the most satisfying moments of my life was about 10 years’ ago. I cooked a simple meal of pasta, salad and bread, topped it off with a cup of hot chocolate. The pasta sauce had come from tomatoes I’d grown from seed and canned. Most of the salad fixings came from my own garden. The bread was made from scratch. And even the marshmallow I’d placed in my hot chocolate had been made from scratch. It was that feeling of accomplishment.

The new job has those moments, too, especially when I’m hosting a writer’s workshop, or a book club, or a knitting/crocheting group and that sense of community ensues.

These are the things that fill me with peace, things I long to get back to. And, anything in The Dream, or in present life, that does not lead me to one (or all) of these ends, will have to go. That’s a tall order, but it’s one worth filling.

May God bless you & keep you!

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!

Exhaustion, Faith, Gratitude, Minimalism, Politics, Religion, Scripture, Writing

Under Construction Yet Again

Lisa Burbank

As many of you know, I am currently at work on my Master’s degree in Creative Writing. During one of the classes I took to obtain my Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing, I had to create an author’s page (i.e. a whole other website/blog devoted strictly to being a writer). The ideology behind it was that my personal views on politics, religion, social issues, etc. could adversely impact my writing career. I didn’t like it because I am not ashamed of this page, or anything I may have written here, but I complied to make a passing grade.

Then two terms’ ago, I was asked to make another blog/website. This one…well, I’m still not 100% sure why I had to make the third blog. If I decide to offer my services as a proofreader to other writers, if I decide to write content for businesses to share on their social media accounts, if I suddenly find an overabundance of “spare” time to create brochures, flyers and other advertising “literature” for businesses, I can either create another page here, or on the author’s page.

And now I’m saying to heck with all of that! I’m a writer. This is what I do. Trying to keep up with three separate websites is exhausting and ridiculous. I’m neglecting this blog. Both my author’s page, and the newer page, are collecting cyber dust. I’ve tried to justify the newer page in other posts. I can’t. This is where everything comes to life. Having multiple websites, in my opinion anyway, will be worse for my brand than any political, social, or religious views I may share here. If nothing else, we’ll consider it another form of minimalism.

I checked out a book from the library entitled WordPress for Dummies by Lisa Sabin-Wilson. There must be a way to blend all three pages, including a link directly to the author’s page vs. The Herbal Hare. It may just be a matter of creating a hyperlink in the tabs. (And, yes, that is a shout out to the more tech-savvy of my readers for advice on how best to facilitate this…lol!)

I will do my best to be more consistent here as I navigate through this process. And I haven’t forgotten my promise to do some Wednesday Weed Walks on the herbs I talked about on my first ever “live” weed walk. So stay tuned!

In the meantime, I’d like to share that most famous and beautiful of prayers found in Matthew 6:9-13:

“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Amen.

As always, I thank you for your patience…and your continued patronage.

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.

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!

Alcoholism, Christianity, Cooking, Emergency Preparedness, Frugality, Healing, Herbs, Holistic Health, Homesteading, Organic, Prepping, Recipes, Religion, Scripture, Spices

Wednesday’s Weed Walk: Tinctures

Lisa Burbank

“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat” (Genesis 1:29)

Though it is a couple of weeks’ late, as promised, this week’s Wednesday Weed Walk isn’t so much about a specific herb but, about a way to preserve the herbs for future use when not in their growing, or harvest, seasons.

A tincture is, in my opinion anyway, the easiest way to make medicine. You can tincture a single herb, or blend them. I tend to do the latter…except when I’m making my own vanilla extract (recipe below).

To tincture herb(s), you need a clean, sterile container (repurposed glass Mason jars work well!) and, preferably, 100 proof alcohol of some kind. I use 100 proof vodka to tincture my herbs but other mediums, such as rum, would also work. You can use an 80 proof and broaden the selection of spirits but, you will need a few capsules of vitamin E oil added against spoilage, as anything less than 100 proof may mold. Apple cider vinegar (ACV), also with added vitamin E oil, will work for short-term storage. With ACV, you will have to store your tinctures in the refrigerator and they will only keep for 2 weeks, at best. When tincturing in 100 proof alcohol, your tinctures remain shelf-stable for up to 2 years. However, if you, or someone you love, is susceptible to alcoholism, or for young children, ACV may be the better option for you.

Tincturing is simple. You measure your herbs into a jar and pour the alcohol, or ACV, over them until they are covered with the liquid. Then you put a lid on the jar, label it with the contents, ingredients, the date you started the tincturing, and the batch #. This last isn’t 100% necessary but, if you decide to sell herbal products, having a running batch # is helpful should any adverse reactions occur. Depending upon the medium you used, you place the tincture into the refrigerator, or in a dark cabinet (too much light will destroy the healing properties), and shake it daily for two weeks. At the end of those two weeks, you can either leave the spent-herbs inside, and strain as you use it, or strain them now, at the two week mark, into another clean and sterile jar, or dark-colored bottle.

You can use fresh herbs, or dried. If using dried, remember the herbs will have a higher concentration of medicinal properties to them. 1/3 of the amount of dried herbs suffices. So, if you normally measure 1 tablespoon of, say, fresh chamomile, you would only use a teaspoon of the dried.

Making medicine is the part I like the best but, you can also use this method to create extracts for the kitchen, such as vanilla. To make vanilla extract, you will need a dark jar/bottle of some kind (you can find online, or many herb shops will sell them), or a dark cabinet to store them if using clear glass. It doesn’t need to be a large bottle. A couple of ounces suffices. Think of the tiny bottles that vanilla extract comes in at the grocery store. Anyway, take 2-3 vanilla beans, slice them in half lengthwise, and put them in the bottle (if bottle is short, you may also need to cut them in half the other way, too). Fill the bottle with 100 proof alcohol, screw on the cap, give it a shake and let it tincture for two weeks. Once the two weeks are over, however, in this case, you will NOT be straining the liquid into another container. Instead, keep the vanilla beans in the liquid. As you use it, you can simply top it off with more 100 proof alcohol, and/or add more vanilla beans over time. Also, in this case, the ACV will NOT work. However, any concerns over the alcohol content should be unfounded as the alcohol burns off in the cooking/baking process.

This same method will work for almonds, lemon peels, etc. too.

May God bless you & keep you!