I have been blessed to live on what some might consider a small farm in rural Kansas. Here, we have a pond just across our driveway, a handful of apple, pear, plum, peach, and mulberry trees in our yard. We are almost completely “off the grid” by standard definition, and our nearest neighbor is around a mile away. We burn wood for heat in the winter and keep a small garden in the spring and summer.
But all of that takes a lot of work. Much more than what many might realize when they dream of living off the land and doing things green. I don’t use pesticides and try to always do things as naturally as possible. I knew nothing of caring for fruit trees when we moved to our current home. Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when we moved out here! But, I have learned many lessons since then and I thought I would share a few of those with you.
The first is that unless you’re spraying your fruit trees with chemicals, your fruit is not going to look the way you’d expect. Apples get blotches on them that look horrible but are actually normal. I’ve found that picking them and then rinsing them in a vinegar and water mixture cleans it right off with a rag. I don’t measure, I just fill the sink and pour a little vinegar in and start to wipe them down. After they look much better and I often make an apple crisp with them.
We have cats, and unfortunately for me, they love to sleep in my flower pots. They killed quite a few plants before I learned that cats aren’t a fan of vapor rub. I started buying it and rubbing it around the edges of my flower pots and soon the cats found somewhere else to take their naps. You’d think that wouldn’t be a problem with such a big yard, but it is. Yet I like to keep the cats around because they help with mice. And let me tell you, out in the country, you’ll have mice.
My next tip for living a little more green is having a clothesline. So many people don’t use them anymore, but I can’t think of a better way to freshen up clothes and linens than to let them hang on the line. Windy days are even better! When it’s hot and still, the clothes can be a little stiff when they dry on the line, but a day with a good breeze fixes that. Plus, it cuts down on your electric bill. One, by not running your dryer. Two, because your dryer won’t be producing heat in your house, making your ac run a little more.
Lastly, when it comes to bugs, it’s smart to use plants as helpers. I love sitting out on the deck at the end of the day, but with a pond so close, sometimes we would have an issue with mosquitos. I learned that plants like lemongrass and lavender repel mosquitos. So, rather than letting those bloodsuckers keep me indoors, I’ve planted both to keep them at bay. Plus, they both smell amazing. It’s a win-win!
Living greener doesn’t require a huge change in the way you do things. All it takes is a little thinking outside the box and a willingness to change one thing at a time.
Letters to God
Krystal Doolittle
Genre: Religious/Spiritual
Date of Publication: March 13, 2020
ISBN: 9798612411468
ASIN: B08544CKH9
Number of pages: 120
Word Count: 37,413
Krystal Doolittle
Genre: Religious/Spiritual
Date of Publication: March 13, 2020
ISBN: 9798612411468
ASIN: B08544CKH9
Number of pages: 120
Word Count: 37,413
Cover Artist: Krystal Doolittle
Tagline: What if God looked like you and me?
Book Description:
Rowan MacAllister never realized that she had become stuck in a boring cycle in her life until one day everything comes crashing down. Her best friend insists that they go to a new local psychic shop as a way to break out of the rut she’d been stuck in. But Rowan finds herself receiving wise advice that she takes to heart. She should start writing letters to let out everything that had been bottled up for far too long.
Penning a letter to God, she finds strange things happen the next day along with meeting an older woman named Mary. The two become fast friends and Mary seems to unknowingly address the letters that Rowan continues to write to God while they are apart. The coincidences become too much for Rowan who begins to wonder if perhaps Mary IS God.
Rowan searches for answers while putting the pieces of her life back together. Meanwhile learning that her thoughts truly do alter her reality and that sometimes the things you think are a curse can turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Excerpt:
She stood and
hurried toward the hall and I saw her slip into the bathroom. After a moment, I
heard the sink turn on with a rush of water. Soon, it was turned back off and
she reappeared with a damp rag.
“Here,” she said
as she draped it over my face. “Lean back and relax for a moment.”
I did as I was
told, resting my head on the back of the couch and closed my eyes. She
positioned it so that the bulk of it was on my swollen eyelids. It was cold, but
it felt good against my skin.
“Your clothes
are fine, so you don’t need to change. But where could we go?” she said as if
she were speaking to herself. Plus, I had to admit that it felt nice to have
someone taking care of me at the moment. Even if she was trying to force me out
into the world.
“We can go
nowhere,” I pointed out. “That would be a win in my book.”
“You need to get
out of your rut,” Lila said, sounding unperturbed by my stubbornness. “That
means we need to do something you’ve never done before,” she mused.
“I’ve never
stayed home and eaten a whole pizza by myself,” I said as I lifted the
washcloth from one eye so I could look at her.
“You aren’t
winning,” she said raising an eyebrow at me. “So get over it.”
“Ugh,” I said as
I dropped the washcloth back. “Why am I friends with you again?”
I could hear the
smile in her voice when she responded. “Because I’m the only one that can put
up with that stubborn streak you have. I know how to get you to open up and see
what a wonderful world awaits you. There’s a big, bright world out there
waiting for you, Rowan. I’m the one that can convince you to do things that you
don’t want to do but are actually good for you.”
“Uh-huh,” I
said, not convinced. “You’re doing a bang-up job at that, you know?”
“Oh hush,” she
said. Finally, I felt as if my face had cooled and my eyes weren’t as puffy, so
I pulled the washcloth off and tossed it on the glass coffee table.
“Look, I don’t
really have the money to go out anyway,” I said shaking my head.
“Oh, I got it!”
she said loudly as she clapped her hands. “I know the perfect place.” I looked
at her, waiting for her to tell me what it was but she kept talking. “It must
be luck that I drove by and saw the place. But it’s absolutely perfect. I
wanted to go anyway, I just didn’t know who else to take.”
“Earth to Lila.
What are you talking about?” I asked as I waved my hands in front of her.
“Sorry,” she
said as she turned to me. “I saw this place that must have recently opened.
It’s a psychic reading shop. They had a sign out front that said two readings
for $100.”
“I definitely
don’t have that kind of money right now,” I sighed. “I’m a single woman now
with bills to pay.”
“Don’t worry, I
do,” she said waving her hand at me. “It’s perfect. You can get a reading to
find out what exactly is going on in your life and how you can change things
up!”
“I don’t know.
That’s a lot of money for someone to tell you a bunch of vague words and silly
predictions,” I said shaking my head.
“Oh, come on.
Live a little, Row. Let’s go have some fun and see what’s in store for your
future.” She wiggled her fingers at me and I laughed.
“If I do this
with you, does that mean I’m off the hook for the next nail salon trip?” I
asked. Lila was always convincing me to go with her so she had someone to talk
to. I, on the other hand, hated having my nails done.
“Yes,” she said
with a nod before grinning so wide I thought her face would split.
“Fine, I’ll go
then,” I said. “As long as you’re paying.”
“Definitely,”
she said with a nod. “Oh my gosh, Rowan! I’m so excited.” She couldn’t seem to
hold still which for me, wasn’t comforting.
“Well, that
makes one of us,” I said grumpily. “Let me get my shoes.”
About the Author:
Krystal lives in rural southeast Kansas, on the outskirts of an official ghost town with her husband and children, along with a multitude of animals. She can often be found taking a walk in nature, shuffling one of her many decks of tarot cards or finding something new to watch.
As a writer, she loves to craft stories that may be shorter in length, but are packed with unforgettable characters and situations that her readers can relate to. She understands that every villain can be a hero and every hero a villain.
My website is: https://www.krystalthewriter.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystalthewriter
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