"Alright, alright, you're here for a reason, let's get to work."
My friend's daughter works for me on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings to help with the farmer's market. She is incredibly efficient for a teenager, and soon she is washing her hands to say goodnight for the day.
While she dries them, Tessa asks, "Are you going to Luz's first birthday party in a few weeks?"
"Of course."
Right then, her mom, Dawn, pulls into the driveway. I give her a wave as Tessa runs down the driveway to go home for the day.
2
Serena
My tablet ringsfor my weekly morning chat with my cousin, Nova.
"Morning," I say when I accept the call.
She rubs her face in response, looking exhausted. "I do not know how you can do these chats three hours earlier than I do," she says with a yawn.
Shrugging, I say, "It's part of my new farmer-life. How is muggy Florida?"
My cousin shrugs. "I am so tired of this place." She moans, but then perks up. "Oh, but I hear there may be a transfer to Sea Glass from here."
"Sea Glass? You'd be willing to go back there?"
"Yeah, why not? I mean, sure, it holds terrible memories of my grandfather, but it is a beautiful town. And he's long gone. But, whatever. The job opening isn't official. How is the farm treating you?"
Smiling, I say, "Well, it's now my one-year anniversary since my first farmers market."
I do a little jig in my chair.
"Holy shit, really? Time goes by so fast! But that's awesome."
"Also, I swear I have more customers every Saturday. It's becoming a little difficult to keep up. I may have to hire help sooner than later."
"What about that cowboy that lives next door to you?" Nova asks, giving me a wicked grin.
Rolling my eyes, I chuckle. "He is such a grump toward me."
"Still a hot cowboy, though. Right?"
Snorting my coffee, I take a minute to recover.
"Yes, yes, he's still hot," I say with a laugh.
My eyes catch the sun, which is higher in the sky than I expected. "Oh, shit, Nova. I've got to go. Work is calling. I should already be out there."
My cousin waves as I end the video chat.
After a quick breakfast, I head out to the herb beds to start the morning harvest. I'm completely focused, chanting softly while I work, weaving spell-work over the herbs as I gather them. Suddenly a tickle goes down my neck as if someone is watching me. Glancing up toward the fence, I catch sight of bright blue eyes peering through the gap between the boards.
Before I even have a chance to wave hello, my neighbor disappears from view. Shaking my head, I continue to harvest. He may be a hot cowboy, but he's incredibly tiresome.
I spend the rest of my day preparing for tomorrow's Farmers Market and setting up my solar water charging system. Since I must first charge the water I use for the herbs with sunlight, I arrange my clear glass mason jars and old wine bottles in the sunniest spot of my property, filling them with filtered water to absorb solar energy all day. As a user of earth magic, I work with the sun as a partner for my herbs' health. There's something deeply satisfying about working with natural rhythms instead of fighting against them.
Tomorrow before dawn, I'll collect the morning dew that forms on my lavender and chamomile. The herb-infused droplets make the most potent base for my healing remedies and sleep tinctures. Dew gathered at sunrise holds a more concentrated plant essence than any extraction method I could buy.
After positioning the water containers, I walk around the beds placing the new citrine and clear quartz crystals that arrived yesterday. Each crystal gets nestled carefully into the soil at specific points around my herb plots, creating an invisible grid that amplifies the solar energy my plants absorb. The citrine stones work particularly well with my calendula and St. John's wort, both plants that thrive on abundant sunshine.
