A grand encyclopedia of country lore by famed Texas folklorist Jerry Mack Johnson, covering water witching, maple syruping, weather wisdom, country remedies and herbal cures, cleaning solutions, pest purges, bird migrations and animal lore, firewood essentials, adobe making and bricklaying, leather working, plant dyes, farm foods, natural teas and tonics, granola, bread making, beer brewing and winemaking, jams and jellies, canning and preserving, sausage making and meat smoking, drying foods, down-home toys, papermaking, candle crafting, homemade soaps and shampoos, Christmas wreaths and decorations, butter and cheese making, fishing and hunting secrets, and much more.

Finding balance and regulating emotions sounds pretty straight-forward for most people. But Lou Grainger isn't most people... Monkey Tricks is a fictional story that follows main character Lou on her journey of life with anxiety. In this book I've included and visited a lot of relatable (and difficult) experiences with a good sense of humour. It all begins with a letter that she has written to her younger self, which she was recommended to do by her therapist. Although she was pretty reluctant, thinking the whole thing was silly and a waste of time, she was also desperate to get control of her mental health. However, when her therapist tells her the problem is that she has a monkey in her head, she wonders whether she's sitting on the right side of the clip-board. It sounds crazy, but it's actually true, metaphorically anyway. It controls her thoughts and emotions and generally just causes chaos to her life which she could do without. Learning to rein it in and get control of it instead so she can live her life more freely and with less worry is the goal. Monkey Tricks is a heart-warming story of self-discovery and overcoming life's struggles with the help of 'her people' and an awful lot of gin!