“I married the first man I ever kissed. When I tell this to my children, they just about throw up.” Barbara Bush
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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
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~ Mark TwainDebbie Bosworth
is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
Column contents © Deb Bosworth. All rights reserved.
Being a farmgirl is not
about where you live,
but how you live.Rebekah Teal
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
Column contents © Rebekah Teal. All rights reserved.
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Keep close to Nature’s heart … and break clear away once in awhile to climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods, to wash your spirit clean.
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~ John MuirCathi Belcher
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Column contents © Cathi Belcher. All rights reserved.
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Wherever you go, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine.
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~ Anthony J. D’AngeloDori Troutman
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
Column contents © Dori Troutman. All rights reserved.
Shery Jespersen
Previous Ranch Farmgirl,
Oct 2009 – Nov 2013Wyoming cattle rancher and outpost writer (rider), shares the “view from her saddle.” Shery is a leather and lace cowgirl-farmgirl who’s been horse-crazy all of her life. Her other interests include “junktiques,” arts and crafts, glamping, collecting antique china, and cultivating mirth.
Mary Murray
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
Column contents © Mary Murray. All rights reserved.
Farmgirl
is a condition
of the heart.Alexandra Wilson
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Column contents © Alexandra Wilson. All rights reserved.
Libbie Zenger
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
June 2010 – Jan 2012Libbie’s a small town farmgirl who lives in the high-desert Sevier Valley of Central Utah on a 140-year-old farm with her husband and two darling little farmboys—as well as 30 ewes; 60 new little lambs; a handful of rams; a lovely milk cow, Evelynn; an old horse, Doc; two dogs; a bunch o’ chickens; and two kitties.
René Groom
Previous Rural Farmgirl,
April 2009 – May 2010René lives in Washington state’s wine country. She grew up in the dry-land wheat fields of E. Washington, where learning to drive the family truck and tractors, and “snipe hunting,” were rites of passage. She has dirt under her nails and in her veins. In true farmgirl fashion, there is no place on Earth she would rather be than on the farm.
Farmgirl spirit can take root anywhere—dirt or no dirt.
Nicole Christensen
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
Column contents © Nicole Christensen. All rights reserved.
Paula Spencer
Previous Suburban Farmgirl,
October 2009 – October 2010Paula is a mom of four and a journalist who’s partial to writing about common sense and women’s interests. She’s lived in five great farm states (Michigan, Iowa, New York, Tennessee, and now North Carolina), though never on a farm. She’s nevertheless inordinately fond of heirloom tomatoes, fine stitching, early mornings, and making pies. And sock monkeys.
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Archives
Hi Rebekah:
The fireball story is great! It goes really well with the hair!!! Do you keep your wedding pictures out so that when someone is having a bad day: turn the page and S-M-I-L-E!
i am so glad that you are NOT perfect! You just made my day; i needed that!!!
Hey Rebekah!
First of all, I think we are bride twins. I got married in 1991 too with big hair. Like you, I don’t remember my first kiss either…Complete blank. However,I remember the sugar my dear hubby planted on me after our first date quite clearly. Sweet indeed!
I planted my herb trays yesterday with Botanical Interest seeds too. Our local garden and feed store carries them and the worker man recommended a great light weight organic potting soil for me too! As for making wishes, I’m a firm believer in making them, believing in them, then doing what it takes to bring them into reality!
That’s why my blog is called Dandelion House!
Great post today… I’m off to plant some more dream seeds!
Have a wonderful day!
Dandelion Wishes to you too!
Deb
The summer of my 15th birthday I had a huge crush on a 17 year old boy…he had a wonderful tan—golden hair and blue eyes….just made my heart throb!! Of course I could not date yet—so we settled for his visits to our home. But this summer our wonderful small town of 1000 people—most of which were farmers—had a carnival visit the main street of our town. With a ferriswheel and everything. My heart throb asked me to go with him, my mother said yes!! My boyfriend delivered papers, so he had a litle money–and we went for a ride on that glorious ferris wheel!! When we stopped at the very top, we stole a kiss!! What fun..that was 47 years ago…
I had my first kiss at the age of 19! The "guy" was 3 years younger…He was a friend of my sister. I know it wasn’t a magic moment! But what I can really remember it’s the smell; A mix of my spraynet + is sweat! He was so nervous…that all is big face was kind of shinny…Well, I had to kiss someone! Thanks to put it back in memories! And by the way, you were a really good looking wedding girl! Hope I’ll look as good when the moment comes! See ya!
No, I don’t remember my first kiss either. Inauspicious at best I guess! I am soooo jealous that you can plant now, we are under at least a foot of snow here and planting is very, very far away. Wish I could send a picture!
First kiss…? What a lovely request- mine was at 14, I had a 19yr. old college boyfriend. My husband of 25 years and Mom were appalled. But what a special man- I hope he’s happy now. It was in the front seat of a ’69 Delta 88 and a hot Texas nite… and I was so skinny! What a gentleman.
And for candles, please choose one for our little family business- the economy is failing us…
This is a wonderful Catholic and Pagan tradition…
Thanks so much- Lisa, Colorado
Ah, that kiss that started the best 20 years, one month, 19 days and counting of my life.
I love your blog! My first kiss was at age 15.He was a junior lifeguard at the local pool.Maurice was handsome and muscular and 2years older! Oo-la-la. Unfortunately, the smooch itself was more like a snake tongue invasion. I stopped hanging out at the pool on his days. I had not had a good kiss yet but I knew that was not it! Never saw Maurice again. Hope he trained the cobra!
LOL! Your story brought tears to my eyes, like it often does. But this time because I’m laughing so hard! I love your blogs. They never fail to brighten my day. I’ll take a wish for my love life since you’re talking about kisses. Thanks in advance!
I was 6 years old, in kindergarten and in ‘love’ with Dickie (don’t remember his last name) as were about 1/2 of the other girls in the class. One day we girls chased him around the school yard at recess and tied him up to the chain link fence with our jump ropes and we all took turns kissing him … it lasted all of about 3 minutes before our teacher came to rescue him!
First kiss? Absolutely! I was 15 attending a birthday party with a group of 17 & 18 year-olds (because my cousin took me with her). They said we would play, "Spin The Bottle". We formed a circle and sat on the floor. I saw that when the bottle pointed to YOU, the couple stepped just around an OPEN doorway and quickly returned? The cutest guy there spun the bottle toward me and reached out his hand. We walked around the doorway and he gave me one of the sweetest kisses I received all my life. BTW, we never dated but have kept in touch all these years. He and I are 71 years old now. I just got an email from him the other day. I think I’ll ask him if he remembers that kiss — Do I dare?…Naw, I don’t think so. If you put something in print on the internet it could be edited or copied and changed, so I’ll just keep my little private memory.
My father’s family moved into the town my mother grew up in when they were both sixteen. The next week they met at the youth group at church. Mom said it was love at first sight, Dad said it wasn’t, but that he knew she was the girl he was going to marry. So…
I looked at the boys in our church, the good ones were all taken, and only the duds remained. When I was thirteen a new family moved into town and I was sure the son was the one. In fact we dated for a couple of days, but I liked his sister better than him. His kiss was kinda blah.
I met my husband after church when I was nineteen. He was a different denomination. It wasn’t the church, it was the day of the week.
My first kiss? There are so many first kissses to choose from that I am suddenly thinking perhaps I was a bit more free wheeling then I ever realized: There was that first kiss on my cheek from a boy in second grade who asked me to marry him. There was that first kiss on my lips from another boy in the same second grade class who was my dancing partner for our St. Patty’s Day Concert who embellished the end of our number by planting a big kiss on my lips. Then there were the games of kissing chase when I transferred to public school in 4th grade. There were a few kisses from boys at summer camp dances out on the porch under the stars. In my heart though I have always counted my first real kiss to be the one on my eighth grade trip to Washington DC. There were about 100 students from my junior high class and 6 boys from the eighth grade class at St. Andre’s (a local catholic school) who went on the trip. I lost my voice on our second day there and couldn’t join in the crazy antics of my usual crowd. Somehow I found myself tagging along with the 6 boys from St. Andre’s (several of whom I knew from my days at St. Mary’s and 1 I knew from all my summers spent running track and field thru parks and rec). They were all thoguhtful, considerate, funny and very interesting. By the end of our week there one of them became my first boyfriend and when we had our first kiss I saw fireworks. I felt the fireworks all over again when we were old enough to go on real dates in our junior year of high school. Thank you for the wonderful walk down memory lane!
Hm, first kiss. I remember it was summer and sunny, his name was Jason….um. Yeah, that’s all I got. I do remember the first time that my DH and I kissed.
I miss Big Hair.
As for wishes, there really isn’t anything that I need but thank you for the offer. Is there something that you need? How can we help?
You know, Rebekah looks more like a china doll than a "real" girl
Rebekah, was a decision ever made on the "roof color" we talked about a while back? Are there pictures AFTER it was painted?…just curious.
GREAT read! Top to bottom.
My first kiss…1966 I think. Happened at night, out in front of the community center in our little "Cowboy Hooterville" here in Wyoming. Friday night roller skating. I was 12, he was too. He was visiting relatives in town. His name, I kid you not, was Wyatt Earp. He said he was related to the famous law man and was named after him. I did NOT kiss him. He kissed ME. That was back when forward girls were nonexistant (as far as I knew). I didn’t know anyone my age who had ever kissed or been kissed before. He even kissed me on the lips! That was all that came of my first kiss, but it sure left an impression. We roller-skated together and then parted company. He was dreamy I thought and it didn’t hurt any that he had such a cool name.
Oh, the first kiss! In the woods, while gathering bonfire kindling, and I had just met him. There were three or four kisses, really, and then we went back to the bonfire.
Much more memorable was the first kiss my beloved and I shared: That, after two years of being ‘just friends’, then spending a whole day, evening and into the next morning talking, sharing quarts of coffee, and drifting from one coffee shop to another, in and out of bookstores,dinner, live music. We finally kissed standing next to his crummy old car, drove away, and never left each other or that kiss, even through more than twenty years, four children, a business, and more adventures than I can count. Even when cancer physically separated us did we part, and I like to think that is only temporary. We’ll have coffee and kisses again someday.
I miss big hair too! And shoulder pads!
I still have "kinda" big hair – it’s ok I live in Texas 🙂
Oh boy…my first of many…I was candy striping at a local hospital. Had met a guy and we discovered you can stop the elevator and turn the lights out. We kissed…I remember he took his hand and taught me to move my lips a bit while kissing. That was in 1969. I was 14.
!! *sigh* My first kiss was in San Diego and it was a British guy "in the states" for a Tae Kwon Do tournament. Random! He was cute, his name was Douglas – he went home and sent me one letter but, alas, that was it. And, since it was pre-facebook, we did not keep in touch.