Everyday Farmgirl

Every farmgirl is a farmgirl every day because the whole concept is a state of mind. We all have various ways of living the farmgirl life … depending on our circumstances. Our gardens aren’t identical in size or appearance, neither our homes or our “farms”. Some of us hang our country’s flag off the fron’t porch while others fly Old Glory high on a pole in their yard. Me, well, an old wheelbarrow handle is a make-do option. The farmgirl way is all over the map. C’mon in and see how my farmgirl pals and I do our own thing … and then share how you express your own unique farmgirlness.

Continue reading

  1. So love the comments about your horse. I too have one, only a gelding. I refer to him as Checkers "The Wonder Horse". My kids don’t always agree. We are having a wetter than normal summer. More grass than you can imagine. Would sure send some rain your way if we could.

  2. Sherrie Davis says:

    Shery, I enjoy your blog and your photos. I was wondering what kind of camera do you use for taking all your photos?

    Sherrie D.

    ———–

    Hi Sherrie,  I have a Sony A 100 DSLR. It isn’t a camera for an advanced photographer. It is very much a middle of the road model and very affordable [for me]. I would love to get a Canon D series camera someday, but at this time I can’t justify the expense. Also, my camera is one that I carry with me a’horseback and I don’t baby it at ALL. If it bites the dust (literally) while I’m out & about … Oh welllllll. She’ll die with her boots on! :o)  I wouldn’t have near as much fun doing what I do with a camera if I had a fancy "big gun". Thank you.   shery

  3. Tanna says:

    I loved your pictures and stories, again! So much of what you are doing parellels what is going on in my corner of the world. It is nice to know there are women out there with the same loves as myself! Thanks for sharing!!!

  4. Anne Snedecor says:

    Thank you for sharing your day on the ranch. I came from a small farm and now live in the city, but I can appreciate the long days and the hot summers outside. I love the horses and the cattle round ups. Wonderful pictures, hopefully rain will come your way from us here in Oregon.

  5. Betty Benesi says:

    I had a horse like your Dolly. His name was Captain. I got him at a police auction. He was a big, 17 hands, flea bitten grey. I trusted him like no human. If I was sad, I would put my arms around his neck and he would pat me on the back with his great head. Sadly, Captain fell on a stall mat and broke his pelvis. We got him healed up and he lived another year and fell again. He was not young when I got him, but frankly, I prefer older horses. I’m older and prefer a horse with a little common sense.
    Your blog reminded me it really is summer, even if this farmgirl works in an office all day.

  6. Diann Geyer says:

    This week has been an especially stressful week at my other full time job. This morning though, I woke with sunrise and a lovely cool breeze. I did what I do every morning, grabbed a cup of coffee (my one a day dose) and went outside to watch the sun rise and to meditate in the beauty of the ranch. We have a myriad of birds including our very special California orioles. These birds were believed to be extinct in California until four years ago when they graced us with their return right here on our land. It is an amazing sight to see that brillant flash of bright yellow. Because the residue of stress still hung around me, I decided I needed to get moving and do some work to get it off my mind. It was during my regular chores I had to stop and honestly thank the universe for the privilege of working with my own two hands, body and mind. There is an inspiring joy in accomplishing your daily work. It is true, it is never done and I always feel like I am behind, but this morning I am so grateful for the hard work I must do on a daily basis and revel in the joy of accomplishment. It is a tumultous world right now and I cannot say what tomorrow will bring. But this moment, this day, I can rejoice in the satisfaction of a day fulfilled with a job done, truly an accomplishment that touches my very soul.

  7. Victoria says:

    Shery, if I lived in Wyoming, you would definitely be my "bosom friend", (from "Anne of Green Gables"). My heart melted at the sight of that new baby calf. Being away from my rural past for 20+ years, I had forgot all about the Killdeer doing the "broken wing thing." Thank you for the memories! And girl!!! Guess what I have sitting on MY big cupboard? One huge elk antler drop. My DH found it while hunting and had to bring it home. We’re on the same wave length!!!!!!! Oh…and must mention one more thing. That Ellis! What a guy! He is amazing!!! Must be due to living in a pristine place like Wyoming!!! AND Lonesome Dove!!! Have watched it probably 200 times. Gotta love that Gus!

    —————

    Dear Vikki,  That is the thing about meeting a fellow farmgirl you’ve never met… it’s like you HAVE met and known each other. Kindred spirits don’t have to explain themselves to one another … they just all talk at the same time and splatter all that good energy everywhere :o)  The elk antler —— I carried that thing around for a couple of hours until we got to a gravel road where the ranch owner could swing by and get it for me. That thing is HEAVY and not the easiest thing to tote a’horseback. We were to move cattle and ride for most of the day and there was No way I could have carried it that long. BUT, it is a huge antler and I didn’t want to surrender it. Funny that you have one on display too. Well, it would be fun to be bosom friends no doubt. You take care and keep on livin’ large :o)   shery

  8. Jena says:

    Newbie to the Wild Windy Wyoming, I so enjoy your blog. I’ve been a guest at brandings and dockings galore this season and CAN’T WAIT to be inviting folks to our own some day soon.

    We are loving Wyoming even with its tinder box tendencies this year. I’ve joined the local volunteer firefighters as a good neighbor and hope to NOT have a fire to fight, but I am sure we’ll be out sooner or later. Our Zone has sent folks to the Russell Fires and just the other day up to the fire between Sheridan and Buffalo. I’m nervous but steadfast in our need to protect our prairie grass and neighors.

    Be safe and best wishes!
    Jena

    ————

    What a good Samaritan you are. Yes, the fires are beginning to happen around here. It takes so very little now for a fire to spark and GO. Every rancher around has their old firetruck loaded and ready to go at a moment’s notice. We can use a tank weed sprayer on the pickup for a smaller version. It isn’t much, but it is WATER.  Stay cool if you can and maybe one of these days it’ll rain again.   shery

  9. Joan says:

    Once again you hit the nail on the head of a good read – from the wonderful time had with your farmgirl friends – to the love of Dolly and the joy to be inside making your home spew forth your loving kind spirit. We have been experiencing a major fire that burned 346 homes but the very dedicated fire fighters saved many many more homes – we thank each and every one of them and all of them around our nation. Stay safe God Bless

  10. Terry says:

    So how many BFF’s do you have? You’re doing a great job friend.

    —————–

    Hi TerryGirlfriend!!  Our little farmgirl flock usually rounds out to about 5-7. Other gals have come from time to time, but folks have a lot of other activities and there is only so much time. So, we enjoy seeing the visitor farmgirls whenever they can come.   Thanks my old friend.  shery

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

What On Earth?

If you’re an avid recycler, there’s a good chance that you seamlessly slip into the role of being an enthusiastic, creative and handy repurposeer.

If you fit the profile, you wouldn’t see a pile of old boards, a bucket of rusty oddlings and a snaggle-toothed piece of corrugated tin as junk. Oh no, like Michele and I, you’d envision a birdhouse … or something equally as charming. My farmgirl pal (Michele) and I cahootinized on this camper birdhouse for a project that Hen #1 (MaryJane Butters) is working on. I drafted the design and Michele built it. To elaborate on this theme, come on in and see how an age old question is answered … farmgirl style. The question? … …

“What on earth are you going to do with THAT?”

Continue reading

  1. Maria says:

    Shery, you are an inspiration. I look forward to reading your posts. You are a definitely an exceptional writer and today you touched my heart to the point that a small tear drop formed in my eye. I completely understood your message because no one understands to see "the overlooked, to see deeper, better and through things" like you mentioned. I myself see so much beauty in so many things and I’m the only one that sees it! So much potential in so many things…regardless of everyone else, I’m going to continue my search for beauty in everything I see. Go Girl you got my vote…

  2. Ellen R. Willingham says:

    I love recycling things and making something else out of them! I’ve done it for years and find it rewarding and interesting to boot! My whole house and apartment feature reworks of mine! So does the jewelry I design and wear or give to others.

    I love the birdhouse and now I’m thinking….hmmmm….I’ve got to do that now!

  3. Anna Hanley says:

    What a wonderful blog! Your pics are great, and everything looks super. I have a love for so much. I often re-purposed stuff and I am tickled pink when it works out. Warm regards, Anna

  4. Brenda says:

    Love it love it. I love old stuff, thank you for your blog, it always makes me feel good.

  5. bonnie ellis says:

    Oh Shery! I think I just found my clone! I’ll be 70 next month and that means I’ve been collecting longer than you have. Why do people want to call it junk? It especially works well in the garden and tucked in around plants. I envy your room to keep all your "treasures". You’re my kind of farm gal. Keep up the good work! Bonnie

    ————

    Hi Bonnie! Thank you. I don’t know why relic gems are called junk. I guess when they’ve outlived your usefulness, they get to be ‘junk’. Some of the old stuff we like will still be around long after the ‘junk’ of this generation is buried. I dunno, maybe that is better…disposable junk that actually goes away…except that all of the plastic stuff we’ve created will be around and it really IS junk. I think an important aspect of going green is to make better quality ‘stuff’ (like in the old days) so that we don’t have so much CRAP to put in the landfill. One day they won’t be called landfills anymore. They’ll be landFULLs.   shery

  6. Grace~katmom says:

    Shery, once again, Thank you for shraing your heart, home & your Joy for life with us….
    p.s., luv the trailer!
    hugz
    >^..^<

  7. Victoria says:

    Shery…you’ve done it once again…brought back memories that will forever be precious to me. While reading your post what came flooding back into my mind was summer nights when I used to live in Idaho. The windows would all be open and since we lived out in the country, all would be quiet, except for the sprinklers on our handlines watering our pasture, (so soothing), a train going through town blowing it’s lonesome whistle and the Killdeer! What lovely little sounds they make. All was well with the world! Once I found a tiny baby,(just a little furball with loooong legs) in the middle of our road. I got to gently pick it up and put it in our pasture to join up with his mama. I’ll never forget that…had to be one of the dearest things I’ve had the honor to hold. Thanks, Shery….for helping me not forget.

  8. Debbie says:

    Well my dear, you’ve gone and done it again… here in your blog and your garden yard! You are my sister in junk’n crime! I adore your " born again creations"… ALL OF THEM… You know what I especially love…Once you turn 50 ( at least for me ) you don’t worry so much about always pleasing others and you start grabbing every darned chance you can to please yourself more often. I think for us farmgirls, it boils down to doin’ what we love with a grin and a twinkle in the eye no matter what the heck anyone else thinks about it! Lucky for us we have the sisterhood to share with… I bet there’s not one raised eyebrow at any of your " finds " in the whole flock of us!!!  Sister, your blogs make me happy!
    God Bless You!!!
    xo Deb
    —————

    Back at ya sister DBoz :o)  When do you expect to start selling flowers? I think that is such a romantic concept. My grandma always kept a cutting garden so that she could have fresh flowers in the house all summer long. She loved gladiolas the best for that.   Thank you for stopping in dear friend.   shery

  9. KimberlyD says:

    I love your blog, I love what you do with all the "stuff" you find. But I guess I’m not a farmgirl after all…I run across that "stuff" and I see junk…I have tried to do something with it and it still looks like junk. I guess I wasn’t born with that gene. 8~(

    Also around here, since work is very hard to find in the "thumb" area of Michigan, there is no abandond junk to be found, "scrappers" have claimed it and sold it for money. Its gotten so scarse to find around here, people steal metal items from abandond houses and sell it. You can even make money selling cardboard boxes so stores dumpsters get raided after they have had a delivery, they look for boxes and than sell them also. They even have tried to sell manhole covers with the cities names stamped on them! Really! haha!

  10. Jan says:

    Just yesterday my hubby and I were at a church garage sale. He made a comment to me that ‘If I would have know this was going on WE could have brought lots of stuff!!!’ I think that he knew I was slightly RANKLED when I replied ‘Oh, so you’re going to bring some of YOUR shop stuff?!?’. One more point for us girls….
    I loved the concepts that you shared in your blog! I am 58 and I am bound and determined to become as genuine and true to my self that I can be. That means letting the creative juices flow in the repurposing of my treasures. Right now, I am having a hard time FOCUSING on one area and I have projects sprinkled all over kingdom come…The top of the list is hanging succulent gardens. I have a large collection of ‘hens and chicks’ style plants and also a bunch that I have to winter over on my sun porch. SOOOO, now I am carting home everything from picture frames, old windows, wicker baskets, etc. to plant some up. Your patriotic theme reminded me that I have red succulents and I could form a star in the middle of one…Great minds…
    Party on!!

  11. Sabrena Orr says:

    Shery, I love to savor your posts and rejoice when you have a new one! You are a lovely, engaging writer and I love your writing and pictures. Your garden, home and ranch are truly amazing and so beautifil. Truly a garden of eden so to speak on the Wyoming plains. Thank you for sharing your treasures with us!!!

  12. Liz Bowling says:

    You take the most wonderful pictures. Just retired and am getting back into my art work full time. May I have your permission to incorporate some of your photos into my drawings? They really are beautiful. Liz Bowling

    ——

    Dear Liz,  Thank you for asking. Yes, of course, you can…and have fun!  shery

  13. bonnie ellis says:

    Shery: You’re a genius! You took all that "good stuff", put it to great use and beautified it with flowers; God is proud of you and so am I, Well done my good and faithful servant. You are a prime redeemer.

  14. Diana Henretty says:

    Good Morning from the Ozarks!
    What wonderful ideas, full of beauty to brighten your world and everyone elses that passes by!
    Old tin coffee pots make wonderful planters and bird feeders to hang from the trees. We took all of our broken wind chimes and re-created them into more wind chimes this spring, now my front porch is filled with music every day!
    Thanks for sharing all of the beauty! Diana

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *