Another Is Waiting

I’m standing in the cold mountain stream that runs in front of our farm.

The water is freezing, but I’ve got my muck boots on so my feet are cold, but dry. (cold feet, warm heart, or something like that)


I’m here to harvest sand for my chickens….

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  1. loreta says:

    Rebekah, I’m so glad to see that you as a mother of a young girl are concerned about seeing how the media is portraying what a woman should be to be attractive. I sure wish the clothing was more modest. Keep up the good work. I love your blogs.

  2. Connie says:

    Rebekah, I would love to see this re-printed in every Woman’s magazine published. You covered it all! Even X-Factor Judge, Demi Lovato told a young girl, on the live audtions she did not look like a pop star, but she sang great! I couldn’t believe what I just heard her say to that 14 year old girl! We need more shows like "The Voice " Since they cannot see you, you are judged on your voice and not what you look like! I will not watch the X-factor ever again! Parents today have a tougher job for sure! than when I was growing up or my daughter! Parents are the most important voices a child can hear! A good thing parents can do is voice their opinion to the networks, write to the editor of Seventeen magazine, ask for the store managers where you buy your children’s clothes. Get their attention by taking back, what they want most, your money!
    When I joined Mary Jane’s Farm Sisterhood,and saw the section for "Young Cultivators" I thought Oh how wonderful!!!

  3. Shery says:

    The best counselor that will show us how to find self worth has a name. Dr. Jesus. Doctor of Divinity. He tells us we are worthwhile and lovely and because He says so, We Are. The counsel of men is shallow and fickle…as much so as the fashion runways. Without the Lord in our lives, any answers are short-lived. His answers see us through – from the trials of teen-hood alllll the way to cane-hood. What America’s teens need is Christ in their lives and in their home life. They are daughters of the Most High and if they knew that, they would not have to struggle with who they are or why they are here or how to please others. We don’t have to please others. We are to please Him, and then everything else falls into order…and out and back in. That is why it is so important to make a life choice for God…He will see us through it all.

  4. Nicole White says:

    I’m not an Ashton Kutcher fan, but what he says here is echoing your words. Thought you’d like it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNXwKGZHmDc "the sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart"

  5. Jan says:

    I am so glad that you addressed our obsession with being thin…Painfully thin…What is it about us that makes us think that everyone judges us by our clothing size? Maybe it has to do with control. We have such complicated lives that dealing with our own bodies is our only chance at control-or lack of control…
    I have a close friend that dictates what she eats or not on any particular day on her scale weight in the morning. Her age? 93…Some habits die hard..

  6. Adrienne says:

    What would help immensely would be mentors for young girls who could show them possibilities based on their unique skillset. If your daughter/sister/niece has an affinity for science, technology, engineering and/or math (STEM), encourage her to pursue her craft. Cooking, animal husbandry, creating and building something she enjoys are all part of raising and nurturing a girl who will become a successful and happy woman who is secure in her own mind and body. Sometimes, just listening will help her purge those depressing and dangerous thoughts we all have. Teaching an alternative to cutting, bingeing and purging, anorexia, and self-deprecation is key. Every woman should KNOW she is appreciated and cherished. There should be no doubt where unhappiness can creep into her quiet thoughts.

    These are just some suggestions to try.

  7. JeanineB. says:

    Have you noticed some store magazines and the way they dress little girls now or how skinny they look? Unbelievable. I have stopped shopping at the stores where I think the ads were inappropriate. It is bad enough the way they portray the women,(who looks like these models in your area?), but I am not going to support stores that are trying the same stuff with little girls. You know there are a lot of stores out there and a lot of products you can choose from. Buy the ones you don’t find offensive. Same thing goes for t.v., movies and radio-you can switch or you can turn them off. I don’t even watch t.v. anymore!
    I have to say that I agree with you on MaryJane!!!! It is so much better to be a Farmgirl, to learn things about organic gardening/eating, being healthy and feeling good about yourself. MaryJane introduces you to all these wonderful women and it is so refreshing. Safe for you to share with your Grandmother or your child.
    I have some Mennonite & Amish friends and although they work really hard, they have so much peace and happiness in their hearts. I see the same in their daughters. I don’t see that in a lot of other families. Lots of the Good Lord, wholesome values and less pressure to be some thing that only exists in the minds of the very weak. I think it is possible to move away from these trends but we have to put our money and attitudes where our mouth is. We have to say NO MORE and we have to do it together. I’m with you, Rebekah.

  8. Joan says:

    THANK YOU for saying IT so eloquent!!!! If only we could get more families back to the farmway. And it would be so wonderful if a teens magazine, well for that matter all publishings would pick up your beautiful writing. So very true it is. God Bless

  9. carol branum says:

    hi,maybe you should consider homeschooling….start sewing your daughter dresses,start a new trend???I wish I was skinny too,but this is awful for little girls. carol

  10. Cindy Bee says:

    Well Rebekah, let me just say….First of all….look at what started this conversation. YOU SPENDING TIME with your child doing something OUTSIDE. If families would be families, whether on the farm or in town, and do things together, instead of planting kids in front of tv’s and phones, it would be a good start. Look around. Ask around. How many parents did something with their child away from all of the media – outside for example – for any length of time in the last week. Conversations start with families when the media is turned off.

    I spent the last two days with my niece and we crafted, baked, went for ice cream, and TALKED!

    Cindy Bee

  11. sue says:

    Amen to that sister not only does this apply to our children but to the food we eat and the way we use our world.Here’s to less media and corporation and more local farms and kids just being kids (hopefully on a farm)

  12. Carol in NC says:

    Horses are famous for helping girls navigate the waters of adolescence. They are calm and steady friends who are good listeners, have lots of hair to brush and comb, and don’t talk back. Put that girl on the back of a dead-broke old guy and set her free! But you know all that, lol.

    A friend wrote this precious story for her girls and pulls it out from time to time when she feels like they (or herself) are getting "beat with the ugly stick" as she calls it.

    http://sherrimccready.org/jacobsGarden.shtml

  13. Diane Van Horn says:

    When my daughter was young she wanted short hair and to wear baggy t-shirts and shorts. She was very athletic and always playing with the boys. I got so much flack for it! I was told by my friends to make her grow her hair and wear pretty clothes. Even her Dad, who I was divorced from told me I was making her into a boy. Truth is, I wanted my daughter to be who she wanted to be and try everything that she was interested in. She even met her BFF in a girls bathroom when her BFF came up and told her this is a girl’s bathroom! She thought my daughter was a boy! They became fast friends and are still close today. The thing is this, I wanted my daughter to be more than her looks. I wanted her to be fearless and have strength and talents. My beautiful daughter has grown up to be a wonderful person. She races motorcycles and even re-stored a vintage Mustang car all by herself. She is artistic. kind and down to earth. Did I mention she is also beautiful? She isn’t a stick, she has curves but doesn’t wear skimpy clothes to show the world. She married her Husband after he returned from two tours in Iraq and have been married for over seven years now. She is a licensed cosmetologist and veterinary technician who paints pet portraits in her spare time. I am so proud of the woman she has become. I am so glad that I stood my ground against the media, culture and friends and let her be who she wanted to be. One of my favorite quotes…"Beauty fades, dumb is forever.

  14. Amanda says:

    You totally hit the nail on the head! I’m a mother of two young girls. And according to the BMI chart, my girls are overweight. They are both athletes and farmgirls, so they have muscles. But somehow that doesn’t seem to factor into the charts. They know how to eat healthy and have wonderful rolemodels (MaryJane!)to look up too. And, I’m trying to raise them to know what real beauty is. Because do the heifers really care if we’re wearing mascara or not? But, you know this doesn’t affect just kids. I’m short and skinny and have to shop in the teenager section! Not fun at my age!

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Take the Long Way Home

Late last week I attended a legal conference.

Legal conferences are not usually a serene, enchanting, pleasant affair.

But this one surely was. It wasn’t the conference that was serene, it was the venue where it was held. And my trip back home.

It was in Asheville, North Carolina at the Grove Park Inn.

Autumn was in the air.

Leaves were beginning to turn from green to red, yellow, orange.

Pumpkin Spice coffee.

Gingerbread.

Apples.

Life is tough, I tell you.
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  1. carol branum says:

    Becka,You are a very lucky girl! carol

  2. Denise S says:

    beautiful looking hotel! loved the pictures and watched the video, all very pretty. are there lots of drop offs, is the road close to the edge? I’m sort of a afraid of driving on roads like that so that’s why I’m wondering!

  3. Meredith says:

    Good Morning! Your post made me remember how lucky I am to live in the foothills of the Bue Ridge Mountains! The Blue Ridge Parkway is just a short drive from my home here in Virginia. And oh, the Grove Park Inn! My husband and I spent a weekend there before my daughter was born, it will always be a special place for me, and I would love to go back! Thanks for taking us " the long way home!

  4. Patricia says:

    Take the long way home……really hits home with me! I do this all of the time and sometimes have my camera and sometimes not but it is always worth it. Today I have the day off and a lot of cleaning to do but also it is shaping up to be a beautiful fall day so I might clean a little and go explore at a new waterfall that I have never been to. My sister loved that song "Take the Long Way Home" so that caught my eye.

  5. maureen says:

    Hi Rebecca,

    You’re so right to "take the long way Home". Several weeks ago my husband and I did that on the way back from Estes Park, CO. We took the back roads home and it’s a good thing we did. We can savor the memories of a landscape that has forever been changed by the recent floods we’ve had. Many of buildings and turn-outs are no longer there. It will certainly be a different view when the roads are reopened (whenever that will be!). It’s funny how life and landscapes can remain the same for years and then be changed in an instant. What is amazing is that a diversion dam designed almost a century ago held, saving countless lives and destruction. Kudos to the designers and craftsmen of long ago! I certainly want to visit that hotel and area of your blog. The Smokies are on my bucket list. Beautiful!

  6. Dianne says:

    Rebekah: One year hubby and I drove the entire Parkway and camped along the way. It is so beautiful. I remember a snowy night visiting the Grove Park Inn. It seemed magical.I can never get enough of mountain views and country roads. Thanks for sharing you trip.

  7. Patricia says:

    I forgot to say I loved your photos and the ride through the Blue Ridge Pkwy. Thanks for sharing!

  8. Mary Lou says:

    Rebekah, we were crossing paths this weekend. I, to Jonesborough for the 41st International Storytelling Festival, and you to Asheville. The drive up I-26 just takes my breath away. I thought about you and wanted to take the circuitous route and view your neck of the woods, but had to get along home. Someday, yes, someday, I too, am going to take the long road home .

  9. Joan says:

    Oh my Oh my heart is JUMPING!!!! I was so privileged to drive from Springfield, TN, to Ashville and back. Your pictures have brought back all the wonderful scenery and the smell of the Blue Ridge Mnts. I like our Rockies but oh them thare Mnts. are home to me. The fog, foliage, Biltmore, Grove Park Inn, the town of Ashville – all the history – oh my so glad you got to do the Gateway. And let me tell ya those are some boots you have there!!! Thanks for the fun trip. God Bless

  10. Myra Jean HAll says:

    No pictures of their underground SPA. Is it not there? I have always wanted to go to it.
    Love the Inn when they decorated for Christmas and have those 6 ft logs blazing. Along with the gingerbread house competition.
    They also have ghost hauntings!!!

  11. Jan says:

    I think that once I reached a 50-something age in life, I really did start taking the long way home, or as I like to call it, ‘the scenic route’. We must take time to unwind, wander, and enjoy! Just yesterday I took the scenic route to my weekly workout class. I found a lovely new walking trail, just minutes from my house and since I just discovered the sport of Nordic walking, I will definitely pop over there…

    Lucky you to have stayed in such a wonderful hotel. I am also a lover of anything stone!

    Happy trails!

  12. Adrienne says:

    As a former full-time RVer, I tried to always take the long way home, the road less traveled (a la Blue Highways), and look for the small, little-known-except-to-locals places. Aren’t they wonderful gifts to treasure in photos?

  13. Kim says:

    I don’t get too many perks at my job but The Grove Park Inn is one of them! My bosses gift my husband and I with a Spa Package / long weekend at The Grove Park every year for Christmas. We love it! So awesome.

  14. Margaret says:

    We just took the long way home from Statesville, NC to Kansas. Took us 3 days across N.C., S.C., TN, & MO to get home and like you said the leaves are just starting to turn. The countryside changes back on the slower roads. You get to see how the local folks live and the crops of cotton, soybeans, corn, etc. Plus all the scenry of "trees". Living in KS and NE most of my life it is amazing the miles and miles of trees you all have back East. Tunnels of trees down the roads as you drive compared to open spaces of miles and miles of view in the Western states. But great to see other places in USA. However did get a little upset when even the "trailheads" were blocked off by the government. Maybe next time we will have time to stop and see the Historical sites.

    Well have to check out that historic Grove Park Inn. Looks like it ranks up there with the Yellowstone Park Inn for historical Inns.

  15. Carol in NC says:

    Before we moved to our farm we lived only a couple of blocks from the Grovepark. Sometimes when walking our dog, a giant Newfoundland, we would end up there and ‘park’ him with the valet guys then go sit by the fireplace and drink coffee. Definitely the long way home! Don’t know if they’d let us do that now,lol.
    If you didn’t get a chance to visit the spa this round, coming back is a must! A bargain really for one of the top spas in the country, because for the price of a simple manicure you can go early, stay ALL day and enjoy the different pools and saunas, drink tea, and read a book in the ‘quiet room’. It’s a fun mother/daughter day and super relaxing.

  16. Karin says:

    We have driven the entire length of the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway many times and hope to do so many more. It’s beautiful at all times of the year, but autumn is truly the best. If you ever get the chance, take a few days to drive and visit all the overlooks, trails, places like Mabry Mill, Natural Bridge, Linville Falls, Peaks of Otter, and visit the delightful little towns along the way. It is so worth the time.

  17. bobbie calgaro says:

    Absolutely love the Grove Park Inn and traveling the Blue
    Ridge. Have mad that trip many times. Staying in Asheville is one of my husband’s and my favorite things to do. I know how blessed you felt to make that journey.

  18. Nicole White says:

    I LOVE that Parkway. Lucky you live near it. I had to go turn on Rodney Atkins "take a back road" ‘put a little gravel in your travel’ ‘I need a curvy, windy, twisty road to nowhere’ ‘get lost and get right with my soul’ Thanks for the pictures of a place close to my heart, but now far from where I live.

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