Monthly Archives: June 2015

Hay There

It is summertime, you know. A brand new summer just began June 21st. Yay, baby summer! Yay Baby, summer!

“Summer afternoon – summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”

Henry James

Henry James was not a farmer. (Was he? No, I don’t think so.)

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It's The Little Things

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The continual thought in the back of mind for some time now has been, Simplify.  I have this painted door in my guest bedroom with that word on it, and the thought has become more and more important to me.
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It’s The Little Things

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The continual thought in the back of mind for some time now has been, Simplify.  I have this painted door in my guest bedroom with that word on it, and the thought has become more and more important to me.
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A Long Journey, Part Two

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Gradually, I started feeling very “off”. Symptoms multiplied as weeks wore on. I’d have the will to be active, but physically couldn’t keep up. We were worried. Would I ever feel like myself? Was there something doctors hadn’t found?

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The Wild, Wild Beach

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Dear sisters,

Hop in the Beach Buggy and let’s take a ride through the pioneer days of the Wild, Wild Beach. Gurnet/Saquish Beach.

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Sockeye Fire: FB FTW

A fairly large wildfire started in Willow, Alaska this past Sunday, June 14.  I was working on the farm that day and the farmer and I repeatedly lamented how crummy of a day it was: HOT (nearly 90 degrees), dry, cloudless and windy…Silty dust was flying everywhere and the combination of wind and heat sucked all of the moisture out of the plants and us.  Little did we know that around mid-day, a small, nearby community was having a much worse time than us!

Ava doesn't seem to mind the sweltering heat even in the greenhouse!

Ava doesn’t seem to mind the sweltering heat even in the greenhouse!

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I Am A Flower Farmer

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My daughter, Andrea, and I are Flower Farmers.  Well, sort of.

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A Long Journey, Part One

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I’m blessed that I’ve been relatively healthy my entire life. I had typical 1970’s childhood illnesses like strep throat and chicken pox, and was only in the hospital at age thirty when my daughter was born. I’ve always eaten healthy and exercised. Five years ago, inspired by MaryJanesFarm, I went completely organic. I avoid processed foods and alcohol, don’t smoke, and come from “good stock”. During my twenties and thirties I remained healthy, aside from nagging respiratory illnesses that stopped after going organic. I’m hardly sick, bouncing back quickly without antibiotics. I’m active, a “busy bee”. That’s how I realized something wasn’t right. Gradually, I started feeling unable to do everything I wanted to. More and more, I’d fall short  finishing chores, frequently feeling fatigued. Often it felt like I was “coming down with something”, but never would. I was tired all the time, knowing something was wrong.

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Sweet Strawberry- Rhubarb Pie

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Dear Sisters,

Are you a fan of Rhubarb? This tart but tasty herbaceous perennial is a vegetable generally used for making pies, sauces, jams and chutney. Today I’m sharing and easy Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie recipe. It just happens to be my husbands favorite dessert in the whole wide world and a family favorite too. All I have to do is mention the word Rhubarb and someone will say, “did I hear pie?” Continue reading

Homecoming

“Home is wherever I’m with you”~ Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

I’ve loved those lyrics since they came out in the song “Home” about five years ago. Home isn’t necessarily a place, it is a feeling that one has with certain people, a culture or a location.  My blog’s little Farmgirl mascot often reminds me of a similar sentiment–“Farmgirl is a condition of the heart.”  The City Farmgirl’s quote also exclaims a similar idea–“Being a farmgirl isn’t about where you live, it’s about how you live.”

Home is where I can identify and appreciate the wild flowers.  Trillium in bloom in north central Minnesota.

Home is where I can identify and appreciate the wild flowers. Trillium in bloom in north central Minnesota.

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