You just don’t know when big things are going to come from seemingly inconsequential things. There I was shopping at “The Great Wall” when I learned the 5 Secrets of Long Life. Who would have thought?!
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Debbie 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.’”
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.
Cathi 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.”
Dori 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.
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.”
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!
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”.
Love!!
1. Garden. Digging in any kind of dirt even in pots will relax your mind from worry.
2. Pray. Talk to the one who created you. Great peace is found there, and you can talk to Him about anything.
3. Get a pet. Dog cat chicken….Doesn’t matter. I’m convinced they will extend your life
4. Love people…Even the unloveable…Find something good in everyone you meet. Even if it’s small.
5. Laugh out loud and be silly sometimes. Laughter will definitely lengthen your life
Love these!
Those all sound great to me…especially get a dog. Aren’t they the best?
Sheri, I agree. I put #2 in #1 spot. #5 in #2 spot and then #4, #3, #1. Pray, Laugh, Love, Pets, Garden. I have all three, dogs, cats, and chickens, Love them all. I laugh a lot; my son is a joker, can come up with sayings to make you laugh out loud and long. I pray daily. I garden but it doesn’t always look like it or that I do a good job; love people. I am an Introvert by nature but I do love people and have friends but even strangers are good to talk to. My son doesn’t and has never known a stranger from the time he was little. So I get to meet many, even if I am not inclined to. I think I would add #6 helping as many as you can, which I try to do. #7 be kind to yourself, you are unique and you are worthy because God created you for a purpose.
Yesyesyes!!!
Discover the ‘why’ in your life. Discovering your true purpose (or purposes) in life is so important. It creates harmony in your soul and being…It my constant quest!
It IS my constant quest..
Live a simple, uncomplicated, authentic life. Love God. Love people. Forgive. Be thankful. Be busy doing what you love but also have quiet time to make lists like this. Thank you for reminding us to reflect on what a happy life looks like and how we’re doing.
That was a wonderful blog, although , I had never heard of Walmart as the great Wall but sounds pretty accurate cause that’s where we shop the most. Thank you
What a great post. Around here, Wal-Mart is Wally-World. And Kroger is Krogers. I’ve met some interesting people at both places when I’ve taken the time to slow down and pay attention. My secrets for a long, happy life: 1. Trust God. 2. Love completely. 3. Don’t be afraid to try new things. 4. Enjoy the moment you’re in. 5. Never hold a grudge.
We call it Wally-World too!
Are you both from Ohio? Both Wally World and Krogers are where we shop too.
West Virginia for me, but just across the river from Ohio.
Wally World it is for us too. I’m not sure whether I got that here in Clemmons, NC or in Bridgeville ,PA my other home.
Amen!
Hello Rebekah, requirements for long life: have a lot of grand children and enjoy then, raise chickens and eat the eggs they lay, walk as often as possible especially with the on line spring walking group, go to church and join a study group and participate in the outings they have, have a best friend for 37 years, have a lot of hobbies and enjoy every moment you have with your spouse, love a cuter than cute Scottie dog. Oh I think my list is longer than you asked for. I heard the frogs in our pond last night and our mallard couple showed up on the pond this past weekend. Spring has sprung! Enjoyed you post as always.
Love your blog post!! My thing that keeps me going every day is that I set aside one hour every day to do something I LOVE! That may be working in my flowers, sewing or quilting, playing with my Yorkies, but I spend an hour EVERY day doing something I LOVE! I am a 911 Dispatcher and that job can be very stressful at times! When I get off work I turn on my music (classic rock) and crank it up for the drive home! The day melts behind me so when I get home I am the Farm Girl. We live on a farm in East Tennessee and have cows, chickens, sheep, goats, donkeys, dogs and cats! They keep me going, too! I guess I have six secrets to a long life:
1. Have a purpose in life and contribute to society every day
2. Do something YOU love every single day
3. Listen to music! It’s good for the soul
4. Don’t sweat the small stuff
5. A day spent doing something you enjoy wasn’t wasted
6. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Great blog question!! Made me think!!
Love your blog! Keeping a positive attitude is my #1 rule for happiness. It helps to have positive people around and sometimes that’s hard. Meditation has been a new influence for me.
My top five steps to a long and fulfilling life:
1. Slow down-we seem to be rushing to get nowhere fast.
2. Eat Food with one ingredient. Grow and raise it if you can.
3. Be outdoors as much as possible. Unplug from the electronic world.
4. Live with less stuff. Only keep things that are useful or beautiful.
5. Be fearless. Try new things and don’t be afraid of failure.
If I could add one more, it would be: Get a dog, or twenty! (I am allergic to cats)
Love, Love, Love ❤️ this post!
I’ll share my five,
To stay happy
And alive!
From: The Poetic Farmgirl
1- Meditate and Pray at the start of each day
2- Love ’till all hate has faded away
3- Nuture all things assigned to your care
4- Take only what’s needed, be sure to share
5- Always follow your heart, be creative and bold! And you will find that age need’nt start with old!
Great food for thought. I, too, do not talk on my cellphone in the store or when I drive. I drive a stick shift, so not enough hands to drive, shift, and hold my phone.
My list of 5 . . .
1. Start my day with my Heavenly Father
2. Extend grace, forgive freely
3. Talk less, love more (a directive from above)
4. I started watercolor classes 3+ years ago
5. Do dirty therapy daily (gardening)
Ok . . . my list of 6
6. I would love to learn to do pottery
What a great artical!!! I have a special place for older people. They have wisdom we all should hear. Their slower pace in life! My list of five:
1. Choose to be kind. Many need kindness.
2. Play every day!! In the dirt if you can.
3. Surround yourself with what makes you happy!!! My farm and my animals, and my garden!
4. Always , always thank the Lord for all you have!
5. Never , never take a day for granted. Deb
I love this, Rebekah! What a wonderful encounter. Both of your lists are excellent; I would add The time to be happy is now. I have a saying posted on my board at work – it’s a quote from Buddha: “The trouble is, you think you have time.”
I love this story!!!
Know contentment.
Rescue animals, all sorts! They will keep you moving, make your heart smile and your soul fed.
I am so okay with your list of 5, especially the first one (I only have 2 cats at present but I recently moved into a smaller apartment). I would add reminding yourself every day that “I am enough,” whether you’re a CEO, a Mom, an artist, or just someone who loves their family, loves to garden, and has learned to make the best vegan food ever! Just be you. Just be. Peace and blessings, you youngster you (said the 67 year old grandma)!
This post was very interesting! I like it! I never knew of the Great Wall and I am in SC…I can relate to all of the other…Once I took 1 cat home ended up with 28 loved cats over time..My secret to long life: Love that is the secret. Love everyone and everything that is good. I’ve been told many many times that I am so naive and live in a make believe world. Actually I don’t I’m a realist and do know things but I choose to live life as if everyone is at heart good and enjoy the most simple of things God has given us to enjoy.
A walk, a sunrise, a sunset, nature all around us, a smile, a good deed, helping others. As for ones self I have a motto:
Be who you were meant to be no other. Don’t worry about the things you can not change. Be the same always so people will know who you are. Make the world a better place where you stand. It will make a difference!
I never like going to Wally World/Wal-Mart Fall Apart/Wal-Marts…but the produce department now that they have more organic items to choose from is my highlight of the store also.
5 things, I’ve got to think on this. I know one of them is watch chickens scratch and do their thing as often as possible. It soothes the soul. Great read as always, Rebekah. One can never listen to too much JT either….
I have never been asked this question before.
I would say praying, and having faith in God would be the Foundation to build your life on.
For me, being Outside is important. Gardening, bonfires, stargazing, pets, and playing.
Learning and trying new things is important to me.
Food! Growing, preserving, sharing, and eating that healthy homegrown fare.
Kindness and sharing of your time and talent.
Having that special someone to share it with, is priceless for me.
1) Find reasons to be thankful…for family, for bright blue skies, tufts of new grass, an unexpected note from a friend.
2) Music: listen to it, play it, sing it, share it..it has healing properties
3)Love long and deeply…your spouse, family, friends, and your unconditionally loving pets
4) Play: explore something new…keep exploring
5) Find places and times of peace and quiet
I don’t believe in downgrading myself in front of other people.
I try to do my best in the first place, and I figure there are plenty of people in the world who might say something about me that is not 4-star. So be it.
I’m going out to spread some smiles and cheer. See ya’ later.
I wrote this answer in the first place. Now that I re-read it, it does not make ANY sense to me??? Must have had jungle fever in my brain that day???…sorry about that.
Love your 5.
Friends, laughter & wine. Lots of wine.
I love that bracelet. How nice to see Mr. Mustache. Last I heard, he had made actual friends with you, and wasn’t so scaredy cat. I’d love to see pics of him now. I’ll use your secrets of a long, happy life, and that of the smiling man.
Re buttermilk, I used to drink something called lassi. It’s buttermilk mixed with a juice, say orange juice. It’s quite nice, and you don’t get that, um, buttermilkness in your mouth.
I love chatting with older individuals about how life should be lived! They always get my mind thinking. Both his and your list are a wonderful way to love a long happy life. Except I would change mine to dogs instead of cats! I would add to the list…
1. Live life like a toddler ( explore everything and at a slow enjoyable pace)
2. Always forgive
3. Be kind and share
4. Never give up
5. Always strive to be your best
Great list, except substitute dog for cat on #1, ha. Love my Newfies! Here’s my addition to this running list and my and my husband’s number one marriage rule:
#1 Never go for the jugular. It’s ok to disagree, even argue, but NEVER go for the jugular. Stop yourself before you say something that can’t be retracted, that thing you know will really hurt. It’s worked for us for 33 years!
Brilliant post, Rebekah. Loved your five.
Mine are
1) begin my day with God, value time with family and do things on my bucket list, being content with life where I am now
2) respond in love and do kindness to others in every opportunity
3) listen more, talk less and pray for others, be adaptable
4)exercise a few times a week, have time outside, doing something, or doing nothing, lay on ground and look at the clouds, just like we all did as kids
5)notice the beauty around me – it’s everywhere in the shape of a petal, a rain droplet on a blade of grass, the early morning birdsong, a smile, a sunrise and sunset, the shape of the clouds – always changing
It’s funny how our notions about things change as time goes by isn’t it.
Gratitude- count your blessings.
Grace-give as much as you get.
Be a good steward of all you’re given- your home, the earth, your body, your gifts/talents, time.
Be still & know.
Trust God & your instincts.
Love God
Love your family
Love your animals
Love your friends
Love your life.
Always pray.
Surround yourself with everything that you love.
Adopt/rescue a pet.
Be alone at least one hour a day.
Be outside as much as possible.
And all of our Wal Mart’s here in the Ozarks have groceries!!
Oh My goodness, I love that toad photo!
Rebeka- thanks so much. I love your blog posts. I too chat with strangers. It’s such a great way to learn something new, help one’s mind be open, and it love others.
1.Love the Lord and start your day in His word.
2.Love others as yourself
3.Declutter your surroundings
4.Spend long periods outside, (my 97 yr old aunt who doesnt take any type meds says never sit down)
5.Grow as much of what you eat as you can
Rebekah, this is my favorite of all your writings. I have added your 5 Secrets to my little notebook of inspirational things that I collect from anywhere and everywhere. I especially love No. 3 – open your mind, your brains won’t fall out. That’s lovely.
Politically, we probably disagree on many things (i.e., I call Walmart the Evil Empire and won’t shop there) but I wouldn’t let that obscure the beauty of your heart, which comes through in every blog post.
5 Secrets to a Happy Life
1. Keep balance in how you spend your time.
2. Be responsible for your own happiness
3. Enjoy what you have
4. Accept who and what others are able to give, everyone has limitations.
5. Find joy in simple things
1-Get some sunshine
2-Eat your berries
3-Keep moving
4-keep your mind active
5-Grow something!
Abiding… in joy, in beauty, in kindness , graciousness and simplicity.