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…

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

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

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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

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.

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!

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!!!

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.

Thanks Shery for bringing back some springtime memories. I haven’t helped "work cattle" for many years, but from about the age 10 and up my jobs were to help with the sorting, and tally the heifers and bulls for Dad as they were branded and whatnot. My sister gave vaccinations, and still does at their own farm.
We used tractors and later 3 & 4 wheelers instead of horses. Dad was thrown and severely injured when he was about 22, and wouldn’t have a horse on the farm. I hated/loved the sorting. I was always stuck at the gate where the calves were separated from their mothers. Those cows were alot bigger than I was. I never got hurt, but sure did get scared.
I loved branding season because it got me out of the house. Mom ran the kitchen on those days and us kids earned our lunch and a sip of beer at Noon.
But even better was moving the herd up to the North Pasture (roughly 6 miles of gravel roads) for summer pasturing. I always, always had to ride with Dad in the front as he would call his "Come boss, come boss" to get the procession started. My job was to jump out of the pickup and hold back those bossies (in the ditch) who were in a hurry to get to greener grasses, letting the stragglers catch up. It was another scary job, but I did it, sometimes having to run out into a new stand of wheat or oats to bring a stray back to the herd. Sounds like a bigger job than it was, and I did have help. As we got closer to the pasture,if I was already a ways from the pickup, I got to go to the tail end and keep the little ones moving along. Usually I just walked behind, but sometimes my brothers would let me steer the tractors or pickup – whichever was bringing up the rear.
For a time after I married and became a city slicker, my husband & I still helped with the spring activity. It took many years and a family of my own to lessen the tug back to those times. Now I can think of them with fond memories and realize I can’t do that type of work anymore.
It was a wonderful idea asking those kids to help out. They will have stories to tell, and bruises to brag about for a long time. N

Hi Shery – I loved your pic’s today! Those kids were having a hardworking blast of a good time!
I have to tell you how proud I was of MY daughter today- she just turned 13, mind you, and today one of her heifers was having a bit of trouble delivering her first calf. She called her dad who listened to what she was seeing and advised her to help the mama with the ob chains, which she has seen him use plenty of times before. She could see foot #1 but #2 was still just inside. Knowing the calf was properly positioned, she dove right in (literally) and found #2, got the chains on, and with a little help from me, had that calf on the ground and the mama on her feet in 5 minutes. The calf had been a bit stuck (big head!) but all is well with mama and baby this evening. What a handsome bull he is going to make!
I am so proud of this child for taking the situation in hand and fixing it, and what a huge blessing to be living this kind of life!
Cant wait to see the rest of your photos, and hope you all have a fantastic summer!

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You SHOULD be proud. It is scarey to watch with worry when an animal is in distress. She took responsibility and made a difference for that baby. She’ll benefit all the days of her life from the confidence built in the life you’ve made possible for her.   shery

Just be thankful that in your neck of the woods the young folks still want to do manual labor! So refreshing to see…I’m not sure that I could even FIND a teen to help me mow the lawn, let alone brand some cattle! Hats off to all of them!
Love to see how your garden is coming along. I used a more ‘horsey’ theme on my garden patio this year (my husband built a patio on the end of our garden shed). I hung my ‘horses for sale’ sign that I got at a garage sale a few years back (hand painted!) and surrounded it with old tack, my spurs from back in the day, etc.
Does anyone have any ideas for the large leather-covered horse collars? I rescued mine from a client’s garbage. They were from his family’s draft horses on the farm! I couldn’t bear seeing them thrown away. One man’s trash is another woman’s treasure!!
Can’t wait to see the planted part of your garden project!

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Hi Jan,  Hey, I saw old collars dressed up as WREATHES. Just assume it IS a wreath and dress it accordingly…for fall, christmas, patriotic etc etc. Twist a ‘tie-wire’ loop on the back to hang it with and it will be wonderful looking. Gosh yea, I couldn’t bear to let those old goodies go to the dump either.  Love your equine decor theme.   Enjoy your new patio!   shery

Hi Shery, thanks for another wonderful time at the ranch garden. Love all that you have done and it so inspires me. Now to get out and DO in my garden. Take care from the plains of CO.

Oh how I know the feeling. A dear, wise friend says it is because it is spring after a long winter of not being able to do outside work, that we end up frustrated with such long to-do lists. And in our world, trying to fit the yard projects in around everything else is challenging to say the least. But when we walk around the yard and say "We built that fence, and that fence, planted those trees, built those retaining walls, made those rock/shrub beds," it does actually feel like we are accomplishing something. And so are you. Enjoy!

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You’re right! It pays to go back and revisit the results of things checked off of the to-do list. That’ll make me feel better :o)  shery

I make "to do lists" for each weekend so that by the end of the weekend I hopefully have crossed off many if not all items. Then I start another list for the next weekend! It makes me feel better by having one list down and not YET thinking about the next one I need to write out. Loved what you said at the end, SO TRUE! I love reading your blog!

Yes the to-do lists are a catch-22. The anxiety of getting to each item on the long list BUT also the awh… after it dwindles and has checked off marks.
Your photos are so beauitful!!

You inspire me to do more . . . although my hubby and I are quite DYI’ers and built our place up from the ground a few years ago . . . it is still in progress (you understand) but we are better gardeners now and work the tractor with more success. When I hit 55 I decided to stop and smell "MY" roses every day, watch the lambs and make planters out of "junk". Although I get weary at times, I love my age and this time in my life. Thanks for your insight into your day and heart.

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Oh Judy, I second your statement about liking the age. the body … welllll, not so much, but the state of mind at this age is the best. My father said he liked his 50s the best too. I get it now. :o)   shery

Shery: What a blessing to HAVE a to-do list! So many people have no interests and nothing to do or physically can’t do anything. I’ve got a great suggestion for all of us: Make the to do list and then add at the top the thing that bugs you the most. It may not be on your list but I could almost guarantee that if you did that the rest will fall into place. Also, put a time and date on when you are going to do each thing. It gives you a mini deadline and you are more apt to do it. We’re all in the same boat girl, I just prefer to take a rest once and awhile. Good luck and never stop dreamin’

OMG! If I ever see another ‘post’ or mix another batch of concrete… it will be way to soon! We just dug/poured & set 81 4×6 posts for the new corral and Thank goodness for Augurs & pnuematic nail guns,,,for setting the rails!
But on the plus side, what glorious weather for playing in our Garden of weedin’ not to mention perfect days for Glamping in our wee trailers & sitting around the ‘glampfire’ with great gal~pals.
hugz & Happy trails.

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81 posts…in concrete???? YIKES!!!   Oh! I have a new campy term to use…’glampfire’…I’m so stealing it. :o)  MY wee trailer is slated to go on her first glamping trip sometime in June …our maiden journey together. There ought to be at least 2 other farmgirls to hang with and our HORSES. Thanks for stopping in Grace!   shery

AMEN!

You are not alone…and I am glad to know that I am not alone!

Dear Sheri – truer words were never spoken about to do lists and ambitions for women of a certain age. I always have to remind myself of my age as my projects and plans always get ahead of my physical, not mental energy. Love your words of wisdom and gorgeous photos. Good luck with your gardening plans. Ann

Shery, what a lovely comforting relaxing message. After an extremely hard day with some life changing decisions ahead, you brought me back to the things I love most. Family, beauty all around us and love of life. I look at all these other things and wonder how and why I have let problems that I can control into my life. Beauty is all around us and life is too precious not to grab every minute.
Thanks for the inspiration……..

Shery, Everything looks so beautiful, I miss my home in La when I lived between a dairy farmer and beef cattle farmer, (Father and Son) and every spring I would see the new colts and baby calfs romping around all frisky and happy. And I had my own little section of woods so there were always plenty of other baby critters as well. I remember waking up one night to see a family of raccoons sitting around my patio table like they were having dinner. HA! I love love love your glamper and cant wait to get me another one. We are looking at an airstream bambi and I am praying things will go my way and I will soon have one to fix up in the 50era decor.
Love your blogs, Be Blessed Neta

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An Airstream?……Wowwwwww. They’re the cream!!  shery

Howdy Shery! Oh, I do feel relaxed! Your words today reminded me of so many comforts I am grateful for…like you, too many to list. And I agree; it’s so important to push away the crazy, hurried world and let comfort do it’s magic! One of my favorite comfort spots is also laying in the grass and gazing up at the bright blue sky… so thanks for makin’ room! Loved your post. As always it’s a bright spot and a comfort in my day!
much love,
your beachy farmgirl sister!
Deb

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SOMEday, I want to give the beach a try! Your cottage is the thing dreams are made of.   Thanks D-Boz for stopping in. You’re always a bright spot for ME.  shery

Good morning,
What a peaceful picture you and Deb paint for me each time I read. I too find comfort spots and though I live in the mountains, I grew up on the beach and can still remember walking the ocean beach and finding a spot in the early morning without people and sitting quietly with my cup of tea and watching the sun come up over the water. Besides restful and comforting it is healthy to take just 10 to 15 minutes for spirit rejuvenation. But now I can sit on the side of the mountain and look out over miles of green lush fields in the valley and think of the farms and farm families that have been up for hours nurturing their animals and working so hard and making my view one of peace and tranquility before I too have to "get to it". But sometimes only 10 or 15 minutes to say "Thank you" is enough to last the whole day long. (Love the Airstream)
Ange

Loved your blog today. I have many places that are comforts to me but here at school, I go outside every day and eat lunch in the court yard. Its quiet and gets me away from the fray. Just me and my lunch and a book. Then I’m ready to go back and face the rest of the day.

That was a wonderful trip back to my grandmother’s farm. While I was reading your blog I forgot where I was. I’m sure there are still some treasures on the farm that would have my name on them if I were there. Thank you.

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You’re welcome, Marlene :o) Thank you for the kind comments. That my simple words could take you to another place that you lovingly remember… … well, there is no nicer compliment. shery

I don’t know how you do it, but after reading every post, I’m ready to move next door. Kindred spirits I guess. Keep up the good work and fun!

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The kindness of farmgirl comments melts my heart and makes my dayssss. Thank you from my most innermost parts :o)  shery

So where do I sign up for such an ADVENTURE??? Yes, I would bet that many of us would have been crawling all over the place with you.
My husband and I just went on a small road trip down into southern Idaho and we happened on to an old sign attached to a building that said ‘in and out’. It had been an old motel back in the day and I wondered just how many people had stopped and tried to buy it! It just gave me a large CHUCKLE…American Pickers would have stopped and haggled.

I have to admit that awhile back we cleaned out the back garden area and my husband hauled a nice chunk of old rain gutter to the dump (much to my dismay). Sure enough, we went to a local garden show and there was the cutest garden shed, complete with a nice rain gutter planted full of annuals. NOW, we are the ones looking for sections of old rain gutter to hang on the garden fence top..

Just wanted to let you know that the older that I get, the more I appreciate and crave anything with some history!
Happy junkin’!

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I think you nailed it, Jan. I’ve always like OLD shtuff…but the older I get, the more sentimental I become over things with good memories attached.  shery

Shery … I couldn’t wait to read today’s blog – the subject "Junkin’" caught my eye! How lucky are you to have access to this wonderful junk, and, better yet, to the stories that go along with each piece. And Don has to feel good about passing it on to someone who he knows will love it as much as he did. The photos are fabulous and it looks like you are going to have lots of fun putting those implements into place and planting just the right stuff in them. I can’t wait to see the finished product. By the way, that clothes dryer is exactly like the one my Mom used when I was growing up! Love it!

Thank you!

I so enjoy your tales and pictures. Look forward to them all. Wish I was closer to go junking with you! Thank you! Ellen

Hey Shery,
I luv ‘Junktiquing’,, and plan to get into mischief this coming weekend w/4 of my Trailer Gal~Pals (if it doesn’t rain)… Isn’t it the best feeling to find that 1 thing, that thing you were not looking for, and yet there it is,,, & all you can utter is, "Oh WoW!"

I too have a vintage portable drying rack,,, I hang vintage hankies, doillies & aprons from it.
In my mind I can see farm wives drying baby diapers by the fireplace on these sweet racks.

Happy Trails… & by-the-by, I am having a ‘Trailer Slumber Party’ this weekend on our property… maybe you can talk Michelle into a vintage trailer & then you can have a Slumber Party too! Or come over to Spokane & join us!
Wagons HO! :>)

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Hi GRACE! Loved hearing from you. I so enjoyed the photos you sent some time back. I envy your travels with your galpals. My trailer is ready to go. We’re think the first part of June to break her in. Hope your summer is full of Glampiong fun.  shery

That’s amazing what fun! I have exactly the same clothes dryer which I bought at a market here in Australia – I put it in front of the fire in winter and it fits so much on. Great find!
Nessa

Shery Another GREAT read!!! I love the sink project, and I’m surprised my Pinterest addiction hasn’t lead me to find that particular project yet, it is an amazing thing to have as a DIY guide!! Also I Love the weather vane it’s a real beauty! Glad to hear that calving season is off to a good start for you, and I hope the weather cooperates better for you than it has for us. We just finishing making some comfy straw beds for our herd as the weather man says we’re in for a few more blizzard like days! Sending Blessings to you for Easter and Calving too!

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Thanks Lacey!  Yes, finding Pinterest happened for me via my sister. It has been especially timely since we are doing so much to the house this year. Going idea hunting there has been a lot of fun and it inspires you to get it done!   shery

I luv the "work in progress" on the Ranch….
and fyi, I nearly spewed coffee out my nostrils when reading your comment: They’re (horses)also shedding big-time now which for a ranchy farmgirl means no lipstick or lip balm unless you like furry lips, "
lolol!
>^..^<

Good Morning Shery! Just had to let you know that you gave me the laugh of the day with the comment about no lipstick or lipbalm unless you like furry lips- only a farmgirl can understand that!!!! Good luck with your calving- we are about halfway finished and the babies look good. We are so blessed to do what we do…..
Have a great day! Meredith

Hi Shery, Happy Spring and Easter to you too. What a find with your horse weathervane!!!! It is really good looking and in such good shape. I also love the sink garden project, what fun. I have my pansies and violas planted in pots out on my front porch now. Oh, how I love flowers!
I loved seeing the pictures of some of your new babies, sooooo cute!! My Dad raised Black Angus for a few years and I always loved the new babies.
It got warm, actually hot here the first of April so the horses started shedding really early. With the rain and the shedding they have been quite a mess. Worked on them a few days ago, but they still need more grooming.
Love seeing your progress pictures of your house project, it looks great!
Always look forward to your posts.
Until next time.
Jan in KS

Love this post! You so artfully tie together all the elements of spring. I miss being on the ranch at this time of year, but sometimes paths change. It is also wonderful to hear the love and devotion you have for the wondrous things in your life. Thanks for sharing so eloquently!
Happy Easter! Happy Spring! Happy Rejuvenation!

Yes, He has risen!!! Loved the lesson! What sweet faces, male or female. Cannot wait to see your sink planter. I am now a certified Farmgirl #4048. Badge and certificate came in today’s mail. Have a wonderful Easter Sunday! Blessings from our home in the woods.

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Dear Brenda, Welcome to the sisterhood! It is fun to get that much more MJF in your farmgirl life. Congrats to another Clucker! :o)  shery

I would be interested in seeing what you do with the galvanized tubs. . .love the sink.

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Hi Ann,  I think they will have either flowers or veggies in them. I found another one today at the ranch near the site of an old homestead. I DO want to make a fairy garden. I don’t know why it appeals to me, but I saw one in an old tub and it just looks like something I would have played with for hours as a little girl. I guess I still like to ‘play’.  Thanks for stopping in!  shery

Yep, it is calving season. I had a little catastrophe yesterday here on our ranch. We had a still born calf with a first time mother cow. She was beside herself. Well, as luck would have it there was an older cow that had a healthy baby but she did not want her. The poor little creature got a kick every time she tried to nurse. I tried to put her on the mom that was crying for her dead baby, but she would smell it and then turn away. Well, my grandfather taught me a trick. I skinned the hide off the dead baby and made a little jacket for the healthy baby. I took the calf over and the mother smelled the jacket which had the smell of her baby and hot damn she let the little heifer go to nursing. By late afternoon I took the hide off and there was a happy mom and baby in the pasture. Ah, life on the ranch-there is nothing better.
Now, listen Shery! You got me hooked on this Pinterest site. I LOVE it, but spend way too much time there. LOL! I never knew there was such a site with everything in one place to spend hours gathering so much information. I have to set a time limit or I could be there all night!

Happy Easter and Happy Spring!
Treese/Colorado Cowgirl
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Hi Treese, I think we should blame my sister! She told me about it! I just started a ‘ranch’ board; it really is a great place to store info online.

Yeppers, that is also how we graft calves. It has never failed us. It is a little graphic for the faint of heart, but the dead calf can save another in need of a mama. The ‘cape’ tied on with baling twine fore & aft works like a charm. Pouring old perfume and other so-called scent helps to accomplish a successful draft RARELY work unless you have a granny kind of a cow that will take anything. That just doesn’t happen with range cattle. If it isn’t HER calf, you can FirGET it! The smell of her calf and the graft calf mingle and then become one. Everybody is a winner!   Hope the rest of your calving goes well for you!   shery

Shery: I am re-living my farm and ranch days through you. You are such a good writer and photographer and I just can hardly wait until your next blog. Your home project will enhance your life and the sink will be perfect. Happy spring!

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Oh Bonnie, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind encouragement!!!    shery

Thank you for sharing. Not too many people in your position are so gracious. Your article was very poignant and understandable. It helped me to understand very clearly.

Hi Shery,

I’m not big on windy days, either. Here in Connecticut, a big wind could mean serious injury from a big snapped tree branch.

I love the way you displayed your vintage postcard collection – very clever.

By the way, how is your little dog – the one the deer injured a few posts back?

Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole (Suburban Farmgirl Blogger)

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Hi Nicole! Thank you :o)  My little Dotty is just fine…she has a scar, but the injuray area is now haired over. She’s wised up and decided that barking at the deer is only safe up on the deck. Hugs back at ya.  shery

We also have a WIND problem here in the lovely Spokane Valley (AKA Greenacres). Supposedly has something to do with the currents involved from the Rathdrum prairie sort of east of us. My dad even built walls around the swimming pool area so that that *!*#** wind wouldn’t bother him so much. Long after dad passed and we moved into my folks old home we still comment on the scarey nature of those wind currents. One beautiful summer day, my hubby and I went shopping. I had forgotten to put down my umbrella covering the table in the corner of the HIGH walls out back. We found the umbrella about 150 feet away in my mom’s backyard next door. All this and on a perfectly quiet beautiful summer day! It always makes me laugh to say my dad’s quote: "This wind won’t blow in my whiskers much longer!".

Love your little sewing machine and your blue box. After you paint and sand, what type of product do use as a glaze and how do you apply it? The ‘glazing’ part of this technique has me a little confused (I’ll just blame it on the WIND..) I read the article that you wrote regarding the couple that repurposed furniture in MJF magazine. Just haven’t used a glaze before…I have two pieces to work on in my sunporch.

Happy spring!

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Hi Jan, I just used Old English scratch cover to darken the box, rubbed off the excess, let it dry and then prayed it with Deft spray varnish – satin or semi-gloss.  shery

I’m with you, Shery. HATE the wind. I live in "Simi Valley", which is a Chumash Indian word for "windy". Yep, hate it.
Loved the "furry accordian" cat metaphor, sounds about right!
This "winter" in Southern Cal I’ve had flowers outside my window all season- we haven’t had much of a winter. But I lived in the midwest for 10 years and I sympathize with everyone who is having spring fever right about now.
Hope your winds let up and the cats can go out!
Sure enjoy your blog. Thanks so much…
cg

Hey there Shery girl, pull up those big girl panties and blow caution to the wind!! You know I love ya 🙂

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My big girl panties are bigger’n you remember ’em! ;o)   shery

Hi Sherry,
I love reading your articles!!! I so love the photos you use also. Like you I don’t like the wind that much either. It chaps my face, makes working outside so much harder than it has to be. Everywhere I live is out in the open just enough to be constantly windy…..
Dolly

Hey Shery!! Another amazing write up, I totally feel your pain when it comes to WIND, I live in Saskatchewan, Canada where the weather changes every time you blink!! This past Monday we had a huge storm with freezing rain and up to 90km/Hr wind, Tuesday and Wednesday were well above 0 degrees and this morning the snow started and it has been for about 12 hours now!! Calving is proving to be a bit of a challenge as well, today we lost a set of twins because the mama took off to a far corner of the pasture and with a white out blizzard we didn’t know she was there, when we found her it was too late 🙁 Not sure when you guys calve there but GOOD LUCK with it!! :). P.S Glad to hear your little pup is doing better!! Lacey

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Hi Lacey, Awww, sorry about your losses. I hate that and we, too, have had spring squalls that take a toll in that regard. I loathe the waiting game you play until you can go out and see if there is any damage control you can do…or just cound the losses :o( We don’t start calving until mid-April. The weather can still pose a threat, but you don’t get the long-term frigid temps. We don’t have barns at the ranch, so we HAVE to work with nature. There is no real profit in pushing time. Thanks for the well wishes…right back at ya girl.  shery

I am still sewing on the sewing machine my father gave my mother as a wedding present back in 1954! Several years back my husband got me a brand-new machine with stitches galore, but the time-tested Singer 301A is my machine for anything from upholstery to mending, to quilting and clothing construction.

Always enjoy a visit to your corner of paradise out West. As a transplanted Indiana farm girl here in New Jersey who grew up with a horse and cows, I look forward to all of your posts and pictures of life out on the range. Thank you for sharing and I only wish I was a little closer to Wyoming so I could stop by and swap howdys with you!

Susem

Shery, Yes, the re-do is an on-going, eternal (so it feels) project. We laid a "tile" (read that peel and stick) floor in the kitchen. Looks great. After reading comments left by other sisters last blog, I realize one of us needs to write a book about transforming trailers. Hmmm! Since we got snow here in the White Mountains of New Hampshire last night, I too am ever so ready for Spring. I saw my Daffodils were attempting to stick there little noses out of the dirt and I begged them to wait! sigh. Life is good, none the less. enjoy!

What a great blog today! I absolutely love the baby shoe pincushions! Oh my, I can’t wait to see the other versions!
Your new quilts are lovely – plain and simple! You find great things and have wonderful taste. I thoroughly enjoyed everything you talked about today. I, too, cannot wait to finally see some color. Spring, in Pennsylvania, is right around the corner, I think. This morning I saw our neighbors daffodils and they are blooming! Yippie!

Oh Shery,
I too find my self gravitating to warm sunny spots (like your hens do, lol!) and to bold colors,,, I am sooo over ‘white’ everywhere I look or go! Not to mention Cold!
I grow violets in my home because they bloom for me even in the dead of Winter…. I bring in potted geraniums & azaleas for the Winter, and mine have been blooming for the past 3 weeks! :>)
Hang in there, have fun & keep us informed as to the goings on at the Jespersen Ranchero ( & your wee trailer too!).
>^..^<

I too have been on the hunt for some pansies to sit on the windowsill and just smile! I guess we’ll have to wait a few more weeks 🙁

Hi Sheri, What a great find you got with your quilts, they are really pretty! Are you going to hang them for decoration? Your babyshoe pinkeeps are adorable, you are sooo talented with your sewing!! You have a great eye for color and fabrics and putting things together!! I love the picture of your Ribbon, she is beautiful!! My golden boy isn’t very golden right now, he has been enjoying rolling in the mud!! The swan is very pretty, so glad that you were able to find just what you had been wanting. Well worth the wait. Sounds like your remodeling is coming along nicely, love that you chose barn red for your porch. That is one of my favorite colors too. Well, the crocus & hyacinths are blooming here in KS and my daffodils are up and getting nice big buds on them. With the warmer temps, hopefully they will bloom this next week. Yay! I am decorated for St Patty’s Day, all in Kelly Green – love that rich green color. I do have something on my bucket list that has been there for a long time and that is to have a few chickens….hopefuly someday. 🙂 Happy Spring to you Shery

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Jan,  Thank you so much for the friendly feedback :o) Yes, the red patchwork quilt is hanging my hallway where the sun cannot reach it. I’m shamrock green with envy that your spring flowers are springing. Everything here is still fast asleep with no real thaw yet. I’ll help you hold onto your dream having some hens and fresh eggs to gather. I do love them so.   shery

I so enjoy your posts. Your ideas inspire me and I just love your down to earth attitude. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us each month.

Wow! What great ideas. It sounds like you’ll nearly be building from scratch! It’s always fun to see house all those ideas coalesce into reality. You must post pictures of your progress!

Nancy
http://www.liveasavorylife.com

Oh wow Shery, I love the pics you have pinned! I could live in any of those rooms! Especially love the top two kitchen pics. When we bought this property a few years ago I would not have picked this house at all. Hubs wanted this 10 acres all woods surrounding some really nice lawns and a couple of ponds also. But the house is a Modular. Brought in three pieces and set upon a basement. The previous owners tastes were not anything like ours. The cabinets and fixtures are low end and I have slowly been trying to make it ours. Some painting of cabinets in a bath and some in the kitchen. It is a lot of work but you will be so happy when you have made it over. The front of our house just has a deck like step up to the front door, I so want a porch…one day. Hubs is like your man, he wants to do it all himself so it goes slow. I think I need to let him have his pole barn first though because he built my hen house for me first. This past week he pulled up carpet squares from my work area "studio" in the the basement and has laid black and white stick down tiles. It has brightened my area up so much. I have been painting an old dresser to store some fabrics in and the man has also taken an old upright gun cabinet and added shelves that I am going to paint to store fat 1/4’s in. He built himself some beautiful new wall cabinets for his hunting rifles last year. I keep forgetting to share them on my blog. He is a self taught wood worker and does it for a hobby. Now plumbing, I do wish we would hire someone. My kitchen sink has had a leak every six months since we move in four years ago….. Looking forward to all your reveals as they get finished!

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Hi Brenda, Ya know one thing I learned when writing the furntiure refinishing article about Norma Ploog (in the current issue of MaryJanesFarm) is that making do for the common man was the norm <with furntiure>. A lot of coveted antiques today are piece-meal examples. I have one. Buying lumber was a luxury, so often a discarded piece was recycled piece by piece. Your gun cabinet turned into a quilters fabric shelf fits right into that idea. Norma is refinishing a really ratty old shelf – tall, shallow – just right for folded fabric too. It is structurally ok, but needs paint and she’s going to add a beadboard door to it. Your checkerboard floor sounds really cheery. My mama’s kitchen floor is similar – red and cream. Thanks for stopping by!  shery

WOW!! I am so impressed. WE bought an old log (hand hewn) cabin 5 years ago. I have lived in it about 8 months total straight, other times it was visiting since I travel when I work. I loved your ideas. I have a terrible time trying to find soemthing that would work with the log walls. At first I thought it would be great but everywhere I look there is wood and logs. Being hand hewn there is nothing flat or level. This has inspired me to "try again". Now where do I start. I am finally getting a garden space (you would think with 200 acres I would at least have that. It has been cleared as of yesterday and they removed the old double decker outhouse that was someones idea of a joke. My husband sealed it off so no one would get on it and fall and that was as far as it got. (He travels also for work) I am finding that I can do just about anything (well almost). All I can say is THANK YOU… Keep us posted…

Oooooo, a log home. Now there is a dream. I do know from others I’ve met over the years that log wall interiors are a challenge in ways unique to log surfaces. I bet you’ll get it all figured out. A little encouragement goes a long way…and thank you for that. You hang in there too…it’ll be so worth it in the end. Thats what I keep looking at.   Shery

Shery, as I read your blog, it occurred to me; ‘have you and Lynn ever thought about buying an old house somewhere and moving it to your place?’ It would be alot of work, but it might be more of what you want?! Home prices are good now, so maybe it could be profitable?

Hi Terry,  Yes, we’d considered it, but we decided that it was more of a task than either of us were up for. Moving such a structure is a monumental undertaking and in our location, such a house would have to be moved from quite a distance. So, we just decided to ‘make do’ with what we have :o)   Shery

Oh do I know what you mean. My house was built in 1875 and I love it, but it is my work in progress. I love pinterest too! I think Home is Home and I love making it warm and cozy! Love your blog!

Dear Claudia,  WOW…1875 IS an old house. I bet it has so much character and charm. That is what I miss and hope to recreate in some fashion.  Shery

Oooooh, ooooh, oooh. I told you we were sisters. I, too, live in a trailer after recently losing my condo to foreclosure. But, like you, I have decided that this sweet little place can be the farmgirl home I have always wanted. I want to put in a footed vintage tub in my bathroom and am working on putting lots of beadboard in the kitchen. I actually have that cute flowered bread box and almost bought the red phone at the antiques mall yesterday. And the tile backsplash, yep, doin’ that too.
Love your posts

Sheri: Your house trailer sounds like the size of our house. We have lived here 48 years. We have it mostly as we want it but the thing that happened is the wonderful decor began to fill the house to overflowing. I have rid myself of many things and kept the best. I like it here. We have a pantry. We have no basement but the pantry is where it’s fun to decorate. My kitchen is white. This way, whatever colors you want will show up and be accents. My next project is to build a barn in my garden area. Not much room here either but I am determined. Good luck with your project. I know what it is like to live in a space while remodeling. The first project my husband tried I had plaster on the counter and in every crevice of the house. Of course he never covered up any where! Bonnie

Hi Bonnie! The barn-shed for your garden sounds great. I see on off in the distance here too, but with everthing else going on it is for sure a’ways off :o)  Thanks for writing.  shery

Shery,

Rancher, electrician, they’re both the same. " NEVER hire anyone to do something when I can do that." The problem with that is the hired someone has a crew, we only have a crew of one or 2. So the list grows. Oh well, when it’s done it will be perfect! Plus the cheaper cost gives you more money to go farther down the list. Lower costs/more patience.

Your ideas and plans are wonderful, please keep us posted with more pictures. I love seeing your progress.

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Hi June! Thanks so much for the shot of encouragement!! You’re right too. When ‘admiration day’ comes (the day when you stand back and enjoy the end result), it will be great…..if we ever get there :o)))))    Shery

Sheri
You and I have a lot in common! We moved from a beautiful 5000 square foot Victorian home in another state to a small 3 bedroom modular home back in Colorado. We too thought of building a “dream home”, but are not sure we want to stay in this part of Colorado. So, every day I try to decide if we should improve this home or even bother because we may move. However, I find it depressing sometimes as it is a sad little house to me. We have put up a huge beautiful new barn and a huge hay barn, plus shelters for the horses, cattle and bucking bulls we raise. We built a beautiful heated chicken house I wouldn’t mind living in! LOL. I often say our critters live better than us!

We have had to store all are beautiful antiques including furniture in a storage which to me is like throwing money away every month.

I have always felt home is where you hang your hat, but I have never seemed to warm to this house, maybe because I have always thought of it as “temporary”. Good luck in your project. You are a creative person. I can ride, rope, shoot a gun better than most men, but the creative gene past me by. I can’t cook, sew, darn or do any of the artsy projects you and your friends do. I admire your talents. I am a pretty good oil painter of county scenes though.

Treese/Colorado Cowgirl
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Dear Treese,  You’re absolutely right about the temporary notion. I’ve been living in this house for many years without having married it. I finally decided to make this space MINE and make it look that way. I wish I could blink and make it done!

If you get to where you can smoke a peacepipe with your home, I bet some sprucing up and all those lovely antiques would finally make your home your own. I think some of us girls are funny that way. Female animals are VERY fussy as to where they finally decide to make their ‘nest’ :o)

I would love to see your paintings. Hey, I’m only good at a fractional spec of all there is to do on this planet. We can’t do it all and I don’t rope either. I can dally to help Lynn with a sick cow or calf, but I just never friendly’d up to a rope.   Shery

I love all the things you have incorporated on this project. The colors are wonderful! Great job! My husband and I are just about to embark on a journey of building our new house called an earthship, out of old and recycled material. I love using Pinerest too as a sounding board to add just the right things to my taste and recreating it. Thanks for sharing!

Hi I too buy things and wait for the item to show me where it wants to live. People are like that too. We get our homes but we have to live in them sometimes for years before they show us what they want to look like. Our home use to belong to my parents. We bought it 8 yrs ago. It has taken me that long to feel like it’s my home to change.My mom lives next door and doesn’t like some of the new decorating ideas that are out there. So I hesitated changing anything. Now like you said things need work and attention. I’m going my way!. I have always loved the look of painted stairs, I’ve got them now. The old carpet became dangerous. Now I have nice paint and cushy step pads. Sweet and cheap. Gotta love carpet remenants. My mom did help me make new curtains for the dining area and valence for my bay window in the kitchen. We too have a long list and my husband won’t hire it done. There are days I wish it was all done, but I guess that’s how life works. You have to have a list to function. Enjoy your list, I’ll enjoy mine and we’ll both get beautiful time together with our husbands, sawdust, paint, sore muscles, etc..

Looks awesome. I am currently living in a mobile home,also, with another large one just feet away. Torn about setting up the second one, needs a lot of work, but may be moving in three or four years. Wondering about the grant for the greenhouse. Could you give me some info on that since I live in the beautiful state of Wyoming also? Straight across, a bit more than half way to the other side. : )even if I couldn’t have it here, my parents have 10 acres on the other side of Basin where it could be set up. Thanks much. Another Sherri.

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Hi Shery,  Go to your County Extension office and they can give you the specs. I don’t know that much about it yet, but the structure is a frame with a ‘tarp’ over it. I may opt out if it doesn’t look wind worthy. As you know, we get REAL wind in this state.  shery

Hey Shery,
In 2010 I painted my kitchen cabinets cherry red on the bottom, and left the top white (they were all white). Most everyone thought I was crazy then! At age 55, I thought, why not??? Since then I have enjoyed my kitchen so much!! It is so bright and cheer-y. My house was built in 1973, a tri-level, look-alike to many in the neighborhood. But now, my neighbors, friends, and family are always looking to see what is "new" and interesting. I have found that the colors and style that usually catches your eye are what you should use. I was surprised at how it all came together. I have had so much fun with my home, even while I’m waiting for my "dream" home. I have a sign on my cabinet that says "Home is where your story begins." That is so true!!

Hi, Shery…
I am going to retire to a 30-year old modular (it’s paid for!) and have been contemplating many re-decorating tasks. I like the look of an "old" house too. Many times I have longed to be able to find a decorating book or magazine that would address the needs of those of us living in mobile homes…but to no avail. If anyone else has seen one, let me know. I am not "handy" or especially creative, so I usually have to see someone else’s ideas before making them my own. Sooo, when you are done with this project, how about publishing a picture diary of your journey? (Don’t forget to include how to paint mobile home paneling!)

And by the way, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your blog. You are the bright spot in LOTS of my days!!

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Hi Lilli! You made MY day Lilli…with your kind words of affirmation.

I’ve seen a couple articles in magazines about mobole home make-overs – interiors. Only two. You’re right, there is precious little out there that would offer good tutoring on the subject of specific helps. Mobiles homes do pose challenges not seen in stick-built home…well, in the general sense. And, furthermore, there are a lot of people who live in them. A LOT. One could argue that what works in the way of ‘re-do’ in a ‘real’ house applies in a mobile. Well, anyone who says that hasn’t lived in one. Granted, some of it is true, but I know that so much of my discouragement happens when I stand back and look at something nice that I’ve done and the ‘it’ looks nice but ‘it’ is in a ‘trailer house’ room and looks it. Many folks don’t care. For those of us that do, the challenge makes us wrinkle our nose often. In my worst mood, I once said to my husband, "Dressing up a trailer is like polishing a terd". ;o) I was so aggravated with the cheap walls and FAUX wood trim…emphasis on cheap…as in crap. There, I said it. But, I’ve since combed the hair down on my neck and have simply committed myself to making changes that will make me smile. I will take photos and share of them, of course! Thank you for the vote of confidence.   Shery

Love your hearts. Feel so bad for your little terrier. Cut n Heal works wonders for healing wounds like this. A vet used it on one of my horses years ago that had a wide open gash in her chest when she went through a wire fence. In a couple days you couldn’t even hardly tell. I love your blog, makes me dream of younger years.

Hi Shery, Love your herd of hearts, beautiful!! You are a very talented lady.
Oh, your poor doggie!! What a terrible thing to happen, especially to an older pooch. So glad to hear that she is healing and getting along OK. My corgi is my constant companion. I know that love you are talking about.
Congratulations on your new horse, Apple (love the name). Can’t wait to see pictures. Like you I have a love of horses in my blood and heart. My Dad told me that soon after I had learned to walk, I went right up to the horses at a place called Joyland, wasn’t afraid at all, and wanted to ride them over and over. After almost 40 years, I now have two horses! Yeah!! 🙂

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Yep, Jan…I know your ‘affliction’ well and we don’t want the cure !! :o)

shery

Shery,
Again this was a wonderful post. I always look forward to them. BTW thanks for the songs and poems.
Happy Valentines Day to You!!

Your writing validates the lifestyle of so many of us, thank you. I’m going to go look at my scraps and hang a homemade heart on all the horses stalls. I sure hope that good little terrier heals up. Older dogs are so wise and kind; they are to be cherished.

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Dear Liz, What a thoughtful response…….thank you so very much.

shery

I am so happy your dog is doing OK! I love your posts and always pick them from all the sisters to read first and all of it!

Smiles, Cyndi

Shery, Thanks once again for being such a gift! Your writing is amazing and always touches my heart. I am so glad to know little Dotty is ok- Vetericyn is an amazing product and she will be healed in no time!
A few years back our Jack Russell (Buzz) took an very unusual trip to the neighbors and found their Doberman very unhappy at his presence. Buzz had never, in 14 years, left home, and how he got back is a mystery- his front end and back end were only attached by his spinal cord. 600 stitches and one very talented vet later, he was back in one piece and lived another two years to a ripe old 16. SO I am sure Dotty will be fine! I know how heart wrenching an experience like that is, and how worrisome. Love is a wonderful thing! I love your herd of hearts and plan to try a few myself- thanks for the inspiration! Happy Valentines Day!

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HoleyMoley, 600 stitches on a little dog?! Sounds like he was held together by thread. WOW.  Jack Russells are as tough as Blue Heelers.  shery

I love all the projects in maryJane’s Cluck. It helps fill the void in between the issues I receive in the mail 🙂 🙂 🙂 The heart project is really cute. You can make them all so different, and they’ll all turn out lovely 🙂 🙂 I’m farmgirl sisterhood member #2176 🙂 🙂

Oh, that Jack Johnson song is really sweet 🙂 Thanks for sharing 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂

Thank you SO much for this writting – it is exactly what I need. I was diagnosed with breast cancer & getting ready for treatments; trying to get out of myself & use the experience as a tool to be more giving; recently started making cards to send for those ‘in need’. Your blog is quite an inspiration! love ya girl, jonna from tn.

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Oh Jonna, you have some challenges ahead. I pray that when you’re on the other side of all of it that you’ll have accumulated many POSitive experiences via caring hearts like your own. Best wishes to you for complete healing and all the strength necessary for the journey ahead. Thank YOU for writing.  shery

Hi Shery. I have read your blog for some time now and today I thank you for such wonderful, loving, and comforting words. Yesterday, my family laid my dearly loved father-in-law to rest and ushered him into the heavenlies. It was most difficult for me to watch my five twenty-something grown children grieve their beloved "Pa.." Today is the first day in the past six weeks since his sudden stroke that I have taken to sit and reflect. Thanks again from one farmgirl to another.

Dear Terri, My condolences to your family. I know it is a comfort that a loved one suffers no more and resides now in a wonderful place, but they do leave a gaping hole. That is real love. Other lost things leave no hole. Your kids are lucky to have had someone who left them with such a hole and a lot of memories of their Grandpa to fill it :o)  I think that is their last gift to us. Love to you.  Shery