I always hand write a little note in all my Christmas cards. I hate those "form" letters people are putting in their Christmas cards these days. Seems so unpersonalized.I enjoyed reading your thoughts and it inspired me to also write some overdue letters. Thanks!

Ohhh…!
You are singing my song here Rene’…
I also MISS cursive writing, and rue my own neglect of it. I volunteer at the Library, and spotted a book (Caligraphy for Kids), so I checked it out, and that got me started reclaiming my writing skills.
I hate to admit it, but I sit and write just like I did in 1st Grade: AAAAAAA aaaaaaa BBBBBBB bbbbbbb etc…
Oh Dear Lord it is even more boring now than it was then, but I am gradually getting it back.
Now when I write a Birthday or Christmas card, I get a call and the question:
"Where did you learn to write like that?"
Where else… Mrs. Kimbrough’s 1st Grade Class of course.
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

I hope the age old writing on the PeeChee never goes out of style… I practiced and practiced and practiced writing my name on that old thing….Still isnt perfect, but I love the practice…..

I personally write to friends and to family members. My parents really get mad if I do not write at least every month. They are in their late seventies, so do not have a computer. My siblings do not have computers either and are scattered about. My brother living officially in Alaska and currently physically in Canada as his son is playing hockey there so I write tgo his Alaskan address. I love to write them all plus as I said assorted friends. I feel letter writing is a lost art. And now I hear 700 post offices are closing down, so this should tell us something. I hope my children are saving my letters, but who knows what they are doing.

The art of lettering writing…funny this should be your blog topic today…last summer when my 23yr.old daughter left her job in the city, to slow down and reflect and plan her future…she apprenticed on an organic farm in Kentucky. Working with her hands, nurturing something was the what she felt would give her insight. When she pulled out of the drive, we knew cell phone reception was weak where she was going…so we made a pack to hand write letters. NO EMAILS…ONE PHONE CALL A MONTH…that was our deal. Inside our letters, we tucked feathers, sand from creek beds, a pressed flower…treasures we shared with one another. Those things along with the thoughts and happenings of the week drew us closer in spirit. She has returned home…started her own organic farm and occasionally I will find a hand written note with a treasure on top, on the buffet, kitchen table, bathroom or nightstand.
The art of letter writing will be practiced here for as long as I live…and I feel sure my daughter will keep it in practice also. It has been a blessing to us.

Dot,

How precious. I can see it, feel it, taste it. Maybe we should committ to it once a year.. A detox of sorts.. were we shut it all down and pick up a pen and some beautiful stationary, take walks on the beach or country roads and let our hands write what our hearts feel.. what a world THAT would be… thanks for blessing my day with your memory… Love the thought of your daughters farm. Keep me posted.

I love those days also. Letters kept in a precious hair ribbon from my grandma or husband of 47 years. I love old lace, hankies, buttons, pictures; all of it. Thanks for saying it Rene. If you send me my address, I’ll be glad to write you a letter. Thanks

I would love letters: I’ll even write back!!!

Rene’ Groom/RuralFarmGirl

C/O MaryJanesFarm

1000 Wild Iris Lane

Moscow, Idaho. 83843

My husband and I still write love letters to each other…and they are my most prized and cherished item I will ever own. I like to use my old ink pen and yes, we have an old fashioned iron mailbox that we leave them to each other in!

all I can say is what ever happen to penmanship class in school. That was the first calss after the start of the day in the little one school room in Orchard nebraska. Those were the best days of school, and all that you could learn and kids have forgot all of the time they have in school now.

I made the greatest friends when I was young, through letter writing. Pen pals from Sri Lanka and friends whose families moved out of town. And, I just recently connected with a friend who I met as a Pen Pal (through Big Blue Marble) who saved my letters from junior high because they encouraged her later to become a Christian. You never know the impact handwritten letters have on a person. When I got more involved in photography, I began making my own cards (using my photos on the front) and writing more notes. I think it’s only a lost art if we stop the creation! Let’s not buckle under the e-pressure!

YES! Some of my most cherished items are cards from my grandparents who are no longer living. I, too, make an effort to send personalized, hand-made cards for birthdays and Christmas. I find it rude of friends to send "automated" Christmas cards. I often wonder how genuine of a friend they are, or if I’m merely a number as in "how many Facebook friends I have." My closest friends and I will surprise the other with a card or letter, especially when they are having a difficult time. It’s like a hug and kiss send through the mail seeing our own, true, unique signature.

Hi Rene

I use to have beautiful penmanship but I’ve seen it deteriorate over the years as I’m writing less long hand and typing more. I’m making more of an effort to write letters and cards to family and friends and journal by hand in order to keep in practice.

Did you know that many states school curriculum’s are not even teaching cursive penmanship anymore? Many children only learn how to print and keyboarding has replaced cursive as the priority in most schools.

Let’s hope the art of penmanship is not lost entirely in the next generation!

Thanks, Pat

Boy Pat I am with you~ there is something so unique about someones own handwritting that needs to not get lost in the name of progress….

Wow!!!I’m impressed and very pleased to see so many people willing to help maintain what is thought to be a dying art.As I mentioned a few blogs ago I make an effort to write once a week.The anticipation of waiting for a reply is also part of the reward.

Feel free to email me your snail mail.. I will see what I can do 🙂  Rene@MaryJanesFarm.org

When I saw you were from the wheat field of eastern WA. it took me back to the few summers I got to visit grandparents that lived on the Lemon ranch between Garfield and Steptoe. My Grandmother and her 4 daughters were letter writers to the extreme.One daughter lived in Michigan, one in Illinois, one in Idaho and one in WA. Very seldom did a week go by that our mailbox did not have a fat letter full of pictures, letters (some being passed along to each sister) or news articles from the paper. I felt I knew most everything about my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins because of those weekly letters. I know my skills at such good and constant communication are sorely lacking. Keep up the good work. I hope handwriting skills so not become a lost art. I will practice being more careful. Laura

Hi Renee,
I am ‘so pleased’ to see the article on letter writing.
I am a letter writer, with the LOOPY kind of writing !! ;o)
I love to send personal notes, with ‘stamping’ & ‘stickers’, etc., I’ll have to start putting ‘perfume’ on them, I forgot about that.
I enjoy ’email’ personal notes, but really ‘enjoy’ sending and receiving a ‘real handwritten’ note !!
Yes, I too remember ‘handwriting class’ in grade school ;o)
Thank you Rene for your ministry, as part of Mary Jane’s Farm !!

Dear Rene,

I can only agree that letter writing is certainly becoming a lost art – and an art form it certainly is! Writing was one of my favorite subjects in school, so writing letters was always very simple for me, and my style has always been very conversational, and definitely from the heart.

I recently lost my job from a company that I was extremely loyal to for 23 years. They were implementing an "Expense Management Plan" and those involved in the implementation were "hard core". However, I had worked with so many wonderful people for all of those 23 years, that only heartfelt letters of gratitude, and expressions of my feelings for them in the written word would do. These letters came from the heart, and I know how much they were appreciated. The man who hired me 23 years ago wrote back to me, and told me how my words made him cry… I don’t think that an electronic communication would have evoked those emotions quite the same way.

Shortly after losing my job, my husband and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Each thank you card was written personally, with heartfelt sentiments. You simply cannot imagine how many people let us know how much those cards meant to them!

So, I say right along with you: People, keep on writing! It really means so much to those who receive your cards and letters! It can change a persons day, their outlook, and maybe even their life!

Thank you Rene, for bringing up a subject that truly needs attention in this fast-paced life we live in.

Sincerely,
S. Hoover

Lost art of letter writing…I have refused to "blog" although I have emailed and thought it a great timesaver! I have written my daughter letters forever…as a baby I did it monthly so that she could go back and read about her life…they are stashed in her baby book…I didn’t refer to it as journalling…just a letter…now I write her a letter on her birthday…I have suggested that she do the same for her daughter. My grand daughter is about to turn three and I am sure that she will find a letter addressed to her dated August 26th from her grandmother….I’m with you the lost art of writing letters…sad…but along with the fountain pen I plan on it being a part of my legacy.

While I too miss "hard copy" letters and rue the loss of my penmanship, I would like to extol a few of the virtues of email and phone conversations, lest we lose sight of them.
Letters and postcards used to cost less than 15 cents to send. Now sending cards and letters is very expensive, especially at Christmas. I wouldn’t want cost to interfere with sending my love and best wishes to friends.
Cards and letters are costly to the environment. Not just in terms of trees but also the energy resources used to move them from one place to another.

So my comment really has to do with finding the right balance between the "old ways" and the new to support meaningful lives with care for the planet.

Dear Rene’,
Loved this blog about letter writing. I have started exchanging letters with some of the girls at the MJF website. We have so much fun catching up with each other about our lives, dreams and everyday "stuff". It is so comforting to carry around a letter in an apron pocket and reread it throughout the day.
I would like to get a "round robin" letter started. One person writes the first entry and sends it to the next person who adds their letter and sends it on. It keeps going until it comes backe to person #1 who reads all of the letters and adds her bit, and so on…..
Lots of fun, too!

I think that many of the Maryjanesfarmgirls are "keepers of the art" where it comes to letter writing, ( and a million other lost arts). I have certainly been on the receiving end of some. I find that I am a  renegade of sorts and I rarely do anything that I "Outta"… spending more time in the world of "wanna". I tend to be too spontaneous to be a part of an organized effort as it refers to letter writing… However, I am thrilled that there are those that are. I admire and respect you all that can send letters as a discipline.. maybe some day I will be mature enough to do that 🙂  .. when I grow up that is 🙂  thanks Michele the world needs more writers like you….

You can see what Michele is referring to my going to http://www.maryjanesfarm.org and then clicking on the "chat with other farmgirls" once registered just search for Letter Writing in the search on the top right of your screen~~ Michele represents so many of the amazing farmgirls out there….

Hi Rene,
I agree with you, letter writing is a lost art. I am not very wordy, but I still like to write to my friends. I enjoy making cards and using my own sentiments in them. Your blog is very interesting and I enjoy reading it. MaryJanesFarm is one of my favorite places to visit. I am a farm girl at heart, only don’t like the work. Libraies are my haunt, not only working there but visiting them when in other cities. Keep up the good work.

Hi I love wrting letters, I write to one sister each and every week I haven’t missed a week in almost five years, and I have a friend who is behind bars, and i feel that all I can really do for her is write, so I do, each week, and have recently reconnected with a childhood friend and try to write to her a couple of times a month, my handwriting isn’t so great, but i know how I feel when I receive a letter, so hopefully they feel the same way.

i love the fact you addressed this topic…some think it not important but in fact it is a lost art. if you check my blog profile it is listed as one of my favourtie things…handwritten letters. my darling hubby has blessed me over the years with so many wonderful handwritten notes, cards, poems and secrets. i love when i receive them…they mean something special forever.
i could recommend a book i try to give to young girls in my life.
"the art of the handwritten note" by margaret shepard

In answer to Cindy’s comment on 8/7 regarding the cost of postage and energy resources, a letter currently costs 44 cents and post cards are 28 cents – not exactly going to break the bank. As for environmental costs, how much energy is being used to keep all the computers, monitors and printers going, not to mention in the manufacture of them?

Just some other thoughts for the balance she suggests. I think we can write all the letters we want without feeling guilty about the environment. A great number of emails are printed anyway. Thus no savings in paper and ink even.

So use your personal writing tool (hand) and spark your own creativity (a font of your making) by sending a one and only original letter. Now that is special!

I love this entry… I am 21 years old and I write letter to two of my girlfriends. One lives in Philadelphia Pennsylvannia which we haven’t seen each other since I was 12 and have talked on the phone 2 times. The other one lives outside of Hot Springs, Arkansas and we met when we were 17 at a Journalism Camp in Virginia. I reside in the great state of West Virginia. I truly love to write in journals, write letters the old fashioned way (including an ink well with a feather pen) and I love to write Children’s stories and poetry. I also collect stationary. I truly love to open up the mailbox or come home to a letter addressed for me waiting at my place setting at the dinning room table. For me recieving a personalized "snail-mail" letter is like recieving a Christmas gift. I like to also think that I am keeping a little bit of history and a dying art alive.

Very Interesting!
Thank You!

I read the blog to Ellie and Miss Muppet….they concur.
Life is certainly on the go since Ellie arrived. Miss Muppet wonders from time to time if Ellie’s purpose was friendship or a weight watcher exercise program.
Love you
Mom

Excellent Bloggie Rene’…!
I LOVE that photo of the Kitten and Bunnie…!
Animals have a quality we mostly lack: Presence… to give complete attention to the moment at hand. They have memories and wishes just like us, but they do not allow their mind to dwell there.
Real fear of a clear and present danger is healthy response, however most of our fears are neither clear nor present.
Corrie Ten Boom once said:
"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow;
it empties today of its strength."
How very True.
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

Gary~ I love that Corrie Ten Boom Quaote.. thanks for reminding me of it…..

Corrie Ten Boom was right on!

Mark Twain, at the end of his life admitted,"I’ve spent most of my life worrying about things that have never happened."

Boy I hear that.

I think it is ok to say get off the wheel…to be honest in life and have life be honest with you…but that is not always the way it is.
Seems often if I look about there are people who are just plain dishonest. One person I worked with told me they (the company we worked for) wanted the patients to stay in need as it is hard to find patients. Another company had me (and the other nurses) working outside our licences. I did as my conscience told me to do. All well and good…I lost both jobs…I have my self-respect..but I have no job!!! And I have bills to pay, chikens, cats, a dog and family to feed.
I think people learn to go through life with a blind bridle on (rat wheel) because if you do not you face the sort of things I have gone through…if you do not look perhaps you do not see…feel…and can keep a job…and pay the bills. It seems to be 6 of one 1/2 a dozen of the other…things are tough…and getting off the wheel makes them tougher…I keep praying…it seems the only thing to do. Peace be with you, Lisa

Rene,
I’m new to your blog (blogging, period, actually) and love it. I’m reading the diary of a young girl who ventured into the bush of Papau New Guinea to translate the Bible for them. She is a five hour hike from the nearest airstrip. Reading this has been stirring up the same types of feelings in me, too. Yes, I live in the country (family would say the ‘boonies’). Five miles from town, though, seems too crowded most days. May we all take the time to connect with God’s creation, rest and meditate on a regular basis.
Blessings,
Carol

Good Bloggie Rene’…
I think we all yearn in some way for a "simpler" time, however my Mom was always quick to point out that "simple" is a relative notion. The days of yesteryear were simpler in many ways, but without all the "conveniences" you mention, those times had their own complexity, usually involving good old fashioned elbow grease.
I like to think of the days of my Mom’s youth, when there was passenger train service, and you could ride from our farm community to the city for 10 cents. The most appealing thing about times gone by to me is the one thing which is glaringly missing in our own times: Good Manners.
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

No west for me,but,I would have been happy in New England in that era.Although I love my computer access I don’t do the facebook thing or twitter.I have a phone for emergencies which my friends got me after I broke down in a snowstorm.However I can write a mean letter and I make a practice of doing so at least once a week.Sometimes it’s just a thank you note but people sure do love getting them.Stepping back from the present and taking a look at where you’re at should be something we all do.Love your blog ,always look forward to it.

Denise,

Thanks. Letter writing! I too love it.

I can appreciate your view of the "old west" from mini-vacations. I have these fantasies sometimes too. I believe that we are wistful about it because escaping to the woods is a relief from the stresses in our lives…and we can take our many dirty clothes home to the washing machine even if we hang them to dry. We don’t have to make our own soap, always wash in cold water until our skin cracks, and wear clothes for many days because we only have 2 dresses, one for every day and one for good. The authentic "simple life" was not so simple and definitely not easy. It was very very hard work and we pick and choose which parts to incorporate into our very rich and easy lives in the 21st century (to which most of us return).
Patricia

You are so right for sure… It always looks more "romatic" then it was. Althought, I do make my own soap..

Ah the "old" days..
I am not that old but I have had six childrens. Milked the cow and made my own butter. Kept the garden and did all the canning. Raised chickens for eggs and meat and did the butchering at home with our own hands. Raised hogs for meat for the table. Sewed the childrens clothes and didn’t have two nickels to rub together. Hard work. Love it…yah wouldn’t trade it. But the "rose colored" glasses don’t show people the "real" side to it. It is hard work. But no other way to raise a family.
Love the blog.

The early 1900’s would be the time for me, in the country. My grandmother was alive during that time and I actually have a written history by one of my aunts from that time. It was a hard time but the women in my family are full of vinegar and were the"if I can’t get it done I’ll do it myself". I am that kind of woman. My daughter and I joke about us both being from the wrong time period, she’s 30’s and 40’s girl. Only thing is if I had been born in that time instead of this time I would not be alive, having had a kidney infection at age 4 and going in to acute renal failure I would have died. But I enjoy much of that period in my mind and some physically. I do hang most of my clothes, have even washed them by hand( had the blisters too) I garden, have a spinning wheel, can card wool and make yarn, knit and crochet as well as sew,quilt and embroider all of which my grandmothers both did. I have chickens and hope to some day have a small farm and have a cow to milk and make my butter and cheese. I have made my own bread and jam and have tried my hand at canning. The things I don’t know I can ask my cousin who was born before me and enjoyed a country life with our grandma that I wasn’t able to being so young. My cousin is all I have, none of my siblings share my countryness and can’t remember what mom and grandma used to do. I’m an odd duck here and sure feel it most days, but thank God that there are birds, flowers, horses and chickens close by to get that country feeling. When I think about that time and the clothes they wore and the heat we have I wonder how they survived. Most of us strip off as much as possible, they wore layers and layers of clothes. I have several historical books that show pictures of women farming in those days all had those long dark dresses or skirt on. I’de like to take a ride on a wagon train sometime in authentic clothes and see what its like. Anyone ever do that?

My husband is always saying he wants to get away to a cabin in the woods. I think he would miss his electronics way more than he does, but a cabin in the woods, what a get away that would make, especially if it was in the mountains and by a lake.

Living in rural Canada for 25 years….and having lots of baby lambs running around my kitchen when it was too cold outside…..nothing like it. A great life.

Hi, I am a Lecturer, an officer of a State Grange – and have been involved with the organization called Grange since 1994. We are very interested in seeing Granges continue on, and even begin again or anew, in some of those buildings some of you have seen. Would be happy to answer questions about Grange for anyone. Martha

Great to meet you Martha,

Thanks for the offer to help us understand more about how we can revitalize the granges in our own areas… feel free to email me at Rene@MaryJanesFarm.org

Cool site, love the info.

Funny Bloggie Rene’…
On the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, there is a Mennonite Community, and they sell some of their farm products. As you drive down the road, you will see handmade signs with the names of items on them, like: "Honey" "Muffins and Bread" "Saddles and Belts" and various crops.
I had a girlfriend, Lisa, who loved to go there to shop, and I remember standing with her in a Lady’s kitchen, while our goods were being wrapped, and her daughters, with 18th Century dresses and bonnets, were sitting around a table, making a quilt.
I noticed one of the young girls poke another and whisper something and they giggled. The Mom stopped and said: "There’ll be none of that. I apologize for my daughter making fun of your dungarees young Lady." Lisa was stunned when she realized that these girls thought she looked odd.
Ahhh… *Signs* of the times ‘eh…
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

Every year, we have a "discussion" on where signs should be place. I have a completely different idea of where signs should be place but he’s gracious enough to drive around and pound stakes and staple signs to fence posts, so I have to keep a tight lip!! The sign that drew the most comments and chuckles from fellow gardeners far and wide, was the "Dirt Cheap Plant Sale".

What memories this brings back! I grew up in East Texas and every Sunday we took the ‘long’ 30 minute ride to Grandma’s house for dinner. There was a building on a corner where we turned and I thought for about 12 years that it said ‘wedding shop’. I couldn’t understand why someone would want to get married in such a old, dirty looking place.
Finally one day the light bulb came on and I realized it actually read…’welding shop’! I still cannot pass that corner without smiling.

I spent part of my childhood in Arkansas and one of the back road turns to get to my home was right across from a cemetary. The unusual part of this "intersection" was that the road right next to the cemetary just ended…It, of course, had a sign stating "Dead End" located not ten feet away from the nearest headstone.

hahah.. now that is County planning 🙂

A number of years ago a real estate sign showed for sale "2 bdrm, 1 bath orange tree"! I’ve got a picture of it somewhere too! Orange trees down here in Florida don’t get real tall, so that’s gotta be a mighty small home!

Rene,

I am so happy for you. I have struggled with my weight for so long and I use it as a shield and excuse also. That is great that you have found a way out. I would love to follow your progress.

Becky

Becky~

I will keep you updated as much as possible. The girls in my MaryJanesFarm Chapter are "exploring raw" as well. Our adventure is at http://www.ruralandraw.blogspot.com . I am discovering that any little shift towards including more "RAW" has such great benefits. Best of luck to you.. Jump on in.. the water is "fine"…

Your blogs just seem to come along at the right time! After reading this and your raw food blog, I realized that, yes, we have an Ann Wigmore inspired center right here in my town! Their next program just happens to be during my vacation in August. I am going to try this!

I tried going raw a while back, but didn’t find it satisfying. Now there is so much more in the way of average people doing it and so many more easy recipes. Being 56, I have a few health issues – nothing earth shattering. But in order to live the rest of my life to the fullest it would be good to explore all my options.

One thing that has stopped me is the "anti-raw food" movement – voicing the drawbacks of totally raw. Well, I feel it’s up to me to decide what I need to do, and to try it and see if it’s for me.

Thank you for your thoughts, Rene!

Good for you Rene’…!
You are finding your own way to a feeling of fulfillment in Life, with a good focus on natural healing and nutrituion, and we all share the need to find what works in our own Life.
Our culture is conditioned to believe that additives make foods better and drugs are the answer to all Life’s problems, physical and mental. The corporations that make food additives also make or are associated with the manufacture of drugs, so they make us sick at the grocery and pretend to heal us from "our" illness… now that’s Sick.
We also live in a culture that is so obcessed with credentials that it cannot recognize value and quality, and I actually don’t think Hippocrates could get a license here… in fact I don’t think he could get admitted to a school in the profession he founded.
You’re not on the "right" track, because all the "tracks" lead nowhere these days, however you have found a well worn path to a better Life… sooo…
GodSpeed to us all in our trek off the tracks…
Gary
in Tampa

This is so interesting, just three days ago I was diagnosed with Lupus and my first thought was I don’t want to be pumped full of medicines and then more on top of that for the side-effects of the other medicines, I am also tired of being tired, I will definitely be checking out the raw diet. Thank you for coming to my e-mail!!!!

Shirley,
Certainly check into ALL your options and get a great team of professionals around which should include a Holistic Nutritionist. Oh the fatigue…. I can remember it well and I know that there is no way to describe it. Best wishes and keep me updated….

I would like to know more about this Raw Diet. I have had breast cancer and have been battling Iron deficientcy. I feel exhausted many times throughout the day. Please tell me where I can find more information about this diet.

Sharron,

So sorry to hear of your battle. I have a couple books listed on http://www.ruralandraw.blogspot.com  I really love http://www.hacres.com and anything by Jordan Rubin.

Hope this helps!

I could not believe that I was reading this. I have been grappling with my health for several decades. I have uncontrollable high blood pressure, so much so, that both numbers have been 3 digits. I had what the doctors believed was lupus, but could not get positive lab tests at the time. That was all I needed. I knew all those years ago, that it was time to take responsibility for my own health. It was then that I became aware of Dr. John McDougall and his vegan lifestyle. At the time I thought it was difficult, not because of the meat, but because of butter and coffee, etc. Now, I am trying to do 51% raw. My daughter is doing from 95-100% raw. Her meals are utterly delicious. I am on the lazy side and do not usually do a lot of planning, which is essential. However, I have found some sources on the internet which has really made a difference. There is a video on foodmatters.tv that can be watched from start to finish for free. One can also purchase the DVD. I liked the video so much that I did purchase it, and have been passing it around.
I love finding like souls. I find it empowering.

Dog days of summer. Ah how those memories flood back. Summers were the greatest especially since there was no school and the swimming pools were open. Friends and I would ride our bicycles hundreds of miles in the summer just for fun. Any wooded area was open game for exploring, playing hide and seek, playing war, or just hanging out telling scary stories. Oh, yes and I can’t forget the couple months spent on my Uncle’s farm each year helping with hay baling, stealing eggs from those broody old hens, chopping chuckle burrs out of the corn by walking the rows or getting to visit the auction barn where livestock were bought and sold.

The absolute best part of summer was those days when Grandpa would take me Carp fishing. Sitting on the bank with him was the best. Like you, Rene’, sitting under the shade tree enjoying the warmth of the day, dreaming about all the wonderful things of life, waiting in anticipation of the tinkling bell indicating that a fish was on the line just made life so enjoyable. I don’t know that we ever caught that many fish, but just being in nature, listening to the moving water sounds, chirping birds, and rustling tree leaves meant to me everything in my world was as it should be. There’s just nothing like a good day spent in nature to calm the spirit.

I have experienced many endings of one season of life and beginnings of another. I have found that each can be filled with joy and memory building events. I enjoy each day for what it is as there will never be another like it.

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams. ~ Ashley Smith

Good Bloggie Rene…!
Y’all have many warm Memories of Summer breezes with laughter and Joy in the air together, and that’s what makes those Memories so Special… "Togather".
My Family had a section of the yard, between the Garden and the field, where we set up a Croquet Court, with lights for night play too, and we had sooo much fun togather and with Friends. The Teams of two, Red Team, Blue, Black, Yellow, Green, and White… the lawn chairs… the grill… the picnic table and benches… kids playing badmitton and horseshoes… and meee turning the crank (until it got hard and required a grown man) on the Ice Cream churn, with my trusty sidekick Trix, who was eager to lap up/gobble up "extras".
There was something in the air… Laughter (the "music" of Joy), and like Y’all, not a care in the world.
Thanks for yet another walk down Memory Lane Rene’, and…
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

Summers at the Jersey shore….nothing like it…we now live less than a mile from the beach and able to ride our bikes to the beach. Swimming in a beautiful salt water pool. love it!
No chlorine!!!

You are right Rene’…
Time has a way to lending an appreciation of things past, and the mower is a Brilliant idea. Your move for the sake of your Children is an act of Love, and one day they will come to know just how significant it was.
I recently had a conversation with a young Friend at a shop in the mall, and noticed she was wearing BIG platform shoes. I commented: "Are those comming back?"… to which she replied: "They’re not ‘back’, they’re a new fashion."
A few days later, I returned with a photo from 1920 of a young woman wearing BIG (wood) platform shoes, and one of ME from 1971 wearing a pair from Thom McAnn, and she was amazed.
Hmmm… I wish I’d saved every tie I ever owned.
Good Bloggie…!
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

Gary, Dont I know it. I guess that is a sign of "aging" when we have seen it "all" before. LOL

I do love my kids. What a blessing they are and have been. I feel the move into town allowed me to be with them more, so maybe a little selfish on my part. I couldn’t imagine sitting out on the farm while their lives were 40 miles away. While it was a sacrifice, just as it always seems to be, it was/is worth it. I have found away to carve out my farm girl exsistance, even while living in a rural community. My heart is calling me back to the farm and someday, when it is just grandbabies to worry about, I will get there. Until then, the neighbors are just having to deal wtih having the Clampets in thier back yard :).

Thank you for all the encouragment.. A writer couldn’t ask for more.  R

Rene, What a great story… You are right, it does seem as though all things old are new again! Even old ideas…I love that " farming is becoming hip" again and I hope it sticks! So many people are being inspired to plant their first veggie gardens, us included! We home school our kids and this was our year to plant our first veggie garden! We made it a "project". We studied some of the ideas behind self- succiciancy and why it is good for humanity and the earth. Then we got to planting! This farm girl and her family live on a half acre in suburbia so we decided a salad garden would be a great beginning. Half way through the growing season and things are looking good! It feels good to " grow our own"… to feel more self reliant and satisfied. Can’t wait for the first ripe tomatoes! No wonder MaryJanesFarm ( and blogs) are hitting a nerve with so many people… I think there are thousands of us out in the world who were missing our rural roots and didn’t even know it! Thank you for helping us all make the
"connection".
Deb~

I am so glad that you can see the future and know you will return to the farm when all the boys are out of school!!! And your back yard now looks wonderful! Thanks for the wonderful thoughts!

You were so lucky to be able to keep the farm. (Even if your husband has to do all that driving.) By what you say, it looks like you have a miniature farm in the city. That’s what I have and I love it. My neighbors used to have issues but that’s their problem. Only wish I could have some girls but the zoning guy tells me I can only have two and they have to stay indoors in the main house and not in the yard or the detached garage (now a beautiful little cottage).

I love how "old things are new again." Kinda’ like us, eh? I am from a family of 12 children (and I am the youngest) so when our parents’ estate was divided, some of the treasures that I grew up with went to others. I also have some that they loved. So I started looking in antique shops for those things "like Mama’s" and started collected. The memories came flooding back as I saw things that I had even forgotten. Now when my sisters visit, they tell me that they feel that they have "come home." That is such a compliment to me!! Indeed, old things have become new when we laugh and remember.

Reba,

Great reminder that we have the power to create our own "home" in the "fashion" of those things and people that touch us the deepest. Thanks for the reminder.

I loved your blog. My dad never owned anything but a push mower that I can recall. Boy can I tell you some funny stories about my brothers and the mower. In any case, I have always loved old things. My mother had some things from her family that were very old like a child’s rocking chair and rag doll over 150 years. We were never allowed to sit in the chair, but rather to appreciate it. As I grew up and had my own family, we bought and sold two victorian houses that I loved. I am now living in a ranch house which is on the market. My son has graduated from college so we are down sizing. I am excited but a little scared. One thing I do know about old things, if they come into your possession you are only their custodian. My mother taught me that with her antiques, and it means we are only a part of a long line of history. Many have come before us; many will come after.
It sort of puts my little problems in perspective.
Ps. I don’t really think there is anything new, just things that have been revamped restyled regurgitated.

You stated, "It is simply perfect." I would add, "it is simply perfect; perfectly simple." I think we can over complicate everything and sometimes that just adds more stress in our over-complex lifestyle. As a single mother most of my life and having acreage, I would just hate it when a gas-powered motor did not start. If I can’t fix it, then I have to count on someone else to get ‘er going again, and in the meantime, the job does not get done. Yikes, that can be a huge speed bump when you are trying to check off your task list so that can go on to doing something fun! You have made great strides in creating your backyard haven and making your surroundings fit your preferred lifestyle. I think that we have seasons of our life and we are not always planted in ground where our roots would desire. You are thriving and being fruitful where you are planted! Love your blog (and you)!!!

Excellent site, keep up the good work

I don’t know If I said it already but …Excellent site, keep up the good work. I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I’m glad I found your blog. Thanks, 🙂

A definite great read..

-Bill-Bartmann

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Your blog is so informative … ..I just bookmarked you….keep up the good work!!!!

Rene,

Again, you have captured the essence of something that we all strive to hold onto! I was just thinking yesterday as I was watching my daughter at her horse riding lessons how there is such a special feel to summer. Maybe it is the warmth of the sun, the feel of the earth when you can just lay in the grass, or the smell of the fruits when the canning is started. Who knows, but I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. Thanks again for the wonderful entry! You make my heart sing every time I read your entries. Enjoy the rest of the summer…..it flies by far too quickly!

Your Bloggies this week have a Wonderful Theme Rene’…
Much time of Life has been wasted trying to be something I wasn’t… usually driven by some media message of restlessness.
I once commented to my Granny that I wondered if I would have a Happy Life, and I recall the answer well. She said:
"Yes, if you learn who you are and just BE that."
Your weekly writing "Dances" quite well in my mind.
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

Gary,

I think I will take your granny’s words and etch them. I know that I have the power to be the best "ME" the world has ever seen.. thanks!

My husband is a great dancer, I am not. However, metaphorically speaking,I think I ‘dance.’ At least I hope I do. In some ways I was freer when I was younger, but in other ways, I am less inhibited now–the older I get the more comfortable I get in my own skin. I recently read something that said "Why wait until you’re an old woman to wear purple?" I like that sentiment. In other words, embrace your inner child or inner old woman, whatever the case may be. Ultimately the goal here is to dance!

PURPLE is my signature color 🙂  thanks for your reminder.

Awesome Rene!Thanks so much for that and you DANCE!

Woo Hooooo!!! That’s what I’m talking about! Life is too short to waste time Not Living it. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve recently made a conscious decision to LIVE my life,(same idea as the "drive it like it’s stolen" phrase) not just go along like a good, quiet passenger and I can’t even express how happy I have become (though I do kick myself every now and then for not Always living like this) 🙂
I am not a good dancer, but I Love To Dance. I think I’ll use the "Dance Like Noone is Watching" phrase as inspriration for my craft project this weekend. I need a sign to hang in my kitchen to remind myself of this every day.
Once again, I LOVE your blog and I’m pretty sure that you are my new online BFF! 😉

Most excellent perspective. We have alot more in common than you think Renee *U*

Thank you, Thank you for the great reminder.

Always dancing either out loud or silently to myself!! Life is just too short to do it any other way.

To sum up the fabulous weekend with dancing was sheer genious (on your part, of course). We each became a part of the whole in our own little way while dancing on the grass that tickled our toes. Woo-hooing with a sunburned nose and sweat dripping down my back was where I could culmanate my dream of coming to Farm Fair. Thanks for all the hard work and memories you’ve blessed me with.

I sooooo relate to this post! I think the world would be so boring without eccentric people! I have so many eccentric friends, I think I am one, well, yes, I AM one lol. I just love that people do things just because that’s the way they are, and not because it’s cool or they think someone’s watching. AND I relate to the weight thing, too, at times get really self-conscious, but then something happens and I start talking and laughing, and pretty soon, I don’t care so much about stuff like that. I have a ton of skinny friends (hmmm, a TON of skinny friends, is that an oxy-moron?) who love me anyway! Karen

I just had my 40th birthday, and I feel like I too now can finally dance away. I wish I had felt this way a lot sooner than now – all the worrying and self-consciousness I could have avoided! Thanks for the blog, and the sentiments….

Dear Rene,
This is the first time I have read your blog (ever struggling to embrace technology, truth be told) and I am really appreciating where you are coming from. Sorry to have missed the dancing on Sunday…Paul saw the bus pull up and before I knew it we were on it. Perhaps three days of practically all women had him a bit overwhelmed : ) It wasn’t until we were back at American Country B&B that I realized I would not be able to say my goodbyes as our wonderful weekend was coming to an end (it simply hadn’t occurred to me until then). So, I am happy to see that it is not really goodbye since there are blogs and forums and e-mails and all kinds of opportunities to keep in touch. Thank you Rene, for all of your hard work. The Farm Fair was exactly what this mountain girl needed.
Valynne

hi rene,yesterday i was visiting one of my friends,she said there was a guy on amercian idol or whos got talent last week that was just an old hillbilly farmer type and they asked him about being a chicken catcher on his job title, they asked him and he said oh about 9 thous chickens and they all laughed,she said when he sang he sang,if tomorrow never comes by garth brooks, she said ,ya know carol, he is authinic,i cant spell it but her comment was, hes authinic, you know thats what you are, is authinic,your just yourself,you dont care what people think,then she says, i bet youve really got some talent,just like that guy, youve got a hiddin talent….kinda made me feel good…..just wanted to throw that thought in…i am a squaredancer by the way and if you have never done it,you just dont know what you are missing,i balked a first,and one of my clients just kept after me,what a blessing it turned out to be…i went to cancun mex with 97 square dancers,all older than me ,and squaredanced on stage on the cruise ship,it was so much fun…i have outfits and pedicoats in every color,and no one will ever make fun of me for it again,it is not corny at all,it is a terrific blessing,when my salon burned in 2005,the squaredancers all fed me and took care of me,they are wonderful people,and it is fun girls,i mean a load of fun…untill next time,the missouri farmers daughter,carol branum,lamar mo.

Carol,

I think you hit the nail on the head. At some point we need to say, "I am done apologizing" for being me. Why should we! Dance away girlfriend!!!!! I will be admiring the "moves"….

I really enjoyed reading this. From one small town girl to another, I got it. Now I just need the courage to bust that move.

Here’s sending you courage. Or well, Maybe just a blind fold and some dance steps..LOL  dance away!

Hi everyone,

I just stumbled on to MaryJanes, for the first time, today. Wow. I guess it’s true, the saying, everyone has a twin.

I grew up on a dairy farm, went to work, came back home, and bought a small, 15 acre, farm, to start a family. I love my little family and our little farm. I have always had the idea that we could make our farm into a vehicle that sustains us and those we love. Our farm may be small; but, our hearts and dreams are big.

Having grown up on a dairy farm, with grand parents, great grandparents, and 1st through 5th cousins, living together, I have been privledged to learn how to do things like: milk cows, sew, shear sheep, spin wool, make cheese, can, and bail hay. This early education combined with what I’ve learned from the corporate world, leads me to ask, the question, "Where do I start?"

I would love to hear some of your stories, insights, suggestions, and warnings.

Thanks,
Lorna Jean

Lorna Jean,

Make sure to check out of Farmgirl Conection at http://www.MaryJanesFarm.org an click on the link that says "Chat with other farmgirls". There are lots of us and lots an lots of stories…

I was so ready for this article! This is the first time I have read your blog, but I am definitely going to have to follow you now because you spoke to me! I also am in a place in my life where I need to do some mental and spiritual ‘housecleaning, and you have the right idea. The realization that only you are responsible for your own happiness is something that hit me hard about a year ago, but once I accepted it, I felt such freedom! It is very empowering!

I agree in ways I cannot explain. I am trying so hard to pull my weeds and let go of the things that hold me back it is difficult and I am doing the best I can. The great thing about gardening is that if you pull something out that you weren’t suppose to you can always replace it with something even more spectacular. And in the end life and gardening are building, growing, fostering, learning and just plain respecting the life we have created. Thanks for the great post.

Rene’, you are such a blessing. God has gifted you with a tender heart and oodles of wisdom, and I praise Him for sharing you with all of us.
Your words are a light unto my path, and I am grateful for each message you bring.

Pam,

I am so touched by your words. Thank You so much for them.

This is just what I needed to hear. I have a great job, but I hate working all night. Lately, I’ve been trying to just be grateful for it. The thing that really bothers me is having to sleep when it is so beautiful outside this time of year. I keep thinking that I’m sleeping my life away. I have tried to ignore that thought, but the feelings that go along with it are difficult to ignore. I’m going to try harder to find a new way of thinking because I feel things won’t change until I learn to love this way of living, or at least accept it.

I’m going to copy your words and put them by my bed so I can see them when I wake up. Thank you so much. I love following your blog.

Rene,

It is the first time I read your blog and love it. I too was a farmer when I grew up and the farm is the best place to be. I have the best memories in the whole world. When we drive to the country and see all the beautiful scenery I think of the city people(Some of them) that never left the city and miss all this lovely nature. I get up in the morning and admire my flowers and thank God for having them and be able to see them.
I grew some potatoes this year in my flower beds here and there and I feel like I am farming again. Just love it.

God bless you and your family.

Today your blog came into my in-box. What fun I have had looking at your essays. They sound so like the farm-girl that I am way over in Maine and the little messages I write in my own blog about the world outside my window. Our country is a big one and it goes to show how alike we are no matter where our wild world takes us. I enjoy a natural business with a partner who sees through the same eyes. I will peek in on you often to see how life on the other side of this great country of ours is going.

This is an old blog but I just found this blog and i’m so glad I decided to read all of these because this is exactly what I needed to hear and God Bless You for giving you know knowledge to write such a thing and help others. Have a blessed day.