First of all, Happy Summer Solstice! What a wonderful thing to celebrate—the longest day of the year, the finalization of our hemisphere’s bow to the sun, a time to start counting down to the long, cozy nights of the winter to come. I can’t help but think that, cyclically, this is the top of our seasonal wheel and we’re celebrating a brief breath at the peak before we continue to spin madly on.
Alaska’s state flower, the forget-me-not, likes the lots-o-light!
Our vacation through the Midwest is over—and what a momentous vacation it was! Our adventures took us from Bozeman, Montana to Valley City, North Dakota, and finally to Minnetonka, Minnesota. The highlight from all of these lovely places and all of the great things we did was…drum roll, please…I’ve returned to Alaska an engaged lady! And I’m not just any engaged Farmgirl, I’m engaged to one of the best men out there (in my opinion).
bonnie ellis says: Alex: Ah young love. I remember 50 years ago when I was you. God bless you to have a wonderful life! (The pictures are fun and you are a great couple)
Thank you, Bonnie! We are looking forward to many decades together!
Adrienne says: Congratulations and best wishes to both of you! What a wonderful story.
Many thanks, Adrienne! We kind of like the story, too 🙂
Nan Roberts says: Awwww. Thanks for sharing your lovely fairytale story. God bless you both, and your marriage and life together. I love that frog. The sweet thing. May you have lots of frogs and such to go with lots of kids.
Nan in Oregon
Thank you for your well wishes, Nan! I love the frog too–knew right away I had to catch it for a photo op.
Coleen says: Congratulations!!!! I love fairy tale endings (beginnings).
Here’s to farmgirl dreams.
PS… I really enjoy your blog.
Awww, thanks, Coleen! Fairy tale beginnings are fun!
Congratulations on your engagement. The magical tale of about the appearance of the frog was delightful. Have you set a wedding date?
Thanks, Cleda! No wedding date yet–probably two summers from now. We’re not afraid of a long engagement 🙂
Laura says: Many heartfelt wishes for a beautiful and happy life together! What a love story ! Blessings to you,
Laura
p.s. love love that ring!
Thank you for the kind words, Laura. Blessings and love to you as well!
Kathy says: I have been following your Farmgirl blog for a while, sincerely jealous of the adventures you’ve been having in Alaska. Oh to be young again! The frog story gave me the chills! Congratulations to you both, you make a darling couple – love Evan’s smile in the pic with your little niece! It sounds to me that the two of you have become good friends, which makes a sound foundation for a marriage. I look forward to reading all about the planning stages of your wedding.
Thanks, Kathy! I’m sure I’ll need some farmgirl help with the planning–it will be a slow process for sure. Evan is a keeper, I’m a lucky gal to have found him!
I love a happy ending and this story has one!
Congratulations to you all! Many blessings in your life together!
sister Deb( BEACHFARMGIRL )
ps. I can hardly wait to see the wedding picks!
meredith says: Wow! Great story and greater ending (beginning!)- Congratulations and best wishes for a long and happy life together! I love your ring too!
marci says: Congratulations on beginning a new adventure! You have such great memories already to build a relationship. They will keep you through the hard times. God bless you individually and together
Pam deMarrais says: Alex, I am so happy for you and Evan! You make the perfect couple. I look forward to hearing about your wedding plans. It is so nice that you are waiting a bit to tie the knot. That will give you time to savor every moment as the big day approaches. I loved reading your story, especially the happy ending!
Kay Ruh says: The joy in your faces has brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing your love for one another, and for your families which we are so blessed to be a part of.
What a great celebration our time together was! Can’t wait to do it again!
Love, Kay and Bill
Denise (Kracht) Wadeson says: Congrats to you both your future mother-in-law about attacked me this morning with this news. I graduated high school with Evan and work with his mom. Again congrats and look forward to reading about all of your adventures.
Betty Thompson says: Congratulations and may your future be filled with magical times.
Gail Pederson says: A Mom couldn’t be much happier with those happenings on Memorial Day weekend! We are so blessed to have you in our family. Thanks for bringing "the son who runs the farthest" back to the country life.
Becky Bartlett says: Alex,you really became part of our family immediately. I amso happy that it will be a permanent bond! Your love for each other radiates warmth to those around you. It will be such a pleasure to watch it grow even stronger.
Marla MacBeth says: Congratulations, Alex! Of course he is nice and from a great family. They are from North Dakota! Yes, there are nice folks everywhere but those Northern Plains people are extra special! Enjoy every minute of your adventure together!
is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
Your salad in a jar sounds yummy. I’d love to see a picture of one, might help me convince the family to try it. Thanks for yor posts I am really enjoying my visits to Alaska, through them.
You have a great handle on using spices at an early age; that is awesome. I love your salad in a jar idea. Will have to try it! Thanks for sharing your tips. I will think of you this evening as the sun sets…a lot sooner than where you are!
I love the salads in a jar idea too!!! Loved reading your post!
Kelly in Ca
Love the salad in a jar idea especially the idea of preparing once for a week’s worth of lunches. Candied spruce tips…
sounds good. Thank you for your wonderful blog and pictures.
Try some curry. That’s a wonderful flavor. Also, dill has become one of my best friends. Great in coleslaw!
I just love your post. You are such an interesting young lady. I love to try spices and herbs too, I make goat cheese and herbs and spices are vital! Love the salad in a jar idea.
Love spices and herbs. Like the others–the salad in a jar sounds like a wonderful idea. It is time for me to start using my lettuce–got a late start this year.
Tell me more about the spruce tip syrup and candies. I am intrigued!
Kathy
Herbal Maid Fiber Farm in Missouri
Hi Alex!
I have been a Mary Jane’s farm gal for only a little while and haven’t fully explored all the blogs yet; today I happened to click on the link Mary Jane posted for Rural Farmgirl and what a wonderful surprise to see that you are in Palmer, Alaska! I had the opportunity to visit the Wasilla/Palmer area last year in June and have family living there still…I can totally relate to the later dinner times and the screwy appetites! I loved the lush green everywhere… It was so hard for me to explain to people how it never really got dark and how easy it started to get to be up for 20 hours a "day" and still have energy… Will be following your blog from now on. 🙂
Tarragon makes a deliciously sweet addition to chicken pot pie. I only make that in winter, but it is wonderful then! I’d say for summer, you should go for basil or oregano. Pesto is very summery.