I can’t believe this will be the 3rd YOU Challenge!! If you did it before, then you know how this works. If not, I’ll tell you all you need to know. The most important thing is that you make decision, right now, right this very minute, to do this for YOU. You, My Friend, deserve it. You need it. It is time to give yourself a little loving, a little attention, a little pick-me-up.
And you know what it is?
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”.
You’re so right on not loving ourselves so we can’t love our neighbour, we don’t know how. Maybe we’ve lost the art of loving ourselves? I sure know about putting myself last, do it all the time. After spending this past week off work with a cold, flu and middle ear infection and being told by two doctors to rest, I did. I’m in the mend now but sure did not realise just how hard I push myself to do, and feel guilty of resting time and taking time off for myself. I’d love to be a part of your May You challenge if you would be so kind to add me. I live in Australia so we are in autumn now so I’m hoping to take some photos of life here on my walks.
Thank you for another wonderful post. I look forward to reading each and every one of them. By the way what did you decide to do in your cabin?
Greeting from Australia
Denise
Hi Denise! Can’t wait for you to share your autumn walks in Australia with us all! I’m still working on my Old Wash House studio/office/whatever! I’m using it daily, though, but still have work to do inside. Take care! and see you in a few days in the FaceBook group!
Thank you Rebekah for adding me to your you fb group. I had a look at posts past and I’m excited to take part in walking the days of May. Til then take care
This feels so real lately! I really put myself on the back burner to care for everyone and everything else, and the sad part is it still feels like I haven’t done enough. At the end of my day I find myself wishing for more hours, more hands, and less fatigue. I really like this challenge. I love the idea of getting out for me and taking a break from what the world expects of me. Count me in!
Hi Krista,
From one woman to another, our to do lists never end and when we look around there always seems to be another thing we must do. But what happens is as Rebekah so rightly said we end up on the empty line in our tank. Were the inky ones to fill it. If you’re follow God at all take one thing and that is Jesus rested, so he needed/wanted/ felt he should, we should definitely do too. Were inky human and we can only do what we can do. We can’t have it all, do it all be it all. This is a nasty lie we as women are fed. We need to look after and nurture ours,eves so we can in turn untrue and take care of others and that includes our families, co workers, friends etc.
allow yourself to do what absolutely must be done and do that and if you don’t get the rest done, leave it for the next day and stop and rest so you can be truly well. It took me I’ll health and two doctors orders to finally see the light.
Big hug s and go easy on yourself
Denise
Australia
Ready!
YES!!! I am absolutely in. It won’t be easy to give up the habit of pushing me-time aside for someone else, but I need this. I am tired, mentally, physically, spiritually. So I’m doing it. Just thinking about taking that walk every day, being grateful for the beauty around me, feeling the quietness and being more in touch with God makes me feel calmer. So I’m in….starting now.
I really need this right now! I am in:-)
Woo-hoo, I’m in! Except I’m glad today isn’t May 1st, as it is 39 degrees here and the north wind is blowing and blowing! Brrr! Where are you Spring? Thanks for reminding us to remember that we count too:)
This will be a GOOD THING — IF the snow storm stays away – yupper we are to be getting more snow the 1st week of May. So I may have to start the 2nd week. I did it last year, just didn’t report it but it was a very nice thing for ME. Thanks for thinking of it. God bless.
I’m all in! This is the first I have heard of the You challenge and I love the sound of it. May will be a financially stressful time for me so I’ll need the quiet space that a walk will give me and actually having a good reason like the challenge will keep me motivated! Awaiting approval for FB group now and thanks for this encouragement!
I’ve signed up and are excited. Thank you.
Just read your blog. I’m a little late but then so is putting myself first. I’m 65 and was brought up to put everyone else first. Now my children are gone from home and hubby is retired so doing for me is a revelation! I enjoy walking with my thoughts. It is calming and peaceful and instills an appreciation for little gifts nature.
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