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My farmgirl sisters wanted to have a holiday “hen party” and gift exchange. We managed to squeeze it in even though everyone is very busy this time of year. I was the hostess hen for our luncheon. It was a cold and blustery winter day, but spirits were warm and bright. Hey, why don’t you c’mon in and join us …
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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”.
YUMMY!!! All of it!
Looks so warm and festive Shery! Thanks for sharing your little piece of Christmas from the Ranch.
Love and Beach Blessings,
Deb
Shery, I love your blog. I receive several but enjoy yours is the best of all. I wish I lived near you to share in all the fun things you do. Your friends are so fortunate.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Looks lovely! How can you leave a picture of a delectable treat like the coconut things and NOT include a recipe 😉 Come on, where’s the recipe?
Hi Shery,
What a fun time you and your ‘hens’ had and the food looks and sounded delicious. I’ve copied your recipe and will be trying that out…I can almost smell it looking at your picture! Merry Christmas to you and your family too.
Maura 🙂
Can’t wait to make that stuffed pumpkin with, be still my heart … bacon, cream, cheese AND cranberries. Yum. Thanks!
I so look forward to your postings, love your piece of Heaven. I also live on a little farm in Eastern OK and love my animals, gardens and my own little piece of Heaven…Have a Blessed Christmas Season…..
Shery,
As always, you inspire me….Thank you,
as for ‘kitty under the tree’,,,she is the purrrrfect tree skirt decoration! lol!
Every Christmas tree should have a furbaby resting contentedly under it.
Merry Christmas from our humble little farmette to your ranch.
hugz,
gracie
p.s.
every year at this time I make Lavender Macaroons,,,,,’cuz we too love all things ‘coconutty’…. : > )
Wish I could have been there! Shery, did you brush vegetable oil or butter over the pumpkin to make it shine?
Shery, I want to move near you. I think you have the best hen house of all! My mom died yesterday and the holidays don’t seem the same. Your house seems so warm and cheery, I wish I was there. God bless you for sharing yourself and ranch.
Loved your hen party ideas, gifts & menu. I am going to check out those dishes at K-mart – I think Santa needs to bring them to me for Christmas! I would love the recipe for the coconutty cookies you have pictured. Also, do you sell your jewelry on line anywhere? I like your turquoise pieces & the bottle cap bracelet. Oh, if you don’t mind putting a picture of your "real hen house" on the blog I would love to see it. I have been searching for a good idea to put on my property for chicks I will be getting in the spring. Thank you for sharing you wonderful ideas.
Wow! What a wonderful report. I’m jealous because I wasn’t at the "Hen Party"…Can I come next year….all the way from South Carolina?? I could bring some oysters, shrimp, crabs and other good ole Charleston dishes. Your articles are really heartwarming. Thank you and Merry Christmas. My best, Peggy
Thank you for sharing your country "doings"!!! I love all the creativity. You always inspiring.
Merry Christmas.
Julie W.
Thought I would check in and answer a couple of questions.
#1: No, I didn’t oil the pumpkin. They just do that…like magic.
#2: I can’t give you the recipe for the coconut candies yet because I have to figure it out on my own…sort of. I was given a general guide. But, when I get mine together, I’ll post it. They don’t have to be JUST for the holidays, right?
Thank you everyone for taking the time to comment and for your kind KIND words of encouragement. I wish I could meet every one of you in person. ~ Shery
As always, your "silver tongue and pen" shine like Christmas tree baubles! I smile as I read your wonderful words. Merry Christmas, Shery! Keep those stories coming.
Shery,
I had a wonderful time @ our little get together. Laughter is the best medicine:) I always have a great time with all my farmgirl friends. I anticipate our next get together will be food for our souls…our progressive Xmas party and house tours will be delightfull…Can’t wait my friend:) Oh and your blog is fab! as usual:)
Shery,
Thank you for letting us come to your Hen Party. Looks like you all had lots of fun and lots of yummy food! Can’t wait to try the stuffed pupmkins. I love your jewelery, beautiful!
As always, I so enjoyed reading your latest blog. I really look forward to each and every one.
Merry Christmas!!
OK – you covered most of my bases too – love to quilt, tree and house decorated. My daughter helped me put lights on our pasture fence. No one would see lights out front of the house anyway. So we can enjoy the ones out back. Have used up over 20 pounds of flour and 21 pounds of butter this baking season. LOVED the pumpkin that is beautiful. You should try making marshmallows – VERY EASY and fantastic. Gifts bought and wrapped – but never done till it is all over. Merry Christmas, Cheri
Sheri, wonderful Christmas to you and all your hen-friends…feathered and non. You cheer us all up. thanks, cora jo
Shery,
I wrote up a comment yesterday and when I hit submit it came back that I had an incorrect e-mail address and it was gone. Did not have time to re-type everything so I have came back to try again today. I’ll just sum it all up and say I love everything that you have pictured and would love to be one of your farm girl friends and be a part of your hen parties. Your baubles are beautiful! Have a Merry Christmas!
Love the articles and pictures, I love so much of the things you talk about I too collect things that others think are too far gone. First time for me to read your connections, won’t be the last. Going to enjoy reading all the older ones.Thanks for putting so many of my thoughts in words.