I had a heckuva time deciding between two themes this time around. Then, inspiration struck. I don’t have to choose. I’ll cover both themes because they do relate to one another. I think you’ll agree.
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Debbie Bosworth
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.’”
Rebekah Teal
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.
Cathi Belcher
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
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.
Mary Murray
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.”
Alexandra Wilson
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!
Nicole Christensen
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”.
Shery: That "tween" time as you say does get stuck in our craw. Especially if you’re from a northern climate where winter sticks its icy tongue on the pump and won’t let go. Your pictures are always wonderful and Spring WILL come. Hang in there girl.
I must admit my springtime happy place has always been Winnie the Pooh and all of the woodland creatures. Their free and easy lifestyle soooo makes me wish I lived there among them! I hope spring comes soon, too, as I resemble that lady you posted on this blog as well. Hang in there…it’s only for a short time now 🙂
Thank you for this post! Beautiful words and inspiring pictures. You are delightful! Put on your sunglasses, gear up in your coveralls and head out for a tromp outside. It does a girl wonders…even in the snow! Have a wonderful day!
~sonshine4u
I hear ya Sister! I’m in OK so we are ahead of you in the season, but it has still been a bit dreary with clouds and cold temps. I did see my first forsythia yesterday, and the daffodils are out. It won’t be long. Good luck with your pony!
I enjoy your writings very much-but the photographs and images are most appreciated- isadora duncan? so very special! outdoors rocks!
Shery, I feel for you as far as the SAD, but you also have had
loss recently…but brighter days are on their way!
Anyone else who suffers from depression, please ask your MD to have your vitamin D level checked. Too many pills get prescribed, and all one might need is nutrition!
Hope you are feeling up to par real soon !
my comment above is incorrect-mine is the one which mentions isadora duncan
Happy thoughts to you inspiring Lady. You should plan a glamping vacation to the North Coast of California. Our winter lasts about a month (the down to this, is you never get to go down). Even the rainy days are gorgeous with blue skies that cloud over, lovely sunsets. I always think we get out best weather when the tourists go home.
We’ve got a spot here that would always welcome fellow glampers.
I am right there with you Sheri. Here in Va. We should be well into the beginning of spring. Our willow trees have baby leaves and the redbud are working really hard to get ready for their show. The weatherman is telling us we are having more snow this Sunday. Aaarrrggghhh! Keep dreaming about your new babies and getting out to train and ride them soon! It IS going to get warm!
I first want to say, I always enjoy your pictures, whether vintage or photos. We’re experiencing tween-time right now in North-western Washington. One minutes it’s snowing, the next it’s sunny with blue skies, that hale and than who knows what. In the lowlands, we had no snow all winter and here on Whidbey Island, it was even mild, sad for me because I love snow. But now the weather doesn’t know how to make up it’s mind. I love snow and clear freezing days, but when it’s time for spring and summer, I want it to come right a way!!
Shery, as I read your wonderful message and am now writing this, it is snowy, WINDY, COLD. Yes the calendar shows it is Spring but I have come to realize what Spring can be – some of best moisture to get things growing. Oh how I wanted, this week, to be out tilling, prepping for some planting – well God had some of this wonderful moisture stored up for us so it is inside I will stay, working on quilts and while doing that I am dreaming of the Vitamin O to get started soon. God Bless and Happy Easter.
Can you imagine, I got a job managing a garden Center!! Now I look out of my greenhouse windows and watch it snow!!
Shery,
I tried to rush spring by going south for a few days. Took in a couple of baseball games and visited with my sister. The desert was beautiful, all green and in bloom. Came home to a 60 degree temperature change and then a huge snow storm, which we desperately need. My just budding rose bushes were just as shocked as I was. All in good time! I’m making a quilt with flowers on it, so that will have to be my "gardening in front of the fireplace" for now.
Many blessings and smiles.