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”.
The place we live was likened to Mayberry in a newspaper a few years ago. It’s a very small town in northern Missouri and everyone calls each other by name. I love the fact I can call the hardware store, talk to the person that answers, by name, tell him ‘this is Cathy’ and he knows exactly who he’s talking to. We moved here from a much larger place where everyone kept to themselves. We don’t have a lot of modern conveniences, but we have enough and plenty of ‘heart’ to make up for what we think we lack. After all, you don’t need a big city to sit on the porch with a glass of iced tea and wave at your neighbor’s as they drive by. I love Mayberry and also have the first and second seasons of the show! I love the story of Romeo and Juliet Andy tells Opie over the breakfast table! "I’m righcheer!" lol…
Rebekah,
You are so right, Mayberry is a state of mind. What a wonderful world it would be if we all tried to have more of a Mayberry state of mind! I actually see it happening. There is a movement that is growing across the country. To slow down, live simpler, eat locally and be nicer. I hope it grows and grows, maybe a little homemade compost would help!
Now, for the little green and yellow bathroom. I think that the old tile and fixtures are quaint. Maybe paint everything else a soft white and use sunflowers as an accent. A pretty eyelet shower curtain and a vase of sunflowers would be cute. If you are going to keep the old floor and fixtures, you might as well show them off!
I also think the Ernest T. Bass is the perfect name for a mule! You can call him ET for short!
Now, back to canning! I have a 5 gallon bucket full of carrots calling my name.
Your Farmgirl Friend,
Diane (aka) Fiddlehead Farm
I will take that home Main street any day….
good morning,
Before I tote water to my square food garden I have a little advice about your 1/2 bath. What about embracing the other popular color of the 70’s -Orange. Make it a memorial to the time period and get a few decor items for the walls. Such as owls , cast aluminum figures and of course anything about the bi-centenial! Shoot just study those Partridge Family shows for hints..
Best always- janet in Indiana
When I was in second grade we lived in a place just like that. Bucoda WA. We picked wild black cap berries and got a littler closer to the old mine pits than allowed. Ran all over town by ourselves, and Mom could send us to the store with a note to buy cigarettes for her. Years later I had a crush on David Cassidy myself. Swoon!
Tina
I just saw the sad news about Andy Griffith. I am actually glad that I grew up in the 60s… I’m glad I got to watch black & white TV shows and cute cartoons such as Tom & Jerry, Casper, Bugs Bunny, Yogi Bear and my beloved Speed Racer and 8th Man, etc. I loved it when TV Land started televising some of those older shows such as Andy Griffith, I Dream of Jeannie, Leave it to Beaver, Gilligan’s Island, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Monkees, Green Acres, etc. While TV Land has changed its formatting a bit, I now get to watch some of the older shows on MeTV. If nothing else, it helps me to escape to a simpler time for a little while, a time when people were courteous and polite, not selfish, trashy and greedy like the reality TV shows they air today. Alas!
Alice
Farmgirl 12
Sorry but can’t seem to concentrate on the bathroom. Was watching Matlock when I decided to check my mail and almost lost it when I heard about Andy Griffith.Love that man for a very long time now. Born a farmgirl and,despite my mothers attempts to cityfy me, still dreaming up a farm in my back yard.Your post have made me believe that it’s still possible for some people to attain that goal. State of mind is so right! Often find myself singing "In my mind I’m going to Carolina" Life is good
Rebekah
I can’t tell how much I love this post! I feel the same way. I have longed for Mayberry my whole life. But you’re right, and I’ve known it all along, it’s a state of mind. Yes, there are wonderful places to be found that have that air of Mayberry about them, but it’s what we bring to our daily lives that will determine our sense of community, neighborliness, and simpler times. I love you even more for being a Mayberry girl at heart! I am too, always will be. RIP Andy Griffith, you were such a huge part of my childhood! I had a crush on him, too!
PS…don’t EVEN get me started on David Cassidy! *Uncle Peter, where are my smelling salts"???
I’ve been a fan of The Andy Griffith Show all my life. Well ever since it started anyway, since I’m a bit older than the show. I’ve also been a member of The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club" since 1992. It’s absolutely the best show ever made and will never be beaten. If anyone needs to know how to raise their children in this modern world, just see how Andy did it and do the same. You can’t go wrong. I got to meet Don Knotts twice and both times he was wonderfully sweet and kind. The same with Betty Lynn. I never had the opportunity to meet Andy but he always reminded me of my Dad. God bless all those involved with the show who left us all with such wonderful memories.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
TV icon Andy Griffith dies at 86 ·
My 1970 Travco motorhome had avocado green appliances (stove/oven, fridge, sink, counter, table top, plaid seat cushions on the dinette and couch), and as they said in the 70s, "Once you go avocado, you don’t go back." Embrace what you have and add hot pink to accessorize your bath. Orange would also work as would harvest gold (the color of the shag carpet in the RV). Have fun!
This was such a lovely read, Rebekah. Thank you. I also live in the Mayberry state of mind (most of the time)….let’s face it 2012 can get to ya sometimes:) How sad to lose Mr. Andy Griffith…what class! His legacy will live on through people like us, isn’t that cool? Of course, so will the need to just touch David Cassidy’s perfectly feathered hair, but that’s another story…lol Okay, if your daughter hasn’t seen the Andy Griffith show where the goat eats the dynamite, then that one will reel her in. My Kamryn will watch that one over and over….can’t you just hear Barney saying, "Kablooie" or "Kablewy" sp? To your little bath now, love it. I’m like you, love the avocado color even the flooring. How about leaving as much of the avocado as possible with everything else clean, bright white? Still quirky color but simple, clean farm housyness. Did I just create a new word? Oh, I just went up and loved on my guy donkeys, Sam and Caspian. I took them watermelon. As much as Sam loves watermelon, he still would rather love on me:) I have a vision of your mule and Ernest T. Bass will be amazing!!! ………..Raynita
I just finished a book (on CD) that was so much fun it was hard to shut off. It was Allison Pearson’s new novel (new Feb. 2011), “I Think I Love You.” The story of a slightly mistreated, misunderstood wife with a lifelong obsession of DAVID CASSIDY. It’s so neat that I think you’d eat it up. You can laugh and sigh and cry and actually feel what she and her friends felt as they were growing up loving "him" from afar.
Every time we drive through small town America, I feel a longing to have a small house with a front porch and a garden, do some canning, quilt with the neighbors, and recapture the feeling of being in the tiny town in Missouri where my grandmother was raised. I love the idea of a simple life, with people looking out for each other, being a part of the lives of the community as a whole. I know I would quickly miss everything I love about living internationally, the mix of cultures, the opportunity to see and try new things, which is why I love living outside DC.
A place with more of a small town feel, with close proximity to big city life, is as close as I can get to Mayberry these days. But I am trying to teach my son why we can never lose that small town mentality. We watch the black and white shows, too, with Dennis the Menace being his favorite. I’m glad to hear you are sharing these feelings and ideas of a different way of life with your daughter. I think she will be a better person for it.
Simplify….. That is my mantra lately.. Sad to hear Andy Griffith passed away just today.. What a coincidence … I live in fast, crazy Long Beach, Los Angeles, CA. Desperately would love to go somewhere like Corvallis, Oregon….. Thank you for the brief escape…
Rebekah, you carried me right back to my childhood. I can remember having a few teen magazines with pictures and stories about Davy Jones and David Cassidy. I think that the Andy Griffith show was probably my favorite show of all time, and I loved small town Mayberry. I lived in a community with 2400 people in New Hampshire, and I was the school nurse, so I knew several folks. We all helped each other through our many snowstorms, as well as the everyday storms of life.
As far as your little 3/4 bath, I agree that it has some charming features that you should play up. I am not a fan of glass shower doors, so I would put up a retro look shower curtain [maybe striped with orange, gold, and avocado], and maybe use a contemporary shade of gold for your walls to keep it simple. Kudos for planning to keep the cost down; that is what farmhouse living means to me. Simple, unsophisticated, homey.
I’m no decorator so can’t comment on your half bath but love what you wrote about Mayberry.
Hello again & happy summer Rebekah! I had some thoughts regarding your bathroom design. (I just finished re-doing one of my own!)I was thinking that if you have enough showers elsewhere in that house of yours, why not remove the shower in order to allow for a larger vanity/sink area, especially because this is the main focus of your view looking in? You could repurpose an antique piece of furniture by putting a sink into it, hang a beautiful vintage mirror above it and paint it all in varying shades of light pastel colors since it is a small area. This would effectively open up that small area. Removing the shower would possibly give you a little extra space for a cute little storage cabinet? There are also many new vanities on the market now that look vintage as well. Let me know what you think. Take care & good luck!
It is so funny that I read your blog this morning, because last night my husband and I were just talking about my touchstone (movie not a t.v. show for me) It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart. You remember it, they show at Christmas and I know how you love Christmas, it’s the slightly cheesy Frank Capra film about George Bailey who sacrifices his dream of traveling to help save the family business the Building and Loan. He is ultimately shown that although he thinks he has led a dull little life he has meant a lot to the people of Bedford Falls. He finds he has supportive friends, colleagues, a rock solid relationship with his wife Mary, played by the lovely Donna Reed, who all come together to show their love for him by saving him and making him realize that he indeed has a wonderful life. My husband and I have been married for over 22 years now and we are still crazy about each other. Over the years we have made the choice to have a smaller life that makes us happy and thus have developed similar circles of fiercely loyal friends and colleagues that would come out and support our family if we ever needed it. I was reminding my husband that in my previous life (a terrible marriage before I met him) I had told the therapist who was supposed to be helping me through a divorce, that what I wanted was to mean that much to someone where if I were to suddenly disappear, life paths would change course. She told me that didn’t happen and that it was a fairy tale, and I needed to get real. Well I got the last laugh because I do live in the warm and loving but slightly shabby house with the amazing family. I have friends and extended family that I can count on and my George Bailey is also a dreamer, with a good heart who makes a difference in many peoples’ lives on a daily bases and I love him more than anything, I have a wonderful life!!
Rebekah: Mayberry did exist and not just a state of mind then. I was only in the south once, but the farm I lived on in southern Iowa had towns around it like that. Just like that! Some still are. I know that I am still like that even though I live in the city in Minneapolis. There are chickens next door softly clucking against the traffic on the road in front. I patiently bake my bread and hang out the wash and enjoy talking with folks. I hope you find the Mayberry you’re looking for.
Hi
Thank you for this- I too have been looking for Mayberry my entire life – my father was from a small town in MS – that very much reminded me of Mayberry -and my dad both in look and action was very similiar to Andy Griffith.
I will have to follow your advice and make Mayberry a state of mind in my life – in my small corner of the world and hopefully it will slowly spread, would be nice to turn backt time to a simplier, friendlier life.
RIP – Andy you have made a HUGE impact on so many lives!!
Oh, we just love Mayberry. My family has watched those old shows for years. My 23 yr old loves them. We watched a lot of Andy, Lucy and others like them. Good luck on the bath reno. Not sure what I’d do in there. Will put my thinking cap on.
I think you are going to be very happy to have that 1/2 bath right by the mud room for those days you have been working hard outside and come in very sweaty and dirty. Can kick your shoes off and jump right in the shower. I would love that. Hubs and I have to track all the way through the house one way or the other when we come in. Get a shaggy throw rug for your bath and make it really 70’s. If you cannot find a shower curtain to match go to the quilt shops an make a patchwork shower curtain out of the greens and oranges that are really popular right now in quilt fabrics. Cannot tell if your shower has a door but if it does just fit a rod over it. I did that in our guest bath. Fluff up what you have! Already left my comment about Andy on the other blog. Have a great 4th! Stay cool! Blessings from Michigan.
Thank you
Thank you….you brought back memories for me…my mom had Alzheimer’s …..I would sit with her in the evenings before I had to put her to bed. It was difficult to find something to watch with her and one night I happened upon Mayberry…I finally found something that sparked an interest in her…..we watched it every night before bed….it was a difficult time in my life, but those times together watching Andy and the gang made it all worthwhile. So, thank you Rebekah. I think I will watch the Andy Griffith show again…it has been awhile.
I love your blog and the Mayberry reflection. My daughter watches those Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke, and Beverly Hillbilly reruns on DVD constantly. I think that Mayberry to Andy was the place he lived the longest, Manteo, NC. He even fought to keep Food Lion out of it to maintain the small-town feel.
Rebekah, I love the little bath. We just bought an old 77 camper and are restoring it, and I have the exact same floor only in yellow and I love it. I just gave everything a fresh coat of off white paint and then a few accessories with daisies and chickens. I would accentuate the green sink and floor. Now for the sad news about Andy. I felt like I had lost my dad again. I love watching Andy and have watched him all my life. I always felt a connection to that show as I was raised by my dad. I am pretty sure I have seen every episode. It was a simpler life, and I watch while eating my lunch each day. Even my dogs know that when the whistling starts we are fixing to have lunch. lol. I am glad you have found your mayberry and that you are learning to take time to sip tea on the front porch, listen to the birds sing, and breathe in that country air. Take care and Be Blessed. Neta
Rebekah, I loved Andy Griffth and actually had tear in my eye reading your post. I was encouraged to learn you read your comments. So many times I think of commenting on a blog post, but always felt that it would not matter, with so many others commenting so I have become a peeper! I did want to tell you I saw an awesome bathroom a while back on the Ralph Lauren website. It was whitewash, with avacado sink and black enamel accents (doorjam, picture frames etc.). I could picture your bathroom as clear as day, as your floor would fit right in. Then you could still accent with orange, pink or yellow flowers etc when seasonal! Have fun in YOUR Mayberry! Hugs.
What a huge loss. I almost feel as sad over the loss of Andy Griffith as I did when we lost my grandfather- and that was SAD. My daughter is a huge Mayberry fan (guess who she got that from!) and at 13, I think that is pretty special. Thanks Andy! We are going to miss you in a big, big way.
we all need a little Mayberry . I love watching it. and your articles make my day too. as for your mud room white paint and leave the green for now till you find the right sink and old washstand would be cool.
I thought at the time how appropriate that you wrote about Mayberry right before Andy died. I loved that show and still do. Glad you are "teaching" your daughter to at least like it! I also loved what you said that your husband helped you to realize, to have a Mayberry frame of mind. I try to do that, I try to make my home to have a Mayberry feel to me, my safe and comfortable place. I now decorate my home with things I enjoy and if it looks weird to someone else well, it just doesn’t matter since I’m the one that lives there! On your half bathroom, I’d just keep it light in there, light colors to go with the avocado color! but just pick up that avocado color with little accents in pictures or a vase of flowers. Have fun with your farm house!
The Andy Griffith Show was a staple in my house when I was growing up and I feel blessed to have lived during those times; time was slower, simpler and people were much more patient. I think the "Mayberry state of mind" is part of what drove me to by the old farm that I did and gave me the courage to take on such a huge project. Andy Griffith will live on in my mind and every evening when I get back to my old farm after the long commute I will sit and listen to that peaceful whistle in my mind. Thanks Andy!
Rebekah, I live across the state line in Va and have been to Mt. Airy numerous times. The local TV station has continously aired Andy Griffith show since it began. Even though we are not big city, life sometimes get fast paced for us and we have to learn to s-l-o-w down and enjoy life.
At work, we were always saying something from the show and understood that beyond the laughs was some good ole wisdom too. Miss all those characters! They will never be duplicated! Yes, I think "Mayberry" is a state of mind and
we all would be better off visiting there every once in awhile. God bless!
Great article, thanks! Bathroom: White pedestal sink, replace shower partition with glass brick and replace shower door with appropriate style curtain, or remove shower altogether and replace with antique buffet outfitted with sink. Avocado goes well with white and dark bronze fixtures. You can accent with blue. Two-tone toilet? Hmmm.. You may have to be creative and hand paint some designs on it to make it work, or spray the whole thing with Dupont Krylon. It will probably hold up at least for a little while until you decide for sure..
what wonderful memories this post brings back.
Everyone likes this blog!Because it so good!