Now that the weather is user-friendly, Michele & I have been anxious to explore new “junk hunting” sites. A ranching friend invited us out to his place to do that very thing and we siezed the opportunity. Hop in the pickup if you want to come along.
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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”.
That was a wonderful trip back to my grandmother’s farm. While I was reading your blog I forgot where I was. I’m sure there are still some treasures on the farm that would have my name on them if I were there. Thank you.
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You’re welcome, Marlene :o) Thank you for the kind comments. That my simple words could take you to another place that you lovingly remember… … well, there is no nicer compliment. shery
What a fun day for you and your junkin buddy! My sister and I go junkin but not in such a large way. My dad has been a small engine mechanic for Case Implement for over 40 years. (Not really sure if it is called Case anymore) He is semi retired at 76 years old. He has built 3 or 4 tractors out of old tractor parts and used to take them to tractor shows. He would have been in heaven if he would have been along with you on your picking day. Have a great weekend Shery!
I don’t know how you do it, but after reading every post, I’m ready to move next door. Kindred spirits I guess. Keep up the good work and fun!
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The kindness of farmgirl comments melts my heart and makes my dayssss. Thank you from my most innermost parts :o) shery
Be still my heart.
So where do I sign up for such an ADVENTURE??? Yes, I would bet that many of us would have been crawling all over the place with you.
My husband and I just went on a small road trip down into southern Idaho and we happened on to an old sign attached to a building that said ‘in and out’. It had been an old motel back in the day and I wondered just how many people had stopped and tried to buy it! It just gave me a large CHUCKLE…American Pickers would have stopped and haggled.
I have to admit that awhile back we cleaned out the back garden area and my husband hauled a nice chunk of old rain gutter to the dump (much to my dismay). Sure enough, we went to a local garden show and there was the cutest garden shed, complete with a nice rain gutter planted full of annuals. NOW, we are the ones looking for sections of old rain gutter to hang on the garden fence top..
Just wanted to let you know that the older that I get, the more I appreciate and crave anything with some history!
Happy junkin’!
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I think you nailed it, Jan. I’ve always like OLD shtuff…but the older I get, the more sentimental I become over things with good memories attached. shery
I would love to have a day like that. I can’t wait to tell my daughter about the old truck flower bed idea, I can see her doing that when she settles down. I wonder if she would want it a Chevy, because that is the only truck to have, or a Ford to prover they are only good for a flower bed?
My little cowgirl turned 21 this week, got her first apartment and will be graduating in a month with a AS in Diesel Mechanic and a second in Welding. She is working on a bus driver license too. Last summer she painted her own 1972 Chevy truck with a spray can (well a number of spray cans). I will have to forward your blog to her.
Thanks for a great shopping trip.
Shery … I couldn’t wait to read today’s blog – the subject "Junkin’" caught my eye! How lucky are you to have access to this wonderful junk, and, better yet, to the stories that go along with each piece. And Don has to feel good about passing it on to someone who he knows will love it as much as he did. The photos are fabulous and it looks like you are going to have lots of fun putting those implements into place and planting just the right stuff in them. I can’t wait to see the finished product. By the way, that clothes dryer is exactly like the one my Mom used when I was growing up! Love it!
When I was a little child we lived not too far from 2 great places to explore and play at…the town dump…and the junk yard my friend parents owned car galore and school buses to play in! Both within walking distance, on a country road! And I want the clothes drying rack!!! LOL! Then end this with aaaaaaawwwwww on newbie calf and puff balls chickies!
Thank you!
Wonderful story and pictures. Looking at those old pictures of the women with the horses, wagons and plows, really made me wonder what their life must have been like. You are so creative. Happy calving.
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Hi Kelly, My grandmother told me what it was like. "The gold old days was mostly a lot of hard work, but I sure miss it." Thanks! shery
I so enjoy your tales and pictures. Look forward to them all. Wish I was closer to go junking with you! Thank you! Ellen
Howdy Shery!
I finally had time to sit still and read through your post uninterrupted…I was right there with you all the way to the " story " about pay’n up! Just like a couple of ole cowboys to string you along. My Texan relatives ( the men mostly ) are all like that… they’ll pull your leg if ya let’m! We had a few Buffs in our first flock and I miss them… they are pretty birds and good layers! I’d have done my share to convince you you needed them too! What are friends for? I remember so many places out west like the one you went junkin at. I loved imagining what those hardworking people felt as they completed their home…Yes, satisfaction beyond measure I suspect. Keep up the good work my dear! Loved it all! xo Deb
Hey Shery,
I luv ‘Junktiquing’,, and plan to get into mischief this coming weekend w/4 of my Trailer Gal~Pals (if it doesn’t rain)… Isn’t it the best feeling to find that 1 thing, that thing you were not looking for, and yet there it is,,, & all you can utter is, "Oh WoW!"
I too have a vintage portable drying rack,,, I hang vintage hankies, doillies & aprons from it.
In my mind I can see farm wives drying baby diapers by the fireplace on these sweet racks.
Happy Trails… & by-the-by, I am having a ‘Trailer Slumber Party’ this weekend on our property… maybe you can talk Michelle into a vintage trailer & then you can have a Slumber Party too! Or come over to Spokane & join us!
Wagons HO! :>)
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Hi GRACE! Loved hearing from you. I so enjoyed the photos you sent some time back. I envy your travels with your galpals. My trailer is ready to go. We’re think the first part of June to break her in. Hope your summer is full of Glampiong fun. shery
Shery, Shery, Shery what a joy it is to visit you – would love to in person some day but until then thanks for the writing, pic’s and the love you have for life.
That’s amazing what fun! I have exactly the same clothes dryer which I bought at a market here in Australia – I put it in front of the fire in winter and it fits so much on. Great find!
Nessa