“A good heart is better than all the heads in the world.” ~ Edward Bulwer Lytton
I really did try to write about something other than “lovey-dovey” (what with Valentine’s Day right around the corner), but the 1965 hit song by Jackie DeShannon was right. It was right back then and acutely true today … “What the world needs now is love … lovesweet love.”
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”.
Love your hearts. Feel so bad for your little terrier. Cut n Heal works wonders for healing wounds like this. A vet used it on one of my horses years ago that had a wide open gash in her chest when she went through a wire fence. In a couple days you couldn’t even hardly tell. I love your blog, makes me dream of younger years.
Shery: What a delightful blog. Your hearts are beautiful. A new horse is fantastic. Almost better than the 50th wedding we have coming March 17. Congratulations on your new pet (I mean that literally). Happy trails. Bonnie
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Thanks Bonnie…and congrats on 50 years of marriage. Young people need to see more of that!! Have fun on your anniversary. That is a BIG milestone that many of us will never reach. shery
Hi Shery, Love your herd of hearts, beautiful!! You are a very talented lady.
Oh, your poor doggie!! What a terrible thing to happen, especially to an older pooch. So glad to hear that she is healing and getting along OK. My corgi is my constant companion. I know that love you are talking about.
Congratulations on your new horse, Apple (love the name). Can’t wait to see pictures. Like you I have a love of horses in my blood and heart. My Dad told me that soon after I had learned to walk, I went right up to the horses at a place called Joyland, wasn’t afraid at all, and wanted to ride them over and over. After almost 40 years, I now have two horses! Yeah!! 🙂
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Yep, Jan…I know your ‘affliction’ well and we don’t want the cure !! :o)
shery
Lots of good thoughts and memories here. I enjoyed your words and related to the memories of when you were a little girl and Valentines. I enjoyed hearing about your new horse and your sweet little dog…hope she is doing better. The Valentine hearts that you made are beautiful and inspiring. Thanks for being open and friendly, sharing your thoughts and heart. Have a cozy Valentine’s Day!
Right back at you Waynetta. Thank you for your kind comments. You made my heart smile … and then it worked its way out to my face ;o) shery
Shery,
Again this was a wonderful post. I always look forward to them. BTW thanks for the songs and poems.
Happy Valentines Day to You!!
I hope your dog Dotty has a speedy recovery!!! She looks like a true trooper in the picture. I guess even old dear Deer have their days!
Your writing validates the lifestyle of so many of us, thank you. I’m going to go look at my scraps and hang a homemade heart on all the horses stalls. I sure hope that good little terrier heals up. Older dogs are so wise and kind; they are to be cherished.
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Dear Liz, What a thoughtful response…….thank you so very much.
shery
Thank you for the early Valentine! The hearts are very nice. I never got handy with a needle and thread, but like the end product.
Hope, your little terrier heals up as good as new. The cut looks painful, but she has trust in her eyes. So, let’s hope she will be 100% soon.
I too was a girl who grew up and stayed mad for horses. I have had a horse since the day I was born (that was a few years back!) and still have 28 head of them. My old war horse is 26 this year and slowing down a bit, but still as beautiful as the day he was born.
Treese/Colorado Cowgirl
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Well, Treese, you’re a girl who has chores! I know what having that many horses requires!! 20+ head of horses is a 4 letter word: WORK. :o) Buuut, when you love something, it is love-work. Thank you EVERYONE on Dotty’s behalf for the well-wishes! shery
I am so happy your dog is doing OK! I love your posts and always pick them from all the sisters to read first and all of it!
Smiles, Cyndi
such fun reading. It reminded me that it has been way too long since I have done Valentines. With 6 kids there were a lot of them. Glad to hear they are still doing it somewhere. Happy Trails to you and yours!!!
Shery, Thanks once again for being such a gift! Your writing is amazing and always touches my heart. I am so glad to know little Dotty is ok- Vetericyn is an amazing product and she will be healed in no time!
A few years back our Jack Russell (Buzz) took an very unusual trip to the neighbors and found their Doberman very unhappy at his presence. Buzz had never, in 14 years, left home, and how he got back is a mystery- his front end and back end were only attached by his spinal cord. 600 stitches and one very talented vet later, he was back in one piece and lived another two years to a ripe old 16. SO I am sure Dotty will be fine! I know how heart wrenching an experience like that is, and how worrisome. Love is a wonderful thing! I love your herd of hearts and plan to try a few myself- thanks for the inspiration! Happy Valentines Day!
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HoleyMoley, 600 stitches on a little dog?! Sounds like he was held together by thread. WOW. Jack Russells are as tough as Blue Heelers. shery
Shery, Thanks once again for being such a gift! Your writing is amazing and always touches my heart. I am so glad to know little Dotty is ok- Vetericyn is an amazing product and she will be healed in no time!
A few years back our Jack Russell (Buzz) took an very unusual trip to the neighbors and found their Doberman very unhappy at his presence. Buzz had never, in 14 years, left home, and how he got back is a mystery- his front end and back end were only attached by his spinal cord. 600 stitches and one very talented vet later, he was back in one piece and lived another two years to a ripe old 16. SO I am sure Dotty will be fine! I know how heart wrenching an experience like that is, and how worrisome. Love is a wonderful thing! I love your herd of hearts and plan to try a few myself- thanks for the inspiration! Happy Valentines Day!
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HoleyMoley, 600 stitches on a little dog?! Sounds like he was held together by thread. WOW. Jack Russells are as tough as Blue Heelers. shery
I love all the projects in maryJane’s Cluck. It helps fill the void in between the issues I receive in the mail 🙂 🙂 🙂 The heart project is really cute. You can make them all so different, and they’ll all turn out lovely 🙂 🙂 I’m farmgirl sisterhood member #2176 🙂 🙂
Oh, that Jack Johnson song is really sweet 🙂 Thanks for sharing 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
Sending healing vibes to your lil Dotty!
Thank you SO much for this writting – it is exactly what I need. I was diagnosed with breast cancer & getting ready for treatments; trying to get out of myself & use the experience as a tool to be more giving; recently started making cards to send for those ‘in need’. Your blog is quite an inspiration! love ya girl, jonna from tn.
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Oh Jonna, you have some challenges ahead. I pray that when you’re on the other side of all of it that you’ll have accumulated many POSitive experiences via caring hearts like your own. Best wishes to you for complete healing and all the strength necessary for the journey ahead. Thank YOU for writing. shery
This post tugged on my heart strings, your writing is just wonderful! I too have always been passionate about horses and loved being around them, until I was thrown off one at the age of 9 and broke my wrist and cracked ribs, after that I was terrified to ride….until 3 years ago when my wonderful Man, helped me to get back on….I cried the whole time as he led me around the yard….trying not to laugh…When we returned to the corral he told me how proud he was of me and then I told him I didn’t think I could get down, I was still shaking pretty bad, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful Diamond engagement ring and said "Will this help?" I laughed and cried and jumped down to hug him!! Since then we have taken many rides and I am slowly getting over my fears, this past summer I even took by beautiful boy BUCK out into the pasture to help my hubby check the cows!! My son, who has just turned 6, is already starting that stage of being "to cool" for Valentines, so I reminded him that even if he puts a smile on 1 persons face, it will be worth all the work we put in….since then we have finished the paper Valentines, made cupcakes and cinnamon sented playdough for his Kindergarten class!! Happy Valentine’s Day, and I sure hope your Pooch gets better quick! 🙂
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WOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!! WHAT a proposal story!! So romantic and so emotional all the way around. How could he wait through all of that and not let on what he was up to?? :o) AMAZING. SO happy for you that you got over your fear…AND…lived happily ever after. Now that’s a valentine story. Shery
Hi Shery. I have read your blog for some time now and today I thank you for such wonderful, loving, and comforting words. Yesterday, my family laid my dearly loved father-in-law to rest and ushered him into the heavenlies. It was most difficult for me to watch my five twenty-something grown children grieve their beloved "Pa.." Today is the first day in the past six weeks since his sudden stroke that I have taken to sit and reflect. Thanks again from one farmgirl to another.
Dear Terri, My condolences to your family. I know it is a comfort that a loved one suffers no more and resides now in a wonderful place, but they do leave a gaping hole. That is real love. Other lost things leave no hole. Your kids are lucky to have had someone who left them with such a hole and a lot of memories of their Grandpa to fill it :o) I think that is their last gift to us. Love to you. Shery
Oh, Sherry, I always love your blog posts. I am sure hoping yo ==ur little pooch heals fast. I am not a horse girl but I still think we might be sisters from another mother, I so identify with so many of the things that you write about.
I do have a Problem, though. I have discovered that I am somewhat of a rebel when it comes to deadlines. For instance, I didn’t get hardly a thing made for Valentines Day But this week I am making hearts like crazy. Paper hearts, cards, fabric hearts, etc. I think there is something seroiusly wrong with me. All I can say is I’ll be ahead of the curve for next Valentine’s