Images can help tell a story. Pictures can add meaning and impart a deeper understanding. What we see with our eyes and read with our eyes join together and, in my opinion, turn an otherwise good read into a great read. Imagery stirs emotions, pricks our memory and takes us back to places we’ve been or transports us to places we will never see for ourselves. Words are busy, pictures are quiet. Together, they’re a great team.
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”.
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING…thank you so much for sharing your fabulous photos and the wonderful sayings!!!
Now this brought a tear to my eye, a chuckle to my day, and an appreciation of your beautiful contribution!
Great job, Shery.
Mom looks just as beautiful as i remember!
As always, your words and photos are priceless works of art.
Thank you Shery!
When I see your blog in my email, I always get my cup of coffee and sit back to enjoy a great adventure,
Marcie
Thanks so very much for sharing your photos and wonderful sayings with us Sherry! I ALWAYS love to see your photographs in every blog post you do!
You have a beautiful life with your ranch and horses, girlfriends are the icing on your cake and sharing with us is magical for us!
You always have a follower in me and thanks for sharing with permission your photos and sayings added.
I are adore them all! The china plate and needlework with frame are fascinating. I may add them to my blog side if you do not mind. But, all are fabulous!
Smiles, Cyndi
PERFECT Shery! I’m gonna stay quiet and enjoy your lovely images for a while longer…THANK YOU!
Deb ( your beachy farmgirl sister from the east )
Cultivating Mirth…Thank you for sharing your Peace with me.
Thank you for reminding me once again to look for the loveliness in everything. It’s a comfort just knowing you are out there doing this – and then sharing it with us.
Hi Shery!
Love the photo with Grandma Moses quote and the picket fence lovely. Well I love them all but those are my favs. Thanks for sharing your lovely pictures. I know it must have taken quite a while to pick out just the right ones to put words to. So thank you for your time also.
THANK YOU!!!!!!
As always, Thank you for bringing light to our eyes.
hugz
>^..^<
Thank you for the beautiful photos!
I always enjoy your posts.
Blessings
Lynn
Just beautiful Shery! You remind me to live in the moment! I always save your blog post for a quiet time with a hot cup of coffee – yours is always thought provoking and motivating! My camera is going out with me today – we are starting the halter breaking process with two of our heifers. Thank you for reminding me of the beauty everywhere!
Beautiful pictures and beautiful words….:)
Oh Shery… once again… you are amazing and such an inspiration…
Fabulous pictures! And the quotes to go along with are excellent.
beautiful and relaxing just what I needed at the end of this busy day. thank you I always enjoying reading what you write or show us.
The photo and words about your mom took my breath away, brought tears to my eyes, and made me think of my mother in a new way. Thank you!
Beautiful pictures and meaningful words….you’ve inspired me to embrace all the beauty around me in ways I’ve never thought could be possible…..thank you. Mel
I loved your Blog and am so glad our friend, Mel, sent me here! Your photos are amazing and beautiful as well as your stories you share. I hope you will come follow me on all my blogs. Have a blessed day, I’ll be back!
Such beautiful photographs and sentiments…Thank you,
I will accept these photos and quotes as part of my Birthday presents…you never knew…but now you do.
I loved each one…
Thank You!
I am brand new to "Mary Janes Farm Girls" but must say what I have seen I have enjoyed. I live in northern BC Canada and enjoy living in ranch land country like you. I am not allowed to ride anymore because of a car accident and a broken neck etc. I did so enjoy your photos and sayings. I do enjoy taking pictures of animals, and God’s great out doors. My newest pleasure are our two grandchildren four and almost six. Please keep up the great blog.