50 is awesome and you’ll enjoy every minute. Just be sure to reflect every day on the joys you have and those to come.

Will do Adrienne! I make it a regular habit! Thanks for reading.

Deb

Alright girls! I am past 50…past 60 too. First, those are not hot flashes but power surges. It’s all how you look at it….don’t let the past get away and of course, think about the future. But it’s one day at a time no matter how we look at it. My husband and I have been through car accidents, heart attacks and cancer, and it’s still a great day ahead. As women, we may not look as we did 40 years ago, but we have a lot to offer the world. We also have places to go, things to do and people to meet.

Jane

Whoohoo! I’m with ya sister! Thanks for reading…

Deb

I can only dream of a chair on the beach – instead of looking at my hot patio chair from inside! But I can tell you that 50 and empty nest were fabulous. I just think of it as the next step in my journey. My sweetheart of 35 years and I are happy as ever.

Cynthia, Thank you for sharing your many blessings and thanks for reading too!

Deb

I can really relate…I will have the fifth grandchild by the end of the week plus I teach 4 yr. old Preschool. That’s 20 children in all. Most of the students are chilren of prior students. Talk about standing in awe and wonder, as well as shock, sometimes!!
I am now looking ahead to the next phase of my life…maybe Florida sunshine. Does anyone have any suggestions as to the greatest place there??

Linda

Gosh Linda, I don’t know much about Florida… but heading towards more sunshine sounds like a good plan! It’s good for the soul! Thanks so much for reading! Deb

Love the photo of you and your book! You made me stop and think at each little scenic stop on the tour. I was glad to hear that my beachy farmgirl pal fared ok in the storm!

Thanks for the note Shery! Sweet of you to check in on me! xo

Love your poem "Wonder"!

Wonderful article. My kids are well past school age, but I think this is such a wonderful option for some lucky children and I applaud you for taking that "leap" and following your heart!

This homeschooling mom loved this:) I have two adult children (26 and 23) and an 8 year old that I am loving starting all over with. Like you said and I say all of the time…."It isn’t for everyone but it sure works for our family." That’s my answer that over the years seems to work best to any questions. Whether one agrees or disagrees with homeschooling, they seem to get that answer. I wouldn’t trade a second of the time I have been blessed with my children learning at home, even the grumpy ones:) I so enjoy your blog………..Raynita

GREAT post Deb! Thanks for reminding me why this farmgirl is homeschooling her daughter! We are embarking on our second year. Last year was full of fun, trials, learning,and some days doing absolutely nothing- necessary when the 12 year old hormones are trying to be in charge….
There is nothing better for a child, or a family, than homeschooling- thanks again for pointing this out!

I loved homeschooling my girls. I didn’t start till our girls were in the 8th and 6th grade. My youngest was 4 at the time, and learned to read early because of homeschooling. We took many, many nature walks, and crafted lots of projects from twigs, moss, seed pods, leaf skeletons…

Yes, there definitely are tough spots, but on the whole it was wonderful!

Hello,
I am in the planning stages for my 21st year of home education, and the senior year for my youngest child. We have all been blessed by this approach and my children all voice appreciation for learning at home. I have learned to know my children.
To all those who are new to the idea, please step forward and try it. The road has bumps, but your family will win in the long run.
BTW, no beach sand here in South Dakota, but lots of blue sky and room for gardens.

Hi Deb,
Your post was really inspiring and reminds me why we homeschool. I do sometimes forget! 😉 I really enjoyed your art and nature experiences and attitude. My kids both went to a Waldorf School and we too now follow a more Charlotte Mason, unschooling, Classical approach. We’ve cut way back on our outside classes this year just so we can be at home!! Thanks for the inspiration—this may not be your "back to school" post but it’s kinda working that way for me.

I loved the article. I have been trying to get my husband to agree to homeschooling since my daughter started school. She is now in second grade, my son starts kindergarten this year, and I will have one at home. My husband is still very much against homeschooling though I would love to give it a try. I think thats great that you were able to and have enjoyed it too.Thanks so much for sharing its a great inspiration.

To build your boxes – What kind of wood did you use? I am under the impression it cannot be wood from the local lumber yard.

Debby, I’m not exactly sure what type of wood they used in the Children’s garden. It might say on their website. I do know that many folks use Cedar and even Red Wood not pressure treated wood to avoid toxin’s getting into the garden soil. I purchased Cedar planks from our local Home Depot and they cut them to length for me there.

Thanks for reading,

Deb

*OH NO!!* Something has happened!! Everytime I try to go to your OTHER website, your "Dandelion" one, a different website about ‘moving to Hawaii’ comes up!! Have you moved your website address or something?

Joy, you can still find me at Dandelion house here: http://www.deborahjeansdandelionhouse.blogspot.com

Thank you for the compliments Janice! We use woodchips from the town which are a blend of pine and oak. The town makes them as they tend to wooded areas in Barnstable that require trimming. The children’s art was done on left over lumber pieces after we made the raised beds. Love the auction idea!

Hi Deb,
Sounds like you had a good time and it was a great place to visit. I have a question about the recipe…the cider vinegar…is that 1 cup or 1/??

Jane

It’s 1/2 Jane! Thank you… Happy Jammin’!

Deb

Thank you so much for your chutney idea! Lots of rhubarb these days and my waist doesn’t need anymore desserts…I can remember our chicken run used to have volunteer hollyhocks in all colors. Seems to me that in those days, they seemed to grow just about everywhere. I am babying along a new plant and so far is only about eight inches tall. The jury is out on whether it will bloom this year.
Love, love, LOVE your chickens….
Any tips on where to find a sink like yours? I am looking for one to place out by my garden area so that I can use it to rinse off veggies before I bring them into the house. So cute and decorative!
Have a wonderful summer…

Hi Janice,

You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed the post. Do you have a local architectual salvage place you can visit? They are known for vintage sinks of all sorts.  My husband " found " ours somewhere in his travels. Flea market’s might be a good source too and maybe even Craigs list! Good luck! Oh, to have a sink with running water in the garden would be garden heaven!  Keep nursing along your hollyhock!

Thanks for reading! Deb

The whole darn article was delicious! Great info…and LOOK at that kitchen!! How fun to have new farmgirl friends. I know just what it feels like to meet kindred spirits…GRRRrrreat. I sure like your new logo mascot too. So elegant in the surf :o)
Is the vivid red flower a kind of Bee Balm??? Our wild version is lavender. LOVE the red.

Awe… Thanks Shery!  THAT KITCHEN IS amazing…It’s nothing fancy but has it got soul!!! MMM MMM.

The red flower is Bee Balm ( Jacobs Climb ) It’s wonderful, no mildew and grows the tallest of all types of Monarda. So nice to have you visit! 🙂 Made my day!

Deb

well, i am out here in california….but just yesterday i told my husband….we are having a NEW ENGLAND 4th of July…complete with a clambake….

i loved seeing all this..

happy 4th of July

kary

Here in Minnesota,I love to attend the hometown parades in little towns. We go to one every year and also watch some very spectacular fire works. I also decorate inside my house for the Holiday. I too, thank the men and women who serve our country. Just like farmgirls, they "Git ‘er done". A very big thanks! Bonnie

I love the 4th. It was Dale’s and my anniversary. Though with kids, we would celebrate the 4th with them, then take off for a get away. We would celebrate the day with friends with an old fashion picnic/bbq on their farm. Games for the kids, turkey shoot, homemade ice cream, and fireworks at night. A great time. To far away to join them now, so time to start a new tradition.

My church, which is in a different town, has a free ice cream social for participants and fans of the kids bicycle parade in the morning. They have been doing this for more than 20 years. The town I live in has a monster parade on Main Street in the afternoon, and a cool fire works show over the lake in the evening.
I unfortunately have limited energy, and have never once been able to do it all.

most of our 4th’s are spent with a family get together. This year will be the same with food, games, fishing and what ever else there is to do weather permitting. Family is very important to me and after this year being so hard on all of one reason or another I hope that we can remember how lucky we are to live in America . I am afraid that things are going to be different for the United States in the future and we need to remember the ones that have served our country.So say a pray for the United States this fourth of July and the people that lives here to hang on to what it means to say I LIVE IN AMERICAN AND AM PROUD OF IT.

Hurrah Brenda!

Deb

Hi there… Just read your blog and love the story and pics from your July 4th! We have similar traditions… A main street parade and fireworks at the beach, and the celebration really does bring everyone together in Wesport, CT. Beautiful blog… A girl after my own heart. Here’s to all the backyard farm girls!

Cheers!

Elizabeth

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I miss the chapter I was with in OR. My move here has yet to produce a chapter. I so long for the kinship of farmgirls. Once I get into the routine of a new job, I am going to try to muster up some girls so we can have jam parties and eat organic bean dip!

Julia,It might take time, but it’ll happen for sure! HE will send you some farmgirl friends! I just know it! Thanks for reading 🙂 ~ Deb

I am like Julia, no Farmgirl Chapter here in the new area I moved too either. Pretty sure I am not the one to get it started but oh my Deb you sure make it sound like fun – it’s the commitment that has me concerned but I will pray about it and see what happens. Maybe Ms. Julia is in my area – wouldn’t that be funny.
Thanks for the great time had here on your blog.

Joan,   you never know where you’ll bump into a farmgirl at heart! Keep your eyes open! Thanks for reading, Deb

I just love your ideas about creating a Farm Girl group. May I copy some of your ideas in starting a group of my own?

Absolutley! Have fun and thanks for reading~ Deb

Hey Debbie, Thank you for reminding me how much fun the farmgirl chapters can be. My group went on different paths, because of work and family stuff. can’t wait to get my chapter back together "The Rogue River Chicks".
I really enjoy reading your site.
Have a wonderfully blessed day.

Thanks for reading JoAnn! Hope you and your flock can find time to re-unite!

Deb

I read your blog regularly, but just HAD to comment when I saw your mother’s name…JOY…because it’s MY name, too! 😀 I love your blogs and love the inspiration you share! 🙂
I’m not a farmgirl sister, but I LOVE EVERYTHING MaryJane!! Keep doing what you’re doing 🙂
Joy, Kentucky

 Joy, Thank you for your encouraging words and a big thanks for reading too! I LOVE the name Joy!

Deb

I like the sea side roses, I’ve planted many here in GA. God Bless our soldiers who have gone before us and those who fight for our freedom everyday. Thank you

My flag hangs year round.

I’ll celebrate my Birthday…with family and friends.

Just finished pruning the roses in Napa, CA and came in to find your wonderful post! So glad you are enjoying some beautiful flowers and the wonderful scents that go with them! I’ll be thinking of you all this weekend enjoying life by the sea. We are heading to Nevada to spend time with family and friends.

xox,
Teri

Debbie: Your beach is wonderful! I love New England. I have been there and seen the flags. Wonderful blog….Let us remember the brave so we could be free. God bless, Bonnie

Those are lovely, lovely flowers and even lovlier sentiments. I’m so glad I’m not the only misty-eyed one out here!

Hi Beach Farm Girl,

I love your pics and yes, I too get misty eyed when I hear the Star Spangled Banner. I do wish more people would stand at attention with their right hand over their heart when we are playing our National Anthem at events, don’t you?

Cindy Bee

Oh, sitting here drinking my Green Mountain Blueberry Coffee and reading your blog….I’m there. We live 1 hour from the ocean….after the mountains, the ocean is my favorite place to be. While reading this, I was smelling those roses, feeling the sand on my feet, and those beautiful waves, and yes I’m so proud to be an American. My father, almost 94, served and was wounded in WWII,raised us to be patriotic…that flag is flying high and proud!!

God bless  the USA!

Hi Deb,

I cannot access your Dandilion Blog…no matter where I look for it..the page changes over to moving to Maui…and blog not found for yours..what’s up? I’m glad I remembered your a Beach Farm Girl, and looked you up that way…I blogged about not being able to locate you too, hoping somebody else may contact you until I found a way…thought you may want to know…

Faith

Your cottage is a castle! Reading your post made me remember "living" at the beach every summer. As many days as possible I was at the beach with my Uncle Tom. We were so lucky he was retired and a beach addict also! My favorite memory is the dinner picnics we would have would friends and family. Dad was a farmer so he only could go to the beach in the evening. It was wonderful growing up on eastern Long Island in the 50’s and 60’s! Thanks for bringing back great memories!

OOOOOO! I so need a few days in such a place! My soul longs for sun and surf! You have a gem of cottage!

I can smell the salt air and feel breeze off the ocean! I grew up in NW Pennsylvania near Lake Erie and have always enjoyed being near large bodies of water. Between my junior and senior years of high school my mother treated me to a trip to relatives in Rhode Island. I spent a most wonderful week on the Narraganset Bay experiencing the rising and ebbing flow of the tide, digging for clams with my toes because I didn’t have a rake and getting that toe pinched by the clam! Thank you reviving those wonderful memories!

I grew up on the Northwest coast in WA and now I am land bound to Mn. Though we have plenty of lakes and a great big one up north I am still homesick for the ocean. My family would also summer in Oceanshores, WA. As a kid I got to learn about surfing and clamming.:) I also noticed the you use a percolater for your coffee. My husband and I discovered the use of a french press and I can actually make really good coffee. Please take care and have a beautiful summer.

Oh this was a lovely post. I felt like I was right there and oh to walk on the beach.

The Beston excerpt reads like a psalm. Thank you for sharing your lovely cottage with us. The closest I’ve come to a cottage on the sea is visiting a friend’s camp in Maine, or staying at a funky hotel on the Gulf coast, or camping out in Ocean Shores, WA. My life is enhanced knowing that you and other good people actually are living one of my dreams. Maybe someday…but, I would need a pasture for my horses.

Oh, this is the cutest place~I can see spending several months a year there! I love the outdoor shower and your solar system. I also love the oar table and all!
Enjoy your Summer there!
Sherry from Western Mass.

Oh Debbie, you transported me! I loved every one of your photos! How I would love to walk in that charming back door and give you a hug. Your cottage is a dream, love everything you’ve done. How much you enjoy it, obvious in every way. The sailboat valances are too fun. I thought of you the other day, No Really, I was at an estate sale and there were a couple of vintage 50s water skiis. They would be such a fun decorative touch for cottage by the water. Good job on this blog entry. Thus far, this is my favorite! shery

This was a little mini-vacation for me. I work in education and though it’s summer vacation time, I am finishing the last week of summer school. I will be heading to the beach as soon as I can! Thank you for the reminder of how lovely life can be by the sea~

Vickie

Loved your cozy beach house. Brings me way back to when I was growing up outside of Boston and going to the Cape.
Thank-you for sharing. It has much Soul.

I wish I was there!!!

Love your photos! Please, please do your beach cottage next. Some of us are living vicariously through you!

Oh, I’m SOOOOOOO jealous! I love to walk the beach, get sand between my toes and under my toenails and feel the surf on my legs!! I AM a Colorado Rocky Mountains girl, but I do love walking the beach. Your photo reminds me of one I took in September of the feet of my daughter and me on the Santa Barbara beach (you can see it on my "From a Celtic Heart" blogspot). Our toenails aren’t are pretty in pink as yours. Thanks for sharing!!!

Hi Farmgirl . Good to see you folks on the beach again. I have to admit its the first time I have seen the Bos without the two white cheeks facing the lens. I’m not sure you can quote Thoreau to a Nevada teamroper(heeler). Did he write when Tony Hillerman wrote? We love you and your beach.

I live in Michigan which as you know is almost completely surrounded by water except for that southern state line that will take you to Indiana where I grew up and there is very little lake areas. My favorite day out in the summer includes a walk on the beach. I crave it but do not get to go as often since my daughters have all grown and started families of their own. My hubs is a home body and it is hard to drag him from our wooded acreage. Funny thing is I never learned to swim growing up on Indiana farmland. But to walk the beach is heaven. And to sit and watch the sun set on the beach is even better. Add a glass of wine…

Newly married, first trip to the Oregon Coast…fresh crab legs, chosen squirming, hot brine baked, pliers to ‘catch’ the meat, sunny, chilly, wearing coat, alittle spirits to wash down, and then…..time to tip the toes into the Pacific…oh my, so cold I leaked alittle!!!! Wonderful memory for a new bride…don’t you think? Lots of Laughter that day…..

Love your toes in the sand picture. I have my favorite "toes in the sand picture" too. Last year I was down for all the gray and rain of winter in te Northwest, unemployed, my son was unemployed and my daughter had moved out of state looking for work. For Mother’s Day my husband took me to Oahu for a few days so I could walk on the beach, soak up the sun, and of course walk barefoot in the sand.

As I sit here – with a forecast of 3-4 days of cold,wet,white stuff – I am wondering is there really a BEACH out there? but then I shook my head and cleared the cobwebs of YEARS gone by when I 1st saw, smelled, felt an ocean – oh thank you Debbie for helping my memories come to the forefront and am going to get into the foot bath with all your great ideas – then maybe the dull, white days won’t seem so bad. Thanks for letting me live vicariously through you.

Hi Deb, LOVE the photo of you and your Corgi walking on the beach! I can feel the sand between my toes! Yeppers, soon it will be time for painted tootsies for sandal weather. We’re not there yet here in WYO. My computer is dead, have a new one ordered. So, I’ve been down for a spell. Talk more soon. Hope you have some hyacinths to enjoy. Shery J

Wonderful article! It had me pining for warm weather and the Beach all at the same time 🙂 It’s been such iffy weather this year on our coast that everything is still in my greenhouse. My hubby says we should be able to plant our garden this week though, so I’m just bursting…can’t wait to get "my fingernails dirty" as he likes to say!

hi there, I’m on the beach,(well close), on the other side of the country, in Oregon…we get LOTS of rain. Understatement, by the way…a cynical bit…:) I enjoyed your sink…almost like a bird bath drained and turned into a dude ranch for critters…pretty too…:) I love working with ‘found’ objects and making them new again…purposeful in a whole new way…I’m thinking of a project that helps older folks clean up and maintain their properties with what they already have..only more so…everyone has treasures..not everyone can figure out how to enjoy them…

…can we have some of those stories?

I love the sink garden idea! I also love that you were able to move to a place that you love. My husband and I live in central Wisconsin but honeymooned in Boston, Salem, Nantucket Island, and Cape Cod mass. We LOVED it there and always talk about moving to that area but are both held back by fears. We have a 5 month old boy and can’t imagine seperating him from the rest of our family or any future babies for that matter. We will vacation to the east coast again for sure. I love you magazine/website and blogs but can you include creative ideas for gardening for apartment living? We have no yard, just a balcony and I love gardening. Thank you for your time and creativity!

Great post! Loved the garden sink and need to get that binder started! I have lots of pages torn from magazines and more magazines unread – need to get going on all that. As a transplanted Oregonian (to NE Alabama) I’m beginning to miss beach days – your last picture tells me I need to start visiting the Gulf, at the very least. Thanks for all the inspiration.

I love these articles, My also a farmgal in southern il. I live in a horse barn we restored a few yrs. ago I love it. I raise boer goats have 31, 2 horses 1 pony 2 dogs on 26 acres. keep the great articles coming

What a splendid idea! I keep a journal of sorts for my gardening/orcharding – results, etc. – but did not think about using it to plan ahead. Thanks. And those are lovely plantings.

Oh my! I have afriend who would love your blog. I want to start a gardening journal too. You have inspired me…keep up the good work~

I’m with you, girl! I’m happiest and most at peace when my hands are either digging in my garden dirt or the beach sand at Cape May, NJ where we vacation every year.
I’ve kept my own Garden Dreams Journals for many years now. It’s such a pleasure to delve back into them during our deep and long western Pa winters to relive and learn from the gardens of past years while I eagerly plan for the gardens to come.

I love the eclectic and quirky and your sink garden really tickled my imagination. Looking forward to see what you come up with in your next post.

Beach Farm Girl, Thank you for using the vintage photo of the tired farmgirl. I had trouble with my garden last year because of all our rain, and it has left me discouraged for this year. But I looked at the post and read what you wrote and I say I would rather be tired and discouraged from gardening than not to garden at all. Thanks for the inspiration!

Interesting site, keep up the good work, my colleagues would love this. I read not a few blogs every day, and for the most part people lack substance, but not in this case. I just wanted to make a short comment to say I’m glad I found your blog, I’m gonna bookmark the bfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org web site. Thanks