Now is the time around the United States that folks focus on what they are grateful for – a time to give thanks for who we are, what we’ve been given and those who make our lives worthwhile. Yes, for me, you are all included…
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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”.
We all have so much to be thankful for at this time of year and we all need to remember that. I’m so thankful for my family, for having a home, food to eat and the ability to cope with my daily medical problems. Life is good.
Barbara, I agree. Life IS good. xoxo, Libbie
Happy Thanksgiving to your and yours Libbie!!! YOU know what counts!
Farmgirl hugs,
Deb ( your mjfBeach blogging sister )
Thank you so much, Deb, for the good wishes and the confidence! Much love to you, as well. xoxo, Libbie
A lovely list of "to be thankfor fors".
I have so many things that I can’t list them all, but never-the-less I know what they are and I am so thankful!
Good on you for all of your wonderfulness.
Thank you so very much! Many hugs and much love, xoxo, Libbie
What a wonderful time of the year, to reflect on life and the things and people in our lives that God has blessed us with. I enjoyed reading about your blessings and the many things you have to be Thankful for. I am Thankful for my four children (each one so unique and amazing) and my husband who never seems to stop. I am thankful–grateful to God for sending two special people to my family. Both in the medical field. One my oldest son has to see every three months and the other my family see almost weekly and she has become one of my dearest friends. I am thankful for a friend I never get to see because we live too far apart—-but she knows my heart. The list goes on and on….
Thank you for jumpstarting my thoughts. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
I loved reading your list – it made me think of all of those people that I’m grateful to in the medical field, as well. My oldest son has to see a team of cardiologists regularly and WOW, these people are wonderful. Thank YOU for helping me add them to my gratitude journal… xoxo, Libbie
Happy Thanksgiving, Libbie. I especially thankful for my good health and the wonderful place I have to live, for my husband of over 30 years, my children and their children, for good friends without whom my life would be dull. I’m thankful for my sister and her children and their children. Mostly I’m thankful for my Heavenly Father and His Son.
God Bless you and yours.
Esther, thank you for sharing your "list" with me. Blessings to you, and much love, xoxo, Libbie
Blessings Libbie! I was most touched by your first photo of the gloves and cowboy hats- you are so right! Thanks for the reminder- you are a blessing to me!
The sight of those gloves and hats is a constant reminder of the WHOs in my life that come before the WHATs in my life. Much love, xoxo, Libbie
Libbie: Beautiful post and thank you for sharing. Truly enjoyed the pictures as well. There are so many small and simple things to be grateful for hiding amongst the crack and crevices of our lives. May we be fortune enough to sit quietly and observe for a moment the many blessings we have to be grateful for. And may we do this frequently. You know it has been shown that a grateful heart creates a happier person. Any one working on a badge? This would be the perfect time to start that gratitude journal. Sending you warm wishes and lots of love. Justine
Justine, after reading your lovely words, I’ve started that gratitude journal with my long list. And I’m keeping it going – for the Sisterhood badge AND for myself. Sending those warm wishes and love right back at ya’! xoxo, Libbie
My most thankful thing this year is hopefulness. In spite of all the bad stuff going on around us, I am FULL of Hope. I feel like the world I know is getting back to real. And the best part of my life is just beginning. I love my farmgirl friends, even though I don’t know you, because I know we would find much to bind our hearts.
There is something so very true about hope "springing eternal." Here’s to looking toward a WORLD of possibilities! xoxo, Libbie
Loved your post Libbie! I sure miss you!
Evelyn sure turned out pretty. Doesn’t really look much like Mona at all..isn’t that weird..but they are both such pretty cows. We are lucky farmgirls!
Your boys are growing up so much!
You have a great week.
Love, Jenny
Oh, Jenny – I sure miss you too. How can it be that we live so close and still see each other so very little? We’ll have to change that, huh? It’s way interesting that Evie and Mona look so different – and you’re right – they’re both just darling!!! Much love, xoxo, Libbie
Well said!! Especially the last paragraph…a prayer for everyday all year long. Thank you for providing the words for me to pray it myself :o)
I am honored. Thank YOU. xoxo, Libbie