The last few weeks it seems everyone I know has been buzzing about their New Year’s resolutions. I’ve even seen celebrities on television and in magazines pledging to stick to their New Year’s resolutions. Let me be honest and straight with you: I don’t like New Year’s resolutions. This year I have a better idea…
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”.
Glad to hear you got outside and spent time with your daughter.
What an excellent idea! I am starting with yesterday. "Made a great pan of lasagne" and "found 7 eggs in the coop". I bet I can find one great, good or less bad thing about each day to jot into my calendar. Thanks! My new years resolution was to put more beauty around me. I dolled up around my computer area with doilies, candles, smooth stones and pictures of quilts I want to make someday stuck on the wall. Next I am going to paint the inside of my kitchen drawers green!
Nicole-
SO well said. 2010 was not a "good" year for me…I lost my beloved grandfather at the age of 98 and 1/2 to cancer in January and my beloved Dad to cancer in August. In the midst of that we had to put our sweetheart of a dog to sleep after 11 years in May. Needless to say I was happy to say goodbye to 2010. All of the tragedy- taught me an invaluable lesson…to stop running around and just "be". I have learned to enjoy everyday or at least something about everyday. I have let go of many things that were taking time away from my family and now enjoy quiet nights at home with them. I’m lovin it and look forward to just taking the time to enjoy the little things in life! That is my "resolution" this year!
Thanks for sharing your great blogs with us all. MaryJanesFarm has enriched my life so much, and I have met so many wonderful sisters.
Thank you and Congratulations to you!
Farmgirl Smiles,
Laurie
Laurie, so sad to hear about your losses. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. Farmgirl Hugs,
– Nicole
I share your thoughts and feelings. Words like slowing down and simplify are high on my list. I have recently discovered that by not having the television on in the evenings has allowed me to feel more relaxed and yet I seem to be accomplishing more. It has really been a shock. I’m finding that I would rather have memories of experiencing life and the joy that comes with it, than trying to remember which show I watched that looked like something I would enjoy. Television is great, but I think by breaking my dependence on some of the conveniences, I will feel more happy and satisfied.
Lol….I totally agree with you! In fact, that *was* my New Year’s rezzie! 😉
I stopped making New Year’s resolutions some years back. I make lists of things to do all the time because I misplace the previous list. (Maybe sub-consciously on purpose – you think?) :o) I like your idea of celebrating accomplishments, maybe write them on the calendar. I think I will implement this w/my grandchildren. Maybe it will be an encouragement to them and we can all use encouragement! :o) Thank you! Rhonda – Prosser, WA
Great idea about putting our accomplishments right on our calendar, Rhonda!
-Nicole
I can relate with what you have said about the sabatoge of resolving to lose weight at the beginning of the year, only to find you have gained at the end. The PROCESS of taking better care of yourself is a much better way of tackling the issue and probably accomplishing the same goal without stressing about time constraints. I find it difficult to give up sugar and baked goods. But by making them myself instead of buying off the shelf, I know I’m making healthier choices in the ingredients I use. I might find it difficult to give up candy, but I choose dark chocolate over one heavily laden with high fructose corn syrup. I might find it difficult to drag myself out of bed early and brave the chill of winter air for that morning walk, but I might flick on demand exercise and get my cardio in front of the TV or time myself vacuuming the floor.
I’ve been making doctor and dental appointments that I’ve been putting off.
I’ve been forced to slow down when I was laid off last year, something that was needed but I wasn’t initially admitting that to myself. Now I’m honoring the fact I have the time to do all those things I had set aside that give me a sense of accomplishment, joy and satisfaction. Hey, I might even finish that crochetted tablecloth, de-clutter the corners, closets, studio and garage and claim back living space (things that I began to do last year.)
Now my husband is wishing he could "retire" too, and who knows? I may become that country girl I’ve always pictured myself being, since we’re considering a move to "Mayberry", Kansas! Looking toward the possibility of moving after 32 years of accumulation may necessitate setting aside my goal to begin painting again, but it has given me the incentive I needed to get serious about letting go of those things that no longer serve us and re-claiming living space and a sense of serenity. Looking forward to the next chapter of a slower-paced environment sure appeals to us right now…here’s to 2011!
This year, I purposely did NOT make any resolutions. I made a priority list, and they are all things that will improve my life. As I integrate them into my life, I go to the next priority. While I do this, I am clearing, giving away things, repurposing things that have been hidden under the clutter :).
Heike
FarmChick #2245
It’s so funny! Here I am sitting in front of my computer (I give myself an hour of Web…kind of a little reward during my working day, since I’m home alone!), and about to comment…And there it is! All I wish to share…Farm Chick #2245 (Heike!), just did it before I could! What’s more funny is that ‘girls will be girls’! I’m from Canada and my spiritual twin came from the USA! Like her, I decide this year will be different! No more sens of failure…I’m always telling peoples how positive I am…So no more ‘obligations’…As I grow older, I try to let go things that doesn’t make me happy… I use to be a big shopper… But, as I’m trying to regain a light home, and try to give up stuff that I never use, WHY buy new useless things… Well, I think I’m on the right way… Not totally cured, but it’s not as hard to say NO to myself…What I now do when I received my SEARS Catalog; I make a ‘wish list’ with all I would buy if I win the lotto…And than, I just put it into the fire…Sound stupid…But it helps me a lot! So I leave you on that!
I have been really enjoying your posts and look forward each week. This one just really hit the nail on the head for me(especially the chocolate in the stocking)! I don’t know if it is the fact I turned 40 this year or if with age I am slowly the wiser, but slowing down, taking it all in, finding joy in the smallest of things and being proud of what I can do or get done have become the staple of my sanity in this fast paced world. That being said, my New Years resolution was to not make anymore, ever! I feel so liberated! As I and my family have pretty much given up TV over the last year, I do not have the weight watchers, 24hr fitness, or home depot commercials haunting me. As each year passes, the next goes by faster than the one before. I am in the snow globe of life and just when it slows down and starts to settle, there is always someone or something ready to shake it up! I’ve just decided to slow down and go for the ride and make the most of the little things along the way!
Oh, and I almost forgot, My 4yr old wrote his entire name on his own and brought it to me for a present! I home school so that was a big accomplishment for the both of us!!
Jennifer, how sweet a present was that! Enjoy every minute with your little one, it sure goes by fast.
-Nicole
Wonderful post, Nicole. I feel the same way. Sometimes we unintentionally complicate our lives. So this year, no resolutions per se for me – I have my list of things I would like to accomplish this year and if I don’t get to do everything, I’m not going to fret over it. I’m going to definitely slow down and simplify and cherish all the things, large and small, that bring happiness into my life.
Ali
Farmgirl #12
Good post about resolutions Nicole. I don’t do resolutions anymore either. I choose a word for the year( per Ali Edwards) and let that be a guide, inspiration, etc for the year. I do have my list of things I want to pursue but have long ago given up any guilt if I don’t get to them all.
Love your posts and look forward to them.
Happy New Year all.
-Thanks, so much, Jeannie!
Nicole,
Thanks for the reminder to slow done and take a look around at what one has done and what one has in life. We are sometimes so busy "doing" that we don’t just take a moment to just "be".
Hi Nicole! I’m finally getting to look at the blog! Nice work!
I couldn’t agree more. I have had 3 or 4 year run of small ups and major downs. I have had many, many health problems and
problem kids and the only way to hang on to my sanity some times was to give myself a break, figuratively and physically.
Some days you just cannot see the greater purpose in being here… until you slow down and let it find you.
My only resolution for the last two years has been to slow down and not let society or social pressures make me feel
inadequate any more. That sounds easy, but it’s really not…at first. It’s much easier now! I’ve got the hang of it! I’m so glad to see so many sisters here also getting the hang of it. Now I don’t feel like No body understands my methods. Thanks for the post, rock on and take it easy! Sue
I love your new years resolution to slow down,appreciate, and celebrate your accomplishments. I’ve gone part time this year at my job, and my goal (I need to write this down) is to slow down, declutter & organize my home, become a volunteer and teach myself to appreciate the small stuff! Thanks for the reminder!
Hello Farmgirl,
This is my first time to discover your blog, I can so identify with your posts, 2010 was a year of lots of changes for me as well, a very emotional year, today I am living in Waianae ( Y N I) Hawaii on a winter break from the cold and snow. but what has started to be just a winter break of five months and now possibly longer, I can bloom where I’m planted and am learning to reach out to those around me. I miss my fur persons and the sacrifice of leaving them behind for the winter, not knowing if I will ever get them back. To let go of things at our home and be happy in a small apartment just to be together with my sweetheart of 30 years, wow 2011 will already be half over by the time I figure out what this year is going to look like. I guess I’m learning to LOVE LIVING IN THE MOMENT.
-Sounds like this new year is quite a new adventure and journey for you! Hope it all works out good. Thanks for reading and sharing. Farmgirl Hugs! -Nicole
Beautiful throwback. Love the pics of all the snow.
Thank you, Heidi! Happy New Year! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole