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December is a month of strong contrasts. The coldness of winter and early evening darkness are no longer ahead of us. Winter is here. Preparations for Christmas are in full swing now. For those who enjoy it, the busyness is full of light and warmth … traditions remembered, long-time family recipes , making handmade goodies for gifts and decor. It can feel like there is way too much to fit into one month. But, I don’t think I’d change a thing … would you?
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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”.
Love it! Thanks and merry Christmas!!
Are you ever on top of it!! A lovely, lovely post. My first thing is to bring out my holiday dinnerware set — the Lenox bird set — and it stays out until Valentine’s Day!
Thanks!
Merriest Christmas Shery! Enjoy each and every moment from the soft sound of the cattle, to the twinkling of lights and ornaments, to the incredibly scrumptious bite of fudge. The Blessed Savior delights in the fullness of your life!
What a wonderful post! I can only imagine how wonderful Christmas is living on a ranch. We moved to our small farm a year and a half ago and I’m loving every minute of it and although we don’t have a lot of animals …it’s starting to feel more and more like a farm should. Thank you for sharing your tree search photo’s and your decorations…your trees are beautiful. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Maura 🙂
Here in southern California on the high desert we have Juniper bushes, not trees – they grow huge and round, but not much taller than 7 feet and I love the blue berries and the green of the spikey leaves. I enjoy your blog so much – we grew up on a ranch and then my kids and my husband and I had horses for years. Sure miss ’em. Your pictures are gorgeous and I am grateful for your references, in this very commercial, and sometimes uninterested world, to the reason for Christmas, the King of Kings. Merry Christmas!
Oh Shery,
The first thing I do to start off the Season,,,, is Music,,,I pull out a "gazillion" CD’s of Christmas Music…I am forever buying new ones and yet they all have the same songs…but I am a pushover for Christmas music.
I luv your decorated faux fruit idea, and I see ‘plastic’ fruit at the Thrifts all the time,,,hmmm, I think I will have to pick some up, glitter, decorate & display,,,thanx for a great idea.
Last but not least, from our little ‘ranchette’ to yours,
Blessings to you & yours for a truly meaningful Christmas.
<><
grace
You just gave me a great idea. Thank you a lot. Merry Christmas
Thanks for sharing your joy and love for this most blessed Christmas season. Have a beautiful Christmas at your lovely home with your very blessed family and friends. I plan on doing the same here at my lodge:)
Merry Christmas Shery!
I LOVE so many things about this post…Where to start?
Juniper trees… We have them on our property out west in the high desert of Northern Nevada… The blue birds love to build nests in them. I can smell those berries just thinking about it! I can also remember crunching along in the snow on a bright sunny afternoon surrounded by the smell of those tree’s and fresh wide-open space and air. Winter in the high desert is SWEET and quite a contrast to the beauty of more traditional Christmas scenes here in New England.
We are kindred spirits when it comes to themed trees… I ADORE looking at them but I don’t have the heart to trade in my tried and true decorations (or the new ones we give each other every year as a family tradition) for A themed one.
I love love love your natural table centerpieces for your farmgirl gathering… It’s so true that those things that please us gals are often lost on our men ( dears that they are)… That’s why our gal pal friendship’s mean so much! CHRISTmas magic is in the air and if we could all just be a little more open to it year round, we would be MUCH better for it!
Wishing you the best of all this season has to bring.
Beach Blessings from Americas hometown…
Deb
I just love reading about your life in WY! Merry Christmas!
Once again, Shery, you have captured the true spirit of Christmas. I love your Juniper tree and wish we had them here. I look forward to your blog and stop what I am doing to read it the minute it’s printed.
Thank you and a very Merry Christmas to you and yours
This was great. I love seeing all the old ornaments and the decorations. Took me back to my childhood days. Now I share these with my grandchildren.Merry Christmas to all.
Thank you for sharing your holidays with us
I LOVE your post!! SO pretty and such great ideas as well. And YAY!! Wyoming!! My home! 🙂
You should know that in this busiest of seasons, your post was the one I HAD to read – its always the best. God Bless you and your’s this Christmas! Farmgirl hugs from Virginia!
I so love reading your posts. I have never been any further west than west virginia, and reading about your life and where you live is always refreshing. I hope you have a very merry Christmas.
farmgirl #2143
Shery, Love this blog post. LOVE it as always. And I am crazy ga-ga over that white Christmas tree at Beth’s. I secretly lust for a white tree. Your flow blue plates are beautiful too!
Love that you used those junipers. I have been considering doing the tumble weed tree for a long time. Blew it this year, as the snow came before I could gather them. But next year!
Shery:
What a great post. You are a wonderful writer and I enjoy reading each and every one of your stories. And your pictures are terrific. I only wish I lived closer so I could get to know you personally and share your love of antiques and horses. Have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.
Rusty
Hi Shery, Just read your blog about your Christmas. Loved it. So many times we don’t stop and think about the reason for the season and its sad. I am making some homemade Christmas presents. I love it and my galpals love to sit around on a day we pick for lunch too. we will exchange our little gifts as well. Have a Very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy New Year, Hugs, Farmsister #1020 Juanita
Agree – much ado- I love that a lot is expected of me – but i don’t expect it of others. The kids LOVE that I love the spirit of the season – but I am coming to really look forward to our church’s GIVING Tree delivery – where I load up not only the suburban, but also our 2 horse trailers full of gifts for 35 families. The high school youth group prays with the families and paints the kids faces. That is the truest meaning – the sharing of the REASON for the SEASON … and the giving. But, I did string lights along 400 ft of pasture fence – it is great. Have used 4 rolls of paper to wrap, 18 pounds of butter and 20 pounds of flour for baking and I will be cleaning as well – thanks for a great post.