Hello Farmgirl Friends!
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I want to thank all of you so much for all your emails and comments to me after my post in October about losing my dear friend Patti. I can’t even describe how much they meant to me.
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In thinking about this blog post the last few days, I decided what I really wanted to write about is just a simple little post on how the last month has gone for me and the few things I’ve learned through it all.
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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”.
Oh Dori!
Thank you for sharing such wisdom and teaching some of us old dogs new tricks! Things are hard, but we can still smile after those much needed tears .
Hugs to you,
P.s., FPP still terrifies and mystifies my brain!
xoxo,
Kim
Dori, thank you so very very much for your post about your dearest friend and your wonderful folks. Your words brought tears from way down deep…. I miss my Mom and Dad so much. When Dad passed I convinced (it wasn’t easy) Mom to move from their home in Southern California to my place in Harpers Ferry, WV. Mom was with me for 8 years before she passed from heart failure and dementia. I was so blessed to be able to hold her in my arms as she passed. I’m sorry to be such a Debbie Downer but your words brought up these old feelings and you are right….Hard is not the same as bad.
Dear Dori: you share your heart feelings so eloquently. And I am grateful to you for having that ability. We can all do hard things with great love. And your heart is definitely full of love ❤️
I lost two of my best friends, mom and dad, in my twenties, so even now, at seventy, I wept as I read your blogs….but! A friend told me at the time, “It’s not good now, but it will get better.” And it did. So yes, there have been smiles put on and chins lifted and sweet memories and tears and life continues. I am deeply grateful.
Beautiful. Dori you have a way to comfort others with your words. Stay strong and keep on grabbing the joy out of life. Isn’t it wonderful when you realize you are so much more powerful and capable than you ever imagined? I know I do.
Treese/Colorado Cowgirl.
Dori! That was beautiful!
My Mama had a similar saying
after something sad.
You are such an encouragement to us all!
Thank you!
Dori, I love everything about this! Thank you for sharing with us ❤️ God bless you!
All I can say is thank you for the reminder, life is short, say yes!
Your words always bring tears and smiles. Thank you for your openness and honesty.
Such inspirational writing. And YES! I think we all need to learn to say yes more often. My mom passed a few years ago, and i often think about how i didn’t mind taking her to the store for just that one item that took hours. HAHA! As for foundation paper piecing, i am teaching myself English paper piecing. I have started with Hexies and I love it. It is so relaxing as i can sit and do that at night and not think about everything that needs done. In fact i have decided to make a hexie tree skirt, so i had better get busy. Sending big hugs to you!!
Your heartfelt advice just warmed my weary heart… thank you for sharing a part of yourself with so many. I personally am very grateful as my heart has a “crack” in it lately. Xoxo
Thank you for opening your heart & sharing with your readers … keep smiling
Dori,
Your post and sharing your experience is giving me another perspective on my own journey. Thank you for your beautiful spirit! Hard doesn’t have to be bad. Cry and then put on a smile. I was just telling my 33 year old daughter that I noticed I don’t smile like I use to… what a gentle reminder that maybe I need a good cry and then I need to straighten up and put a smile on my face. Many blessing to you. Thank you for the boost I need it!.
I have really enjoyed your blog, if that is what it is called, I am older and do not always understand the computer, but thanks for you heart felted thoughts. Death is hard, but is a part of life. We are still witnessing a lot of death from COVID here in California. Recently, a church member that I was just getting to know, died from COVID. Remember God is in control, and brings the bad and good to us. Love you
I’m so sorry for your loss. I too lost a dear friend to a horrendous car wreck a few years ago. It was tough. We used to meet at her little country store after I got off work several times a week and have pizza at least once. She sold this brand of Cherries and Cream Soda that I loved and always had some hidden in the refrigerator in the back just for me. (I wasn’t the only one who liked it. She was frequently sold out of it.) But there was always some nice and cold for me. We talked, laughed, and sometimes cried. No subject was off limits
Dori, you are such a strong and inspiration to all that follow your blog!!!l think we all need people, especially other women, in our lives and especially in this world of today!! Praying we can all be more like you and crying is good for the soul.
Love you girl, Rita
Thanks for sharing. Praying for comfort as you travel this journey of life.
Dori, My condolences on the loss of your dear friend. You were fortunate to have such a close friend. Yes, people need to appreciate their parents while they’re still her and enjoy their company. Everyone’s so disconnected these days. Grief doesn’t go away but becomes manageable. There will be days when it rises up and hits you head on. Other days, memories will bring smiles!
Take care and continue enjoying life to the fullest, which includes relaxing!
I’m so sorry for your loss. I too lost a dear friend to a horrendous car wreck a few years ago. It was tough. We used to meet at her little country store after I got off work several times a week and have pizza at least once. She sold this brand of Cherries and Cream Soda that I loved and always had some hidden in the refrigerator in the back just for me. (I wasn’t the only one who liked it. She was frequently sold out of it.) But there was always some nice and cold for me. We talked, laughed, and sometimes cried. No subject was off limits. I’ll never forget that phone call. I couldn’t believe she was gone. And for a while I was lost. Her husband sold the store and the house and moved to Florida with their daughter. I don’t even drive by the store anymore. I have to pass her house but I don’t look anymore. The pain of losing her is still breath taking after 11 years. But it’s better. It does get easier with the passing of each year. We’ll always love our dear friends but the pain and emptiness gets better. My problem is that I know a lot of people but have only 3 good friends. And she was a good friend. We are so blessed if we can have even one friend like that in our lives and I’ve had 3. I remind myself of that when I’m thinking about her and I smile.
Beautiful reminder that our lives are short…a vapor in the wind and that we need to take the time to smile and remember the good things, the precious family and dear friends and that God is good always.
Ah, Dori, I thought you outdid yourself with your last post–then you write this one and I have been in tears and smiling and laughing as I go through it. You have inspired me once again, dear lady. Thank you for the thoughtful lessons.
Barb
Thank you for your heartfelt words reminding us all to be mindful of the moments that bring clarity and meaning
Thank you… just, thank you.
❤️❤️
Wonderful sharing of your heartfelt experiences – we can all relate! Thank you. (Martha in North Idaho)
Bless you, Dori — such a heartfelt post to share with us all. Thanks so much from a small town on the Pacific NW!
Thank you!
This has truly been a God send. I had 3 funerals last week. Today a very dear friend who has had three surgeries in two months is critical & her son is being allowed to see her.
God is still Good & I’m so thankful He holds us!!
Blessings
Gail
Matthew 6:33
❤️
Thank You for this post. Losing a friend is an awful thing. We have lost a few friends over the years. It never gets an easier. We miss our parents every day. Glad that you had support from your husband. So happy that your parents are doing fine. Your granddaughters are quite the young ladies. Where did the time go? Blessings to you and your family. God Bless.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
I’ve not experienced the pain of death yet. Tears for you & what an inspiration you are helping people thru your honesty & transparency. Thank you.
Thank you for such a inspiring story, although very sad. Im sorry for losing your best friend. I love MaryJane’s farm house magazine.
That was beautiful…..:)
Thank you for sharing the joys and sorrows of what your life has led you through lately. All of us who have lost precious friends can relate and commiserate. And for those of us without, be envious and happy for you that you have parents and a sibling to be with when the need is greatest. I’ll toss in a hubby, too :>) Some of us, really old like I am, have been left without any of those wonderful people. Life is like that. Kind and harsh in turns. Can’t be any other way.
Again, just a thank you. You lift my day.
Patricia Murphy
Dear Dori, I have no idea what foundation paper is, but certainly understood and felt the rest of the story. I am so sorry for your loss of Patti, and thank you for reminding us to always say yes. How wonderful to appreciate what we have, while we still have them; you and your sweet family are blessed to have each other! Keep smiling, dear friend.
This!!❤❤❤