I’m a jumble of emotions right now.
Anticipation. Excitement. Frustration. Joy. Anger. Discouragement. Happiness. They are all mixed together, surfacing one after the other, pretty much uncontrollably. Yay hormones.
A cozy Christmas Evening as a family of three.
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”.
What a wonderful and hopeful post you have written. It has given me positives to think about as the new year comes sliding in. I have enjoyed your posts all year long and look forward to them in 2016. Blessings on your and your family and may you all be happy, healthy and loved in the New Year.
Thanks, Barbara! I can’t wait to write more in the coming year. It’s hard to believe that 2016 is TOMORROW! Whoa!
Oh Alex. I loved this post so much. Do you know that it made me cry? Your writing does that to me sometimes… gets me right in the heart strings. I too was late with my babies. And luckily I had a doctor that did not insist on induction as I really did want to have them naturally. My daughter was exactly 16 days late and yes… I wish NO ONE had known my due date. It was miserable every time the phone rang. I finally started answering it like this: “No baby, no labor, no contractions”! 🙂 I’m glad you are the kind of girl that has the courage to just hang in there! That precious little one will be happy and yes, chubby and healthy! The best kind! The warmest hugs to you my Farmgirl friend!
– Dori, the Ranch Farmgirl –
P.S. And thank you for those profound words – exactly what I’ve been thinking myself. “Love ourselves for how we are in some way, not for how we think we should be”. xoxo
Oh, Dori! Thank you for writing this. I’m still at home…no baby, no labor, continuous unproductive contractions. I know I will at least be able to go two weeks “over” without pressure to induce, so that’s a relief. And I know I don’t have to say yes to anything I don’t want to! I’m considering handing my phone and Facebook privileges over to my mom and Evan because it’s all driving me bonkers! I’m sorry I made you cry, but also flattered. Thank you for your words of encouragement and solidarity!! You have lots to love about YOU!
Have you noticed there’s no tinsel anywhere? Did the gov’t outlaw tinsel for some weird reason — like, babies can eat it and it makes them sick? That’s basically what happened to D-con…
Ummmm….I don’t know? I’ve seen some tinsel, we have a cheesy tinsel garland and I heard a fluff story on NPR about tinsel crafts like purses and bracelets on Etsy. I haven’t seen the old school loose tinsel for a long time, though. Growing up we had some that was my great grandma’s and we would save it year after year. I wonder if it’s still around?
P.S. — Love your Charlie Brown Christmas tree! AND a story about my mom… She wouldn’t tell anyone she was pregnant because that meant a little less time she had to put with all the pregnancy jokes, remarks and comments everywhere she went!!! So she started dreading the moment she conceived… which in my case was 10 days after they got married… which just added to the comments, remarks and …. speculations back in 1950!!! Hang in there!
The baby will come when the baby is fully cooked. 🙂 I was always overdue, and I think it’s pretty common. But the waiting is hard. So very hard!
Love your post!!! pic’s and the thought that we all need to care about ourselves – JUST THE WAY WE ARE!!! We each have great qualities so why dwell on the bad – only perceived qualities. Now if the little one has not made an appearance – try to enjoy the time – I’ve been there and I know that that is very hard to do but you can do it. God bless.
Hello Alex,
I so loved the part of your post about lifting ourselves up this new year and really celebrating the great things we already are and things we have!! Crafty hands, feet that carry us through the woods, the ability and desire to work in gardens in all weather!! Excellent thoughts coming out of your hormone induced state!! 🙂 Can’t wait to hear about that baby ….all in good time…no pressure!!!
Judy from upstate NY
Alexandra, my new year resolution is to live each day without worrying about tomorrow. Our daughter is 16, and she will be going off to college in two years! We are at the opposite end of parenting a child as you are, and my advice to you is to cherish each day with your children, no matter what, because you will get from where you are, to where we are, in a flash! Honestly, it goes by so fast, one day you will look up and realize how much time has passed and it will literally shock you. So ENJOY those babies! Much love and best wishes for a healthy delivery!
Howdy Alex,
I can relate to your feelings of impatience. I was over-due with our daughter ( she was our second) and I didn’t expect that because our first( our son) was two weeks early. As I read your post I remember being curt with my co-workers who would call me daily at home after I went on maternity leave weeks before my due date. They forgave me of-course and your loved ones will too. I love what you said about being ” good” with who we are and not setting ourselves up for trying to make huge changes then feeling like failure when we don’t accomplish everything we said we would in the face of a new year. I just want to stay in the flow of the river of my life. I like where it’s taking me these days! 😉 Can’t wait to meet your new little one… Next time, for sure!
Hugs and huge blessings for a quick and safe birth!
Deb ( Beach Farmgirl )
I enjoyed your post very much. I’m new here, but couldn’t not reply. I agree with your thoughts for a more forgiving voice for ourselves. I wish you and your’ s a safe and Happy New Year. I pray for a safe delivery for both you and baby.
Wishing you and yours a Happy,Healthy New Year full of blessings. Look forward to your next post and hopefully the baby will have arrived. Take care and wishing you all the best in 2016. Ava is adorable. I love your Charlie brown tree!
Marilyn and family
I enjoyed this post and I hope that you have a newborn that you are enjoying.
Not Yet! but soon…Thank you!
Wonderful uplifting post, Alex. Loving the focus you put on loving the you/me not as we think we should be, but as we are now. Love it! I’ve written this out so I will remover these words. Hoping all goes well for you and your bubs birth. Merry Christmas and happy new year. May you and your family be deeply blessed in 2016
Hugs from Australia
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You scared me when I read you were going to put on skates….while pregnant! Girl are you crazy? What if you fell…golly i hope you didnt!